---Third POV: A few minutes ago---
Inside the medical division of the rear camp in Konoha, Tsunade was directing medical-nin to treat the wounded. At the moment, she wasn't in a suitable condition to take action herself.
However, with her medical ninjutsu expertise, most injuries could be healed through the help of Katsuyu.
In the corner of the medical tent, a small division of Katsuyu's body worked tirelessly. The slug's healing chakra glowed soft green as it mended a jonin's shattered femur—the man's face relaxing from agony to relief as bone fragments realigned themselves.
"Please remain still," Katsuyu advised in her gentle voice. "The healing is nearly complete, but the bone remains fragile."
Tsunade glanced over approvingly. "Well done, Katsuyu. Once he's stable, move to the burn victims."
"Soma, go check the warehouse for our stock of herbs."
A medical-nin immediately moved after receiving Tsunade's order.
While the frontline troops were engaged in intense battles, the rear was just as busy. The Konoha camp was bustling with activity as far as the eye could see.
Apart from the injured soldiers resting in medical tents, almost everyone else was occupied with various tasks. The entire Konoha camp was full of life and energy, with nearly everyone working hard toward victory.
"It makes sense for Ryouma to be on the frontlines, but why is that violent girl allowed to go too? Just because she awakened her Sharingan a little earlier?"
Obito couldn't suppress his frustration. He paced across the tent, his movements agitated as he shouted and complained.
Tsunade had promised Ryouma that she would take care of his friends, so she simply brought Kakashi, Rin, and Obito along with her.
At this moment, she had gone out for inspections, leaving the three of them in her office at the medical division.
Kakashi, with his usual dead-fish eyes, stared at Obito and mercilessly said, "Didn't Ryouma say last time that Shiori already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan? You haven't even unlocked a single tomoe yet. I don't know how you have the nerve to say things like that. Idiot."
Obito had his own logic and stubbornly retorted, "She awakened her eyes, but she still lost to Ryouma. So that means she's not his opponent, right? That means she's about the same level as me! So why can she go to the frontlines, but I can't?"
Kakashi didn't even want to argue with Obito anymore, it felt like trying to reason with a brick wall. But while he had given up on the conversation, Obito had not yet finished his complaints.
"You definitely want to go with the main forces to the frontlines too, don't you?"
Kakashi didn't respond.
Obito suddenly seemed to remember something and continued, "Oh yeah, the other night, I saw you talking to your sword, saying something like 'I swear upon this blade, forged in shadow, to become the—' Mmph!"
The moment Obito brought up that night, Kakashi felt that something was off. Sure enough, his instinct was right. He quickly reached out and covered Obito's mouth, stopping him from saying anything unnecessary.
Obito thrashed wildly, eyes bulging in protest as Kakashi maintained his grip.
That night, he had just been casually reading, then picked up the short sword his father had passed down after retiring as a ninja, and said a few words to encourage himself. How did Obito manage to overhear that?
In reality, he had simply been caught red-handed having a chunibyo moment.
In this world, Sakumo had not committed suicide, so Kakashi's mental state was much better than in the original storyline—where he had become a mission-obsessed machine.
But the problem was… he had gone too far in the other direction. Lately, he had become obsessed with reading novels.
Of course, he wasn't reading Icha Icha Paradise or anything from the three forbidden genres of ninja literature. Instead, he was into popular novels about grassroots ninjas rising to greatness.
The lines he had spoken to his sword the other night were actually taken from a protagonist in one of those novels.
Kakashi had yet to develop the unflappable composure he would have in the future, where he could be caught reading smut and remain completely unfazed.
Right now, being exposed by Obito, he was so embarrassed that his face turned red beneath his black mask.
"Help… help, Rin, I'm gonna die…" Obito's face began turning an alarming shade of purple as Kakashi, lost in his embarrassment, failed to notice he was blocking both mouth AND nose.
Rin, who had been lost in thought about Ryouma, suddenly heard Obito's muffled cries for help. She snapped back to reality and quickly moved to intervene. "Kakashi, stop! I think something just came loose from Obito's body!"
But Kakashi didn't seem to hear her. His eyes were dazed, but his hand covering Obito's mouth and nose remained firm and unmoving. Whatever embarrassment Obito had triggered had sent Kakashi into a state of temporary insanity.
After finishing her work, Tsunade returned to her office with Shizune.
"After we check on those three, I want you to reorganize the field medic rotations," Tsunade began, already formulating her next orders.
The moment they stepped inside, they were met with a strange scene.
Obito was lying on the ground, while Rin was desperately using medical ninjutsu to revive him. Kakashi, on the other hand, sat there blankly, gripping his short sword, muttering something under his breath.
"Are they always ?" Shizune whispered.
"According to Ryouma, this is them on their best behavior," Tsunade replied with a sigh.
Sometimes, she found this world truly strange. She had only stepped out for a short while, and in that time, one of these brats had already collapsed, while another had seemingly lost his mind.
No wonder Ryouma was so worried about them, who wouldn't be? Even though his friends were all troublemakers, he still cared so much about them.
Tsunade knelt beside Rin, quickly assessing Obito's condition. She placed two fingers at the base of his skull, sending a precise chakra pulse to stimulate his nervous system.
"Shizune, support his shoulders. Rin, continue cardiopulmonary stimulation," she ordered.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Rin and Shizune, Obito's soul finally returned to his body. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Tsunade standing right in front of him. In his dazed state, he blurted out, "What the hell! Why is a demon here? Did I… end up in hell?"
Tsunade's face darkened instantly, and she promptly delivered a punch to Obito's head.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
The pain snapped Obito back to reality. Remembering what had just happened, he frantically looked around for Kakashi.
The moment he spotted him, he immediately started shouting, "Damn you! Were you trying to kill me?! I swear, I almost saw the Sage of Six Paths just now!"
Kakashi had snapped out of his daze as soon as Tsunade returned. Hearing Obito's accusations, he was about to retort, when suddenly, the ground trembled violently.
It wasn't a violent tremor—more like the distant vibration one might feel standing near train tracks as a locomotive approached.
"Quiet," Tsunade commanded, instantly alert.
Her expression changed in an instant. She quickly stepped outside the tent, with Kakashi, Rin, and Obito following closely behind.
Looking up, they saw massive waves of golden sand rising around the Konoha frontline camp, like an inverted waterfall, encircling the entire area.
Not ordinary desert sand—this gleamed with metallic flecks, catching the sunlight like thousands of tiny mirrors. The columns curved inward as they rose, forming what appeared to be a massive dome.
The sudden event caused many ninjas in the camp to pause their work. A patrol ninja rushed over to report to Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, this sand just erupted from the ground out of nowhere!"
"I can see that. Any injuries?"
Tsunade let out a breath of relief but continued analyzing the situation. This sand… It must be the Magnet Release.
Judging from the way it was forming, were they trying to set up some kind of barrier technique?
Making a decisive call, she issued orders immediately.
"Have the combat unit start breaking down these sand walls. Contact the perimeter guards and get an estimate of the enemy's numbers."
"Yes!" The combat unit leader nodded sharply.
Teams of ninjas immediately began forming hand signs, but then...
"Lady Tsunade… look outside!"
Hearing this, Tsunade turned her gaze back to the camp's outer perimeter. The golden sand waterfall began shifting again, revealing something every ninja present recognized instantly.
Countless explosive tags, completely covering the flowing sand! And the worst part? They had already been activated and were beginning to burn.
Her eyes widened as she saw the sight, but there was no time left to react.
Before anyone could respond, a deafening explosion erupted throughout the entire Konoha frontline camp.
Scarlet flames surged skyward, thick black smoke billowing into the air, forming a massive, ominous mushroom cloud.