The rain in the Land of Grass had finally stopped.
Hatake Sakumo stood in front of the temporary command tent, looking toward the opposite bank of the Kusa River.
"Squad Three has returned," the aide behind him reported quietly.
Sakumo turned around and saw three ninja helping one another into the camp.
The one in front was a young special jōnin. His right sleeve hung empty, and the bandages around the wound were already soaked through with blood.
"Go to the medical tent."
"Lord Sakumo..." The young ninja stopped. "Squad Four... was wiped out."
The camp fell silent for an instant.
"Understood." Sakumo's voice did not change. "Go get treated."
He closed his eyes, and the faces of Squad Four's members appeared in his mind.
He remembered every one of their names.
Only yesterday, when they had received their orders, they had said that once the war was over, they would return to Konoha and have a proper feast.
"Report."
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
The head of the medical unit stood outside the tent, obvious exhaustion written across his face.
"Come in."
"Lord Sakumo, the medical unit is almost out of disinfectant." There was urgency in his voice.
Sakumo tapped his fingers lightly against the table twice.
"How long will the medicine we still have last?"
"Three days. If we get too many wounded, it won't even last one."
"I understand. You may go."
After the medical captain left, the tent fell silent again.
Sakumo picked up his brush and wrote a few words on the battle report, then stopped.
Squad Four.
Yamagami Dōtō, chūnin, nineteen years old. Married last year. His wife worked in the maternity ward of Konoha Hospital.
Watanabe Kōsuke, chūnin, twenty-two years old. He had a child who had just turned one.
...
All dead.
Sakumo put down the brush, stood, and walked outside the tent.
The Land of Grass after the rain was filled with the damp smell of earth, mixed with a faint trace of blood drifting from the distance.
No one in the camp spoke.
Several ninja who had just come off the front lines sat with their heads lowered, wiping their kunai with slow, mechanical movements.
A medical ninja stepped out of the casualty tent, crouched beside it, removed his blood-soaked gloves, and buried his face in his knees.
No one disturbed him.
Before long, several more ninja arrived with battlefield reports.
"Lord Sakumo, Squad Six encountered an Iwagakure reconnaissance team during patrol. One killed, two seriously wounded."
"Send the wounded to the medical unit. Pull Squad Six back to rest and have Squad Nine take their position."
"Lord Sakumo." The aide held the latest casualty report. "Today's numbers are ready."
Sakumo accepted it and read line by line beneath the light of the campfire.
Squad Seven encountered an Iwagakure surprise-attack unit upstream along the Kusa River. Two killed, one missing.
Squad Eleven was ambushed by a Kumogakure reconnaissance team while escorting medical supplies. The squad leader was killed, and two members were seriously wounded.
The special jōnin from Squad Three who had been badly wounded earlier failed to survive in the medical tent.
...
Sakumo closed the report.
"Have the belongings of the fallen all been collected?"
"Yes." The aide did not leave. "Lord Sakumo, we no longer have enough troops."
The campfire cracked softly, sending several sparks drifting into the night sky.
"I'll request reinforcements from the village."
Konoha's reinforcements arrived at the Land of Grass camp on the evening of the third day.
Jiraiya led the force, with a mixed group of chūnin and jōnin behind him.
"Sorry. We're late." For once, Jiraiya did not joke. "We had to take a detour."
Sakumo nodded and swept his gaze over the force behind him.
"How is the village?"
"How do you think?" Jiraiya shook his head. "Kirigakure has started probing from the direction of the Land of Waves. Orochimaru is leading troops to establish defenses along the eastern coast, and Tsunade is overseeing the expansion of the medical corps in the village. The good news is that chakra armor has entered mass production."
...
Morning in Konoha Village.
The mist had not yet fully dispersed.
Obito stood at the entrance to the training ground and let out a long yawn.
"Why do we have to wake up even earlier after graduating than before...?"
"Because war won't wait for you to wake up before it begins."
A voice came from behind him.
Obito nearly jumped out of his skin. When he turned around, he saw Asuma.
"I heard that starting today, all newly graduated genin have to undergo one month of intensive training."
"Intensive training?"
The moment Obito finished speaking, Guy's powerful voice rang out from the center of the training ground.
"One thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight! One thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine! Two thousand!!!"
Guy flipped out of his handstand and landed firmly on his feet.
"Finished! Two thousand one-handed handstand push-ups!" He raised a fist. "This is the power of youth!!!"
The genin warming up nearby looked at him with complicated expressions—some admiration, some helplessness, and some clear acceptance that this guy really is insane.
"Morning, Obito, Asuma." Guy noticed them. "Why are you only arriving now? I've already completed the first part of today's training."
"We're not like you." Obito rolled his eyes. "Normal people wake up at seven, not five."
"How can youth be wasted on sleep!" Guy slapped Obito on the shoulder. "Come on, let's do five hundred frog jumps to warm up!"
"No!"
Just as Obito tried to escape Guy's clutches, Rin approached carrying a medical kit.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Rin!" Obito immediately broke free from Guy's hand and straightened his clothes. "Good morning."
"I heard today's training will involve practical combat. Everyone, be careful and try not to get hurt." Rin placed the medical kit on a nearby rock. "I brought some emergency medicine."
"Practical combat?" Guy's eyes instantly lit up. "Excellent! This is the perfect opportunity to pour out the sweat of youth!"
"Form up."
A voice came from the front of the training ground.
Standing before them was a jōnin.
"My name is Sarutobi Shinichirō. Starting today, I'll be responsible for the intensive training of this batch of genin."
He looked over the group of children who had just graduated from the academy.
"First, let me tell you one fact. The front lines are desperately short on manpower."
Several people in the formation instinctively straightened their backs.
"You're lucky. Lord Third Hokage issued a strict order that newly graduated genin are not to be assigned directly to frontline combat units. That means you have at least one month."
He paused.
"There are only three things I'm going to teach you here: how to determine the enemy's position in the shortest possible time, how to keep fighting after you're wounded, and how to come back alive when everything has gone wrong."
The wind swept across the training ground.
No one spoke.
"Do you understand?"
"Understood!" More than a dozen voices answered unevenly.
"I can't hear you."
"UNDERSTOOD!!!"
Sarutobi Shinichirō let his gaze linger on their faces for a second, then nodded.
"Good. First subject..."
By the time the sun reached the middle of the sky, bodies were sprawled all over the training ground.
"This is only the first day." Obito leaned against one of the wooden posts. "There's still an entire month left."
Guy raised a thumb.
"So fulfilling! This is the proper way to pour out the sweat of youth!"