Thinking about Mokgetsu's personality, and then considering the personalities of his three disciples, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that comparing people could be so infuriating.
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled white smoke and removed the pipe from his mouth, "Even if intelligence is concealed, achievements like this are hard to replicate. Moreover, two members of the Seven-Swords Ninja have escaped, and the Mist Village will soon know about it. In such a scenario, intentionally hiding things is meaningless, let's start spreading word about this victory."
The achievements Mokgetsu attained on the battlefield far exceeded Sarutobi Hiruzen's expectations. Previously, during the battle with the Hidden Sand Hero Pakura, he asked Mokgetsu to keep quiet considering the prestige of the Hidden Sand Village. This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not inclined to wrong Mokgetsu again.
The fame Mokgetsu currently enjoys does not match his strength.
After Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also expressed agreement, a satisfied smile blooming on Shimura Danzo's face.
"What about rewarding Might Duy? Should we promote him to Jonin? But it seems he doesn't know any ninjutsu. Promoting someone who doesn't know ninjutsu to Jonin might not be appropriate," Mitokado Homura said, looking at the documents in his hand.
Konoha is very strict in selecting for Jonin. During peacetime, not only must one have achievements that satisfy the requirements for promotion, but various assessments must also be passed to complete the promotion. Those who don't pass must keep learning until they do.
While wartime might not have such stringent requirements, Might Duy's case is not just being a specialist in one field, but only knowing one, which has no precedent in Konoha, hence Mitokado Homura said it's against the rules.
"Then make him Special Jonin, after all, he's only specialized in Taijutsu and hasn't been a Chunin for very long. This is already a special promotion," Utatane Koharu remarked after glancing at Might Duy's profile.
If not for the significant merit this time, Utatane Koharu would not even consider promoting Might Duy.
Clearly mastering such a powerful Kinjutsu yet always disguising as a long-term Genin, this she sees as a ninja lacking the Will of Fire.
Shimura Danzo kept his mouth shut, as Might Duy's promotion did not concern him.
"Rules are dead, Konoha has never stopped evolving its regulations. Whether it's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu, they are all part of a ninja's strength. Might Duy's ability to withstand two Seven-Swords Ninjas shows that he's qualified to be a Jonin," Sarutobi Hiruzen countered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Might Duy and had even sparred briefly with him, so he largely understood what kind of person Might Duy was.
He believed with Might Duy's demonstrated mentality, he completely qualified as a Konoha Jonin.
Moreover, Might Duy indeed made a substantial contribution this time. Without his timely support, Kakashi and his team couldn't have repelled the Seven-Swords Ninja nor held on until Mokgetsu arrived, allowing for the great victory that followed.
"Hiruzen, what you said makes sense. Sometimes, rules shouldn't be followed rigidly," Mitokado Homura acknowledged.
"Then let's promote him to Jonin," Utatane Koharu also changed her tune.
Shimura Danzo couldn't help but flash a trace of disdain. Had it been Sarutobi Hiruzen who refuted his opinion, he would have at least argued a little.
"Now that Might Duy is promoted to Jonin, how should we handle Hatake Kakashi and Might Guy?" Mitokado Homura asked again.
"Most of them, except Hatake Kakashi, only became Chunin in the last two years. Notably, Shiranui Genma and Ebisu, along with Uchiha Shisui, just rose to Chunin this year."
If Kakashi and his team also got promoted to Jonin, it would indeed be intimidating, producing several young Jonin in Konoha. Shisui isn't even nine years old yet.
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered with a contemplative expression before speaking, "Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Might Guy will be evaluated for Jonin upon returning to the village. If they pass, they can be promoted. Nohara Rin will be directly promoted to Special Jonin, while the rest remain unchanged for now."
Ebisu and Shiranui Genma not being on the promotion list is simple. Although they've been working hard, they mostly just played a minor part in battle, lacking Jonin-level strength.
A ninja's strength not matching their level is a frightening matter, as it not only affects the village's reputation but also makes them more prone to dying on missions.
Even though Uchiha Shisui is powerful, his achievements are lacking, too few missions done to meet the Jonin criteria.
Differentiating Nohara Rin from Obito and the rest is also a strength issue. Nohara Rin currently lacks the strength for Jonin, but her outstanding medical skills and achievements suffice for direct Special Jonin promotion.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both showed agreeance, as Sarutobi Hiruzen has covered all aspects.
...
After the meeting, Mokgetsu went to check on his injured disciples.
This time, every disciple got injured, just varying degrees of severity.
"Teacher Mokgetsu!" Seeing Mokgetsu, Obito waved happily.
Shisui, less exuberant than Obito, sat up to greet Mokgetsu.
Kakashi slightly rose and greeted Mokgetsu in a soft voice.
Due to severe injuries, Might Guy could only slightly lift his head to find Mokgetsu's position and greet him weakly.
"Is everyone alright?" Mokgetsu smiled warmly, then walked over to assess their conditions again.
This time, Mokgetsu transformed into Tsunade for their examinations, and upon completion, continued treating them.
Wearing black-rimmed glasses, not one disciple noticed Mokgetsu's transformation, only feeling somewhat better under Mokgetsu's care.
"Teacher Mokgetsu's Medical Ninjutsu has improved a lot," Kakashi thought in slight amazement.
As the disciples grew stronger, injuries during practice battles became inevitable. Most times, Mokgetsu handled the healing, with Nohara Rin assisting, so Kakashi had a good grasp of Mokgetsu's medical level.
At a certain point, Mokgetsu's medical prowess surged, which he credited to learning from Tsunade.
This time Mokgetsu's progress was so significant that even Kakashi, with no medical training, could notice.
"Teacher Mokgetsu truly is a genius, developing Armament and Breathing Techniques," Kakashi attributed the progress to Mokgetsu's talent and dedication.
He didn't deny Tsunade's aid, but believed Mokgetsu's capabilities were decisive, otherwise, if Tsunade could foster a batch of mini-Tsunade-level medical ninja just by running a class.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, when can we fully recover?" Obito couldn't help but ask.
While against the Seven-Swords Ninja, he had his moment, but working with Kakashi to defeat Suikazan Fuguki left Obito intent on surpassing Kakashi, driving his desire for a quick recovery to re-enter the battlefield.
"You, Shisui, and Rin will recover in ten days, Kakashi needs three weeks, Guy a month and a half," Mokgetsu calculated and replied.
Despite Tsunade's potent medical abilities, to ensure his disciples remained healthily without latent issues, Mokgetsu aimed to let them rest longer.
"How can it take so long!" Might Guy widened his eyes in disbelief.
"After resting for half a month, you can begin rehab exercises, just don't overdo it," Mokgetsu reassured.
Might Guy let out a breath of relief; total inability to train in that period would be unbearable, let alone the thought of Kakashi and the others potentially overtaking him.
"The upcoming battlefield clashes will become fiercer. I plan to send you back to Konoha, Guy. Does anyone want to return with him?" Mokgetsu asked the other disciples.
Mist has already invaded the Land of Fire's homeland, as long as they don't retreat, Orochimaru will surely take his ninja squad to fight them off to the death.
Mokgetsu has created such an opportunity for Orochimaru, a chance he surely wouldn't miss, leading to escalating intensity in East Coast battlefield warfare.