After Mizuki had treated several wounded shinobi, Tsubaki-san was ready to evacuate everyone per Mizuki's instructions. As the war escalated, it was only a matter of time before this vulnerable but critical outpost would be affected. The sporadic enemy sightings were just the beginning.
"Tsubaki-san, are you alright? Do you need help?" Mizuki asked with concern. Of the few non-combatants nearby, only Tsubaki-san had any real offensive capability, and even she could barely hold her own. If they encountered a powerful enemy away from the outpost, there would be little they could do. The world's protection was thinner than it looked.
"I'm fine, Mizuki-kun," Tsubaki said, shaking her head. "The enemy won't reach here for a while. If you leave now, you should be able to make it without issue. You still have a mission—so get going already~"
On the battlefield, if a medical-nin is even a moment late, a comrade could die.
"It's alright. Treating everyone here is still part of my mission."
"Then we'll head out first."
...
Watching Tsubaki-san and her group move toward the rear lines, Mizuki pushed his concerns aside and sprinted toward the battlefield.
From a distance, he saw that part of Konoha's defensive wall had been smashed open by a massive summoning—a giant python. A squad of shinobi was desperately hurling kunai with explosive tags, trying to slow the creature down. Meanwhile, a flood of Sunagakure ninja slipped through the breach, clashing with Konoha defenders who had been lying in wait.
"Summoning Techniques really are remarkable. A powerful summoning contract is a lifetime treasure for many shinobi. No wonder people say that without his toads, Jiraiya-sama's strength would be significantly reduced…"
Seeing the chaotic clash, Mizuki didn't rush in blindly. If this could be resolved with large-scale ninjutsu, someone like him—barely a Chūnin—would only be a liability. After a moment of scanning the field, he spotted a familiar figure: the towering Ibiki-san, with his unmistakable facial scar.
"Captain Ibiki-san?" Mizuki called out. "Can I assist you in any way?"
Ibiki-san turned, grim as ever. "I've told you—I'm not a captain anymore... Well, no. I am again. Patrol division this time."
Not the squad leader from Mizuki's last mission, but captain again all the same.
"Understood. I'm supporting the front line as a medical-nin this time," Mizuki explained, seeing how composed and commanding Ibiki-san remained under pressure.
"Good. Come with me…"
Ibiki-san led Mizuki to a makeshift aid station nearby. His face darkened as he scanned the scene.
"Why are there so few here? There should be more wounded, right?" he asked sharply.
Only a handful of medics were tending to a small number of injured shinobi.
"Most didn't make it this far," Ibiki-san said flatly.
The words hit Mizuki hard.
"They didn't need treatment? That means… they're dead. Or no one could recover their bodies…"
"In the first wave, we were caught completely off guard. The enemy used massive summons to coordinate with Sunagakure's elite units. Many died instantly. Others were critically wounded, and we just couldn't extract them…"
Mizuki said nothing, but Ibiki-san continued anyway.
In war, if the defending force couldn't predict the enemy's focus, the attacker had the overwhelming advantage. The initial strike always dealt the heaviest damage.
Just then, another thunderous crash shook the ground. A massive toad—clearly one of Jiraiya-sama's—leapt into battle, engaging the giant snake.
"Jiraiya-sama's arrived?" Mizuki murmured.
"Oh? So you know he's back?" Ibiki-san raised an eyebrow. "I thought that was still classified."
"I was the one who reported it to Sandaime-sama," Mizuki said offhandedly.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Mizuki looked to Ibiki-san seriously. "If more wounded arrive, bring them here. I'll hold out until the medical corps arrives. I still have another assignment after this—the other side's getting worse."
Whether it was Orochimaru or Ichibi no Jinchūriki, the situation elsewhere wasn't any better.
"Understood. We're short-handed everywhere," Ibiki-san nodded. "Just hold out until backup arrives."
It was unusual that the medical corps hadn't reached the front yet, but considering the village still didn't have a clear picture of the enemy's full plan, the Chūnin Exam venue remained a likely target of the invasion.
Meanwhile, as Mizuki continued his role as a makeshift medic, Uchiha Sasuke had already engaged Gaara.
Haruno Sakura stared in horror at Gaara, whose form had become barely human.
"So this is why Mizuki-sensei said Gaara was the strongest genin... Even all the others combined couldn't beat him. But what is this?"
Sasuke's Chidori had hit Gaara twice. It inflicted serious damage—but hadn't stopped him. If anything, it made him more violent.
"Now, Sakura!" Sasuke barked, preparing another Chidori. He'd already pushed beyond the limit Kakashi-sensei had warned him about.
"My body's exhausted… But the medical ninjutsu really helped. I can still fight..."
He cast a quick glance at Sakura.
She quickly formed seals and activated a sealing formation. The oppressive force pinned down Gaara—no longer recognizable—barely holding him in place.
Gaara, consumed by the Shukaku's influence, thrashed wildly in rage.
"He's even more dangerous than before... This power is terrifying."
Sakura locked eyes with Sasuke as he charged forward again. She didn't need to guide him—the Sharingan saw everything. But still—
"The Cursed Seal on his neck is acting up again… It'd be better if he didn't use his Sharingan anymore."
The repeated use of Chidori and chakra depletion pushed Sasuke's body to its limit. The cursed seal flared, unstable. Sakura had just treated him—she knew how fragile he really was beneath that drive for power.
Elsewhere, in the heart of the Chūnin Exam arena, the barrier of the Four Violet Flames Formation isolated the Third Hokage as he faced Orochimaru—and the reanimated First and Second Hokage.
"I didn't think I'd need to use it... But here we are."
If Orochimaru had come alone, Hiruzen-sama wouldn't be worried. But with two former Hokage summoned through Edo Tensei, the battlefield had become a nightmare.
"So this is how the legend ends... Konoha's future... I won't get to see it."
Visit patreon.com/Morgansenpai to get 30+ chapters