Year 40 of the Naruto World.
The tail end of the Second Great Ninja War.
Within the Land of Wind, several figures were sprinting rapidly across the vast.Desert.
"You three listen up. Even though this is just a routine border patrol mission, you must not let your guard down."
"Currently, things may have quieted down over in the Land of Rain, but Hanzo's desire for expansion hasn't been extinguished... Amegakure has only ceased hostilities with Konoha; they still have friction with us."
The brown-haired young man leading the team coldly admonished the juniors.
"Yes."
The entire squad consisted of five people.
But Yuji understood perfectly well that the man's admonitions did not include the red-haired boy beside him.
The genius of the Hidden Sand Village, a future member of the Akatsuki Organization, Sasori of the Red Sand.
Also the instigator who would light the fuse for the Third Great Ninja War.
Yuji glanced at Sasori, who noticed and shot him a look in return.
"Besides Amegakure, the guys from the Land of Water have also been restless during this Ninja World War... constantly looking for opportunities to infiltrate our territory. Those fleas are even more annoying than the Konoha opponents."
"This is the first official Village mission for you three. Focus on gaining experience. If you truly encounter danger... retreat immediately."
The leading young man spoke again.
Among the teammates, aside from Yuji and Sasori, the remaining two Genin wore serious expressions, but a flicker of excitement was hidden in their eyes.
After all, as Ninja of the Village... setting foot on the battlefield and testing their mettle was something they had looked forward to since their academy days.
Rasa.
Gaara's father, possessing the Bloodline Limit ability of Magnet Release.
Yuji looked at the young man leading them to the mission location and thought silently.
At this point in time, the other party was already a Jonin and a top-tier combatant for the Hidden Sand Village.
"Yuji... you are a Medical Ninja. So, if combat breaks out, there's no need to rush to the front line. Your task is to heal your comrades. Do you remember the principles taught at the academy?" Rasa asked while running swiftly, glancing at the short-haired boy with a youthful face and a few freckles.
"First, a Medical Ninja must never give up on treatment before a teammate dies. Second, a Medical Ninja must never stand on the foremost battle line. Third, a Medical Ninja must never die before any other member of the squad."
Yuji replied.
"Hmm."
Rasa nodded upon hearing this. "On the battlefield, the importance of a Medical Ninja is self-evident... you are the key to ensuring the squad's combat effectiveness and survival."
"Your talent as a Medical Ninja is quite good... I've heard Grandma Chiyo mention you."
Yuji smiled slightly, not showing a trace of pride on his face.
"However, with Sasori accompanying you, I believe this mission won't be a problem for you."
Having said that, Rasa gave Sasori, who had maintained an indifferent expression, another meaningful look.
Clearly, he had considerable confidence in this junior.
Though not yet ten years old, the talent Sasori had displayed within the Village was undoubtedly in a league of his own.
Moreover, at such a young age, he had already excellently completed numerous missions.
And possessed extensive combat experience.
An hour later, the group of five traversed the.Desert and arrived at a Canyon of steep cliffs, their eyes filled with towering bald rocks.
As soon as they reached the destination, a Chunin from the Hidden Sand with a cloth wrapped around his head quickly appeared to receive them.
"Lord Rasa."
The Chunin greeted Rasa with a respectful expression.
"I've brought the people... just these kids. They're in your hands now."
Without further pleasantries, Rasa pointed at Yuji and the others, gave a few instructions, then turned and left.
As one of the Village's top-tier combatants, he currently had plenty of things to keep him busy... it was impossible for him to personally look after a few kids.
"Follow me."
After Rasa left, the Chunin's gaze lingered on Sasori for a moment before leading the four of them in successive leaps along the Canyon cliffs. Half a quarter-hour later, they finally stopped at the mouth of a Cave hidden within a Rocky Cliff.
Due to the Canyon terrain, there were many wind gaps.
Occasionally, wind and sand swirled within the gorge, creating a very harsh environment.
Inside the Cave, five or six Hidden Sand Ninja were resting.
They showed little reaction to the arrival of Yuji and the others.
Only when they saw Sasori did their expressions change slightly.
Yuji took in everyone's reactions.
It couldn't be helped; within the Hidden Sand Village, Sasori truly shone too brightly... and he was Grandma Chiyo's grandson.
The current Hidden Sand wasn't like Konoha, teeming with monsters and geniuses... and at this very moment, Konoha had even produced what they called the 'golden generation,' represented by Minato Namikaze.
The group briefly introduced themselves by name to the seniors, then found an empty spot inside the Cave to sit down.
They could clearly feel the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive and serious.
Especially the other two Genin in the squad, who hardly dared to breathe, feeling immense pressure.
Sasori, however, didn't introduce himself. He simply sat by the Cave entrance, pulled out a scroll, released some puppet parts, and began repairing and tinkering with them.
"You don't need to be too nervous. Our patrol area here is still some distance from the border. Strictly speaking, it belongs to the second line of defense... the danger is already much lower compared to the front line. It's mainly to guard against enemy covert mobile squads infiltrating past the first line and slipping into our territory. If there's any real danger, the frontline patrols will send information in time, allowing us to prepare."
"Even if there are enemies, their numbers won't be large."
The Chunin named Nomura, who had brought them into the Cave, sensing the kids' apprehension, offered a word of comfort.
As Ninja of the Village, this was all part of the experience.
After all, the academy was just the academy, different from the real battlefield environment.
Of this four-person squad, Sasori, needless to say, was already completely accustomed to this kind of battlefield atmosphere.
And this boy named Yuji was also very calm.
Only those two children who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy were a bit apprehensive.
'Not dangerous... how could that be?'
Yuji thought to himself.
Currently, the Second Great Ninja War hadn't truly ended. Even if the Second Great Ninja War were declared over, the subsequent series of effects and small-scale frictions between various Villages never ceased. It would be a long time before a brief period of true peace arrived, and even that was limited.
Because soon after, the Third Great Ninja War would erupt.
Thinking of this, Yuji noticed the wounded person lying in the deepest corner of the Cave.
This person was also a Chunin, with a pale face and weak breathing.
His arm was wrapped in gauze; the wound had clearly received simple treatment but was still oozing blood.
It seemed infected.
"Senior, may I take a look?"
Under everyone's gaze, Yuji walked over and took out his First-aid Medical Kit.
"I'm a Medical Ninja."
Yuji squatted in front of the man and smiled.
The other man nodded hesitantly.
Then, Yuji unwrapped the blood-stained gauze. Sure enough, he saw that the flesh around the wound was somewhat rotten and oozing pus.
"You were stabbed by a Kunai, right... the wound is quite deep. Judging from the angle, it was likely an attack launched from close range, from the side and rear. The attacker probably aimed for your Carotid Artery Pressure Point."
As Yuji spoke, his fingers moved, and a small, shiny silver scalpel instantly twirled and was grasped between his fingertips.
His simple statement caused the Chunin before him to look surprised.
Clearly, Yuji was correct.
"This might hurt a bit; please bear with it."
Yuji warned.
Immediately after, the glint of the small, sharp blade flashed rapidly across the man's arm.
Yuji's movements were extremely deft, excising the rotten flesh; the movements of his arm even left afterimages.
The wounded Chunin had just begun to frown, feeling the pain.
When he looked closely, the boy had already applied medicine to the wound and re-bandaged it with clean gauze.
The actions were performed seamlessly, smooth and flowing.
"Impressive."
This scene prompted the other Chunin to offer a word of praise.
Although it wasn't Medical Ninjutsu, just this level of proficiency in treating external injuries was eye-catching.
'Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully treating an injured person. Medical experience points +5... Please keep up the good work. The more experience points, the more medical skills and items you can exchange for!'
After finishing the bandaging, the familiar system voice sounded in Yuji's mind.
He was used to it.
Sasori, sitting by the Cave entrance, glanced at Yuji's back, his gaze flickering.
It was unclear what he was thinking.
He and Yuji were the same age, even born on the same day... and were classmates.
But he actually didn't know much about people his own age in the Village, perhaps due to his personality.
But Yuji was an exception.
Because Grandma Chiyo... occasionally mentioned this person.
This made Yuji leave a relatively deep impression on Sasori.