Naruto: Limitless Sage

At that moment—

Kurama looked toward the shinobi who had followed the Flying Thunder God technique onto the stage.

Then, turning to face the crowd, he announced:

"Standing before you now… are over five hundred Konoha jonin!"

The crowd was stunned.

"Wait, did he just say all of them are jonin?"

"No way... That can't be right!"

"How the hell did the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox and Uzumaki Naruto gather this many jonin?!"

"Hey, hey—this is real? Why does it look like Naruto's got an entire army of high-ranking shinobi?!"

"What is going on?!"

All around the stadium, confused and overwhelmed, the villagers of Konoha could hardly comprehend what they were seeing.

They weren't shinobi. Most had no clue how many jonin the village had in total.

Earlier, they had seen over 300 jonin cast their votes in favor of the Third Hokage.

So they naturally assumed—

That was it.

That those jonin were all the elite ninja Konoha had to offer.

That Hiruzen Sarutobi would win, no question.

But now…

What was happening?

Where had all these other jonin suddenly come from?

Even without an exact count, just by looking, they could estimate the rough number.

And that number was staggering.

Iruka and the Konoha shinobi who had supported the Third Hokage were equally shaken.

Among Naruto's forces, they recognized many familiar faces—people they had seen around the village.

People who had always been... forgettable.

They were average, unremarkable, and had never stood out in the bustling ranks of Konoha's shinobi forces.

But now, all of a sudden—

They were jonin.

Elite ninja, promoted to a level of prestige and skill that represented the very top of the hierarchy.

Above them was only one step: kage-level.

And here stood over five hundred of them.

How could Iruka and the others not be shocked?

Among the younger generation—Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and the rest—the reaction was the same.

Just when it seemed like Naruto was cornered...

A reversal this massive had never even occurred to them.

If all five hundred jonin were voting for Naruto—

That meant five hundred votes.

Not just surpassing the Third Hokage…

Utterly crushing him.

Shikamaru's jaw hung slightly open. "Naruto... how the hell did he pull this off…?"

And it wasn't just the villagers or the young ninja—

Even Orochimaru was speechless.

He stared at the five hundred elite shinobi who had suddenly appeared, and was nearly dumbfounded.

Where had Naruto found so many jonin?

By official count, even if you included all the jonin in the village—those who had voted, and those who hadn't—this was about the total number Konoha had.

And yet…

Naruto had brought them to his side.

Commanded them.

Led them.

More importantly, the power of fifty jonin working together could obliterate a small nation.

Then what about five hundred?

The sheer military strength was beyond comprehension.

From the clan leaders—the heads of the Hyuga, Yamanaka, Nara, and others—there was nothing but silence.

They couldn't believe their eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto… actually had the loyalty and support of so many high-ranking shinobi?

Even the representatives from Sunagakure (the Village Hidden in the Sand) were stunned.

It was as if Naruto had conjured an army of jonin out of thin air.

Damn it!

If this rift between Naruto and the Third Hokage hadn't happened...

If they'd united instead of clashing...

Konoha would've wielded a military force surpassing a thousand jonin.

That level of strength—

Only during the golden age of the Hidden Leaf had such might existed.

Back then, Konoha alone could challenge all four of the other great ninja villages combined.

That was the real Konoha.

That… was the power of the Hidden Leaf at its peak.

And now—!

The sight of so many jonin under Naruto's banner left everyone stunned.

Maki, a jonin from Sunagakure, couldn't help but feel like they'd been played.

Coming to Konoha had been a mistake.

No matter how today ends...

If they ever wanted to leave safely—

It might already be too late.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire stared in silence at Naruto's forces.

More than 500 jonin had appeared under his command.

He didn't even know how to respond.

On the other hand, the Daimyo of the Wind Country was visibly shaken.

Naruto's sudden reveal of such military power made his blood run cold.

Damn it!

At this rate… is the Land of Wind doomed too?

Meanwhile, back on the stage...

The Third Hokage and his faction could hardly believe their eyes.

Seeing all these high-ranking shinobi suddenly emerge under Naruto's banner was—

A nightmare.

Utatane Koharu clenched her jaw, hatred surging.

"Damn it…!!!"

Mitokado Homura trembled uncontrollably. "No… no! This isn't real—it can't be!"

Even Shimura Danzo stared at Naruto, stunned into silence.

He had never imagined...

This kid—barely grown, a loudmouthed jinchūriki—

Had pulled something this massive off right under his nose.

More than 500 jonin?!

That was no bluff.

Danzo had spent decades developing Root.

Decades to quietly cultivate just over a hundred elite operatives loyal to him.

And yet Naruto...

Relying on Kurama's power, charisma, and strategy, had built an army of over five hundred in just a fraction of that time.

"Bastard…!!!" Danzo spat through gritted teeth.

At the center of it all, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked on in disbelief.

He had no words.

Kurama took center stage once more.

He began formally introducing the five hundred jonin to the crowd—

Revealing their identities, and making it clear:

Their loyalty now lay with Uzumaki Naruto.

These shinobi, having learned the truth behind Naruto's past—

His parentage, his suffering, and the deception that had been fed to the village—

Were just as shocked as everyone else had been earlier in the Chūnin Exam hall.

They finally understood:

The "Nine-Tails Demon Fox" they had shunned for years…

Was actually the son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

And the reason they had gathered today—

Was to bring formal impeachment charges against Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.

They all knew—

Impeaching a Hokage was no small matter.

It was treason, plain and simple.

But...

Treason or not—

These jonin also knew that without Naruto and Kurama's support, they would still be nobodies.

Cannon fodder.

No one in the higher-ups had ever remembered their names.

If they died, they'd barely warrant a footnote in Konoha's history books.

Konoha had never lacked for disposable shinobi.

But now?

Thanks to Naruto, that had changed.

They had been given strength.

A purpose.

Even if Naruto's help came with a price—they were fine with that.

Because before this, they had no status. No future.

But now...

By supporting Naruto as the next Hokage, they stood a chance.

Naruto would purge Hiruzen's loyalists.

And when he did, those who had pledged their allegiance early—

Would rise.

They would no longer be forgotten faces in the crowd.

They would become part of Konoha's new ruling class.

At that moment—

Among the five hundred stood Shinji Nakamoto, the first to make a pact with Kurama.

He stepped forward, gaze sweeping across the audience before landing firmly on Naruto.

Then, with unwavering conviction, he declared:

"I, Konoha Jonin Nakamoto Shinji, unhesitatingly and wholeheartedly support Uzumaki Naruto as the next Hokage!"

After making his declaration, Shinji Nakamoto stepped forward—

Walking straight to the ballot area beneath the plaque bearing Uzumaki Naruto's name.

He cast his vote.

At that moment, the count for Naruto—

Which had stood at only one vote (from Hatake Kakashi)—

Rose to two.

Then—

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present:

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi

Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado

Countless Konoha villagers

Shinobi like Iruka Umino who had supported the Hokage

Even the younger generation—Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and their peers

The legendary Sannin: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru

Clan leaders of the Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, and other noble families

Visitors from Sunagakure, including their Daimyo

And even the First and Second Hokage, watching in silence…

Everyone saw it.

One by one—

"I support Uzumaki Naruto too!"

"Count me in!"

"Naruto for Hokage!"

"I stand with him!"

More than five hundred jonin, who had arrived via the Flying Thunder God, stepped forward—

Following Shinji Nakamoto's lead.

Each one approached the ballot box under Naruto's name,

Each casting their vote without hesitation.

And so, before everyone's eyes—

Naruto's vote count began to skyrocket.

You could almost hear the ink drying.

Within ten minutes, the last of the jonin had signed.

After double-checking the tallies, Hatake Kakashi read the final results:

Votes for the Third Hokage to retain his position: 373

Votes for Uzumaki Naruto to become the Fifth Hokage: 564

Silence.

Then—an uproar.

"W-What just happened!?"

"Did Naruto really surpass the Third Hokage?!"

"Is Sarutobi-sama going to lose!?"

"This can't be happening..."

"It's over—it's all over. If Naruto takes power, what'll happen to us? We mocked him…"

Panic spread through the crowd like wildfire.

The villagers were left speechless—shocked, confused, and terrified.

They had believed the Third Hokage would easily defeat Naruto.

That the boy was just a reckless jinchūriki without support.

So they hadn't cared about how they treated him.

But now—

Now it turned out Uzumaki Naruto had more than five hundred elite jonin hidden in reserve.

It wasn't just shocking—

It was terrifying.

If he had revealed this force earlier, they never would have dared to insult or mock him.

In the crowd, Uchiha Sasuke clenched his fists in triumph.

There was a fire in his eyes—the joy of vengeance.

And deep inside, he knew:

This was only the beginning.

Naruto had promised him—

Impeaching the Third Hokage was only Step One.

After that…

He would make Hiruzen Sarutobi and the old council members regret everything.

They would beg for death before the end.

On the other side, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and the rest of the younger generation stared at the scene in awe.

Hinata's eyes sparkled.

"Naruto's going to win!"

Shikamaru exhaled in disbelief.

"Troublesome as always… but man, he's way ahead of us."

They had never imagined it.

Naruto—training over five hundred jonin in secret?

With that kind of backing, even if the impeachment somehow failed today—

The Third Hokage wouldn't dare touch him.

Not anymore.

Because now—

Uzumaki Naruto had the support of a force powerful enough to overthrow entire nations.

And not just that…

He had Kurama, the Nine-Tails, and his own overwhelming strength.

Not to mention Naruto's own terrifying strength.

Orochimaru watched in astonishment as Uzumaki Naruto's votes surged past those of the Third Hokage.

He had never imagined…

That one day, he would witness it with his own eyes—

The fall of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If the Third Hokage and his camp couldn't close the vote gap—

Then...

Things were about to get very interesting.

At this moment, the ones feeling the most pressure were naturally Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other senior Konoha council members.

Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura stared grimly as Naruto overtook them in the count.

Their expressions were filled with unease.

Hiruzen himself—his gaze fixed on the tally board—watched as Naruto's votes climbed past his own.

There was shock in his eyes at first.

But after the initial disbelief…

He forced himself to stay composed.

It wasn't over yet.

After all, the jonin who had voted for him were trained under Konoha's official system.

They weren't outsiders.

But…

There was more to it than that.

His Sarutobi Clan, Danzo's Shimura Clan, Homura's Mitokado Clan, and Koharu's Utatane Clan—

Each of them had long developed private forces to protect their family interests.

Technically, these shinobi were part of Konoha.

In practice?

They served their clans first.

Each high-ranking clan had cultivated its own fighting force—

A hidden army meant to safeguard power and influence.

While these troops were unofficial, they were still recognized as Konoha jonin.

Which meant—they were eligible to vote.

These forces had always been their trump card, a backup in times of crisis.

And now?

If they didn't deploy them now...

Would they really wait until Uzumaki Naruto used his newfound power to sweep them out of Konoha's leadership?

No.

They couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned toward his old comrades.

Without saying a word, he met their eyes—

A silent command.

Danzo, Homura, and Koharu exchanged glances.

Their expressions were dark, bitter.

But after so many years of working together—

They understood what Hiruzen was thinking immediately.

It was time to call in their final forces.

Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Koharu Utatane, and the other Konoha council members wasted no time.

Each discreetly contacted the elders of their respective clans—Instructing them to summon all available jonin under their command and bring them to the voting grounds immediately.

They couldn't allow Uzumaki Naruto to strip them of their power.

Not without a fight.

The top brass—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu—were now pulling out every last card they had left.

At that moment, Hatake Kakashi, who was overseeing the proceedings, looked toward the silent Third Hokage.

He wasn't about to be courteous anymore.

He spoke clearly:

"Third Hokage. Council members."

"If there are no additional jonin stepping forward to vote—"

"—we'll consider the vote finalized."

Kakashi's tone was firm.

His words echoed across the silent venue.

All eyes turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the rest of the Konoha elders.

Everyone present knew—

Naruto's side had already played their hand.

If the Third Hokage and his allies had no response…

Then the result of today's assembly—

Would not only shake Konoha to its core—

It would shock the entire ninja world.

Feeling the pressure of the crowd's attention,

Danzo stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

Then slowly, a smirk crept across his lips.

He let out a cold snort and glanced at Kakashi.

"Hmph."

"Don't celebrate just yet."

"The voting… has only just begun."

He spoke with calm confidence.

And in that moment, those who supported the Third Hokage looked at each other—hope rekindled in their eyes.

The elder faction didn't seem rattled at all.

In fact, they looked… composed.

Could it be—

The Third Hokage's side still had a trump card?

Did they have a secret plan to counter Uzumaki Naruto's overwhelming lead?

...

TN:

It's almost comical how the other four great villages are so resource-starved that they have to join forces just to challenge Konoha—while the Land of Fire is so wealthy that its clans can afford to maintain their own private shinobi forces.

...

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