In the end, Saitama and Kakashi never actually got to fight. Saitama shared his general understanding and interpretation of Chidori with Kakashi, and just like that, an entire afternoon passed.
Saitama also gained quite a bit of insight from Kakashi—it made sense, being the creator himself. His perspective gave Saitama significant inspiration.
Noticing how late it had gotten, Saitama said goodbye to Kakashi and hurriedly left, leaving behind a thoughtful Kakashi immersed in his own world.
"Fish for dinner?" Saitama couldn't help but smile—hardly had he stepped inside when the delicious aroma hit him.
"You mentioned before you wanted to eat fish, didn't you? This morning I told the fish seller to save one for me. Come sit down and eat," Ka Uchiha waved her hand and invited Saitama.
"Alright!" After a whole afternoon of discussion, Saitama's stomach was growling. Once he smelled the aroma, his appetite was completely stirred up.
He grabbed bowls and chopsticks himself, helped Ka Po-pu take the fish out of the pot, and then they sat at the table, beginning their dinner.
By that time, it was around six o'clock. After dinner, the sky had already turned pitch black.
"Grandma, I have something to do tonight. You should rest early by yourself," after tidying everything away, Saitama supported Ka Po-pu's shoulders and guided her into the bedroom.
"Fine, go ahead and take care of your business. I don't need you to look after me," Ka Po-pu smiled. Her wrinkles looked deeper than before. Her face showed her age, but her eyes were clear and full of vitality, betraying none of her years.
Chuckling, Saitama walked out of the bedroom. He noticed Ka Po-pu still standing not far from the doorway, gazing after him. He could only wave once more before turning to leave.
"Ahh!" With a sigh, Ka Po-pu shut the door properly, walked to the opposite side of the bed, turned on the TV, laid back down, and began watching thoughtfully.
Saitama strolled at a relaxed pace and reached Fugaku Uchiha's house about half an hour later. Itachi was already in the yard, the lights on, throwing shuriken at training dummies.
"Hey, Itachi!" Seeing the main gate left open, Saitama stepped directly inside.
"Huh? Saitama-niichan!" Itachi, who'd been practicing seriously, showed some surprise. Upon seeing Saitama walk in, he put down the shuriken in his hands and ran over.
"Mm!" Saitama thoroughly enjoyed the way Itachi acted towards him. This affectionate attitude from the young genius wasn't something many people got to witness. Saitama immediately raised his right hand to ruffle Itachi's hair. Itachi didn't dodge but instead leaned affectionately against Saitama.
Despite being only about five years older than Itachi, Saitama carried himself like he belonged to a completely different generation.
"Where is your dad?" While walking toward the house, Itachi stuck closely to Saitama.
Though they had known each other for less than half a year, Saitama had genuinely become a hero figure in Itachi's heart. After all, sometimes when Fugaku reprimanded him, he would use Saitama as an example.
"He's inside. Let me call him." Itachi shook his head lightly and quickly trotted into the house with his short legs.
"Saitama is here!" Mikoto Uchiha came out from one of the rooms, still holding a basket in her hand, speaking to Saitama, who was standing in the courtyard.
"Hello, Auntie. Nice to see you," Saitama nodded with a smile. "I'm here looking for the captain."
"Then I'll leave you two alone. You should get back to work now," Mikoto said with a smile, then walked away with her basket.
"Saitama-nii, Father wants you inside!" Itachi came running out and pulled Saitama by the hand toward the house.
Fugaku Uchiha was sitting at his desk going through documents, occasionally marking something with his pen.
"You're here, Saitama!" Fugaku put down the papers and removed his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
"Captain, are those..." Saitama looked at the glasses in Fugaku's hand with some surprise.
"Oh, my eyes just got tired." Fugaku casually placed the glasses aside.
"Ah!" Saitama nodded understandingly. Overuse of the Sharingan could indeed weaken eyesight, though he thought that was specifically an issue with the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Itachi, go outside and keep practicing. You and I need to discuss something," Fugaku said to Itachi.
"Eh? Alright." This young Itachi was still very small, always eager to play, yet never refused training despite occasional reluctance. With obvious disappointment in his tone, he obediently went outside.
"Have a seat," Fugaku pointed.
"What brings you over here?"
"Well, since we have a meeting soon, I figured I'd come along with you," Saitama smoothly pulled a chair over and sat down.
"Fine. First time attending this kind of meeting? Nervous?" Fugaku teased.
"Actually, a little bit," Saitama admitted truthfully.
"Don't worry too much. Today's gathering mainly includes the four elders—"a group of respected retired ninja who serve as advisors within the clan—and various Jonin—elite ninja who serve as team leaders and mission commanders—as well as heads responsible for clan affairs.
"Elders?" This was the first time Saitama had heard about elders existing within the Uchiha clan.
"Yes, there are four elders in the clan—several retired ninjas with great prestige." Fugaku noticed Saitama's confusion.
"Oh." Saitama simply nodded, showing no particular reaction on his face.
"The Uchiha Clan has nearly forty Jonin members, including powerful fighters like yourself. For such a large family, many industries must support our development, so many who don't have promising ninja careers choose instead to manage these businesses."
"The Uchiha have numerous enterprises across Konoha (Hidden Leaf) and the major cities of the Land of Fire, covering all kinds of industries." As Fugaku continued speaking, pride crept into his tone.
Saitama listened carefully from his seat. Just as he'd expected, a major clan like the Uchiha would naturally have assets all over.
"Today is just a routine meeting. Since it's your first time, just listen and observe more," Fugaku interlocked his hands together.
"It's getting late. Let's head over now." His eyes glanced at the clock on the wall as he stood up. At this moment he wore comfortable but informal home-wear—a kimono—and needed to change into proper attire before heading out.
...
"Clan Head!" "Clan Head!"
Following behind Fugaku, Saitama enjoyed the attention from many gazes. Before Fugaku and Saitama arrived, quite a few Uchiha clan members had already gathered in the ancestral shrine courtyard. Except for those on battlefields, away on missions, or held back by other matters, most of the Uchiha Clan's elite had assembled here.
Many people who were constantly on the move barely knew anything about Saitama Uchiha, who walked just behind Fugaku. But once someone noticed him, the news spread like wildfire. Anyone with eyes could tell that Saitama Uchiha had a special connection with the clan leader — no one could afford not to know someone so favored by the clan head.
"Hmm, back already!" Fugaku said calmly to a middle-aged man, his tone composed without any trace of authority or pretense.
"Yes, Clan Leader!" The man still gave Fugaku a respectful bow. Though young, Fugaku commanded great respect within the Uchiha Clan.
They continued walking deeper into the compound. The further they went, the stronger the people they met became. By the time they reached the innermost chamber of the shrine, everyone present was either a jonin or high-ranking family member.
Saitama Uchiha barely recognized anyone here except for Fugaku and Uchiha Mori.
Tired of following Fugaku around, Saitama wandered off to the side, quietly observing those nearby.
Trying hard to spot someone familiar, he searched through the crowd but found none that appeared in any known events — all these clan members were background figures doomed to die soon after showing up.
As Saitama watched an elder speaking with Fugaku, a loud voice suddenly rang in his ears as if a giant bell had been struck right beside him.
"Are you Saitama Uchiha?"
"Eh, yes I am." Turning around, he saw a muscular man, quite different from the usually leaner Uchiha clansmen.
"Glad to finally meet you! I've heard a lot about you — I'm Uchiha Bulk!" The big guy looked genuinely excited as he grabbed Saitama's shoulder.
Saitama stood at 1.6 meters tall, but this guy towered over him by nearly two heads, probably standing at two meters himself. His massive muscles made him look like he belonged to a completely different species — like some outsider who'd stumbled into the Uchiha Clan by mistake.
"Hello!" Saitama Uchiha wasn't carrying his sword at the moment. He reached out, shaking Bulk's hand and gently removing it from his shoulder.
"Haha, sorry about that!" The big man immediately realized Saitama Uchiha wasn't pleased with his gesture, perhaps interpreting it as a challenge. He quickly withdrew his hand, flashing a slightly sheepish smile.
"I heard about what you did on the Suna battlefield — it was amazing!" Uchiha Bulk locked eyes with Saitama Uchiha, his gaze sincere.
"Not bad, just a burst of power when facing death," Saitama admitted, finally understanding that this clansman meant no harm.
"Yeah, I just returned from a long-term mission last month. In a few days, I plan to head to the southern front line — seems like the clan has similar plans." Standing beside Saitama, the tall figure chatted easily as if sharing thoughts between friends.
"Mm, why not consider going east?" Saitama asked curiously. The southern front's a bloodbath — casualty rates keep spiking. It really wasn't a good idea heading there right now.
"Haha, the eastern front probably won't heat up anytime soon, while fighting will definitely break out in the south!" Uchiha Bulk thumped his own chest proudly, speaking loudly.
"Uchiha Bulk!" An elder shouted from across the room, calling the big guy's name sternly with a serious expression. Instantly, Bulk changed expressions, falling silent.
"Tsk!" Uchiha Bulk bowed slightly, then leaned close to Saitama Uchiha's ear.
"That's my old man—such a nosy old coot! Real rotten, too!" As he spoke, the big guy wore a sincere, childlike expression.
"What about you, Saitama?" Uchiha Bulk lowered his voice and continued talking with Saitama.
"Me? I'll just go with whatever my clan decides. Either way works for me." Saitama looked at the large man.
"Oh really? I was thinking we could team up as the 'Uchiha Twin Stars' and have an awesome fight on the Suna battlefield!" Although he appeared to be in his twenties, Uchiha Bulk sounded quite childish and even naïve, yet Saitama found the conversation genuine and comfortable.
"I'll do it when I get the chance—no rush!" Saitama smiled.
"Alright then, let's go find somewhere to sit down! It seems like the meeting is about to start."
Observing everyone beginning to move around, Uchiha Bulk told Saitama.
"Okay." Following Uchiha Bulk, Saitama sat down in a Jonin seat.
These seats were nothing more than plain cushions placed directly on the ground, arranged around several central soft pads spread across the shrine courtyard.
Surprisingly, the seemingly innocent-looking Uchiha Bulk was actually a Jonin. This somewhat surprised Saitama. Previously, when hearing him refer to that elder as "his old man," Saitama had assumed that Bulk had only participated in this meeting thanks to family background or being a Chunin. After all, that old man seemed to be a clan elder; Fugaku had even bowed slightly before speaking with him.
Becoming a Jonin required more than just possessing Jonin-level abilities or defeating an opponent ranked as a Jonin. Other factors were considered too, such as research into Ninjutsu, judgment during combat, and contributions to the village.
The number of Jonin represented a visible measure of a village's military might—one of several criteria for assessing strength. Promotion to Jonin was much more emphasized compared to other promotions.
Yet no major Hidden Ninja Village would recklessly relax the standards for Jonin promotion just to increase numbers, though some smaller villages did so merely for show.
Sitting side by side with Uchiha Bulk, Saitama ignored the curious glances from those around him and focused his gaze upon the five prominent seats at the center.
"Ahem!"
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