Chapter 48

After quickly reading through the intelligence, a thoughtful look flickered in Tsunade's eyes. She casually passed the scroll back. "Read it yourself."

"Oh my god!" Shizune took the scroll and cried out after only two glances, then hurriedly covered her mouth. "Sand Village and Konoha have called a truce?"

Having spent too long in the medical camp, the news caught her completely off guard.

"The decisive battle at Kikyo Mountain has been decided." Tsunade's tone was calm, though a glimmer of pride rippled in her eyes. "Sand Village's final counterattack was completely crushed. Victory belongs to Konoha."

"Gather the leaders of every squad immediately. We need to deliver the good news and raise morale." Tsunade rose and gave the order. "Shizune, make the arrangements."

"Understood!" Shizune set down the scroll and hurried toward the tent exit.

Giving notice only required instructing the guards to spread the word. But the moment she lifted the tent flap, Shizune suddenly remembered something.

"I'll stop by the Uchiha camp on the way." Releasing the flap, she turned and headed briskly toward the clan's encampment.

Inside the tent, Tsunade waited a long while without receiving Shizune's report. Her brows drew together briefly before she reopened the intelligence scroll. She had long grown accustomed to Shizune suddenly disappearing—she had obviously gone looking for Saitama again. Tsunade could not help shaking her head, as though all the care she had shown Shizune over the years had gone to waste.

"Saitama's assignments are still far too easy." Tsunade tapped the tabletop with her fingertips and focused on the detailed battle records in the scroll. Earlier, she had only skimmed it. Now, she intended to study the specific situation on the battlefield.

"Saitama still hasn't returned to camp?" Shizune stood before the empty tent, her disappointment plain to see. Watching her slightly trembling lashes, Uchiha Mori knowingly took over the conversation. "Lady Tsunade has summoned the leaders of every squad for a meeting. I'll inform Lord Tianming later."

"Thank you for the trouble." Shizune bowed and took her leave. The light steps she had arrived with now seemed exceptionally heavy. Uchiha Mori watched her departing figure and clapped his hands with a soft chuckle. "It's good to be young." He turned toward Uchiha Tianming's tent, figuring that his clansman was surely organizing battle reports at the moment.

"Captain, members of the Aburame Clan have been spotted to the west." Uchiha Yan lowered his voice in warning. Saitama narrowed his eyes and saw several figures arrive in an instant. The leading ninja in sunglasses still had fresh dew clinging to his collar.

"It has been many years, Saitama." Aburame Shibi pushed up his slipping sunglasses. The two clansmen behind him wore identical sunglasses, yet they could not conceal the curious looks they cast at Saitama.

"Did you just clash with Hidden Mist?" Saitama's thumb unconsciously rubbed the sword guard. After receiving an affirmative answer, he gave a brief nod. "We still need to continue our patrol." As the two squads passed one another, the compound eyes beneath the Aburame clan members' sunglasses still glimmered faintly in the shadows.

"We're close to the border. Stay alert."

The border of the Land of Bears stretched for a great distance. The main battlefield was concentrated along the coast, but small skirmishes frequently broke out elsewhere as well, usually when infiltrators from both sides happened to run into one another.

Saitama's squad had been assigned to patrol a designated area today. Just a few days ago, they had been charging through the front lines, only to be transferred here in the blink of an eye. This was thanks to Tsunade's rotation system—after intense combat, they would always receive a relatively easy patrol assignment.

Of course, "easy" came with one condition—don't run into the enemy.

Whoosh!

Several figures sped through the forest. Saitama and the others remained silent as they raced toward their assigned location. After traveling for a while, Saitama's ears twitched. Unfamiliar chakra fluctuations appeared within his sensory range, clearly not belonging to Konoha ninja.

"Stop!"

He raised his left hand. The three members of the squad halted instantly, landing firmly on tree branches as they entered a state of alert.

"There's something ahead." Once his teammates were in position, Saitama gave a quiet warning.

"Attack immediately!" He did not hesitate.

Whoosh! Lightning burst from his calves as Saitama shot toward the source like an arrow loosed from its string.

Swish—

After passing through the last patch of brush, the battle came into view: three Hidden Mist ninja were besieging a Konoha ninja, who was already struggling desperately and on the verge of collapse.

He kicked off the ground! Accelerated! Saitama turned into an afterimage and cut into the battlefield!

Slash!

The lightning blade tore through the air, flashing with cold light!

"Urgh!" A line of blood burst from the throat of the first Hidden Mist ninja struck. Before he could recover his senses, he crashed to the ground.

"What the hell is that?!" The remaining two Hidden Mist ninja retreated several meters, staring uncertainly at the sudden god of slaughter.

"It's Konoha's 'Lightning Blade'..." One of them recognized the fiend who had recently swept across the battlefield, his voice trembling.

The other Mist ninja's pupils abruptly shrank, his muscles instantly tensing. Over the past few months, Saitama had been like Shura reborn on the battlefield, slaughtering Hidden Mist troops one-sidedly. Although the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were stationed there to keep him in check, just last week, this vicious god had even severely injured Mangetsu Hozuki of the reserves—if Kurosuki Raiga and Munashi Jinpachi had not risked their lives to save him, Hozuki would have already perished. The price of that rescue was that two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were injured, while Saitama himself had been pierced through the abdomen by the Longsword: Nuibari.

Rustle... rustle...

Saitama slowly approached, his lightning blade shrieking like the cries of a thousand birds.

"Uchiha Saitama?!" The besieged Konoha ninja recognized him, and the tension in his nerves instantly drained away. With this god of slaughter present, survival was a certainty. But...

Thinking of that, the Konoha ninja looked over the companions lying scattered across the ground, and his eyes immediately dimmed.

"I'll handle the rest." Saitama quickened his pace and charged straight at the enemy.

"Fight him, or we'll all die!" The Mist ninja who had first recognized Saitama roared at his companion. He gripped his weapon tightly, both eyes fixed on the approaching figure.

"Yeah!" Cold sweat seeped down his companion's temple. He knew there was no chance of escape. They could only make a last stand.

"Go!" Seeing Saitama draw ever nearer, the leading Mist ninja shouted and assumed an attacking stance.

His companion charged forward without hesitation, teeth clenched, looking ready to stake his life on it.

Swish! The instant his companion rushed out, the Mist ninja who had urged him to fight suddenly changed direction. He drove his chakra to its limit and fled in the opposite direction at top speed.

"Interesting." Saitama chuckled at the sight.

A small crater exploded in the ground as the sound of the Body Flicker Technique and a cloud of dust erupted at once.

"You..." The charging Mist ninja watched helplessly as his companion fled at the last moment, trembling with rage.

"How is this possible?!" The fleeing ninja suddenly realized Saitama was already behind him. Despair had only just appeared in his eyes before blue-white blade light swallowed him whole.

Thud!

His head rolled away. Saitama turned his gaze to the last Mist ninja.

"Please, don't..."

The blade flashed, and the plea abruptly ended.

"Captain!" The Uchiha Huo brothers arrived late once again.

"Is it serious?" Uchiha Huo came up to the Konoha ninja, staring at his limp left arm as blood continuously dripped from his fingertips.

"I can still hold on." The injured man wiped the sweat from his face and painfully raised his wounded arm to inspect it.

Clang— Saitama sheathed his sword and walked over.

"Your companion is still breathing. If you get him back to camp in time, he might be saved." He pointed toward an unconscious companion nearby. Though the man's left chest had been pierced, his heart had fortunately been on the other side.

The other two companions were already dead.

"Really?" The injured ninja abruptly lifted his head, then staggered toward the direction Saitama had indicated. Saitama followed at an unhurried pace.

The instant his fingers touched the survivor's carotid artery, a trace of joy flashed across his face.

"Move aside. I know some medical ninjutsu." Saitama dropped to one knee and motioned for him to make room, laying the injured man flat at the same time.

"Okay!" He hurriedly complied.

Hiss! The moment Saitama's hand touched the unconscious ninja's chest, the man let out a faint groan. But Saitama did not stop. He continued channeling chakra, the emerald light in his palm growing brighter as it completely enveloped the wound.

After maintaining that state for several minutes, Saitama withdrew his chakra. The unconscious ninja gradually woke up.

"Who are you?" His voice was weak as a thread as he stared at Saitama in confusion.

"Zhi Gang, it's me!" The companion beside him immediately rushed forward.

"Zhi Xing?" Zhi Gang squinted with effort. His vision was blurred, and he could barely make out the person before him.

"This is Uchiha Saitama. We owe our lives to him." Zhi Xing tightly gripped Zhi Gang's hand, his voice trembling with emotion. He had thought his companion had no hope of survival. This sudden turn filled him with wild joy.

"Don't waste time. Return to camp first. I've only stabilized his injuries for now. He still needs further treatment." Saitama rose and cut Zhi Xing off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Understood. I'll take him back right away." Zhi Xing spoke as he moved to support his companion.

"!" The moment he exerted force, he sucked in a sharp breath. His wound split open, and blood streamed from his arm.

"Huo, carry him. The bleeding in his chest has mostly stopped." Saitama waved Uchiha Huo over.

"Pack up your things and withdraw first. Yan, go back with them too. Stay alert on the way. I'll finish the rest of the patrol alone." Saitama stepped forward, utterly fearless even as he ventured deeper alone.

"Yes, Captain!" Uchiha Yan nodded solemnly. They had absolute faith in Saitama's strength. Besides, this was merely a routine border patrol, not a deep incursion into enemy territory. As long as he remained cautious, nothing should go wrong.

"Mm." Saitama lightly tapped a tree trunk with the tip of his foot. His figure leaped between the treetops several times before vanishing into the dense forest in an instant.

"Lady Tsunade!" Uchiha Tianming bowed to Tsunade, who sat in the seat of honor.

"Take a seat first. There are still people who haven't arrived."

"Yes!"

Most of the squad leaders had already gathered in the meeting tent, with only a few delayed for various reasons.

The moment he sat down, Uchiha Tianming sensed a sharp gaze. Looking up, he saw the Byakugan of a Hyuga Clan member fixed intently on him from across the room.

"Heh." Uchiha Tianming paid it no mind. Ever since Uchiha Saitama had burst onto the scene, the brilliance of the Hyuga Clan's younger generation had been entirely overshadowed. Even Hyuga Tate of the clan had come to admire him wholeheartedly. Only the stubborn Hyuga Shin still held a grudge against his old rival, Uchiha Tianming.

"Hmph!" Hyuga Shin understood the mockery in the other man's eyes and angrily turned his face away.

"Ahem." Mitokado Homura, seated in a corner, cleared his throat.

"Most of you are here. We summoned you today only to deliver a battle report."

Tsunade swept her gaze across the room and raised the scroll in her hand.

"As everyone knows, the prolonged stalemate between Konoha and Sand Village has finally come to an end. This frontline report has just arrived. Pass it around."

As the scroll was handed toward Hyuga Shin, she raised her voice to add:

"The decisive battle at Kikyo Mountain ended in Konoha's victory. Both sides have begun negotiations for a peace agreement."

Her clear voice echoed through the tent.

The tense expressions on everyone's faces relaxed. The end of the fighting on the eastern front meant troops could be reassigned to support other battlefields, easing the pressure of fighting Hidden Mist as well.

"All other matters can wait. Deliver this good news to the ninja in every unit—recent high-intensity combat has left morale low, and this medicine has arrived at exactly the right time."

Mitokado Homura adjusted his reading glasses. He had learned the news before Tsunade and now merely watched everyone's reactions in silence.

"Dismissed!" Tsunade announced with a clap.

Figures hurried out. Every second during wartime was precious. They needed to use this good news immediately to calm their restless subordinates.

"Tsunade." The Fifth Hokage, who was about to rise, was called out to.

"Does the advisor have further instructions?" She turned toward the white-haired elder.

"This old man will depart for the village tomorrow. The front line will be entirely under your command. As for the reinforcements, I will personally see to the matter once I return."

An unquestionable authority showed through the wrinkles on his face.

"Thank you." Tsunade nodded. Reinforcements were indeed what concerned her most.

Watching Tsunade's retreating figure, Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses. "A turning point at last... Next, we'll slowly maneuver with Sand Village. With that girl holding the front line, holding out until reinforcements arrive should not be a problem."

"Shizune, bring some food to my tent." As she left the meeting tent, Tsunade instructed her assistant waiting outside, then strode toward the commander's tent.

"Yes!" Shizune bowed in acknowledgment and hurried toward the logistics area.

An afterimage flashed through the forest. Unburdened by teammates, Saitama drove the Body Flicker Technique to its limit, his hawk-like eyes sweeping over every treetop.

Having completed his patrol of the sector and prepared to return, he suddenly stopped—his senses had grown alongside his strength and were now no weaker than those of a dedicated reconnaissance ninja.