Seeing the critical situation, Taiichi didn't waste a second. He bit his left thumb, smeared the blood onto his right palm, and rapidly wove hand signs.
Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a poof of smoke, a slug the size of a wolfhound appeared in the tent.
"Katsuyu-sama! Please stabilize the vital signs of those two wounded men immediately!" Taiichi ordered without even a greeting.
Katsuyu swiveled her eyestalks, scanned the room, and instantly understood the urgency. Without a word, she split herself into two smaller slugs. They crawled onto the critically injured ninja, emitting a soft green chakra glow to sustain their fading lives.
Taiichi rushed to the nearest patient. Seeing the man wrapped head-to-toe in bandages like a mummy, he frowned.
Sachiya, who was still recovering from the shock of seeing a Summoning Beast, noticed Taiichi's expression and asked worriedly, "What's wrong, Taiichi?"
"These bandages are a mess. They aren't stopping the bleeding, and they're in the way of treatment." As he spoke, chakra flared around his right hand, forming a sharp scalpel of energy.
Swish.
With a precise wave, the bandages covering the patient's chest were sliced open and fell away. Not a single scratch appeared on the skin beneath.
Sachiya blushed deeply. He was the one who had applied those bandages. Luckily, Taiichi was too focused to notice his embarrassment.
By now, Saori had arrived. Taiichi didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Saori, Sachiya! Hold down his shoulders and legs. Don't let him move."
"Right!" The two immediately pinned the patient down.
"Large-scale burns from Fire Style, accompanied by severe internal bleeding from blunt force trauma," Taiichi diagnosed rapidly.
His hands glowed green with the Mystical Palm Technique. He pressed them against the patient's chest, sending healing chakra deep into the body to repair the damaged organs and stop the internal bleeding.
Once the bleeding stopped, Taiichi switched techniques. Delicate Illness Extraction Technique.
Time was critical. He made a small incision on the patient's chest. As the jutsu took effect, the accumulated blood pressing on the lungs and heart was drawn out into a sphere of liquid.
With the pressure released, the swollen chest deflated to its normal size. The patient's breathing eased visibly, and his expression relaxed.
Sachiya watched with his jaw on the floor. This skill level is insane! He pulled a dying man back from the brink in seconds!
Internal injuries handled, Taiichi re-ignited his Chakra Scalpels. He began debriding the burned skin inch by inch. Thanks to his proficiency, his movements were fast and precise.
Cleaning done. The green glow of the Mystical Palm returned, this time spreading over the patient's entire body to accelerate skin regeneration.
Minutes later, fresh pink skin covered the previously charred areas.
"Hook him up to an IV. He's severely dehydrated," Taiichi instructed Sachiya without looking back.
He moved immediately to the next patient. "Internal bleeding again. Looks like a kunai pierced the liver." He nodded to the small Katsuyu clone maintaining the ninja's vitals and began the operation.
---
While Taiichi was saving lives, Captain Yamaguchi met with the outpost commander.
"Commander Chiba, this is Jonin Yamaguchi. We've brought the supplies. Also, his squad has a medical ninja; he and another member are already treating the critically wounded," Touyama reported.
"Excellent! You have no idea how timely your arrival is." Chiba beamed with relief, though the excitement made him wince as he aggravated the wound on his left arm.
They had fought hard to repel the enemy without losing anyone in combat. If his men had died after the battle because of a lack of medical care, he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. But now, heaven had sent them a medical ninja.
"Jonin Chiba, what happened? How was the outpost ambushed?" Yamaguchi asked.
"The investigation report just came in. It was bounty hunters. Someone hired them to test the outpost's defenses. We were caught off guard." Chiba waved a scroll in his hand. "Unfortunately, the leader escaped. The ones we captured don't know who the employer is."
"Is there anything we can do? Our mission orders state that we remain to assist if the outpost is in need," Yamaguchi offered.
"That would be a huge help. I sent a hawk to the village asking for reinforcements right after the attack, but until they arrive, we're vulnerable. We need you to help hold the fort." Chiba accepted gratefully. Every bit of strength counted right now.
"Understood. Team 8 is at your disposal."
"Now, let's go see this medical ninja of yours. I should probably get this arm looked at too," Chiba said, inviting Yamaguchi and Yohei along.
When they entered the critical care tent, Taiichi was just finishing up with the third patient.
Unfortunately, this ninja's left arm had been severed at the elbow, and the limb had been destroyed by fire during the battle. Reattachment was impossible. His career as a combat ninja was over.
Though perhaps, in this world, forced retirement wasn't the worst fate. At least he wouldn't die on a mission later.
Sachiya, now free, saw the Commander enter and rushed over excitedly. "Commander! They're alive! All of them! No one died!"
Then his face fell slightly. "But Takayama-senpai lost his arm... Taiichi-senpai said if the limb hadn't been burned, he might have been able to reattach it..."
Hearing that all three were saved, Chiba was shocked. He knew how bad their condition was. Seeing Sachiya's sadness, he comforted him. "Don't be sad. They were practically dead an hour ago. Being alive is a victory worth celebrating!"
"Yes... Yes! You're right! Being alive is enough!" Sachiya nodded vigorously.
Chiba finally got a good look at Taiichi.
First impression: Too young.
Second impression: Too skilled.
Combined impression: Another monster genius from Konoha.
Taiichi finished his work and finally acknowledged the new arrivals.
After introductions, Taiichi didn't waste time. He immediately used the Mystical Palm Technique on Chiba's arm.
It was a minor wound, relatively speaking. But in a war zone, a ninja needed to be at 100%. Natural healing was too slow; magical healing was required.
While treating the Commander, Taiichi turned to Sachiya. "Round up everyone else with injuries. I'll treat them all one by one."
It was a massive undertaking. Even for a small outpost with only a dozen ninja, healing everyone would drain Taiichi's chakra reserves significantly.
"Taiichi... thank you," Chiba sighed, watching the green light knit his flesh back together. "If you hadn't come, this outpost would have been crippled."