"Swish!" The blade sliced downward again as Saitama curled his lips into a smirk.
The Suna ninja had no counter for this strike—at least, that's what he thought before realizing just how bold this guy really was.
"Dong!" An arm crashed to the ground. Blood sprayed as the wounded ninja dragged his mangled body backward in haste.
"Kyuu!" A roar tore from the mouth of the severed-arm ninja. Rage twisted his face, his eyes blazing with madness. Clutching the charred remains where his left arm used to be, he stared at the spot where Saitama had nearly cut it clean off—now blackened and smoking.
Nearby, Itsuki Hyuga struggled desperately against the Chunin standing before him. This enemy also specialized in Taijutsu, but his speed overwhelmed everything. The Gentle Fist techniques of the Hyuga Clan had lost most of their effectiveness.
Hearing the scream, the Suna ninja kicked Itsuki right in the hands, breaking up his jutsu formation. Then he sharply turned toward where Saitama stood.
"Shanyuan!" The sight sent Kyuu's heart pounding into his throat.
"Boom!" Saitama's foot slammed into Shanyuan's chest, forcing blood from his mouth. Saitama gazed coldly at the broken enemy sprawled on the ground.
"Puh!" Without mercy, the blade pierced through the vital area in his chest. Shanyuan's body stiffened mid-struggle. His head jerked upward once… then stilled forever.
Pulling out the blade, Saitama raised his head and locked eyes with Kyuu.
"Damn it!" Seeing the scene unfold, Kyuu cursed violently under his breath—and then charged forward.
Not far away, the enemy Jonin had believed his side would easily end this battle. He hadn't expected one of his comrades to go down so early after the fight began.
He quickened his movements, now aiming to eliminate the two Konoha ninja first. Originally intending to toy with them, he had now fully switched into serious mode.
Kawaki and Hayato Willow did their best to stall the Jonin, though fresh wounds kept appearing across their bodies.
"Boom!"
[Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!] As the ninja called Kyuu rushed forward, Saitama paused, stepped back, and hooked his tanto onto his waist before launching his fire technique.
"Boom! Boom!" Flames erupted like scattered petals on the wind, carrying immense force toward the enemy ninja.
Kyuu narrowed his brows, shifting his steps rapidly while constantly repositioning himself to dodge Saitama's Ninjutsu. At this moment, his strength truly showed—he was fast, and when you're fast, you could do whatever the hell you wanted!
Locking eyes with Saitama, Kyuu gritted his teeth and accelerated again. Today, he would kill this Konoha ninja.
"Clang!" Saitama drew his tanto once more and slashed downward hard, driving Kyuu heavily into the ground.
"Puh!" Kyuu dropped to his knees, completely shocked by the boy's raw strength.
No sooner had he begun to move than Saitama surged with chakra. Lightning surged through the Kunai in his hand and into Kyuu's body.
"Ahh!" A shriek broke from Kyuu as smoke began rising from his head.
"Boom!" Kicking away the battered Kyuu—who looked almost dead from the electric shock—Saitama prepared to step forward and finish the job.
"Zllraaa—"
Lightning surged along the blade, manifesting as visible electric currents.
With one slash — *Zan!* — Saitama prepared to finish off this Suna ninja in a single strike.
*CRASH!* A foot came flying. Before Saitama could react at all, it slammed straight into his chest!
*THWACK!* Taking the full impact of that kick, Saitama bent forward halfway and was sent flying backward.
*CRASH!* He crashed through a tree before finally skidding to a stop.
Leaning against the stump of the half-destroyed tree, Saitama involuntarily coughed up a mouthful of blood. His eyes darkened as he glared at the owner of that attacking foot.
"You alright, Saitama?" Itsuki Hyuga shouted as he sprinted over, already scanning for another incoming attack.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Rubbing the area just kicked, Saitama faintly felt pain radiating from within — likely some internal injury.
With sheer determination, he gripped his sword in one hand and leaned on the tree with the other, forcing himself upright once more.
In a fight like this, if you're badly hurt, giving up means death. Keep fighting — that's how you survive!
Meanwhile, Kawaki and Hayato Willow, who had been holding off this Jonin earlier, were rushing over as well.
Earlier, seeing Saitama about to defeat another Sand ninja, this Jonin suddenly unleashed an intense chakra surge. He slammed both Kawaki and Hayato Willow down before launching a furious attack at Saitama — none had time to react before he delivered that angry kick.
"Hmph, I really underestimated you Konoha ninjas!" This Jonin named Sajji revealed a strange smile.
"But all of you will die here today!" As he spoke, wisps of chakra surrounded Sajji, completely changing his aura.
*WHOOSH!* Sajji's figure vanished instantly. "Watch out!" Somehow, Saitama's eyes already displayed two tomoe symbols, allowing him to catch the enemy's movement. He immediately shouted a warning toward Kawaki and others nearby.
*CRASH!* With just one punch, Sajji sent Kawaki flying through the air.
*THWACK!* Still airborne, blood sprayed from Kawaki like water from a fountain, gushing out uncontrollably until he hit the ground unconscious.
*CRASH!* Then came another kick — Sajji struck Hayato Willow's sword, sending him flying several zhang away.
Taking a cue from Kawaki's fate, Hayato Willow reacted instinctively, barely managing a desperate defense. Although he still couldn't see Sajji's movements at all, that didn't stop him from bringing his sword up defensively.
Thanks to his blade acting as a buffer, Hayato suffered no major injuries, merely crashing into a tree. His head wobbled briefly before his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.
"Hehehe!" Emitting some meaningless laughter, Sajji turned his attention toward Saitama.
Saitama narrowed his eyes and braced every muscle. Itsuki Hyuga likewise took a defensive stance as his Sharingan swirled furiously, tracking everything at full power.
*DENG DENG DENG!* Sajji shot forward with a wide, thunderous kick aimed straight at Saitama's head.
*CRASH!* Even with dynamic vision enhancement from the Sharingan, such speed only allowed glimpses of movement trails — his body couldn't keep up at all. With no alternatives, Saitama could do nothing but desperately curl inward to protect himself!
With some evasive maneuvering, this kick still smashed into Saitama's right waist. He was sent flying, taking down Itsuki Hyuga—who hadn't even had time to react—beside him. Both crashed heavily into a nearby rock.
"Boom!" The rock shattered completely, and naturally, neither of them emerged unharmed.
"Ugh!" Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Saitama felt his ribs crack, and his internal organs suffered secondary damage from the broken bones.
"Saitama, are we going to die!?" Itsuki murmured weakly as he leaned against Saitama's shoulder. While he hadn't taken Sajji's initial blow, he absorbed most of the impact when they crashed down, bearing the brunt of the follow-up damage.
This was the worst danger Saitama had ever faced since graduating—it was a matter of life and death!
After saying those words, Itsuki fell unconscious. Now, among the four-person team, only Saitama remained conscious.
"Young punk, keep showing off your strength!" Kyuu, who had been lying on the ground earlier, had regained some energy and now stood leaning against a tree, mocking him.
"Hmph!" Saitama spat out a wad of bloody saliva, clearly unimpressed by such trash talk.
Sajji slowly approached, stepping across the sandy terrain. A cruel smile curled his lips.
"Konoha ninja, I'll send you straight to meet The First Hokage!" As he spoke, Sajji stopped advancing and started forming hand seals. In an instant, the seals were completed.
[Wind Release: Air Bullet!] Blowing out a compressed sphere of air, Sajji wore an expression filled with amusement.
It was almost thrilling to see enemies helpless and desperate, staring at death like there was nothing they could do!
Imagining this, Sajji turned his gaze toward Saitama, savoring the moment.
"Huh? What is this?" Sajji frowned. Even facing certain doom, Saitama's eyes blazed with determination—and somehow, two spinning tomoe patterns appeared within them.
A sudden bolt of electricity crackled over Saitama's body as he trembled, clearly enduring unbearable pain.
"Swish!" Suddenly standing upright, he drew his blade and sliced through the air bullet mid-flight, cleaving it apart with a burst of lightning.
Despite his injuries, Saitama was back in the fight like nothing had happened.
"Hmph. Originally I hadn't perfected this technique yet and didn't plan to use it, but under these circumstances... I guess I'll give it a try." Frowning slightly, Saitama pointed his sword at Sajji. Lightning danced continuously along his body and blade, making him look like a thunder god locked in battle—even though he looked pretty beat up right now.
"What?! He can still fight!?" Kyuu exclaimed in shock, while Sajji—who had seen much more—recognized what Saitama was doing now.
"[Lightning Release: Chakra Mode]?" Sajji muttered uncertainly. In his memory, this was a secret art of the Cloud Village—the very source of the Raikage's power. Never in his wildest dreams would he expect to see it used by a mere Konoha shinobi kid.
"Swish!" Saitama moved his limbs slightly. His body still ached—not just from the wild bursts of lightning chakra tearing through him, but from the wounds Sajji had inflicted earlier.
Gripping his blade tightly, Saitama charged forward directly. He swung the blade upward from mid-waist level in a crescent arc, crackling with surging lightning might!
"Shua! Shua!" Saitama continuously launched attacks, barely activating his body's cells with Lightning-Natured chakra to enter the early stage of Lightning Release — Chakra Mode. He wanted to finish this battle in one go.
"Peng!" The slash Saitama executed was caught barehanded by Sajji. His right hand gripped Saitama's wrist holding the blade, stopping the attack completely. Even as lightning chakra coursed through his body, Sajji still wore an expression of indifference.
"Hmph, do you really think this is enough to defeat a Jonin ninja? Naive!" Sajji sneered, kicking straight into Saitama's chest.
"Ka-cha!" Saitama heard the sound of bones cracking in his chest area. His body uncontrollably smashed backward, and the blade in his hand was wrenched away.
"Puh!" Another mouthful of blood spewed from Saitama. Is the gap really this wide between him and a Jonin ninja? Even though his speed had improved, the boost granted by his Twin Tomoe Sharingan couldn't bridge the distance between himself and the enemy at all.
Seeing Saitama close his eyes as if accepting his fate, Sajji inwardly smirked, revealing a cruel expression. Well then, Leaf ninja, go to...
"What?! What is that!?" Sajji found himself shocked again. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he saw Saitama squat down then spring up like a carp leaping from the water, increasing the distance between them and evading his attack.
"The Sharingan?!" Sajji had previously seen the Tomoe within Saitama's eyes and hadn't found anything unusual. Yet this time, the Sharingan brought him some trouble. His condition wasn't good either—the Sharingan's sudden activation rendered many of Saitama's attacks ineffective against him.
"Die!" Sajji flew up high, delivering a powerful kick aimed straight at Saitama, attempting to end this Leaf ninja's life here and now!
"Peng!" Chakra surged violently once more inside his body, arcs of electricity surging outward. Enduring excruciating pain, Saitama rolled his body sideways, dodging the strike yet again.
"Die!" Having dodged, Saitama didn't remain passive. He sprang upward like a jumping carp and immediately kicked out—a sweeping kick aimed at Sajji.
"Peng!" This attack matched Sajji in both speed and power. With no time or space to dodge, Sajji took the full force of the whip-like kick on his thigh.
The air itself smelled faintly scorched from the arcs dancing across Saitama's body. Naturally, Sajji felt the impact—his body flew backward harshly after being struck.
Crawling out from among broken trees, Sajji looked grim.
"Kid, you're asking for death!" Sajji never expected to be injured so badly today by someone like this brat.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sajji supported himself with one hand while clutching his right thigh—the exact spot where Saitama had attacked earlier. Charred black marks appeared there, proof that Sajji had sustained serious injuries.
"Hmph, why bother talking so much nonsense!" A mocking smirk crept across Saitama's lips as his feet started moving again.
Seizing the moment when the enemy falters—Saitama knew that rule well. Without hesitation, crackling with electricity, he charged forward.
"Hmph! Asking for death!"
Sajji's eyes narrowed. Ignoring the wound on his thigh, he charged forward as well.
Bang! Bang! The two figures clashed repeatedly. Saitama completely disregarded his own injuries, fighting with a strategy of trading blows.
Kicking Sajji in the waist again, Saitama took a whip-like kick to the side in return. Both fighters staggered backward several steps.
Pant! Pant! Pant! Pant! Both panting heavily, Saitama was clearly struggling more, squinting one eye in pain.
Maintaining the Sharingan while operating the Lightning Release Chakra Mode inexperience proved too much for his body.
Sweat dripped droplet by droplet from his forehead, soaking Saitama's clothes. Sajji fared no better either—most areas where he'd made contact with Saitama were charred black, and his chest showed burned skin where clothing had been electrocuted away.
Kid, you've reached your limit, haven't you! Sajji tried to break Saitama verbally, though he himself felt his body counting down to its limits.
Hmph, I can still kill you! Saitama frowned. His chakra reserves truly had reached their limit—an experience entirely new to him.
With crimson eyes locked on Sajji and electric arcs still crackling around him, Saitama prepared to end this quickly.
Bang! Saitama sidestepped a thrown kunai. His gaze fell upon Kyuu not far away. I almost forgot about you! A smirk crossed Saitama's lips as electricity surged around him.
Swish! Saitama pushed off with his feet, rushing toward Kyuu.
Kyuu! Watch out! Sajji hadn't expected Kyuu to intervene in this fight. Unable to successfully ambush Saitama, he hurriedly warned Kyuu while charging toward him himself.
But it was too late. Saitama was closer to Kyuu, and at this moment, his speed had increased slightly, since Sajji's pace had slowed from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Saitama continued stimulating his body with additional lightning nature chakra for greater speed!
Puh! With crackling lightning-infused chakra arcs surrounding his arm, Saitama drove a kunai into Kyuu's chest. The sheer speed gave Saitama incredible penetration. His strike punched straight through Kyuu's chest and out the other side, leaving a gaping wound behind.
Urk, Let's die together! Haha! Surprisingly, Kyuu didn't mourn his wound but actually seemed pleased. Blood spilled from his mouth as he spoke.
Kyuu suddenly grabbed Saitama in an embrace, shouting loudly, Honored Sajji! Hurry! Kill him! His voice garbled, Sajji still caught the meaning loud and clear.
Without stopping, Sajji resumed running forward, somehow acquiring another kunai in his hand.
Though Saitama soon broke free from Kyuu's hug, those precious half-seconds had already been wasted.
And for Sajji, that brief interval proved sufficient for him to attack Saitama!
With the Tomoe spinning wildly in his eyes, Saitama watched the kunai rushing toward him, even managing a faint, powerless smile.
Puchi! The sound of blade entering flesh. The kunai buried itself into Saitama's left chest, yet his hand simultaneously seized the weapon to prevent deeper penetration!
Haha! Blood flowed from Saitama's mouth, yet he still smiled.
Bang!
With a twitch of his knee, Saitama struck Sajji right in the groin, releasing arcs of lightning energy that exploded on contact.
Gah! Pain flashed across Sajji's face as he seemed to hear a high-pitched ringing in his ears. His strength began draining rapidly from his body.
Lifting his leg again, he drove his knee upward, visible arcs of electricity crackling with the impact. As it ended, Saitama staggered backward, one hand gripping the kunai embedded in his chest, the other supporting himself on the ground, the lightning arcs around his body slowly fading. Meanwhile, Sajji remained on his knees, hands resting limply at his sides, along his thighs, his breathing faint and irregular.
Phew! Spitting out blood, Saitama felt like he'd truly reached his limit—he actually lasted this long? Man, he's tough.
The Twin Tomoe marks in his eyes began fading, returning to their normal state. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dampening the area beneath him, while his chest was soaked with fresh blood.
Looking at the motionless Sajji nearby, Saitama couldn't tell whether the enemy was still capable of fighting. But as far as he was concerned, he could no longer launch another attack.
Swish! Swish! Several piercing whistles cut through the air, sending an inexplicable tension surging through Saitama's chest. Tilting his head sideways with effort, he caught sight of the ninja forehead emblem on the leader among the newcomers. Darkness washed over him, and Saitama collapsed to his knees, motionless.
"Captain! Look over here!" The group cautiously landed not far from Saitama, one Ninja exclaiming.
The battlefield lay in ruins, the ground also littered with scorched black pits where Saitama's stray attacks had struck.
"Hurry up! Check if they're still alive!" At the leader's command, the four split apart, inspecting both figures.
The leading ninja approached Saitama, frowning at the kunai lodged in his chest. A quick glance swept across the kneeling Suna ninja facing him.
"Huh!? Still breathing?" He seemed to sense Saitama's faint breath, expression turning serious.
"Quickly, take them back to camp! This one's still alive!" Scooping up Saitama in his arms, the lead ninja immediately strode off in a specific direction.
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~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!