Naruto: From Novice to Grave

Unlike the chaotic situation in the three northern kingdoms, the battle in the southeast was not critical. The only reason for the need for reinforcements was that a portion of the forces, mainly the Hyuga, had been diverted to support the north.

The force led by Suzaku Nara was a support team squeezed out by Konoha.

More than half of them were newbies who had graduated only a few years ago, which shows that by now, Konoha's number of available ninjas had indeed reached a critical point.

Other ninja villages, large and small, are pretty much the same. Once war breaks out, no one can escape it. Small ninja villages like Kusanagi, Taki, and Yu hope that the major powers will fight each other out while they hide on the sidelines and reap the benefits? Dream on.

What was the most important thing for ninjas during wartime marches?

The key is to maintain sufficient physical strength to deal with emergencies, prioritize stability and safety, and simply arrive at the destination within the stipulated time.

After eliminating a group of Higashino ninjas they had unexpectedly encountered and cleaning up the battlefield, it was already night. The Jonin leading the group decided to rest on the spot before continuing their advance. They arrived at the Eastern Front battlefield command post at around 7 a.m. the next day.

This is the difference between ninjas and ordinary people. They crossed half of the Land of Fire in just a day. If they were traveling at full speed, it would take less than half a day.

As they approached the outer perimeter of the command post, the scattered support troops began to gather. At that moment, Higashino saw a group of ninjas wearing Konoha standard vests appear ahead. After confirming their identities with Jonin Suzaku Nara, they instantly disappeared and went back to their posts.

After entering the command post camp, everyone was assigned temporary accommodations for rest according to their squads.

The accommodations were very simple, with only one room where everyone slept together for immediate response in case of an emergency. That's how ninjas are; when on missions or in war, there's no distinction between men and women, and they don't stand on ceremony. They don't even take off their clothes when they sleep.

"You can rest here. We'll talk when I get back!" Moonlight Cloud said before leaving.

As a Jonin, he couldn't be as leisurely as his disciples; he had to attend meetings to understand the general situation at the front lines.

As soon as the teacher left, Uzuki Yugao excitedly asked, "Hey, hey, do you think Lord Orochimaru is here too? The teacher should be able to see him, right?"

Hayate had no idea about such things, and Higashino replied, "Hard to say!"

Uzuki Yugao was a little confused. As the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front, where else could Orochimaru be if he wasn't at the command post?

Before his defection, Orochimaru was highly respected among the Konoha ninjas. After all, he was one of the Legendary Sannin, a disciple of the Hokage, a hero of the first victory in this war, and a strong contender for the Fourth Hokage position. He was an object of admiration for many Konoha ninjas.

His image and temperament aren't very approachable; he can't be as sunny and warm as Minato Namikaze, whose perfect image appeals to all ages.

Just as Higashino Makoto had predicted, around noon, when she saw her teacher return, Uzuki Yugao asked curiously, "Teacher, I heard from others that Lord Orochimaru looks very scary, is that true?"

Seeing that Yueguang Yun's expression was a bit strange, she said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Xiyan, I didn't see that person. Also, please don't spread these rumors you've heard in the future."

"Huh? Didn't you see? Isn't Lord Orochimaru the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front?"

The relationship between Higashino Makoto's team of three and himself was more than just that of disciples. Gekko Unmi whispered, "The one presiding over the meeting is Lord Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan. As for Lord Orochimaru, I heard he often disappears. I wonder what he's up to."

Uzuki Yugao was somewhat disappointed: "How could this be?"

How could this be? Higashino thought to himself that Orochimaru probably had lost interest in war and such. The reason he agreed to take up a post in the East was probably because the Hidden Mist battlefield could provide him with enough interesting experimental material.

As for the specifics, just leave them to Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga. Now that Hiashi Hyuga has been transferred, Fugaku will be happy to command a front, which is exactly what his clan desires. If he achieves enough merit, he can also apply to become a candidate for Hokage.

Moonlight Gale was unmoved by any of this: "Teacher, what are we going to do next?"

"Well, nothing's wrong for now. Just wait for instructions from above."

----------

The time spent waiting cannot be wasted; wouldn't it be a waste not to use the time spent resting for cultivation?

In the afternoon, Higashino Makoto, along with two teammates, went to find the veteran Maruboshi Kosuke to collect coins.

Moonlight Cloud knew a little about this special person and knew that he took good care of the younger generation in the village, so he did not stop him.

After dinner, a ninja came to inform Higashino Makoto to go to the medical station.

Upon arriving at the makeshift hospital, Higashino Makoto saw the people who had been looking for him.

"Uncle Mishima, what can I do for you?"

In an empty ward of the temporary hospital, a middle-aged man with glasses was sitting reading a book. He was not tall, had a friendly face, and looked to be in his thirties.

His name is Toshio Mishima, and he was a colleague of Megumi Higashino at Konoha Hospital. They had a good relationship, and Makoto Higashino often ran into him when he went to the hospital to gain medical experience.

"Shin, you're here. How are you? Do you want to come and help me? With your medical ninjutsu skills, I think it should be a piece of cake."

"Was this my mother's idea?"

Toshio Mishima didn't hide anything: "It was Megumi's idea, but she said in her letter that it's all up to you, and we won't force you."

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Mishima, but I still prefer fighting."

"Haha, just as Hui guessed. Well, no problem. But if I need anything, you'll have to come and help me."

"Okay, I'll be there whenever you call, as long as I'm at the camp."

Just then, a loud female voice came from outside: "Mishima-senpai, Mishima-senpai, quickly heal me!"

As the sound drew closer, the door to the room was pushed open forcefully, and a girl with an afro ponytail burst in.

The girl had dark hair with a slight purple tinge, and her eyes were a similar color. She was a little shorter than Higashino Makoto.

Mishima Toshio covered his forehead speechlessly: "Azuki, where did you and your teacher run off to again?"

"Of course I'm going to do high-level missions! Don't worry about me, heal me quickly, I still need to cultivate tonight."

So this is Orochimaru's only disciple right now, Mitarashi Koya... Red Bean.

How to put it? She's impulsive, carefree, and doesn't pay much attention to manners. She's the kind of single-minded, hot-blooded idiot who's basically a female version of Naruto.

It's hard to imagine that someone with Orochimaru's personality would take on a disciple like this.

Toshio Mishima declined, saying, "I've been busy all day and need to rest."

"Oh dear, what about my wound?"

"Idiot, didn't you notice there's another person here?"

Mitarashi Anko shook her head dramatically in search before pretending to have spotted her target. She and Higashino Mako stared at each other, both feeling that the other was unreliable.

Pointing at Higashino Makoto, she questioned, "This kid is a medical ninja?"

Higashino Makoto raised his left hand, from which green chakra emanated: "Anko-senpai, you seem to have a deep prejudice against your younger peers."

"Huh? Senior? Do we know each other?"

"I don't know you, but I saw you at school. You were two years ahead of me. You graduated when I was a sophomore."

"Hahaha! Is that so? So you're a junior. You seem reliable. I'll have to trouble you then."

"It's no trouble at all."

Higashino Makoto stepped forward and untied the bandage on Anko's arm. He looked at it and saw that it was a wound caused by a sharp blade, and it was quite deep. It had only been cleaned and bandaged.

This kind of injury was naturally easy for Higashino Makoto. While treating the wound, he asked, "Akako-senpai, do you not like eating meat?"

"Meat can't compare to dessert dumplings... Huh? How do you know?"

"You're two years older than me, but you're not even as tall as me, and you still have the nerve to call me a brat?"

red beans:"……"

As long as you don't mention height, we're good friends.

late at night.

The team had already fallen asleep when Higashino suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed a small snake swaying around outside, which was not the behavior of a wild snake.

This is the command post camp for the eastern front of Konoha. The presence of snakes here can only mean one thing.

Someone is trying to seduce him.