Just how many more members did the Sarutobi clan have now compared to years past?
After Tsunade had read out ten names, the people below began to notice something was wrong. Why were they all members of the Sarutobi clan?
Kawasaki leaned closer to the microphone. "This is too slow. Number One, Shisui, Shizune, each of you take some ballots and read them out."
The Third Hokage remained impassive. At this point, he could no longer stop it.
Although Number One was nominally one of Orochimaru's men, he had been called upon and had to comply. Besides, Number One's true identity was Minato, and Minato was more than happy to see for himself just how large the Sarutobi clan truly was. He wanted to see just how deep the "senile and dark" Third Hokage, as Kawasaki had once described him, had fallen.
The Sarutobi clan member who had been tallying the votes stood by, at a complete loss. But all he could do was watch helplessly as the others stepped forward.
Each of them grabbed a handful of ballots from Orochimaru's box and stood at the front of the stage to read the voters' names.
A commotion was already brewing below, with many people beginning to whisper amongst themselves. Only with the Anbu patrolling back and forth was order barely maintained.
Asuma, who was in the crowd, had already walked to the outskirts by himself and lit a cigarette.
Old man, you've miscalculated this time.
After reading the first few ballots, Tsunade handed the rest of the work over to Number One, Shisui, and Shizune. They all understood Kawasaki's intentions. If a ballot was not from a Sarutobi clan member, they simply set it aside. They only announced the names on the votes cast by the Sarutobi.
The three of them took turns reading the names. With everyone's attention fixed on the ballots, no one noticed Number One's hoarse voice.
The final result left everyone stunned.
Orochimaru had received a total of 376 votes, and a staggering 129 of them were cast by members of the Sarutobi clan.
This meant the Sarutobi clan had one hundred and twenty-nine Jonin!
The Utatane and Mitokado clans also had many members, but Kawasaki had little interest in them. Today was all about exposing the Sarutobi clan.
It was well known that there was a strict promotion process for Jonin. A ninja had to rise through the ranks from Genin, and becoming a Jonin required passing a notoriously difficult exam. Some clans would even trade resources with the Third Hokage just for a single Jonin slot.
Did the Sarutobi clan really have one hundred and twenty-nine Jonin?
They did, but this batch of Jonin was special.
The Third Hokage controlled the Anbu. Once a ninja's file entered the Anbu, it was completely sealed. Only a select few had access. It was natural for some to improve their skills while serving in the Anbu, so why could not those people happen to be from the Sarutobi clan?
After a year or so, these individuals would transfer out of the Anbu, their rank now Jonin. Did they seem mediocre, not like true Jonin? What was so strange about that? The skill level among Jonin varied, after all. Besides, was it not perfectly normal for an Anbu operative to suffer injuries in the line of duty, leading to a decline in their abilities?
You could not possibly strip such heroes of Konoha of their Jonin benefits and stipends, could you?
As long as these people were not fools, they would never speak of this arrangement.
Clearly, the Sarutobi clan had hidden its numbers well; no one had known. Kawasaki, however, knew from his foreknowledge that the clan had quietly expanded over the years with the Third Hokage's support. As for how the Third Hokage had managed it, Kawasaki was not sure. It was Orochimaru, a man who had seen it from the inside, who had explained the method to him.
The Sarutobi clan did not have that many talented individuals. They had numbers, but most were Chunin or Special Jonin. The Third Hokage, however, had a way to make them Jonin, allowing them to collect substantial benefits and stipends. This also served his political aims.
For example, he had used the same method to manipulate the selection of the Fourth Hokage.
But today, with so many people from other villages present... Let's see how you're going to explain this one, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Kawasaki asked with a faint smile, "Lord Third Hokage, aren't you going to offer an explanation?"
A thousand thoughts raced through the Third Hokage's mind, but his face remained calm. He certainly could not admit that these Jonin were illegitimate. No matter how watered-down their skills were, if the Hokage said they were Jonin, then they were Jonin.
The Third walked to the microphone and said, "The Sarutobi clan has indeed grown quite large over many years of development. I can personally vouch for them with my authority as the Third Hokage. Their Jonin statuses are all officially filed and can be verified. There is absolutely no fraud!"
Kawasaki laughed inwardly at the Third's stubborn denial. But it no longer mattered how many civilians believed the Hokage. Kawasaki's goal had already been achieved.
The clan heads and Konoha elders below all wore grim expressions.
It was understandable that the Sarutobi clan's population would be large after years of growth. But to claim they had 129 Jonin was impossible. The Sarutobi were not a clan with a Kekkei Genkai; their probability of producing Jonin simply was not that high. If he had claimed they were 129 Special Jonin, everyone might have grudgingly accepted it. After all, a true Jonin was an elite ninja, outstanding in all aspects.
It was obvious that the Third had abused his power to promote Sarutobi clan members with Chunin or Special Jonin-level skills to the rank of Jonin.
Being a Jonin came with a monthly stipend. After all, the Jonin were a village's top-tier fighting force. The more Jonin a village had, the stronger it appeared.
If a ninja with Jonin-level skills defected to another village, they would be offered generous benefits to entice them to stay. The benefits and stipends for a village's own Jonin were even greater. Naturally, homegrown talent was far more trustworthy.
The other benefit was political. Regardless of their actual strength, many important village matters required a vote of confidence. The more Jonin who followed you, the greater your power. Just like today, it allowed one to manipulate the election for the next Hokage.
For the Third to claim these Sarutobi clan members were legitimate Jonin was a blatant bluff.
After all, if the Sarutobi truly possessed so many Jonin, it would mean their clan could just drop the 'Konoha' from the village's name and call it 'Sarutobi' instead.
As bad as this situation was, it was still more acceptable than admitting to the fraud. If he confessed that the Sarutobi clan's ranks were falsified, he would undoubtedly lose his position as Hokage. His nominated successor would also be implicated.
Every Sarutobi clan member who had fraudulently collected a salary would have to be arrested. The critical issue was that something like this could not have been accomplished by the Third Hokage alone. It was a conspiracy that, if unraveled, would set off a chain reaction. The two advisor elders, at the very least, would be implicated. A full investigation would throw all of Konoha into turmoil. One wrong move, and the entire village could collapse.
With so many outsiders present today, the elders had no choice but to swallow their pride and accept it. In any case, the Third Hokage was about to step down. They would deal with it after the Fifth Hokage, Orochimaru, took office.
At that moment, backstage, Torifu Akimichi was resting on a recliner. Seeing the devastated expressions on the faces of his old teammates, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, he could not help but burst into laughter.
"Ha, hahaha, hahahaha! So you all have a day like this too."
He then began to gasp violently, his face turning pale. An Akimichi clan medic quickly placed a prepared breathing mask over Torifu's mouth.
"Hhh..."
"Hhh..."
"Hhh..."
After inhaling several breaths of the nebulized medicine, the color returned to his face. Torifu waved his hand, and the medic removed the mask.