"Vote tally: 256 in favor, 239 against. The proposal has... passed."
Just as the Third Hokage leisurely puffed on his pipe, wearing an expression of certain victory, the special jonin counting the votes announced the result.
"What?"
The Third Hokage instinctively thought he had misheard.
He frowned at the special jonin. "You said the votes in favor outnumbered those against?"
All the jonin turned their gazes toward the special jonin, placing him under immense pressure.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he lowered his head. "Yes... I counted three times. It really passed..."
The Third Hokage remained silent for a long while, gripping his pipe without saying a word.
Aside from a few who curiously observed the others, most jonin lowered their eyes to the table, unwilling to read the Third Hokage's expression.
Hyuga Wuye inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, though his face remained calm and unruffled, as if he had expected this all along.
This made quite a few jonin who had been secretly watching him grow wary, silently elevating their assessment of him by another level.
But Wuye himself understood that, rather than being his success, this was the triumph of human selfishness.
Making the assignment system public benefited the majority of jonin. In other words, his proposal itself stood on the side of the majority, making it much easier to win approval.
But next time, he would not be so lucky as to find such a fitting point of breakthrough...
"Very well, I announce..."
The Third Hokage finally recovered. His expression somber, he looked at the jonin below and slowly said, "From now on, mission assignments will be made public. Ninjas may decide for themselves whether to accept B-, C-, and D-rank missions. Records of S- and A-rank mission executions will be disclosed at the monthly