That was indeed true.
The Five Great Shinobi Villages had developed for thirty or forty years, and many of their systems had become relatively well-established.
Although shinobi was a profession where individual power determined one's status.
Unless someone truly possessed the strength to suppress everything, proper avenues for promotion were the key to maintaining the village's structural stability.
Therefore, even Kumogakure, the most martial and belligerent of the villages, could not promote a shinobi's rank based on strength alone.
So what about truly gifted shinobi?
That was why the promotion examination system had been created.
Thus, what the Third Raikage doubted was not Araki's strength, but how Araki could have accumulated enough accomplishments to qualify for promotion to jonin in just over two months!
Dodai clearly understood this as well. He stepped closer to the Raikage and said quietly, "So I have a bold guess."
He handed over two photographs. They showed Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, each missing a hand.
The Third Raikage was no fool. With things spelled out this clearly, how could he fail to understand Dodai's meaning?
"You mean... these two men's injuries..."
Faced with the Raikage's questioning gaze, Dodai nodded heavily. "That's right. One of them must have been Araki's doing. Otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to support his promotion."
"The Third Hokage, the Darkness of the Shinobi..."
The Raikage pinched the two photographs in his hand, finding it hard to believe that the little brat from two months ago had already reached such a level.
The Five Kage's strengths were generally considered comparable. Their fighting styles might differ in emphasis, but before they had truly fought, no one could claim with certainty that they were much stronger than another.
If Araki could leave the Third Hokage with injuries like these, then if it had