Chapter 41

Aburame Ruifeng remained silent, his gaze behind the lenses impossible to read.

"Move out." Saitama took the first step, ignoring the gaze following him from behind Tsunade.

Shizune watched Saitama disappear into the distance, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her ninja tool pouch. Tsunade glanced sideways at her. "You've been absent-minded lately, hm?"

"It's nothing, Lady Tsunade." Shizune lowered her eyes, avoiding Tsunade's gaze.

"Fine, suit yourself." Tsunade paid no mind to Shizune's odd behavior and walked straight ahead.

"Once we pass through this forest and follow the coastline, we'll reach the target location." Saitama unfolded the map, and the three gathered around to study it.

"Understood!" Hyuga Tate answered. On missions, he restrained his dissatisfaction with Saitama, though there was still resistance in his tone.

"Ruifeng, send out the insects to scout. There may be an ambush in this forest. Hyuga Tate, use the Byakugan to scan the surroundings every three minutes." Saitama issued his orders crisply. Aburame Ruifeng adjusted his sunglasses to show he understood.

"Fine." Hyuga Tate gave a brief reply.

"The operation begins now. Stay alert; the enemy will definitely be heavily guarded." Saitama put away the map and reminded them once more.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

With the two reconnaissance ninja working together, the squad sped unhindered through the forest.

Just as they were about to cross the woods, Aburame Ruifeng suddenly raised a hand.

"Stop!"

Everyone halted and landed on the branches. Saitama cast him a questioning look.

"I've lost contact with some of the insects." Aburame Ruifeng's tone remained calm as his fingertips lightly touched his glasses frame.

"Hyuga Tate!" Saitama frowned slightly.

"Byakugan!" Veins bulged around Hyuga Tate's eyes as he formed hand seals and stared ahead. Saitama could sense chakra rushing toward his eyes, its consumption far exceeding that of the Sharingan.

"What is it?"

"There's nothing unusual in my field of vision, but something feels wrong." Hyuga Tate continued scanning the area.

"Explain." Saitama sensed the contradiction.

"It's too quiet." Hyuga Tate closed his eyes and released the eye technique.

"Ruifeng, send more insects. We'll proceed slowly." Saitama decided to continue the mission.

"Understood." Aburame Ruifeng stretched both arms out. A black tide of insects poured from his sleeves and vanished into the forest in an instant.

"Keep moving. Tate, switch to using the Byakugan once every minute." Saitama leaped out first, with his two teammates following closely behind.

"Rustle—"

Saitama landed without a sound, and Hyuga Tate activated the Byakugan again behind him.

"Keep going. Don't stop." Hyuga Tate gave a slight nod, and Saitama understood, taking the lead to scout ahead.

"Rustle, rustle—"

After passing through the dense woods, the three entered an area of low shrubs. Their destination was not far away.

"Boom!"

The sudden muffled blast made them all pause. After exchanging glances, they instinctively lightened their footsteps.

"Stay alert." Saitama pressed a palm against his ninja tool pouch as chakra quietly circulated through his meridians.

Pushing aside the last patch of shrubs, their view suddenly opened up—dozens of figures were working in a depression ahead.

"This is it." Saitama lay prone on the ground, staring at the harbor under construction in the distance, a dark glint flashing through his eyes. Hyuga Tate and Aburame Ruifeng tensed their muscles, even restraining their breathing.

"What's the plan?" Hyuga Tate lowered his voice until it was barely more than breath, yet it reached his companions clearly.

"Withdraw. The intelligence has been verified." Saitama fixed his gaze on the patrolling ninja, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Going any deeper is too risky."

"Agreed." Hyuga Tate's forehead nearly touched the dirt. The pressure of the enemy camp being so close sent a chill down his neck.

"Wait!" Aburame Ruifeng suddenly pressed a hand to his temple. "The insect swarm has lost contact again at three o'clock!"

"Byakugan, activate!" Veins bulged around Hyuga Tate's eye sockets as his vision instantly penetrated layer after layer of obstacles. "Seven enemy ninja are closing in! Break out immediately!"

"We've been exposed!" Saitama sprang up, and the three shot toward the route they had come from like arrows loosed from a bow. Grass shrieked in the rushing wind as their chakra sensory network spread to its limit.

"Turn left!" Hyuga Tate's Byakugan caught the interceptors ahead.

As they braked sharply and changed direction, the tip of Saitama's boot scraped against a grayish-brown rock. His pupils suddenly contracted.

"Wait!" The others stopped and looked at Saitama in confusion.

"What is this?" Saitama crouched down and picked up a stone brimming with chakra in his perception.

"Chakra patterns?" He brought the stone close to his eyes and found it covered in dense, tiny carvings.

The other two also noticed the stone in Saitama's hand, and their expressions immediately grew grave.

"This is probably what exposed our trail. I don't know the exact mechanism, but we need to avoid these things from now on." After speaking, Saitama turned his gaze toward Hyuga Tate.

"Understood!" Hyuga Tate stared at the stone. In his Byakugan vision, the chakra inside it was completely visible.

"I'll lead the way!" Hyuga Tate nodded.

"Keep moving. My insects have sent word—someone is pursuing us from behind." Aburame Ruifeng adjusted his sunglasses, a streak of sunlight reflecting from the lenses.

"Alright. Tate, you clear the way!" Saitama gestured to Hyuga Tate.

"Whoosh!" Saitama faintly caught the sound of wind splitting beside his ears. It was still weak, but the enemy had clearly closed to a dangerous distance.

"Go!" The three set off again. This time, Hyuga Tate deliberately used the Byakugan to avoid the chakra-infused stones. Though their speed slowed, Aburame Ruifeng's insects never reported pursuers again.

"Whew!" Hyuga Tate wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked toward the forest not far away.

"We should have shaken them off!" He had already deactivated the Byakugan. Maintaining the eye technique for so long had drained him considerably. Once he confirmed they were safe, he released the technique.

"Keep up the pace. Don't let your guard down." Saitama could no longer sense the pursuers either, which meant the enemy had lost their trail.

"Hm?" Just as Saitama relaxed slightly, his body suddenly tensed—several chakra signatures had appeared ahead, though he could not determine their exact number.

"Prepare for battle!" he warned his companions in a low voice.

"What is it?" Hyuga Tate had yet to react.

"There's an ambush ahead!" Saitama's gaze pierced through the grass as though he had already locked onto the distant enemies.

"Impossible! Byakugan!" Hyuga Tate could hardly believe it. He had clearly confirmed that the route was safe.

"Damn it!" Hyuga Tate's expression changed drastically after activating the Byakugan. Seven enemy figures appeared clearly in his vision within the forest.

"Seven people. Two jonin." He suppressed his anger and reported the enemy's strength to his teammates.

"It's too late to take a detour. The pursuers may still be closing in. We can only break through." Saitama spoke decisively.

"But there are seven of them!" Hyuga Tate clenched his fists, his voice tight.

"Leave the two jonin to me. Can you handle the other five?" Saitama swept his gaze over his teammates, watching their expressions.

"There are two jonin on the other side. Are you sure?" Though Hyuga Tate had seen Saitama's strength before, he still had doubts about facing two jonin.

"Take care of the others as quickly as possible." Saitama did not answer directly, instead issuing his order.

"Understood." Aburame Ruifeng gave a brief response. The insect swarm within his body had long warned him of Saitama's danger, so he had considerable confidence in Saitama holding off two jonin—as long as they could finish the fight quickly and go support him.

"Alright!" Hyuga Tate gritted his teeth. At this moment, he could only choose to trust Saitama.

The three figures stopped concealing their movements and swiftly approached the forest, quickly locking onto the enemy's position.

"Well, the rats finally stopped hiding?" A lean enemy jonin was the first to spot them, his voice dripping with mockery.

These enemies had originally relied on a special method to track Saitama's squad, but after losing the trail, they had set up an ambush along the only path ahead.

"Hmph!" Hyuga Tate stopped and snorted coldly, his Byakugan fixed on the enemy group.

"End this quickly!" Saitama gave the enemy no time to react and charged first.

"You're courting death!" The targeted jonin flew into a rage.

Three figures shot forward like arrows from a bow, meeting the enemy head-on amid their shouts.

When the distance closed to ten meters, Saitama explosively pushed off with his right leg, his body shooting out like lightning. Blinding lightning wrapped around the long blade in his hand, crackling sharply.

The tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly. Lightning flickered over his legs, and his speed surged again.

"Die!" The blade slashed straight for the man's head.

In an instant, the cold gleam had reached his throat. The enemy's horrified expression froze on his face as his head fell to the ground.

A jonin had fallen at the very start of the battle, but Saitama's expression did not change. Lightning flared around him as he swung his second blade.

"Clang!" A kunai barely blocked it, but it could not conceal the enemy's terrified face.

"Who are you?!" Watching his companion's blood spray through the air, the surviving jonin's pupils shrank.

Under the blood-red setting sun, three figures raced through the dense forest.

"Konoha scum!" A chilling glint flashed through Saitama's crimson eyes as his long blade traced a lethal arc. Before the jonin could beg for mercy, the lightning-wreathed blade had already severed his throat.

Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Six Palms!

Hyuga Tate's palm strikes came down like a violent storm, sealing the chakra points of three chunin in succession. With several muffled impacts, the enemies collapsed limply like puppets with their strings cut.

"—!"

A shrill scream rang out from within the insect swarm. Aburame Ruifeng adjusted his sunglasses as countless Kikaichū devoured the last enemy.

Hyuga Tate looked at Saitama's back, his knuckles clenched white. He remembered his past provocations, and bitterness rose in his throat.

"We should go." Saitama sheathed his blade, his voice cold.

The three figures vanished into the dusk.

A short while later, five black shadows descended onto the battlefield.

"The intelligence has leaked." The lead ninja stared at the scorched marks on the ground.

"Bastard!" Another man tremblingly picked up half of a shattered forehead protector. After being gnawed by insects, ** was no longer recognizable; only the familiar kunai confirmed the deceased's identity.

A scroll unfurled, and white smoke dispersed. Wind swept across the bloodstained grass, leaving only a few dew-covered wildflowers swaying in the breeze.

"Bang, bang!"

Tsunade struck the table heavily, and the noisy conference room instantly fell silent.

"The intelligence division has completed its verification. Now, we need everyone to put their heads together."

She propped her cheek on one hand, her sharp gaze sweeping over the room. Her imposing presence made the air itself feel heavy.

"Is the enemy stronghold truly the only one?" Uchiha Tianming's question broke the silence.

An eerie quiet spread across the conference table as everyone exchanged hesitant looks.

Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, a sharp glint flashing behind the lenses. "The pressing matter is confirming this possibility—just how many secret ports has the enemy built?"

"Everyone!" Tsunade slammed her fist against the table. "This is a war that concerns Konoha's very survival!"

She looked around at the silent crowd, her voice low. "Starting today, everyone will participate in the defenses. Thoroughly inspect every inch of the border seas!"

"Take a break." Shizune waved the kunai in her hand.

Saitama neatly put away his weapon and casually found an open patch of ground to sit on. The training field had no rest area, but he had never concerned himself with such details.

Shizune sat down half a meter away from him. "How does it feel?"

"I've improved," Saitama said, plucking at a blade of grass, "but only real combat can test what I'm truly capable of."

"Lady Tsunade says the same thing..." Shizune rested her cheek on her hand in frustration. "But she never lets me take missions alone."

"She's protecting you." Saitama turned and smiled lightly. "If medical ninja have to charge into battle too, Konoha is probably close to finished."

He understood Tsunade's concerns—those relatives who had died in battle had made Shizune her final weakness.

"I know." Shizune lightly punched his shoulder, though the corners of her lips quietly rose.

"Hey, didn't I promise to teach you medical ninjutsu once I got back last time? Let's do it today. I even brought a scroll!" After a brief silence, Shizune's eyes suddenly lit up, and she excitedly hopped over in front of Saitama.

"Sure!" Saitama truly coveted medical ninjutsu. After all, this kind of technique had always been monopolized by a select few, and ordinary people rarely had the chance to encounter it.

"I don't know many medical ninjutsu either. Just the Healing Technique, the Hemostasis Technique, and an advanced version of the Mystical Palm Technique—but that one's too difficult. I haven't mastered it yet." Shizune counted on her fingers as she listed her skills for Saitama.

"Let's start with the Healing Technique! It's the most useful in actual combat—basically like carrying an extra health pack."

Saitama considered it. With Lightning Release in hand, he had no need for the Hemostasis Technique. The Mystical Palm Technique had too high a threshold; Shizune herself had yet to master it, let alone teach him. The Healing Technique offered the best value instead.

His own recovery ability was already astonishing, but who would ever complain about having more ways to save their life?