Chapter 43

Saitama's sudden surge of Lightning Style made the screams leap several octaves higher. The charred body twisted into grotesque angles amid the flashes of electricity. A blade flashed, followed by another lightning strike. The enemy, who should have been dead, was shocked awake alive and rolled through the pool of blood, tracing out a fresh trail of screams.

When the belated Uchiha Huo and Homura landed atop the trees, all they saw was Saitama smiling as he stood on two scorched corpses.

"Captain?"

Uchiha Huo's call carried a note of hesitation. In the air, thick with the smell of roasted flesh, the sound of a scroll being unfurled was especially clear.

"Clean this up." Saitama shook the blood from his blade, his gaze sweeping over the enemy heads that had remained intact. "Keep the brains."

The journey back was unusually quiet. The villagers who had exchanged pleasantries with them that morning had now become scorched earth. As Uchiha Huo formed hand seals and raised waves of earth to bury the ruins, blood seeped from Saitama's tightly clenched fist.

"Earth Style: Fissure Palm!"

The churning earth swallowed the last spark. Saitama's departing figure stretched long in the sunset, while the newly raised mound behind him resembled an unhealed scar.

The other two silently followed Saitama, preparing to return and report on the patrol.

In this brutal war, even ninja lives were lighter than feathers, let alone those of ordinary civilians.

Two days had passed since that unexpected encounter. Konoha's reconnaissance units had conducted a carpet search along the coastline, yet they had found no further trace of Hidden Mist Village ports.

Lady Tsunade had ultimately changed her strategy. Even if they only discovered a single harbor under construction, she would send an elite force to destroy it completely.

"Good! Everyone's here, right?" Tsunade crossed her arms, her sharp gaze sweeping over the ninja lined up before her. Saitama's upright figure was especially conspicuous.

"Do you all understand the mission? Do I need to explain it again?"

Tsunade asked as she paced.

"Understood, Lady Tsunade!" Saitama stood at the front of the formation, his voice firm and decisive.

As commander of the advance unit, he led nearly twenty jonin and thirty chunin. This elite force would be the first to breach the enemy's lines, while Tsunade, to ensure nothing went wrong, had also arranged for the main force to follow as support, determined to crush Hidden Mist and the Land of Bears' conspiracy.

"Move out. I await your triumphant return!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Saitama gripped his sword and turned around. Behind him stood his fully armed, high-spirited subordinates.

"Move out!" As the first-time commander of such a large unit, Saitama's heart surged with ambition.

"Yes!"

The thunderous reply resounded through the Konoha military camp.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Figures shot forward one after another, with Saitama charging at the head of the force, his momentum unstoppable.

Watching the troops depart, Tsunade's tense expression finally softened.

"Come out. They've gone far enough." She called toward the tent behind her.

The tent flap lifted. Shizune poked her head out and looked around for a moment before quietly approaching Tsunade's side.

"If you care that much, why didn't you see him off?" Tsunade studied Shizune, who was pretending to be calm.

"? Why would I see him off?" Shizune's gaze drifted toward Tsunade's chest.

"Oh? Who was it that kept talking about someone's achievements in my ear all day a few days ago? Hmm?" Tsunade smiled knowingly.

"No, I didn't! I only asked him about some taijutsu techniques..." Shizune lowered her head and stared at the ground.

"If I hadn't stayed up late handling official business, I never would've known that someone went to see her 'taijutsu teacher' every night!"

Tsunade put particular emphasis on those last four words, staring intently at Shizune's flushed face.

"I have to be on duty during the day! And besides... I really did go to learn ninjutsu!"

Shizune's cheeks reddened slightly, and her voice unconsciously dropped several degrees.

"I'm not talking to you anymore, Lady Tsunade. I'm going to pack up!"

Tsunade's meaningful gaze made her feel uncomfortable all over. She stamped her foot and turned to slip into the tent.

"Hmph." Tsunade folded her arms and, after watching Shizune leave, turned her eyes back toward the camp entrance.

Recently, Shizune had often gone out late at night. When she returned, her clothes would either be soaked with sweat or her lips would carry an irrepressible smile. This unusual behavior had puzzled Tsunade, who regarded her as her own daughter. One quiet night, she had secretly followed her and ultimately found Shizune chatting and sparring with Saitama at the training grounds—the familiarity between them made it obvious that this had been going on for quite some time.

Tsunade had only watched silently for a while before leaving. It was not until Shizune returned to camp that she probed her for answers. Shizune openly told her that she was merely seeking Saitama's advice on ninjutsu techniques, never mentioning anything else. In her view, it was perfectly normal for two people of similar age in such a large military camp to be close. There was no need to hide such a pure friendship.

Yet that "purity" carried a different meaning in Tsunade's eyes. She saw through it but did not expose it, and from then on, Shizune's nighttime training became aboveboard instead. As they spent more time together, Shizune gradually realized that Saitama was far from an ordinary chunin—his strength ranked among the best even compared to jonin.

Whenever Saitama displayed his talent before her, Shizune would outwardly dismiss it, only to inadvertently reveal her admiration before Tsunade later. Shizune's subtle influence had certainly played a part in appointing Saitama as assault captain, but Tsunade's decision was based more on a comprehensive assessment: his strength was unquestionable, and he was mature beyond his years. Even if the adviser Mitokado Homura objected, how could someone with such talent be buried?

"Perhaps... it's a trial."

Tsunade murmured to the empty air, a playful curve lifting at the corner of her lips. After standing there for a moment, she turned and headed toward the main force's assembly area. With a major battle imminent, it was time to issue the ninja their final orders—this operation against Hidden Mist had to be flawless!

Saitama lowered his body amid the grass. Having learned from last time's lesson, he had ordered the entire unit to remain alert in advance. A Hyuga jonin was using the Byakugan for reconnaissance, and the entire squad had silently crept close to the enemy camp.

The ninja beside him nodded in understanding. The defensive arrangements around the bay were now fully visible.

"The defenses have clearly been strengthened. The number of patrol ninja has increased severalfold."

Saitama narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the distant camp and construction zone. The dense guard posts had practically formed a defensive net without blind spots.

"Are the support troops in position?"

He turned to ask the Aburame Clan ninja responsible for communications. The ninja, wearing the clan's signature dark sunglasses, answered expressionlessly, "They can move at any time." The surrounding companions all unconsciously kept their distance from him, as though avoiding something dangerous.

Saitama vaguely remembered that this man was called Aburame Shibi, yet he could not recall where he had seen that ordinary face before.

"The Hyuga members will continue watching. The Aburame Clan will send out the Kikaichū to scout first. We move once we have a clear picture of the enemy."

Though he wanted to charge straight in, Saitama still chose the safer plan.

"Understood!"

As the response rang out, dense swarms of insects silently crawled toward the enemy camp. The Hyuga ninja's Byakugan also operated at full power, carefully searching for possible ambushes.

Second by second, the Konoha ninja maintained their perfect concealment.

"We have the results."

Saitama noticed the returning insect swarm landing in Shibi's palm.

"We found twenty jonin with powerful chakra, along with more than fifty lower-ranked ninja."

Shibi reported while staring at the insects on his fingertips.

"More troublesome than expected, but still within our control."

Saitama's lips curled slightly as he turned toward the Hyuga ninja.

"This is a map of the trap placements around the camp's perimeter. They're mainly concentrated on the side closest to us."

Saitama accepted the diagram handed to him and memorized every marker with a quick glance.

"Pass it around, then send someone to deliver it to the support troops."

"Yes!"

"Big brother, it'll be finished tomorrow. Even though the progress was delayed a few days ago, Konoha doesn't seem to take us seriously. Besides, with so many additional guards now, it won't be easy for them to attack."

At the harbor, two ninja stood on the pier and talked.

"The information leaked long ago. Since Konoha hasn't attacked this place, they probably think this port is unimportant!"

The ninja addressed as big brother stood with his hands behind his back, looking out over the distant sea.

"But they'll pay for their arrogance. We'll know soon enough! Tell everyone to stay sharp. The calmer things are, the less we can afford to let our guard down!"

His tone was filled with the certainty of victory.

"Hiss—"

A strange sound suddenly rang out. The two men snapped their heads around, their expressions changing drastically!

"Enemy attack!"

Saitama was the first to charge into the enemy formation like an arrow released from a bow. Before the defenders could react, cold flashes cut through the air and several had already fallen. The Konoha ninja followed close behind, smashing through them like a tidal wave.

"Damn it!"

The ninja on the dock trembled all over. "We were only one step away..."

He stared at the Konoha forces surging in like a tide. In the distance, an unstoppable figure was racing toward the docks, his blade wrapped in blinding lightning.

"What do we do, big brother?" The ninja beside him had trembling legs.

"Go!" The leader drew a grotesquely shaped ** blade. "I'll cover you!"

"But—"

"Get the hell out of here!"

Saitama had arrived, leaping through the air from the wooden planks.

Clang!

The leader raised his blade to block the fatal strike, then kicked his companion into the sea.

"Interesting." Saitama raised an eyebrow at the opponent who had managed to block him.

"Konoha scum!" The leader roared, swinging his blade and forcing Saitama back.

The man who had fallen into the water clutched a kunai and refused to leave. "Big brother!"

"Go!"

The ninja leader fixed Saitama with a dead stare. Reflected in his pupils were those strange tomoe eyes—this was clearly the Uchiha Clan's unique bloodline limit, the Sharingan. His entire body tensed, and he did not dare even blink.

"Crackle!" The lightning flickering across the ninja blade grew increasingly violent, blue-white arcs gradually turning dark purple.

"Whoosh—"

Saitama pushed off with the tip of his foot, his figure abruptly vanishing from the enemy's sight.

"How is that possible?!"

The instant the sharp blade swept across his shoulder, Saitama's brow furrowed slightly. What should have been a throat-cutting strike had been evaded at the last second, the opponent twisting away from the vital blow.

"Leader!" A shrill cry came from afar. The Hidden Mist ninja who had witnessed the battle had bloodshot eyes as he staggered toward the shore. He had never imagined that his invincible leader could be wounded.

"Think you can escape?" Saitama shook the blood droplets from his blade, the cold gleam in his eyes deepening. "We Konoha... aren't alone."

"Hmph!"

The wounded Hidden Mist leader said nothing. He merely locked his snake-like gaze on Saitama, his steps slowly tracing an arc. Fallen leaves spiraled down between them.

"Kill—!"

With a hysterical roar, the Hidden Mist leader became an afterimage and lunged forward. Lightning abruptly erupted around Saitama's legs, his speed instantly surpassing the limits of the naked eye. Just as his opponent's savage face entered his view, the cold blade had already kissed his throat.

Slash!

Amid a spray of blood mist, Saitama sheathed his sword. On the distant sea cliff, the fleeing Hidden Mist ninja was being intercepted and killed by several Konoha ninja.

The battle cries of the main force drew closer and closer, and the entire Hidden Mist camp fell like a field of wheat. In this crushing battle, Saitama did not even have the chance to use his full strength—his comrades had already divided up most of the enemies.

The salty sea breeze brushed across his face as the shouts of battle gradually faded. Saitama gazed at the faint outline on the far side of the horizon, a cold smile rising on his lips. The intelligence had indeed been correct. Hidden Mist had truly been using the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools as a springboard.

"Captain!"

Uchiha Huo ran over, panting heavily. The chunin assigned to the assault unit was covered in blood, with a few curls of hair on his forehead singed by Fire Style.

"How's the cleanup?"

"The enemy has been completely wiped out. All the craftsmen have been detained."

"Good." Saitama looked toward the sea, where the tide was beginning to rise. "Return once the battlefield is cleared. Remember to... destroy this place completely."

Saitama stamped lightly on the sand beneath his feet, his gaze still fixed on the distant sea. The noon sunlight spilled across the sparkling waves, refracting brilliant rainbow colors so beautiful they took one's breath away.

This operation against the enemy had ended in complete success. Not only had they thoroughly destroyed the enemy's port, they had also shattered the conspiracy they had been plotting for so long.

The front lines returned to calm. Hidden Mist Village pretended not to know about Konoha's lightning raid that had destroyed its stronghold. It did not make a major issue of it, remaining still while plotting in secret.

There were occasional clashes along the border of the Land of Bears, and small-scale conflicts continued near the coastline. Konoha had even taken the initiative, briefly clashing with Hidden Mist ninja at sea.

Both sides understood without saying it—Hidden Mist Village had nothing to fear. They knew that as long as they did not deliberately provoke an all-out war, Konoha would not mobilize a massive expeditionary force to cross the sea and fight.