an hour has passed since i met karito and im now in the waiting area for my fight, i should be called up soon. ive been scouting out the competition to see if theres anyone that seems like a threat, ive seen many people with masks and face coverings but none of them have seemed all that strong, maybe karito was lying but i dont think thats likely im sitting next to an old man who's probably in his 70s, i didnt pay him much attention because of his age but when i focus on his aura i cant seem to sense it.
"do you know how many of the 10 are in this room right now?"
"wh what-" im startled, are all of the 10 this wreckless about revealing what they are?
"youre jeiku right, number 9 if i remember correctly"
"no i think you have the wrong person" how does he know my name
"dont lie to me boy. now answer my question, how many of the 10 are in this room, bonus points if you can tell me which ones they are" what is happening? i feel like im in danger but i sense no hostility from the old man.
"well theres me and im guessing you"
"who else" i focus hard, i dont know why im complying without any explanation or reason.
"theres another over in that corner and theres one more to the left of him"
"there are more but ill give you a pass, anyone in the top 5 of the 10 can conceal their aura completely. numbers 10 through 6 while yes they are incredibly strong and could take down many formidable foes aren't anywhere close to numbers 5 through 2 in strength"
"what about number 1" the old man laughs and then grimaces
"number 1 is more or less a god, completely untouchable"
"have you heard the name Rōgan uzumaki?"
"of course i have, he was on my radar for a long time, but hes not much of a threat anymore."
"where would he have stood in terms of strength with the 10"
"Rōgan was one of the 10 the moment he was born, i dont think he ever knew that though"
"what was his number?" before Rōgan lost his jutsu he was the strongest shinobi i had ever encountered, even the hokage couldn't keep up with him.
"number 5" the old man laughs. 5? that means the 10 are on a level of strength that i can't even comprehend, the old man said that number 1 was essentially a god but it sounds like the top 5 all can go toe to toe with a god.
"jeiku of the leaf and sakura of the mist, head to arena number 46" i stand up shakily, the old man continues laughing, i walk away as fast as i can glancing over my shoulder constantly to make sure he doesn't follow me.
im at the ring now and the referee is explaining the rules but i dont pay attention to a word he says, the round begins and without thinking i speed blitz to directly in front of my opponent and punch them in the stomach so hard they fall over, the ref begins to count down
"jeiku wins by knockout!" this didnt feel like a victory, my opponent had no way of beating me. now i have to try and keep myself and my friends safe from the rest of the 10, the ones i have met feel dangerous and i cant afford to have them hurt my friends.