Shikaku Nara continued:
"The second item on the agenda: the rotational conscription for positions such as Fortress Outpost Jonin and Guardian Shinobi Jonin."
"These out-of-village Jonin positions are the key to the village maintaining its influence. Any Jonin who receives a summons from the village shall not refuse for any reason."
Yagami listened to the list, and the more he heard, the colder his heart grew.
Being a Fortress Outpost Jonin was a thankless task; few Jonin were willing to be stationed in remote border forts. However, being a Guardian Shinobi for various Daimyo was a lucrative, "fat" position.
The Guardian Shinobi for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire were all Sarutobi clan Jonin. The Guardian Shinobi for the Land of Valleys were Homura Mitokado's son and Koharu Utatane's daughter. The Guardian Shinobi for the Land of Whirlpools were Jonin from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. The Guardian Shinobi for the Land of Grass were Shimura ninja. Only the Guardian Shinobi for the Land of Hot Water were two commoner Jonin.
These Jonin, paired with a few Hyuga and Inuzuka ninja, formed the core of the Guardian Shinobi force. The lucrative spots belonged entirely to the "Five Rising Noble Clans." The high command didn't even bother to hide it anymore.
Guardian Shinobi were the first to learn of missions commissioned by the nation and the Daimyo, and they had the power to recommend candidates. With a Guardian's recommendation, grinding S-rank missions became much easier. The criteria for an S-rank mission weren't always about fighting Kage-level or elite Jonin; they were missions concerning national secrets or those with significant impact on the country and the Daimyo.
The Five Rising Noble Clans monopolized the Guardian Shinobi positions, then helped their own clansmen farm S-rank missions. With more S-rank missions, those ninja were promoted to Jonin faster. With more Jonin, they monopolized even more Guardian positions.
It was a perfect closed loop. Everyone else could only stand at a distance and catch a whiff of the feast.
Yagami looked at Tsunade and the others in the front row, noticing they didn't raise any objections to the Guardian Shinobi list. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, the positions had always been distributed this way. Others had protested in the past, but it never worked. Protesters either vanished or eventually cowered. In short, no one objected now.
Shikaku Nara continued announcing item after item. These were important for the village's operation, and no Jonin would oppose them. The true core of today's meeting—the moment where the knives would come out—was the Jonin recommendation list.
"The ninth item: the post-war Jonin recommendation and evaluation list."
Yagami sat up straight. Here it was—the main course.
Shikaku said, "After the war, the Commanders-in-Chief and Deputy Commanders of various battlefields recommended a total of 41 Special Jonin for promotion. After evaluation by Lord Hokage, 20 individuals have entered the Jonin promotion review. I will now announce the names."
Yagami listened closely and realized the list was shuffled. If it weren't, it would be too obvious. If ranked by surname, people would notice far too many new Jonin from the Five Rising Noble Clans.
After doing the math, Yagami saw the power distribution:
* **Sarutobi Clan:** 5 people
* **Ino-Shika-Cho:** 4 people
* **Shimura Clan:** 2 people
* **Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga:** 1 person each
* **Commoners:** 6 people (who were all, notably, confidants of the high command)
Yagami frowned. Among the commoners, neither Shinma nor Hayama Shirakumo—both recommended by Sakumo Hatake—were on the list.
The meeting room was deathly silent as everyone calculated the shift in power. Before anyone else could fully process it, Tsunade suddenly slammed her hand down and stood up.
"Third Hokage! Mie Senju, whom I recommended, did not make the review list. Give me a reason!"
In an instant, the room became incredibly still.
Shikaku Nara began, "Tsun..." but he was cut off before he could finish.
"Mie Senju served as a medical ninja on the battlefields of Grass, Valleys, and Whirlpools," Tsunade declared. "Her surgical records alone show she performed 411 frontline surgeries across three wars! Do you know what 411 frontline surgeries mean? At least 220 of those ninja returned to the battlefield days later. Third Hokage, explain where she fell short. Why is she unable to be promoted to Jonin?"
Tsunade had recommended three Senju ninja. One had died of an "old injury," and another, Sachie Senju, had been detained for an ANBU mission audit, only being released yesterday. As a result, Sachie made the list, but Mie did not.
Yagami felt a bit guilty. Mie Senju being left off the list was, indeed, his doing.
Jonin from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans looked at Tsunade with unfriendly eyes. Politeness dictated they call her "Princess," but in reality, the Senju clan was almost extinct. What "Princess"? The Senju had declined so pathetically; where did she get the right to question the Hokage's decision?
Shikaku Nara feigned flipping through documents and said, "Mie Senju was involved in a severe medical accident. The family of the deceased detonated several explosive tags at the hospital. In view of the terrible impact of this accident, her recommendation was suspended."
Sakumo Hatake stood up then. "Lord Hokage, Commander Shikaku, I have a deep impression of Mie Senju. She is a highly skilled medical ninja. Whether in surgery or detoxification, she was among the best at the frontline medical stations. Saying she's worth two battalions might be an exaggeration, but saying she's worth a whole battalion in war is a conservative estimate. A medical accident isn't necessarily the doctor's fault. Let's wait for the hospital's investigation report."
Sho Uchiha followed up, "As the Deputy Commander of the Whirlpool war, I inspected the medical stations several times. Once, I saw Mie Senju finish three surgeries, clutch half a ration pill in her hand, and fall asleep leaning against a pillar. If she weren't a Senju ninja, I would have been the first to recommend her for Jonin."
The Jonin could understand Sakumo speaking for Tsunade; he had done so in previous meetings. But Sho Uchiha speaking up left them stunned. The Uchiha Chunin and Genin were extremely aggressive, but their Jonin usually remained conservative and yielding. The Uchiha rarely opposed village decisions openly. This was the first time in years Sho Uchiha had expressed a differing opinion at a council meeting.
The Senju, the Uchiha, and Sakumo Hatake—an open alliance?
Their point of entry was perfectly chosen. They didn't bring up combat ninja like Hayama Shirakumo or Uchiha Goka; they chose the medical ninja, Mie Senju. A medical ninja who worked tirelessly to heal others would naturally gain the sympathy and goodwill of the other ninja.
This was the strategy the three had discussed. They would keep silent about Goka and Hayama for now, but they were determined to push Mie Senju through. Even a clay man has three parts fire; the high command had gone too far.
Yagami stared at the Third Hokage through his mask, observing every micro-expression. The ANBU had known since yesterday that these three groups had come together. Hiruzen had expected this.
Just as the Third Hokage was about to speak, Orochimaru suddenly stood up.