Chapter 40

Saitama trailed them like a shadow, his overwhelming strength rendering him virtually invisible.

"First, find out what they're after." He suppressed the urge to strike. The two men were clearly not dressed in the style of the Hidden Mist.

Saitama followed the pair to a secluded bay where sea and land met, naturally forming a hidden harbor.

He lay concealed in the grass, observing the shipyard under construction several hundred meters away.

"So the Hidden Mist really is planning to land directly rather than pass through the Land of Bears."

"Are all those guards ninja from the Land of Bears?" Saitama carefully studied the ninja patrolling around the construction site but found no Hidden Mist forehead protectors.

"Should I withdraw or keep investigating?" The defenses here were looser than he had expected. He had infiltrated this close without anyone noticing.

"I'll capture someone alive, get answers, then leave." Returning empty-handed was not his style.

After sweeping his gaze around for a moment, he fixed on the crude camp behind the construction site.

Holding his breath, Saitama slipped toward the camp like a ghost. Compared to Konoha's camps, this place was practically a slum—its worn-out tents were covered in patches, rustling in the wind.

The camp guards noticed nothing as a dark figure slipped down from the cliff behind them.

"Riiip—" The sound of a kunai slicing through the tent was swallowed by the wind. Saitama frowned as he crawled inside, and the sour stench of sweat reminded him of construction sites from his previous life.

The communal sleeping platform crowded the tiny space, yet it was empty at the moment.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Footsteps drew closer, and Saitama hid in the shadows behind the entrance.

The flap lifted, and a lean worker dragged his exhausted body inside. His face was flushed as he wiped away sweat; he had clearly just finished grueling labor—he was an ordinary civilian.

"**! Which ** did this?!"

The worker suddenly flew into a rage—he had spotted the fresh tear in the tent.

"Bzzzt—"

Blue-white electricity flashed across his neck, and the worker immediately convulsed and froze in place.

"Make a sound and you die." Saitama pressed his kunai to the man's throat. "You're not a ninja. You should know how to cooperate."

The current weakened slightly. The worker nodded with difficulty, his Adam's apple bobbing against the blade's tip.

"Good. Just cooperate. I'll leave once I'm done asking questions." Seeing the man reluctantly nod, Saitama continued.

"Remember, don't make a sound. Otherwise, you'll be dead before they can get here." Saitama released him, and the man crumpled to the ground.

"Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything!" The man's voice trembled as he sat paralyzed on the ground, his pupils constricting.

"I ask. You answer." Saitama knew someone like this would not possess core intelligence, but he could still dig up basic information.

"Who ordered this shipyard built?" Saitama deliberately asked.

"It... it was the daimyo's order. I heard it's for the Hidden Mist ninja, but I don't know the details." The man panted heavily, terrified of angering Saitama.

"How much longer until it's finished?" Saitama changed to a question a worker could answer.

"I can't say... At the current pace, at least half a month. But I heard a new batch of workers will arrive tomorrow, so it might be completed sooner." Sweat beaded on the man's forehead, his voice uneasy.

"Are the ninja stationed here all from the Land of Bears?" Saitama remained alert, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

"Most are, but a ship of Hidden Mist ninja arrived last night. They all left this morning." The man wiped his sweat, fear written across his face.

"Shing—" Saitama slowly drew his blade, his gaze dark.

"No! Don't..." The man's voice suddenly rose, but before he could finish, the sword hilt smashed into the back of his head. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

"I need to question a ninja." Saitama slipped out through the hole he had entered through, concealing his presence as he searched for a target. Time was pressing. He had to finish this quickly.

This worker was not a ninja, so Saitama had merely knocked him out. But once he woke up, he would likely report to the ninja. Saitama had to hurry. If he found nothing today, he would withdraw first—now that he knew the location, he could return next time better prepared.

In the end, Saitama failed to find a ninja alone. Seeing that time had run out, he quietly departed.

"What?! You're sure?" Uchiha Mori stared at Saitama, his face full of disbelief.

"I investigated it myself. The Hidden Mist ninja are indeed planning to cross the sea and land there. Construction in that area is led by the Land of Bears."

Saitama remained calm. He had expected this news to shock Konoha's people.

"I'll report this later. Come with me. Go eat first." Uchiha Mori reined in his surprise and resumed his cold expression.

"Understood. Then I'll take my leave." Saitama turned crisply and left Mori's tent.

After returning to camp that afternoon, he immediately passed the intelligence on to Mori. Mori was responsible for reporting it upward; Saitama was only responsible for gathering intelligence.

"Captain!" Uchiha Huo and Uchiha Yan had been waiting outside the tent. The moment Saitama emerged, they called out.

"We'll talk when we get back." Saitama noticed that both of them looked as though they wanted to speak but were holding back.

"Alright!" The brothers nodded.

"When we encountered that squad of Hidden Mist ninja in the forest before, Captain, you already had your suspicions?" Uchiha Huo's tone carried a hint of exaggeration.

"Mm." Saitama gave a brief reply.

"What's the situation over there?" Uchiha Yan remained composed as he pressed on.

"I don't know the exact number of ninja. I only captured an ordinary person for a few questions before rushing back." Saitama casually picked up a wild fruit and took a bite.

"A little sour." Ignoring their exchanged looks, he gave an offhand assessment.

Konoha ninja had gathered these wild fruits nearby. They were edible and could replenish vitamins.

"What do we do next?" Uchiha Huo's eyes gleamed, looking eager to get moving.

"Wait for orders. I suspect there's more than one outpost like this. We'll see how Lady Tsunade deploys us." Saitama finished the fruit and casually wiped his hand on his clothes.

"Let's eat first. I still have to attend a meeting with Mori later." He rose and headed outside.

Uchiha Yan was still immersed in analyzing the intelligence, while Uchiha Huo immediately grinned and followed Saitama at the mention of food.

"If this intelligence is true, Konoha's strategy will require major adjustments." Uchiha Mori sat alone in his tent, pondering the information Saitama had brought back.

"I thought the confrontation with the Hidden Mist would be a protracted war. I never expected them to adopt such a strategy. The pace of the battlefield may suddenly accelerate." His fingertips tapped lightly against the table as his gaze settled on a point on the map—where Saitama had marked the enemy camp in red.

More importantly, Saitama had clearly stated, "There's likely more than one outpost like this."

"Troublesome..." Mori rubbed his brow and decided to report to Uchiha Tianming first, then present it to Tsunade and the other higher-ups at the evening meeting.

"Saitama, come here!" Uchiha Mori raised a hand in signal.

Inside Konoha Village's temporary conference room, all the village's important figures had gathered in a specially made spacious tent.

"Mm." Saitama gave a slight nod and walked to stand beside Uchiha Mori under everyone's gaze.

"The meeting begins now." Tsunade sat at the head of the long table. To her right was the advisor Mitokado Homura, wearing round spectacles. Though he looked like an ordinary old man, he had served as the Second Hokage's personal guard in his youth and had belonged to an elite squad alongside legendary ninja such as the Third Hokage and Danzo.

At that moment, the tent held every Konoha higher-up stationed on the Hidden Mist front. Yet Saitama stood behind Uchiha Mori with complete ease, showing no trace of nerves.

"Today's missions were relatively light for every unit, so let's first hear the Uchiha Clan's reconnaissance report," Mitokado Homura said evenly.

Uchiha Tianming reported with a solemn expression, "A patrol discovered that the Land of Bears is constructing a ** shipyard along the coastline. It is highly likely being prepared for a Hidden Mist landing."

"What are everyone's thoughts?" Tsunade asked, tapping the table lightly. This sudden news plunged the people present into a brief silence.

The Hyuga Clan representative was the first to question the intelligence's authenticity. Uchiha Tianming turned toward Saitama and gestured. "Let the ninja who conducted the reconnaissance explain."

"Good evening, everyone." Saitama straightened his back, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "I guarantee the intelligence is true on my honor as a ninja. To confirm it, I risked infiltrating the enemy camp and obtained conclusive evidence."

"Your name is Saitama, correct?" After confirming his name, Tsunade continued, "Although Saitama has already conducted reconnaissance, we'll dispatch an additional reconnaissance team tomorrow as a precaution. Does anyone here have recommendations?"

As she spoke, Saitama winked at Shizune behind Tsunade. Though Shizune maintained a professional posture and stared ahead, her cheeks unconsciously flushed.

"The Hyuga Clan will send two squads to assist Lady Tsunade," Hyuga Shin said steadily. As the main family commander dispatched to the front, he bore responsibility for directing the branch family ninja.

Tsunade gave a slight nod, her gaze passing over the crowd.

"The Uchiha Clan will continue participating. We were the first to discover this, and we will not abandon it halfway," Uchiha Tianming said firmly.

"The Aburame Clan will send one insect user along." On the left side of the long table, a ninja wearing sunglasses spoke blandly, his expression unchanged, then resumed his ** posture after speaking.

Tsunade nodded again. Beside her, Mitokado Homura removed his glasses and placed them on the table.

"This operation is focused on verifying the intelligence. We do not need too many people, but personnel from the Hyuga and Aburame Clans are indispensable."

A sharp glint flashed in Mitokado Homura's eyes as he added, "The Hyuga Clan will send one ninja with the Byakugan activated, the Aburame Clan will send one person, and add the Uchiha Clan's Saitama—the discoverer of this intelligence. The three will form a reconnaissance team and depart tomorrow, ensuring nothing goes wrong."

"Understood." The representatives of the clans called upon responded in unison.

Saitama's expression remained unchanged. He had expected this arrangement.

"Next, we'll discuss other matters." Seeing the decision had been made, Tsunade moved on to the next topic.

"Saitama, be extremely careful during tomorrow's operation." Uchiha Tianming walked at the front, with Mori and Saitama following behind him.

After the meeting, the three were slowly making their way back to the Uchiha encampment.

"Your reconnaissance today may already have alerted the enemy. They may strengthen their defenses or even set an ambush and strike back."

As the Uchiha Clan's highest-ranking leader, Tianming valued this rising star of the clan greatly and did not wish to see him come to harm.

"Yes." Saitama replied briefly.

"Lord Tianming needn't worry. Saitama is already accustomed to this type of mission. His abilities are beyond question." Mori patted Saitama on the shoulder, his tone relaxed.

"Mm." Tianming said no more and quickened his pace.

"Let's stop training here for today. I'm heading back first." Saitama flexed his wrist. Shizune's kick had left his arm somewhat numb.

"Alright." Shizune looked up at the shifting moonlight. "It really is getting late."

"You go on. I don't have a mission during the day; I only need to remain by Lady Tsunade's side." She smiled. Her sweat-dampened short hair clung to her cheeks, lending her a particularly spirited look.

"I'm off." Saitama lightly patted the ninja sword at his waist and turned to leave.

Shizune waved him goodbye. She had a rather favorable impression of Saitama, and her tone had softened considerably.

Saitama turned toward his own tent. He had only taken a few steps when Shizune suddenly called out behind him.

"Saitama!"

He stopped and looked back, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he looked at the girl holding a kunai. "What is it?"

"Be careful tomorrow!" Shizune clenched her kunai tightly. Moonlight reflected in her faintly shining eyes. "When you return, I'll teach you the medical ninjutsu I promised."

Saitama nodded. "You should get some rest too." With that, he strode away and heard nothing more.

Shizune watched his figure disappear around the tents, her knuckles turning white from the force of her grip. "Do your best." She murmured softly to the empty air.

The camp lay beneath cold moonlight, while vigilant ninja moved between the tents. Saitama returned to his quarters, washed up briefly, and lay down on his bed.

His ninja sword rested tightly against the edge of the bed, within easy reach.

As promised, he had gone to see Shizune. The brief lesson had been relaxing.

"Tomorrow will be another hard fight." Staring at the tent ceiling, he muttered to himself before closing his eyes.

"You three will be assigned as one group. Make sure to work together and complete the mission." Tsunade folded her arms, her gaze sweeping over the three before her.

"Understood!"

Hyuga Tate—a jōnin in his early twenties; Aburame Ruifeng—a silent chūnin, his sunglasses reflecting a cold gleam.

"Saitama will serve as temporary captain." Before Tsunade had even finished speaking, Hyuga Tate's eye twitched. The opponent he had once wanted to "spar" with had now become his superior. Though unwilling, he had no choice but to accept it.