'The Kazekage is removing all the higher-ups from their positions!?'
Hearing the Third Kazekage's words, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief, wondering if their ears were playing tricks on them.
One must know, every person sitting at the Round Table Conference holds a crucial position.
For example, Chiyo... she concurrently serves as the Commander of the village's elite force, the Puppeteer Corps, and also as the Head of the Medical Department.
The middle-aged man who was bootlicking the Kazekage earlier is the Head of the Intelligence Department.
And those several elders are contemporaries of the First Kazekage, possessing rich governance experience.
They are the village's advisory elders.
And those others… the Head of the Anbu, the Director of Logistics, the Head of Ninjutsu Research Institute, the Principal of the Ninja Academy, the Head of the Tailed Beast Research Institute... each of them is a heavyweight figure whose mere stomp can make the village tremble.
If they are all removed from their positions, who will take over?
One must know, these elders are already the most outstanding individuals of their generation.
Removing them and replacing them with an even less capable group?
Or replacing them with young people?
Don't be ridiculous.
The leading figure of Sunagakure's younger generation, 'Rasa', is only in his early twenties. Serving as the Kazekage's guard and assistant is fine, but managing a department alone?
What a joke!
Would the people in those departments even respect him?
Different professions require different expertise. People don't respect you just because you're strong in combat. You have to impress them in their field of expertise to lead them effectively.
If this entire group is removed, saying it would paralyze the village might be an exaggeration, but it would certainly make the operations between various departments cumbersome and inefficient.
The resulting losses would be no less severe than the attack the village suffered today.
"Kazekage-sama, this is going too far!" A Jonin standing on the left side said. "Although the esteemed individuals in the conference room are the most experienced and wise, they are still human and can make mistakes. If positions are revoked for a single mistake, I'm afraid no one could hold these positions for long."
"I allow you to make errors in judgment, but I cannot tolerate errors in principle. Allowing those who seek personal gain while disregarding the village's safety to remain in these positions means the village's crises will never be resolved."
"But if they all step down, who will take over?"
"Let young people who still have their original intentions take over."
"But young people lack the experience to manage these positions."
"Were the predecessors already elderly when they started in management?"
As the Third Kazekage spoke, his sharp gaze swept across the room. Everyone who met his eyes involuntarily lowered their heads. "I said I allow you to make errors in judgment. The predecessors could learn from repeated failures and become seasoned. Why can't today's young people do the same?"
"Moreover, I will arrange for experienced individuals to serve as deputies, assisting and helping them grow."
"But this will cause many losses for the village."
"It won't be greater than the current losses!" The Third Kazekage roared at the elder who had spoken. "Do you have any idea what state the village would be in if Ryuji hadn't frightened off the enemy army?"
"Most likely, Sunagakure would no longer exist."
According to the war report the Third Kazekage received, within less than an hour from the enemy's appearance to their attack, they breached the passage between the cliffs three times.
The first time, they were eliminated by traps in the passage. The second and third times, it was Rasa who intervened, turning the tide and defending the gate.
But Rasa's Chakra was ultimately limited. If the enemy's attack had lasted longer, Sunagakure's fall would have been inevitable.
"... Kazekage-sama might be right." An advisory elder remained silent for a moment before speaking. "We did commit an unforgivable sin. I accept Kazekage-sama's punishment and will step down from my position. However, asking me to serve as a deputy for some young people… that is impossible."
"If you are willing to serve as deputies for the young, I naturally welcome it. If not, I won't force you."
"You can retire. Considering everyone's past contributions, the village will not treat you unfairly."
"If you can't stay idle, the Ninja Academy still lacks teachers. You can go nurture the village's future."
"This old man is getting on in years and is no longer fit for work. Kazekage-sama should find someone more suitable."
The advisory elder took the badge from his chest, placed it on the round table, and stood up to leave.
Then, the others at the Round Table Conference also resigned and left one after another.
In the end, only four remained.
Besides Chiyo and Ebizo, there were two men in their early thirties.
They were still young. Whether wanting to serve the village or seeking power, they still had opportunities in the future.
"Elder Chiyo is willing to stay and help?" The Third Kazekage looked at these two elders in surprise.
Ebizo was understandable.
He was inherently a mild-tempered person.
But Chiyo was extremely proud. Having her stay to assist young people... unless that young person was her son or grandson, it was impossible.
"This old woman is not yet fifty and still has strength left to contribute to the village."
The Third Kazekage nodded, then looked at the young people standing. "Although there are still many matters unaddressed, the immediate priority is to fill the vacant positions in the village's various departments."
"Ryuji, in this battle, you defeated the elite team that infiltrated the village, foiled their inside-outside coordinated plot, and finally frightened off the enemy army with three shots."
"Although your seniority is still shallow, in this war, you demonstrated unflappable calmness, exceptional wisdom, and formidable strength. Therefore, you shall be appointed as the Head of Sunagakure's Puppeteer Corps."
This appointment immediately caused an uproar.
Although everyone knew the Third Kazekage intended to promote young people this time, Ryuji was far too young!
One must know, Sunagakure's Puppeteer Corps, like Iwagakure's Explosion Corps, is the village's elite force.
Although it has less than a hundred members, each is an elite, a cutting-edge force capable of turning the tide of battle.
If everyone lacks a concrete image, then consider the twenty elite teams formed by Tsunade at the beginning of the Shippuden arc in the original work.
Each team could hold their own against Kakuzu for a short period.
Handing over such an elite force to an underage kid to command… it's no wonder everyone had such a strong reaction even with prior mental preparation.
Although Ryuji's strength is evident to all,
As the leader of a force, wisdom and experience are more important.
And Ryuji is only fifteen, having been promoted to Jonin less than half a year ago, with no prior experience working in any department.
Although his performance was... well, the comprehensive qualities he displayed are indeed sufficient for this position, but this is still too risky.
The Third Kazekage ignored the discussions and continued, "Although Ryuji's strength is evident to all, due to his lack of leadership experience, Chiyo will serve as the Deputy Head, responsible for assisting. Ryuji, you should seek the opinions of your seniors more when encountering problems."
"Yes."
Once these words were spoken, no one had any further objections.
After all, Chiyo was originally the Commander of the Puppeteer Corps.