Joining the Medical Corps

Several dozen minutes later, following Mitarai Aoi, he finally arrived at Leaf Village's frontline main camp.

The sight before him made even him, despite being mentally prepared, suck in a sharp breath.

The open ground before the main camp had already become a massive outdoor camp for the wounded.

Under the flickering firelight lay countless Leaf Village ninja, groaning endlessly, their bodies covered in blood.

Severed limbs, burns, penetrating wounds... all manner of horrific injuries were shocking to behold.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, the smell of burning, and the bitter scent of medicinal herbs, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Only a handful of ninja bearing the Medical Corps insignia hurried through the crowd, treating the wounded.

Many medical ninja appeared unsteady from excessive chakra expenditure.

"I'll go help first!" Mitarai Aoi only hurriedly said one thing to Tianyi.

Then she rushed toward a wounded man whose abdomen had been cut open, his intestines faintly visible.

Aoi's hands instantly lit up with a gentle green glow of medical chakra as she pressed them against the injured man's abdomen.

Just as Tianyi thought this was the perfect time to show off his Intermediate First Aid.

Whoosh—boom!

An exceptionally bright green signal flare carrying a special chakra fluctuation.

Rose from the command tent at the center of the camp and exploded violently high in the sky!

At that moment, a tremendous crash came from the forest on the left side of the camp!

Rumble—!

The ground shook violently as smoke and dust soared into the air!

A gigantic serpent, more than five meters in diameter and of immeasurable length, covered in gray scales.

Smashed through countless trees, raised its head dozens of meters high, and appeared at the edge of the battlefield!

A thin figure stood proudly atop its head.

He wore a loose kimono, his long black hair drifting in the night wind.

His golden vertical pupils swept indifferently across the chaotic camp below, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

His tongue unconsciously licked his lips.

Orochimaru!

One of the Legendary Sannin—had he appeared now as reinforcements?

Or... was this surprise attack itself a trap, one set by Leaf Village's higher-ups?

Looking at where and when Orochimaru had appeared, Tianyi leaned more toward the latter. The enemy should have been surrounded in turn by now.

With a light wave of Orochimaru's hand, a large number of Leaf Village ninja suddenly emerged from the forest behind him.

Silent and efficient, they cut into the battlefield and instantly divided and surrounded the Hidden Rain Village forces that had broken through the main camp's perimeter!

The shouts of battle gradually faded as the enemies were killed one by one.

The pressure within the main camp eased slightly, but the wounded remained.

"Vice Captain! We don't have nearly enough hands! The hemostatic powder and bandages are almost gone too! What do we do about these critically wounded patients?!"

Not far away, a young medical ninja spoke in a tearful voice.

To a middle-aged medical Jonin who was simultaneously treating two wounded men.

The medical Jonin known as the vice captain had sweat covering her forehead, her chakra output already at its limit.

Her gaze swept over the subordinates on the ground who were barely clinging to life, and pain and struggle flashed through her eyes.

In the end, she had no choice but to make a cruel decision and turn her head away:

"Mark them by priority! Treat those with the most severe injuries who still have a chance of survival, in the order they were brought in!

Those who have gone into shock from excessive blood loss, or whose internal organs are damaged beyond immediate suturing... temporarily... abandon them!

Concentrate our resources on those we can save! Those we cannot save... wait!"

...This was the true brutality of war.

But this was also his opportunity!

In an instant, Tianyi took a deep breath:

"Vice Captain! Let me try! I've studied basic medical treatment and can perform emergency care!

And my Byakugan can accurately assess injuries!"

Hearing this, the vice captain turned her head, her gaze instantly sweeping over the seal on Tianyi's forehead.

"You?" the vice captain asked doubtfully.

"Yes, I am Hyuga Tianyi of the Hyuga Branch House!

I can see that at least six of his ribs are broken. Two fragments have pierced his right lung and heart.

He has severe internal bleeding and a left-sided hemopneumothorax. His chest must be decompressed and his internal bleeding stopped immediately, or he won't last three minutes!"

Using the X-ray vision of his Byakugan and the knowledge he had just acquired from [Intermediate First Aid], Tianyi rapidly made his diagnosis.

That professional and accurate description made a trace of surprise flash through the vice captain's eyes.

She gave Tianyi another deep look, then glanced at the wounded man who truly stood at death's door, just about to nod.

"Wait!"

A cold voice suddenly rang out.

The shadows shifted, and one of the three Root ninja from yesterday.

Appeared between Tianyi and the wounded man like a ghost, blocking his path.

The eyes behind the mask stared coldly at Tianyi through its holes.

"Hyuga Tianyi?" the Root member's voice was flat and emotionless.

"The squad you were in was wiped out yesterday, and you alone survived. Your suspicions have not been cleared.

Before the investigation is concluded, you may not come into contact with any wounded personnel.

Nor may you take any action that could affect the investigation's outcome.

Step back immediately!"

Tianyi's heart sank. Damn it!

The ANBU's suspicions of him from yesterday really had not disappeared.

Someone in that squad who died must have been one of theirs. No! He could not passively wait for an interrogation like this.

He then pointed at the wounded man on the ground and spoke urgently.

"He's about to die! I can save him!" Tianyi's voice kept rising with anger.

"I have the Byakugan. I can see everything clearly! Just because of your suspicions.

Are you going to watch a Leaf Village comrade who can still be saved die here?!

Doesn't your ANBU mission include protecting Leaf Village's living strength?!"

The situation here drew the attention of several busy medical ninja and some wounded personnel nearby.

Gazes converged on them one after another.

"A Leaf Village comrade?" The Root member's voice seemed to carry an almost imperceptible hint of mockery.

"Before your suspicions are cleared, any unconventional action you take may constitute a threat."

He glanced at the wounded man on the ground.

"Do not make any unnecessary movements, or I will detain you.

On the grounds of obstructing an investigation and posing a potential threat to camp security!"

An undisguised killing intent bore down on him.

The Root member's hand had already settled on the hilt of the short sword at his waist.

Root did not care about public pressure at all. They only obeyed their own judgment and orders.

The atmosphere instantly became unbearably tense! Tianyi had no doubt that the other man would act in the next moment.

Every muscle in his body tensed, and grenades, Empty Palm, and escape routes flashed through his mind...

At that critical moment—

"Stop!"

The medical vice captain stepped forward and directly inserted herself between Tianyi and the Root member.

She first crouched down quickly and pressed one hand against the dying man's chest. After probing with a thread of medical chakra, her expression turned grim.

She stood up, looked directly into the holes of the Root member's mask, and said firmly:

"His diagnosis is entirely correct! This patient is in critical condition and needs immediate treatment!

This is a special wartime situation. The Medical Corps has the authority to requisition all available medical personnel!

In my capacity as vice captain of the Medical Corps, I formally requisition Hyuga Tianyi to temporarily join the Medical Corps and assist in treating the wounded!

The Medical Corps will take full responsibility for all of his treatment actions!"

"You!" The Root member's expression darkened.

The vice captain paused, meeting the Root member's increasingly cold gaze.

She said each word clearly: "If you have any objections regarding personnel requisition, medical procedures.

Or suspicions concerning the actions of Medical Corps members.

You, or your superior.

May directly consult the person in overall charge of our Medical Corps—Lady Tsunade!

Now, either help, or leave the medical area!"

The name "Tsunade" visibly halted the Root member's momentum.

His gaze beneath the mask fixed on the vice captain's face as they remained locked in a standoff for two or three seconds.

Then he looked at Hyuga Tianyi.

"Hmph." A nearly inaudible snort.

The next second, the shadow flickered, and the Root member had already vanished from the spot.

"Whew—" Only then did Tianyi realize his back was soaked in cold sweat, and he let out a long breath.

That was close...

He turned toward the medical vice captain and bowed solemnly. "Thank you, Vice Captain! I..."

But the vice captain waved her hand, cutting him off, her expression softening somewhat.

She gestured in Mitarai Aoi's direction. "Aoi told me that you saved her.

And your diagnosis was correct, which made me believe you wanted to save people.

Focus first and save him! Prove yourself, and prove that Aoi's judgment and my decision were not wrong!"

Tianyi's heart trembled. He turned and saw, on the other side of the crowd.

Mitarai Aoi had just finished emergency hemostasis on a wounded man and was looking over as well.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as her light brown eyes met Tianyi's.

She said nothing. She merely gave him a light, yet utterly resolute nod.

Then she immediately bent down again and threw herself into treating the next wounded patient.

A warm current mixed with an enormous sense of responsibility instantly filled Tianyi's chest.

He hesitated no longer and immediately dropped to one knee beside the critically wounded man.