Minato thought hard about the question, contemplating how best to present his assessment.
'Hmm... what should I say,' he wondered.
After a moment, he began, "I am not really sure if I am in a position to give a perfect assessment of Renjiro, but from what I have seen whenever I interact with him, it is certainly promising. When it comes to strategy and power, Renjiro deserves to at least be an Elite Chunin since his sensory abilities are as good as mine."
Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly in surprise. 'He is also a good sensor?' he wondered.
Shiba, on the other hand, thought, 'Good, we need more skilled sensors in the village. But from how Minato is speaking, the boy definitely belongs on the battlefield.'
Minato continued, "However, we all know that this is not enough for one to become a Jounin. Renjiro mentioned that he might soon take on a leadership role in the Police Force. Perhaps after that, he would truly show us that he is ready for promotion."
"The same case applies to Hiro. They are both talented shinobis and just need a bit of time to mature into great Jouins." Minato took a breath before finally saying,
"But if Lord Third thinks that the village urgently needs Jounins, then both Renjiro and Hiro would be good additions." He finished with a curt smile.
'Why did he use so many words just to say it is up to us?' Shiba thought, slightly amused.
Hiruzen, on the other hand, had a light smile on his face as he said, "Thank you, Minato. I guess that will be all for your mission report."
Minato nodded and left the two men in the office.
Once Minato had departed, Shiba shrugged as Hiruzen asked him, "What do you think?"
Shiba took a moment before replying, "If it were any other person, I would have told you to quickly promote them to the Jounin rank because we don't know when the next war will break out."
Hiruzen nodded, considering Shiba's words.
"I do understand you, Shiba. If I were to be honest, I find the matters surrounding the boy complicated. It was already difficult with just his identity, especially when Daichi took him in, but now that he is showing exceptional talent, it will only become more complicated."
'I am also sure that Danzo will come at me when he hears about this, and Daichi might mistake any of my decisions regarding the boy as an attempt to poach him. Even the boy himself might not be easy to handle, so I need to be careful about how I approach this,' the Hokage thought.
Shiba then said, "We have been ignoring this for too long. It is better if we deal with it now."
"Speaking of dealing with things, I need you to sort out the situation in Iwa and Suna. We also need to talk to the Daimyō about the treaty," Hiruzen said.
'I knew I shouldn't have come here. I could have heard Minato's report from somewhere else. I just knew he would dump all of this on me! This is going to be a drag,' Shiba bitterly lamented as he left the Hokage's office.
Meanwhile, just as Minato had given his mission report, another shinobi was doing the same.
Yano stood in the presence of his clan head and the head of the Root, a middle-aged man in white and silver robes—Danzo Shimura.
Danzo's piercing eyes scrutinized Yano as he reported on his mission. "So, Yano, tell me everything that happened," Danzo commanded, his voice cold and authoritative.
Yano began, recounting each detail meticulously. "We successfully infiltrated both the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth as planned," he said.
Danzo leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "So that is the reason why there have been strange movements," he interrupted. Danzo nodded to himself before continuing,
"Do you have a reason why Asa was in the Earth Capital? He recently became an S-Rank shinobi, so we need to start paying close attention to his movements."
Yano shook his head. "I'm certain that if we had more time in the Earth Capital, we would have found out. But when Minato arrived, the other team in the Land of Wind was in danger, so he had to get us out of there quickly."
Danzo's eyes glinted with interest. "So he is now able to teleport people over large distances?" he inquired.
Seeing Yano nod in confirmation, Danzo thought to himself, 'It seems like he has completely mastered Sensei's jutsu. Minato might become a threat in the future. He could even challenge Orochimaru for the Hokage seat. No, I must focus on the current situation.'
Yano continued with his report. When he mentioned that some members of the Iron Fang were still unaccounted for, Danzo's face darkened.
"I will commission a team to handle that. If we let them live, it might become a significant issue to solve in the future."
Yano nodded and proceeded, "...After talking to the spies and retrieving the documents, we made our way back to the village."
Danzo contemplated the implications. 'It seems Hiruzen is becoming bolder, but this is a good thing overall. Still, Iwa and Suna are bound to respond.
Should I use this to my advantage? I have to act carefully, or he might start looking into my dealings with Orochimaru.'
Danzo's mind churned with possibilities as he scrutinized Yano. "Before I forget, you said you went with Chūnins. Who were they?" he inquired.
Yano responded, "They were Namikaze Minato, Hatake Hiro, and Uzumaki Renjiro."
Danzo's interest was piqued. "Renjiro was there? Is Minato that close to him?"
Yano shook his head. "They don't seem that close. I think it is the Jinchūriki who is connecting them."
Danzo's thoughts raced. 'That makes sense since Hiruzen was trying to bring her and the boy closer. '
"How was he? Did he show any talent?" Danzo asked, referring to Renjiro.
"He was actually powerful for a Chunin," Yano replied. "I was even going to recommend him for the Root."
Surprised by Yano's endorsement, Danzo asked, "Why do you say so?"
Yano said, "I was impressed when I learned he was able to go against Jounins and come out on top. But when I heard, and saw, that he has a similar chain ability as the Jinchuriki, then I was certain he would be good for the Root."
Danzo's mind was reeling. 'What?' Not much could shock Danzo, but this certainly did.
'A Sharingan and Adamantine Chains? If I could get my hands on him, he would be the perfect Root member,'
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