War Was About to Begin

"War came sooner than expected."

Uchiha You walked down the street, watching many merchants prepare to leave. From the movements of the shinobi, he could tell that war had already arrived.

The exact timing of the Second Shinobi World War was unknown, but it had begun half a year earlier than Uchiha You had expected.

Perhaps the conflict between the Third Kazekage and Hanzo, combined with Konoha's involvement, had prompted the usually cautious Sand Village to take the initiative and launch an attack.

After asking around, Nawaki finally spotted Uchiha You at a street corner and hurriedly delivered the order.

"You, Orochimaru-sensei is summoning us. Gather at the village gate in an hour!"

Hearing those words, Uchiha You became a little more cautious.

He did not know whether he would be carrying out a mission with Orochimaru this time or alongside the Uchiha Clan. The former's missions would certainly be simpler and less dangerous.

As for the latter, due to the Hokage's targeting and the need for major clans to head to the front lines, he would likely encounter quite a few enemy shinobi.

Even as he thought, his feet did not stop moving. He quickly made his way to the village gate to assemble.

Once there, he saw some former classmates. It had been nearly a year since graduation. They were no longer rookies fresh out of the Ninja Academy; many had endured trials of blood and fire and become qualified Genin.

Of course, Konoha could not send this group of shinobi to perform missions on the battlefield. Their main duties were transporting supplies in the rear or escorting documents.

At the front stood the Legendary Sannin, who were also in charge of this mission.

Orochimaru stood in the middle. Clearly, Tsunade and Jiraiya were to follow his orders.

"Long time no see, You!"

The call interrupted Uchiha You's thoughts. A blond-haired boy following behind Jiraiya poked his head out, strode into the crowd, and gave You a hug.

They had not seen each other for half a year. After being chosen by Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze had only returned to the village a few times. Unlike the three-man squad system, he had always stayed by Jiraiya's side, carrying out his ninja way.

"It has been a long time."

Uchiha You rarely showed a faint smile as he sized Minato up. He could sense the chakra surging through Minato's body, and it was no less than his own.

He had improved greatly in half a year!

The next moment, the formerly amicable Uchiha You delivered a fatal remark.

"What a pity your little girlfriend can't come on the mission with you."

Minato Namikaze's smile froze, and he did not know whether to drop it or keep smiling.

"At least I have a girlfriend. Unlike certain people, who are alone every New Year. Next time, you can spend it with the two of us."

"You really are a bastard."

The two traded a few barbs, but before departing, they still reminded each other to stay safe.

Once everyone had gathered, Orochimaru looked at his disciples. They had grown considerably during this time, and he said with satisfaction in his voice:

"You've all grown up. I may not be able to protect you during the missions ahead. I hope you can withstand the cruelty that war brings."

"Also, our squad is temporarily disbanded. During wartime, many matters cannot be handled in squad formations."

He patted their shoulders. This was the first time Orochimaru had openly shown concern for his disciples; until now, he had always played the role of a strict teacher.

After explaining some precautions for wartime and warning them against falling into enemy traps, he began assigning missions.

"Our mission is to station ourselves in the Hidden Rain Village. They are the ones who started this war."

"I will serve as the war's commander, so under normal circumstances, I cannot leave headquarters."

An excellent commander was far more valuable than an ordinary Jonin. Orochimaru's calm nature ensured that he could deal with problems rationally and coolly under immense pressure, something Tsunade and Jiraiya could not do.

Konoha's battle lines were divided into three sections. The shinobi forces led by Orochimaru were responsible for the Hidden Rain Village front. The Nara Clan head was responsible for the forces facing Cloud Village and Hidden Stone Village. In addition, a Jonin from the Hatake Clan led a squad stationed near Sand Village. The stated reason was to help Sand Village through its crisis, but in truth, they were monitoring every movement there to prevent a sudden attack.

They were the commanders of the war, but behind them stood the Hokage, overseeing everything.

Konoha's war machine awakened at dawn.

Following Orochimaru's lead, they reached the border of the Land of Fire in the shortest time possible. Hidden Rain Village occupied an extremely important location, where three nations met, and it was also the best place for spies to infiltrate.

The war had not yet fully begun, but small-scale casualties had already appeared on the front lines. They had been discovered by the enemy while carrying out reconnaissance missions and injured in the ensuing clashes.

Tsunade was arranging treatment for the wounded. Uchiha You was already a qualified medic, and before the war completely erupted, he could forget about going anywhere else.

Orochimaru had assigned him the role of a medical ninja, so after arriving at the front lines, he was placed in the base hospital.

"I've met Lady Tsunade again."

Upon entering, he saw Tsunade treating patients. After healing one patient's injuries, she followed the voice and saw Uchiha You. Letting out a long breath, she said:

"You arrived much sooner than I expected. I happen to need help here. It's time for you to put your talent to use."

She stretched lazily. She had reached the front lines ahead of the troops led by Orochimaru, and from the moment she arrived, she had been immersed in intense treatment work.

"Every medical ninja is extremely valuable now. We must preserve our patients' lives. As long as they are not dead, we must keep trying to save them, even if we exhaust all our chakra!"

"As expected of Lady Tsunade."

Uchiha You quietly listened to Tsunade's famous medical creed, a conviction she upheld throughout her life. However, he did not immediately begin treating patients. At this stage, the medical ninja could still manage the workload.

He watched the busy medical ninja, then walked around the hastily constructed hospital and discovered a serious problem.

"If this continues, the burden on the medical ninja will be severe."

There was no proper system. Everyone who came to the hospital had been injured on the battlefield, and once they entered, a medical ninja would treat them.

It was manageable at first, but once the war officially began and casualties increased, the medical ninja would struggle to cope.

He immediately went to Tsunade's side and interrupted her treatment, causing her to say with displeasure:

"What is it? If it isn't urgent, go treat the patients."

Uchiha You did not become angry at Tsunade's reprimand. Instead, he directly pointed out the major flaw in the treatment process.

"Lady Tsunade, there is a serious problem with the hospital's treatment procedures."