The fact that so many people are upset about Rihito losing is entirely reasonable and also a good thing. It shows that we like him as a character.
We can all look forward to actually seeing Rihito’s growth in the chapters after this tournament arc is over.
I was also salty about rihito losing, to the point where I quit reading for a few weeks just to mull over my feelings.
ultimately, I’m happy with this fight, and I can’t wait to see him go through epic “ninja” training with Kuroki later