The boy who was being sold looked young, but he was very articulate and had clear thinking.

Not only can he accurately calculate the cost of each guest, but he can also answer people's questions without any stage fright.

"Would you like one cup, pretty sister? If you want two cups, we will give you an extra cup holder for your convenience. You can carry it. Do you need it?"

Not only that, he also learned the full gift system without any guidance, which increased people's consumption desire and consumption rate.

Of course, it is called a "cup holder", but it is actually a small bag with a handle made of bamboo leaves and vines, which can just hold a bamboo tube for milk tea.

Although I feel like two cups might not be enough, but...

The female tourist looks at the ingeniously woven handbag.

"Two cups, please."

You can take it away anyway, or just give it to your friends later.

Being able to carry it also makes it convenient for her to move around.

"Okay, here you go, enjoy your viewing."

The young man smiled as he saw the guest off and went to greet the next one.

“…It’s really amazing.”

Even though he had been smiling for a long time, he was still able to remain enthusiastic when greeting the next guest.

The other people in the orphanage looked at this boy in amazement. He was treated as a younger brother by them because he was so thin and young.

They really didn't expect that he had this ability.

When it comes to physical work or endurance, they are confident. But for a job like this where you have to keep smiling and communicate with people, well…

The children looked in awe.

This is probably the legendary social player.

Just as the atmosphere was getting heated, a girl's voice with a strong voice came from the broadcast in the venue:

"The first Ugetsu Shoten Cup Sugar Syrup Battle of Konoha Village is about to begin. Staff, contestants, and visitors are requested to return to the designated areas and minimize movement. Visitors with children are requested to pay more attention to them to prevent them from getting lost or injured. A peaceful and friendly environment requires the efforts of everyone. Thank you for your cooperation."

Following the announcement, the ninja volunteers who had been on standby at various entrances came out one after another and began to lead the way to the guests who had not yet found a seat or were still wandering around.

Facing those smiling ninjas, even if someone wanted to do something more, they would only dare to think about it in their hearts.

There was no way they were going to cause trouble, they were not stupid enough to throw their small bodies against the ninja's outstretched hands.

"We sincerely thank all the audience for coming. I am the host of this conference, Uzumaki Kushina - so without further ado, let us witness this exciting competition together. Everyone, please look! Now walking towards us are the contestants of the junior group!"

The red-haired woman standing at the host position began the introduction with full enthusiasm. Following the direction of her hand, people saw young boys and girls gathered in twos and threes.

The oldest of them was 12 or 13 years old, and the youngest was only 6 or 7. There were ninjas and children who were not ninjas, but no matter which one, they were all very confident and showed the demeanor of a strong man.

"The first to go are the non-ninja players. Although they are young, their skills are by no means weak!"

As soon as she finished speaking, dozens of children walked onto the stage.

The syrup was prepared in advance and placed around the ring for them to use.

"We will review it from three perspectives: aesthetics, innovation, and cleanliness."

Just as the young contestants were getting ready, the host, Uzumaki Kushina, had already begun introducing the relevant choke points.

"Sticks to hands, falls to the ground, and cannot be formed into a shape will be deducted points. Hokage, what do you think?"

As she spoke, she handed the microphone in her hand to the Hokage who was sitting in the guest seat.

In addition to the Hokage, the guest seats also included several high-ranking officials of Konoha, leading ninjas from other ninja villages, and the hero Minato Namikaze.

Taking the microphone, the Hokage smiled and said:

"Of course I hope that all the contestants can achieve good results under the premise of complying with the regulations. But even if you fail this time, it doesn't matter and don't be sad. Just treat it as an experience in life - those who inherit the Will of Fire will not be defeated by one or two failures."

“Well said!”

Might Guy, who hadn't entered the game yet, shouted.

"That's right! Life is made up of countless failures! As expected of you, Hokage! I'm so excited that I want to do another 2,000 push-ups now—"

“Shut up!”

Mitarashi Anko rolled her eyes.

I really don't want to admit that I know this person.

The audience responded with warm applause.

Yu Yue, who was standing nearby, saw the good reaction and waved for Xin to come over.

"Give this to Miss Kushina."

She put a note into Xin's hand, and then saw the boy as nimble as a loach, coming to Uzumaki Kushina's side without being noticed by the audience,

Hand over your note.

Although Uzumaki Kushina was a little surprised, she didn't show it on her face. She used her ninja's agility to quickly glance at the words on the note, and then continued:

"Next, please invite the representatives of the various ninja villages who have come from afar to give their congratulatory speeches!"

The outside ninjas obviously didn't expect this step to happen, and they were a little flustered for a moment. But after all, they were all experienced ninjas, and they wouldn't panic just because of a sudden situation.

They quickly took the microphone, put on a business smile and started speaking.

But after all, they spoke suddenly, and they were not usually good at this. The speeches of several people were quite short, probably only two or three minutes in total, just in time for the contestants to finish preparing.

"Well, thank you very much to all the guests for your speeches." Uzumaki Kushina, who took back the microphone, announced loudly in a very enthusiastic voice.

"To prove our sincerity, we have also prepared an additional prize."

As she spoke, Sarutobi Asuma, who was temporarily forced to work, walked up to the podium shyly holding the "prize".

"That's the autographed card with the Hokage and the yellow flash, Minato Namikaze's autograph!"

If the players on the field were originally just looking forward to it, now they are fanatical and vigilant.

They stared closely at the autograph card displayed by Asuma Sarutobi, their burning gazes seeming to set the autograph card on fire.

Uzumaki Kushina's voice also sounded at the right time: "Then, I declare! The first group of the children's group of the Sugar Syrup Competition officially begins!"

The children on the field also became alert and quickly started their actions.

Because it was a preliminary round, the children were quick and the review was also quick.

Those children who could not get rid of the sticky and soft nature of the syrup soon gave up. They either picked and chose anxiously, or chose to grab it with their hands out of anxiety.

They walked off the field one by one, with their eyes red or their fists clenched.

I have experienced the cruelty of competition at such a young age. But this may not be a bad thing. I have seen the cruelty of the world early, so that I can better adjust my mentality and face the storms in the future.

The children who stayed behind advanced smoothly and walked aside to wait.

Soon, the competition came to the ninja group.

Compared to ordinary people, ninjas are "old warriors" who have seen all kinds of storms.

Might Guy and Mitarashi Anko also took a deep breath and stood on the stage.

.

finally!

The day has finally arrived!

Might Guy clenched his bandaged hands excitedly.

While he was excited by the attention of the crowd, he looked around for his destined enemy.

After a brief search, his eyes lit up:

"Kakashi! Come on! It's time for a showdown!"

Kakashi was exhausted and just took the time to drink some water: "..."

What I mean is that my name is not Kakashi. Is there still time to change it to something like Kakato?

Might Guy seemed to have not noticed anything unusual, "Come on! This is our fateful battle! It's time to decide who is the world's number one syrup master!"

He yelled with great force.

However……

“Staff members don’t participate in the competition.”

Said Uzumaki Kushina who was holding the microphone.

"ah?"

The young man with a bowl-cut haircut and dressed in green tights looked like he was struck by lightning.

How, how could this happen!

He fought so hard! He worked so hard! Just to have a showdown with his old enemy Kakashi, but now he's saying he won't fight at all!?

"Stop talking!"

Mitarashi Anko couldn't help but close her eyes.

She didn't even dare to look at the contestants from other ninja villages - this time she was really embarrassed.

"Although Kakashi will not participate in the battle, there are other strong people from all over the place."

As Kakashi's master's wife, Uzumaki Kushina naturally stepped forward to help him out.

"And this is the time to decide who is the best in the village."

Of course, being the best in the village is more appealing than just fighting Kakashi.

"No. 1 in the village..."

Might Guy repeated it silently, and then his eyes lit up as if they were on fire.

"Okay! Then I'll be the first in the village!"

"Wake up and don't waste time!"

Mitarashi Anko really wanted to kick that person out.

Despite some minor incidents, the competition went on smoothly.

And Might Guy did not let the training go to waste. He started with an extremely fast movement, with his hands so fast that multiple afterimages appeared.

Coupled with his focused expression and the voice-over of 'hey ha', it is quite eye-catching.

“So fast!”

People around

They all exclaimed.

"Is this the Speedy Might Guy? He really lives up to his reputation!"

“How is this done?!”

People exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing that Might Guy had taken the lead, the people around him also began to show their abilities.

“Watch me!”

Mitarashi Anko also started her performance.

She is almost the complete opposite of Might Guy. Her every move can be seen clearly and smoothly.

As she pulled, the originally sticky syrup could be retracted and expanded freely like her arms.

Beauty is revealed in every move.

The originally amber-colored amber soon turned into a silver-like texture and color, appearing particularly shiny.

"Oh! This looks good!"

"What's that over there? A beehive!"

A spindle shape is forming between the hands of an inconspicuous boy wearing black glasses.

"Oh oh? What is that a deer?"

“This is a butterfly!”

Other participants also started to show their power at this time.

For a moment, people even had the illusion that their eyes were not enough.

This one is pretty, and that one is interesting.

"Look at my silver snake!"

Mitarashi Anko was the first to complete her work.

She took advantage of the fact that syrup would be stirred into a silvery white color, and used a wooden stick as a support to make a coiled silver snake.

Different from those ferocious and cruel snakes, this arrogant and coiled snake is very noble and beautiful, subverting people's perception of snakes.

"My Queen's Nest."

The boy with sunglasses also completed his work.

Unlike Mitarashi Anko, he made the honeycomb while keeping the original color of the syrup mostly intact.

Then a small amount of silvery-white syrup is used to embellish it, making it look like bees flying in and out. The ingenuity is amazing.

Other boys and girls also completed their own works.

Finally, Might Guy, who had been busy since the beginning, stopped and revealed the arm-long exhibit between his hands.

but……

"What's this?"

No matter how you look at it, it looks like a rotating inverted triangle?

"This is Konoha Whirlwind!"

Might Guy announced loudly.

Might Guy knew that he didn't have much aesthetic sense.

He was not good at delicate work, so he chose to make what he was best at and most familiar with.

——The whirlwind that was created when he used Taijutsu.

The wind created by the fists and feet swirled around him.

It is the existence that I am most familiar with.

The scene was very quiet for a while.

It was so quiet that even the originally confident Might Guy began to feel uneasy.

Compared to others, I do seem a little weird?

"This is a tornado!"

A person exclaimed.

"Silver tornado! So cool!"

"Although I like that snow-white snake, this tornado looks more powerful."

"You can actually think of making a tornado!"

People were discussing it enthusiastically, and were very interested in how syrup could be used in so many ways.

They also support and praise the "Silver Tornado" made by Might Guy.

In fact, among ninjas, Might Guy has always been an outlier.

Although he was able to complete the task, his ninjutsu and illusion skills were a mess. He was just like a student who had just started to learn ninjutsu. Therefore, even though he had extremely advanced physical skills, he was actually always more or less discriminated against in the ninja community.

He would almost never be taken to competitions.

But the sugar syrup competition is different.

Because all Tang Xi needs is the control over the body and Tang Xi, and it has nothing to do with chakra or ninjutsu.

Even if Might Guy's ninjutsu and illusions are weak, no one will care about them, allowing him to put all his passion into it.

As long as you work hard, you will be rewarded.

As long as you do it, it will be different.

Unlike the other smiling children, Might Guy's eyes were slightly moist.

But he quickly blinked away the trace of water and announced loudly.

"This is just the beginning! Next time I will definitely create Konoha's best whirlwind! Just wait and see, Kakashi!"

The atmosphere reached a new high again.

After the Juniors category, the Youth category is the real highlight.

Because in the youth group, in addition to the famous Uchiha of Konoha, there are also contestants from other villages.

Although these Uchiha all have pale faces, dull expressions and dark circles under their eyes...

"Wow, what's wrong with the Uchiha? He looks so haggard.

”

"How is that possible? That must be because they stayed up late to prepare for the battle!"

As soon as someone raised an opinion, someone else immediately came up with a convincing rebuttal.

"They are Uchiha! How could they be so tired and haggard!"

“That’s right.”

After all, he is an Uchiha.

The Uchiha who heard this: "..."

For the first time, the Uchiha people not only did not feel happy when they heard others' compliments, but instead had a look of kidney deficiency on their faces, hoping that they would be ignored.

Everyone in the village is familiar and reassuring, but it’s different for people outside the village.

Not only are they strangers, but each of them looks very powerful.

The first match was the 'wild card match' - a match between out-of-town participants.

In fact, according to Yu Yue's original plan, he was going to put them directly into the semi-finals.

After all, it's not easy to come all the way here, and it's only been a short time since I came into contact with syrup. Maybe I haven't adjusted to the right state yet.

However, perhaps the average ninja is addicted to competition or has TOP cancer. When they heard that they were going to be exempted from the competition, they were unhappy.

'Can't see us?'

"Compare! You have to compete. You can't not compete. Whoever says no is a grandson!"

"Konoha has competed, so why can't we compete?"

"Don't talk about fairness or unfairness. Not letting us compete is the biggest injustice!"

——So the final decision was that the wildcard competition, that is, the election competition in other regions outside the main competition region, will proceed as usual.

This is how we have the current scene of "many powerful countries standing side by side".

The elites of the four major ninja villages, the Sand Village, the Iwagakure Village, the Kumogakure Village, and the Mist Village, gathered here.

“It’s not too late to regret giving up now.”

"Hmph, you should tell this to yourself."

"Oh? Then let's see who is the lost dog."

People from different ninja villages who already disliked each other naturally started targeting each other.

For ninjas, as long as there is competition, there is hostility.

Since they are hostile, then saying harsh words and mocking them is just basic practice.

As the tension between the people from different ninja villages grew, the spirits of the people of Konoha became much more tense.

"Do we need to stop it?"

The curly-haired boy moved closer to Ugetsu.

As the organizer,

They wouldn't want to see anyone causing trouble, but Miss Ugetsu didn't say anything, so Uchiha Shisui had no choice but to ask for instructions.

"No need. Pre-match flirting is a normal part of the game. There is no such thing as flirting with each other. What the hell is going on?"

Competition is all about the tense feeling of confrontation.

If everyone is fine, what's the point?

——Of course, getting slapped in the face afterward is part of the fun, but it’s better not to talk about this openly.

After all, ninjas still value face and reputation very much.

If you ruin the fun by speaking too quickly, you'll suffer a huge loss.

"Understood."

Although Uchiha Shisui didn't know how such a meaningless and explosive conversation could become part of the 'session', since the organizer, Ms. Ugetsuki, said not to bother with it, he didn't mention it anymore.

Anyway, in the village, if there is any problem, the ninjas in the village will take action in time.

And just as the audience expected.

As soon as this group of contestants came on stage, the atmosphere of the entire arena became different.

It’s different from the contestants in the village who are always competing with each other.

These ninjas from other villages had fought on the battlefield not long ago.

Although the Sugar Syrup Competition is not a battlefield, as long as it is a competition, there will be winners and losers, and where there are winners and losers, someone is bound to lose.

Then the meaning is completely different.

The Red Sand Scorpion looked around and saw that people from other ninja villages were doing almost the same thing as him.

They all had serious expressions and were looking around closely.

They all have a common understanding:

This is not a competition for toys or food.

This is the continuation of the Ninja World War that just ended, and it is a battle of dignity.

"Now we are holding the 'wild card competition' for contestants from the other four major ninja villages. They are all elites from each ninja village. Now, we invite these elites who have come from afar to present us with a wonderful competition!"

As Uzumaki Kushina's loud voice fell, the contestants from the four major ninja villages on the field also began to move.

Different from the junior group who just took the items and then started to show off, they started to show off their skills from the moment they took the items.

Some people use puppets to get it on their behalf.

There are also those who use the art of clones to act.

Villages like Iwagakure, which are already good at earth escape techniques, used earth escape techniques to show off their skills.

, and brought the box of syrup to himself with soil.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

A ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village was unhappy - he was standing there quietly, but the ground beneath his feet suddenly surged like waves, almost causing the syrup in his hand to fall to the ground. Who could tolerate this?

"Hey, it's just a little trick." A female ninja from the Hidden Rock Village raised her eyebrows, "No way, no way, are you going to care about such a small thing?"

"……hateful!"

Although it caused an impact, we are all ninjas.

If they really make a fuss over such a small matter, it will only make people think that they are incompetent.

The ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village swallowed his complaints.

But he was not to be outdone.

Crackling.

A bolt of lightning struck the box of syrup in the hands of the Iwagakure ninja.

"you!?"

Several contestants from Iwagakure Village looked over immediately.

This time it was the people from the Hidden Cloud Village who smiled:

"Oh my, it's such a big place, why did the thunder strike you alone? I wonder if you did something bad and are being punished by God."

The faces of the ninjas from the Iwagakure Village suddenly fell.

Next, just like a stunt show, you can see fancy "scenes" from time to time.

Regardless of whether it was an accidental injury or not, the four major ninja villages were eventually implicated.

But they are worthy of being the elites selected by each ninja village, even so, they are still very stable.

...At least the syrup in my hand is very stable.

As for his hair turning into an afro, his clothes turning into beggar's clothes, and even his legs sinking into the mud.

Those are minor issues.

What ninja hasn't encountered this a few times in his life?

"Look over there! So fast! Why do their syrups seem to be more diluted than others!"

They are talking about the syrup of the Ninja from the Hidden Mist Village.

The syrup in the blue-clothed ninja girl's hand flowed like water.

From top to bottom, there are deep and shallow ones.

"Is it a waterfall? It's a waterfall!"

People were amazed.

"It should be that the ninjutsu that used water mixed it in, diluting the syrup and making it lighter."

Uchiha Shisui quickly figured out what was going on and whispered into Ugetsu's ear to explain.

"What about that?"

Yu Yue pointed at another one, which already had a human-like outline.

'Treacle exhibit'.

"That's the work of the Sand Village... maybe they used the technology to make puppets."

The curly-haired boy paused, then gave Ugetsu a brief explanation of puppeteers and puppetry.

In addition to briefly describing some characteristics, it also highlights several famous puppeteers from the Sand Village.

For example, Grandma Chiyo and Scorpion.

Yu Yue's eyes lit up after hearing this:

"So they are all good at making puppets?"

"It's not a puppet, it's a puppet."

"Don't worry about such details. They can actually make realistic, animated puppets?"

“…You can understand it that way.”

Miss Ugetsuki was not a ninja after all, and Uchiha Shisui did not expect her to have a comprehensive and authoritative understanding of the puppeteer's situation.

The boy released the water like a flood.

If you just understand the concept, then this is not a big problem.

"I understand."

Yu Yue touched his chin thoughtfully, and felt that he could bring forward some of the plans that were originally put on hold.

On the field, the competition has truly entered a white-hot stage.

In addition to their own works being almost completed, they also have to be wary of some inconspicuous wonders from "nature".

Including but not limited to.

The ground beneath my feet suddenly broke.

a bolt from the blue.

Water droplets suddenly appear.

Some steel wire and sand that had somehow spread all over the ground.

A syrup competition just for fun actually made them compete in offense and defense.

But because it was intense enough, the audience was also very excited.

I'm just a little thirsty.

But it is troublesome to go out and buy it, and you might miss the classic scene.

Besides, I have a good seat in the front row now. What if I go out and come back and it’s gone?

The audience was very confused.

However, Pharmacist Kabuto, who had been waiting at the edge and observing the whole scene carefully, pushed up his reflective glasses and called out to the person behind him.

"Now it's our turn!"

"oh!"

Several young boys and girls carrying baskets behind him responded excitedly.

"The audience is thirsty because of excitement, this is the best moment for us to perform - everything is up to you!"

"Leave it to us, Kabuto."

The boys and girls who had received emergency training responded one after another, but some were a little hesitant:

"Dou, we're selling the water we drink ourselves at this price...is that appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate?"

Pharmacist Kabuto, who was still young but had already taken charge of the action, looked up.

"You have to remember that what we are selling at this time is not simply water, but demand."

"People can get what they want right here for a fraction of the cost - isn't that a win for them?"

Other children: ...That makes sense! But why do I feel like it's weird?!