Only a little over a dozen chūnin remained behind on the Clan grounds as guards, along with some clansmen who possessed no Chakra and a small group of Medical Ninja led by Aoba, who secretly possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Whether Tajima had done it deliberately or simply overlooked it, Aoba had been left behind at the Clan grounds.
She temporarily took charge of clan affairs while also treating the wounded transported back from the front lines.
Five-year-old Kosuke was currently helping his busy mother in a tent the Medical Unit had temporarily set up on the training grounds.
"Aoba-senpai, another batch of wounded has been sent back from the front-line battlefield. Their injuries are severe and need treatment as soon as possible."
"I'm coming."
Using the method Kosuke had described the night before, Aoba quickly stitched up the wound and turned to leave the operating room.
The subsequent bandaging was left to the children's medical care team Kosuke had formed.
"Uchiha Mine! Take Hiko and lead half the members to follow Captain Aoba and look after these clansmen."
"Understood, Captain Kosuke!"
Whenever he heard these little brats shouting so seriously, Kosuke could not help recalling the scene when he had first formed this children's medical care team within the clan.
That frenzied, passionate scene had been practically identical to a certain kind of activity from his previous life.
Yet he had never imagined that everything he had done to establish the children's medical care team would leave such a deep impression on these children.
One time, there was a four-year-old little girl named Uchiha Chiba.
On the fourth day after joining the children's medical care team,
she followed her companions to the entrance of the Clan grounds as usual to receive the wounded brought back from the front lines.
Busy as she was, a taut strap hung over her petite right shoulder, and she used both hands to steady the wheelbarrow Kosuke had hastily made.
Ahead of her was another three-year-old girl with a strap over her shoulder, bent over as she pulled the wheelbarrow with all her might.
They headed toward the treatment area, thick with the smell of disinfectant and blood.
They seemed to have lost their sense of smell entirely, feeling nothing toward the pungent odor.
Beads of sweat the size of beans dripped from their foreheads, each splash blooming into a beautiful flower upon the bluestone pavement.
Countless pairs like them worked together.
There were also adults and elderly people, all voluntarily contributing their strength.
They kept their heads down as they transported clansmen who were wailing, unconscious, or even devoid of breath.
"Chi... Chiba, is that you?"
Hearing that familiar voice, she, who had been struggling to keep the wheelbarrow balanced, suddenly staggered, and the cart tipped to one side.
At that moment, a clansman carrying two breathless clansmen beside her abruptly braced the cart with his foot, instantly stopping the tilted wheelbarrow.
He looked at the little girl, her cheeks puffed out and tears streaming from her eyes as she desperately tried to right the wheelbarrow.
With a slight exertion of his leg, the clansman steadied the cart once more.
Thinking the little girl felt guilty over the incident, he left behind a few comforting words before hurrying away.
"Big Sister Chiba, are you all right? Should we switch places?"
The little girl in front turned back to look at the tearful Chiba and tried to comfort her.
Chiba slowly shook her head, raised a hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and forced herself to remain calm, signaling that she was fine.
Then she bent down, lifted the wheelbarrow again, and continued forward with all her strength.
Yet her gaze remained fixed on the weak man who had nearly been thrown from the cart.
"Father, is that you?"
After hearing her father's familiar voice, Chiba could not bring herself to believe that this clansman, missing a thigh and pale-faced, could be the father who had always been cheerful and smiling.
After a short while, the man, who had lost too much blood and was forcing himself to stay conscious, watched through blurred vision as his daughter pushed him step by step toward the treatment area.
Even as the clansmen swiftly lifted him from the cart, his gaze remained fixed on Chiba's tear-streaked face.
Looking at her clothes, covered in blood and grime without a single clean spot,
a relieved smile slowly and painfully appeared on his face.
"My little sweetheart has grown up..."
Then the clansmen roughly tore apart his clothes and carefully examined his body. After briefly cleaning the severed end of his thigh and confirming that it was no longer bleeding, they set him aside to await further treatment.
Another person filled out the relevant information on a wooden board and placed it on the wounded man's chest.
Then they went to the next clansman and mechanically repeated the process.
The little ones pushing the Wheelbarrows said nothing. They turned around and continued their transport duties.
At this moment, Kosuke hurried over to the newly opened treatment area with a Medical Ninja.
He looked up and saw two little girls standing in the Wounded Placement Area. One of them seemed to be staring at the other in helpless confusion.
Kosuke quickly walked over and saw that Chiba had already cried herself into a mess.
"Little Chiba, what's wrong with you..."
Seeing Kosuke arrive, Chiba seemed to have grasped a lifeline. She grabbed Kosuke's hand and kept trembling, while her little mouth mumbled something about "Father."
Had Chiba suddenly started missing her father?
Kids were such a hassle. They missed their families at random intervals, and he had no idea what to do about it.
Just as Kosuke was completely baffled, the ninja who had followed him over slowly spoke. "Little Kosuke, Little Chiba may have seen her father in the Wounded Placement Area, which is why she's crying so hard."
Was that it?
Seeing the little girl nod vigorously, Kosuke had her lead the way.
If that was truly the case, he did not mind doing one of his team members a favor and letting her father cut in line.
"Here, Father~"
Following Chiba's hand, Kosuke saw an unconscious man with a wood block placed on his body.
"All right, Little Chiba. You two go back to work first. If you get tired, go rest in our exclusive Rest Room for a while and eat something to replenish your strength. Leave this to me. I'll make sure your father returns home healthy, all right?"
Hearing Kosuke's words, Chiba's sobbing gradually subsided, and the tears that had poured from her eyes like floodwaters slowly stopped.
"Mm-hmm, thank you, Captain Kosuke! I'm not tired. I'll go back to work right away."
After taking one last look at her unconscious father, Chiba turned and led her companion into the crowd to do what they could.
Father, you'll definitely get better. You definitely will!!!
Watching her disappearing back, Kosuke turned to the Medical Ninja and ordered, "Pick him up and send him to Captain Aoba."
"Understood."
Looking at the small figure whose prestige within the clan was steadily rising, the Medical Ninja did not object. He bent down, picked up the unconscious man, and turned to leave.
Kosuke's gaze shifted toward the third treatment area, which was about to reach capacity. Thinking of his older sister Mina, who had gone to the battlefield for the first time, a trace of worry rose in his heart.
This war...
"Captain Kosuke, the Medical Ninja at Site Two is looking for you."
A startled cry interrupted Kosuke's thoughts.
He turned and saw a three-year-old boy stumbling toward him.
"I'm coming."
Before you continue