The reason Araki had entrusted Black Bone and Zabuza with notifying the genin was not because he wanted to shirk responsibility, but because he still had to personally handle the invitations for the jonin group.
Fortunately, there were not many of them.
Many genin had not even formed their own tactical systems yet. A taijutsu-oriented genin who was still hacking at people with a sword today might immediately become a ninjutsu-oriented shinobi tomorrow after learning a powerful technique.
Such things were not uncommon, so the methods of using ninja swords were an enormous temptation to almost every genin.
But jonin were different.
Any shinobi who had reached the rank of jonin, a level near the top of the entire shinobi hierarchy, was an elite who had survived countless battles large and small.
They had long since established their own tactical styles and understood what they were good at and what they were not.
That was the foundation of their standing, and they would not be easily swayed by external things.
Even if it was one of Kirigakure's seven legendary ninja swords, they would not spare it a second glance if it did not suit their existing fighting style.
Especially ninja swords like [Samehada] and [Kabutowari], whose defining traits were far too distinctive.
The strength required merely to wield them freely was enough to discourage most jonin.
Thus, the jonin candidate list the Third Mizukage had given Araki contained only five people.
"Takano Kazuhiko, Otake Maki, Kohe, Kito Kazuya, Rei Chiba..."
Araki looked at the five names in his hand and realized he did not recognize a single one.
"What the hell is this?!" he muttered. "Fine, there aren't any kekkei genkai shinobi from major clans, but there isn't even Kisame? Is this the Mizukage's judgment?"
To him, this list was