"Take down these Mist trash!" shouted a Konoha Chunin to his comrades. Facing them were several Mist ninja who hadn't managed to escape in time.
"Cut them down!" The Konoha ninjas showed no mercy, seizing the opportunity to slaughter the stragglers.
"Finish them!" Though aware they couldn't escape, the Mist ninja refused to surrender. Eyes turning red, they fought like their lives depended on it.
In their minds, killing one was breaking even; killing two was pure profit!
Yet with only a limited number of stranded enemy ninja, they naturally stood no chance against Konoha's forces. Within minutes, they were completely wiped out.
...
"Captain!" A member of the Aburame clan approached Saitama from behind, a swarm of insects circling around him.
"How many casualties do we have?" Saitama glanced around. Konoha's ninja had already begun cleaning up the battlefield, categorizing and loading both enemy and ally corpses.
This was war—cruel and merciless. In the blink of an eye, dozens or even hundreds of lives vanished from this world.
"Our first unit lost four ninjas this time: one Jonin and three Chunin." Thanks to the assistance of his insects, this ninja quickly compiled the casualty figures.
"Oh," Saitama nodded slightly, looking at the fallen bodies around him. His eyes showed no emotion, maintaining that usual indifferent expression.
"Saitama!"
Uchiha Mori walked over, his wounds already given basic treatment. Although the mission prioritized speed and didn't include medical support, each unit had two medics for simple treatments. Those seriously injured could only rely on luck—whether they could survive long enough to return to camp was questionable, though inevitable under these circumstances.
"You alright?" Saitama glanced at Uchiha Mori's injuries, speaking in a very calm tone.
"We definitely came out victorious in this first clash with the Mist!" Uchiha gestured toward the much greater number of Mist corpses scattered around him, smiling.
Konoha's operation had been a success—their kill ratio far exceeded expectations—but there were reasons for it. Foremost among them was the fact that Konoha's ninja were of exceptionally high quality, carefully selected. While Mist had taken things seriously too, sending far more ninja than Konoha, their overall quality was decisively inferior.
"What now?" Without comment, Saitama asked about the next plan.
According to the plan, once Konoha engaged Mist head-on, they needed to withdraw immediately, otherwise there would be danger of encirclement.
"Stick to the plan—we came out ahead. Don't push your luck!"
Uchiha noticed the faint eagerness in Saitama's eyes and reminded him accordingly.
"Alright then." Saitama nodded, abandoning any lingering indecision in his mind.
...
Quickly finishing cleanup of the battlefield, Konoha's forces began their withdrawal. According to reconnaissance, large groups of Mist ninja were approaching rapidly—they clearly didn't intend to continue this prolonged standoff. Konoha's recent actions had indeed enraged them, prompting some within Mist to finally mobilize.
"Yoshii!"
Uchiha Huo looked at Konoha's camp not far ahead and let out a long breath of relief.
He killed two Mist ninja in yesterday's battle, though he paid the price of multiple slashes. Fortunately, Saitama healed him with a Healing Technique, so he was fine now.
This was his first time participating in such a large-scale battle, and achieving such a good result made Uchiha Huo feel like he would become famous across the battlefield, just like Saitama.
"Smack!" Uchiha Yan slapped the back of his head.
"What are you doing?!" Uchiha Huo felt somewhat humiliated and angry as he turned around to face his foolish older brother.
"Can you not act so arrogant? This was only your first direct combat experience, and you're already showing off too much?"
Uchiha Yan had also killed one Mist ninja in yesterday's battle, but he remained calm and didn't think it was something worth boasting about.
"Tch! You're just jealous!" Huo muttered some complaints toward Yan before calming himself down and stopping his overly excited behavior.
"Welcome back!" The scouting ninjas spotted their unit five miles away from Konoha's camp, so Tsunade and others came early to wait at the main entrance.
"We've fulfilled our mission honorably!" Several team leaders stood at the front, reporting to Tsunade.
Saitama and Uchiha Mori, among other captains, stood behind them silently.
"Excellent! You've done an excellent job. Hurry up and rest, and prepare for the Mist's counterattack!"
Tsunade smiled and addressed all the Konoha ninja within her view.
Intelligence about this operation had already been delivered to Konoha's leadership, including Tsunade, the day before.
They eliminated nearly a hundred Mist ninja, leaving no survivors! Konoha achieved its objective, causing the Mist to start deploying heavy troops along Bear Country's border, indicating their intent to officially begin war with Konoha!
"Yes, ma'am!"
*heh-heh*
Saitama smiled warmly at Shizune standing behind Tsunade, his eyes unusually softening with warmth.
Shizune naturally noticed Saitama smiling at her. As soon as she saw him return safely, she finally relaxed, and now her face slightly flushed with sparkling eyes, returning Saitama's smile.
"Eh?" His line of sight got blocked as he watched Tsunade take one step forward, deliberately hiding Shizune behind her.
Seemingly unaware of the interaction between Saitama and Shizune, Tsunade simply stepped right in between them, occasionally shifting sideways slightly to keep blocking Shizune who tried to peek out.
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune grew anxious and gently tugged Tsunade's arm.
"What is it?" Tsunade kept her tone calm, watching the slowly advancing Ninja Forces entering the camp.
"You're blocking me!" Shizune felt embarrassed, her voice becoming quieter, realizing that she had acted a bit too hastily.
"Mm-hmm, and what of it? Don't you see I'm greeting the returning ninja? Unless you want to say hi yourself?"
Arms folded and eyes slightly narrowed, Tsunade questioned Shizune, then shifted just enough to let Shizune peek from behind her with only her head visible.
"Oh, no!"
Shizune lowered her head and took a step back.
"Shizune!" Saitama called out as he approached the main gate, naturally spotting Shizune's flustered state.
"Huh? Saitama!" Shizune lifted her head, seeing Saitama standing before Lady Tsunade. She quickly smiled back at him.
"What are you standing here for? Go inside!" Saitama gestured to Shizune while nodding toward Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, shall we go in then?"
Saitama knew he couldn't waver under Tsunade's gaze. He straightened his back.
Tsunade stood at about five foot four, while Saitama had passed five foot seven, making her tilt her head up slightly to meet his gaze.
"Hmph! Saitama Uchiha?!" Naturally recognizing Saitama, Tsunade carried strong impressions of him—whether due to wartime matters or because of Dan's legacy. To her, he was a young man of formidable strength and limitless potential, though one possessing a rather complicated background.
Maintaining a serious expression, Tsunade suddenly exuded a more imposing aura, instantly making nearby ninjas feel a sense of anxiety.
"Tch!" Saitama inhaled sharply, feeling pressure settle on his shoulders as his heart pounded rapidly within his chest.
Many ninjas cast curious glances their way, wondering what had occurred. Had Saitama upset Lady Tsunade? But why? Uchiha Saitama was known for being very composed in his actions!
As many thoughts passed through the minds of watching ninjas, they slowed their steps to observe what would unfold between Saitama and Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, may we be excused?" Smiling all the while and sensing the pressure Tsunade applied, Saitama showed no sign of discomfort.
"Ahh!"
Walking up to Shizune, Saitama reached out and grabbed her hand, continuing to speak to Tsunade. Caught off guard, Shizune buried her face in embarrassment and struggled slightly. Unable to pull away from Saitama's firm grip, she finally gave up.
"Mm."
Tsunade's imposing aura dissipated as calmness returned to her face, quietly agreeing.
"Alright then, Tsunade-sama, we'll be taking our leave now!" Having gained permission, Saitama pulled Shizune into the camp. Watching them enter, Tsunade allowed a slight smile to appear on her lips while sweeping her gaze over the surrounding ninjas.
"Man, way to go, Saitama!" Uchiha Mori noticed Saitama pulling Shizune's hand while weaving through the crowd, the latter holding himself proudly while Shizune kept her head down like a shy chicken.
"Pfft! We're just friends!" With one hand still holding Shizune's and another waving at Mori, Saitama replied casually.
"Remember to come to the strategy meeting tonight!" Uchiha Mori reminded Saitama before parting ways in the opposite direction.
Unfazed by the teasing glances of the surrounding ninjas, Saitama gradually led Shizune to an open space where they often met.
"Saitama..." Still keeping her head down, Shizune spoke with a hint of delight across her face, softly calling his name.
"What is it?" Saitama guided Shizune over to sit on a fallen log and tilted his head toward her.
"Could you please stop tickling my palm?" As she spoke, a red flush crept across Shizune's neck.
Though wearing only a ninja vest and combat uniform, Shizune felt the sweltering humidity of the coastal area.
"Oh!" Saitama nodded, sitting beside Shizune while continuing his little fidgeting motions with his hands.
"Did you get injured on this mission?" Seeing how enthusiastically Saitama responded yet noticing he didn't stop what he was doing, Shizune gave up pressing further and changed the subject.
"Do I look like someone who got hurt?"
Saitama proudly slapped his chest with his other hand.
"That's good!" Shizune didn't know why she suddenly felt relieved. She lowered her head and nodded several times, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Is there money on the ground? Why don't you look up?" Saitama smiled and gently pinched Shizune's chin with his other hand, slowly lifting her face.
"No!" Shizune blushed deeply but didn't resist Saitama's unusual gesture—something he had never done before. Her head gradually lifted, her bright eyes staring into Saitama's with slight embarrassment.
"Heh. What's wrong?" Saitama playfully flicked her nose, feeling her slightly warm temperature, asking as if he didn't already know.
"Isn't it your fault?" Shizune turned her head aside. She hadn't expected that after returning, Saitama would act so boldly toward her. She wasn't quite used to it just yet.
"Haha!" Saitama scratched his head and chuckled.
"I just suddenly understood something," Saitama said casually, continuing to gently hold and rub Shizune's hand.
"Uh-huh." Shizune nodded, half-understanding yet fully attentive, her eyes never leaving Saitama's face.
The two idly chatted for a long time. Shizune played the role of a perfect companion. For most of it, Saitama did the talking while Shizune listened, occasionally chiming in with her thoughts.
After today's events, something changed between Shizune and Saitama. Previously, Shizune had been confused, merely sensing that Saitama was different from others and quietly holding affection in her heart. Now, however, she seemed to have realized something, choosing to follow her heart. Saitama had always held feelings for Shizune too, but deep down, he thought it was just interference from memories of his past life. Yet when he saw Shizune searching desperately at the gate today, finally fixing solely on him, Saitama felt things weren't so simple either. Just like Shizune, he chose to follow his heart as well.
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