With the Hokage's authority, promoting a Genin to Chunin was simple enough. Promoting one to Jonin required all kinds of assessments. In theory, a Jonin was eligible to be nominated for and run for Hokage, and also had the right to vote.
Konoha had always limited the number of Jonin. Many ninja from the clans were strong enough, yet had never received the rank.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi promoted Uchiha Yi to Jonin at the age of ten, the message was surely a positive one: Yi would not be held back because of his age.
"If Uchiha Yi is willing to join the Anbu later, we can make him a squad leader. Once he's a little older, even a company command wouldn't be out of the question, just as Kagami did back then," Shimura Danzō added.
Danzō had long coveted the Uchiha Sharingan to some degree. Kagami Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan had, after all, been formidable.
But these days, Danzō cared more about Wood Release than the Mangekyō Sharingan. No one was more committed to the Wood Release Experiment than he was, and compared with Wood Release, the Sharingan fell a little short.
Besides, Uchiha Yi was following the path of the Senju Clan rather than developing his Sharingan. He still needed to be kept in check for the sake of the Hokage position. That aside, Danzō genuinely admired him.
If the others had allowed it, Danzō would have brought Uchiha Yi into Root without a second thought.
"Mm, I understand. I'm sure Yi won't refuse, either." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe and raised no objection. He had already planned Yi's future work for him—protecting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, for instance.
The current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki, was very close to Yi. She had practically raised him herself. Surely he