บท 25: Chapter 25: Battlefield

The First Ninja War, despite being called a "war," was more like two villages locked in a prolonged battle of attrition Konoha versus Kumogakure, and Kirigakure versus Iwagakure. Compared to the large-scale conflicts that would occur in the future, this war was relatively monotonous. Still, the fighting dragged on for years, and Orochimaru couldn't quite understand how these small forces, with only a few thousand on each side, could sustain such a lengthy conflict.

"Are they really that cautious, dragging things out for years?" Orochimaru mused to himself, though he quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn't his place to question the strategies of warlords or generals from centuries past.

He originally had plans of his own plans to exchange a weakened version of the basic gene enhancing fluid he had recently developed in exchange for Konoha's support in furthering his scientific research. He also had hopes of gaining access to the remains of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, whose cells were of great interest to him.

But with the sudden arrival of a mission, those plans had to be put on hold.

An hour later, fully armed, Orochimaru stood at the entrance of Konoha Village alongside Tsunade and Jiraiya. All three were dressed in standard ninja gear: forehead protectors, ninja uniforms, weapon pouches, scrolls, leg wraps, and ninja shoes. This wasn't their first mission, but until now, their tasks had been mundane D-rank missions like picking up garbage, weeding fields, catching cats, and delivering letters.

On rare occasions, they had gone on missions outside the village, but those were just to deal with local bandits hardly a challenge for any of them. In fact, they had never even encountered a true wandering ninja, much less an enemy of notable strength. The bandits they did fight were weak, the kind of scum that even Naruto's shadow clones could defeat in seconds later in the timeline.

But this mission was different.

When Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya arrived at the entrance of Konoha, they found Hiruzen already waiting for them. He, too, was fully armed, wearing black battle armor that gave him a commanding presence. Despite his serious appearance, there was a glint of pride in his eyes as he looked at his three students.

Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction especially when it came to Orochimaru. The boy's natural talent and dedication made him a prodigy, one that Hiruzen was proud to call his disciple.

"Let's go," Hiruzen said simply.

There were no inspiring speeches or fiery words. Just those simple words to kick off the mission.

As they traveled, Hiruzen briefed them on the details of the mission. According to his information, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had already returned to the front lines with a force of seasoned ninjas. The enemy Cloud Ninjas from Kumogakure had begun to retreat. With the most intense fighting over, the battlefield was now less dangerous.

Still, Hiruzen wanted his students to experience the reality of war. They were the future of Konoha, and he had a duty to prepare them for what was to come. He wanted them to see firsthand just how brutal the battlefield could be.

As they moved swiftly through the forest, the four of them jumped from tree to tree, moving like shadows through the foliage. The scenery on both sides blurred as they sped toward the frontlines.

"Heh, finally!" Jiraiya said with excitement, barely able to contain himself. "We're going to the battlefield! I bet we're the youngest ones out there, huh?"

Indeed, at barely nine years old, the three of them were quite young to be deployed to a battlefield during the First Ninja World War. However, Orochimaru, who knew the future, couldn't help but think that their age was rather late compared to the standards that would come in future wars. In the original timeline, Uchiha Itachi was brought to the battlefield at the age of four, and Kakashi graduated from the Academy at five and became a Chunin at six, immediately seeing combat.

Compared to those prodigies, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya's age didn't seem particularly early at all.

The closer they got to the frontlines, the more signs of battle they encountered.

They arrived at the northeastern defense line of the Land of Fire, and immediately, the devastation of war was apparent. Trees were splintered and swayed ominously, and rocks were shattered into fragments. The ground was littered with kunai, shuriken, and broken ninja swords, signs of the intense battles that had taken place there.

If one looked closely, they could even spot corpses that hadn't yet been removed.

"This… is war…" Jiraiya muttered, his voice much quieter now. His earlier excitement was completely gone, replaced by an uneasy silence as he took in the carnage around him.

The sight of the corpses their eyes wide open, their faces twisted in pain was enough to unsettle even Tsunade. She had trained to become a strong kunoichi, but no amount of training could prepare a person for the horrors of war. Both she and Jiraiya had grown up in a peaceful village, and this was their first real taste of the battlefield.

Orochimaru, however, remained calm. Whether it was because of the mental fortitude he had developed in his previous life or because he had mentally prepared himself for what he knew was inevitable, he wasn't shaken by the scene before him. In fact, he felt a strange detachment. This wasn't the first time he had seen death, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Be careful," Hiruzen said after checking the condition of the nearest corpse. "We're still half a day's journey from the front line, but things can change quickly."

The three young ninjas nodded, their senses sharp and alert.

They were about to continue when suddenly—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six figures appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them. The sound of shuriken cutting through the air filled the clearing.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were startled, quickly assuming defensive positions. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, observing the six figures that had surrounded them. He focused on the forehead protectors they wore.

"One of our own?" Orochimaru murmured under his breath.

In the chaos of battle, identifying friend from foe was crucial. The forehead protector was the first line of identification. Even if an enemy used transformation jutsu, they wouldn't attack someone wearing the same village's protector unless they were absolutely sure.

The leader of the group, a ninja wearing sunglasses, stepped forward.

"Is that you, Hiruzen sama?" the man asked.

Hiruzen smiled slightly. "Ah, Aburame Takuya. It's good to see you."

Hearing their leader's name called, the other five ninjas visibly relaxed. They lowered their weapons and dispersed slightly, allowing the tension in the air to ease.

"Identity confirmed. Stand down," Takuya ordered his men.

Orochimaru, watching all this unfold, realized just how tense and dangerous the battlefield really was. It was much more rigorous than he had imagined. Even in seemingly safe territory, trust was something fragile and easily broken.

This was the reality of war a reality they would soon face firsthand.