Chapter 47

"Hm?" He gestured for her to sit on the log and turned his head to look at her.

"D-Don't tickle my palm..." A blush spread across her neck. Even in her lightweight ninja outfit, she felt unbearably hot.

"Okay." Saitama agreed readily, but his finger continued tracing circles in her palm.

"Did the mission go smoothly?" Seeing that he had no intention of stopping, Shizune simply changed the subject.

"Do I look like anything happened?" He patted his chest and laughed heartily.

"That's good." She lowered her head and nodded lightly, her hair trembling with the movement.

"Is there gold on the ground?" Saitama suddenly lifted her chin. "Why do you keep looking down?"

"Of course not!" Shizune's cheeks flushed crimson, yet she allowed Saitama to make such intimate gestures, ones he had never made before. She tilted her face up slightly and glared at him with clear, embarrassed eyes.

"Huh? Why is your face so red?" Saitama's fingertip brushed over the bridge of her nose as he knowingly felt her burning skin.

"It's all your fault!" Shizune turned her face away. Since their reunion, Saitama had suddenly become utterly brazen, catching her completely off guard.

"Hahaha!" Saitama scratched his head and laughed, then suddenly clasped her hand. "I just suddenly figured some things out."

"Mm." Shizune nodded as though she only half understood, but her gaze never left his face.

They talked late into the night. Shizune listened quietly most of the time, responding now and then. After the day's little incident, the subtle atmosphere between them quietly changed—their once-naive affection was now beginning to sprout and blossom. And Saitama had finally become certain that those eyes searching for him amid the crowd were no illusion born from memories of his previous life.

Though the boy was only ** years old and the girl merely eleven or twelve, the era of raging war forced people to mature early. Besides, Saitama's soul already carried forty years of time.

"Saitama!"

Uchiha Mori waved from the left side of the long table, his strange smile making Saitama's skin crawl.

"How's it going with your little girlfriend?" Mori lowered his voice and waggled his eyebrows.

Saitama swept his gaze around the meeting tent—the attendees had not all arrived yet, and the scattered clansmen in the distance had not noticed them. He shot Mori a glare and walked straight toward the empty seat on Uchiha Tianming's right.

After nodding in greeting to the clan head, he sat down calmly. In the camp, Saitama was now the leader of Uchiha's younger generation, his prestige second only to the clan head and a handful of elders. Only a few captain-level ninja were attending this pre-battle meeting, and the air was thick with tension.

"I heard you fought two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen alone?" Uchiha Tianming suddenly asked, lightly tapping the table with his fingers.

Uchiha Tianming had not participated in this operation, but the intelligence had long since been placed on his desk. The moment he saw the report, his heart shook. Though he had already estimated Saitama's strength and knew he could kill jonin, those were only ordinary jonin. This time, however, he had encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, renowned throughout the ninja world. Saitama's weight in his heart grew heavier still.

"I did encounter the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, but it wasn't one against two. I fought them one at a time. If the two of them had joined forces, it probably wouldn't have been so easy." Saitama admitted it openly, though his tone still carried a trace of modesty.

"Even so, that's astounding. Every one of them is stronger than an ordinary jonin, and with their special ninja tools, even elite jonin might not come away unscathed."

Uchiha Tianming stroked the sparse beard he had deliberately grown long, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Mm." Saitama stared at the tabletop, his fingers interlaced.

"For Uchiha to have a junior like you, our ancestors must truly be blessing us."

The topic had suddenly shifted to the clan's glory. Saitama did not know how to respond and could only remain silent.

"Ahem!" Seeing Tianming sinking into sentiment again, Uchiha Mori quickly coughed to remind him.

Just then, several Uchiha ninja entered the tent one after another. Once all the attendees had arrived, the meeting officially began.

Uchiha Tianming emphasized that every captain-level ninja had to remain vigilant and look after their subordinates as much as possible, reducing the clan's losses in the war. Achieving glory and merit had instead become a secondary objective.

The meeting lasted a full two hours. As a ninja who had long occupied a high-ranking position, Uchiha Tianming's eloquence was clearly far superior to his combat ability. By the end, even the attendees, including Uchiha Mori, wore expressions of utter despair, wishing they could trade ten battles for an earlier end to the meeting.

As for Saitama, his thoughts had drifted to the clouds five minutes after the meeting began.

"He really can talk." On the way back to camp, Saitama looked at the torches swaying in the darkness and sighed.

"It's all for the clan. Lord Tianming has always devoted himself wholeheartedly, so stop complaining." Uchiha Mori replied with a stretch.

"I know. Go get some rest first. I'm just going to take a walk."

Saitama waved his hand and turned toward the outskirts of the clan grounds. It was nearly nine at night, and most ninja who had returned to camp were already resting, but he was still full of energy.

It was time to keep his appointment—the time he had agreed to meet Shizune.

A petite figure was already sitting atop the crossbeam in the clearing.

Shizune was only around one and a half meters tall. Standing before Saitama, she looked especially petite, creating the perfect adorable height difference.

"Ahem!"

Saitama stopped a few steps behind Shizune. He had not even softened his footsteps, yet she had failed to notice him, so he could only clear his throat.

"Ah! You're here!" Shizune lightly jumped down from the crossbeam and hurriedly turned around, her short hair drawing a playful arc through the air.

"What were you thinking about so intently?" Saitama sat beside Shizune, leaning back with both hands braced against the crossbeam.

"Nothing... Is the meeting over?" Shizune tilted up her face. Saitama's outline was reflected in her clear eyes, and a slightly shy smile rested on her lips.

"It just ended. It was even more exhausting than the regular meetings Lady Tsunade chaired." Saitama exaggeratedly shrugged, looking completely worn out.

"How about... I massage your shoulders? I specifically learned massage techniques at Konoha Hospital. I often help Lady Tsunade relax."

As Shizune spoke, she lowered her head slightly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Sure. I'd like to see what you can do." Saitama obligingly lowered his shoulders, leaving room for the girl behind him to work.

"Mm!" Shizune moved behind Saitama, gently placed her fingers on his shoulders and neck, and began kneading in a steady rhythm.

"How does it feel?" Her initially clumsy technique gradually became smoother, and the force of her fingers grew increasingly perfect.

"Very comfortable." Saitama contentedly tilted his head to one side, pressing his cheek against the back of Shizune's hand.

"!"

Shizune froze as if struck by lightning, even her breathing stopping for an instant.

"Don't stop." Saitama urged with his eyes closed, his entire body radiating laziness.

"Well... I recently mastered the Mystical Palm Technique. Even Lady Tsunade said I learned it quickly."

Because of their height difference, the warm breath Shizune exhaled as she spoke brushed directly against Saitama's nape.

"Wow, that's amazing~" Saitama deliberately drew out his words, his tone teasing.

"You're awful!" Shizune suddenly pressed harder with her hands.

"Ow, ow, ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Though that amount of force was nothing to Saitama, he still played along and begged for mercy—people in love always tacitly acted out these sweet little scenes.

"See if you dare make fun of me again!" Shizune returned to her gentle rhythm, then suddenly straightened Saitama's head. "Do you want to learn? I can teach you the Mystical Palm Technique."

"Really? Then I might as well learn it. Having another skill never hurts." Saitama froze for a moment, then smiled in understanding.

(

"I specifically asked Lady Tsunade today, and she said I could teach you." Shizune spoke softly, but Saitama heard every word clearly.

"Oh? Hehe." Saitama gave a strange laugh, and Shizune immediately put more force into her hands.

"Hmph!" Shizune turned her face away, too lazy to pay him any attention.

"Starting tomorrow, things won't be peaceful here anymore." Saitama looked toward the distant night sky. Thick clouds hung overhead tonight, the kind of cottony clouds that foretold rain, yet a few stars still stubbornly shone through the gaps.

The moonlight was cold as it pierced the clouds and spilled over the ground. July had arrived, and the weather was gradually becoming muggy. Without realizing it, Saitama found that he had already been here for nearly half a year.

"Whew!" He shrugged, signaling Shizune to stop.

"Come sit for a while. Your massage somehow made me even more tired. Let's talk for a bit, then go back and rest." Saitama patted the spot beside him. Shizune obediently sat down close beside him.

"The war here is finally about to begin. I heard the fighting with the Sand Village is nearly over. I wonder when things here will finally end." Saitama took Shizune's hand without making any further moves, simply feeling the warmth of her palm.

"Mm." With her hand held by him, Shizune's thoughts seemed to stop completely. She could only respond softly.

Saitama looked up at the sky in silence. He knew how the war between Konoha and the Sand Village had originally unfolded, but since he had come to this world, the butterfly effect might still occur. Fortunately, recent intelligence showed that everything remained as it had in his memories, with no major deviations yet.

"Let's go back. It's a little chilly at night." Saitama lightly patted Shizune's hand. She looked frail, but her palm was soft and warm.

"Okay! You should rest early too. There might be another mission tomorrow." Shizune nodded and tugged at Saitama's sleeve.

"Mm, let's go!" Understanding her meaning, Saitama jumped down from the crossbeam.

"Thump!" Shizune's feet dangled in the air, and she simply hopped down when she landed, looking a little comical.

"Haha!" Saitama could not hold it in and laughed.

"What are you laughing at!" Shizune glared at him, her face red.

"Nothing. Let's go back." Holding back his laughter, Saitama placed both hands on her shoulders and pushed her forward.

"Then... good night?" After walking a few steps, Shizune turned back to look at him.

"Mm, good night." Saitama ruffled her hair, then lightly scraped the tip of her nose with his index finger.

The tent was lit by dim lamplight. Uchiha Huo and Uchiha Yan sat cross-legged inside. When Saitama lifted the curtain, the two raised their heads in unison, their eyes swirling with indescribable emotions.

"Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Holding a tea party in my tent?" Saitama casually tossed his ninja tool pouch onto his bedding, the clink of metal especially crisp in the silence. The wavering lamplight magnified his silhouette several times over, shrouding the two brothers huddled in the corner.

Uchiha Huo suddenly leaned closer, slapping his knee. "The whole camp is saying that Captain and Lady Tsunade..." The rest caught in his throat as his fingers drew an ambiguous curve.

"Rumors end with the wise." Saitama untied his forehead protector, and as his hair fell loose, it hid the amusement in his eyes.

"But the medical unit said they saw Lady Tsunade smash three hospital beds in anger!"

"Has she smashed that few beds?" Saitama suddenly bent forward, his shadow completely swallowing the two brothers. "Or..." He lightly flicked a kunai with his fingertip. "Do you two want extra taijutsu training?"

Uchiha Yan immediately dragged his older brother backward. "We're going on night patrol right now!" Huo's frustrated shout soon came from outside the tent. "He's definitely embarrassed! The last time he changed the subject like this was..."

Saitama sighed as he watched the swaying tent curtain. Those gossiping ninja were even harder to deal with than Hidden Mist tracking squads. It looked like tomorrow he would have to "run into" a few eyewitnesses and spar with them.

Before the morning mist had dispersed, a new battle report arrived at the front lines. The tug-of-war between Konoha and Hidden Mist in the Land of Bears had continued for more than sixty days, with the border redrawn in blood every day. While the other ninja villages were still watching, Konoha had already proven through strength that even while dealing with multiple fronts at once, they remained an unshakable towering tree.

Today, Hidden Mist ambushed Konoha; tomorrow, Konoha launched a surprise counterattack against Hidden Mist. The two sides went back and forth, tangling endlessly like children at play.

"Lady Tsunade! Urgent intelligence from Lord Hokage!"

A liaison chunin hurried forward and respectfully presented a sealed scroll with both hands.

Tsunade sat upright at her desk, her expression focused. Behind her, Shizune stood on tiptoe, her curious gaze following the scroll.

"You may leave." Tsunade waved the man away, spread the scroll flat across the desk, and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Release!"

The white smoke dispersed, and the seal was undone.

"Shizune!" Tsunade suddenly called out. The girl behind her had stretched out her neck, looking exactly like a ** cat.

"!" Shizune hurriedly responded.

Tsunade had no intention of hiding anything from her. As her personal assistant, Shizune was supposed to help handle all kinds of documents. Tsunade had spoken up purely because the girl's nosy posture was simply too comical.