Field Doctor

Uchiha Kō completely ignored the strange looks cast his way by those around him. With a serious and solemn expression, he spoke up: "Lord Hokage, in my view, the reason you rejected the proposal put forth by Lady Tsunade must be because you are concerned about the number of medical ninja and their actual performance in combat, correct?"

Upon hearing this, Tsunade was slightly taken aback, and she began to ponder in her heart.

That's right! Why hadn't I thought of that? After all, not every medical ninja was like her—capable of both charging into the fray to slay enemies and using their miraculous hands to save lives.

The vast majority of medical ninja were only skilled in treatment and were completely ignorant when it came to combat.

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sitting at the head of the table, nodded slowly, signaling his agreement with Uchiha Kō's point, and replied: "Kō-kun's words are very true. Just as you said, the overall combat strength of our Konoha medical ninja is indeed relatively weak."

"Compared to having these medical ninja, who are not adept at fighting, follow squads to the front lines to kill enemies, it is better to keep them in the rear, focusing on providing rescue and treatment services for injured comrades."

"In this way, we can not only guarantee the safety of our personnel to the greatest extent but also fully utilize the specialized skills of the medical ninja."

Uchiha Kō nodded slightly once more, then shifted the tone of the conversation: "However, Lord Hokage, regarding this matter, I wonder if you have considered the following two potential scenarios..."

"Oh? Let's hear them," Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with keen interest. He knew well in his heart that this young man, Uchiha Kō, was not merely clever and well-versed in human affairs; his most astonishing trait was his extraordinary tactical thinking.

Although Tsunade and the others had not disclosed the specifics of Uchiha Kō's combat command to him, there is no such thing as an airtight wall in this world. How could such news escape the ears of Sarutobi Hiruzen, who possessed a powerful intelligence network?

However, the reason Sarutobi Hiruzen had remained silent and never exposed the matter was that one important reason was that the beneficiary of this incident was his beloved student, Tsunade.

Furthermore, since Uchiha Kō himself had already expressed tacit consent, he naturally had no reason to interfere.

At this very moment, upon hearing Uchiha Kō speak, Sarutobi Hiruzen listened with rapt attention, not missing a single word.

Uchiha Kō's expression was as calm as water as he slowly said: "First, let's look at the first potential situation. Those severely injured ninja, because they cannot be sent to medical ninja in time for treatment, see wounds that could have been healed with a simple Mystical Palm Technique deteriorate, eventually requiring extreme measures like amputation to save their lives; even worse, some comrades who should have survived through timely treatment fall into an untreatable state due to delays."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly in agreement, as such situations were common on the smoke-filled, life-or-death battlefield.

Even though he was a veteran of a hundred battles and knew these conditions well, he often felt helpless when faced with the cruel and ruthless reality of war.

"Next, let us explore the second possibility. If the enemy disregards all bottom lines and launches a frontal assault that is merely a feint—a show of force intended to draw away our main forces—they could then take the opportunity to lead a large number of troops to raid the position where our medical ninja are stationed."

"Everyone, imagine: who would be able to step forward to withstand such a thunderous attack at that time?"

A loud boom echoed, as if a bolt of lightning had rent the sky, and everyone present felt a jolt in their hearts.

The first situation was tricky, but it was within everyone's expectations; however, the second situation had never truly occurred. Once it became reality, the consequences would be unimaginable—all the medical ninja would likely meet a grim fate and perish.

One must realize that medical ninja are a key link in the entire combat system. They shoulder the heavy responsibility of treating the wounded and maintaining combat strength.

If the protection and support of these angels in white were lost, what tragic end would the ninja fighting bloodily on the front lines face?

The answer was self-evident: even a minor injury could lead to death because it could not receive timely and effective treatment.

In this way, the enemy would only need to play it steady and engage us in a protracted war of attrition. No matter how powerful our military's strength or how exquisite our tactics, we would eventually be driven into a desperate situation and suffer a crushing defeat!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned. He looked at Uchiha Kō, his eyes bright. "Kō-kun, are you saying that Tsunade's proposal could resolve the risks posed by these two situations?"

Uchiha Kō nodded with a smile. "That's right. It is precisely because medical ninja lack combat ability that they need the protection of combat ninja. Sending them into the squads is the best method."

"Once they have the protection of their teammates, and their teammates can receive timely treatment when injured, a cycle is formed, and the squad's combat duration can be extended significantly!"

"Furthermore, if medical ninja are dispersed into individual squads, there is no need to worry about camp raids." After finishing, Uchiha Kō glanced at Tsunade, winked at her, and smiled slightly.

Tsunade's lips curled upward, and she felt wonderful inside. Kō-kun stood up for me in front of so many people, but Kō-kun's brain really is sharp!

Everything Uchiha Kō said was easy for every ninja to understand, and he had hit the nail on the head. Sarutobi Hiruzen was now also carefully considering the reasons Uchiha Kō had provided.

Meanwhile, a white-haired man in the corner was stunned. Watching Uchiha Kō and Tsunade exchange smiles, he couldn't help but feel a bit of regret; if only he had stepped forward a bit faster just now.

This man was the genius ninja who had mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique, Dan Katō!

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his gaze toward Uchiha Kō, only to find him and Tsunade exchanging smiles, and his expression became somewhat strange. "Kō, are you certain that what you've said is merely because the suggestion is feasible?"

These two kids aren't dating, are they? Tsk tsk, Senju and Uchiha? Would Lady Mito agree to this? Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself.

Uchiha Kō was taken aback, then nodded. "Yes, I am certain!" In the original work, this proposal put forward by Tsunade was still in use even by the time of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, so it was entirely feasible.

"Chiyo of Sunagakure is most skilled at surprise attacks; she might just raid our rear medical positions," Uchiha Kō said casually.

In fact, Chiyo had indeed done such a thing—it seemed to have been during the Second Shinobi World War. Because of this incident, the village adopted Tsunade's suggestion after the war ended, establishing the system that every squad must be equipped with a medical ninja.

After deep thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Very well. Although the two situations Kō mentioned haven't happened before, we cannot afford to be unprepared."

Having said that, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Tsunade. "Tsunade, regarding the development of medical ninja, I want to see a complete set of regulations by tomorrow."

Tsunade chuckled. "Yes! Teacher!" She was filled with energy; she would definitely finish organizing it tonight! She could even ask Kō-kun for advice then.

Uchiha Kō smiled slightly. It seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen had thought it through and was prepared to implement the system!