Shifan started to panic. The accumulating wounds made him realize his dire situation, and the continuous flow of blood from his chest drove home how precious life truly was.
"What do you want? I can give it all to you! Please spare my life!" At this point, he was no longer arrogant—after all, a man only lived once.
Saitama and Shisui halted their attacks, exchanged glances, and an expression known as amusement flickered across their faces.
Believing them swayed by his plea, Shifan continued, "I've saved up quite a lot over these years. If you let me go, I'll give you everything I own. How about that?"
"Sure!" Saitama replied with a smile—but his blade moved again.
Blood loss began weakening Shifan. His lips went pale, his eyes throbbed with pain, and his mind grew dizzy.
Unavoidably, his movements slowed.
"Psst!"
He hesitated—for just a moment—and a blade tore through his chest, bursting from his back.
"Why spare you when killing you gives us everything?"
The blade entered clean… and left dripping red. Shifan's eyes bulged as he stared at the steel jutting from his chest in disbelief.
"Swish!"
Saitama yanked the sword free and shoved Shifan aside. Killing this man didn't stir even a flicker of emotion within him.
Shifan collapsed onto the ground but did not die immediately. His lips twitched involuntarily, and his gaze slowly lost focus.
Stepping beside Saitama, Shisui glanced at the enemy's dying form on the ground and tightened his lips slightly.
"This mission is over now, Shisui," said Saitama in a calm tone. The corpse beside him had no effect on him whatsoever.
"Yeah. I wonder where Uchiha Mori and Uchiha Hayashi went."
No sooner had he spoken than two figures abruptly appeared on a nearby tree branch.
Instantly, Saitama gripped his sword tightly into a defensive stance, while Shisui also tensed up.
They hadn't forgotten that according to their previous observation, there were only eleven people at this Camp—but now twelve corpses lay here. Perhaps someone else still lurked unseen?
"Oh dear, oh dear, it's just us," came Uchiha Mori's voice.
Once confirming it was indeed Uchiha Mori and Uchiha Hayashi, both Saitama and Shisui relaxed.
"Not bad at all. Nailing this kind of mission on your first go!"
Mori rubbed his chin with one hand, eyeing Saitama with open interest.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hayashi remained silent. He walked straight toward Shifan's lifeless body lying on the ground.
Hayashi reached into Shifan's pocket and rummaged around, soon pulling out a Scroll. After a careful inspection, he gave a slight nod to Uchiha Mori.
Seeing this, Mori offered a faint smile. They too had come here for a reason.
"Alright, this mission is over!" With a flat tone, Uchiha Mori turned and prepared to leave, with Uchiha Hayashi following closely behind.
"Let's regroup at that village eastward. We'll head back tomorrow." With those final words still hanging in the air, the Uchiha Forest duo vanished into the distance.
The battle wasn't much of a burden for Saitama. His opponents were all civilians, and even the last two ninja weren't especially strong.
His body had splattered with some blood. Right now, Saitama indeed looked somewhat disheveled.
Following the retreating figures, Saitama just wanted to find a place to rest. This was his first time engaging in a real battle where life and death were at stake, and both his mind and body felt extremely exhausted.
Is killing difficult? When this question takes root deep inside someone's heart, it easily makes one lose their correct direction.
A fresh, vibrant life taken by one's own hands, warm liquid spraying onto one's own palms, resentful eyes staring at oneself endlessly—how many people would genuinely feel fear from that?
Life is precious—but not someone else's. Only your own life counts; it's the most valuable thing you have, worth protecting above everything else!
When killing becomes something common, when it turns into part of life, part of a ninja's path, part of the foundation for survival, it no longer feels so terrifying.
Killing never ends. Only through war and flames can a person truly be forged into something stronger!
Three months passed like this. During these months, Saitama constantly left the village with Shisui to carry out missions, calling it appropriately "tempering his skills."
These few months also changed Saitama in some ways. His overall demeanor had begun turning colder.
As his teammate, Shisui naturally noticed Saitama's transformation first, but he seemed helpless about it—as if he himself were gradually falling behind Saitama.
The experiences of these past months made Saitama feel quite good. After all, an increase in power was always a positive thing.
He had met Fugaku Uchiha, the squad leader, a few times during this period as well, receiving some practical advice and ninjutsu techniques. One of them was the [Shadow Clone Jutsu], which Saitama had longed to learn.
Today happened to be a rare day off. Since completing a mission tracking down spies, Saitama hadn't left the village for another assignment again.
Saitama's current missions were either handed down by the Clan Guards or accepted within the village together with Shisui and either Mori or Hayashi. After all, without being accompanied by a Jonin, he couldn't take on any outside missions alone, having just graduated from the Ninja Academy.
It was already May in Year 45 of Konoha's Era, and the world outside had become even more chaotic.
The war had officially begun!
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Saitama didn't really feel the intense tension of wartime yet.
The Uchiha enjoyed a certain policy within Konoha—they could choose whether to leave the village to fight during regular wars.
This wasn't the time yet for them to head to the battlefield.
After properly equipping himself and getting himself together, Saitama walked out of his house.
Lately, Saitama seemed to have entered a growth spurt—eating more than before, his physical form changing day by day. Just within a few months, he had grown several inches taller, reaching about four feet seven inches.
"Mori, I wonder if there are any units from our clan heading to the frontline?" Seeing Mori, Saitama got straight to the point without unnecessary words.
Currently, Konoha was locked in fierce conflict against the Sand ninja, and the entire village was cloaked in thick, oppressive tension.
The Uchiha were not entirely absent from this battle either, as part of the clan had been deployed to the front lines.
Uchiha Mori furrowed his brows and glanced at Saitama with a complex expression.
Over these past few months, Mori had observed Saitama's conduct firsthand. He had seen how Saitama trained relentlessly to grow stronger, and he had also witnessed the expressionless Saitama during missions.
"Truthfully, you don't have to push yourself so hard. You don't need to worry about going to the battlefield," Mori finally voiced his thoughts. He had high hopes for Saitama's future—Saitama's potential ranked among the top in the Uchiha clan.
"I've already joined the Clan Guards. Now I carry the mission of the Uchiha upon my shoulders."
After considering briefly and understanding Saitama's determination, Mori made his arrangements.
As someone favored by the clan head, Mori held a prominent position within the Uchiha. Combined with his formidable strength, this allowed him some autonomy in making decisions regarding clan affairs.
"The captain said there's no need to hold you back—you can do as you please."
Saitama suddenly smiled without cause, raising his head to meet Mori's gaze directly, his eyes revealing a glimmer of calm confidence.
In the days that followed, Saitama trained and talked with the other members of the Clan Guards regularly.
Within this group, Saitama naturally became their role model. Although the youngest among them, his strength ranked near the top. During this time, they all noticed his efforts—the constant cycle of taking on missions and completing them.
Three days passed quickly. Just as Saitama was growing impatient, Mori finally delivered good news.
"Saitama, report to our family's unit this afternoon. Hayashi will be leading this reinforcement squad!"
"Understood." Saitama replied calmly, though deep inside he felt exhilarated.
Only fierce battles lay ahead on his true path—he'd long since outgrown ordinary missions.
Though still a recent graduate of the Ninja Academy, Saitama had already taken down more enemies than many seasoned ninjas.
Driven by the pursuit of thrills and strength, Saitama's rate of progress was truly incredible. Saying goodbye to Mori, he slowly walked back home.
Ka Po-pu was busy bustling around the kitchen—since graduating, Saitama had hardly been home for meals. Sometimes he'd even be gone for five or six days at a stretch, leaving little opportunity for her to cook for him.
With Saitama spending more time around the village lately, Ka Uchiha had made sure he got plenty to eat.
"Hey, Mom, I'm back! Still busy, huh?" As he watched that aging figure whose back had started to hunch, warmth stirred in his heart.
"Yes, yes, little Saitama. For lunch I made your favorite red braised pork ribs (a classic Chinese dish). Be sure to eat plenty—they're prepared exactly as you described before. I've simmered it over a slow fire all morning."
"Then I'll definitely eat more at lunch!" Saitama said, stepping out of the kitchen as Ka Uchiha sat down in the courtyard.
Now, after completing over a dozen small and large missions, Saitama could skillfully apply all his abilities. His understanding of ninjutsu and swordsmanship had deepened significantly. Deciding to go to the battlefield was the result of Saitama's deep reflection.
To gain influence in Konoha, he first needed to build his reputation through strength, steadily growing stronger until he could pull the Uchiha clan out from its downward spiral!
The battlefield would be the perfect place for Saitama to grow stronger and earn the recognition he needed!
Though still too weak now, enduring the trials of blood and fire would make him stronger.
After finishing his meal, Saitama quickly tidied up the dishes, letting Uchiha Ka rest in the courtyard while he went into the kitchen to wash up.
"Grandmother, this mission may take longer than expected. Please take care of yourself at home. If needed, feel free to seek help from Shisui. I've already discussed it with him."
"Oh, alright, dear Saitama. Go without worry. Uchiha men don't indulge in unnecessary sentimentality," Ka Uchiha replied, looking straight at Saitama. Her cloudy eyes sparkled faintly.
After bidding farewell to Ka Po-pu, fully equipped and ready, Saitama attached his sword to his waist before walking out the door. Meanwhile, Ka Po-pu remained seated quietly in that courtyard, watching the child she had raised grow smaller and smaller in the distance.
Though still very young, Ka sensed that this boy carried a heavy burden on his shoulders — yet somehow, his posture remained unbent and strong.
Arriving at the gathering point of the Uchiha Reinforcement Squad, Saitama saw that around twenty people had been sent by the Uchiha clan — not many at all.
Saitama wasn't particularly famous within the entire Uchiha clan yet; those who knew him were limited to training companions from the Clan Guards with whom he often practiced.
So when Saitama entered the area, nearly ten pairs of eyes turned toward him.
However, following ninja etiquette, none of them asked questions aloud, silently waiting for the squad leader's arrival.
Among this group, the oldest was barely around thirty, while the youngest were only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Saitama recognized no one in this crowd, but still gave a friendly nod considering they were fellow clansmen.
Some noticed Saitama's friendliness and responded with a nod as well. Others, likely tense from the approaching battlefield, wore stiff expressions — not unfriendly, but difficult to approach.
Standing there for almost half an hour, two more young men arrived one after another before Uchiha Hayashi finally appeared — later than everyone else.
Even now, Uchiha Hayashi still wore that unapproachable expression, giving off a cold aura.
"It seems everyone has arrived!" As soon as he spoke, everyone lined up in order, directing their attention toward Uchiha Hayashi.
"Our mission this time is to move toward the frontline together with Konoha's logistics and reinforcement units. You are all among the strongest of the Uchiha clan — but if you choose to withdraw, it's still not too late."
As the words fell, Uchiha Hayashi swept his gaze around, and finding no objections, continued.
"In this war, I expect each of you to show the battlefield the true power of the Uchiha name — don't let the honor of our ancestors fade away."
He glanced up at the sky, then with a single motion, he leapt forward, dashing toward Konoha's gates. Everyone, including Saitama, moved like shadows across the rooftops, following Uchiha Hayashi closely.
Saitama saw the crowd forming even before they reached the gates.
This reinforcement force wasn't just Uchiha — it also included representatives from many of Konoha's leading clans.
Hayashi halted, and the Uchiha took their position near the gate while Hayashi walked forward alone toward someone he recognized — someone he'd only met briefly before.
"Lord Orochimaru, the Uchiha Reinforcement Squad has assembled," Hayashi said formally as he approached Orochimaru's side.
Orochimaru, the Squad Commander of the Reinforcement Squad, cast a glance toward the Uchiha area. A serpentine flicker of his tongue escaped his lips as he rasped,
"Good. We'll depart once the Hyuga Clan arrives."
"Yes," Hayashi replied respectfully. It was only natural — the Uchiha honored power above all, and Orochimaru was one of the Sannin.
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