Chapter 78: Kabuto Yakushi!
Amidst the tense standoff between Konoha and Sunagakure, the Land of Rivers stands as a tranquil oasis.
That's because there's nothing of value here.
It's all just rivers and more rivers. Even the islands suffer from severe soil erosion, making cultivation extremely difficult.
As for the idea of bypassing through here to invade the Land of Fire?
It's not impossible.
But at most, it would be a small-scale operation. A large-scale invasion would be suicidal because the logistics teams simply can't bypass through here.
Given such a situation, it's no wonder this place remains peaceful.
If it were just Konoha versus Sunagakure, Konoha could easily crush them.
The problem is... Iwagakure has joined the fray.
After Sunagakure cleared the southwestern border outposts, Iwagakure also invaded the northern part of the Land of Fire through the Land of Grass.
What was originally a one-on-one duel has turned into a brawl.
And Iwagakure's involvement signifies one thing.
This isn't just a war between ninja villages; it's a world war in the ninja world.
With three of the five great ninja villages involved, how could the other two not take action?
So even though Kumogakure and Kirigakure haven't made a move yet, Konoha must strengthen its border defenses.
The geographical advantage of being at the center of the ninja world becomes a disadvantage during war.
With defenses spread thin, even though Konoha is the strongest of the five great ninja villages, it finds itself at a disadvantage against Sunagakure.
Sunagakure is going all out, while Konoha can only deploy a fraction of its strength, making it inevitable to fall behind.
For now, this has nothing to do with the Konoha team in the Land of Rivers.
Since they need to protect the poisoned wounded, they haven't been urgently recalled, giving them a long-term mission.
Brilliant!
In this way, their team is essentially on 'paid leave.'
However, this is also because the armies are in a strategic standoff and not in an all-out battle; otherwise, their team wouldn't be idle.
Now you understand why Uchiha Takashi hasn't taken action to heal the poisoned wounded, right?
Besides not wanting to expose his medical abilities, without these wounded, he wouldn't have the chance to enjoy such a good situation.
Every day, he sits by the river fishing, leaving only late at night.
As the strongest member of the team (with Kobayashi injured and poisoned), he naturally has privileges, so no one bothers him.
In the past, Uchiha Takashi was annoyed by those with privileges.
But when the privilege is his to enjoy...
It's delightful!
Yes, he's that much of a double standard.
Today, he routinely arrived at his 'exclusive' fishing spot.
Upon closer inspection, one might notice a flash of red and green intertwined in his pupils.
Of course, it's not contact lenses.
It's the residual influence of natural energy and Hashirama cells.
During this time, Uchiha Takashi can feel his chakra surging wildly.
Anyone else would have been overwhelmed by now.
Every day, his physical attributes, chakra, and fire affinity are improving, as if there's no end in sight.
"Big brother, thank you. This is our gift!"
A few scantily clad children timidly approached, holding out a pink 'shell' that had been polished countless times.
They were the 'residents' of the small island they were temporarily staying on.
And this is the current state of the Land of Rivers.
Although the land on the islands is extremely barren, they can grow some 'beans,' and with some food from the river, they can barely survive.
That is, if they aren't robbed! Bandits, ninjas, starving refugees... all pose constant threats.
The oldest resident on the island is only in their thirties, and everyone is so thin they are practically skin and bones, living in what seems like hell.
And they are grateful to Uchiha Takashi because he defeated the riverbank bandit group.
The bandits would come every year to 'collect taxes,' and after paying, some islanders would starve to death.
Now that the bandits have been defeated, it means no one will starve to death this year.
"..."
Looking at the pure eyes of the children, Uchiha Takashi turned his head to the river.
He's not a saint. While he won't help just because he sees someone in a dire situation, he does have a baseline and some compassion.
The more he witnesses the harsh realities of the ninja world, the more he understands why the five great ninja villages can attract people to join them.
Chapter 78: Yakushi Nono!
At the very least, one could live like a human in the ninja village. Outside of it, living like a human was impossible.
A few children saw that Uchiha Takashi ignored them. Carefully, they put down the shells and left to start working.
Yes, even at just a few years old, they had to labor, using sticks or their hands to loosen soil and weed.
Death and hunger were the main themes of the ninja world.
"Forget it, let those saints worry about it!"
Uchiha Takashi withdrew his gaze and then opened his palm.
He wasn't wearing the Fist of Flames!
Yet a flicker of flame appeared out of thin air, transforming into various shapes in his palm, as if it had a life of its own.
Chakra control! This was a way to train.
All those fanfics he read before crossing over weren't for nothing. At least they provided training ideas, which were much more useful than figuring it out alone.
It was through this method that his chakra control abilities improved significantly.
By evening.
A plump figure rushed to the riverbank, shouting along the way.
"Hurry back, someone's coming!"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Takashi frowned slightly.
If possible, he thought it would be best for them to stay in the Land of Rivers until the end of the ninja world war.
It's only been about a month, and someone is already coming? Isn't that a bit too hasty?
Thinking of this, he was also curious about who Konoha would send, so he stood up.
"Let's go, let's take a look!"
He didn't ask who was coming. If Honda knew, he would have said something.
Soon, Uchiha Takashi arrived at the cliffside cave that had been temporarily converted into a 'hospital.'
Dozens of injured people were lying there.
A few genin were taking care of these people.
As for the logistics personnel, they left halfway.
Sand Ninja wouldn't target those people, so there was no need to worry about their safety.
Inside the cave was a young woman.
She wore a white nun's outfit, round glasses, and had long, beige hair draped over her shoulders. Her demeanor was gentle.
"I am medical ninja Yakushi Nono. This time, thanks to your intervention, Uchiha Takashi-kun, the poison didn't spread!"
She introduced herself.
Yakushi Nono! A name that was unknown.
If Uchiha Takashi wasn't a transmigrator, he might not know who she was.
But as a transmigrator, he knew her identity well.
An elite of the Root!
Her true identity was an elite intelligence operative of the Root.
Of course, her medical ninjutsu was top-notch in the Root, so her surface identity as a medical ninja was flawless.
The key was her aura; no one would suspect she was a member of the Root.
"It's a pity my abilities are limited, and I can't remove the poison!"
Uchiha Takashi 'sadly' expressed his inability to cure the poison of these fellow village ninjas.
Life is like a play, and it all depends on acting!
Who isn't an actor? His acting skills could definitely outshine those young actors from before his transmigration, right?
"You've done exceptionally well already. Leave the rest to me!"
Yakushi Nono smiled gently, dismissing Uchiha Takashi's self-blame. She was the epitome of a caring older sister, with her tone and expression perfectly on point.
But Uchiha Takashi knew her appearance here was definitely related to him.
At the same time, her arrival indicated one thing.
The 'vacation' was almost over! With her medical skills, removing the Sand Ninja's poison was certainly not a problem.
So, Uchiha Takashi prepared to make a final push.
No matter what, he had to master Sage Mode before getting caught up in the ninja world war.
Two days later.
While Yakushi Nono was busy making antidotes, Uchiha Takashi received a 'reconnaissance' mission and arrived at a distant, desolate island.
Sage Mode, here I come!
(End of Chapter)