"Crack!" Blue-white lightning surged through the forest.
"Crackle!" With a powerful kick to Oni's chest, Saitama bent his body slightly and pushed off with force.
"Boom!"
His entire figure shot halfway into the air. The sword in his hand was now fully charged with lightning.
"Whoosh!" He hurled it forward. Shura stood just behind Oni, and the blade reached his face in an instant.
"Hiss!" Without looking back at Shura, Saitama released his sword and dropped sharply downward.
"Die!"
At that moment, Oni had already regained his senses. Clenching both fists, he smashed them upward toward falling Saitama.
"Boom!" Saitama caught the enemy's attack barehanded.
"Ah!" Gritting his teeth, Saitama realized how foolish he'd been—actually engaging such a brute head-on.
But thanks to his body being tempered by lightning, Saitama only felt slight pressure. It wasn't anywhere near unbearable for him.
After exchanging blows with the enemy, Saitama soared like an arrow straight toward Shura.
Although that earlier sword strike had been fast, Saitama never expected one hit to eliminate the opponent.
The reality was as expected—the blade, surging with lightning, tore through Shura's body before driving vertically into the ground. But Shura's form exploded into countless insects, scattering apart the moment the sword passed through.
"Clang!" Pulling out his ninja sword, Saitama quickly flipped several times to create distance.
Meanwhile, Shura gradually reformed from the ground beside Oni. Holding his shoulder, he revealed a wound likely caused by Saitama's previous strike.
"Be careful. That brat's speed is off," Shura said grimly. Oni gave a silent nod, never once shifting his gaze from Saitama.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Seeing the enemies' reaction, Saitama formed a hand seal.
"Poof!" As white smoke cleared, another Saitama emerged.
They shared a knowing glance and grinned. Nodding briefly, Saitama then charged forward.
"Still daring to use Shadow Clones at a time like this? Truly doesn't know death!" Oni glared viciously, locking onto one of the Saitamas before rushing toward him.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" His footfalls were heavy, as if a stone giant were charging through the forest. This must have been a trade-off from his ninjutsu—sacrificing mobility for enhanced defense.
His Sharingan blazing with resolve, Saitama aimed for the kill!
[Chidori!] Focusing inward, Saitama surged chakra into his right hand as he sprinted. Arcs of electricity began gathering there.
"Hiss!" A dazzling burst of lightning lit up the night, sending shivers down both Shura and Oni's spines.
"Die!" At this moment, Oni seemed unable to dodge. Roaring fiercely, he continued charging forward.
Keeping his eyes locked, Oni sidestepped and drew back his right arm, gathering power for a crushing punch.
"Crunch!"
"Pfft!" In the split second they made contact, Saitama's speed suddenly spiked again—he stimulated his leg muscles using chakra.
Predicting the trajectory with his Sharingan and evading swiftly, Saitama's right hand plunged deep into Oni's chest.
"Eh?!" Until his very last breath, Oni couldn't believe he'd perish so suddenly.
"Crackle!" The Chidori in his hand erupted again, obliterating the enemy's last spark of life.
Meanwhile, the Clone was still engaged with the Root ninja wearing the Shura mask.
"What?!" Shura couldn't believe it. His partner was really dead just like that?
Panic started creeping into his heart, slowing down his movements.
"Boom!" The Clone delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen, but his eyes immediately locked onto the base of a nearby tree.
The Sharingan clearly saw that the enemy had used the Substitution Jutsu just now.
"Trouble!" Shura's face paled. He hadn't expected Saitama's strength to be this terrifying—capable of instantly killing an ally with such high defense.
And under the watchful eye of that Sharingan, he couldn't even escape using ninjutsu. Saitama would sense it the moment he tried any technique.
After finishing off the Root ninja wearing the Oni mask, the real Saitama also moved in, surrounding the remaining enemy together with his Clone.
"Any last words?" Saitama held his blade, arcs of electricity flickering through his right hand—an alluring sight.
"Heh, our leader will avenge us. Saitama, your gloating won't last long!"
"If you keep sending weaklings like that next time, I'll just keep chopping them down." Saitama narrowed his eyes and smirked with mockery.
Knowing there was no escape today, the Root ninja showed no fear whatsoever. Death wasn't something he feared.
"Buzz buzz buzz!" The swarm of insects seemed to sense his resolve and grew restless. After all, these bugs bred inside his body would perish along with him.
"Whoosh!"
[Secret Technique – Insect Tornado!] Countless bugs surged from beneath his feet, surrounding Saitama's main body.
The insects spun like a tornado at blinding speed, countless bugs tearing into Saitama within!
"Shshsh!" The Chidori Current exploded outward, instantly killing numerous insects.
"Slash!" He swung his sword forward, cutting a path through the insect tornado, and Saitama jumped out swiftly.
"Thud!" In an instant, he reached Shura's front. With an astonished expression, Shura took a blade straight to the chest.
Death came like the wind!
"It won't be long now, Saitama!" Underneath the Shura mask, his lips curled upward while his eyes stared blankly at Saitama.
"Pop!" The Shadow Clone dispersed, vanishing into thin air, leaving two more corpses on the ground.
This battle lasted only a few minutes—small scale and far from camp. Saitama didn't worry about waking anyone up.
Too lazy to bother with the corpses, Saitama knew this dense forest harbored many beasts. At dawn, hungry predators would devour them whole.
Wiping the sweat from his brow after the fight, licking the wounds inside his mouth, Saitama strolled back slowly.
The fight started fast and ended even faster—Saitama walked away victorious, having only spat up a little blood.
...
"Crackle!" The fire crackled loudly, its flames leaping high.
Just upon returning to camp, Saitama noticed someone already sitting beside the fire. They had lit it specifically to ward off wild animals. The figure looked familiar—it was their mission client.
"You alright?" Kaiho Tora tossed a branch into the fire, speaking casually, like old friends catching up.
"No problem. It's handled." Saitama replied offhandedly.
"Did I wake you?"
"Saitama," Kaiho Tora responded, sitting beside the campfire.
"Nope. I just got up to use the restroom and noticed you were missing. Then I heard some noises." Kaiho Tora chuckled, one hand covering his mouth as he made a drowsy face.
"Didn't you use to be a ninja?" Saitama asked curiously. He had sensed the chakra within Kaiho Tora the first time they met.
"Huh?" He offered a faint smile, then gazed off into the distance as if remembering something.
"I never really had the talent for being a ninja. Although I used to dream about that kind of life—leaping across rooftops and charging ahead even when faced with a thousand enemies—I ultimately failed. Now I'm just an ordinary martial arts general." Kaiho Tora began chatting casually.
"Even though I lacked ninja potential, my talent as a martial artist isn't too bad..." He sighed slightly, seeming like he wanted to continue talking.
"You should get some rest. I'll stay on guard here," Saitama said, unwilling to continue the conversation. After all, this was just a mission employer. Once the mission ended, they probably wouldn't see each other again. The worlds of ninjas and ordinary people were completely different—no matter how powerful a civilian might be, there remained an unbridgeable gap between them and ninjas.
"Alright then, I am feeling tired. I guess I'll turn in for now." Kaiho Tora stood up. He originally intended to casually pat Saitama's shoulder, but under Saitama's gaze, he smiled and withdrew his hand instead, wearing a slightly awkward expression.
"Phew!" Watching the client climb into the carriage, Saitama turned back toward the fire and exhaled deeply. He realized that since becoming a ninja, his changed mindset was making interactions with regular people increasingly difficult.
After letting his eyes linger on the flames for a moment, Saitama also rose and headed toward the carriage.
Jumping onto the rooftop of the carriage and pulling the cloak Kaiho Tora had given him earlier over his shoulders, Saitama thought to himself: Winter truly deserved respect!
...
Nothing unusual occurred during the rest of the night, although some foolish wild beasts approached near the camp boundary, seemingly attempting to assert dominance—only to quickly fall beneath Saitama's blades, left there to become tomorrow's food.
"Rustle!" The curtain of the carriage opened, and Kaiho Tora popped out looking fresh and energetic, greeting the top of the carriage where Saitama sat.
"Good morning, Saitama!"
"Mm, good morning."
"What's this? It smells amazing!" Jumping down from the carriage, Kaiho Tora followed the aroma toward the fire pit.
The man with the thick mustache and several servants had already risen. Saitama had handed over the beasts he'd killed last night, and they immediately understood, beginning to roast the meat accordingly.
Of course, the fragrance came directly from those grilled meats.
"These are beasts caught by the Honored Ninja. We're roasting them to take along as road food," respectfully explained the man with the thick mustache to Kaiho Tora.
"Great! Bring me a leg to try first! This smell has already made me hungry!" Kaiho Tora waved his hand, issuing orders like a general.
"Yes, sir!"
The man with the thick mustache eagerly obeyed General Tora's command, hurrying off to fetch what the lord desired.
Happily chewing on a meaty leg joint, Kaiho Tora patted his satisfied belly. Then he called for the thick-mustached man again to bring him a bottle of wine, settling in to enjoy his drink.
Saitama, with his sword sheathed at his hip, ignored everything around him. His eyes half-closed, he hadn't rested much the entire night. Even though he still had plenty of energy, he saw no reason not to take a quick nap.
"Get ready and move out! Time doesn't wait for anyone!" Kaiho Tora shouted after climbing onto the carriage.
"Yes, sir! They're already packing up. We'll leave soon enough!"
Another half hour passed while the servants packed essentials, and then Saitama's group set off again.
The weather was great today—bright sunshine warmed their skin, and rising temperatures brought the promise of spring.
Sitting cross-legged on the roof of the carriage with his blade resting beside him, Saitama pretended to nap.
Because of his innate sensitivity to chakra, he had a natural scout-like ability. He could sense chakra fluctuations within a few hundred meters when he focused.
Thanks to this small ability, Saitama didn't have to rely solely on sight to scan the surroundings slowly. However, this method had its limits: people who deliberately suppressed their chakra and lowered their presence were beyond his perception.
Maybe one day, if his strength grew further, this minor ability might improve too—allowing him to detect hidden enemies. But for now, Saitama couldn't achieve that.
"Hee-haw!" The horses pulling the cart snorted as they stopped. The convoy had reached a riverbank, and the carriages came to a halt while some servants went to refill water supplies along the riverside.
"Saitama?" Kaiho Tora called from inside the carriage.
"Yes, anything wrong?" Saitama grabbed his sword and leapt to the front of the carriage where the Man with a Thick Mustache sat controlling the horses.
"Nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask how far we've come? I'm not familiar with this area," Kaiho Tora explained again.
Saitama frowned slightly—he didn't know either; he'd just been following the caravan without paying much attention.
"Sir, I have a map here!" The Man with a Thick Mustache spoke up in time, pulling out a pile of animal-hide maps from beneath him.
"Give it to me!"
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