Naruto: The White Spider of the Leaf

The weight of war pressed on our shoulders like an invisible chain as we walked through the outpost. It was a relatively small base, nestled near the border of the Land of Rain and Land of Fire, just one of many that the Leaf had stationed to monitor the growing tensions. The ground beneath our feet was slick with mud from the previous night's rain, the scent of damp earth mixing with the faint tang of metal and oil as blacksmiths reinforced weapons in the distance. Shinobi moved about in a rhythmic cadence, their gazes sharp, their voices hushed.

None of us spoke for a while.

I could see it in all of them—the way the reality of what we'd just heard was sinking in. The Second Great Ninja War was no longer a possibility. It was happening. The Land of Rain, already scarred by the conflicts of great nations, was about to become a battlefield once more. The Sand and the Rock were mobilizing. Now the Leaf had no choice but to do the same. And we, fresh out of training, were expected to take part in this.

I knew this would happen, but it still felt hard to accept that it finally came to this.

Am I ready?

I guess only time will tell. I'll fight to survive.

As for the others? Well…

Nawaki, walking beside me, was the first to break the silence. There was an energy about him, not quite excitement, but something close. I knew what was going through his mind—he wanted to prove himself, to show his worth as a member of the Senju Clan. But at the same time, I could sense his caution. He wasn't the same reckless boy who had nearly lost his life in the last skirmish. I had pulled him back from the brink once, and it seemed that moment had left its mark. He would still charge forward, but now he would think twice before overextending. I just hope he won't have to learn another lesson the hard way.

Yukino, on the other hand, was dreading all of this. She didn't say it outright, but I could see it in the way her arms crossed tightly over her chest, in the tension in her usually fluid movements. War wasn't what she wanted. She was a shinobi, yes, but she wasn't some bloodthirsty fighter eager to test herself against foreign enemies. If anything, she wanted peace more than anyone. I imagined she had seen enough of war's consequences in our brief stay at the land of Rain to know that there was nothing glorious about it. Yet now, she was being forced into it.

Minato… he was quiet. He usually had something to say, some insight, some reassuring words. But now, he simply walked, deep in thought. His golden hair swayed slightly with each step, his expression unreadable. But I knew him well enough to guess what he was thinking. He wasn't afraid. No, Minato was calculating. He was already planning, analyzing strategies, thinking about what this war would mean for the village, for us, for himself and most likely, for Kushina. He had an incredible mind for tactics, and if anyone could turn the tide in our favor, it would be him. But even he had his limits.

And then there was me.

To them, I was just another young shinobi processing the horror of what was coming. But I knew the bigger picture. I had seen the future play out before, in the form of a show meant for entertainment. This war was the beginning of so much suffering, the prelude to countless tragedies. And I was right in the middle of it.

I had spent years coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't just some outsider watching from afar—I was part of this world now. And that meant I couldn't sit back and let events unfold as they did before. I had to be ready. I had to survive. I had to make sure the people I cared about did, too. If possible, I'll try to change some more things. 

But I need to grow stronger still.

A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Nawaki!"

Before I even had time to register her presence, Tsunade had crossed the distance between us in an instant, wrapping her arms tightly around her little brother.

Nawaki stiffened for a moment, caught off guard, but quickly relaxed. "Nee-chan… Get off of me, please. You're embarrassing me in front of my friends!"

"Shut up!" She pulled back, hands gripping his shoulders as she looked him over. "Orochimaru told me everything," she said, her voice firm but laced with worry. "Do you have any idea how reckless you were?"

Nawaki looked down, avoiding her gaze. "I–I know… I won't make the same mistake again."

Tsunade studied him for a moment, then let out a slow sigh, pulling him into another brief hug. "You'd better not," she murmured. "Because if you do, I'll be the one dragging you back from the battlefield myself."

Then, she turned to me.

Her expression softened, and to my surprise, she bowed slightly. "Shirokumo-kun… I owe you. You saved my brother's life."

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off before I could say anything. "If there's anything I can do to repay you, just say the word."

For a moment, I was taken aback. Tsunade wasn't the kind of person to easily admit a debt, let alone offer repayment so openly.

I shook my head. "It's fine," I said, offering a small smile. "If anything, consider us even. You already fixed my body back then. I owed you for that."

She frowned, clearly not expecting that answer. "You recovered only thanks to—" she hesitated, eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place before she shook her head. "Well, regardless, it was something I did as a medical-nin. It was part of my duty, so you shouldn't feel burdened to repay something like that. So, in the end, I'm the one who owes you."

I could tell she wouldn't let this go, and honestly, maybe this was an opportunity. War was coming. I needed every advantage I could get. And if there was anyone who could give me a fighting chance, it was her.

"Alright," I said, exhaling. "Then how about this—you train me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Train you?"

I nodded. "Medical Ninjutsu. And whatever else you think might keep me and my team alive out there."

"You want to be a medical nin?"

"I want to survive." I reaffirmed. "And I want my team to also survive. Our chances of that all rise greatly if there's a medical nin in our team. They would for any single 3 or 4-man cell."

A sparkle appeared in Tsunade's eyes, and for a moment, she just stared at me. "You're right. Actually, that's some highly good insight." A small smirk played around her lips. "Alright, kid. You've got yourself a deal."

"Great!"

Tsunade crossed her arms, sizing me up with a thoughtful look. "But don't think I'll go easy on you just because you saved my brother. If you want me to train you, you'd better be ready to work your ass off."

I smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

She let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "Alright. We'll start tomorrow morning. Early. Be at my tent before sunrise."

Before I could respond, Nawaki groaned. "Ugh, you're gonna turn him into another early riser. Don't you guys ever just sleep in?"

Tsunade's sharp gaze snapped to him. "You can join if you're feeling left out."

His mouth opened, then closed just as quickly. I bit back a laugh as he looked away, grumbling under his breath.

Minato, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "It's a smart decision, Shirokumo. Good luck! I know you've been studying medicine for a while now, so I'm rooting for you!"

I gripped my hands into fists and grinned back at him. "Thanks Minato! I'll do my best to support our squad!" 

Tsunade shot me an approving glance. "Shirokumo, while we're on the topic of supporting your squad, you should know Medical-nin have one rule drilled into them—if you get caught, you're useless. You need speed and awareness, and you have to be sharp enough to make split-second decisions." She looked back at me. "You sure you can handle that?"

I met her gaze evenly. "I don't have a choice. I need to do it, so I will. And I'll succeed."

She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Good answer."

Yukino sighed. "It's a good idea, yes, but while you might be able to patch us up, that won't stop us from getting hurt in the first place. We're going to take part in a huge war now." Her arms remained crossed, her expression tight with frustration. "Not just us either, but a lot of innocent people will get caught in the crossfire. Like all the people we came across when travelling the Land of Rain. I know we're supposed to follow orders and strive to help the village rise, but I hate this situation. I want to help people like we did with our very first missions, not be part of a tragedy. I wish we could prevent it somehow. Save as many people as possible from... from this."

"I know," I said quietly. "But there's nothing we can do at this stage. It sucks."

"Yeah... It sucks." Yukino said in much the same manner.

Tsunade's expression darkened. "You kids aren't wrong." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "But that's the reality of being a shinobi. You don't get to choose when war comes to you."

Yukino turned her gaze to the side, jaw tightening, but she didn't argue.

Nawaki, likely trying to lighten the mood, stretched his arms behind his head. "Well, if Shirokumo's getting some extra training to help heal everyone, then I guess that means we'll all have an even better chance out there. Maybe we'll actually live long enough to become legendary or something."

Minato shot him a wry look. "That's a… unique way to think about it."

"Hey, if I have to be in this war, I might as well aim high." He grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll be a Jonin by the end of it! No, a Jonin Commander like Orochimaru Sensei!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Tad too high there, man."

"You'll see!"

I just nodded and spoke to the others. "Well, honestly, Nawaki is right." I said, gripping my fingers into a tight fist. "We just need to become both strong and important enough to prevent things like this from starting in the future. If we can do that, only then will peace be truly achievable."

Minato chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

"Damn right!" Nawaki grinned.

Yukino sighed, but she showed a soft smile. "Right. That was my intention all along, anyway." She slapped her cheeks as if to wake herself up. "Alright! I won't sulk, that won't get us nowhere! Let's do our best you guys, only then can we work towards something better!"

"It's good to see some enthusiasm from you kids." Tsunade smiled at us. "But you'd better get some rest for today. You'll need it, since you won't be getting much soon enough."

I nodded. "See you tomorrow, then."

As she walked off, Nawaki groaned again. "Seriously, you couldn't have asked for a favor that didn't involve waking up at an ungodly hour? You're weird, man."

I chuckled. "Would you rather I asked her to train you instead?"

His expression turned sheepish. "...You know what? Never mind."

Minato and Yukino both laughed at that while I just looked at poor Nawaki with a smirk. I think he might have some trauma from training with Tsunade at some point.

Anyway, it seemed like tomorrow would be interesting. I'll work my ass off before we get deployed into the fray. 

That's all I can do right now.

War was here.

And we were walking straight into it.

…