Tsunade first followed protocol by expressing her thanks to all the Clan Heads and Jonin for their support, hoping that everyone would cooperate with her work as the Hokage in future matters.
The Clan Heads and Jonin present all expressed that they would obey the Hokage's orders, as it was their duty.
Tsunade nodded and then began to get to the main topic.
She first briefly described Konoha's upcoming reconstruction progress and mission restoration plan.
In the short term, the focus would be on restoring basic infrastructure.
In the medium term, the normal distribution of missions of all ranks would be gradually restored.
And the long-term goal would be to comprehensively improve the overall quality of Konoha's ninjas.
The Jonin present had no objections to this pragmatic arrangement and nodded in approval.
After finishing these basic matters, Tsunade turned her gaze to Naruto on her left.
"Let me introduce someone to you all: Uzumaki Naruto. None of you here should be strangers to him."
"He graduated from the Ninja Academy less than three months ago, shone brilliantly in the Chunin Exams, independently completed the A-rank mission to bring back Sasuke, and on the way back to the village, he successfully intercepted the infiltration attempt of two S-rank rogue ninjas from the Akatsuki in collaboration with Jiraiya."
"After deliberation and assessment by myself and the Konoha Council, it has been decided to formally promote Naruto to a Jonin."
"At the same time, he will become my direct-subordinate Jonin. His every word and action will represent me."
In an instant, the entire conference room erupted in an uproar.
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. He knew that Naruto would become a Jonin sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon, and he certainly hadn't expected Tsunade to take Naruto on as a Hokage direct-subordinate Jonin.
The meaning behind this appointment was far heavier than just a promotion to Jonin.
Naruto glanced at Danzo and the two Elders, who were sitting on Tsunade's right side without saying a word.
Koharu and Homura's expressions were calm to the point of being unnatural.
Naruto understood that Tsunade must have discussed it with them privately before the meeting, though he didn't know how she had convinced them.
With this in mind, he stood up and said, "Please take care of me in the future."
Some Jonin were a bit confused. A Genin who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy less than three months ago, who hadn't even officially received his Chunin qualification, had jumped straight to Jonin, and a Hokage direct-subordinate Jonin at that.
But another part of the group quickly made a judgment in their hearts.
Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. As the village's most important strategic weapon, the Hokage incorporating him into her direct jurisdiction on her first day in office was not out of personal feelings, but something any Hokage with strategic acumen would do.
After waiting for the murmurs below to gradually subside, Tsunade raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
Her expression was a bit more serious than when she had just announced Naruto's promotion to Jonin.
The atmosphere in the conference room became heavy along with the change in her expression.
"Next is the second matter to be discussed today, and it is also a matter I wish to deliberate with everyone here."
Tsunade's gaze fell onto a document already prepared on the table and she said, "Regarding the true identity of Naruto, he is the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage and he should not have to live until now bearing the stigma of being the incarnation of Nine-Tails. He should be remembered by the entire village as the son of a hero."
"Therefore, I have decided to officially announce Naruto's background to all the villagers of Konoha."
A wave of discussion erupted in the meeting room in an instant.
The people present were basically all Jonin, and at this level, there were almost none who did not know that Naruto was the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage. But they were also well aware that there were deep-seated reasons and considerations behind why this secret had been kept for over a decade.
The Fourth Hokage made countless enemies during the Third Great Ninja War. Once his descendant was revealed, the threat from hostile forces would far exceed what the descendants of ordinary Jonin families could withstand.
On the other hand, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, if he were simultaneously confirmed as the Fourth Hokage's orphan, his political weight would exceed the scope expected of a Jinchuriki, which would be a huge variable for the internal power balance of Konoha.
Now, the newly appointed Hokage was pushing for both Naruto's promotion and the public disclosure of his identity at the very first Jonin meeting. This was no longer just about cultivating her own influence, it was using the most direct way to tell everyone:
"Naruto is someone I intend to protect, no one is to touch him."
Many people's gazes could not help but turn toward the direction of the Council of Elders, especially Danzo, who had been sitting on Tsunade's right.
Letting Naruto become a Jonin was one thing, but announcing his true identity was equivalent to simultaneously stripping Root of its potential control over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Sure enough, Danzo spoke up, "Tsunade. Although I know you have just taken on the role of Hokage and need to cultivate your own team and confidants, everything must have a limit."
"As a strategic weapon of the village, the Jinchuriki's identity should be kept strictly confidential. We cannot let enemy nations grasp any intelligence regarding him."
"I will say nothing for now about you letting Naruto serve as a Hokage-direct Jonin, but now you want to announce his background? Do you want the entire Ninja World to know that Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage?"
Tsunade tilted her head slightly and glanced at Naruto. The meaning was clear: the stage was now handed over to you.
Naruto received Tsunade's gaze and nodded slightly.
"Heh..."
Then he leaned back in his chair and let out a cold laugh.
In an instant, all gazes shifted from Tsunade to Naruto. They wanted to see how this brat, who had just become a Hokage-direct Jonin, would handle the pressure from Konoha's highest elder.
"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, do you have any objections?" Danzo's gaze fell on Naruto, and he spoke in a cold tone.
"I dare not have any objections. I just want to say, in the entire Konoha, from the auntie selling vegetables to the old man at the entrance of the hot springs, who doesn't know that I am the incarnation of Nine-Tails?"
"Elder Danzo just said he was afraid my identity would be exposed to spies from enemy nations. Do spies from enemy nations even need to investigate?"
"They could just grab any child on the streets of Konoha and ask who the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of your village is, and that child would directly tell them it's that blonde boy."
"I ask you, Elder Danzo, regarding those identities you just said needed to be kept confidential, what room is left for them to be exposed?"
No one dared to interrupt at this moment, but everyone simultaneously sighed in their hearts.
This brat has too much nerve.
The key was that Naruto had no intention of stopping. He crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly. "Besides, since Elder Danzo mentioned the issue of intelligence confidentiality, I would very much like to ask: the fact that the whole village knows I am the incarnation of Nine-Tails... Someone as wise and benevolent as Grandpa Hokage surely wouldn't have been the one behind it, deliberately allowing such rumors to spread."
"Then the question arises. Elder Danzo, you and the two advisors, as the highest ranking officials of Konoha, why have you never stopped such public opinion from spreading throughout the village all these years?"
"You clearly knew I was the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage, clearly knew that the Nine-Tails sealed within me was to protect this village, yet you let the whole village call me a fox for twelve whole years."
"Today, Granny Tsunade wants to reveal the truth, and you stand up and say it will expose intelligence. Don't you think that sounds a bit ridiculous?"
Danzo's fingers tightened on the handle of his cane.
Everyone could feel the cold aura emanating from Danzo, but no one felt there were any logical loopholes in what Naruto had just said.
"So, as soon as I heard Elder Danzo say he wanted to protect intelligence from being exposed, I couldn't help but want to laugh."
"Insolent! Naruto, are you suspecting that I deliberately condoned public opinion within the village to persecute you?" Danzo asked.
Homura, who was sitting next to him, subconsciously move his chair to the side.