Seeing their de facto leader, Genma, raise his hand, Namiashi Raido and Yamashiro Aoba naturally followed suit, quickly showing their support.
"Life is truly unpredictable..." Gekko Hayate shook his head with a smile and also raised his right hand. Even setting aside the fact that Naruto was his disciple, he felt obligated to support Naruto simply because Naruto had cured his bloodline sickness.
When the Fourth Hokage's other former subordinates saw these four—the strongest among their remaining number—willing to back Naruto, they naturally followed as well. Most of the others were, at best, Chunin-level. The limitations of their innate aptitude were one factor; lacking a patron to champion them and thus finding it difficult to obtain higher-level ninjutsu was another.
"I will not let any of you down!" Naruto promised solemnly.
Seeing everyone raise their hands, Nara Shikaku nodded slightly. This outcome was within his expectations. "Then let us discuss how to restore Naruto's identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage," he began.
"That's simple. At the routine Jonin Council meeting three days from now, we just need to bring this matter up and make it a big deal," Shiranui Genma said. "Excluding those who might oppose it and those who remain neutral, the affirmative votes will definitely exceed half." The Fourth Hokage's influence was far greater than it appeared on the surface. To have become the Fourth Hokage as a commoner, his capabilities were beyond question. There were people who disliked him, certainly, but far fewer than those who admired him; of this, they were entirely confident. "A motion passed by the Jonin Council cannot be unduly interfered with, not even by the Fifth Hokage."
The others nodded in agreement.
"More importantly than that, Shikaku," Genma continued, looking at him curiously, "I'm more curious how you plan to get Naruto promoted to Jonin within three months." The primary prerequisite for running as a Hokage candidate was to be a Konoha Jonin.
"Jonin is too far off. Let's first discuss how to get him promoted to Chunin," Gekko Hayate interjected with a slight cough. He knew his own disciple far better than these men did. As outrageously powerful as Naruto currently was, when he had left Konoha, he hadn't even officially been a Chunin.
"During the Chunin Exams two years ago, the Third Hokage had actually already classified Naruto's file as Chunin-level. It was only due to some subsequent 'accidents' that the promotion never materialized," Nara Shikaku revealed this long-buried secret. Truthfully, if it hadn't been for the Two Great Advisors obstructing things back then, Naruto would have become a Konoha Jonin long ago.
"Will the Fifth Hokage agree?" someone couldn't help but ask. After all, with a new leader often come new policies and loyalties; it wasn't a matter to be taken lightly.
"She will," Nara Shikaku nodded. "The Fifth Hokage is the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokages. Her perspective on Konoha is different from yours. This can be seen from the matter of Uchiha Sasuke. Allowing an Uchiha to run for Hokage is an unprecedented move by any Hokage in history. This is also why I deeply admire Lady Tsunade; it's one thing to speak of being broad-minded, but truly acting on it is another matter entirely. People's choices and decisions are always constrained by their own narrow perceptions."
"As for accumulating the required mission volume for Jonin promotion," Shikaku continued, "that won't be difficult for Naruto."
"While maintaining combat effectiveness, I can deploy a hundred shadow clones to carry out missions simultaneously," Naruto stated. "I can aim to complete the required mission volume within two weeks." This was the plan he and Lord Shikaku had discussed the previous night: use a large number of shadow clones to accept and complete missions, striving to meet the Jonin promotion requirements in the shortest possible time.
The most difficult part is accumulating mission volume... Shiranui Genma looked at the young man, sighing inwardly. Indeed, for a ninja of Naruto's caliber, breaking through that invisible barrier was probably no harder than piercing a sheet of paper.
"I object," Gekko Hayate said, raising his hand. The others looked at him, puzzled. What was there to object to?
"We still have nearly three months. There's no need to be so hasty. The pressure of a hundred shadow clones is too immense," Hayate argued. "Becoming a Jonin is just the first step. If your body suffers problems at this stage, it's not worth it!"
Those present who had experience using shadow clones nodded in agreement. Using even one or two shadow clones for a short period was a terrifying drain on both their physical and mental energy. Simultaneously creating a hundred shadow clones and the chakra consumption involved was something they dared not even imagine. Moreover, to have them all performing different missions—they seriously suspected that the moment he dispelled the clones, the terrifying influx of information would cause a mental collapse.
Naruto was taken aback. He had thought Hayate-sensei would object on other grounds... He hadn't expected his concern to be for his physical well-being.
"Hayate-sensei, you can rest completely assured on this point. The burden of a hundred shadow clones is nothing to me." In fact, his initial idea had been to deploy five hundred shadow clones and complete the preliminary mission volume within three days, then concentrate on tackling the more difficult S-rank and A-rank missions. The drain from a hundred shadow clones truly was insignificant to him. But Lord Shikaku had stopped him. In Shikaku's original words: "Leave some opportunities for others to make a living! After all, a considerable number of ninja rely on basic missions to get by." So, to avoid offending the grassroots ninja community, Naruto had abandoned the idea of clearing out all of Konoha's missions in three days.
"On this point, I can testify," Nara Shikaku interjected opportunely. He had already confirmed it: a hundred shadow clones were definitely not this young man's limit. If he weren't constrained by his responsibilities, Shikaku himself would have loved to see what it looked like for one person to clear out all of Konoha's available missions. But the thought of the consequences of disrupting the village's mission cycle made him forcibly nip that outlandish idea in the bud.
"Then I have no further issues," Gekko Hayate said with a shrug. Shikaku wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure about. Since Shikaku was spearheading Naruto's bid for Sixth Hokage, if anything went wrong, Shikaku would undoubtedly suffer the greatest loss. No one would act against their own best interests.
"Then it's settled," Nara Shikaku declared, making the final decision. "First, we help Naruto reclaim his identity. Then, we assist him in accumulating the required mission volume for Jonin." Most missions couldn't be completed just by brute force and killing. Assassination and subjugation were only part of high-level missions; espionage, reconnaissance, and escort duties were also numerous.
"Yes, sir!" the group responded in unison.
"Let's eat something. After talking for so long, everyone must be hungry."
While there was cheerful talk and laughter in Konoha, the mood in Kumogakure was one of furrowed brows and unease. The Fourth Raikage, A, paced back and forth in his office, occasionally glancing out the window at the dark, stormy sky. Flashes of lightning only made his expression more somber. "Still no word from the Sensor Team?"
Mabui shook her head. According to intelligence Kumogakure had recently gathered, the Akatsuki had already begun extracting Tailed Beast chakra to create some kind of ultimate weapon. They were gravely concerned that this ultimate weapon would pose a threat to Kumogakure.