At the mention of the Explosive Tag, Tatsuma immediately thought of Nawaki from the original work. Since coming here, he had also made many efforts in various ways to avoid such tragedies around him, and it seemed to have had a decent effect.
However, when he heard about the Explosive Tag trap and that some comrades had been injured by it, he couldn't help but feel a bit panicked. After all, sometimes, no matter how capable a person is, they cannot defy fate.
Tatsuma didn't want such things to happen. He rushed to the camp's exit at lightning speed, only to find it crowded with people, apparently all the Ninjas who were about to head to the battlefield had returned.
"Where are the wounded?! Where are they?!" Tatsuma shouted loudly. Upon hearing his call and seeing Tatsuma's arrival, the people around quickly made way, and Tatsuma squeezed into the crowd. Through some gaps, he saw many stretchers and many Ninjas covered in blood.
"Nawaki!"
Seeing this scene, Tatsuma couldn't help but shout involuntarily, but the next moment...
"Are you looking for me?"
A hoarse voice in the midst of adolescence but full of vitality rang out. By this time, Tatsuma had finally pushed through the crowd and entered the central area surrounded and protected by countless Ninjas.
At this moment, Nawaki, dressed in a green bodysuit, was covered in black and gray, with burnt patches in his hair. His clothes had numerous tears, and some small wounds were faintly visible under the dirt.
But there was a proud expression on his face as he stood beside Orochimaru. Orochimaru himself wore a slightly restrained but proud smile.
"It's all thanks to Nawaki. As soon as he got onto the battlefield, he disarmed all of the opponent's Explosive Tag traps."
"Yeah, otherwise, it wouldn't have been just a dozen comrades injured, it would've been much worse."
"Those Sand Ninjas are despicable. They dare not face us on the battlefield, only sneakily burying Explosive Tag traps, making us waste our efforts."
At this moment, Tatsuma finally listened carefully to the voices around him. Their words were not filled with regret or remorse for returning from battle defeated. Instead, they were excited, and their words were tinged with disdain for the Sand Ninjas.
Tatsuma also realized that many Ninjas had retreated from the front lines not because they had fallen into traps and were defeated, but because they hadn't encountered any Sand Ninjas at all. They had simply dealt with the Explosive Tag traps and returned.
"No wonder he's the grandson of the First Generation sama. He truly inherited the First Generation sama's strength."
"If it weren't for Nawaki, those Hyuga people would have made a fool of themselves."
"I'm telling you, when it comes to clearing traps, it's all about Nawaki. As for Hyuga, they just need to watch out for any enemy ambushes."
"I, Sarutobi Hikarinosuke, in the field of trap clearing, am willing to declare Nawaki as the strongest!"
As more and more people discussed, Tatsuma gradually relaxed and began to check on the condition of the wounded. At the same time, he couldn't help but lament his lack of emotional control, as he had become so flustered over such a small disturbance.
If it were a seasoned Jonin accustomed to life and death, they definitely wouldn't react like this.
"Boom!"
"Orochimaru!!! What have you done to my brother?!!"
At this moment, a figure rushed in from the periphery, knocking over all the Ninjas in its path. The previously smiling faces of Orochimaru and Nawaki stiffened simultaneously.
Tsunade had already reached the innermost circle in the blink of an eye. Tatsuma glanced at his sensei, whose expression was extremely anxious, and decided not to utter the words he had thought of.
"Sister, I... I'm fine."
Nawaki suddenly lowered his head like a guilty child. Just three seconds ago, he had been the expert who saved everyone from the traps. But now, with his sister's arrival, he felt as if he had done something wrong.
Tatsuma felt he could understand Tsunade's anxiety. After all, when a team returning from a mission suddenly turned back prematurely, to outsiders, the first reaction would be that something serious had happened, forcing them to retreat.
And the fact that the Sand Ninjas hadn't even gone out was a low-probability event that nobody would consider.
Seeing that Nawaki was fine and there were no seriously injured Ninjas around, aside from those she had knocked over, Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at Tatsuma, who wore a face filled with mixed emotions, feeling somewhat embarrassed herself.
But Tsunade was who she was, and apologizing was out of the question for her. After giving her brother and Orochimaru a fierce glare, she said to Tatsuma, "Treat them well."
Tatsuma could only nod. Then he glanced at the Ninjas who had been knocked down by Tsunade and were being helped over, their faces now even more awkward.
Originally, there were less than twenty Ninjas in need of treatment, but now it seemed to be nearing thirty. Some might have been lightly injured by the collision and didn't seek Tatsuma's attention.
The other medical Ninjas from the camp hadn't arrived yet. They had just been added to the team yesterday and were still unfamiliar with the procedures. It was understandable that they were slow, especially since Tatsuma had occupied the medical camp for two days without giving them space.
"Hmm... Sakamoto-san, need any help? I can assist."
At this moment, Nono finally arrived, carrying a medical kit. She held the medical kit in one hand and gently pressed against her side with the other, clearly having hurried over.
Tatsuma initially wanted to refuse, but upon seeing her earnest expression, he asked, "Do you know Medical Ninjutsu?"
Nono's expression faltered for a moment, and with a somewhat downcast look, she shook her head. Tatsuma wasn't surprised; he hadn't held much hope to begin with, especially since there were only about twenty patients, and they didn't require additional assistance.
Of course, there were still some tasks that needed help, so Tatsuma asked again, "Can you clean wounds and suture them?"
At these words, Nono's eyes finally regained their brightness. She nodded, gripping the medical kit even tighter in her hand. Tatsuma nodded in return and said, "Help me clean the wounds of these patients and perform any suturing tasks you're capable of."
Then, Tatsuma looked around at the other Ninjas and asked, "Do any of you have physiological saline or hydrogen peroxide with you? It's quite a distance to the medical camp from here."
Although there were few people carrying them, they managed to gather quite a few. Tatsuma directed Nono to start cleaning wounds and then summoned Katsuyu to help stop bleeding for the injured, facilitating Nono's suturing.
He also approached several Ninjas who were more severely injured or had scratches from explosions or wounds caused by tree branches or rocks. He treated them accordingly.
Tsunade watched the two of them work from the side. These tasks were too basic to require her intervention. Glancing at Tatsuma's actions, she saw her disciple's usual excellence.
The little girl, however, surprised Tsunade. Although she didn't know Medical Ninjutsu and her technique had some flaws—albeit by Tsunade's standards—she was very meticulous and focused. She didn't let the surrounding crowd distract her, which was a commendable trait, especially for medical Ninjas. Both Tsunade and Tatsuma were particularly focused individuals themselves.
Of the nearly thirty people, aside from those injured by explosions and the few injured by Tsunade's accidental actions, the rest only needed treatment to promote blood circulation and resolve blood stasis. Except for one who seemed to have a minor rib fracture and needed to rest for a few days, everyone else was treated on the spot.
Even though Nawaki insisted he didn't need treatment, Tatsuma forcibly treated him. Nawaki explained that the reason he didn't need treatment was because of Nono's technique.
For a recently graduated student like Nono, her technique was quite standard but lacked flexibility. For instance, when faced with large abrasions, she would first cut open the surrounding clothing and then proceed with wound cleaning. This procedure was correct.
However, Nawaki was clad in a green bodysuit, and some of his abrasions were quite private. It wouldn't have been a problem if they were in a medical camp or a hospital room, but there were thousands of people watching around.
Fortunately, Tatsuma's actions were rougher. He didn't cut the clothing for wound cleaning; instead, he poured hydrogen peroxide directly onto Nawaki's body. Although it soaked him entirely and was excruciatingly painful, Nawaki felt that his dignity was preserved, which was worth it.
In just an hour, the two of them completed the majority of the patients' treatment. Several medical Ninjas arrived midway, speeding up the basic wound cleaning and suturing process.
The remaining work was left to Katsuyu. With its special chakra, Katsuyu could accelerate the healing of these patients' wounds.
"What's your name?"
As Nono finished her work and sat exhausted on the ground, Tsunade approached and asked. Nono lifted her head, then became very excited, wanting to salute, but realized she was sitting on the ground.
She attempted to stand up but found it difficult as she had been kneeling while treating the injured and now couldn't get up, feeling embarrassed. Tsunade waved her hand, indicating she didn't need to stand, and Nono, blushing, said:
"Tsunade-sama, I... I'm Yakushi Nono, a Genin who graduated this year."
"Have you been assigned here, or are you waiting for assignment?"
Tsunade continued her inquiry. Nono explained quickly, "I haven't been assigned yet. But I'm currently assisting in the logistics camp."
Hearing this, Tsunade frowned. That Danzo guy wouldn't easily release the manpower he had obtained. She had heard yesterday about the sudden shortage of personnel in various camps, and many Genin had volunteered to help.
With Tsunade's understanding of Danzo, she knew he wouldn't willingly release these personnel. After all, they had willingly fallen into his trap; why would he let them escape?
Tsunade tolerated it. After all, only a few dozen Genin had been added, and she couldn't be bothered to argue with Danzo over such a small number. It would indeed be very difficult to get them all back.
However, as Tsunade sized up Nono, she realized that if she asked for just one person back, that guy Danzo wouldn't dare to come hassle her, especially since Danzo was in the wrong to begin with.
"Go back and rest up. You don't need to help in the logistics camp anymore. We're leaving tomorrow, and if you're too tired, you might fall behind."
Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Nono quickly nodded. Although she felt a bit regretful not being able to help, Tsunade's words made sense. If she felt as tired as she did when she woke up that morning, she wouldn't be able to walk far.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"
Nono said earnestly. Tsunade nodded, then glanced at Nawaki, who still had his head lowered. Looking around, she noticed that the surrounding people had dispersed.
She walked up to Nawaki and immediately put him in a headlock, fiercely saying, "You want to play the hero, huh?! You want to play the hero?! Next time you get blown up, I won't bother to collect your corpse!"
Nawaki struggled weakly, with only a little movement left in his head, allowing him to cast a pleading look towards his sensei. Unfortunately, Orochimaru didn't dare provoke Tsunade in this state, so he pretended nothing was happening.
"Today's battle is unusually calm!" Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
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