Hearing the Third Hokage's standards for allocating spots, the clan leaders of the major ninja clans exchanged glances, all appearing hesitant.
On the battlefield, fights between ninjas are usually 'soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals.'
That Satori, whose strength was no less than a fully evolved Tailed Beast, should have been dealt with by a Jinchuriki from the village, or a ninja of the Sannin level.
But now, the Konoha Sannin had to work together to deal with the Six Paths of Pain, and the village's Nine-Tails human support was only four or five years old, far from grown. This created a huge gap in top-tier combat power, requiring ordinary ninjas to step up.
In the past, there was no choice.
But now, as long as they didn't undergo surgery, they wouldn't have to take on these high-risk missions and could just face more familiar enemies.
The trade-off between these two was worth deep thought.
After all, even after undergoing the 'body enhancement surgery,' people would still die. How many times could one withstand an attack from a killing weapon like Satori head-on?
Thoughts swirled in everyone's minds, repeatedly weighing the two options.
In contrast to the raging waves in their minds, the conference room grew even quieter.
"Sigh..."
A long sigh broke the silence of the conference room. The clan leader of the Aburame Clan, Aburame Shibi, spoke slowly,
"My Aburame Clan's skills are all based on insects. We are not good at dealing with large monsters like Satori and our bodies may not need enhancement so much. We will choose to withdraw this time."
Even so, with an opportunity to enhance themselves, who would be willing to give it up so easily?
Moreover, according to Aburame Shibi's understanding, the petrified body might be even more suitable for coexisting with insects than their current flesh.
It was a shame to give up so easily.
"Aburame Clan, is it? I understand."
The Third Hokage nodded slightly and looked around, "Who else? Please continue, don't force yourselves."
"Giving up this opportunity doesn't mean you're a deserter."
Someone started, and soon a second, then a third followed...
However, the clan leaders who chose to give up were completely limited by their families' Ninjutsu characteristics, such as the Nara clan and the Yamanaka clan.
The 'Shadow Imitation Technique' is powerful, but it targets ninjas. If the target were a monster like a Tailed Beast, it probably wouldn't last even a second.
As for the Yamanaka clan's 'Mind Body Switch Technique,' it was even more so. Projecting one's mental power into Satori would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, a delivery service.
And excluding these clans that had absolutely no way to deal with Tailed Beasts, everyone else chose to persevere without exception.
Jonin are already the elites of a village. They are battle-hardened ninjas who have come through life and death. They have this much courage.
Although they would face greater danger, they would also gain greater abilities.
"Very good." The Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction and crossed off several families on the list.
At this moment, the Jonin representative, Nara Shikaku, asked, "Hokage-sama, how will we confirm the number of people accepted by each clan for the Jonin spots?"
With the Uzumaki clan out of the picture and becoming a third party, Nara Shikaku finally had the chance to fulfill his duty.
"The method is very simple."
The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and said slowly amidst the swirling smoke, "We will allocate spots based on the Jonin's Ninjutsu as a weight."
Nara Shikaku was stunned for a moment. This method was too simple, but he quickly reacted and continued to ask, "Does re-registering for a ninja license after retirement count?"
The Third Hokage looked at Nara Shikaku with approval and nodded slightly, "That's right."
Nara Shikaku immediately understood and replied, "I understand."
There were better ways to allocate. If the sole purpose were to deal with a monster like Satori they could select and form suitable teams based on the different characteristics of the Jonin. There were also many standards. For example, if the Third Hokage wanted to expand his power, he could create suitable rules to strengthen the clans close to him.
Now, by using simply the number of people as a weight, although the Third Hokage had his own private intentions, it was to strengthen the village's power.
Konoha currently had only a few thousand active ninjas, and the latest ninja registration numbers had already gone up to over eleven thousand.
The ninjas missing in between were not all dead in the war. A considerable number of ninjas chose to retire after the Third Shinobi War.
Now, the village was facing a significant crisis, and the Third Hokage wanted these people to return.
In addition to this, there were also many ninjas within the various ninja clans who had practiced Ninjutsu and possessed not weak strength, but had not entered the ninja academy and did not have ninja registration numbers.
Take the Hyuga clan, for example. They focused on the cultivation of the family's Gentle Fist. From a practical standpoint, there was no need to go to the ninja academy.
Most of the Main family did not go to the battlefield or carry out ninja missions. They were born with the Hyuga Branch family as their means of production. Why would they need to play ninja games?
And some of the Branch family existed as guards and attendants for the Main family, mostly in a retired state.
Without obtaining the secret clan scrolls of each ninja clan, no one could ascertain the full strength of a ninja clan.
The Third Hokage's simple and crude approach was to make these clans reveal their strength.
In addition, it was also a form of encouragement for the ninja clans that had always made great contributions to the village.
It is worth mentioning here that due to the previous tense relationship between the Uchiha and the village, they were not allowed to hide their strength. Therefore, the Uchiha Clan was the only clan whose strength was fully revealed.
And as a fellow clan with dojutsu, their apparent strength seemed a bit thin.
After listening to the conversation between the Third Hokage and Nara Shikaku, Hyuga Hiashi pondered for a moment, a hint of bitterness flashing in his eyes.
Although he was the clan leader of the Hyuga clan, he was not omnipotent within the clan. Many times, he acted only under the push of the clan's power.
Even if he wanted to allow the clan to open up now, there would surely be many opposing voices. The elders of the Main family would never agree.
Watching the clan remain stagnant, missing out on a good opportunity for development, while the Uchiha, whom they had always considered their rivals, were rising step by step, this sense of disparity was extremely tormenting.
Hyuga Hiashi looked at the smug expression on Uchiha Fugaku's face across the table and sighed in his heart, "This is fate."
A few years ago, he was also bound by the great net of the clan and the village, unable to advance or retreat. But now he had broken free.
Hyuga Hiashi did not think highly of Fugaku because of this. If the other party truly had such ability, he would have broken free with his own abilities much earlier. ...
To have today, the Uchiha Clan only relied on Orochimaru.
But the Hyuga clan clearly did not receive his favor.
Thinking of this, Hyuga Hiashi suddenly thought of the child who had left the clan and couldn't help but sigh, "Neji!"
At this critical juncture, he suddenly understood the meaning of the events of that year.
Of course, regardless of Hyuga Hiashi's emotions, the meeting continued in an orderly fashion.
'Determining surgery quotas' was the most important matter. Due to the urgency, the Third Hokage only gave these clan leaders two days.
During this time, Orochimaru would not be idle; he would first deal with the Anbu ninjas.
In addition to this, the Third Hokage also initiated preparations for war.
If the matter of the surgery were to be exposed, it would be during this time. He was prepared for a major war.
The clan leaders present also felt the seriousness in the Third Hokage's tone. They left with heavy hearts, completely lacking the anticipation they had when they arrived.
When most of the people had left the conference room, the Third Hokage asked Orochimaru, "Can those who underwent the 'body enhancement surgery' before undergo it again this time?"
This question was asked on behalf of Uchiha Jinsuke.
In the past year, Uchiha Jinsuke's performance had been excellent. His record in the Anbu was increasingly impressive, almost catching up to his senior, Kakashi. Therefore, the Third Hokage had an idea.
Talented individuals who performed excellently and were eager to advance did not need to be taken care of by their clan leaders; the Hokage would personally nurture them.
"You mean Jinsuke. Yes, he can, but it's unnecessary. His physique is already quite good; the surgery won't improve him much."
Orochimaru smiled. "However, Kakashi could be focused on. His eye has evolved into the Mangekyo Sharingan."
The Konoha Ninja team had returned with Orochimaru. Although they had submitted mission reports, there had been continuous meetings, leaving no time to read them. Thus, the Third Hokage was only now finding out.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's description of the Mangekyo dojutsu, the Third Hokage's eyes glinted. "This spatial ability is indeed extraordinary. If used well, it can determine the course of a battle."
More importantly, Kakashi's 'Kamui' also had an effect on Tailed Beast-like monsters.
But soon, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "The Uchiha Clan will likely find out about this soon."
Even as Hokage, the Third Hokage felt it was troublesome. Sharingan was already the Uchiha Clan's trademark, and Mangekyo was undoubtedly a treasure. If it were in the past, merely expressing the Third Hokage's intention for Kakashi to continue possessing it could have sparked Uchiha's wrath.
Orochimaru smiled and agreed to this, "Don't worry, I will discuss this with Fugaku personally."
"If his conditions are not too excessive, we can agree to them."
The Third Hokage nodded slightly. "Regarding the quotas for body enhancement surgery, we can appropriately relax the restrictions."
He paused here. "Let Kakashi be the first to undergo the body enhancement surgery."
"Okay, I'll go see him personally." Orochimaru smiled and stood up to leave.
Danzo, who witnessed all this, suppressed malice in his eyes. Orochimaru's power in the village was growing. Now was not the time to confront him. ...
However, Mangekyo Sharingan. That Kakashi fellow...
Gritting his teeth, Danzo felt a deep sense of regret.
...
After the meeting ended, the few high-ranking officials of the village parted ways and dispersed from the Hokage's office.
Tsunade did not speak at all during this meeting, but she was responsible for the complex tasks.
A large-scale medical examination had been conducted previously, and the physical data of some ninjas were stored at Konoha Central Hospital. She needed to organize them for comparison with data after the surgery.
Of course, such tasks did not require Tsunade to do them personally, but since the responsibility rested with her, and she was also very curious about Orochimaru's post-surgery effects, she planned to focus on it. As soon as the meeting ended, she returned to Konoha Central Hospital.
And Orochimaru headed towards the Hatake residence.
The other two Hokage advisors were to return to their respective offices.
On the way, Utatane Koharu saw Mitokado Homura looking unwell and asked, "What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, Tsunade hasn't gone far; let her take a look."
"I'm not feeling unwell; I have an upset stomach."
Mitokado Homura also seemed surprised, "I've had constipation for a long time. Is it going to flare up again?"
"If you need to go to the latrine, hurry up."
Utatane Koharu gave him a disgusted look and left without looking back.
"Why are you so angry?"
Mitokado Homura shook his head and turned into a public restroom.
...
At the Hatake residence, just as the operating room was being set up and Orochimaru was about to perform surgery on Kakashi, he heard the voice of the Genie Lamp in his ear.
"Orochimaru, the information from the meeting just now has been completely leaked."
Orochimaru paused his hand holding the scalpel and looked up in surprise. "What are you talking about? That's impossible."
During the meeting, the Genie Lamp had scanned the entire conference room. If there were any White Zetsu, they wouldn't have escaped their perception.
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. "Could it be that someone in the village has colluded with Obito's betrayal?"
He could confirm that no one in the conference room was under external control. Since that was the case, it could only be the fickleness of human hearts.
Damn it!
The leak of information could trigger a war between Kusagakure ninja and Konoha. If things went wrong, it could ruin years of hard work. Orochimaru now felt like skinning that person alive.
A chilling killing intent spread through the bedroom of the Hatake residence, causing Kakashi, who was lying bare-chested on the examination bed, to have goosebumps. He had to force himself not to stand up and assume a fighting stance.
Genie Lamp's expression was a little strange at Orochimaru's question. "It's not that either."
Orochimaru frowned slightly, his killing intent turning to confusion. "Then what is it? Don't keep me in suspense."
"The news was still transmitted by a White Zetsu clone. The reason it wasn't discovered..."
Genie Lamp's mouth twitched. "Because the White Zetsu clone was hidden in Mitokado Homura's large intestine."
Having witnessed it firsthand, he remembered that White Zetsu seemed to have an ability called 'Spore Technique.'
But logically, in the original timeline, this thing only attached to the surface of the body and never burrowed into a ninja's body.
One could imagine that this method was more difficult and easier for the infected person to discover. The inside of a human body was far more sensitive than the outside.
But undoubtedly, this time, Obito's small trick yielded great results, catching them somewhat off guard.
Now, even if they tried to deal with the White Zetsu clone, it would be useless. The most important intelligence had already been passed on.
Orochimaru's expression was also somewhat speechless after hearing the Genie Lamp's words. After a long while, he said, "Can you check if other ninjas have White Zetsu clones inside them?"
"That's not very difficult."
Genie Lamp nodded. The reason for failure before was that the other party was hidden beyond his perception.
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