Chapter 467: The Nine-Rank System
In Ino's plan, the Nine-Rank System was the structure, the framework.
But what was its true nature? It was still a matter of who had the biggest fist. Whoever was strongest would be right.
She had also mixed in many of Zuo Lengchan's ideas from the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance.
First, using a mix of cunning and deception, she would bring everyone under a single set of rules. Then, she would grant the Kage of the other four villages the title of "Associate Kage" to let them adapt for a while. After that, the real merger would begin, starting with the weakest targets—the Sand and Mist villages seemed most suitable.
Jiraiya, holding Ino's draft, asked, "This Ōtsutsuki Clan... are you referring to the Sage of Six Paths?"
Ino's voice filled with passion. "Yes! The Sage of Six Paths' contributions are greater than the heavens. Without him, the ninja world wouldn't exist today. The old sage's heart is wider than the ocean, his wisdom loftier than the mountains. His footsteps have crossed the entire ninja world, from the western ridges to the very edge of the sea. The descendants who have benefited from his grace are more numerous than the stars in the sky!"
Jiraiya: "..."
Tsunade: "..."
Are you talking about your own father? There are no outsiders here. Is there really a need for such cringey flattery?
This was just a draft, open for discussion later, so Jiraiya continued reading.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan was designated as the highest of the nine ranks—the first rank. Since there were no Ōtsutsuki left within the atmosphere, this rank was purely symbolic. No family would ever reach this level in the future. The first rank was a position of honor with no practical effect.
The Senju Clan, for their great merit in founding Konoha, was next. Hashirama and Tobirama Senju had disbanded their own clan, scattering its members throughout the village. They hoped to lead by example, gradually eliminating the stubborn problem of ninja clans. However, the reality was that the Senju Clan vanished, while the other ninja clans remained as they always had. It was a clear misstep.
Ino believed that Tsunade could re-establish the Senju Clan and then designate it as the second rank.
The Uchiha Clan, with a fame equal to the Senju, was a bit more complicated. She made a special note: if the Uchiha were to perform a great service, they too could be designated as the second rank.
But who was left of the Uchiha? There was Itachi, and there was Sasuke. Sakura could be considered a spiritual Uchiha, so she counted as half a person at most.
Itachi would be dead soon. Giving them a high rank like the second wouldn't allow them to build up much power anyway.
In truth, Ino's first and second ranks were both rather empty. Did the Ōtsutsuki need the ninja world's gold and silver? Did the Senju and Uchiha clans need Konoha's jutsu?
The real substance of the plan began at the third rank.
The Sarutobi, Hyuga, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans were all placed in the third rank.
These were the true pinnacles of the pyramid.
In the future, if the ninja world were unified, the families of Temari, Mei Terumī, and Kurotsuchi could also be classified within this rank.
That covered the top three ranks.
The middle three ranks—upper-middle, middle-middle, and lower-middle—encompassed far more ninja families.
The Inuzuka and Aburame clans, branch families of the great clans, and the ninja families from other villages were all included in this range.
The bottom three ranks were primarily for civilian-born ninja.
The Nine-Rank System was a hierarchy from bottom to top, while the "Impartial" aspect was the means of selecting talent. The authority to make these selections would rest in the hands of the Hokage. This was equivalent to giving up most of the benefits to the ninja clans, while the Hokage still held a firm grip on the power of personnel appointments.
The Nine-Rank System was also linked to the existing ninja ranking system.
A ninja from a middle-three-rank family who entered the village's service would automatically be appointed as a Genin. A ninja from a top-three-rank family would start as a Chunin.
Jiraiya studied it for a long time. He liked the part about eliminating war, but he still had doubts about the rest. "Uh, according to your system, what about the Hokage? Where will future Hokage be selected from?"
Ino lowered her voice. "I believe it would be most appropriate to select the Hokage from the top three ranks. If we unify the ninja world, there will be no distinction between villages. We will all be one family. In the future, if Mei Terumī performs a great service, she could even become the Hokage."
The current system for selecting a Hokage had significant problems. A candidate had to be from the "Hokage lineage." In the end, it always came down to the same few people. With such a narrow path for advancement, how could they possibly unify the ninja world?
An image of Mei Terumī's graceful figure involuntarily flashed through Jiraiya's mind. He shook his head forcefully, trying to dispel the strange thoughts. He would rather have Zabuza as Hokage than Mei Terumī. The Mist's betrayal had harmed Konoha too deeply.
"Then what about a civilian ninja who wants to become Hokage?"
Ino pointed at Tsunade. "The Hokage also needs the support of a family. If there's an exceptionally talented civilian ninja, I think they could marry into a family of the top three ranks. For example, a certain sage from Mount Myōboku could marry into the Senju family. Then he would be considered to have a second-rank background."
Tsunade snorted arrogantly. "As if I would want him."
Jiraiya pondered for a moment. The Nine-Rank System certainly had its merits. At the very least, it made many of the previously implicit rules explicit.
Before, he had cautiously allowed Kakashi, Ino, and the others to release a few C-rank and D-rank jutsu for civilian ninjas to redeem. That was essentially the same idea—to give more jutsu to the common ninja.
Now, Ino's system granted significant benefits to the ninja clans, but at the same time, with the five great villages merging into one, the pool of jutsu knowledge would be consolidated. Civilian ninjas would have a much wider range of choices. They could choose the Sand's puppet techniques or the Cloud's nintaijutsu. More options were certainly better than the scraps Konoha had offered before.
Aside from the secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai of the major clans, many low-level jutsu could be made more accessible. The ninja clans would be busy staking their claims across the entire ninja world and expanding their family's influence, leaving them with no time to bother with civilian ninjas. If there were truly outstanding individuals, three or five of them could form their own family, and that family could even advance into the middle three ranks.
Jiraiya thought for three days but couldn't make up his mind. He resorted to his old method: seeking advice from Mount Myōboku.
After listening to his troubles, Fukasaku and Shima exchanged a look. Then, Fukasaku nodded helplessly. "Little Jiraiya, I think this is a good idea."
Jiraiya: "???"
What was going on? In the past, Mount Myōboku was always so cryptic. Why were they being so direct now? Did the Child of Prophecy really have that much influence over them?
Fukasaku felt conflicted, but the Great Toad Sage had made it clear that he was to support this. What could he do?
He first feigned a thoughtful expression, then nodded gravely. "Actually, I think it's worth a try. Who knows, it might just work out."
This was about the fundamental system of their world. Was this something you could just "give a try"?
Jiraiya felt a hint of dissatisfaction with Mount Myōboku's attitude.
Fukasaku knew he was unhappy, but he had no choice.
The Sage of Six Paths cared about the entire ninja world; it was the foundation of all he stood for, the culmination of his beliefs. He didn't care about a single ninja or a single village. As long as it could make the ninja world a better place, he would support it.
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