[Shimura Clan]
A week passed after the meeting, and a group of ANBU delivered four stashes filled with cash. This was an impressive sum. After all, D-rank mission only paid a couple hundred Ryo, and C-rank a couple thousands. Even S-rank missions, usually reserved for the most elite and accomplished shinobi, only paid a couple million.
However, Danzo's achievements far exceeded the scope of regular missions. He had led a platoon of Shimura clansmen to the victory. Besides the kill count, the victory on a single front had alleviated the pressure on all of Konohagakure's borders. After all, for the enemy villages, it was a message. Aggressiveness would be met with utter ruthlessness.
Hiruzen might seem an undecisive guardian of peace in the series, but the truth is, there had always been a good cop bad cop relationship with the original Danzo. Unfortunately, the new Danzo had certainly no aim at playing the bad cop salary-free. He certainly planned on making the Shimura clan, the greatest clan to ever exist.
The reason was pretty simple.
A single shinobi, as strong as he was, would never be enough to wield absolute power. Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju...Both of those overpowered existences had proved otherwise. Despite their ideals and individual strength, they ultimately lacked the military insights to divide and conquer.
Danzo was different. He planned to become strong individually, while raising a force capable of doing his bidding. Gathering information, manipulating the village's politics, becoming an economic mastodonte...As long as he kept a close watch on the tailed beasts, he could also make it impossible for a force to even attempt resurrecting Kaguya.
In other words, Danzo aimed at a stable, prosperous life. Nothing more, nothing less.
Although five Shimura chunins had been promoted to jonin ranks, two elders died. As such, the Shimura Council Room felt a bit empty. Such was the effect of war. Still, Danzo and Itoru made the decision to present a new elder, taking the sixth seat of the room.
"Yukiko Shimura. As the best sensor of the clan, we have decided to officially make you an elder"
"Thank you for the honour, Danzo-sama", Yukiko bowed, receiving the title with utmost joy. She had dreamed of this moment ever since she became a jonin. Being an elder was not just a title, it was a status, a social achievement that only a handful of highly skilled shinobi could even hope to get.
If it were before, back in the ANBU corps, she might not have valued this promotion so much. However, after sharing life and death battles under the leadership of their patriarch, Danzo, Yukiko held a lot of hopes in the Shimura clan. This was not just a personal belief, but a uniform relationship of trust and dependance. The Shimura clan had done nothing short of a miracle.
"Your responsibility is to be an examplary shinobi", Itoru Shimura spoke in a grave voice, "Not just on the battlefield, as you showed you were capable of. You are to be an excellent figure for the clan too. Elders have a vote in all the matters of the clan. Of course, the patriarch can decide for himself, but most decisions require different point of views, hence the need of elders"
Danzo smiled: "The last kunoichi to enter the council room of the Shimura clan goes back to three generations ago, my grandfather's father's wife, to be more exact. Be proud, Yukiko, and don't disappoint. The clan is to go through immense growth, so the challenges ahead will be difficult for sure"
"Understood! Thank you for your trust, Danzo-sama", Yukiko repeated
"Good! Now that this is settled, I have summoned all six of you esteemed elders for our next move. The clan now has 15 jonins, including you. Besides that, we have remodeled the three Shimura corps to incorporate the chunins too. However, the weakness of our clan is clear", Danzo analysed
Itoru nodded: "We lack elite jonins"
Elite jonins were not strong enough to be called kage, but they are capable of displaying A-rank fighting prowess, against B-rank prowess for jonins and C-rank for chunins. Although those metrics were quite vague, and the weakest genin could kill jonins under the right condition and environment, they were actually pretty reliable on the battlefield.
Among the six elders, three were almost elite jonins.
The youngest elder, yet the most valuable asset of the clan was Yukiko possessed extremely foundations in kenjutsu, but lacked chakra reserves to defend against long-range ninjutsu, thus disqualifying her. Danzo valued her personally not just for her individual skills, but her senses. The jutsu she developped: "Wind Echo", had been a boon against the Iwagakure's mining formations. As such, she had been appointed as Danzo's personal bodyguard.
The second was Itoru Shimura, Danzo's uncle. Adept at wind ninjutsu, he was the exact opposite of Yukiko. Instead, he was lacking close combat skills. However, his experience on the battlefield and relationships with the Daimyo's courts made him extremely valuable, if only for his political skills.
Lastly, there was a third elder capable of displaying elite jonin prowess in one aspect of the shinobi art, yet lacked balance to be worthy of being called one. Byakuro Shimura. Although he was not born in the main family line, he had been one of the four elders who participated in the sealing of the four-tails into Danzo, and the one who knew the Forbidden Four Soul Reverse Symbols Sealing Jutsu, a rare S-rank jutsu. However, besides fuinjutsu, not to mention elite jonins, even regular jonins like Yukiko who specialized in Kenjutsu could easily beat him.
The Shimura clan was strong. However, taking Danzo out of the equation, even after implementing the corps system, and raising the strength of individuals through training and chakra supplement injections...At the end of the day, it lacked an upper structure.
Now that Danzo had become a jinchuriki, the gap had only become wider.
"Exactly...", Danzo grinned, "You are too weak. Although I would be tempted to rest, duty calls. The next month will be reserved for intense training. I will personally oversee the training of jonins. Itoru, Byakuro, Yukiko, your task is to reach the elite jonin rank by next month"
The rest of the elders looked downwards, hesitating. Another elder, unsure about Danzo's unrealistic proposal, issued his worries: "Danzo-sama...Elite jonins are sparse, even within the village...Asking for someone as young as Yukiko to become one, or a veteran like Itoru to suddenly become stronger..."
Danzo merely smiled: "I have compiled a detailed training report, each step defined. You will meet me in the training compound on a daily basis. If you fail to meet my expectations, you will lose your seat as elders, and you will be replaced"
Byakuro, Itoru and Yukiko gulped. Danzo's eyes never flickered.
He was dead serious.