As the Guardian Priests called out names one by one, those whose names were called stepped forward to receive the cursed seal. This cursed seal required a contract to be effective, so if the recipient was unwilling, the seal could not be bound to them. The Daimyo also wouldn't demand that Hinata and the others accept overly rude requests.
According to the contract, the Daimyo and the Guardian Ninja had three agreements: First, they must not harm the Daimyo; second, they must obey the Daimyo's commands and use their strength as a sign of loyalty; and third, the Daimyo must not demand that the Guardian Ninja reveal their secrets.
The former was a restraint on the Daimyo's safety and their loyalty, while the latter prevented the Daimyo from using this to probe the Guardian Ninjas' secrets. This was a mutual agreement; the Daimyo understood that the Konoha Guardian Ninjas might not truly trust him, and there would definitely be covert actions, but he wouldn't push too hard. Appropriate relaxation was also necessary.
Once bound by the cursed seal, if a Guardian Ninja attempted to violate the contract, they would suffer intense pain. It wouldn't kill them, but it would be so painful that they would be unable to move.
Everyone was branded with the cursed seal by the Guardian Priests. The Guardian Priests nodded to the Daimyo, then stepped aside. Then, another person came forward and presented a belt inscribed with the character "Fire" to each person. This was the standard symbol of a Guardian Ninja. As the Daimyo's personal guard, the Guardian Ninjas held a very high position and honor.
Everyone accepted the belt and tied it around their waist. Looking at the uniformly marked ninjas, the Daimyo nodded in satisfaction. Although he knew that some of them were not truly loyal to him, his sense of fulfillment was still undeniable. No matter what, those Konoha ninjas would have to temporarily obey him.
"Now, the Twelve Guardian Ninja are established. From now on, you must all work hard. As long as you swear loyalty to me, I will surely bestow rewards," the Daimyo said with a smile.
"Lord Daimyo." One of the four non-Konoha ninjas, a man, stepped forward and knelt before the Daimyo, saying, "I have two questions. There are only eleven people here; how can the Twelve be considered established? And as the personal guard of Lord Daimyo, shouldn't there be a leader chosen to lead everyone?"
The Konoha group cast strange glances at the man. From the Guardian Priest's roll call, they knew his name was Ryoma. They were surprised that Ryoma would ask such a question. This implied that these individuals were not personally sought out by Obito, otherwise, how could they not know Obito's identity?
"Haha, before you all, there was already one chosen member of the Guardian Ninja. He will also be your leader in the future," the Daimyo said to the kneeling Ryoma.
"Lord Daimyo, if that is the case, then why isn't this Guardian Ninja present here? Even if he was an earlier member, he should still appear so we can get to know him, shouldn't he?" Ryoma bowed his head slightly, showing respect, and said.
"Ryoma, are you perhaps dissatisfied with my decision? An unknown fellow, just because he joined earlier, can become the leader of the Guardian Ninja?" The Daimyo looked at Ryoma with a half-smile.
"I wouldn't dare. I merely believe that the leader of the Guardian Ninja should possess both wisdom and strength. Leaving aside people like myself, the others here are all masters from the Konoha Ninja Village. I am curious what kind of person this earlier Guardian Ninja is, to be able to hold the position of leader of the Guardian Ninja," Ryoma said respectfully.
"Hmm, I am not unreasonable. It is natural for you to think this way. Then let him prove himself." The Daimyo nodded slightly, then instructed a nearby Guardian Priest to call Obito over.
The Konoha group watched the scene before them. Since they couldn't whisper in front of the Daimyo, they merely exchanged glances, guessing what would happen next. What was Ryoma's motive for such an action? Was he resentful, or did he have another purpose?
As everyone was speculating, Obito, clad in a black robe and wearing an orange spiral mask, appeared. The Guardian Priest sent by the Daimyo hadn't even had time to leave. Upon his appearance, he first respectfully addressed the Daimyo, saying, "My deepest apologies, Lord Daimyo, I am late."
"It's alright, it's alright," the Daimyo said with a beaming smile. Just by his attitude, anyone with a discerning eye could see his indulgence and trust in Obito.
Seeing this, Ryoma then said to Obito, "May I ask your identity, sir? Since you can hold the position of Guardian Ninja leader, I presume your identity is extraordinary?"
"Not at all, not at all. I am merely like all of you, of humble origins," Obito said with a chuckle. "It is only by the grace of the Daimyo's trust that I have assumed the position of Guardian Ninja leader."
"Since you are the leader of the Guardian Ninja, your strength must be considerable. However, everyone present here has also been carefully selected, including masters from the Konoha Ninja Village. Do you truly believe you are capable of fulfilling the role of Guardian Ninja leader?" Ryoma's tone was aggressive.
Upon hearing this, the Konoha group immediately caught a whiff of gunpowder. If this continued, a conflict might break out, but no one stepped forward to stop it. During their earlier eye contact, everyone had already reached a consensus: they hadn't planned any action, but now some fellow, whether a hothead or a plant, had come forward to stir things up. If they could use this to compete with Obito, they could gather more intelligence. Even if it didn't work out, it would be Ryoma who suffered the punishment, and it had nothing to do with them.
Although this seemed a bit unfriendly towards Ryoma, his actions were inherently audacious. Since he dared to do it, he should be prepared to face the consequences. They didn't know him, so there was no need to stand up for him. The Konoha group decided to simply wait and see how things would unfold.
"You have a point. The elite level of Konoha ninjas is unparalleled in the ninja world; even people from other ninja villages have to admit it. Even those of us from humble backgrounds have some outstanding talents. For me to simply take on the role of Guardian Ninja leader seems a bit inappropriate," Obito nodded slightly.
"Obito, so you intend to prove your abilities?" the Daimyo asked from behind.
"Yes, I must earn everyone's respect, otherwise, how can I command them?" Obito swayed his head slightly, looking very relaxed.
"Then how do you plan to prove it?" the Daimyo continued to ask.
"This is just my personal opinion. A Guardian Ninja leader, not only needs outstanding strength, but also talents beyond strength, such as leadership and command abilities. Even if their strength is somewhat lacking, if their talents in these areas are outstanding, they are more suitable to be a leader. I think everyone should agree, right?" Obito looked at everyone, and after exchanging glances, they nodded slightly.
Obito's statement was very correct. A squad leader not only needs strength but also corresponding command abilities. If these abilities are outstanding, even if they are not the strongest, they can still serve as a captain. The Konoha Ninja Village's requirements for Chunin and Jonin are also like this.
This is why the Chunin Exam, in addition to requiring strength, also tested candidates' abilities to gather intelligence and work as a team. This is also why, in the original timeline, Shikamaru Nara, despite not being the strongest, became the only Chunin to be promoted.
And Naruto Uzumaki, despite being one of only two Six Paths level powerhouses in the ninja world, still had to take remedial classes. If he didn't have the required command abilities, he wouldn't even be able to advance to Chunin, let alone Jonin, even though his strength far exceeded that level. It is precisely because of this that the strange saying "Konoha's strongest are genin" came about.
"Coincidentally, after I pledged allegiance to Lord Daimyo, I have been helping Lord Daimyo train his family's private soldiers, teaching them chakra. Instead of fighting me, why not compete with the samurai I trained? I think this will better prove my ability as a leader," Obito said.