Back home, the TV in Grandma Ka Po-pu's room was still on. Saitama couldn't tell whether she had fallen asleep without turning it off or was still watching. He didn't want to disturb her and headed upstairs to sleep.
He slipped off his shoes at the entryway, made his way up the stairs quietly, and carefully closed the door behind him.
Shortly after Saitama went upstairs, the light in Uchiha Ka's room also turned off, as if sensing Saitama's return, no longer needing to remain on.
The night slipped away in silence, leaving only solitude behind.
In the following days, life returned to normal. Saitama resumed his routine of traveling between three places, exchanging ideas every day with those preparing for battle at the training ground—or rather, guiding them. With such evident strength, his status within the Clan Guards kept rising.
Yesterday, Uchiha Bulk had also come looking for Saitama, wanting to fight him. Considering Bulk's Jonin-level abilities would allow Saitama a proper challenge, Saitama happily accepted.
Despite appearing clumsy, during battle, Uchiha Bulk truly revealed his style—he actually followed an assassin's speed-based path!
Every time Saitama thought about how someone like Bulk—who was such a massive guy—could move so fast and handle himself so skillfully, he'd be amazed by how vast the Shinobi World truly was, a place where anything seemed possible.
When Saitama first met Uchiha Bulk, judging by his physique, he assumed Bulk was an exception among the Uchiha Clan, one who relied purely on brute strength and endurance. Unexpectedly, this assumption flipped—Bulk was fast. Yet despite his speed, agility, and even superior strength compared to other Jonins of his age, he still lost to Saitama. Saitama was faster, hit harder, and matched him in strength. In short, Bulk could only fight Saitama head-on!
To Saitama, Bulk's defeat was perfectly normal, but Bulk himself found it hard to accept—even though he had mentally prepared himself for loss before seeking out Saitama.
But having mental preparation and facing reality were two entirely different things.
...
"Senpai!" Two Chunin called in unison, bowing deeply as they spoke.
"Eh, there's no need to call me 'senpai.' Just address me as Saitama," Saitama said while motioning to help them up. He never cared much for formalities—if you genuinely respect me, I can see it in your actions and words; there's no need for all these fancy rituals.
"Alright then! Captain Saitama!" Uchiha Huo and Uchiha Yan didn't hesitate. Calling someone significantly younger than them "senpai" felt awkward indeed, although they fully understood Saitama's immense strength.
These two would later become the other members of Saitama's squad for future missions. A few days ago, Fugaku had already assigned this team roster. Today, these two ninja had actively sought out Saitama, under the pretense of building better team cohesion through early acquaintance.
"Yeah, let's go grab a seat over there," Saitama pointed toward the rest pavilion at the edge of the training ground.
Indeed, these two teammates had come straight to the training grounds to find Saitama.
"Sure!" Huo and Yan exchanged glances before following Saitama. They were twins, completely familiar with each other, their mutual understanding far exceeding that of ordinary people.
"Feel free to sit down," Saitama said lazily, stretching out on a reclining chair with his upper body slightly raised. He faced the Uchiha brothers in a relaxed posture.
"Now that we're officially on the same team, tell me about yourselves. I'd like to get to know you," Saitama continued with half-closed eyes and a laid-back tone.
"I'm Uchiha Huo, Chunin rank, specializing in [Fire Release] jutsu."
"I'm Uchiha Yan, also a Chunin, and I too specialize in [Fire Release] jutsu."
Despite Saitama's casual position, both brothers remained upright and formal, sitting across from him and delivering their introductions clearly and concisely.
"That's all? No preferences or dislikes you want to share? Something like what you like or hate doing?" Saitama observed the two older men, who seemed oddly uneasy despite clearly being more senior than himself.
"Eh?" Huo scratched his head, not expecting such casual conversation in this setting.
"I enjoy barbecue but hate mackerel!" Yan quickly responded, catching onto Saitama's conversational style.
"Same here," Uchiha Huo nodded in agreement.
"Oh, sounds like our tastes actually align! I love barbecue too—especially that place on Market Street called Barbecue Q. It's absolutely amazing."
Saitama sat up slightly, flashing a smile.
"Really? Captain, we go there pretty often ourselves. The marinade there is definitely ten times better than other barbecue places, and the meat quality is excellent," Uchiha Huo replied with some surprise.
"Absolutely right!" Saitama leaned back, supporting himself with his hands behind as he assumed a comfortable position. He'd been training hard for hours—no wonder he was wiped out.
"As for me, I assume you already know who I am?" When it was his turn, Saitama turned to the two men sitting across from him. After all, they had specifically come looking for members of the clan guards—it would be strange if they hadn't heard of Saitama.
"Yes, we've both heard stories about your exploits, Captain." Uchiha Huo spoke again while Uchiha Yan showed slight facial changes though still maintaining the composure expected of a ninja, unlike his brother who spoke with obvious excitement, almost like a fan meeting his idol.
"Well, I'll reintroduce myself anyway since most of what you've heard are likely rumors." Saitama nodded, motioning with his hand for Uchiha Huo to relax.
"I'm Saitama Uchiha, Chunin rank, skilled in [Lightning Release] jutsu and Taijutsu combat. Though young, I've completed numerous missions and recently returned after participating in Suna ninja operations earlier this year."
"Captain's capabilities give us complete confidence. We're looking forward to working with you," both brothers stood and bowed deeply once Saitama finished speaking.
"Uh, you guys really don't need to keep doing that. This kind of thing just makes me uncomfortable," Saitama gestured toward some curious teammates peeking around the training grounds.
The Uchiha brothers looked toward the training ground, quickly rose, and resumed normal posture.
"Now that we've formed this team, I hope we can rely on each other and serve as each other's support," Saitama stepped closer to them. They weren't that much taller than him—only about a head's difference.
"Oh, by the way, how tall are you guys?" Saitama suddenly asked, noting the height difference.
"Huh?" Saitama could practically feel the question marks hanging over their heads, even if their faces stayed perfectly serious.
"I should be around six feet tall. Uchiha Huo is a bit shorter than me—maybe about five foot eleven or so," Uchiha Yan said hesitantly, first looking up at the top of Saitama's head, then glancing at his older brother standing beside him.
"Ohh, pretty tall! Guess our team captain is still on the short side, huh?" Saitama remarked casually, walking out of the pavilion.
"Uchiha Huo's still young himself; he'll grow taller later. No need to be jealous right now," Saitama thought to himself. Even though he was mature for his age, he hadn't finished growing yet.
"Are you two going to hang around here for a while before we go out for dinner tonight, or should we head back now and make plans another time? I still want to train a bit; it's still early," Saitama said as he walked, occasionally turning back to speak with the two brothers following behind him.
"In that case, we'll stay and train with the captain for a bit," Uchiha Huo spoke up, while an eager Uchiha Yan looked expectantly at Saitama.
"All right then, might as well take a look at your strength!" Saitama paused briefly before replying.
He'd only brought up dinner out of politeness, never expecting his new teammates to accept so readily. But this actually suited Saitama's mood just fine—they could start bonding over dinner, provided those two paid for it. Hahaha!
A sly gleam flickered across Saitama's eyes as he led the two younger boys deeper into the training ground.
"Back already, Saitama?" Shisui and Nagare were sparring in this area, and upon seeing Saitama return, they also stopped their movements.
"Yeah, these are my teammates, Uchiha Huo and Uchiha Yan; they're brothers." Saitama pointed toward the other two, introducing them to Shisui and Nagare who were watching curiously.
"Greetings! I'm Shisui, and this is Nagare."
"Hello!"
Standing face-to-face, Shisui and Nagare looked almost like little kids beside the two brothers, but they still greeted each other politely.
The two brothers didn't underestimate Shisui and Nagare despite their smaller size—they'd seen how skilled they were in battle, and knew they weren't any weaker than themselves.
"You two keep at it, then. I'll go train with them over there," Saitama said, waving casually.
"Sure thing!" Shisui and Nagare exchanged glances.
...
"You two can attack me together. Let me see what you've got," Saitama said—not with provocation or disrespect, but simple observation.
He had already noticed how highly synchronized the two of them were; clearly, teamwork was likely their strongest tactic. Now Saitama wanted to know their actual skill level—it would help him make tactical decisions in future battles.
"Got it!" Uchiha Yan and Uchiha Huo exchanged glances without showing any surprise. They already knew before arriving that Saitama was especially strong among Jonin; otherwise, there was no way someone holding only Chunin rank could become a captain.
Assuming combat stances, the two brothers positioned themselves—one on the left and one on the right—facing Saitama, whose hand rested casually near his ninja sword.
"Not making the first move? Then I'll go first then!" Saitama slowly gripped his ninja sword with his right hand, already channeling chakra beneath his feet.
"Stomp!" He forcefully stamped his left foot against the ground, launching his entire body forward in a flash.
"He's coming!" Uchiha Yan muttered softly, already having a single tomoe spinning rapidly within each eye, desperately tracking Saitama's movement.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!]
"Uchiha used Ninjutsu first. He had also activated his Sharingan, and as he opened his throat, a massive fireball shot directly toward Saitama.
'Hmph.' Saitama dug his foot in and swiftly sidestepped the attack.
'Ding!' The moment he escaped the range of the Fire Release, Saitama noticed several shuriken flying toward him. With one swing of his sword, he blocked all incoming projectiles.
'A strategy? Using Fire Release to block the enemy's vision, followed by shuriken whose whistle was drowned out by the flames?' Saitama mused inwardly, yet his feet never stopped moving.
The distance between them was less than twenty meters, and in the blink of an eye, Saitama closed in.
'Ding!' His blade struck down at Uchiha Huo standing in front, but it was blocked with a kunai.
'Didn't I say I'm good at Lightning Release?' Saitama smirked slightly, sending a surge of electricity through his sword, conducting it into Uchiha Huo.
'Zzzap!' The electric current crackled, delivering a direct hit.
'Poof!' Uchiha Huo turned into white smoke and vanished.
'Was that just now a Shadow Clone? When did he do it? Right after the Fire Release ended? Then where's his real body?'
Saitama's eyes flickered with surprise, but his sword didn't hesitate, swinging toward the Uchiha Yan behind.
Uchiha Yan probably hadn't expected his brother's Shadow Clone to stall Saitama even for a second. Hurriedly trying to form seals, he stumbled slightly before retreating quickly.
Saitama pressed the attack relentlessly, not even slowing down during the test.
'Boom! As Saitama stepped forward to chase Yan, the ground beneath him gave way, and his body suddenly lost balance, plunging downward.
Uchiha Yan's eyes lit up. He started weaving hand seals as his Sharingan locked onto Saitama's movement.
[Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Technique!] Flames erupted across the sky, barreling toward Saitama who was still off balance.
'Swoosh!' Saitama formed a seal, and his figure disappeared.
'What!' Uchiha Yan's eyes widened in disbelief.
'Thud!' The hilt of the sword struck Yan's waist. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He hadn't expected Saitama's speed to be this fast—it must have been some kind of ninja technique just now!?! Uchiha Yan wasn't sure."
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