Chapter 23 – Whispers of the Frontline
The morning sun rose over the war camp, dim and pale through drifting smoke. Orders had come at dawn — Yuva, Tenzo, and Daichi Hiwatari were to move to the River Border Battalion, where Konoha's forces were holding against Suna and Iwa.
There was no celebration. Only quiet preparations.
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🚶 March to the Front
The brothers traveled with a squad of eight genin and two chunin, carrying medical supplies and sealed weapons. The path was lined with burnt trees, broken kunai, and old blood. Every mile closer to the front smelled more of death.
Daichi whispered, "It's worse than I imagined."
Yuva said nothing. He had seen enough bodies already to know this was only the beginning.
When they finally reached the River Camp, the ground was soaked in mud and blood. Medical tents stretched endlessly. Wounded shinobi groaned, some missing limbs, others whispering last words.
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⚕️ Field of Wounds
Tenzo rushed to help the medics. His hands glowed green as he healed a chunin with a crushed leg.
One of the older medics looked at him, surprised. "You're just a kid… and you already know Mystical Palm?"
Tenzo only nodded. "We don't have time for ranks anymore."
Yuva helped organize the supply seals, while Daichi reinforced the trench walls with earth-style chakra. They worked until night fell — no rest, no pause.
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🔥 First Firefight
Just as darkness settled, a flare shot into the sky — red.
Enemy attack.
Explosions thundered across the river. The brothers ran to the outer defense line as kunai rained down.
Suna puppet-nin and Iwa earth users stormed the front.
"Daichi, wall!" Yuva shouted.
"On it!" Daichi slammed his palms down — Doton: Doryūheki! A massive earth wall rose, blocking the first wave.
Yuva and Tenzo jumped onto the top, launching counterattacks.
"Lightning Release: Thunderbolt Strike!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
The combined blast tore through two enemy lines. Screams echoed through the smoke.
But the enemy wasn't retreating — they were regrouping.
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⚔️ A New Ally
Just as the brothers prepared to fight again, a figure flashed past them in a blur of green — kunai spinning, enemies falling before they even saw him.
The man turned briefly, smiling. "Nice teamwork, kids. Keep your heads low!"
Yuva froze. "That was… Might Duy?"
Tenzo's eyes widened. "The Eternal Genin?!"
Before they could speak again, another wave of enemies hit the line. The brothers dove back into the fray — fighting beside soldiers far older, faster, and stronger than them.
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🌧️ End of the First Night
By dawn, the attack finally ended. The river ran red, and the camp was half-destroyed. Dozens of shinobi were dead or missing.
The triplets sat side by side on the muddy ground, drenched and trembling but alive.
Yuva's hands shook as he cleaned his blade. "We survived…"
Tenzo stared at the horizon. "Barely."
Daichi clenched his fists. "Then we'll fight harder tomorrow."
They were no longer just rookies sent to learn.
They were now part of the war machine — a small piece in Konoha's endless struggle to survive.
And in the whispers of the dying and the cries of the living, Yuva felt something inside him stir — a pulse from the sealed sage beast within, answering the chaos outside.
The war had truly begun for them.