40 years into the Naruto era.
The Second Shinobi World War was drawing to a close.
Within the Land of Wind, several figures rapidly traversed the vast Gobi Desert.
"Listen up, you three. Although this is just a routine border patrol mission, don't let your guard down."
"Things have calmed down considerably in the Land of Rain, but Hanzō of the Salamander hasn't abandoned his ambitions for expansion... Amegakure has only made peace with Konoha; friction still exists between them."
The brown-haired youth leading the team coldly instructed his juniors.
"Yes, sir."
This book is first published online by twkan.com.
The entire team consisted of five people.
But Yūbi knew very well that the man's instructions did not include the red-haired boy beside him.
Sasori of the Red Sand, a genius from Sunagakure and a future member of the Akatsuki. He was also the instigator who would ignite the Third Shinobi World War.
Yūbi glanced at Sasori, who noticed and glanced back at him.
"Besides Amegakure, those guys from the Land of Water have been making moves throughout this war... constantly trying to sneak into our territory. Those fleas are even more annoying than Konoha's shinobi."
"This is the first time the three of you have officially completed a village mission. Focus on gaining experience. If you encounter any danger... retreat immediately."
The young man leading the team spoke again.
Among the teammates, besides Yūbi and Sasori, the remaining two genin looked serious, though their eyes held hidden excitement.
After all, as ninjas of the village... being able to step onto the battlefield and prove their worth was something they had looked forward to since their academy days.
Rasa.
Gaara's future father, wielder of the Magnet Release kekkei genkai.
Yūbi looked at the young man leading them to the mission location and murmured to himself.
At this point in time, the other party was already a jōnin and one of Sunagakure's top combatants.
"Yūbi... you're a medical ninja, so if a battle breaks out, you don't need to rush to the front lines. Your mission is to heal your comrades. Remember the rules we learned at the academy?" Rasa said, running alongside the young boy with freckles and short hair.
"First, a medical ninja must never give up treating a teammate before they die. Second, a medical ninja must never stand on the front lines of battle. Third, a medical ninja must never die before any member of the team," Yūbi replied.
"Hmm," Rasa nodded. "On the battlefield, the importance of medical ninjas is self-evident... you are the key to ensuring the team's combat strength and survival."
"Your talent as a medical ninja is quite good... I've heard Granny Chiyo mention you."
Yūbi smiled slightly, but there was no trace of pride on his face.
"However, with Sasori with you, I believe this mission will be no problem."
After saying this, Rasa gave Sasori—who had remained indifferent—a meaningful look.
Clearly, he had considerable confidence in this junior.
Although not yet ten years old, Sasori's talent displayed in the village was undoubtedly unparalleled.
Furthermore, he had already completed many missions admirably at such a young age and possessed a wealth of combat experience.
An hour later, the group of five traversed the Gobi Desert and arrived at a canyon with sheer cliffs, surrounded by towering, bare rocks. As soon as they reached their destination, a Sunagakure chūnin wearing a headband quickly appeared to meet them.
"Lord Rasa," the chūnin greeted respectfully.
"I've brought them… these little brats are yours."
Without further pleasantries, Rasa pointed directly at Yūbi and the others, gave them a few instructions, and then turned to leave.
As one of the village's top fighters, he had many things to attend to… he couldn't personally babysit a few children.
"Follow me."
After Rasa left, the chūnin's gaze lingered on Sasori for a moment before he led the four of them, leaping across the cliffs of the canyon. Half an hour later, they finally stopped at the entrance of a hidden cave in a rocky cliff.
Because of the canyon terrain, there were many wind gaps.
Sandstorms occasionally swept through the valley, making the environment extremely harsh.
Five or six Sunagakure ninja were resting inside the cave.
They didn't react much to Yūbi and the others' arrival—except when they saw Sasori; their expressions changed slightly.
Yūbi took in their reactions.
There was no way around it; in Sunagakure, Sasori was indeed too dazzling… and he was Chiyo's grandson.
Sunagakure wasn't like Konoha, teeming with monsters and geniuses… and at this point in time, Konoha had even produced its so-called 'Golden Generation,' represented by Minato Namikaze.
The group briefly introduced themselves to their seniors and then found an open space in the cave to sit down.
They could clearly feel the oppressive and serious atmosphere.
The other two genin in the team, in particular, barely dared to breathe, feeling immense pressure.
Sasori, however, didn't introduce himself. He simply sat at the cave entrance, took out a scroll, released some puppet parts, and began to repair and tinker with them.
"You don't need to be too nervous. Our patrol area is some distance from the border. Strictly speaking, it's the second line of defense... The danger isn't as high as the first line. It's mainly to guard against enemy mobile teams infiltrating the first line and sneaking into the country. If there is any danger, the patrol teams at the front will send us intelligence in time so we can be prepared."
"Even if there are enemies, their numbers won't be too many."
The chūnin who had led them into the cave—Nomura—sensed the boys' anxieties and offered a reassuring remark.
As ninjas of the village, this was something they had to go through.
The academy was, after all, just a school—different from the real battlefield.
This four-man team—Sasori, needless to say—was already completely adapted to this battlefield atmosphere.
The boy named Yūbi was also calm.
Only the two recent graduates from the Ninja Academy seemed a little apprehensive.
"Not dangerous... how could it be?"
Yūbi's heart skipped a beat.
Right now, the Second Shinobi World War wasn't truly over. Even after its official declaration, the subsequent effects and small-scale skirmishes between various villages never ceased. It would be a long time before a truly brief period of calm arrived—but even that would be limited.
Because soon, the Third Shinobi World War would begin.
Thinking of this, Yūbi noticed a wounded man lying in the deepest corner of the cave.
This man was also a chūnin, pale-faced and breathing weakly.
His arm was wrapped in gauze; the wound had clearly received basic treatment, but it was still bleeding.
It seemed to be infected.
"Senior, may I take a look?"
Under the watchful eyes of the others, Yūbi walked over and took out his first-aid kit.
"I'm a medical ninja."
Yūbi squatted down in front of the man and smiled.
The man nodded hesitantly.
Then, Yūbi unwrapped the blood-stained gauze. Sure enough, the flesh around the wound was somewhat rotten and oozing pus.
"You were stabbed by a kunai, weren't you... The wound is a bit deep. Judging from the angle, it was probably a close-range attack from the side and rear. The attacker likely aimed for your carotid artery—a fatal point."
As Yūbi spoke, his fingers flicked, and a small, gleaming silver scalpel instantly spun between them before being tightly gripped.
His simple words caused the chūnin in front of him to look somewhat astonished.
Clearly, Yūbi was right.
"It will hurt a little—please bear with it."
Yūbi reminded him.
Immediately afterward, a thin silvery glint flashed across the man's arm.
Yūbi's movements were extremely swift, cutting away the rotten flesh; the motion of his arm even left an afterimage.
The injured chūnin frowned, feeling the pain.
Looking closer, he saw the boy had already applied medicine to the wound and re-bandaged it with clean bandages.
His movements were fluid and efficient.
"Impressive," the other chūnin couldn't help but praise.
Although it wasn't medical ninjutsu, the boy's proficiency in treating external injuries was remarkable.
*Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully treating an injured person. You have gained 5 medical experience points… Keep up the good work! The more experience points you have, the more medical skills and items you can exchange for!*
After finishing the bandaging, the familiar system voice rang in Yūbi's mind.
He was used to it.
Sasori, standing near the cave entrance, glanced at Yūbi's back, his eyes flickering.
He seemed lost in thought.
He was the same age as Yūbi, born on the same day… and they were classmates.
But he didn't really know anyone his age in the village—perhaps due to his personality.
Yūbi was an exception.
Because Granny Chiyo… occasionally mentioned him.
This left a deep impression of Yūbi on Sasori.