Fighters and spectators alike dispersed to the various stalls, restaurants, and stands throughout the city.
Arthur himself found refuge in a secluded room, which was lined with monitors displaying various camera feeds to capture every corner of the arena and its surroundings.
Wires snaked around the floor as they connected to mainframes live-streaming the event.
'First,' he thought. 'I need to ensure everything's safe…'
Inserting a flash drive into the television, the monitor opened the footage files. As he watched the progress bar fill, he couldn't help but relish in the idea of how the data would provide invaluable insights into their techniques and weaknesses.
While that was happening, he turned his attention to the bigger monitors, flipping through camera feeds that offered glimpses into the outside of his closed chamber.
One feed showed several familiar faces as the camera focused in on Naruto, who was animatedly harassing Santa Yamanaka while other Leaf ninjas chuckled at the banter.
There didn't seem to be any tension in their conversation. What was notable was how the clanmates were treating the main character.
Naruto, as many understood, was heavily ostracized. Yet what Arthur was seeing was a boy exchanging stories and laughing brightly within the crowded streets.
"You're not stronger than me!" Naruto exclaimed with a shrill laugh. "I mean, seriously, did you even train before coming here? You're going down!"
Santa shook his head in amusement. "You're full of yourself, Naruto. I know what I'm capable of, so I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you."
A surrounding Nara clan member remarked, "He may not seem like much, but Santa's not a pushover; you shouldn't write him off so quickly."
'How incompetent of them,' Arthur thought, still focused on the feed as he scanned for William's whereabout.
To his disinterest, he noticed that William was not by Naruto's side but instead was seated at a nearby restaurant with Jada, whom he had clearly developed a soft spot for.
The two were not alone; Fū and Margaret had joined them.
All they were discussing was make-up products. Arthur couldn't help but furrow his brow at what he perceived as weak behaviour from someone supposed to be a man.
"This guy's more pathetic than I imagined," Arthur scoffed to himself, moving the monitors until he found another feed.
The next one featured Chen. The fighter practiced his footwork, stretching and executing various air kicks to stay warm. It was evident that Chen was going to take his upcoming competition seriously.
That made Arthur ponder Chen's movements. But after a few seconds, he changed feeds.
'You're wasting your time since I've already seen your Leaf Dragon technique...'
There was no doubt in Arthur's mind that he could devise a counterattack should Chen choose to unleash his signature move.
When Lars' feed appeared, Arthur became more focused.
'Something seems to be distracting him…'
He watched as Lars perused a local stall laden with food options. That's when the Raikage took notice of him; alongside Darui, the two approached Lars—likely to extend an invitation to join the ranks of their village.
"He'll refuse," Arthur said, voicing his deduction.
A man like Lars preferred independence over belonging.
In contrast, Arthur observed the other defeated Cloud ninjas. Their expressions showed they were a tad ashamed or disappointed after the earlier matches unfolded.
Not all had the luxury to stay, however. Comrades like Atsui and Samui opted to return to their village and train harder. Omoi, on the other hand, was enamoured with the prospect of continued observation, seeking insight as he contemplated his own self-improvement.
As Arthur continued to monitor the various feeds, his arms crossed and trained eyes deeper in thought, he found himself agitated because the data he had collected thus far wasn't sufficient.
No thanks to the mismatch in his tournament's design.
Many of them were limited in what they could and could not do. And what he desired was to maximize their potential without raising alarm.
"What a waste," he said, watching the fighters socialize, heal, and strategize in ways that seemed far too relaxed.
Then a thought struck him. 'What if…' he began, pondering the implications of the idea, 'they be allowed to use their chakra?'
The absence of chakra-based techniques in this taijutsu-only tournament reduced the fight to tactical skills and brute strength while missing out on how ninjas in this world truly fought. So allowing fighters to employ their chakra would create a battlefield that truly reflected their abilities.
That would indeed be a shift, and Arthur knew that it was possible to produce on such short notice.
With that thought settled, the last of the videos was uploaded to his secure storage.
Now the higher-ups would need to be spoken to if he wanted to implement this new rule. The format of the tournament would also need to be altered.
One might have thought this would be difficult, but it wasn't for a man like Arthur.
The moment he scratched down the rules, he reviewed them thoroughly.
Rule one: no tailed beast chakra shall be permitted. This was to prevent overwhelming clashes that could jeopardize the audience's safety or cause serious property damage.
Rule two: chakra-enhancing items are restricted, ensuring that fighters rely on their innate abilities. This would encourage authenticity in their performances.
Rule three: outside assistance will be strictly prohibited. That was because the focus must remain on the individual fighters to promote fairness.
Rule four: no techniques ranked above B-rank will be allowed. High-ranking techniques often overshadowed the combatants' true capabilities, diminishing the event's purpose of displaying ingenuity.
Rule five: no execution of unidentified techniques that may threaten the structural integrity of the arena. Security for both fighters and spectators is paramount; anything deemed catastrophic in a fight could endanger what Arthur had worked for.
Rule six: genjutsu and fuinjutsu are allowed.
Rule seven: no healing techniques. As if it wasn't obvious, this would safeguard the competitive environment, preventing one participant from gaining an undue advantage through sudden recovery. Additionally, it would prevent a prolonged fight.
And the last rule, rule eight: if a fighter gets trapped in a technique that impairs them from fighting, or if they cannot escape a technique within a designated time frame, they'll be disqualified.
A bigger prize surely would need to be added to. So, Arthur decided to increase the cash reward from one million ryō to two million.
Rolling up the paper, he pocketed it and altered his appearance with a quick Transformation technique, taking on the guise of John Belford.
Once he made it to the feudal lord's palace, he was greeted with open arms.
"Good day, my lord! I was not expecting you! What brings you here during the intermission?"
"The tournament," Arthur replied in an uncaring tone. "It needs adjusting…"
The feudal lord quickly heard the bigger picture and how the stakes were raised.
"I see, I see, my lord! By implementing these changes, we cultivate a true champion to arise for their virtue!"
"Right…" Arthur said, ignoring the man's strange praises. "This needs to be announced immediately, understood?"
"Yes, my lord!"
After Arthur left, the feudal lord shouted for aides and scribes to prepare for the notice.
All of this was within Arthur's power because he not only controlled this tournament, but he inadvertently controlled this whole country too.
✟
As the intermission was coming to a close and the news began to spread, the spectators eagerly filed back into the grand arena. It was a very quick turn of events, one that many of them were very keen on witnessing.
Things hadn't even started, and yet many of them were engrossed in discussions about the announcements they had overheard outside. Just about everyone wanted to see how the fighters would now be able to use chakra and the implications that came with it.
Before the Mizukage and the Raikage heard it, they were planning to leave. But now, they decided to stay for the remaining matches.
Only A was upset enough to go and speak about how the first round should be repeated. Of course, he wasn't going to have his way.
"What do you mean my fighters can't have a rematch?!" A screamed at the tournament regulators. "Just who's responsible for these changes anyway?!"
"Please, lord fourth," a referee begged. "The changes were made for entertainment purposes. Besides, you're not even participating, so why are you—?"
"I've heard enough!" A yelled, storming away.
Darui and Omoi were left apologizing for their Raikage's behaviour.
Arthur witnessed the whole ordeal. Opening round matches had already been concluded, and he had no more interest in those who couldn't first prove themselves with their fists.