Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 109 Konoha's New F4

A few days later, in the morning.

The hanging sun adds a touch of warmth to the cold winter.

The Hokage's office.

"That concludes the details of this mission..."

Orochimaru reported on his work in a clear and organized manner, neither humble nor arrogant.

After hearing the work report, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru with increasing satisfaction, thinking to himself that he had truly taken on a good disciple.

Jiraiya saw his master's favoritism clearly and put his hands behind his head. He snorted defiantly and turned his head away, thinking that he would definitely beat Orochimaru in the future and make his master look down on him.

After the mission report was completed, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the two men and one woman beside him; the marks of time had left obvious indentations on their faces.

Looking at them is like looking at my own lost youth.

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "What do you guys think of Orochimaru?"

Danzo said emotionlessly, "He is a finished product."

This is an extremely high evaluation, signifying that Orochimaru has already possessed all the characteristics of an excellent ninja.

Danzo was not a sycophant, and this statement is a very objective assessment of Orochimaru's current state.

Following Danzo's statement, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado also made their statements, with similar content to the previous one.

Danzo glanced at the two men with disdain.

When they were young, the two were fine, but as time went on, they became increasingly indecisive.

The so-called advisors have become his and Hiruzen Sarutobi's appendages.

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, exhaling smoke, and after pondering for a moment, said, "I'm planning to promote him to Jonin. What do you think?"

P.S.: The original work didn't explicitly state this, so I'm just creating my own interpretation. Given Orochimaru's abilities, it's not unreasonable, is it?

Upon hearing this, the other three widened their eyes in surprise.

Jonin?

They thought they had misheard.

How old is Orochimaru again?

He's not even thirteen yet.

Think about the age they became Jonin, and then think about the age Orochimaru became Jonin. It's really infuriating to compare people like that.

Moreover, they became Jonin at a relatively young age.

Of course, this is related to the era; after all, their time was much more peaceful.

At that time, Konoha was still under the protection of the God of Shinobi, and all the other countries were obedient and dared not cause trouble.

Unlike now, when minor frictions often occur.

Thinking about this, the three of them sighed with emotion at how fast time had passed. In the blink of an eye, they had gone from being young lads to middle-aged men.

The decision is yours.

Danzo gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep look.

He knows the relationship between Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi like the back of his hand.

Although Orochimaru certainly has the qualifications given his abilities.

Danzo wouldn't be so foolish as to believe that Orochimaru would be promoted to Jonin for this reason alone.

He is no longer the political idiot he once was.

"The way you're talking makes me sound like a dictator."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "If anyone has any opinions, please feel free to speak them up, and we can discuss them further. Konoha doesn't belong to me alone; it belongs to everyone."

If Aokiji were here, he would definitely be internally ranting and raving. This scene is just like some righteous and awe-inspiring leaders from his past life.

Mitokado Yan and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance.

Koharu Utatane was the first to speak up: "Orochimaru is too young. Isn't it a bit too early for him to become a Jonin?"

Mitokado Homura said, "Heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times. I think Orochimaru is a fine kid. Everyone has seen his performance, so I don't think anyone will mind."

Koharu Utatane said worriedly, "But Orochimaru is, after all, the Hokage's disciple. Won't people gossip?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi interjected, "Koharu is right. I didn't think it through. Let's just forget about it then."

Mitokado Homura advised, "Hey, when it comes to recommending the worthy, you shouldn't avoid relatives. You all know that the world has been quite turbulent lately, and many talented people have emerged. For example, that guy from the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander, is currently enjoying unparalleled fame."

"As one of the five great nations of the world, Konoha cannot follow the usual path. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with promoting Orochimaru to Jonin. If we continue to keep Orochimaru as Chunin, it's hindering his development."

"Hiruzen, don't try to refuse."

Watching these people sing in unison, Danzo, a traditional ninja, felt utterly disdainful.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, haha...

It is precisely because those in power have the authority to define what constitutes a period of emergency that they should not abuse their power.

But that's the beauty of power.

He can turn white into white, and black into white.

The rights holder has the final right of interpretation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, speaking calmly and deliberately: "Danzo, do you have any further comments? Feel free to raise a couple more points. Democracy, you know..."

Danzo opened his eyes and said, "I have no objection."

These two have already said everything, good and bad, what else is there for him to say?

Hiruzen Sarutobi, half-heartedly agreeing, said, "I have fully listened to and considered your opinions. In that case, Orochimaru will be qualified for the position of Jonin, but only temporarily. We'll see how he performs recently. If he's not suitable, we'll remove him from the Jonin position to give him some experience. If he is suitable, he can stay. What do you all think?"

Danzo sneered inwardly.

Temporarily...

Ha ha……

When he was younger, he didn't realize how capable his friend was, but as he grew older and gained more experience, he realized how capable he was, especially in his speech, which was truly impeccable.

The so-called temporary rights are almost no different from the formal rights; the only difference is the name.

With Hiruzen Sarutobi's definitive statement, the other three had no objections.

In this way, Orochimaru's appointment as a Jonin was officially finalized in this small cabinet.

However, with Orochimaru becoming a Jonin, a new problem soon arose: who would form a new team with Orochimaru?

Mitokado raised this issue.

To this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, having already prepared his answer, smoothly replied, "Tsunade and Jiraiya..."

Upon hearing this, the three nodded. These two, along with Orochimaru, were all disciples of Hiruzen Sarutobi, so it was reasonable to rearrange the three of them together.

"But there's still one person missing, isn't there?" someone continued to ask.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "Yes, do you have any suggestions?"

The three of them had a close relationship, and Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly had his own plans for arranging them together. At this point, it was best not to cause trouble for the leader, so they all said they had no suggestions and hoped he would make the decision.

Seeing that the three were so understanding, Hiruzen Sarutobi then offered his opinion: "Since no one has any ideas, I happen to have someone on my team. What do you think?"

"Who?"

The three were curious and pondered who Hiruzen Sarutobi had chosen and specifically placed in this team.

Under the curious gazes of the three, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly uttered a name: "Aokiji, Uchiha Aokiji..."

(End of this chapter)