A Touch of Red

After completing the report to the highest commander, the reconnaissance mission was officially over. Having gone through such a difficult mission, Yuzuru's squad couldn't continue fighting and needed rest.

Thus, the squad was temporarily disbanded. Yuzuru left the Konoha front-line camp and, along with some wounded soldiers, withdrew from the Land of Rain, heading to a front-line hospital further behind.

His injuries needed treatment, and at times like these, he could only rely on medical ninja.

Yuzuru's current condition wasn't considered severe, so after arriving at the front-line camp, he just needed to wait in line for treatment.

Torifu Akimichi actually needed treatment more, but it was obvious the other three had other matters to discuss... Yuzuru could guess what they wanted to talk about; it was nothing more than the word "spy."

Did Konoha have Iwagakure spies? Yuzuru wouldn't find it strange even if they did. Not to mention spies trained from childhood, there were too many ways to control a ninja in the ninja world.

Not to mention anything else, perhaps even Shimura Danzo could occasionally moonlight as an Iwagakure spy. After all, his concept of "greater good" was extremely twisted, and he liked to take actions he unilaterally believed were good for Konoha... Yes, anything Danzo betrayed was a cancerous tumor for Konoha, and anything Danzo insisted on was Konoha's greater good.

Well, Shimura Danzo didn't seem to be that extreme right now. Based on Yuzuru's first impression, Danzo was a rather calm ninja with a good grasp of the overall situation... Simply put, he was the type suited to be a strategist.

As for being a commander, he didn't seem very suitable.

In comparison, it was more reliable to expect the Third Hokage to arrive at the front lines and take over command, or to hope the Sannin would grow up faster.

At the front-line hospital, while Yuzuru was calmly waiting for treatment, an argument suddenly broke out among the people queuing ahead.

War and death were inseparable. The atmosphere on or near the battlefield was always oppressive. Although the upper command structure wanted ninja villages to be perfect killing tools, ninja were ultimately human. Therefore, everyone involved in war and experiencing combat was prone to mental tension, emotional suppression, anxiety, and even loss of control.

Thus, frequent arguments and even conflicts were considered normal phenomena; ninja's emotions also needed an outlet.

"You Genin, don't crowd here. Useless people, treatment opportunities should be prioritized for Chunin and Jonin!"

"Prioritize? Since everyone is queuing here for treatment, it means their injuries are not fatal. Of course, we should follow order, so first come, first served is the biggest rule! This is a hospital, not a place for you to put on your Jonin airs!"

"What, a mere Genin..."

"If Genin have to give priority to Jonin, then should civilian ninja give priority to clan ninja, and small clan ninja give priority to large clan ninja?"

"You..."

There was such eloquence among the Genin? Yuzuru even felt like going over to help.

Soon, the argument ahead escalated into a conflict. Although no one used ninjutsu, the people arguing started to wrestle.

During non-mission periods, not all Genin would swallow their pride in front of Chunin or Jonin. Besides, once emotions flared up, who cared who was who.

Yuzuru thought, fighting is not good. When facing Chunin or Jonin, Genin should definitely use their mouths if possible, and only resort to fighting if they couldn't win with words. If they fought, they would only get beaten... Regardless, the gap in strength was obvious.

Arguments, curses, pulling, and tugging, it ultimately didn't truly escalate into a brawl. Then, a loud noise came from ahead, and the chaos subsided. The front-line hospital quickly restored order...

Just like in the past, such things happened frequently and subsided quickly.

They were all wounded soldiers; it was better to just get treated honestly.

The queuing speed suddenly accelerated. Soon, it was Yuzuru's turn, and then he saw the young medical ninja in the tent... a blonde with twin ponytails.

Huh? What was going on? Yuzuru had encountered Orochimaru in a dungeon recently, then Hiruko in the backup squad, and now Tsunade at the front-line hospital... Only Jiraiya was missing. One could only say the ninja world was too small.

Speaking of which, strong individuals were indeed strong. Whether it was the Sannin or Hiruko, who was once in the Sannin's team, they all had long hair... Weren't they afraid of their hair being grabbed by enemies during combat?

The recent argument was probably resolved by Tsunade with a single punch. Her method of resolving disputes was simple and straightforward.

Even in the extremely dim and oppressive atmosphere of the front lines, Tsunade's radiance couldn't be hidden. Coupled with the boost from her special identity, her admirers were probably countless...

At this time, Tsunade was only twenty-three or twenty-four years old. The youthful aura she possessed couldn't be faked no matter how she maintained her appearance later on.

Yuzuru only glanced at her twice. Comparing her to the image in his memory, after a moment of novelty, he didn't have any further thoughts. He was a ninja surviving on the battlefield, and the granddaughter of the First Hokage and disciple of the Third Hokage were too far removed. The front-line hospital was probably the only place where the two could intersect.

Their relationship was a standard doctor-patient relationship.

When it was Yuzuru's turn, he walked into the tent and sat in front of Tsunade. Tsunade washed her hands again and began her examination.

"External wounds? Poisoning?"

"External wounds. I was previously attacked by an Iwagakure ninja's Earth Style jutsu."

"Let me see your injuries... You've been in the Land of Rain for quite a while? It's been too long. Although the wounds were treated well, there are still some signs of infection."

Yuzuru had been staying in a cave after being injured. He had felt somewhat moldy then. Now, upon hearing that his external wound might be infected, he immediately became nervous and asked with some worry:

"Lady Tsunade, infection... Will I be alright?"

To survive on the battlefield only to die of wound infection upon returning would be too ridiculous.

"Don't worry, I'm here. It's just a minor issue, but... injured ninja on the battlefield should indeed receive treatment as soon as possible."

After coming to the battlefield and witnessing many ninja die from not receiving timely treatment, Tsunade had already conceived the idea of incorporating medical ninja into combat squads... Later, tragically, the direct reason that prompted her to push for this policy was the accidental death of her younger brother, Nawaki.

However, there was no point in discussing this with an ordinary patient. Tsunade just spoke her mind casually.

"Don't move."

As she spoke, Tsunade's palm hovered a finger's distance above Yuzuru's wounds. Then, chakra filled with life energy was injected into Yuzuru's body, rapidly healing his internal and external injuries.

"You're good. To survive a close-range direct hit from a large-scale Earth Style jutsu..."

Seeing that Yuzuru's body was covered in wounds like a honeycomb, Tsunade could roughly guess what kind of attack he had endured.

She was a top-tier medical ninja and carefully treated each of Yuzuru's wounds.

"Thanks to my teammates' help."

Yuzuru's reply was very "politically correct" and certainly wouldn't cause any problems.

Tsunade nodded and said, "Then don't let your teammates' efforts go to waste. The war is escalating. Don't die easily on the battlefield."

Sigh, look at her attitude. If Yuzuru were a native of Konoha, after this treatment, he'd probably become one of Tsunade's admirers.

The battlefield was too cruel, so cruel that even a sliver of gentle kindness would shine like the scorching sun... commonly known as wishful thinking.

Tsunade quickly finished the treatment. Yuzuru stood up and stretched, finding that he had indeed completely recovered.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Yuzuru expressed his gratitude. Tsunade merely nodded lightly, her attention already focused on the next injured person.

There were no missions for the time being, so Yuzuru didn't rush back to the front-line camp. He found a secluded spot near the hospital camp and began practicing the Wind Release ninjutsu he had mastered.

Yuzuru first pulled out a short sword from behind him. He had taken it from an enemy.

He held the short sword between his palms and then performed hand seals methodically. Once the seals were complete, a condensed mass of wind-natured chakra had accumulated in his chest.

Yuzuru held the sword in one hand, took a deep breath, and as he slowly exhaled, the condensed mass of wind-natured chakra attached itself to the sword between his inhale and exhale.

The wind-natured chakra "air mass" adhered tightly to the blade and then slowly extended, transforming the short sword into a sharper, longer blade.

Wind Release: Vacuum Blade... It was obvious this was a technique used by Shimura Danzō.

As long as one didn't try to do performance art like slicing Susanoo with this move, its power and practicality were beyond doubt.