After the Battle, the Village

Finding a tent to rest in, Taiichi went inside, took out paper and pen from his Ninja Tool Pouch, and immediately began Tsunade.

Firstly, it was to express his longing. Of course, Taiichi's face turned red as he wrote this; he felt incredibly ashamed.

Secondly, he recounted his recent situation, the battles he had experienced, and greeted his teacher, asking him to return to Konoha to visit when he had time.

Thirdly, and this was the main purpose of writing the letter, was to inquire about matters concerning the Yin Seal.

The letter stated that the author had seen a description of the Yin Seal in a handbook given by their teacher, which could effectively address their current Chakra deficiency.

During this period of battles, I have often been troubled by insufficient Chakra. Yesterday, I was even more distressed because I had no Chakra, and I could only watch helplessly as a seriously injured Konoha Ninja died before my eyes.

Of course, Taiichi's description here is a bit exaggerated. Although he does have a sense of responsibility as a Medical Ninja, he would not take on responsibilities beyond his capabilities.

Looking at the completed letter, Taiichi read it through once; it was truly heartfelt.

He nodded in satisfaction, Hand Seals hand seals to summon Katsuyu, and asked her to deliver the letter to Tsunade.

Next, we just have to wait for news from Teacher Tsunade.

As Taiichi stepped out of the tent and prepared to head to the Medical Camp, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure not far away. His Senior Disciple Brother Minato, was giving orders to the assembled group at the Camp entrance.

And wasn't the person he gathered Yohei, Saori, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin?

Everyone looks ready to go!

Taiichi Earth Flow light steps, a hint of curiosity on his face.

Noticing his approach, Yohei was the first to look over, instinctively raising his arm high and waving. "Hey, Taiichi! You're finally out!"

Taiichi's face darkened. "I'm not going to jail, what do you mean 'finally out'!"

"I just went to a meeting and wrote a letter, how come it sounds so awful coming from your mouth!" Taiichi complained helplessly, which made Saori and Rin cover their mouths and giggle.

His gaze swept over the group preparing to depart, then turned to Minato beside him. "Senior Disciple Brother, are you planning to take them on patrol?"

His tone was certain, after all, that was how it was arranged at the meeting, but he didn't expect Minato to act so quickly.

"That's right!" Minato nodded with a smile, his blue eyes as gentle as ever. "The perimeter of the Camp urgently needs increased security; it's a good opportunity to take them on patrol."

After yesterday's First Shinobi World War, he clearly acknowledged the abilities of Yohei and the others. Even Obito and Rin's performance yesterday far surpassed that of ordinary Genin, completely exceeding their status as graduates of the Ninja Academy.

Yohei put his arm around Obito's neck and smiled at Taiichi, saying, "Weren't you supposed to be helping out at the Medical Camp these days?"

He pointed to the bustling scene over there, "The Medical Camp has never been idle for a moment. I heard that you just recovered some Chakra last night and then went to treat the seriously wounded over there again."

No wonder you got up so late this morning! Turns out you were working overtime last night!

He spoke lightly, but Taiichi could still detect a hint of worry in his tone.

Yohei patted Obito on the shoulder beside him, "Anyway, no one's going on missions with us. Captain Minato is short-handed, so it's perfect for us to go on patrol with him and find something to do, instead of just sitting here doing nothing, right, Saori?"

Upon hearing this, Saori nodded slightly, agreeing with Yohei's statement. Their team was incomplete, and their Captain was not present. Going to take on missions on their own would be too restrictive. It would be better to follow Captain Minato, who was both familiar with them and powerful.

Obito, who was listening to their conversation, immediately puffed out his chest. "We're not a burden! Besides, Minato-sensei is leading the team now, there won't be any problems!"

Kakashi, with his hands in his pockets and his mask covering most of his face, nodded Taiichi Tai.

He gained a lot from this period of intense battles. Not only did his strength improve by leaps and bounds, but even his Lightning Style release technique improved significantly thanks to his exchanges with Saori.

He now only wants more battles to test his use of his new powers.

Rin stood behind Kakashi, and upon hearing her Companions' words, smiled somewhat shyly at Taiichi.

Taiichi looked at these guys, Yohei's expression that said, "We're smart enough not to bother you with your business," coupled with the subtext in his words—that even without Taiichi leading the team, they could act independently, and had even found Minato lead the team—which made Taiichi smile.

It's true what they say, fortunes change. Back then, Minato was too busy, so he left Kakashi and the others under his command.

Now it's Taiichi's turn to be unavailable, so he has to send Yohei and Saori with Minato.

Thinking of this, Taiichi wasn't embarrassed at all and smiled at Minato, saying, "Then I'll trouble you to look after them, Senior Disciple Brother. The front lines have just been secured, and it's hard to guarantee there aren't any scattered Sunagakure Ninja lurking around. Please be extra careful."

"Don't worry." Minato nodded solemnly, his gaze sweeping over the team members in front of him. "I'll keep an eye on things. As for you, the Medical Camp is under immense pressure, so take care of yourself and don't overexert your Chakra."

He knew Taiichi's importance in the Medical Camp; if it weren't for Taiichi, half of the twenty-odd seriously wounded soldiers from last night would probably have died.

"Yes, I know what I'm doing!" Taiichi waved his hand, casually taking out several medicine bottles from his Ninja Tool Pouch and handing them to Minato. "These contain my specially made Military Ration Pill and Antidote Pill. You know their effects, so take them just in case!"

Minato's expression stiffened for a moment, then he regained his composure, took the medicine bottle, poured out a few pills, and distributed them to everyone.

Yohei and Rin remained calm; having spent years with Taiichi, they had taken quite a few of these pills and were somewhat accustomed to them. However, seeing Kakashi, Obito, and Rin accept the pills without any apparent awareness, their expressions turned strangely indescribable.

"Taiichi, you have such good medicine, why didn't you take it out sooner? I suffered a lot yesterday because I didn't have enough Chakra!"

Obito was completely unceremonious, taking the pill and examining it from all angles, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Finally, he took out a Military Ration Pill, saying, "This head is huge!" as he stuck out his tongue and licked it, wanting to taste it!

"No—" Minato opened his mouth to stop him, but it was too late. No one expected that some fool would actually lick the medicine to taste it.

Kakashi and Rin were taken aback when they heard Minato's words of protest, and then turned to look at Obito.

Obito looked like he'd just eaten shit; his face changed drastically, and he kept spitting "Pui, pui, pui" at the ground. He frantically pulled out a water pouch from his waist and started gulping water down his throat.

"This... what is this... even poison can't taste this bad!" Obito looked at the pill in his hand, his eyes filled with fear.

This scene left Kakashi and Rin completely stunned, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as they looked at the pills in their hands.

"Hahaha~" Yohei was laughing so hard he was doubled over, tears streaming down his face.

Minato was speechless at his student's behavior. He was so reckless, daring to lick without knowing anything. He had no decency at all.

"Taiichi's medicine is very effective, more than twice as strong as similar medicines on the market, but the taste is not good, so when you take it, please don't chew it, just swallow it directly!"

Minato explained to the three bewildered guys how to use Taiichi's special medicine.

Kakashi and Rin, after hearing this, formed a plan in their minds.

It was Obito, his face contorted with regret, crying, "Sensei, why didn't you say so sooner!"

Minato, speechless. You were just too fast!

The others burst into laughter again!

After the medicine was distributed, Minato didn't linger. He nodded to Taiichi, then turned to the others and said, "Alright, let's set off. Kakashi and Obito, you two will scout the left flank; Yohei and Saori, you two will be on the right flank; Rin and I will provide support from the center."

Minato quickly assigned positions, demonstrating the competence of a top- Jonin.

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, quickly adjusting their formation according to the instructions. Soon, led by Minato, the team transformed into several swift figures and disappeared into the woods outside the Camp.

In the open space in front of the gate, only Taiichi and the dust he had raised remained. He watched his companions disappear in the direction they had vanished for a moment, took a deep breath, turned around, and strode towards his other battlefield.

Apart from the blocking battle yesterday morning, the ambush in the afternoon actually lasted less than an hour; most of the remaining time was spent pursuing the fleeing soldiers.

The battlefield spread from the initial ambush point all the way to the vicinity of the Land of Wind's border, which made it difficult for the Konoha Ninja were cleaning up the battlefield.

In addition to their regular duties, they also had to undertake search and cleanup work.

The primary objective is naturally to search for survivors from Konoha, and if there are any corpses, they should be brought back as well.

The second objective is to eliminate those Sand Village Ninja who are hiding in remote corners and barely clinging to life;

The third objective is the overt cleanup of the battlefield. If the corpses of enemies and animals are not disposed of promptly, they can easily lead to disease in the sweltering summer heat.

For example, when Minato and Yohei were patrolling 4 kilometers southeast of the Camp, a slight wail caught the attention of the team members.

Everyone immediately formed Defensive Formation and stopped, listening intently to the source of the sound.

Soon after, a Sunagakure was found inside a hollow of a large tree.

"Minato- Senior, look." Yohei pointed at the Sand Village Ninja was unconscious and could only groan instinctively.

"His chest cavity is collapsed, and he has extensive Fire Style burns. In this condition, he's beyond saving!" Kakashi concluded after just one glance.

"Judging by his age, he's about the same age as us!" Obito's tone was enigmatic, it was hard to tell whether it was sympathy or helplessness.

"He's not worth being a prisoner. Give him a quick death!" Minato stepped forward and checked him over. At his age, he'd only be cannon fodder on the battlefield. Not everyone is like Taiichi, Yohei, or Kakashi.

Yohei nodded, walked up to the other person, and looked at the Sunagakure who was still in pain even in his unconscious state. "I've come to relieve your suffering and lessen your pain. This is the greatest mercy I can show you."

As he spoke, he thrust his Kunai into the man's jaw, piercing straight into his brain. The Sunagakure Ninja twitched once, then fell silent.

Such things can happen at any time on this vast battlefield. Most often, it's the enemy, but it could also be one's own people. Those who can't make it back to Camp for treatment are forced to do this out of desperation to alleviate their comrades' suffering.

And so, another day passed, and news of the ambush in the Land of Rivers finally reached Konoha and Sunagakure through the fastest means.

The Hokage's Office.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Jiraiya's report detailing the battle in the Land of Rivers and the post-battle arrangements, his face initially lit up with joy, but then darkened.

While victory in war is certainly good, the fact that such a large-scale battle broke out so quickly was truly beyond his expectations.

If the previous skirmishes could only be considered small-scale conflicts between border ninjas, then this battle can be seen as a formal declaration of war by Sunagakure.

At the same time, a sense of unease also arose in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, even though Jiraiya repeatedly said in his report that he was only acting in self-defense.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't blind; he could easily see that this was a conspiracy meticulously planned by Jiraiya and his advisors.

This conspiracy likely began the moment Taiichi developed the Antidote Pill. For nearly a month, the entire Southern Camp remained completely silent, without a single person reporting it to him.

A long time.

"Notify Advisor Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura to come to a meeting immediately!" A deep voice came from the swirling smoke.

"Yes!" a voice rang out, then faded into the distance.

Not long after, the three arrived at the Hokage's Office, only to be met with a familiar scene: the room was filled with smoke, obscuring even the figures of people. Since the border situation had deteriorated, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smoking had increased, and his office was often like this.

Utatane Koharu, the only woman present, angrily fanned herself with her cigarette smoke, walked to the side, opened the window, and gestured to Danzo nearby.

As expected of a long-time Danzo member, Danzo waved his sleeve, creating a gentle breeze that carried the smoke out of the window, instantly clearing the office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say a word, just watched quietly until they stood still, then handed them Jiraiya's report.

The three of them noticed Hiruzen Sarutobi's unusual behavior, but they didn't understand why, so they could only take the scroll and start reading.

After watching only the beginning, the three men's expressions revealed their differences.

Danzo lit up with joy. As a representative of the Militant Faction, he would be happy to see Konoha win battles against foreign powers, no matter what.

Koharu and En were different; they both had deep frowns, worried about Sunagakure launching such a large-scale battle.

After reading the entire report, the scroll was returned to Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands. The office fell silent as everyone pondered the consequences of this event and its impact on themselves and Konoha.

"First of all, regardless of the circumstances, the battle was won, and it was a great victory. We also captured the frontline Commander of Sunagakure. This is something that must be commended at this time!" Seeing that everyone was still silent, Utatane Koharu thought for a moment and spoke first, expressing her opinion.

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was a fact that couldn't be changed. Konoha was now facing a situation similar to Second Shinobi World War, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Such a great victory would greatly boost their morale and also deter other villages.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression grew increasingly grim.

The other three were also shrewd. With such a long buffer period, and recalling some details from the report, they naturally understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi had such a displeased expression.

Danzo calm, but a hint of contempt lurked deep in his eyes. He couldn't even control his own disciple, and was still wary of him. Hiruzen, you're really getting old. It's time to give up your position Hokage.

Koharu and Yan exchanged a glance, saying nothing more. This concerned the relationship between the master and disciple, and it was inappropriate for outsiders like themselves to interfere. Otherwise, once the matter was over, their bond would remain strong, leaving them in an awkward position.

Seeing that none of the three mentioned Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep breath and had no choice but to speak up himself. "Victory certainly deserves recognition, but for such a large-scale operation, the village didn't receive any prior notice. This is a dereliction of duty on the part of the frontline leadership."

"What if they lose? The village was completely unprepared. How will they face the future situation? What if the Sunagakure directly invades the Land of Fire?"

With Hiruzen Sarutobi setting the tone, the remaining three naturally knew what to do.

Not long after, a commendation order was drafted, praising and rewarding all the ninjas on the front lines while subtly mentioning the necessity of reporting all actions to the village immediately. At the same time, a group of support personnel was dispatched to serve Jiraiya.

Of course, two Jonin were directly appointed as strategists to participate in all decision-making on the front lines, which is a clear example of decentralization.