Chapter 37

After walking some distance, Yan finally could not hold back any longer and asked.

"Maybe they just caught my eye? Yan, you can't judge a book by its cover." Saitama lightly bumped Uchiha Yan beside him with his elbow, his tone meaningful. The Uchiha brothers fell into thought, but they still did not fully understand.

"You mean... they're very strong?" Huo asked tentatively.

"Mm-hm." Saitama neither confirmed nor denied it, answering casually.

"Got it!" The two stopped asking and silently followed Saitama back to the Uchiha compound.

It was nearly eight by the time dinner ended, and night had fallen over Konoha Village.

With his sharp senses, Saitama could detect chakra fluctuations darting across the rooftops. Masked figures moved through the darkness, either patrolling or carrying out missions.

In Konoha's fifty-sixth year, the war situation had suddenly grown tense, and the village was operating at full capacity. Even late at night, the Hokage Building remained brightly lit.

"For the next few days, come to the training ground and spar with me. I can give you some pointers too," Saitama said to the two behind him.

"No problem!" The two agreed readily. They had been thinking the same thing. The sooner they worked out their teamwork, the better their chances of surviving on the battlefield.

They traveled in silence. After returning to the clan compound, the Uchiha brothers and Saitama parted ways in the western district and went home separately.

Granny Xiang was still watching television. Saitama lightly knocked on her door and entered her bedroom after receiving permission. He sat by her bedside and chatted with her about everyday matters. With the front lines approaching, their time together had become all the more precious.

At exactly ten, Saitama wished her good night and went upstairs to wash up.

Stars glittered outside the window, and the cold moon shone like frost, its clear light spilling across the earth.

"Are you ready, Uchiha shinobi?" The Uchiha Clan's ** was not spacious, but it was enough to hold these hundred-odd clansmen.

On the eve of deployment, Uchiha Fugaku was delivering the final pre-battle mobilization speech.

The captains of each squad stood at the front of the formation, their team members close behind them. Looking across the crowd, Saitama stood out most among the captains in terms of height—after all, the average Uchiha clansman was over 1.7 meters tall, and most who had advanced to jonin were already adults with fully developed builds.

When Fugaku finished speaking, the grounds fell silent. It was not that the clansmen were disrespecting their clan head; it was simply a rule passed down through generations of shinobi.

Standing in the front row, Saitama clearly felt the atmosphere of the entire force suddenly grow grave, as though a massive boulder were pressing against his chest.

Fugaku keenly sensed the shift in the troops. His gaze swept over the crowd, and the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly before his expression returned to solemnity.

"It seems everyone is fully prepared! This is the Uchiha Clan's first large-scale deployment in many years. We must show the enemy our edge and restore the glory of our ancestors!"

His impassioned words shook every heart. Every shinobi's eyes burned with resolve, and Saitama narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked toward Fugaku on the platform.

"Uchiha shinobi, move out!" Fugaku raised an arm and waved.

This time, he would not be deploying with the troops. Instead, he had handed command to the steady-tempered, roughly forty-year-old jonin, Uchiha Tianming.

Uchiha Mori, whom Fugaku deeply trusted, was still too junior in seniority and had taken the role of deputy, assisting Tianming with battlefield affairs.

"All squads, assemble at Konoha's main gate!" Tianming's shout rang across the grounds.

"Yes!" the captains answered in unison.

"Let's go." Saitama turned to the two eager brothers behind him, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Yes!" the two replied together.

Countless squads had already leaped onto the rooftops and raced toward Konoha's gates.

Saitama took the lead, with Uchiha Huo and Yan silently following close behind. The three were not slow, and soon arrived near the main gate with the larger force.

During the rapid march, Saitama noticed another gray-white stream of people moving orderly toward the gates—the Hyuga Clan's shinobi force.

The two clans had always been rivals and had never gotten along well. Even gathered at the village entrance now, neither side had any intention of speaking to the other.

Looking around, shinobi gathered here like a rising tide. As the strongest shinobi village, Konoha truly lived up to its reputation for being able to handle wars on several fronts at once.

In truth, the conflict with the Land of Water had not yet drawn Konoha's full attention. The troops were being deployed merely to deter Hidden Mist's provocations.

At present, Konoha and Hidden Mist were only engaged in small-scale probing clashes. Konoha wished to avoid fighting on multiple fronts, while Hidden Mist was waiting to see whether Konoha still had the strength to deal with an attack.

Among the troops heading to the border this time, clan shinobi made up the overwhelming majority, while civilian shinobi were few and far between.

This was precisely how Konoha's higher-ups maintained the balance of power—through military deployments, they made the major clans understand that only by prospering alongside the village, and sacrificing clan interests when necessary, could they gain overall development.

The heads of every clan understood this perfectly and did not hesitate when it came to troop allocation. If anyone tried to comply in public while resisting in private at a time like this, the other clans would be the first to punish them. The higher-ups would not even need to act personally.

The blazing sun hung overhead as more and more shinobi assembled. Saitama noticed the emblems of many small and mid-sized clans flickering among the crowd.

When the final batch of troops arrived, all the shinobi waited quietly for the order to depart.

"Bang!" ** pierced the sky. The joint force formed by the various clans began advancing in an orderly fashion.

According to Uchiha Fugaku, Tsunade would serve as commander for this operation, while a Hokage advisor would accompany her to coordinate relations between the various clans and the commander.

At this point, Tsunade had not yet left the village, but her hemophobia truly made her unsuitable for the battlefield. If the war escalated, a new commander would inevitably be needed.

Saitama guessed that Jiraiya, one of the Three Sannin, was the most likely to take over. Though Konoha was strong at present, there were very few commanders capable of holding a front alone.

Minato Namikaze guarded the west, Orochimaru was stationed in the south, and Jiraiya rushed around providing support like a firefighter. Aside from being somewhat carefree in personality, this versatile shinobi was practically the perfect general and had always been one of Konoha's pillars.

The vanguard had reportedly already reached the border, while Saitama's unit was part of the following main force. The entire allied army was passing through dense forest at full speed toward the front lines.

At their current marching speed, they were expected to reach the Land of Water's border in seven days while maintaining combat readiness.

Nearly every shinobi clan had sent elite fighters for this operation. Even the remaining clans had already committed forces in earlier battles. With shinobi of vastly different temperaments gathered in one place, friction was inevitable, especially among clans with longstanding grudges—such as the Uchiha and Hyuga.

"You're the Uchiha newcomer who's been making quite a name for himself lately?"

During a rest break, Saitama leaned against an ancient tree with his eyes closed. His two guards stood beside him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by four Hyuga clansmen, while the Uchiha Huo brothers glared angrily at them.

"Do you need something?" Saitama noticed his clansmen gathering nearby, all wearing contemptuous expressions. He frowned slightly, unsure whether this counted as a provocation.

"How about we spar another day? Let me see what this Uchiha genius can do." The Hyuga clansman noticed the unfriendly looks around him, yet remained calm and composed.

"Why wait for another day?" Saitama gripped his sword hilt and rose to his feet, his gaze stabbing toward the other man like a blade.

"Oh?" Hyuga Tate's body stiffened slightly. Nineteen years old, he had advanced to jonin two years earlier and believed himself no less capable than the youth before him.

"Whoosh—"

Saitama suddenly vanished from Hyuga Tate's sight, leaving only faint footprints on the ground.

"As fellow Konoha shinobi, we shouldn't waste our energy here." Saitama's voice came from behind him, warm breath brushing Hyuga Tate's ear.

Hyuga Tate's entire body froze. Though it had happened suddenly, he had failed to catch even a trace of the other's movement.

"Swish!" He abruptly spun around and looked down at Saitama, only to meet a pair of utterly calm eyes.

"You do have some skill." As Hyuga Tate left with his people, Uchiha Huo let out an odd snicker. The fifteen- or sixteen-year-old brothers had watched their captain easily intimidate the Hyuga clansmen, and their eyes were filled with barely concealed excitement.

The dispersed Uchiha clansmen returned to their places, privately marveling at the extraordinary strength of this clansman who had risen to fame so recently. Most of those present had not even seen that lightning-fast movement clearly, despite not activating their Sharingan.

After the break, the troops continued onward. This minor conflict was like a drop falling into the sea, stirring only brief ripples before fading into calm.

After five and a half days of travel, the main force reached its designated location. The advance Konoha shinobi had already set up the beginnings of a camp and were waiting for the later troops to join them.

Konoha had prepared thoroughly for this war months ago. Now, as long as the shinobi forces acted according to the established plan, they could easily withstand Hidden Mist's probing attacks.

"Very good!" When the troops arrived at camp, Tsunade and several higher-ups who had arrived earlier were already waiting at the entrance.

"The camp has been divided up. Everyone, settle your belongings first. At four this afternoon, captains and above are to gather in the ** area for a meeting. Now—dismissed!" Tsunade's voice was firm and forceful, and a sharp presence showed between her brows. She commanded immense prestige among Konoha's shinobi.

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Saitama's gaze swept over the girl beside Tsunade. From his memories, he recognized her as Shizune—Kato Dan's niece, who had been adopted by Tsunade after losing her family.

It looked like she had already become a chunin. Saitama knew Shizune was in the same generation as Kakashi and should be slightly older than him, but thanks to his physical development, he was actually a little taller than her.

Upon entering the camp, the Uchiha Clan's flag was especially conspicuous. After receiving their tent numbers from Uchiha Tianming, the clansmen hurried off to rest. Days of travel had left most of the shinobi exhausted.

Saitama's tent was next to the Uchiha Huo brothers', clearly by deliberate arrangement.

Interestingly, the Uchiha and Hyuga areas in the camp layout were directly adjacent to each other.

Did the higher-ups not know the two clans had always been at odds? Saitama could not be bothered to dwell on such twists and turns. He had always been steady by nature. He would not take the initiative to provoke the Hyuga, but if they provoked him—that would be another matter.

"Captain! Want some?" Uchiha Huo held out roasted meat he had just gotten from the kitchen. The long march had left everyone starving. At the moment, the camp was filled either with shinobi catching up on sleep or figures searching everywhere for food.

"Thanks. I still have to attend the meeting after eating." Saitama took the meat wrapped in oil paper and headed toward the gathering point while chewing. Along the way, captain-level shinobi constantly emerged from their tents and converged in the same direction.

"Yo, Senior Mori." Saitama ran into Uchiha Mori, who was hurrying along, and deliberately drew out his tone. The other man had been busy helping Uchiha Tianming organize the troops these past few days, so they had not spoken in quite some time.

"Mm." Uchiha Mori answered blandly without slowing down.

"Let's go. Say, it's my first time attending a meeting like this. How do I act like a veteran without giving myself away?" Saitama walked beside Uchiha Mori and asked half-jokingly.

"Keep your mouth shut." Mori nodded to a clansman beside him and answered casually.

"Fine by me. At least today I'll finally get to see Lady Tsunade's skills with my own eyes." Saitama rubbed his hands together.

"Which of the Three Sannin is easy to deal with? They're all Konoha's finest!" Mori spoke with certainty, completely unaware that the formidable Tsunade he spoke of had long since developed hemophobia and was now relying entirely on her former reputation to intimidate enemies.

"We're here." Saitama looked around. The meeting site was packed with people.

Tsunade had not appeared yet, so the two waited at the edge of the crowd. This meeting would likely be nothing more than adjustments to captain-level deployments and a few miscellaneous instructions.

The crowd suddenly fell silent. Tsunade strode toward **, her dark green shinobi armor rustling in the wind, her golden ponytail swaying lightly with every step. The moment she appeared, an oppressive presence swept across the entire gathering, making even the sound of breathing seem faint.

She was one of the Three Sannin, after all—though her strength was somewhat inferior to Orochimaru and Jiraiya, her bearing did not pale in comparison.

"Thud!" Her boot heel struck the ground heavily. Tsunade folded her arms and swept her gaze over the crowd, while Shizune beside her anxiously twisted her fingers.

"It was unavoidable to summon everyone here on such short notice!" Her voice rang like metal, her sharp gaze passing over every face. "Rest today. Tomorrow, you officially enter the battlefield—I hope you are prepared." As her eyes passed over him, a chill ran down Saitama's neck.

Tsunade then assigned the tasks of each squad one by one and further divided defensive responsibilities among the clans.

"Representatives of each clan, remain. Everyone else, dismissed!" She waved a hand, and Saitama and Mori immediately turned to leave.

"Into the tent to discuss matters." Tsunade led more than twenty representatives toward the main tent. Though the situation with Hidden Mist had not yet become dire, there was never anything wrong with preparing for the worst.

"Did you understand?" After returning to his tent, Saitama called over the Uchiha Huo brothers and relayed the meeting's instructions.

"Mm... Starting tomorrow, we'll be patrolling the border and keeping Hidden Mist from crossing over?" Uchiha Huo mumbled through a mouthful of food.