Shiraha and the others marched rapidly, reaching the frontline camp in two days.
By then, with Sunagakure suffering defeat after defeat, the battlefront had advanced from the western border of the Land of Fire into the heartland of the Land of Rivers.
If the fighting continued, Konoha's forces would invade the Land of Wind itself.
When they arrived at the camp, Orochimaru was holding a strategy meeting, so Shiraha and the others were assigned to a tent first.
With nothing to do at the moment, Shiraha went to help at the tents specifically set aside for the wounded.
Pushing open the simple wooden gate, Shiraha felt as if he had entered an entirely different world.
The air was thick with the pungent stench of blood and disinfectant.
The cries of the wounded constantly echoed from every tent. The medical staff were rushed off their feet, hurrying endlessly between the tents.
There was clearly far too little manpower.
Shiraha joined the ranks of the medical staff.
Though he was already accustomed to blood, the horrific sight inside still stunned him when he entered the tent.
This was Konoha's camp, with the best medical conditions and highest standards. Sunagakure's side was probably in even worse shape.
Whether wounded or medical staff, Shiraha saw numbness in their eyes, as though they had lost all hope.
A suffocating atmosphere filled the area.
By his estimation, the war could not continue much longer.
The Land of Wind was the largest of the Great Nations by territory, yet more than half of it was desert.
Even if Konoha invaded the Land of Wind, not only would their supply lines be stretched, but obtaining supplies would become extremely difficult. Even if they wanted to burn, kill, and plunder, there had to be people and villages to plunder