Naruto Birdcage

"So this is the imperial capital, Konoha… It really is grand."

Terumi Mei stood before the main gates of Konoha, gazing up at their towering presence.

Nearly ten meters high, they gave the impression that she wasn't just stepping into a city but an entirely new world.

The ground beneath her feet was made of smooth concrete, a stark contrast to the dirt roads she was used to.

Compared to the once simple and modest entrance of Konoha, the newly expanded city was unrecognizable.

This was a level of luxury and grandeur beyond any capital Mei had ever seen.

She couldn't help but feel like a countryside girl stepping into a metropolis.

But what truly shocked her was the colossal figure standing in the distance—

The Brutal Justice!

She had personally witnessed its descent upon Kirigakure.

She had seen this mechanical god force the Mizukage to bow in submission.

Accompanying her were numerous ninja from the Land of Water.

Half were former Mist Ninja, while the rest were rogue ninja or warriors from smaller villages.

All of them had come to participate in the Imperial Ninja Combat Tournament.

Leading them was a Konoha ninja stationed in the Land of Water.

He glanced at them and said, "Stop gawking, or people will laugh at you."

He approached the checkpoint and presented the necessary documents.

The ninja in charge of the entry records gave them a glance before commenting, "Is this all from the Land of Water? Compared to the other provinces, your numbers seem a bit low."

"Pirates have been causing trouble at sea. Many have set sail to hunt them down." The leading Konoha ninja explained.

"Come register your identities."

Mei and her group were called forward.

The so-called registration process required each person to place a drop of their blood into a machine.

The device then used the DNA to bind their information to the system.

Once this step was completed, Konoha's Solarity Tower would be able to track their location at all times.

After everyone had finished, the gatekeeper ninja said, "All set. Now take them to the tournament registration center to verify their information."

Mei and the others were led into Konoha.

Walking on smooth concrete roads, they took in the clean, bustling streets filled with unfamiliar electrical appliances, leaving them dazzled.

Someone couldn't help but exclaim, "Konoha is incredible! It's even better than the City of Mist!"

The leading Konoha ninja scoffed, "You haven't even seen the new district yet. If you did, your eyes would probably pop out of your heads. Once your registration is done and we assign you temporary housing, you can explore Konoha as you please. As long as you don't cause trouble, your movements won't be restricted."

Hearing those words, many people began to feel excited.

Even if they didn't achieve a high ranking in the Martial Arts Tournament, just coming to Konoha was already worth the trip.

"But you'd better bring enough money. Konoha's cost of living isn't cheap."

"..."

Hearing this, Mei instinctively touched her wallet.

Then, she quietly asked Kisame beside her, "How much money did you bring?"

"Only a few tens of thousands of ryo."

Kisame had also been recommended by Karatachi Yagura.

Yagura understood that people like them wouldn't have much of a future staying in the Land of Water's province, mingling with wandering ninja.

Mei regretted not bringing more money.

She had forgotten that Konoha was the most prosperous city in the Empire.

Not properly exploring it would be a huge waste.

—

At the Martial Arts Tournament Registration Office, ninja selected from each province came to verify and register their information.

This department had been specially established by the Emperor for the tournament.

Today, the place was crowded.

Mei and her group soon realized that they needed to wait in line.

"Why are there so many people?"

Seeing the long queue that even twisted and turned several times, Mei began to worry about how long they would have to wait.

The Konoha ninja leading them explained, "There aren't many people coming from the Four Great Provinces—Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth. Most of them are from the Fire Province itself."

As the Imperial Capital, Konoha's soaring housing prices made many people hesitant.

However, the surrounding towns also rose in status and value.

A large number of wandering ninja deliberately came to Fire Province.

Those who couldn't enter Konoha settled in nearby towns.

The wealthy ones bought houses, while those with less money rented rooms, taking on missions to make a living.

On their days off, they would visit Konoha, dreaming of one day living in this "City of the Gods."

The Imperial Ninja Martial Arts Tournament had now given many of them hope and opportunity.

The sheer number of people waiting in line was overwhelming.

Even the Konoha ninja leading Mei and her group grew irritated.

He went into the office, and a few minutes later, he returned, gesturing for Mei and her group to follow him inside.

"Cutting corners like this seems to be unavoidable no matter where you go." Mei chuckled softly to Kisame beside her.

"We just got lucky," Kisame replied indifferently.

Under the watchful eyes of the long queue, Mei and her group walked straight into the office, drawing immediate discontent from those waiting in line.

People started shouting in protest.

"What's all the noise about?! If anyone wants to be disqualified, step forward now!" A Konoha ninja snapped, glaring at the crowd.

Instantly, everyone fell silent and behaved themselves.

Since Mei's group consisted of fewer than twenty people, their registration process was quick.

"The preliminary round is in three days. Use these two days to prepare. Only those who pass will get noticed by the higher-ups."

"Preliminary round? Didn't we already pass the preliminaries?" Someone couldn't help but ask.

"What you went through before wasn't a real preliminary round. That was just to see if you were even qualified to participate. With the current number of competitors, the elimination rate for the first round is over 90%. You'd better pray for luck."

90% elimination rate!

This number instantly turned many faces pale, as if they could already see their impending defeat.

Even Mei looked serious.

She was confident in her own strength, but there was no guarantee that other provinces wouldn't have powerful opponents as well.

As they walked out of the office, everyone's expression was heavy with concern.

Mei glanced at Kisame beside her. "You don't seem worried at all."

Kisame was relaxed. "It's just a tournament. If I lose, I lose. Nothing to worry about."

Their assigned lodging was a shared dormitory, with separate sections for men and women, four people per room, assigned randomly.

The place was clean, well-maintained, and fully equipped, but for someone like Mei, who had grown up in a prestigious family, the idea of sharing a room with other women didn't sit well with her.

To make matters worse, the tense atmosphere in the room was obvious—everyone knew they were competitors, making things uncomfortable from the moment she walked in.

Without hesitation, Mei went to the administrator and asked if she could stay elsewhere.

The answer was yes, but it would have to be self-funded.

The administrator was even kind enough to warn her that hotels in Konoha were very expensive.

Mei wandered around Konoha for a bit before choosing a hotel with a decent-looking storefront.

However, as soon as she stepped inside and saw the price list, her mouth twitched in frustration.

Since the tournament would last for a long time, she realized she would have to write home and ask for money.

With a pained heart, she paid for a week's stay.

Fortunately, the room did not disappoint—it was a loft with an open view.

Gazing out at the bustling city streets, Mei finally felt a little better.

"If I were to stay in Konoha in the future, it wouldn't be so bad," Mei thought to herself.

In the distance, the Solarity Tower stood tall.

It looked similar to the main city of the Water Province, Kirigakure, except this one had a grand palace below it, built atop a cliff.

The neatly arranged skyscrapers in the distance were likely the new district, though Mei had no idea just how luxurious it truly was.

She also spotted a section of magnificent, opulent buildings—most likely the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor.

Below her, the streets were filled with people, exuding a lively, bustling atmosphere.

After resting in her room for a while, Mei headed downstairs and asked the innkeeper where the new district was, determined to explore the area.

As evening approached, the streets grew even more crowded than in the afternoon.

Mei finally arrived at the new district, standing at the entrance, staring at the dazzling neon-lit world ahead, momentarily dazed.

The locals were already used to such reactions—first-time visitors always had the same stunned expression.

And with the martial arts tournament bringing in an influx of outsiders, the streets were full of wide-eyed newcomers from the countryside.

Mei stopped in front of a street food stall, hesitantly asking for the price.

She was genuinely worried that the high prices in this city might be too much for her to afford.

It was almost ironic—despite being a noble lady from a powerful clan, she was now watching her expenses like a commoner.

"So this is Konoha..."

Mei looked around, taking in everything around her.

Near the entrance, there was a clothing store with two mannequin displays.

The outfits on the mannequins looked incredibly stylish to her.

"I must stay here!"

She made up her mind.

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