Chapter 44

"Nicely done!" Uchiha Huo leaned against the roots of a red tree, gasping for breath, his cheeks spattered with blood. Enemies lay strewn around his feet. He gripped his bloodstained kunai tightly, his knuckles white.

"Heh... so this is war?" Uchiha Yan pressed one hand against his continuously bleeding abdomen while bracing himself on his knee with the other. He stared at the fallen enemies around him, his Sharingan glowing crimson.

"It's still too early for that." Saitama stood atop a high point, his clothes immaculate. His blade shone as brightly as new, as if it had never left its sheath. In truth, he had just instantly killed two jonin—opponents of that caliber could no longer catch his eye.

"As expected of Captain!" Uchiha Huo looked up at him, his eyes filled with admiration. Though Saitama was younger than him, he displayed crushing strength on every mission, fully deserving the title of "Death God of the Hidden Mist."

Over the past few months, border clashes between Konoha and the Hidden Mist had never ceased. With a one-hundred-percent kill rate and cold eyes during battle, Saitama's title of "Death God" had spread through the Hidden Mist vanguard troops without anyone needing to promote it.

The Hidden Mist scouting squads had even drawn up identification sketches of him, warning their comrades to beware this life-reaping Shura.

"Clean up the battlefield."

Saitama leaped down from the boulder, the soles of his boots touching the ground lightly. The Uchiha brothers had joined forces to deal with four enemies—though they had all been genin or lower-level chunin—proving that they were no pushovers either.

"Understood!"

Uchiha Huo efficiently began searching the corpses. He was the least injured, and his movements remained nimble.

Tap.

Saitama stopped beside Uchiha Yan, his shadow falling over the gasping warrior.

"Captain..." Uchiha Yan raised his sweat-dampened face.

Uchiha Yan's expression was grim. His left hand pressed tightly against his lower abdomen, dark-red blood seeping endlessly through his fingers, more than half of one trouser leg already soaked through.

"Let me see!" Saitama's gaze was blade-sharp, instantly seeing through his pretense of enduring the pain.

Under that irresistible stare, Uchiha Yan's veined hand slowly moved away, revealing a gruesome slash across his abdomen. The wound was about ten centimeters long. Though not fatal, its split flesh was still gushing blood.

"It's just a minor wound." His voice tightened as he raised his hand to press it again.

"Don't move." An emerald glow spread from Saitama's palm. The cool sensation made the wound itch as though ants were crawling across it. Uchiha Yan sucked in a sharp breath, his pupils contracting violently. "Captain, you know medical ninjutsu too?!"

Uchiha Huo, who had just finished keeping watch, leaned closer. The surprise on his face swiftly turned into natural admiration. In his heart, this captain was supposed to be capable of anything.

"Picked it up casually." The green light at Saitama's fingertips gradually faded. The wound still looked terrifying, but the bleeding had stopped and it had scabbed over. "We'll deal with it properly after we get back."

As the three returned beneath the setting sun, the last traces of battle in the forest vanished into the twilight.

The lenses of Mitokado Homura's glasses reflected the cold light of the conference room. His aged fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop. "Regarding the Hidden Mist's frequent harassment..."

"A war of attrition is even less favorable for the Hidden Mist." Hyuga Shin's pale eyes swept over Uchiha Tianming. "Unless they are willing to keep bleeding themselves dry."

Whispers rose around the round table. Indeed, although they currently held the advantage in casualties, Konoha, fighting on multiple fronts, could not endure such slow, relentless losses either.

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Tianming spoke. He did not agree with Hyuga Shin's view, and it had nothing to do with the grudge between their clans.

"Heh!" Though Hyuga Shin was somewhat moved after hearing him out, he still turned his head away disdainfully.

"Indeed, Konoha's current deadlock must be broken as soon as possible," Tsunade said gravely. From a confidential letter with Orochimaru the other day, she had learned that Konoha's decisive battle with Sand Village had reached its climax. Both sides had played all their trump cards, and victory or defeat would soon be decided.

For this reason, Konoha had sent a large number of elite ninja as reinforcements, determined to seize victory in this crucial battle. Its outcome would determine Konoha's fate—if they won, the other nations would reassess Konoha's strength; if they lost, the ninja world would surely witness everyone turning on them like a collapsing wall.

"We can't just sit here waiting for the Hidden Mist to come knocking. We must seize the initiative!" Mitokado Homura's sharp gaze swept across both sides of the long table, his words carrying an obvious stance.

This old general, tempered by war, had witnessed Konoha's glory and accompanied the Third Hokage through its darkest days. No matter the time, he had always believed that offense was the best defense. With the recent shift in the war, he could no longer tolerate their passive defensive position.

The conference room fell silent. Taking the initiative meant a sharp rise in casualties, and every clan head present had to weigh their clan's interests.

"Have you all gone mute? Hesitation only breeds disaster!" Tsunade suddenly leaned back in her chair, her piercing gaze bearing down on the crowd. "I share Advisor Mitokado Homura's stance, but the specific plan needs careful consideration."

"What a relaxing day." Saitama swung his legs as he sat on a log, with Shizune, who was also off duty, beside him.

"Huh? You don't have a mission today?" Shizune tilted her head, her hair fluttering lightly in the breeze.

"You follow Lady Tsunade all day. You should know the situation best, right?" Saitama continued looking toward the distant tents, his tone lazy.

"How could I possibly know something like that? Besides, when Lady Tsunade and the others are discussing important matters, how would I dare get close?"

Shizune punched Saitama lightly on the shoulder, somewhat displeased. After spending so much time together, she had become increasingly casual around him.

"I'd say we'll launch an offensive within a few days. The higher-ups have been working on a battle plan lately. Konoha has had enough of sitting back and defending."

Saitama had attended that meeting as well. As a Konoha ninja who had recently risen to prominence, he had earned the right to participate in some high-level meetings. Because of his outstanding performance, Uchiha Tianming intended to groom him for the inner circle. He believed that this young man could not only change the Uchiha's future, but perhaps even influence the entire ninja world.

"Oh, Lady Tsunade mentioned that before. But what does it have to do with you temporarily not taking missions?"

"I can't be bothered explaining!" Saitama shrugged, jumped down from the railing, and strode toward the camp. The sun stood high overhead, and his empty stomach was furiously urging him to find food.

"Hey! Don't walk so fast!"

Shizune jogged after him, rather annoyed that he had left after saying only half of what he meant. Though she was a few years older, she was half a head shorter than Saitama. Over the past few months, the boy had shot up in height, easily surpassing one meter seventy and reaching what he remembered as the so-called "Level Two Disabled" standard.

"Where are you going?" Shizune asked in confusion.

"To eat. What else?" Saitama rubbed his stomach, his fingertips brushing over the defined contours of his eight-pack abs.

"Then I'm coming too! I can bring a boxed meal back for Lady Tsunade while I'm at it."

Shizune followed without changing expression, her short hair swaying gently behind her with each step.

"Suit yourself." The tachi at Saitama's waist swayed lightly as he strode forward, forcing Shizune to quicken her pace to keep up.

"What are you staring at?"

Saitama grabbed a beast leg and devoured it heartily, tearing off huge chunks of sinew and meat with every bite before swallowing them in just a few mouthfuls.

"Do you always eat like that?" Shizune held her forehead. She had not expected this refined-looking boy to eat like a starving ghost.

"Only when I don't have missions." As he spoke, Saitama gave Konoha's cafeteria another five-star review in his heart.

"You could eat more slowly. No one's going to steal it from you."

Shizune glanced around at the empty surroundings, hinting that he did not need to be in such a rush.

"What do you mean?" Saitama did not think there was anything wrong with the way he ate—he made no noise and bothered no one, though Shizune was the only audience present. He stopped chewing and gave her a puzzled look.

"Nothing. Keep eating." Shizune hurriedly looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Tch!"

Saitama lowered his head and continued eating. He found Shizune's behavior today a little strange, privately figuring that girls around her age probably all liked to sulk.

In the blink of an eye, he had finished five people's worth of food by himself. He had gnawed through four beast legs weighing two jin each, not to mention all the side dishes.

"Burp—now that hit the spot!" Saitama leaned back comfortably in his chair, spreading his arms over the edge of the table.

"Full?" Shizune stared at the empty plates, her expression frozen.

"About eighty percent." Saitama casually picked up a toothpick, once again marveling at how good Konoha's logistics were.

"Time to go." Shizune picked up the food box she had packed for Tsunade.

"Let's go."

Saitama slowly rose to his feet, rolling the toothpick between his lips. The moment he lifted the tent flap, he ran into Uchiha Mori, who had come to eat.

"Yo!" Saitama raised a hand, the toothpick spinning at the corner of his mouth.

"What have you two been up to?" Uchiha Mori waggled his eyebrows, wearing a lecherous grin.

"What else would you do in a dining hall besides eat?" Saitama rolled his eyes. This guy's mind was full of dirty thoughts.

"Really not that?" Uchiha Mori made an obscene gesture.

"Boring!"

Saitama grabbed the flushed Shizune beside him and quickly walked away. Behind them came Uchiha Mori's strange shout: "Good luck!" accompanied by an exaggerated fist pump.

"Idiot." Saitama did not look back.

After walking more than a dozen steps, Shizune spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. "Um..."

"Hmm?" Saitama lowered his head and saw that she was nearly burying her head in her chest.

"C-can you... let go?" Even the tips of her ears had turned red.

"Oh, I thought you were the one holding onto me." Saitama released her hand, casually patting her shoulder as he did.

"I... I'll go first." Shizune stared at the tips of her shoes.

"Sure. Same place?" Saitama casually ruffled her hair.

"Mhm..." Shizune darted away like a startled rabbit, while Saitama sauntered back to his own tent.

The sound of fabric rubbing together was especially clear in the night.

When Shizune lifted the tent flap, Tsunade was reviewing documents at her desk. Battle maps covered the entire long table, densely packed markings scattered across them like stars.

"Mission complete?" Tsunade did not stop writing. In the whole camp, Shizune was the only person who could barge into the commander's tent without reporting first.

"Mhm!" Her reply trembled slightly. Tsunade raised a brow, her vermilion brush pausing in midair.

"Did you run into a fox?"

When she looked up, she saw Shizune's cheeks flushed like sunset clouds, though her lips held a curve as sweet as honey.

"Of course not..." Shizune set the food box heavily on the desk, her slender fingers hurriedly covering the upturned corners of her mouth.

"Has spring arrived in camp?" Tsunade narrowed her phoenix eyes, her probing gaze stabbing toward that face that could not hide its secret.

Creak—

Shizune dragged over a wicker chair and collapsed into it. Then she suddenly buried her burning face in her palms, like an ostrich sticking its head into a snowdrift.

"Tch!" Tsunade snorted as she opened the food box. Her chopsticks hovered in midair, while her teasing gaze continued circling Shizune's crimson ears.

She had seen through the girl's feelings long ago—who else besides that brat Saitama could make Shizune so absent-minded? Teasing this shy little flower was simply too entertaining.

"Youth..." As Tsunade swallowed a rice ball, a shadow suddenly passed through her eyes, certain yellowed memories churning in her chest.

"What fine weather for killing demons." Saitama stood before his tent, stretching his limbs. Around him, Uchiha clan members sat in small groups enjoying the sun.

"Captain!" The brothers Uchiha Yan and Uchiha Huo waved to him from the crowd. They were arguing fiercely with fellow clansmen around a sand table.

The watching clansmen all saluted. Saitama was now the camp's most dazzling blade, and the legends he had created over the past half year were enough to be recorded in clan history.

"Lord Saitama!" X2

"Mhm."

He nodded in return, his gaze sweeping over the sand table covered in red flags.

"Running battle simulations?"

"We're just waiting for the command center to order the full assault!" Uchiha Huo rubbed his hands excitedly, sparks of chakra bursting from his fingertips.

Saitama turned and left. The Uchiha's war fever always made him uncomfortable. When these people talked about killing, it was as if they were discussing a festival feast.

The warm sunlight made him drowsy. He returned to his tent and lay flat on his back. Amid the flecks of golden light filtering through the canvas roof, Shizune's frightened deer-like eyes suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Konoha's main camp was as secure as a fortress at the moment. At least for the short term, there was no need to worry about an enemy attack. Before closing his eyes, he gave a soft laugh and allowed that graceful figure to dance through his thoughts.

The report on the Uchiha battlefield's recent situation has been compiled. Please rest assured, Clan Head. I will properly manage the clansmen and ensure that the clan's interests suffer no harm. In addition, it must be noted that Uchiha Saitama's rate of growth has far exceeded expectations...