Naruto: Limitless Sage

For those standing with the Third Hokage,

the situation had reached its most critical—and most dangerous—point.

If they did nothing now, they would have no choice but to watch Uzumaki Naruto rise as the Fifth Hokage.

Shimura Danzo had no intention of letting a mere boy take the seat of power above his head.

A dark and sinister idea began to take shape in his mind.

Leaning in close to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo whispered in his ear:

"There are still some Jonin available."

The Third Hokage's eyes widened slightly in surprise. More jonin?

Hadn't nearly all the active jonin in the village already cast their votes?

Seeing the confusion in Hiruzen's expression, Danzo continued calmly:

"I'm talking about the retired jonin—those who were forced off the battlefield due to injuries or age. They may no longer be active, but they still hold the title of jonin, don't they?"

In that instant, Hiruzen's dimmed gaze lit up again.

Yes!

He had fallen into rigid thinking.

By conventional standards, voting rights were usually reserved for active jonin—those still capable of combat and service.

But technically speaking, anyone who had been promoted to jonin retained that rank, regardless of whether they were retired, disabled, or no longer on the front lines.

In other words, there were still jonin who hadn't cast their votes yet—jonin who could be counted on their side.

Realizing this loophole, the Third Hokage immediately gave Danzo an order:

"Summon your people. Retrieve those votes."

Danzo nodded and passed the command to his waiting subordinates.

As the Third Hokage turned to Hatake Kakashi, he gestured for him and the others to wait a little longer.

The rest of the audience could only watch, baffled.

What could the Third Hokage and his faction be up to now?

They had no idea what kind of last-ditch trick the old guard was about to pull.

But Naruto didn't care.

Whatever plans they had—he would meet them head-on.

"Come at me with everything you've got,"

"I'll crush them all with righteousness!"

About half an hour passed.

Danzo's men returned—carrying hundreds of signed authorization slips from retired, injured, and elderly jonin.

Naturally, all those votes went to the Third Hokage.

Danzo, holding up a thick bundle of scrolls, stepped forward and declared loudly for all to hear:

"These are 300 additional votes in support of the Third Hokage!"

He then turned toward Kakashi:

"Kakashi—count them."

The declaration echoed through the Chūnin Exam stadium.

Everyone who heard it immediately understood what had just happened.

The Third Hokage's side had somehow gathered three hundred more votes—from who knows where!

If those ballots were legitimate, then…

The balance of power had completely shifted!

Kakashi accepted the scrolls from Danzo.

Neither he nor Naruto, nor Kushina or Minato, looked particularly surprised.

Instead, Kakashi examined the list of names and raised an eyebrow.

He spoke, voice tinged with cold sarcasm:

"Danzo-sama."

"Third Hokage-sama."

"You two are truly impressive."

"To be able to secure support from so many retired jonin—I'm in awe."

Kakashi's words made it clear to everyone where those mysterious votes had come from.

And the audience... was stunned.

No one had expected the Third Hokage's side to stoop so low.

But this only proved just how threatened they felt by the overwhelming support Naruto had gathered.

Had they not been pushed to desperation, they would never have resorted to such a shameless move.

Yes, technically speaking, there was nothing illegal about it.

But morally? It was disgraceful.

Still, regardless of how disgraceful it seemed, those 300 votes counted.

The Third Hokage's tally climbed to 882 votes, overtaking Naruto's 842.

For the more conservative villagers of Konoha—and even some of the leaf shinobi like Iruka—the reversal brought a sense of relief.

"Whew... that was close. The Third Hokage is still the Third Hokage."

"We were nearly finished, but he pulled through with one last trick..."

"Heh, heh! That Uzumaki Naruto kid must be done for now!"

At that moment, the villagers of Konoha couldn't help but murmur among themselves.

The tense atmosphere that had hung over the proceedings finally began to ease.

To them, it now seemed impossible for Naruto to pull out any more Jonin.

Victory appeared to belong to the Third Hokage.

Many believed Hiruzen Sarutobi had secured his position once again.

On Naruto's side, however, tension was rising.

Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and the others who supported Naruto began to grow anxious.

"Danzo is such a snake," Ino muttered, feeling genuinely sorry for Naruto.

"This isn't fair at all…" Hinata clenched her fists, visibly upset.

Even Shikamaru frowned, deep in thought.

He couldn't think of any plausible way Naruto could reverse the situation.

Elsewhere, the heavyweights watching from the sidelines—the First and Second Hokage, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Daimyō of the Wind Country, and the shinobi from Sunagakure—along with clan leaders like Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shikaku Nara—had also resigned themselves to the outcome.

None of them could imagine that Naruto still had something up his sleeve.

However…

Just as the Third Hokage's side began to look triumphant again, Naruto stood firm.

There was no fear in his sky-blue eyes. In fact, the corner of his lips curled upward into a subtle, confident smile.

"I figured something like this would happen."

"Did you really think it was over?"

"Third Hokage-sama."

"Danzo-sama."

When Naruto addressed the last name, everyone could hear the unmistakable sarcasm laced in his voice.

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all stiffened.

Could it be…?

Did Naruto still have a trump card left to play?

No... This isn't good!

They all thought the same thing in near-panic.

If Naruto still had one more move...

They had no cards left to counter it.

The entire venue was stunned.

No one had expected that Naruto's side still had something prepared.

At that moment, Naruto turned toward his father—the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"Dad."

Minato nodded wordlessly in response to his son's signal.

Then—Flash!—he vanished in an instant using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

A moment later…

More than five hundred elite ninjas appeared at once!

No—

An entire force of one thousand jonin-level shinobi appeared in a stunning display.

They weren't officially jonin by rank. They hadn't applied for the promotion exam.

But in terms of power and skill, they were all true jonin in every sense.

Kurama, standing beside Naruto in his human-like form, introduced both sides to each other just like he had before—so that there would be no confusion.

Then, Naruto raised his hand.

He gave a single command:

"All of you—apply for the Jonin exam. Right here. Right now."

At that moment, the one thousand powerful shinobi let loose their full aura—

A fearsome wave of peak-level jonin chakra erupted, shaking the entire venue to its core.

The overwhelming pressure swept through the entire space like a tsunami.

Everyone was floored.

The most stunned of all were the core members of Konoha's old guard:

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu.

They were completely dumbfounded.

They never imagined Naruto had trained so many high-level shinobi in secret.

If you counted all the ninja under Naruto's command now…

He alone wielded the power of an entire Hidden Village.

In fact, even without Konoha,

Even without official support,

Uzumaki Naruto had enough strength to create a brand-new "Konoha" from scratch!

At that moment, the old guard—

Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, Koharu—

stood frozen in disbelief.

And so did the villagers, Iruka, other Konoha shinobi, and even the powerful clan heads like Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shikaku Nara.

Their eyes were wide with shock.

Present in the crowd were not just the villagers and clan leaders.

Even the First and Second Hokage, Orochimaru, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, and shinobi from Sunagakure were watching in stunned silence.

So many powerful figures had gathered here—

And now, before all of them stood one thousand jonin-level shinobi—

Including the five hundred who had appeared earlier.

All of them stood behind Uzumaki Naruto.

All of them were his people.

The entire venue was in disbelief.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

But as the shock faded, the Third Hokage quickly realized something.

A desperate idea sparked in his mind.

They may be strong…

But they aren't officially jonin yet.

As long as he, the Hokage, refused their promotions, then they technically weren't jonin.

And if they weren't officially recognized—

They couldn't vote.

Which meant he still held the majority.

Cornered, but not defeated, the Third Hokage raised his voice toward Naruto:

"I do not approve these jonin applications!"

"Is this really the time to apply for promotion?!"

But the moment the words left Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth—

Naruto struck back. Hard.

Like thunder crashing down, his voice boomed across the entire venue.

"Reject them?"

"One thousand shinobi with jonin-level strength apply to you for promotion—"

"And you refuse, without even a second thought?!"

"That's not caution. That's cowardice!"

"That's selfishness!"

"You fear losing your grip on power—so you deny others the chance to rise!"

"You call yourself Hokage?"

"You claim to protect the village, but you're the one choking its future!"

"You and your cronies—Danzo, Homura, Koharu—"

"You're the reason Konoha is corrupt today!"

"It's because of you—this rotting system—"

"That the village can't move forward!"

The words hit like hammer blows.

The Third Hokage, Danzo Shimura, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu—

The entire old guard of Konoha's leadership—

Stood frozen, completely stunned.

Especially Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He had just spoken…

And in an instant, Naruto flipped the entire narrative against him.

The Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—stood frozen, unable to respond.

And then—

Just then—

Two towering figures stepped forward.

Jiraiya and Tsunade, two of the fabled Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha, finally made their move.

But this time...

They were not here to stand by their former teacher.

They were here to stand against him.

"Sensei... it ends here."

"Naruto will be a better Hokage for Konoha than you ever were,"

Jiraiya said with a heavy heart, his expression filled with conflicted emotions.

The crowd stirred.

To see Jiraiya the Gallant, one of Konoha's greatest heroes—stand on Naruto's side—was something no one had expected.

He, who had once idolized the Third Hokage…

Now stood directly opposed to him.

Then came the next shock:

Tsunade, the princess of the Senju Clan—granddaughter of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju—stepped forward.

"Sandaime..."

"Step aside."

Her voice was calm, but her eyes spoke volumes.

She looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a deeply complicated gaze.

Once, he had been their revered teacher. A symbol of wisdom. An elder they'd respected.

But now…

Now, he had become someone twisted by power and self-interest.

Tsunade's heart was heavy, but her stance was firm.

With both Jiraiya and Tsunade standing tall beside Naruto,

the entire audience was shaken.

Even the villagers, Iruka, the gathered Konoha shinobi—

They all stared in disbelief.

Even his own students… even the Sannin…

First Orochimaru tried to kill him,

And now the other two have turned their backs on him as well…

The fall of the Third Hokage felt like a tragic end to a once-great era.

But what happened next—

No one could have predicted.

Just as Jiraiya and Tsunade voiced their support...

Two more figures stepped forward.

The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Their gazes turned toward Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu—

And the look in their eyes was filled with profound disappointment.

They looked upon their former student—Sarutobi—and the comrades they had once entrusted with the future of the village.

This... is what Konoha has become under their watch?

The regret in their expressions said it all.

They had once handed the village over to Sarutobi with faith.

And now, that faith had been shattered.

Then—

Both the First and Second Hokage publicly voiced their support for Uzumaki Naruto.

The entire venue erupted.

Gasps echoed from all directions.

The villagers of Konoha,

Iruka,

the shinobi clans,

and even the elite jonin—

Everyone was stunned into silence.

"Even the founding Hokage…"

"Even they chose Naruto…?"

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—

The so-called "elders" of the Hidden Leaf—

Were left completely speechless.

There was nothing more to say.

They had tried everything.

They had schemed, twisted rules, pulled every string—

And still, they had lost.

The crowd now stood united in support of one man.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Even the First and Second Hokage,

Even the Legendary Sannin,

Even the major clan heads—

All had chosen Naruto.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked around him in a daze, the reality finally sinking in.

He had never imagined his legacy would end like this—

Rejected by students, outmaneuvered by a new generation, and abandoned by the very people he thought would follow him.

As for Danzo Shimura—

When he saw the situation deteriorating completely…

He turned quietly.

This isn't a battle I can win anymore.

But—

Naruto saw through him immediately.

Trying to flee before the Hokage selection is over?

Not a chance.

The meeting was still in session.

There was no way Danzo would be allowed to leave—not on Naruto's watch.

In that moment, Naruto summoned the chakra of the natural world, drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth.

A golden glow erupted in the air above him.

A sacred arrow—shining, searing with divine energy—formed in the space before him.

Its light was blinding.

Everyone watching was stunned by the sheer intensity of it.

And then—

Naruto fired.

The sacred arrow of destruction tore through the sky like a divine judgment.

A flash of light,

A roar of power,

And the arrow struck the ground—directly in the path Danzo was trying to escape through.

BOOM!

A massive shockwave exploded outward.

Dust and rubble surged from the impact, and the earth trembled underfoot.

Danzo froze in place.

His eyes were wide with disbelief. His instincts screamed at him to move, to run—

But his body wouldn't obey.

His defenses were shattered.

His composure—gone.

The raw pressure from that single arrow had pinned him down completely.

Then Naruto's voice rang out.

Calm. Cold. Inescapable.

"Lord Danzo…"

"No one leaves until the council is officially concluded."

There was mockery in his tone,

But also absolute authority.

Danzo turned around slowly.

He gritted his teeth.

He wanted to rage—wanted to retaliate.

But he could feel it.

The tide had completely turned.

This was not a battle he could win today.

He swallowed his fury and forced himself to step back into line—quiet, seething, biding his time.

Everyone watched in silence.

Not a soul dared speak.

Not after witnessing Danzo Shimura—one of Konoha's most feared and cunning leaders—

get utterly suppressed by Uzumaki Naruto in front of the entire village.

Even the remaining supporters of the Third Hokage…

Could only stand there, conflicted and shaken.

With no other options left…

Hiruzen Sarutobi, crushed beneath the weight of public opinion and Naruto's overwhelming momentum,

reluctantly approved the promotion applications.

All 1,000 jonin-level shinobi were officially recognized.

And in that moment—

Naruto's support skyrocketed by another 1,000 votes.

The final tally:

1,842 votes — Uzumaki Naruto.

The stadium echoed with the weight of this historic moment.

...

TN:

In Naruto canon, the exact number of Jonin in Konoha is never clearly stated. But based on various estimates floating around online, it's generally believed to range from 50–70 on the low end to around 500 or so on the higher end. Also worth noting: some Jonin—like those in ANBU or Tokubetsu Jonin like Ibiki or Anko—usually aren't counted in the standard Jonin tally. 🧐

Now, while the numbers in this fan scenario are obviously exaggerated for dramatic effect, they're still grounded somewhat. Here's the breakdown:

Hiruzen's Side (Third Hokage):

🗳️ 582 active Jonin

300 retired Jonin votes

= 882 votes

Naruto's Side:

🔥 1,842 Jonin-level shinobi trained by Naruto using Kurama's chakra

= 1,842 votes

So yeah—if you ignore the 300 retired and the Kurama-boosted 1,000, the base number of active Jonin is 582, which is actually pretty close to canon estimates. ✅

Though thinking about it... once Naruto officially becomes the Fifth Hokage, his final military force would stand at 2,724 Jonin-level shinobi 😳—not even counting his key allies, main supporters, or forces from the other villages he's cultivated.

...

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