Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

At the Border Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

It was the battlefield between the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Sand.

"Is this really Konoha's Healing Tag?"

An elderly man, with a hardened face and muscular build exuding explosive strength, had a symbol for "lightning" branded onto his left arm. Holding a piece of paper resembling an explosive tag, he asked with a serious expression.

"Yes, according to the intel we've gathered, this type of Seal Tag is called a 'Healing Tag' by them. It has the ability to heal wounds in place of medical-nin." The response came from Dodai, a steady-faced jonin wearing a black eyepatch.

In recent clashes with Konoha, the Healing Tag had proven incredibly effective. Unless killed outright, a ninja carrying a Healing Tag would likely survive the brutal battlefield long enough to receive medical attention.

On the other hand, the losses suffered by the Hidden Cloud were significantly greater than those of Konoha.

After each battle, when the Cloud ninjas collected war spoils, they prioritized gathering Healing Tags, treating them as essential loot, much like explosive tags.

Despite their efforts, however, the amount of Healing Tags they could gather remained limited.

"This is a technology the Hidden Cloud must acquire!" proclaimed the Third Raikage, A, holding the Healing Tag firmly between his fingers.

Though he appeared rough and often relied on his strength, as the leader of a village, he possessed the necessary strategic insight and sensitivity.

The resemblance of this Healing Tag to explosive tags made it clear that it, too, had been crafted by someone. And if it could be crafted, then there was a possibility it could be reproduced.

Since the Second Great Ninja War, medical ninjas had become increasingly valued by all the villages. Whether it was Hanzo and the Hidden Sand's poisons or Tsunade's medical ninjutsu, both had left a profound mark on that conflict, highlighting the critical role of medical support.

So far, despite every village's efforts to cultivate their own medical ninjas, only Konoha had managed to create a successful and well-structured system.

Tsunade's knowledge and innovations in medical ninjutsu far exceeded everyone's expectations. Most of the well-known and highly skilled medical ninjas across the ninja world were originally from Konoha.

Konoha's ability to stand against three or even four other villages was not just due to its rigorous training system and high-quality ninja forces. In times of war, the medical ninjas played a crucial role in minimizing casualties.

Survivors of the battlefield often became experienced veterans. These survivors grew more cautious and skillful.

With a high base of experienced shinobi and high survival rates, Konoha always produced a few talented individuals during each ninja war—individuals capable of influencing the course and outcome of the conflict.

In the First Great Ninja War, these talents included Tobirama Senju, who took on the role of the Second Hokage, along with his disciples, such as Hiruzen Sarutobi.

During the Second Shinobi War, it was Konoha's White Fang and the Three Sannin who made their mark.

Now, in the ongoing Third Shinobi War, a young Jonin named Minato Namikaze is rising to fame, causing major trouble for the Hidden Cloud Village.

Then there's the Konoha team with a user of Wood Release who once suppressed the rampage of the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki.

At times like these, the Kage of the four great shinobi villages feel deep envy toward Konoha. The Third Raikage, A, is no exception.

"The one who invented this technique—are they from Konoha?" Raikage A's question was blunt. His strong-willed and direct nature affected even his son, Ay.

As a Kage, he could grasp the situation clearly, but that didn't dampen his aggressive approach.

Just like this time, attacking the Hidden Sand Village.

"It was developed by Konoha's Technology Development Department, under the Sannin Orochimaru. The inventor is Nara Kagetsu," Dodai responded without hesitation, having already gathered intelligence on the matter.

"Nara Kagetsu?" Raikage A looked at Dodai. "Can our people bring him to the Land of Lightning?"

"It's difficult. Konoha is tightening its spy detection efforts, and it's nearly impossible for our agents to extract him from the village. He would have to leave the village on a mission," Dodai shook his head.

The information Dodai received indicated that Nara Kagetsu spent almost all his time in the Technology Development Department, only leaving to go home or train. 

With the limited resources their spies had inside Konoha, capturing him without alerting Konoha's Anbu would be extremely challenging.

"What if we send an elite team of Jonin to propose an alliance with Konoha?" Raikage A suggested.

Of course, he wasn't genuinely interested in forming a peace alliance—this was simply a ruse to get his forces into Konoha undetected!

Dodai, well-acquainted with the Raikage's character and tactics, understood immediately. This was a plan to deceive Konoha by using distraction tactics and striking from within.

They'd used a similar approach to capture a descendant of the Uzumaki clan before. However, that plan had been poorly executed and lacked enough manpower, leading Konoha to discover them quickly and ruin their efforts.

"Tricking Konoha won't be easy," Dodai admitted. With their past failure, Konoha would be more vigilant. But after some thought, he added, "Still, it's worth a try. Even if we can't capture him, obtaining the technology would be just as valuable."

Raikage A nodded in agreement.

In the world of medical systems, Konoha stands out, but when it comes to technological advancement and research, the Village Hidden in the Clouds (Kumogakure) keeps pace with them.

Known for their strong-arm tactics, the Cloud Village has always had a reputation for taking what they need by force if others possess it. They have the technology and skilled talent to back up their ambitions, too.

Once they acquire the right technology, it's only a matter of time before they can replicate the process for creating Healing Tags.

And if that doesn't work, they could always steal more of the Healing Tags and gradually reverse-engineer them.

"I'll leave this task in your hands," said Raikage A, giving his approval.

...

A sharp cry pierced the sky as an intel hawk circled over Konoha before landing at the Anbu's base. The intel team quickly decoded the message and rushed to the Hokage's office, handing the report directly to the Third Hokage.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi read through the report, his eyes widened in surprise at the contents.

Once he finished reading, he passed the report to Nara Shikakichi, who stood nearby.

"The Cloud Village wants to send a delegation to negotiate peace and form an alliance with us?" Shikakichi was also taken aback after reading it.

"What do you think? Is it believable?" asked the Third Hokage.

"I'm not sure. But based on all available intel, it does seem like the Cloud Village has a genuine interest in peace talks," Shikakichi replied, recalling the latest reports from the border, which indicated that the Cloud Village shinobi had suddenly ceased their invasions and were now merely holding a standoff with Konoha's border troops.

For the two villages that had recently clashed so fiercely, this sudden calm was bound to raise suspicions.

Considering what happened to the Rock Village and the Sand Village alliance, it made sense that under heavy pressure on the frontlines, the Cloud Village might want to avoid a prolonged war with Konoha.

"Let's send someone to meet the Cloud Village's delegation. Regardless of their motives, if Konoha can delay our involvement in war even for a day, it's worth it," the Third Hokage nodded in agreement.

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