Chapter 22

"Knock, knock." Saitama stood before the door and raised a hand to knock lightly.

"Come in." A steady, powerful voice came from inside, carrying maturity and authority.

"Captain." Saitama entered the room and stopped several meters away from Fugaku.

"You've been back for a few days. How do you feel?" Fugaku's tone held a trace of concern. Saitama's strength and talent had long earned a place in his mind, and out of appreciation for a junior, he did not get straight to the point.

"The village is certainly reassuring, but being too comfortable isn't a good thing." Saitama considered briefly, his tone relaxed.

"Lin mentioned in his letter that your performance on the battlefield was quite outstanding. You did not disgrace the Uchiha name!" Fugaku's voice rose slightly as he spoke, tinged with pride.

"It was nothing major, about the same as usual. But the Hokage's council of elders seems to have formed a new opinion about our Uchiha not giving our all in the war." Sen waved a hand, looking casual.

"Heh. That agreement really was nothing but empty words." Saitama spoke blandly. He knew that the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups had once reached an agreement: unless it was a critical moment, the Uchiha could choose for themselves whether to join the war.

This was Konoha's policy of protecting its great clans. The Hyuga Clan enjoyed the same treatment—though only the main family did.

"The council believes the Uchiha are powerful yet have responded passively on the battlefield. They question whether we truly see ourselves as members of Konoha."

Sen's tone was somewhat subtle. In his memory, the relationship between the clan and the village had never been harmonious. Quite a few radicals within the clan drew a clear line between the clan and the village.

"What does the captain think?" Saitama knew that Sen was Uchiha Fugaku's capable assistant in the village, and many decisions were discussed with him.

"What else can he do? The captain doesn't intend to send more troops to the Sand Village front. Isn't Hidden Mist causing friction with us? He plans to send some people there, as an explanation to the council of elders." After pondering for a moment, Sen revealed this.

"This news hasn't been announced to the younger members of the clan yet, and the candidates haven't been decided either."

"Mm, then that should be next year. I'll be free by then too, so count me in." Saitama lightly stroked the sword at his waist and smiled.

"Alright. If you have things to do, go on." Sen waved him away. He knew Fugaku had met with Saitama earlier.

Saitama wiped the sweat with his sleeve and turned to leave. In the training ground nearby, several members of the Guard Force were practicing. They had not gone to the front lines, while Shisui had yet to return from his mission.

With clan members making their name outside, Fugaku, as clan head, naturally felt greatly honored.

"What are your plans now that you're back?" Fugaku propped his chin on both hands, half leaning across the desk as he stared intently at Saitama.

"I'll rest for a few days, then take on some missions. I won't return to the battlefield for now. The time isn't right yet." Saitama looked at the tabletop, then raised his eyes to meet Fugaku's gaze.

"That's fine. Though it is wartime, a full-scale war has not yet begun. The village has no shortage of missions, and every clan has its quota." Fugaku nodded slightly and leaned back.

"Shisui returned to the village today. You haven't seen each other in a long time, so you should catch up." Fugaku reminded him with a smile.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Captain."

"Mm. Go."

"You just came straight back?" Shisui looked surprised. This was unlike the Saitama who used to clamor about going to the battlefield.

"What else was I supposed to do? Stay there for the New Year?" Saitama shook his head. He was now half a head taller than Shisui, making Shisui feel as though he were facing an older brother.

"Did something happen?" Shisui lowered his voice and scanned their surroundings alertly.

"Shisui, what do you think about the war between Konoha and Sand Village?"

"Konoha will definitely win. It's only a matter of time!"

"If Sand Village were the only enemy, then victory would indeed be assured."

The two sat on a roadside bench. Shisui sat upright, while Saitama lounged against the backrest.

After a moment of silence, Saitama spoke again. "The village wants the Uchiha to formally join the war, instead of going through the motions like before."

Shisui frowned deeply. He knew about the agreement between the village and the clans, and he also understood that the current battle situation did not seem to have reached that point.

"Hidden Mist is stirring in the east, and Hidden Stone is as well. Konoha is in a difficult position. It is only proper for the Uchiha to contribute." Shisui stated his view.

"Forget it. This isn't something we should worry about. Leave it to the clan higher-ups and the captain." Saitama rested his head against the bench, his voice carrying helplessness.

Though his strength had improved, his age and lack of seniority meant he still held no real authority.

"This time, I carried out an escort mission. I escorted a Land of Fire minister on a diplomatic visit to the Land of Hot Water, and we encountered Cloud Village ninja along the way." Shisui began recounting his trip.

"Oh?" Saitama raised a brow. He was unsure whether Cloud Village had its sights on Konoha at this time. As he recalled, they should have clashed with Hidden Stone first, shouldn't they?

"The Cloud Village ninja were also escorting a Land of Lightning minister on a visit to the Land of Hot Water."

Hearing this, Saitama understood. Cloud Village was visiting the Land of Hot Water at this time—could they be intending to borrow passage through it?

He pondered this privately but did not voice his thoughts.

"Every Cloud Village ninja was highly skilled. Most carried swords, and their skin tended to be darker." Shisui recalled the Cloud Village squad he had encountered earlier. Three of the four ninja had long blades strapped to their backs.

"Cloud Village values martial prowess. Its ninja excel at swordsmanship and Lightning Release." Saitama suddenly paused, realizing that this description was rather similar to himself. "They also created their own school of ninja taijutsu, making Cloud Village ninja generally more physically robust than ninja from other villages."

Shisui could not help glancing sideways. Saitama also realized that these traits suited him even more closely. Though their combat styles were similar, Cloud Village's system was far more complete. Saitama was merely imitating those excellent fighting styles from his memories.

"I'm going to rest for a few days after returning this time. The mission wasn't particularly dangerous, but keeping my nerves taut for so long was exhausting." Shisui stretched, rarely showing such weariness.

"How about dinner at my place?" Saitama stood and looked at the darkening sky.

"I was just thinking about Granny Xiang's cooking." Shisui perked up and rose with him.

"Do you need to let your mother know?"

"No need. I ran into my father while turning in the mission, and I already told him I was coming to find you."

The two looked at each other and smiled without saying another word.

"What... is the battlefield like?" Shisui suddenly asked on the way. When they reunited, he had noticed that Saitama's demeanor had become increasingly profound, bringing an invisible sense of pressure.

"A hundred times crueler than a mission. A mission can be abandoned, but on the battlefield, there is only a fight to the death." A chill seemed to radiate from Saitama as his steps slowed, as if he were recalling the past.

"Looks like I'll be going to the battlefield soon too." Shisui looked ahead.

"It'll be an unforgettable experience." Saitama draped an arm around his close friend's shoulders and spoke softly.

At dinner, the two devoured an entire basin of braised pork and seaweed rice balls. Shisui bade farewell to Granny Xiang and Saitama with his belly round and full, then headed home beneath the moonlight.

The brief peace would eventually be broken. Saitama knew that the war with Sand Village would continue, and there was no longer any meaning in remaining at the front lines. Konoha's forty-sixth year was approaching, and the historic Battle of Kikyō Mountain was about to erupt.

He had stayed in the Uchiha compound for quite some time, yet he had never seen that senior who had left such a deep impression on him. Where was Uchiha Obito now? This future figure who would stir the world should already be a Chunin by now, right?

The night gradually faded as dawn approached. Amid the stillness, time slipped quietly by.

The clash of metal echoed through the training ground.

Two afterimages crossed at high speed, scattering sparks everywhere.

Bang!

One of them was blasted backward and crashed heavily onto the sandy ground.

"Cough..." Shisui pushed himself up, his chest aching faintly.

"Your speed simply defies reason." He shook his head with a bitter smile.

Their recent sparring matches had been almost completely one-sided. Unless Saitama deliberately suppressed his strength to practice a new technique—such as the Body Flicker Technique he had just mastered.

"I didn't even use thirty percent of my strength." Saitama's breathing was steady, as though the fierce exchange just now had nothing to do with him.

"Yes, yes, you're impressive now." Shisui dusted off his pant legs, wearing an unusually exaggerated look of grievance.

"Your Body Flicker Technique is fine. It's just that my eye technique is better." Saitama lightly tapped the corner of his eye.

The two had exchanged insights on ninjutsu. Saitama had quickly grasped the essentials of the Body Flicker Technique, but Shisui had run into a bottleneck while learning Lightning Release Chakra Mode—though he could barely use it, the strain on his body was tremendous.

"Let's take a break." Saitama put an arm around Shisui's shoulders and led him toward the edge of the field.

"Watching you two makes me wonder whether I wasted my twenty years of life." Sen leaned against the fence and sighed.

"You're joking. I'm not even a Chunin." Shisui answered modestly. Although his strength had long met the standard, he had remained a Genin.

"I watched you two grow up. Especially Saitama..." Sen narrowed his eyes in recollection.

"It's time to eat." Saitama suddenly cut him off. "Shisui said he's treating us to barbecue."

"When did I—" Shisui's eyes widened.

"A rare opportunity. Of course we should go." Sen immediately chimed in, a sly curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

With both Saitama and Sen saying so, Shisui could only nod. "Then let's eat on the shopping street. The newly opened Barbecue Q is pretty good."

"Alright, lead the way." Saitama winked at Sen and followed Shisui out, leaving Uchiha Sen standing there in confusion.

Sen had no idea what that look meant. A genius's way of thinking truly was hard to understand.

There were few pedestrians on the shopping street in the afternoon, and the three soon arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

"Boss, start us off with fifty plates of meat and the house special spicy sauce!" Shisui ordered with the ease of a regular.

The goateed owner greeted them enthusiastically. "Young Shisui is here! It'll be right out!" With that, he hurried into the kitchen. Including the owner, the small shop had only three employees.

"You're a regular?" Sen noticed their familiarity.

"I came when it first opened. After Saitama went to the front lines, I basically ate here all the time." Shisui scratched his head.

Saitama looked around. "The atmosphere is nice." Six tables were just right, with green plants placed between them. Several turtles swam leisurely in the pond, and the whole space was relaxing.

In the empty shop, their meat was served quickly. The grill sizzled as the rich aroma spread through the air.

"Try this sauce." Shisui placed some meat onto Saitama's plate. Sen leaned close to the dish of sauce and took a deep breath. "Smells amazing!"

"Hurry up and eat. It's not often that Shisui treats us." Saitama grinned teasingly, and Shisui's face immediately darkened.

"Hahaha!" Sen found it endlessly amusing.

The grilled meat was coated in sauce. Sen took a bite and gave a thumbs-up. "It tastes incredible!"

The corner of Shisui's mouth lifted, and even the owner by the entrance looked proud. Just then, new customers pushed open the door, and the owner hurried over. "Welcome!"

Saitama did not even raise his head as he continued adding meat to the grill.

"Saitama, Saitama!" Sitting beside him, Shisui gently nudged him with an elbow.

"Grill your own if you want some. I don't have enough here!" Saitama did not look up, assuming Shisui had his eyes on his barbecue.

"No! Look at the entrance!" Shisui lowered his voice, his expression helpless.

Saitama stuffed several slices of grilled meat into his mouth. The rich meat flavor burst across his tongue, and the taste of sauce mixed with oil made him squint in satisfaction. Only then did he look up, following the light toward the entrance.

Five people stood there—the barbecue restaurant owner and four ninja.

Saitama recognized all of them. The blond man in the lead was the future Fourth Hokage, the renowned Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze. Behind him stood two boys and a girl. The silver-haired youth with his face covered was Kakashi Hatake, the immensely powerful genius ninja of the Hatake clan. The black-haired boy with goggles was Uchiha Obito, who would later stir up a storm of bloodshed for love. And the final girl was Obito's beloved "love"—Rin Nohara.

"What a coincidence. Konoha's future stars are all here." Saitama's lips curled slightly as he withdrew his gaze.

"Saitama, did you see them?" Shisui reminded him quietly again.

"Mm, I saw." Saitama's tone was calm, though his heart was in turmoil.

"The one in front is the Jonin Minato Namikaze, who has recently become famous! The silver-haired one in the mask behind him is Kakashi, the Hatake clan's genius. He's incredibly strong—he might even be more than a match for you!" Shisui introduced them excitedly, like a young fan seeing his idols.

"I know." Saitama's gaze swept over Kakashi, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sensei, let's eat here! The atmosphere is nice!" At the entrance, Obito bounced about, lively as ever.

"Rin, what do you think?" Minato Namikaze turned and asked the only girl in the group.