Naruto's fortieth anniversary.
The Second Shinobi World War had come to an end.
Across the endless Gobi Desert of the Land of Wind, several figures raced over the sand like shadows skimming the earth.
"Listen up, all three of you. This may only be a routine border patrol mission, but that doesn't mean you can lower your guard."
The brown-haired young man leading the group spoke without turning back. His voice was cold and steady, dry as the wind that swept across the desert.
"Things in the Land of Rain have calmed down a little for now, but Hanzo of the Salamander hasn't given up on expansion. Amegakure only made peace with Konoha. Between them and us, friction still remains."
"Yes, sir."
There were five people in the team.
But Yubi knew very well that the man's warning did not truly include the red-haired boy running at his side.
Sasori of the Red Sand.
A prodigy of Sunagakure. A future member of the Akatsuki. The man who would one day become one of the sparks that set off the Third Shinobi World War.
Yubi glanced sideways.
As if sensing it, Sasori turned his head too and met his eyes for an instant.
That brief look was as cold and sharp as a blade.
"And it's not just Amegakure," the leader continued. "During this war, the ones from the Land of Water have been making moves as well. They're always trying to find an opening to cross into our territory. Those pests are even more annoying than Konoha's enemies."
He paused, then added in a more measured tone, "This is the first official mission the three of you have taken since becoming village shinobi. The main purpose is to gain experience. If you run into danger... retreat immediately."
Among the four younger members of the squad, aside from Yubi and Sasori, the other two genin wore solemn expressions. But beneath that seriousness, excitement still flickered in their eyes.
That was only natural.
For a village ninja, stepping onto the battlefield and proving yourself was something many students dreamed about while still in the Academy.
Rasa.
Gaara's future father. Possessor of the Magnet Release bloodline.
Yubi watched the young man leading them onward and quietly repeated the name to himself.
At this point in time, Rasa was already a jonin, one of Sunagakure's strongest combatants.
As they ran, Rasa turned his head and looked toward Yubi. His gaze lingered on the short-haired boy's youthful face and the faint freckles scattered across it.
"Yubi, you're a medical ninja. If battle breaks out, you don't need to rush to the front. Your job is to treat your comrades. Do you still remember the rules they taught you at the Academy?"
Yubi answered without hesitation.
"First, a medical ninja must never stop treating a comrade until that comrade dies. Second, a medical ninja must never stand on the front line. Third, a medical ninja must never die before any other member of the squad."
"Good."
Rasa gave a satisfied nod.
"On the battlefield, the importance of medical ninja is obvious. You're the key to preserving a team's combat strength and survival."
He glanced at Yubi again, and this time the sternness in his voice softened slightly.
"You have talent. Even Lady Chiyo has mentioned you before."
Yubi only smiled.
There was no pride on his face, not even a trace.
"Still, with Sasori beside you, I don't think this mission will be a problem."
After saying that, Rasa cast a meaningful look at Sasori, who remained as expressionless as ever.
Clearly, the higher-ups of the village had placed immense confidence in this generation.
Sasori was not even ten years old yet, but within Sunagakure, his talent was already considered unmatched. At that age, he had already completed missions far beyond what most children could handle, and his experience in combat was richer than many adults'.
An hour later, the five of them crossed the Gobi Desert and reached a canyon. Steep cliffs rose on both sides, jagged and barren, with weathered rock stretching as far as the eye could see.
The moment they arrived, a Sand Village chunin with a cloth band tied around his forehead hurried over to meet them.
"Lord Rasa."
The chunin bowed respectfully.
"I've brought the people," Rasa said. He pointed at Yubi and the others without wasting a single extra word. "These little brats are yours now."
After giving a few brief instructions, he turned and left.
As one of the village's strongest fighters, Rasa had more important matters to handle. There was no chance he would personally babysit a handful of children.
"Come with me."
Once Rasa was gone, the chunin's gaze paused on Sasori for a moment before he led the four of them deeper into the canyon. They leaped again and again across the cliff faces, their bodies flashing from rock to rock. After roughly a quarter of an hour, they finally stopped at the mouth of a cave hidden in the stone wall.
Because of the canyon's shape, the place was full of wind gaps.
Sandstorms occasionally swept through the valley in restless waves, leaving the entire environment harsh and unforgiving.
Inside the cave, five or six Sunagakure shinobi were resting.
The arrival of Yubi and the others did not stir much of a reaction.
But the moment they saw Sasori, their expressions shifted.
Yubi took in every one of those changes.
It couldn't be helped. In Sunagakure, Sasori shone too brightly. On top of that, he was Chiyo's grandson.
This was not Konoha.
Sunagakure at this point was full of monsters and prodigies. And over in Konoha, the so-called golden generation, represented by Namikaze Minato, had already begun to emerge.
After a brief round of introductions to their seniors, the four of them found a space in the cave and sat down.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
Heavy. Tight.
The other two genin seemed especially affected. Under the pressure in the cave, they barely even dared to breathe too loudly.
Sasori, however, offered no introduction at all.
He simply sat near the mouth of the cave, took out a scroll, released several puppet components, and began repairing and adjusting them with quiet concentration.
"You don't need to be that nervous."
The chunin who had brought them in was named Nomura. Seeing straight through the thoughts of the children, he spoke in a tone that was almost comforting.
"Our patrol zone is still some distance from the true border line. Strictly speaking, this is the second defensive line. It's not as dangerous as the first. Our main purpose here is to prevent enemy mobile squads from slipping past the frontline and infiltrating deeper into the country. If anything happens, the patrol units ahead of us will send intelligence in time so we can prepare."
"And even if enemies do show up, there won't be many of them."
As a village ninja, this was something everyone had to go through eventually.
A school was only a school.
It had never been the same as a real battlefield.
Needless to say, Sasori had long since adapted to this kind of atmosphere. The battlefield did nothing to disturb him.
And Yubi was calm as well.
Only the two children who had just graduated from the Academy were still a little uneasy.
Not dangerous?
Yubi's heart tightened.
The Second Shinobi World War was not truly over yet. Even if the war were declared finished, the shockwaves it left behind—and the small skirmishes between villages—would never stop so easily. It would be a long time before any genuine calm arrived, and even when it did, it would only last briefly.
Because very soon, the Third Shinobi World War would erupt.
As that thought passed through his mind, Yubi's eyes moved toward the deepest corner of the cave.
A wounded man lay there.
He was another chunin. His face was pale, his breathing weak. One arm was wrapped in gauze, and though the wound had already received basic treatment, blood was still seeping through.
It looked infected.
"Senior, may I have a look?"
With the others watching, Yubi walked over and took out his first-aid kit.
"I'm a medical ninja."
He crouched in front of the injured man and smiled.
The chunin hesitated for a second, then gave a faint nod.
Yubi carefully removed the blood-soaked bandage. As expected, the flesh around the wound had already begun to rot, and pus was leaking from inside.
"You were stabbed by a kunai, weren't you? The wound is fairly deep. From the angle, it was probably a close-range strike from the side or behind. The attacker was likely aiming for your carotid artery."
As he spoke, Yubi flicked his fingers.
A small silver scalpel flashed into view, spinning once before settling firmly into his grasp.
The chunin stared at him, visibly startled.
Yubi had guessed correctly.
"It'll hurt a little. Bear with it."
The warning had barely left his mouth when a cold silver line flashed across the man's arm.
Yubi moved astonishingly fast. He cut away the rotting flesh with clean precision, so quickly that the motion of his hand left behind a faint afterimage.
The wounded chunin's brows knitted together from the pain.
But by the time he looked down again, Yubi had already finished applying medicine and wrapped the wound with a fresh bandage.
Every movement flowed into the next without the slightest pause.
"Sharp work."
One of the nearby chunin couldn't help praising him.
Even without using medical ninjutsu, his skill in treating external injuries alone was enough to impress.
At that moment, the familiar mechanical voice rang inside Yubi's mind.
Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully treated an injured person and gained 5 Medical Experience Points. Keep working hard! The more experience points you accumulate, the more medical skills and items you can exchange for!
Yubi was already used to it.
At the mouth of the cave, Sasori looked over at his back.
There was a strange glint in those eyes, one that revealed nothing and suggested everything. No one could tell what he was thinking.
He and Yubi were the same age.
They had even been born on the same day.
They were classmates too.
Yet Sasori had never truly understood the children around him in the village. Part of that was simply his nature.
But Yubi was different.
An exception.
Because Lady Chiyo mentioned him from time to time.
That alone had left an unusually deep impression on Sasori.
And now, in the dim cave carved into the canyon wall, that impression deepened further.