Today marked the start of the Two-Village Exchange Event.
But before it began, Yato made another proposal—he wanted to organize a different kind of competition.
The timing of his suggestion was particularly amusing.
He brought it up just as Chiyo and Sarutobi Hiruzen were in discussion.
Hiruzen, mindful of the Hidden Leaf's reputation, couldn't afford to appear discordant in front of Chiyo, so he agreed.
Meanwhile, Chiyo, playing the role of a polite guest, had little choice but to accept the host's request.
Thus, Yato successfully manipulated Hiruzen once again.
Hiruzen knew Yato's tricks all too well, but he decided to treat it as entertainment.
After all, Yato was one of the main participants this time—Hiruzen doubted he would sabotage himself.
And if things went south, the Sand Ninja could share the misfortune.
Perhaps influenced by Yato's unconventional ideas, the Uchiha Clan had become remarkably adept at construction.
They could execute any blueprint or project Yato proposed with ease.
Prime examples: the Uchiha Kindergarten and the Leaf Court.
This time, Yato redesigned the combat arena into a forward-facing performance hall.
A massive stage stood at the center, surrounded by spectator seating—similar to the old arena, but with a twist.
Yato, never one to settle for ordinary, added mood lighting and even arranged for an opening act: a sizzling dance by the Uchiha Female Troupe.
(Imagine the outfits and choreography yourselves—describing them might risk censorship.)
Stunning Uchiha kunoichi, clad in Yato's designs, performed a scorching routine, concluding the opening ceremony.
The effect was immediate—every man in attendance was left flushed and forced to walk hunched over.
Yato had long assured the Uchiha women that this was simply fashion—they shouldn't mind the lecherous stares.Even Jiraiya had sneaked back hoping to gather material, but unfortunately, Uchiha Yato immediately reported him, leading to Tsunade dragging him away.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen secretly lamented not getting his hands on Uchiha Yato's recording device, as his crystal ball lacked video functionality.
While spectating the matches, he had to maintain his composed and benevolent persona, suppressing any excessive emotional reactions.
At that moment, a female ninja from the Sand Ninja side remarked, "The Hidden Leaf always loves these flashy gimmicks. I really don't understand how you deserve such fertile land."
Indeed, the speaker was none other than Pakura, hailed as the "Tsunade of Sunagakure" and the "Most Beautiful Back in the Ninja World," wielder of the Scorch Release.
Hearing Pakura's words, the leading figures of the Hidden Leaf were visibly displeased.
However, given their status, strength, and seniority, they couldn't openly rebuke her.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, was secretly pleased, hoping Uchiha Yato would step up to retort. But Yato remained completely indifferent, focusing solely on the performance and feedback of the Uchiha female troupe.
After all, he didn't know that Uchiha Yato had an Emotional Coin System and was currently aiming to harvest a massive amount of coins from this event.
At this point, Hyuga Hiashi stepped forward and said, "Please retract your absurd remarks. What we do on our land is none of your concern."
His words were undeniably correct, even startling Uchiha Yato, who hadn't expected the usually rigid and stoic Hyuga Hiashi to speak so pointedly.
Whether in the original story or this world, Hyuga Hiashi had always given off an impression of dullness, inflexibility, and stubborn adherence to tradition.
Pakura didn't engage with the topic and instead sneered, "It'll be interesting if you lose during the exchange. I wonder what kind of opponent they'll assign me."
Her aggressive stance wasn't without reason.
She hadn't originally been part of the exchange delegation but had joined at the last minute. Initially, she had been occupied with missions, but due to a series of events, Chiyo had petitioned the Third Kazekage to include her.
Chiyo had initially been indifferent to the outcome, but after the peeping incident tarnished her reputation, she couldn't let it slide. Though she claimed not to care, she still wanted to salvage some pride, hence summoning one of the village's elite Jonin to bolster their presence.
Only then did Uchiha Yato snap out of his thoughts and address Pakura, "How about this—let's make a private bet, shall we?"
Pakura wasn't sure what to make of Uchiha Yato, as his background was unclear. But proposing a private wager in public seemed rather inappropriate.
At the mention of gambling, Tsunade's instincts kicked in, and she was about to join in when Yato added:
"If you lose, how about becoming the Hidden Leaf's wife?"
The first one stirred by these words was Chiyo.
The Sand Ninja were already impoverished, and losing an elite kunoichi over a careless bet would be a heavy blow.
Tsunade muttered under her breath, "Has this kid Uchiha Yato hit that age already?"But before Chiyo could reconsider, Pakura boldly declared, "Bring it on, I'm not afraid. I'll take that bet."
She then turned to Uchiha Yato and asked, "And what if you lose? Will you come to our Sand Village?"
The moment Pakura finished speaking, Chiyo immediately backtracked, saying, "No, no! A simple ninja spar shouldn't turn into some kind of human trafficking deal. That won't do."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nearly agreed—Uchiha Yato could be considered the Hidden Leaf's biggest tumor.
Not only was he a plague within the Uchiha Clan, but he was also a blight on the entire Hidden Leaf Village. If Uchiha Yato left, dealing with the Uchiha Clan would become far easier.
As for Shimura Danzo, the moment he heard Uchiha Yato might leave, he nearly jumped for joy, barely stopping himself from shouting, "Brilliant move!"
At the thought of this scene, the Third Hokage and Danzo both wore expressions of pure satisfaction—utterly relaxed and pleased. (Satisfaction.jpg)
Seeing their expressions, Chiyo immediately took a step back, bewildered by the sudden shift in these two middle-aged men's demeanor.
Realizing their awkwardness, the two elders coughed lightly and said nothing further, simply continuing to watch the bickering below.
Uchiha Yato spoke up, "If I were to leave the village, I fear the Hokage-sama would be too heartbroken."
"How about this? From the Uchiha Clan's possessions that caught your eye earlier, you can pick any three items as the wager. What do you say?"
This bet still tempted Chiyo. The exquisite food from the banquet upon their arrival, the fine garments worn during their outings, and even the Uchiha Clan's Ninjutsu—all of these were rare commodities for the Sand Ninja.
However, Chiyo worried whether Uchiha Yato truly had the authority to make such decisions for the Uchiha Clan.
At that moment, Uchiha Kei chimed in, "Rest assured, everyone. Yato has full authority to speak for the Uchiha Clan. Whatever he promises, we will honor—as long as the bet stands."
Uchiha Kei wasn't the least bit concerned about the consequences of losing these items. Even if it meant handing over Uchiha Clan's Ninjutsu, he wouldn't bat an eye. The reason was simple—
Anything that left Uchiha Yato's hands would be reclaimed tenfold. The man was like a mythical Pixiu—only taking in, never giving out.
With that, everything was settled. However, Rasa grew slightly uneasy. Since the bet involved the Uchiha Clan's assets, it was likely that Uchiha Yato would face Pakura in battle.
That meant he wouldn't get the chance to test his skills against Uchiha Yato, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
At this point, Uchiha Yato resumed his role as the host. The large screen behind him lit up as he addressed the audience.
"We are about to witness the first match of our exchange tournament. Allow me to explain the function of this screen."
"It can freely display surrounding footage, showcase the combatants' information, and provide a seamless, multi-angle viewing experience."
To better illustrate, Uchiha Yato considerately called up a Uchiha ninja to demonstrate, having them perform a couple of Ninjutsu.
Instantly, the screen split into multiple smaller frames, displaying the action from different angles.
This immediately piqued Sarutobi Hiruzen's interest—it was an excellent device for recording events.
Chiyo, too, was impressed, marveling at the Hidden Leaf's abundance of talent and resources. Yet, she couldn't help but sigh at the disparity between their lands—her own village's comparative scarcity weighing on her mind.After the introductions were completed.
Uchiha Yato continued, "Now, let's invite the first pair for the upcoming match."
"Hyuga Hiashi vs. Pakura."