Chapter 15

A fierce wind swept grit through the battlefield. The instant arcs of electricity exploded, four figures sprang into action at once! The footprints left in the sand bore witness to the ongoing fierce battle.

"Clang!" The Sand ninja named Matthew caught the katana with a kunai. Saitama fiercely increased his chakra output, and lightning raced along the blade toward his opponent. The blade pressed tightly against the kunai, denying him any chance to pull away.

Lightning snakes crawled over the Sand ninja's body, yet only scorched a few wisps of black smoke from him. Matthew calmly raised his leg and kicked straight out. Saitama failed to evade in time and took the blow solidly in the abdomen. The terrifying impact sent him flying as if struck by a giant elephant.

Seeing this, Moonlight Zhengye immediately abandoned his standoff and flashed in front of Saitama to shield him. "That's an Earth Release body-enhancement technique. It combines offense and defense, but lacks speed." He stared at the blackish-yellow rock armor covering the Sand ninja's arms and spoke in a low voice.

"I underestimated him." Saitama braced himself on his sword, lightning dancing across its blade. No wonder his Lightning Release had achieved so little earlier. That layer of rock armor had insulated him.

"I'll hold off the Earth Release user. Can you take care of the other one first?" Zhengye's proposal was crisp and decisive.

"I need time." Saitama's reply was brief as his gaze locked onto the two Sand ninja.

"Do your best to keep him occupied. Being countered by his nature transformation is indeed troublesome." Zhengye's voice grew heavier.

"Go!" Violent lightning wrapped around the katana as chakra roared through his chakra pathways.

Saitama and Moonlight Zhengye charged forward at high speed, their figures weaving and shifting to disrupt their opponents' vision.

"Cheap tricks!" Matthew snorted. Against taijutsu-oriented ninja, he was confident he stood undefeated. Ordinary attacks could not harm him in the slightest.

"Whoosh—" Saitama went straight for Shayuan, lightning coiling around his blade as he attacked with fierce momentum.

Shayuan twisted aside to evade. He had already seen through Saitama's Lightning Release tactics and deliberately avoided a direct clash.

Halfway through the slash, Saitama flicked his wrist and changed the blade's direction, driving it straight toward Shayuan's waist and abdomen.

"Slice!" The blade cut through flesh, but Saitama's assault did not slow. On the other side, Moonlight Zhengye and Matthew were locked in a fierce battle.

"You arrogant brat!" Seeing that Matthew had no time to help him, Shayuan wiped the blood from his wound and growled through gritted teeth.

"So this is all a Sand Village jonin can do?" Saitama mocked, his attacks growing even swifter.

Shayuan's strength truly had been inflated. During wartime, talent was scarce, and ninja like him, caught between chunin and jonin, had been exceptionally promoted. Now, his decline was beginning to show.

Dragging the battle out would be unfavorable. Saitama decisively sheathed his sword, formed hand seals, and gathered chakra.

"What is this?!" Shayuan suddenly felt his entire body stiffen and realized in alarm that he had fallen under a genjutsu.

He hastily circulated his chakra, attempting to **, but Saitama sneered, "Pointless!"

Lightning flared again as Saitama flashed forward.

"Impossible!" Shayuan was horrified to discover that the genjutsu had not broken. He could only watch helplessly as the lightning blade pierced through his body.

"Do you really think you can ** an Uchiha Sharingan genjutsu?" Saitama drove chakra through his body, and the lightning surged violently.

"Crackle!" Blinding electric light tortured Shayuan until he wished he were dead. What little life force he had left was rapidly draining away.

"Slice!" Saitama drew back his blade and shoved Shayuan aside. Just as the man's body was about to hit the ground, the blade spun through the air, opening a bloody line across his throat. Scalding blood burst forth like a breached flood.

"Ghk..." Shayuan clutched his throat tightly and crashed to the ground, the light completely fading from his eyes.

"Captain, hold on a little longer!" Saitama did not immediately go to Zhengye's aid. Instead, his gaze fixed on Saki in the distance.

Though they were separated by some distance, Saitama could clearly see that Saki was being completely suppressed by his enemy. Despite desperately keeping his opponent entangled, his body was already covered in crisscrossing wounds, bloodstains of varying depths soaking through his clothes.

Saki's attacks had long since fallen apart, and now he could only defend himself miserably. When he caught sight of the battle on the other side, fighting spirit suddenly reignited in his dim eyes. I can't become dead weight—I have to hold this chunin back, even if it costs me my life!

"Ha!" Saki suddenly swung his blade at the enemy's right ribs, trying to create a ** opportunity.

"Bang!" The Sand Village ninja struck later but arrived first, whipping a powerful kick into his abdomen.

"Blegh!" Blood sprayed wildly from Saki's mouth, and his face turned ashen. The breath he had forced himself to hold instantly collapsed, and his whole body went limp on the sand like a deflated sack.

"It's time to end this, Konoha trash!" The Sand ninja raised his kunai with a cruel grin.

"Whoosh!" The shrill sound of tearing air made Saki's eyes snap open, his fingers digging deeply into the sand.

"What?" Just as the Sand ninja turned around, a blade tip wrapped in lightning pierced through his chest.

"The weak should have the awareness to face death." Saitama's face was cold as he flicked his longsword, electric arcs crawling over its edge.

"Rest where you are." He tossed those words to the barely conscious Saki before turning and charging toward the main battlefield.

The battle between Moonlight Zhengye and Matthew had reached a stalemate. Zhengye's slashes could barely break through his opponent's defense, while every counterattack from the enemy made his blood and chakra churn.

"Konoha trash, attacks like that aren't even worthy of scratching my itch!" Matthew taunted while maintaining a defensive stance. The Earth Release: Earth Spear Technique he had seized from Stone ninja years ago had made his skin hard as rock. This secret technique, combining offense and defense, was what allowed him to establish himself among the Sand Village's jonin.

"Clang!" Matthew caught the descending katana barehanded, then drove an iron fist, wrapped in fierce wind, toward Zhengye's heart.

"Boom!" Moonlight Zhengye was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, blood tracing an arc through the air. The agony, as though every bone in his body were about to shatter, made his vision go dark.

"Whoosh!" The stolen sword tore through the air with murderous intent, aimed directly at his heart! Moonlight Zhengye's eyes tightened, and bitterness rose at the corners of his mouth.

"Thud!" The sand exploded into a deep crater. He used the force to launch himself into the air, barely avoiding the icy glint.

The instant the soles of his shoes touched the ground, a fierce kick was already rushing toward his abdomen!

He drew two kunai in a backhand motion and crossed them to block, the muscles in his arms bulging as he took the heavy strike head-on—

"Clang!" Metal rang out. The immense force numbed his palms, and Moonlight Zhengye staggered back, his weapons nearly slipping from his grasp.

The gap in strength was obvious. Though both were jonin, he was being completely suppressed by the nature counter. Every technique he used felt as though it struck an iron wall, unable to leave even a white mark.

When he steadied himself, the Sand ninja did not pursue. As Zhengye wondered why, Saitama's scream pierced his ears—then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a bloodied longsword being pulled from an enemy's body. Moonlight Zhengye's heart suddenly brightened. He had thought Saitama was merely an elite chunin, yet he had actually killed a jonin in an instant!

The battle had suddenly opened up. All he needed to do now was hold this powerful enemy back until Saitama could close in on him, or... move toward that hope himself.

Rage surged across Matthew's face before rapidly freezing over. He withdrew his gaze coldly, a low curse rolling from his throat. "Can't even deal with a brat..."

His gaunt fingers cracked as they clenched, and the Sand Village jonin's killing intent locked completely onto Moonlight Zhengye. "I'll tear you apart first, then slaughter that kid!"

Amid the shriek of a fist tearing through the air, Moonlight Zhengye's face stung as though his skull were facing a blizzard. He crossed his arms and retreated sharply, but before the monstrous strength enhanced by Earth Release, there was nowhere to escape—

"Boom!"

The sound of cracking bones was clearly audible. If he had not flooded both arms with chakra beforehand, that strike would have shattered them completely. Matthew narrowed his eyes. His killing blow, launched in fury, had been blocked so casually?

After failing to land the blow, Matthew swiftly raised his hand to gather strength, preparing to attack again! He firmly believed the next strike would make his Konoha opponent suffer!

The color of his arms gradually darkened, veins bulging as distinct lines appeared across them.

"Clang!" A longsword suddenly attacked from the left. Matthew had expected it and calmly crossed his arms to block.

The moment Saitama saw his blade stopped, he immediately channeled chakra. Lightning erupted and raced up the sword toward Matthew!

"Crackle!" Electric current danced across Matthew's body, scorching and curling his clothes black, but he did not budge, still holding the blade firmly in place.

"Bang!" Chakra flooded into his leg as Saitama viciously kicked at Matthew's vital point!

Matthew raised his leg to meet it at the same time. Both men grunted and were knocked back. Saitama used the momentum to withdraw his sword and flash back to Moonlight Zhengye's side.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly and took only seconds! Matthew had been forced back half a step by the strike, his leg charred black as the electricity still lingered.

"You're courting death!" Matthew glared at the suddenly appearing Saitama, fury rising in his eyes.

"Captain, can you hold on?" Saitama saw Moonlight Zhengye's injuries and hesitated. Though both were jonin, his captain had been suppressed to this extent. He had little chakra remaining; if things went badly, they had to retreat immediately. There was only one enemy, and he might not pursue them relentlessly.

"I'm fine, just superficial wounds! Let's fight together!" Moonlight Zhengye gripped his sword hilt, his fighting spirit undiminished.

"Slice!" He drew his sword cleanly, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Wind and sand swirled as the three faced off, murderous intent abruptly rising.

"Thud!" Saitama stomped the ground and charged forward, holding his longsword across his waist. Moonlight Zhengye followed like a shadow, flickering in and out of sight behind him.

"Now this is satisfying!" Matthew threw back his head and laughed. His rage transformed into fighting spirit, chakra boiling throughout his body as his skin took on the texture of black rock!

"Clang!" The lightning-wreathed blade struck Matthew's left arm, but his right fist was already driving toward Saitama's heart! At that critical instant, Moonlight Zhengye leaped into the air—

Leaf Style: Sun-Moon Slash!

A cross-shaped chakra slash tore through the air, aimed straight for Matthew's head!

Facing such a fierce attack, Matthew did not dare relax in the slightest. Though he was proficient in the Earth Spear Technique, his head remained a fatal weakness. He quickly pulled back his right fist and crossed his arms over his head!

Saitama used the opening to retreat. He had no desire to be caught in Moonlight Zhengye's killing move!

"Boom!" The two chakra slashes slammed into Matthew's arms, erupting with a deafening blast! Their power was comparable to several ** tags detonating at once!

Moonlight Zhengye landed panting to Saitama's left, his gaze fixed tightly on the ** center. That strike had consumed a tremendous amount of chakra, leaving the energy in his body nearly depleted—this was exactly why he rarely used Sun-Moon Slash. It simply consumed too much chakra!

"!" Matthew's scream came from within the swirling yellow sand.

"Taking that move head-on with bare hands, he'll be seriously injured even if he isn't dead." Moonlight Zhengye spoke with certainty, absolute confidence in his own strength shining in his eyes.

Even so, the two remained tense, watching their enemy's position vigilantly.

"Whew—whew—" The wind and sand gradually dispersed, and Matthew's figure slowly came into view.

"Whoosh!" Before either of them could see clearly, Matthew had already torn through the air and charged at them!

"Move!" They shouted in unison, instantly kicking off in opposite directions.

"Drip, drip..." Matthew stopped where he was and did not pursue. Following Saitama's gaze, they saw that his arms were covered in horrifying cracks, blood dripping constantly and staining the yellow sand dark red.

"You... have completely enraged me!" Matthew stared fixedly at Moonlight Zhengye. If not for that Konoha ninja's secret technique, he would never have been reduced to such a sorry state!

He panted heavily, his chakra also nearing exhaustion. Though the Earth Spear Technique consumed little chakra, maintaining it for so long was still more than he could bear.

I have to end this quickly... If it comes to it, I'll retreat! Matthew calculated inwardly. This was Sand Village territory. His opponents would never dare pursue deeply. Having made up his mind, he prepared for one final gamble!

His bloodied arms began to harden, and the wounds gradually sealed.

"Captain, buy me some time!" Seeing that the enemy still had strength left, Saitama swiftly retreated behind Moonlight Zhengye.

Moonlight Zhengye frowned slightly, but the second rule of the ninja code stood clear in his mind: always trust your companions!

Moonlight Zhengye gripped his longsword and fixed his gaze on Matthew. It seemed he could only use that move. Afterward, he would have to rely on Saitama! He took a deep breath and raised his blade level, pointing it directly at his opponent.

"Bang!" Sword light flashed as Moonlight Zhengye charged forward like a gale, his blade drawing several fierce arcs through the air.

Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance! His figure closed in on the Sand ninja in an instant as Moonlight Zhengye unleashed his trump card!

"Hm?" Matthew's pupils contracted. Three Moonlight Zhengyes had appeared before his eyes at once, impossible to distinguish between real and false!

Cold sweat seeped down his forehead, and Matthew's heartbeat quickened. Without a Sharingan, he had no way to see through the clones. He could only grit his teeth and roar, "Stop playing tricks!"

Chakra surged through his body, and Matthew's fists gleamed with a metallic chill. He stomped the ground and unleashed three violent consecutive strikes at the three figures!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Three massive craters exploded across the sand, yet not even a scrap of clothing remained.

"How is that possible?!" Matthew's breath caught. He had forcibly pushed his body beyond its limits to unleash that burst of speed, yet every strike had missed?

Saitama's peripheral vision swept over the battlefield, but his hands never stopped moving. Ever since discovering his affinity for lightning, he had honed his chakra nature transformation day and night. The electricity dancing over his blade now was the result of his special training on the front lines. Against an enemy like a bronze wall and iron fortress, he had to bet everything on this move—

Lightning Release: Chidori!