"What's the situation?" everyone immediately concealed themselves, and Captain Kawaki whispered his inquiry.
"Three chakra signatures are approaching from the northwest. They aren't familiar," Hyugaki reported while continuing to observe through his Byakugan.
"Stay alert. They could be enemies," Kawaki muttered, sensing something was off even before their traps had been fully set.
Saitama lay under a sparse bush, eyes locked on the northwest direction. The others weren't far, similarly concealed.
This area was barren, with little vegetation due to its proximity to the Wind Country's border. The harsh climate and frequent sandstorms made it an inhospitable place for plant life—and ideal for ambushes.
Whoosh!
The sound of movement cut through the wind as three figures approached. They moved swiftly despite the rough terrain and neared the perimeter Saitama's squad had marked earlier.
The leading figure halted abruptly, raising his left hand. The two younger shinobi behind him stopped immediately.
"Discovered?" A bead of sweat rolled down Kawaki's forehead. Though experienced, he'd become more cautious over the years. With responsibilities—family, comrades—came hesitation. His instincts screamed that they were outmatched.
From his observations, the leader was a jōnin from Sunagakure, and at least one of the others was a skilled chūnin. Kawaki knew they couldn't win head-on.
He signaled rapidly with hand gestures.
Retreat. We can't win.
Saitama read the silent message clearly.
The rest of the squad understood too—chūnin couldn't take on a jōnin in open combat. They had to escape and report that Sunagakure had deployed elite shinobi to sabotage supply lines.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
But just as they began to move, the enemy launched forward—spotting the Konoha shinobi in hiding.
"Run!" Kawaki shouted, taking off in the opposite direction.
"You Konoha fools think you can escape?" sneered the lead Sand ninja, accelerating.
So they have a sensory-type ninja, Saitama thought grimly. It explained how they were found so quickly.
The enemy's confidence surged. A four-man Konoha squad, and none of them appeared to be jōnin. Easy prey.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" the leading shinobi exhaled a blast of wind that howled toward them.
The Konoha squad scattered, forced to defend or dodge, losing the window to flee.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" Kawaki slammed his hands together, and a massive mud wall erupted from the ground, intercepting the enemy jutsu.
The wind gouged into the wall, carving a deep wound before the structure collapsed. But the technique had served its purpose—blocking the attack.
"Tch," Kawaki hissed under his breath. Of all days for our luck to turn this rotten...
Saitama drew his sword, the blade humming faintly with the chakra flowing through it.
The enemy leader—a rugged, dark-skinned man—wore the Sunagakure forehead protector and bore the demeanor of a veteran warrior. His two subordinates, though younger, stood with steady resolve.
"Kill them," the jōnin ordered coldly before charging straight at Kawaki.
The battle erupted.
There was no escape now. Saitama gritted his teeth and charged into battle.
Kawaki and Hayato Yanagi intercepted the jōnin. Saitama and Hyugaki engaged the two chūnin.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Saitama expelled a massive sphere of flame toward his target.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!" the enemy retaliated, launching compressed air bullets from his mouth.
The jutsus collided mid-air—Saitama's flames overwhelmed the wind bullets, continuing forward.
"What?!" the Sand ninja widened his eyes in shock as the fireball tore through his technique. He leapt aside, just barely evading the inferno, his face grim.
He's stronger than expected.
Clang!
Saitama's blade cut through the air, lightning crackling along the edge. The weapon wasn't his old sword—it had been gifted by Uchiha Fugaku after Saitama completed a difficult bounty mission. Made with chakra-conductive metal, it was a vast improvement.
The Sand ninja raised a kunai to block—but it couldn't absorb the lightning coursing through Saitama's sword.
Zzzap!
Lightning surged through the kunai and into the shinobi's hand. He grimaced in pain, dropping the weapon and retreating with a charred palm.
Had he hesitated even a second longer, Saitama would've cleaved him in half.
Impressive… they've got at least one serious fighter, the enemy thought, now on the defensive.
Saitama didn't let up.
He pressed forward, blade flashing.
Slash!
His opponent leapt backward, barely avoiding a blow that would've split him open. As he descended, Saitama twisted mid-air and hurled the blade down like a guillotine.
Bang!
It struck true. The Sand ninja was thrown into the dirt, barely managing to roll aside.
Saitama landed lightly, his expression cold as he pointed the lightning-charged blade at the injured enemy.
To show mercy here would mean risking his comrades.
Boom!
With a brutal kick, Saitama drove his foot into the shinobi's chest, sending him flying into a nearby tree.
Without hesitation, Saitama raised his sword and brought it down in a clean, final arc.
Thud.
An arm hit the dirt. Blood sprayed.
The shinobi screamed, staggering back, clutching his charred shoulder. He had just lost the fight—and his arm.
Across the clearing, Hyugaki struggled. His opponent was a taijutsu specialist with speed that disrupted the gentle fist style of the Hyuga Clan.
When the enemy shinobi noticed his comrade's cry, he broke off and turned his attention to Saitama.
"Yamabara!" he shouted in horror.
Too late.
Saitama stood over the fallen man, foot on his chest, blade poised.
Shhk!
The sword plunged into the enemy's heart. Yamabara gasped, eyes wide—and went still.
Saitama removed the blade silently, his cold eyes meeting those of the remaining Sand ninja.
"Damn you!" roared the surviving enemy, now charging at full speed.
Meanwhile, the Sunagakure jōnin realized the situation had turned. He'd expected an easy kill—but now, one of his team was dead.
His expression hardened.
He stopped playing around and went on the offensive, forcing Kawaki and Hayato Yanagi back with swift, punishing blows.
Boom!
The battle raged on.
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