Team 10 was led by Might Guy, a Chunin. It consisted of two other members, both Genin:
Genma Shiranui
Ebisu
Interestingly, although Guy was the official captain, he wasn't the one in charge of command. The team's operational plans were usually formulated through discussions between Genma and Ebisu.
In the original timeline, this three-man cell had the misfortune of encountering the full lineup of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist during the Third Shinobi World War. Fortunately, Guy's father, Might Duy, arrived just in time. By opening the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—of the Eight Inner Gates, he single-handedly tore through four of the Mist's elite vanguard, allowing the three boys to escape. The Seven Swordsmen were reduced to three, but Duy sacrificed his life in the process.
At this moment, however, the three were sitting around a campfire, seemingly in the middle of a disagreement.
"Why, at a critical juncture like this, are they shoving a medical ninja into our squad?" Ebisu asked, his face grim and his brow furrowed. "You two should know by now, right?"
"It's Hyuga Yu."
Might Guy nodded, his teeth flashing in a signature grin as he tried to offer comfort. "Ebisu, don't worry! The Yu I know is an absolutely reliable shinobi!"
Ebisu snorted, reaching up to adjust the frame of his dark sunglasses. "This isn't a matter of whether he's reliable or not!" he countered. "If this were before, I wouldn't mind—I'd welcome him with both hands. But right now, we are about to execute an important B-rank mission. We could encounter enemy shinobi at any moment."
"And besides... forget it. I can't make you understand, Guy. You don't grasp the current state of the war at all."
Guy looked up, responding in a low voice, "Isn't it just a transport mission? We just need to do what we always do."
Nearby, Genma Shiranui listened to his teammates' exchange in silence for a moment. He spat out his senbon and used it to scratch a cross-shaped pattern into the dirt beside the fire, marking an arrow on the outer edge. Once finished, he pointed to the crude map and explained to Guy:
"Guy, this mission is different. After the fall of the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Waves, the Hidden Mist will immediately launch a large-scale amphibious landing. That battle will determine the direction of the Eastern Front."
He pointed to a line representing the Kusunami Coast and drew several wavy lines beyond it to represent the sea.
"According to our intel, the Mist's fleet will arrive in the waters about two nautical miles off the Kusunami Coast tomorrow at noon. Then, their shinobi will push forward across the entire line. Their numbers are at least double ours."
He drew several circles on the ocean side. "Our previous strategy relied on bases established in the Land of Waves and the Land of Whirlpools. we would constantly send out shinobi to harass the Mist's supply lines and slow their advance. Now, that strategy has been declared a failure."
"So," Genma continued, "if the Hidden Leaf wants to hold the defensive line, we must prevent the enemy from establishing a beachhead and a stable transport route. At that point, our primary objective becomes a preemptive strike to destroy the enemy fleet while they are still two nautical miles out."
Guy nodded. He wasn't stupid; he was simply so preoccupied with his intense training regime that he rarely had time to think about strategic nuances. "Then what does that have to do with our mission?" he asked.
Genma pointed his senbon at a straight line drawn on the landward side of the Kusunami Coast, his analysis remaining calm. "This time, we need to rendezvous with a newly established secret transport route coming from the direction of the Crow Forest. And the supplies being moved are, without a doubt..."
"A massive quantity of Explosive Tags!"
"These tags are the village's final reserves. In other words, we have one—and only one—chance to raid and destroy the enemy fleet. And that chance depends entirely on these Explosive Tags being delivered successfully."
Hearing Genma's breakdown, realization dawned on Guy. He looked solemnly at the line on the map representing the transport route. "You mean the enemy will likely send people to stop us from delivering the tags to the Leaf camp!"
"Exactly!" Genma nodded grimly. "And not just anyone. The enemy will surely send the elite of the elite. If we encounter them... we might be killed the moment we make contact."
Guy frowned. "Don't we have a counter-strategy?"
"We do!" Genma nodded. He sighed, tossed the senbon aside, and pulled a fresh one from his pouch to tuck into the corner of his mouth. He shrugged. "But I don't know what it is."
Ebisu spoke up then, his expression heavy. "In a situation like this, adding a medical ninja to the squad changes our entire tactical deployment. According to the Regulations for the Integration of Medical Ninja into Shinobi Squads established by Lady Tsunade—"
"A medical ninja must never step onto the front lines of the battlefield. Furthermore, personnel must be assigned to protect them."
Ebisu looked at Guy, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Guy, we all graduated from the Academy together. Even though Genma and I weren't in your year, we're well aware of your relationship with Hyuga Yu. I'm only going to ask you one question—"
"If Hyuga Yu is in danger, will you protect him?"
Without a second of hesitation, Guy stated firmly, "I will!"
"And that is the problem." Ebisu let out a long breath, not at all surprised by the answer. He scratched his head in frustration. "There's no doubt that you are the strongest person in this squad. If we encounter the enemy and the battle reaches a stalemate, and you are diverted to protect Hyuga Yu, then the two of us will be in a very dangerous position."
As the logic clicked into place, Guy fell into a momentary state of hesitation.
Genma spoke up again. "That's why we had to make this clear to you before Hyuga Yu arrives. Guy," he looked at his teammate, his usually lazy face replaced by a look of profound seriousness, "can you trust Ebisu and me?"
"Without question."
"Then one of us will take responsibility for protecting Hyuga Yu," Genma said solemnly. "We give you our word—unless the enemy steps over our corpses, nothing will happen to him. But you... you must complete the task assigned to you. We have no other choice. Because if this mission fails... we might all end up dead on that beach."
Ebisu nodded vigorously in agreement. He was just about to speak when a voice suddenly cut in.
"A very accurate analysis!"
Ebisu was about to snap at Genma, thinking his teammate was praising himself, but he froze. He saw his two teammates staring at him—or rather, staring at the space behind his head—with looks of utter shock.
The realization hit Ebisu: the person who had just spoken wasn't Genma. It was a fourth person!
He whipped his head around and even scrambled to his feet, spinning in a circle, but he couldn't see a soul. Suddenly, a palm appeared out of nowhere and rested on his shoulder. At the same time, a faint, almost imperceptible breath brushed against his ear.
Ebisu's body went rigid. His heart skipped a beat as an inexplicable sense of dread crawled up his spine like ants.
He spun around again and saw a tall, slender youth with the Byakugan and a massive bow strapped to his back. The boy had appeared behind him without making a sound.
Then, he heard the boy speak in a calm, flat tone:
"A medical ninja must never step onto the front lines of the battlefield, and personnel must be assigned to protect them... However..."
"That rule doesn't apply to me."
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