"The next thing is the second thing to discuss today, and it is also the thing I will discuss with you today."
Tsunade's eyes slowly swept across every face in the conference room, then fell back to a document that had been prepared long ago on the table and said:
"About the true identity of Naruto Uzumaki."
"He is the orphan of Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. He shouldn't have to live with the infamy of the demon fox incarnation until now."
"He should be remembered by the whole village as the son of a hero."
"So I decided to officially announce the life experience of Naruto Uzumaki to all the villagers of Konoha."
Discussions broke out in the conference room instantly.
Most of the people here are Jōnin. There are very few people at this level who don't know that Naruto Uzumaki is the orphan of Fourth Hokage.
But they also know that there are deep-seated reasons and considerations behind why this secret has been kept for more than ten years.
Fourth Hokage has made countless enemies in Third Shinobi World War. Once his descendants are made public, the threat from hostile forces will be far beyond what the descendants of the general Jōnin family can withstand.
On the other hand, as Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, if he is also confirmed as the orphan of Fourth Hokage, his political weight will completely exceed the scope of a Jinchuriki, which is a huge variable for the internal power balance of Konoha.
Now the new Hokage will promote the promotion of Naruto and the disclosure of his identity at the first Jōnin meeting. This is not just about cultivating his own power, but also telling everyone in the most direct way:
Naruto Uzumaki is the person I want to protect, no one can touch him.
Many people's eyes couldn't help but turn to the direction of Elder Council, especially Danzo, who was sitting on the right side of Tsunade and had been silent.
Just let Naruto Uzumaki be Jōnin, and his true identity must be announced, which is equivalent to depriving Root of his potential control over Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Sure enough, Danzo spoke.
"Tsunade..."
Danzo's voice was hoarse and gloomy. "Although I know that you have just assumed the position of Hokage and need to train your own team and confidants."
"But everything must be done in moderation."
"Jinchuriki is a strategic weapon of the village. His identity should be kept strictly confidential and the enemy should not be able to obtain any information about him."
"You asked Naruto Uzumaki to serve as Hokage Direct Jōnin. I won't say anything for now, but now you want to announce his life experience. Do you want the entire Shinobi World to know that Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha is the orphan of Fourth Hokage?"
When Danzo said these words, his eyes turned cold. He first looked at Tsunade, and then glanced at Naruto calmly.
Tsunade did not answer immediately.
She just turned her head slightly and glanced at Naruto.
The meaning is clear, that is, the stage is now handed to you.
Naruto received Tsunade's gaze and nodded slightly.
"Heh..."
Then he leaned back in his chair and sneered.
The sneer was not loud, but it was heard clearly by everyone in the quiet conference room.
In an instant, all eyes turned from Tsunade to Naruto.
They wanted to see how this brat who had just become Hokage Direct Jōnin would respond to the pressure from the supreme elder Konoha.
"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, do you have any opinions?"
Danzo's eyes fell on Naruto, and he said in a gloomy tone, as if he was examining a prey that has not been completely tamed.
"I dare not have any opinions."
"I just want to say that in Konoha, from the aunt selling vegetables to the old man at the door of the hot spring, who doesn't know that I am the incarnation of the demon fox?"
"Elder Danzo just said that he was afraid that my identity would be exposed to enemy spies. Do enemy spies need to investigate?"
"They randomly pick up a child on the Konoha street and ask them who the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in your village is, and the child will directly tell them that he is the blond-haired demon fox kid."
"I would like to ask Elder Danzo, are there any room for exposure of the identities you just mentioned that need to be kept secret?"
People in the conference room took a breath, and someone bumped a colleague under the table with his elbow.
No one dared to interrupt at this time, but everyone uttered the same sigh in their hearts at the same time.
This kid is too courageous.
The key is that Naruto has no intention of stopping.
He crossed his hands and leaned forward slightly. "Furthermore, since Elder Danzo mentioned the issue of information confidentiality, I would like to ask, everyone in the village knows that I am the incarnation of the demon fox. Grandpa Third Hokage is such a wise and kind person, and he will definitely not deliberately condone the spread of such rumors behind his back."
"Then the problem comes!"
"Elder Danzo, why have you and the two consultant elders, as the top consultants of Konoha, never stopped this kind of public opinion from spreading throughout the village for so many years?"
"You clearly know that I am the orphan of Fourth Hokage, and you clearly know that the Nine-Tails sealed in my body is to protect this village, but you have allowed the whole village to call me a demon fox for twelve years."
"Today Tsunade's mother-in-law is going to disclose the truth, but you stand up and say that you will expose the information. Don't you think this sounds a bit ridiculous?"
Danzo's fingers tightened slightly on the handle of the crutch.
The air in the conference room solidified at this moment. Everyone could feel the cold aura emanating from Danzo, but no one felt that there were any logical loopholes in what Naruto just said.
"So when I heard what Elder Danzo just said about protecting intelligence from being exposed, I couldn't help but laugh."
Naruto finished saying the last sentence, leaned back on the chair again, and the expression on his face returned to calm.
"Presumptuous, Naruto Uzumaki, are you suspecting that this elder is deliberately conniving with the public opinion in the village to persecute you?"
Danzo's voice was very low, and veins bulged on the back of his hand on crutches. The pressure emanating from his whole body made Mitokado Homura sitting next to him unconsciously move his chair to the side.
"Doubtful?"
Naruto looked directly at Danzo's cold one-eyes, and said in a calm tone, "Elder Danzo, don't blame me."
"In addition, mother-in-law Tsunade just made it very clear that I am Hokage Direct Jōnin."
"According to Article 12 of Chapter 3 of Konoha's current Ninja Administration Regulations, Hokage Direct Jōnin is only responsible to Hokage himself in non-wartime conditions and does not accept the temporary dispatch and jurisdiction of any other direct superior."
"That is to say, you have no right to directly order me to do anything, nor are you qualified to question me at this meeting, unless your power is greater than Hokage himself."
"Really, Elder Danzo?"
Naruto emphasized the word "elder" very strongly, and everyone in the conference room knew the irony behind the two words.
What Danzo cares about most in his life is the title Hokage. From the time of Second, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi competed for Hokage Position but failed. Even now at this age, he still has not given up his obsession to compete for Hokage.
And what Naruto just said was exactly stepping on the most sensitive nerve of Danzo in front of all Jōnin and the clan leader.
Danzo heard the words and instantly burst out with undisguised murderous intent.
The crutch made a subtle clicking sound under the pressure of his fingers, and several imperceptible cracks spread from the surface of the handle.
The temperature in the conference room dropped a few degrees, and many Jōnin's right hands instinctively touched the ninja bag on their waist.
Asuma took the cigarette from the corner of his mouth. The smile on Kai's mouth had long since disappeared, replaced by a completely serious expression.