Yubi and Sasori

Year 40 of the Hokage calendar.

The closing stages of the Second Shinobi World War.

Within the Land of Wind, several figures raced across the vast Gobi Desert.

"Listen carefully, you three. This may only be a routine border patrol mission, but you must not let your guard down."

"Things have quieted down considerably in the Land of Rain, but Hanzo of the Salamander still hasn't abandoned his ambitions of expansion... Amegakure has only ceased hostilities with Konoha. They're still clashing with us."

The brown-haired young man leading the team coldly cautioned his juniors.

"Yes."

There were five people in the team altogether.

But Yubi knew very well that the man's warnings did not include the red-haired boy beside him.

Sunagakure's genius, a future member of the Akatsuki, Sasori of the Red Sands.

He was also the one responsible for setting off the spark that ignited the Third Shinobi World War.

Yubi glanced at Sasori. Noticing his gaze, Sasori glanced back.

"Besides Amegakure, those people from the Land of Water have also been itching to make a move throughout this Shinobi World War... They keep looking for opportunities to enter our territory. Those fleas are even more annoying than our opponents from Konoha."

"This is your first time officially carrying out a mission for the village. Your main objective is to gain experience. If you really encounter danger... retreat immediately."

The young man leading them spoke again.

Of their teammates, aside from Yubi and Sasori, the other two Genin wore serious expressions, but a hint of excitement lurked in their eyes.

After all, as ninja of the village... setting foot on the battlefield and testing their own worth was something they had always looked forward to at school.

Rasa.

Gaara's father, who possessed the Kekkei Genkai ability Magnet Release.

Yubi silently recited this as he watched the young man leading them toward their mission site.

At this point in time, Rasa was already a Jonin and one of Sunagakure's strongest fighters.

"Yubi... you're a medical ninja, so if a battle breaks out, you don't need to rush to the front line. Your job is to treat your teammates. You remember the rules you were taught at school, don't you?" As he ran, Rasa looked toward the short-haired boy with a youthful face and a few freckles.

"First, medical ninja must never give up on treatment before a teammate dies. Second, medical ninja must never stand on the very front line of battle. Third, medical ninja must never die before any other member of their team."

Yubi answered.

"Mm."

Hearing this, Rasa nodded. "On the battlefield, the importance of medical ninja goes without saying... You're the key to ensuring a team's fighting strength and survival."

"You have considerable talent as a medical ninja... I've heard Granny Chiyo mention you."

Yubi smiled faintly, but his face showed not the slightest pride.

"Still, with Sasori accompanying you, I believe this mission won't be a problem for you."

With that, Rasa gave another meaningful look at Sasori, whose expression had remained indifferent throughout.

He clearly had considerable confidence in this junior.

Although Sasori was not yet ten, the talent he had displayed in the village was undoubtedly in a class of its own.

And despite his young age, he had already completed many missions outstandingly.

He also had extensive combat experience.

Two hours later, the five of them crossed the Gobi Desert and arrived at a gorge lined with sheer cliffs, where bare rock formations filled their view.

As soon as they reached their destination, a Sunagakure Chunin with cloth wrapped around his head swiftly appeared to meet them.

"Lord Rasa."

The Chunin greeted Rasa respectfully.

"I've brought them... These are the kids. I'll leave them to you."

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Rasa simply pointed at Yubi and the others, gave a few instructions, then turned and left.

As one of the village's strongest fighters, he had a great deal to attend to right now... There was no way he could personally look after a few children.

"Follow me."

After Rasa left, the Chunin's gaze lingered on Sasori for a moment. Then he led the four of them in a series of leaps along the gorge's cliffs. A little over seven minutes later, they finally stopped at the entrance to a cave hidden in a rocky cliff.

Because of the gorge's terrain, there were many wind channels.

Windblown sand swept through the gorge from time to time, making the conditions extremely harsh.

Five or six Sunagakure ninja were resting inside the cave.

They showed little reaction to Yubi and the others' arrival.

Only when they saw Sasori did their eyes change somewhat.

Yubi took in all their reactions.

It couldn't be helped. In Sunagakure, Sasori really did stand out far too much... And he was Granny Chiyo's grandson.

Sunagakure at present was not like Konoha, which was full of monsters and geniuses... At this very point in time, it had even produced Konoha's so-called "golden generation," represented by Minato Namikaze.

The newcomers briefly introduced themselves to their seniors, then found an empty spot in the cave and sat down.

They could clearly feel that the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive and solemn.

The other two Genin on the team, in particular, barely dared to breathe and felt under considerable pressure.

Sasori, meanwhile, did not introduce himself. He simply sat by the cave entrance, took out a scroll, then released some puppet components and began repairing and tinkering with them.

"You don't need to be so nervous. Our patrol area is still some distance from the border. Strictly speaking, it's the second line of defense... The danger is already much lower than on the front line. Our main purpose is to guard against covert enemy mobile squads slipping through the first line and entering our territory. If there really is any danger, the frontline patrols will send intelligence in time for us to prepare."

"Even if there are enemies, there won't be too many."

The Chunin who had led them into the cave, a man named Nomura, noticed what the children were thinking and offered some reassurance.

As ninja of the village, these were things they had to experience.

School was only school, after all. It was different from an actual battlefield.

In this four-person team, Sasori went without saying. He had long since fully adapted to this battlefield atmosphere.

The boy named Yubi was also very calm.

Only the two children who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy were somewhat uneasy.

Not dangerous...? How could that be?

Something stirred in Yubi's mind.

Right now, the Second Shinobi World War had not truly ended. Even after it was declared over, its series of lingering effects and the small-scale clashes between villages would never cease. It would take a long time before they truly entered a brief period of peace, and even that would be very limited.

Because soon, the Third Shinobi World War would break out.

At this thought, Yubi noticed the wounded man lying in the farthest corner of the cave.

This man was also a Chunin. His face was pale, and his breathing was weak.

Gauze was wrapped around his arm. The wound had clearly received basic treatment, but blood was still seeping through.

It seemed to be infected.

"Sir, could you let me take a look?"

Under the others' gazes, Yubi walked over and took out his first-aid kit.

"I'm a medical ninja."

Yubi crouched in front of the man and smiled.

The man nodded somewhat hesitantly.

Then Yubi removed the bloodied gauze. Sure enough, the flesh around the wound had begun to rot, and pus was seeping out.

"You were stabbed with a kunai, weren't you...? The wound is a little deep. Judging by the angle, it should have been a close-range surprise attack from behind and to the side. Your opponent was probably aiming for the vital point at your carotid artery."

As Yubi spoke, his fingers moved, and a small, gleaming silver scalpel spun between them before settling firmly in his grip.

His simple remark left the Chunin in front of him looking somewhat stunned.

Clearly, Yubi had been right.

"This will hurt a little. Please bear with it."

Yubi warned him.

Immediately afterward, the tiny blade's silver gleam flashed rapidly across the man's arm.

Yubi's movements were exceptionally deft as he cut away the rotten flesh, his moving arm even leaving afterimages.

The wounded Chunin had only just furrowed his brow at the pain.

When he looked closely, the boy had already applied medicine to the wound and bandaged it again with clean dressings.

The entire process flowed seamlessly, without a pause.

"Impressive."

The sight prompted even the other Chunin to voice their praise.

Although it was not Medical Ninjutsu, his proficiency in treating external injuries alone was enough to impress them.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully treating an injured person. Medical experience +5... Keep up the good work. The more experience you have, the more related medical skills and items you can exchange it for!"

After he finished bandaging the wound, the familiar system voice also rang out in Yubi's mind.

He was used to it.

By the cave entrance, Sasori glanced at Yubi's back, a flicker passing through his eyes.

There was no telling what he was thinking.

He and Yubi were the same age and had even been born on the same day... They were also classmates.

But he actually knew little about the people his own age in the village. It could also be said that this was a result of his personality.

Yubi, however, was an exception.

Because Granny Chiyo... would occasionally mention him.

This had left Sasori with a relatively deep impression of Yubi.