Chapter 46

"Damn it!" Munashi Jinpachi's pupils contracted sharply. He hurriedly let go of his sword, but he was half a step too late. Saitama's blade scraped past the Blast Sword and slashed straight at his chest.

"Get lost!"

A cold shout exploded from behind Saitama. Kurosuki Raiga, wielder of the Longsword: Nuibari, suddenly struck!

"Whoosh!"

The sound of slicing wind came at his ear. Saitama had no choice but to twist aside, though the momentum of his blade did not stop.

Taking advantage of that brief respite, Munashi Jinpachi stomped the ground and barely avoided the slash. Yet the lightning-wreathed blade still tore open his shoulder, sending a spray of blood shooting out.

"Urgh!"

Munashi Jinpachi roared in pain and retreated rapidly. The Blast Sword: Shibuki clattered to the ground. Saitama flicked blood from his blade tip, then backhandedly blocked the slender blade Kurosuki Raiga thrust at him.

"Clang!"

The instant the two blades met, Nuibari recoiled into its wielder's hand like a venomous snake returning to its nest.

"Bang!" Uchiha Mori seized the chance to break away, landing beside Saitama as he panted. His body was covered in small wounds, and though his breathing was heavy, he was otherwise unharmed.

"Can you keep going?" Saitama stared intently at the two powerful enemies who had regrouped.

"Watch out for those transparent wires." Uchiha Mori wiped the blood from his forehead and spoke in a low voice. "That guy's blade work is really strange."

Lightning danced around Saitama as he caught sight of the enemies talking rapidly.

"A useless fool who can't even hold onto his weapon. Should I send you on your way?" Kurosuki Raiga sneered, kicking the Blast Sword on the ground.

"Quit talking nonsense!" Munashi Jinpachi pressed a hand over his bleeding shoulder. "That Uchiha brat is the rumored Konoha Grim Reaper. His Lightning Release Swordsmanship really is..."

"You talk too much." Kurosuki Raiga suddenly raised Nuibari high, its blade reflecting a cold arc of light. "Stand aside. I'll tear his bones apart."

Saitama tilted his head slightly. "Go support the others." Once Uchiha Mori vanished with the Body Flicker Technique, he slowly assumed a thrusting stance, lightning condensing into a cold spark at the tip of his sword.

"Be careful!" Uchiha Mori knew full well that his own strength still fell short of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. At this moment, only Saitama could contend with them—or even suppress them—so he voluntarily ceded the battlefield.

The air suddenly tore with a sharp whistle. Saitama pushed off with his toes and shot forward, lightning trailing scorching streaks through the air. Kurosuki Raiga's pupils shrank as every muscle in his body tensed. The injured Munashi Jinpachi held a kunai in one hand, forming a pincer formation with his companion.

Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!

The tachi carved out an azure arc as Saitama closed in with precise footwork. His Sharingan suddenly caught an abnormality on the ground, and he instantly changed direction, veering away.

"Did he see through it?" Kurosuki Raiga murmured beneath his mask. The ground suddenly burst apart, and several steel wires sprang back from beneath it.

The crash of metal rang out as Munashi Jinpachi's kunai forcibly blocked the lightning blade. Electricity shot up his arm and coursed through his entire body. A piercing chill came from the back of his head. Saitama spun and kicked him aside, then flashed his blade and cut the kunai in two.

"Got you!" Kurosuki Raiga violently tugged his left hand, only to see the mangled afterimage disperse into white smoke. The real Saitama had already appeared at his side, his lightning blade thrusting straight at his heart!

The blade sliced through his chest armor, drawing a line of blood. Kurosuki Raiga stumbled backward in panic. Munashi Jinpachi panted heavily as he regrouped with him, all arrogance long replaced by grim seriousness.

"This guy's a real pain! He's absurdly fast!" Kurosuki Raiga gasped, clearly struggling.

"Whoosh!"

Saitama gave his opponents no chance to recover, pressing forward once more.

The two Hidden Mist ninja were forced to dodge in haste, looking utterly disheveled.

"Clang!"

Another Hidden Mist ninja joined the battle—the sharp-toothed man wearing nothing but a vest from earlier. He was still completely unharmed, but the blade in his hand was already soaked in the blood of Konoha ninja.

"Mangetsu Hozuki! Stop him!"

Seeing reinforcements arrive, Munashi Jinpachi immediately shouted.

"You seniors really are making quite an embarrassing sight of yourselves."

Mangetsu Hozuki grinned, holding his own weapon in his left hand and the Blast Sword: Shibuki Munashi Jinpachi had dropped in his right.

"Back to its owner. This thing feels pretty handy, but it's not my style."

He casually tossed the Blast Sword back to Munashi Jinpachi, his tone utterly blunt.

"Hmph!" Munashi Jinpachi caught his weapon, his sinister gaze locking onto Saitama. "Uchiha Saitama of Konoha? Your name has become quite famous lately."

Mangetsu Hozuki ran his tongue across his jagged teeth and gave Saitama a savage grin. "Care to get acquainted?"

"Mangetsu Hozuki?" Saitama assessed the new enemy without rashly attacking. Facing the three of them together, he had to be cautious.

"Retreat." Kurosuki Raiga signaled to Munashi Jinpachi with his eyes. Both were injured, and even with Mangetsu Hozuki's support, they would struggle against Saitama. This young Hidden Mist genius was strong, but he had yet to earn the title of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and the weapon in his hand was not one of the Seven Ninja Swords.

As a descendant of the Hozuki Clan, Mangetsu could skillfully wield all seven ninja swords and possessed a summoning scroll, but he was still not strong enough at present.

"Let's go!" Munashi Jinpachi no longer tried to put on a brave front.

"Brat! Next time, I'll take your life!" Dragging the Blast Sword behind him, he slowly backed away, its blade scraping against the ground and scattering strings of explosive tags.

"There won't be a next time." Lightning suddenly flared around Saitama as he realized something crucial—his Lightning Release was the natural counter to the Hozuki Hydrification Technique!

"Rustle—"

Countless explosive tags spread out like a carpet, weaving a dangerous curtain before Saitama's Sharingan. His brow furrowed. He had yet to figure out his opponent's intentions, but danger was already imminent.

"Hidden Mist! Retreat!" Kurosuki Raiga shouted, then turned and sprinted away. Blood kept seeping from the wound on his chest; he urgently needed to return to the rear for treatment.

Saitama remained where he was. The number of explosive tags Munashi Jinpachi released surged, covering a vast area in the blink of an eye, with more still pouring from the sword.

Seeing this, the Konoha ninja retreated one after another. Even the fleeing Hidden Mist ninja did not dare pursue them.

Munashi Jinpachi blocked the path, and the explosive tags scattered everywhere kept everyone at bay.

"Farewell!" Once most of the Hidden Mist ninja had retreated behind him, Munashi Jinpachi gave the companions left behind a vicious grin.

A flash of blade light severed the connections between the explosive tags. Munashi Jinpachi mouthed a word, then quickly withdrew with Mangetsu Hozuki.

"My lord! Don't leave us behind!"

The trapped Hidden Mist ninja howled in despair, but the Konoha ninja held them tightly in place.

Boom! Boom boom!

A chain of explosions cut off the pursuit route.

Saitama had already evaded to a safe area. Standing atop a branch, he watched coldly as the enemies vanished into the smoke.

"Kill these Hidden Mist bastards!" A Konoha chunin roared as he lunged at the isolated enemies.

"Kill!" The two sides clashed at close range. The remaining Hidden Mist ninja fought like trapped beasts, every strike risking their lives.

Yet they were outnumbered. Moments later, silence returned to the battlefield.

"Captain." An Aburame Clan ninja arrived behind Saitama, controlling a swarm of insects.

"Casualties?" Saitama swept his gaze across the battlefield, where everyone was gathering the bodies of friend and foe. The machine of war had rolled through, leaving only blood across the ground.

"Four dead in the First Company, including one jonin and three chunin." The insect user delivered his report swiftly.

"Mm." Saitama responded indifferently, his gaze passing over the piles of corpses, his eyes as still as a deep pool.

"Saitama!"

Uchiha Mori walked over slowly, the wounds on his body already roughly bandaged. In pursuit of speed, no medical unit had accompanied this operation, but each company had two medics capable of providing basic treatment to the wounded. As for whether the seriously injured could survive until they returned to camp, that was left to fate.

"Are your injuries serious?" Saitama glanced over Uchiha Mori's wounds, his tone calm.

"A victorious first battle!" Uchiha Mori gestured for Saitama to look around at the Hidden Mist corpses scattered everywhere, a triumphant curve appearing on his lips. Konoha had fought outnumbered and won beautifully, thanks to the fact that all the participating ninja were elite. Though Hidden Mist had deployed several times their numbers, they had been completely outclassed in strength.

"What next?" Saitama skipped any evaluation and asked directly. According to the original plan, they should retreat immediately after confronting Hidden Mist head-on, or they risked being surrounded.

"Quit while we're ahead." Noticing the restlessness that flickered in Saitama's eyes, Uchiha Mori reminded him in time.

"Understood." Saitama nodded, suppressing that unrealistic notion in his heart.

Once the battlefield had been cleaned up, the Konoha forces withdrew swiftly. Scouts reported that Hidden Mist was mobilizing a large number of ninja toward the border, clearly enraged by the raid.

"We finally made it!" Uchiha Huo let out a long breath as he looked at the camp close at hand. Last night, he had killed two Hidden Mist ninja and taken several cuts himself, but fortunately Saitama's healing technique had treated him in time. Their victory in the first battle made him dream of becoming as famous on the battlefield as Saitama.

"Smack!" He suddenly took a hit to the back of the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Uchiha Huo glared at his younger brother.

"Tone it down!" Uchiha Yan said with a frown. He had also killed an enemy, yet remained composed throughout.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Uchiha Huo curled his lip, though he finally reined in his smug expression.

Five li from the camp, the scouting ninja had already spotted the returning troops. Tsunade had brought everyone to wait at the camp gate early.

"Mission accomplished." Several commanders stepped forward to report.

Outside the Konoha camp, Saitama, Uchiha Mori, and the other captains stood silently at the rear, their expressions solemn.

"Not bad! Rest where you are, and remain on guard for a Hidden Mist counterattack at any time!" Tsunade swept her gaze over the ninja, a faint smile lifting her lips.

The battle report submitted last night showed that nearly a hundred Hidden Mist ninja had been wiped out in this battle, with no survivors left behind. Hidden Mist had already stationed troops along the border of the Land of Bears. War could erupt at any moment.

"Yes, ma'am!" The ninja answered in a wave of voices. Days of rapid marching had left them exhausted. Only upon returning to camp could they lower their guard. What they craved now was not praise, but a deep sleep.

Saitama looked past Tsunade's shoulder and smiled brightly at the petite figure behind her. Shizune sensed his gaze, and the tension in her heart finally eased. Her cheeks reddened slightly, her eyes rippling as she returned a soft smile.

"Hm?" Saitama's line of sight was suddenly blocked. Tsunade casually shifted half a step sideways, completely hiding Shizune behind her. She even swayed slightly left and right with Shizune's small movements, maintaining a human wall the entire time.

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune tugged at her superior's sleeve, her voice barely audible.

"What is it?" Tsunade continued looking toward the troops returning to camp.

"You... you're blocking me." The girl's ears burned red.

"Oh?" Tsunade folded her arms and turned slightly, leaving only a sliver of space. "Could it be that you want to console the soldiers too?"

Shizune hurriedly stepped back. "No..."

"Shizune!" Saitama had already reached the camp gate, and he could not help but laugh at the flustered girl.

"Saitama!" Like someone grabbing a lifeline, Shizune poked her flushed face out from behind Tsunade's shoulder.

"Don't just stand there. Let's go in." Saitama nodded to Tsunade in greeting, his back straight. He was now half a head taller than the head of the medical department, and when their eyes met, he seemed to look down at her somewhat.

Tsunade gave a cold snort. "Uchiha Saitama?" This exceptionally strong yet politically delicate young man had long since left a deep impression in her memory.

Tsunade's expression turned solemn as a powerful pressure suddenly erupted from her body, making the surrounding ninja feel a tremor in their hearts.

"Hiss—" Saitama's shoulders sank, his chest heaving sharply as his heart pounded like a drum.

Many ninja cast curious looks his way, secretly wondering: How had Saitama angered Lady Tsunade? He had always been steady and prudent...

Everyone slowed their steps, watching the confrontation between the two with curiosity.

"Lady Tsunade, shall we take our leave first?" Saitama wore a smile as though unaffected by the pressure.

"!"

He suddenly took Shizune's hand and continued speaking to Tsunade. Shizune shrank back in surprise, her fingers struggling slightly, but his grip remained firm. In the end, she gave up resisting.

"Mm."

Tsunade withdrew her pressure and answered blandly.

"Farewell." Saitama led Shizune toward the camp. Tsunade watched them leave, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. Her gaze swept over the surrounding ninja before settling on the two again.

"Oh, Saitama, you're pretty impressive!" Uchiha Mori walked toward them, catching sight of their clasped hands—Saitama held his head high and strode forward, while Shizune kept her head down like a startled quail.

"Don't talk nonsense. We're just friends." Saitama raised the hand holding Shizune's.

"Don't forget tonight's meeting." After reminding him, Uchiha Mori turned and left.

Ignoring the teasing looks around them, Saitama brought Shizune to the clearing they often visited.

"Saitama..." Shizune's voice was as soft as a mosquito's, her ears flushed red.