Setting aside Kamishiro's petty hoarding plan for a moment, the Third Hokage was finally arriving at the camp with Konoha's elite ninja.
Following the devastating blow from the Sand's night raid, the Konoha forces on this front had temporarily entered a phase of total retraction.
Konoha had suffered massive casualties. The number of combat-ready ninja had plummeted, severely weakening their overall military strength. They simply didn't have the manpower to maintain their standard three-tier defensive formation anymore.
If they tried to stretch their remaining forces across the original perimeter, the defense line would be paper-thin. It would just give the enemy the perfect opportunity to pick them off one by one.
Even if it meant sacrificing their deterrence against the Sand, Tsunade had to consolidate Konoha's remaining strength just to ensure the survival of her subordinates.
Every Konoha ninja stationed along the frontlines had been pulled back. Aside from a few mandatory scouting squads, the entire army was tightly clustered around the original command base.
Tsunade knew the absolute priority right now was preserving their remaining forces, not clashing head-on with the enemy. Until the Hokage and his reinforcements arrived, she had to avoid any large-scale battles.
Fortunately, the Sand had bled just as heavily during the raid three days ago. They were equally crippled and completely lacked the manpower to launch a second offensive.
But the Sand's situation was actually much worse. Because they had pulled troops from the Hidden Stone front to execute their long-distance ambush, their border with the Stone Village was now dangerously thin. Defending against the Stone had to be their top priority. In reality, as long as Konoha didn't make a move, there was zero chance the Sand would actively attack again.
To put it bluntly, having lost so many ninja and with the Stone breathing down their necks, the Sand was physically incapable of launching another invasion.
The script had completely flipped. Originally, the Sand's goal was to force Konoha into a truce. Now, Konoha was preparing to crush the Sand army and dictate the terms of their surrender.
That was the reality of this chaotic era of warring villages. One wrong step, and the whole board falls apart.
The Third Hokage bringing Konoha's mobile reserves to the front was a risky military gamble, but it was also a decisive move to seize the opportunity and end the war in this theater.
Six days into Kamishiro's recovery, the Hokage finally arrived.
The camp instantly dissolved into a frenzy of tactical deployments and busywork. Naturally, none of this concerned Kamishiro, and he was perfectly happy to relax. But to his absolute surprise, once the dust settled that afternoon, the Hokage officially summoned him.
Ninja are killing tools. No matter how much the Hokage preached about the "Will of Fire" or cherishing the younger generation, in this war-torn era, it was impossible to value every single life equally.
When Kamishiro and Kushina were both in mortal danger, the Hokage's sole focus was Kushina. Kamishiro's safety was a secondary concern... alright, it was a very distant tertiary concern. But there was absolutely no question about it; if Kamishiro were sitting in the Hokage's chair, he would have made the exact same call. When weighing the life of an ordinary—or even genius—ninja against the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the choice was obvious.
Genius ninjas were rare, but as long as the war raged on, new shining stars would inevitably appear one after another. But if they lost the Nine-Tails, it was gone forever.
However, Kamishiro's situation was a bit different now. The detailed reports of that night's battle, combined with Kamishiro's "explanation" that Tsunade had relayed word-for-word, had earned him this private audience.
Looking at the factional hierarchy: Kamishiro was Kushina's student. Kushina had deep ties to the Hokage and was Minato's future wife. Minato was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was the Third Hokage's proudest pupil. Following that convoluted family tree, Kamishiro was technically part of the Third Hokage's direct political lineage.
They were all on the same team.
However, when the Hokage finally dropped the news, Kamishiro nearly choked.
"Wait, wait, wait. Lord Third, are you saying you want to promote me directly to Jonin?!"
"Is there a problem?" the Hokage asked calmly.
Of course there was a problem! On paper, he was just a Genin. In terms of actual combat strength—without relying on his highly restrictive ultimate moves—he knew exactly where he stood. His baseline ninja skills put him at Chunin level. Maybe an "Elite Chunin" if he was being generous. But a Jonin? Not a chance.
Putting raw power aside, promoting to Chunin or Jonin meant you were expected to lead a squad. It wasn't just a test of combat power; it was a test of tactical awareness and leadership. Simply put, it required the "teamwork" that Kakashi would constantly emphasize in the future.
And Kamishiro's combat style? He was a pure solo player. He had never once coordinated an attack with another ninja.
If they really forced him to lead a team, he'd rather take a solo mission to infiltrate, sabotage, and steal intel.
But he was overthinking it. The Hokage wasn't going to send him on high-risk A-rank or S-rank missions alone. Regardless of his political lineage, young ninjas simply didn't have the capacity to execute those solo suicide missions.
"Um, Lord Hokage, I heard ninja promotions require passing strict exams. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for me to use the backdoor like this?"
More importantly, Kamishiro knew he was already walking around with the "White Yaksha" title plastered to his forehead. He was already a massive target on the battlefield. If they slapped a "Teenage Jonin" title on top of that... the enemy would be doing a disservice to their previous Kage if they didn't prioritize assassinating him.
"Hmm, you make a fair point. However, considering your performance on the battlefield—which was witnessed by everyone—such merit must be appropriately rewarded. How about this: I will raise your rank to Chunin instead."
Kamishiro was speechless. What was the Hokage playing at? Proposing Jonin, then immediately dropping it to Chunin? It wasn't that Kamishiro was reluctant to let go of the Jonin title—he actively didn't want it—he just couldn't figure out the Hokage's angle.
Still, a direct promotion to Chunin was absolutely using the backdoor. A backdoor is a backdoor, no matter the size.
"I know what you're thinking. Tsunade already explained that the jutsu you used against Shukaku requires a massive accumulation of chakra," the Hokage said. "But your promotion isn't solely based on that. Your efficiency on the frontlines prior to that night has already been verified. I have the complete reports right here... You are more than qualified to be a Chunin."
The Third patted Kamishiro heavily on the shoulder. What else could Kamishiro say? The Hokage clearly had his own plans, and as a subordinate, Kamishiro's only option was to obediently accept it.
If the boss wants to promote you, you don't complain.
Dealing with Kamishiro was just a tiny blip in the Hokage's hectic day. That night, the true high-level strategy meeting commenced.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade of the Sannin, the Yellow Flash Minato Namikaze, the Konoha Strategy Command, and every Battalion and Squad Commander gathered together.
Naturally, Kamishiro had no part in it. Even if he was a newly minted Chunin, he was still just a mere Chunin.