War never disappeared; it only changed its face.
Since the Ninja Villages were founded, ordinary people's armies had lost the right to take part in battle. The shinobi had transformed from clan-based forces in the Warring States era into a unified new army.
The shinobi's evolution into an organized, militarized force had made war and killing far more efficient.
To adapt to the wars of this new era, the major Ninja Villages had gradually updated their military doctrines and developed their offensive and defensive tactics.
Take the Southeast Defense Line, for example. To counter shinobi's speed, mobility, and stealth, Konoha's defenders had established a defensive network: squads of shinobi held fixed positions along two staggered lines, while the Mobile Patrol Unit roamed between them to provide support.
The defensive tactics used by the other major Ninja Villages followed much the same pattern.
When Team Guy was attacked by two Mist Ninja squads, the allied squads on either side arrived to support them in a matter of moments and wiped out the enemy. That was the system at work.
If the enemy force was too large to handle, the defenders wouldn't fight to the death. They would immediately retreat to the Second Defense Line and quickly send the information back to headquarters.
That was daily life for Konoha's frontline shinobi now that the war on the Eastern Front had reached a stalemate.
When the Mobile Patrol Unit arrived, they found the battle was already over. Their job was to take away the enemy dead and prisoners, then leave a squad to replace Team Guy.
All three members of Team Guy had been injured. Though Higashino Makoto had already treated them, regulations gave them several days of leave to recover.
The length of their leave depended on how badly they were hurt.