"So our mission this time is to circle behind the Suna ninja and strike back?" Saitama said with a hint of admiration. Orochimaru really didn't let even the slightest insult slide.
Previously, the Suna ninja had attempted to ambush the food supply team but failed. Their squad leader had been captured alive, and after thorough questioning, he revealed all the details about the Sand's flanking plans. This caused the Suna forces to retreat empty-handed, suffering heavy losses.
With that experience in mind, Orochimaru had secretly issued this targeted mission yesterday, planning a counterstrike against the Sand Village.
"You said you were bored, right? So I signed you up for this mission," Uchiha Hayashi said, chewing on something, his jaw constantly moving.
"Anyway, I've rested long enough already, and my injuries have healed," Saitama replied casually. He liked having missions. After such a long break, he felt ready. It had already been about a week since he'd awakened—whether due to his incredible recovery ability or the excellence of Konoha's Medical Ninjutsu, the wound on his chest had mostly healed and scabbed over.
"Good, then meet at Lord Orochimaru's place in half an hour. He'll assign your specific tasks." Without further explanation, Hayashi turned around and walked out of Saitama's tent. He still had other duties; coming by was just a reminder.
"Got it." Watching Uchiha Hayashi leave, Saitama fell into thought.
This counterattack mission really was quite dangerous. The Sunagakure forces would certainly expect retaliation, but the ninja world was like this—there were no completely safe missions.
[Snorting], Saitama stepped aside and strapped his sword to his waist. Dressed in an Uchiha clan high-necked top and wearing ninja trousers underneath, he packed the necessary ninja tools before walking outside.
Lunch was boiled beef. Although not particularly tasty, the portions were generous. Outside, the sun still shone brightly, though temperatures remained mild despite it being summer.
Walking through the camp, Saitama witnessed the grim reality of war—wounded soldiers could be seen everywhere, most of them maintaining cold expressions, trying to appear tougher.
His short frame moved through the camp. Wearing the Uchiha family attire, still very young, and with a sword at his waist, many recognized him instantly. This was a ninja with both skill and potential! Since that last mission, Saitama had become somewhat well-known.
"Saitama!" A loud voice called out, stopping him in his tracks as he turned toward its source.
Itsuki Hyuga—the former squad member and part of the Hyuga branch house.
Itsuki wore a standard grayish-white ninja outfit, and his Konoha forehead protector was neatly worn across his brow.
"Itsuki Hyuga! Long time no see!" As someone who'd fought side by side with him through life and death, Saitama greeted him with a warm smile, radiating friendliness.
"Where are you heading, Saitama? I haven't seen you until today, even though you've been back for days now. Are you fully recovered? I heard from others that you got hurt much worse than the rest of us that day. You really saved our whole squad!"
Hyuga Itsuki just wouldn't stop talking, his face showing both admiration for Saitama and lingering fear from that battle.
"Mission!" Saitama didn't want to elaborate, brushing a hand over the hilt of his sword at his waist. The first rule of ninja conduct was absolute secrecy regarding missions!
"I'm almost fully recovered. How about you—have you healed up yet? And what about Captain Kawaki's group?" Saitama asked in a friendly manner.
"Oh right, I'm nearly healed too. I'm just about to join another squad to continue the mission. As for Captain Kawaki, I heard he requested leave to recover back in the village." Itsuki leaned back, hands crossed behind his head, replying casually.
Listening to Itsuki's response, Saitama pictured that middle-aged ninja—his cautious face and overwhelming will to survive during their final battle.
"It's better he returns to the village," Saitama murmured quietly.
"Oh yeah, Hayato Willow already started a new mission. I saw him a couple days ago." Itsuki suddenly remembered, smacking his forehead dramatically.
"In that case, next time we chat. I'm off." Patting Itsuki's shoulder, Saitama turned and headed toward the assembly point for his mission.
...
Looking at the familiar middle-aged man before him, Saitama thought to himself what a small world it really was.
Gekko Masano stood facing Saitama and Soma, stroking the unshaven beard that had grown out over his busy weeks.
"Everyone got the mission brief already. Time for us to get moving!"
Earlier, Saitama arrived at Orochimaru's tent, where together with nearly twenty others, he listened to their assigned mission. Then everyone divided into groups following the one-senior-two-junior configuration, and Saitama found himself assigned to Gekko Masano's team.
"Our team specializes in taijutsu, doesn't it? That should give us an edge for this mission." Gekko glanced at the sword at Saitama's waist and the long blade carried on the back of Soma, a civilian ninja trainee.
Soma was born into a common family, but had trained under Gekko Masano since childhood, learning the Konoha-ryu style of swordsmanship. He was barely fifteen or sixteen years old.
The three sat down together as Masano unfolded a simple map that roughly sketched out some terrain outlines.
"Look here! Our team must circle around to the enemy Suna ninja's rear from this position. It's the longest path among the infiltration units and takes us deepest into enemy territory, making it the most dangerous. Don't expect backup from other units—they're not coming!" Masano explained seriously, more earnestly than ever.
After scanning each member's face, Masano put away the map. "Time to prepare for departure!" Saitama nodded agreement.
The trio slipped out of camp with all the necessary supplies.
According to Captain Masano's plan, they needed to infiltrate from the left flank of the Suna frontline position. That area contained vast dune fields suitable for concealment, yet likewise excellent for enemy Suna ambushes—presenting equal opportunity and risk!
"Ssshh..." The trio's silhouettes moved slowly under the night sky, arriving precisely at this dune region exactly when darkness fell. Captain Masano had calculated everything perfectly. Nighttime truly proved most suitable for infiltration.
Although they were all ninjas, this sandy terrain inevitably left footprints. Fortunately, the wind quickly erased these traces.
"Be careful! Don't let your guard down!" Gekko Masano signaled with hand gestures, clearly visible to the two men behind him under the moonlight.
The desert at night, especially near Sunagakure, was bitterly cold, with drastic temperature differences between day and night. Not far from Saitama's squad, a group of people was patrolling—the forehead protectors on their heads marked them all as Suna ninjas.
"Captain, I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking sending us here to patrol—it's miles away from the frontline," one man rubbed his hands together, constantly complaining to another walking ahead.
The man in front covered half his face with a gray cloth curtain, his expression extremely serious, as if patrolling was the most important task he had.
This was a four-man Chunin squad—four Chunins in total.
"Shut up! If Konoha ninja want to bypass the frontline and infiltrate our rear, this is the perfect spot. Stay alert on patrol—don't let a single Konoha ninja get past us!" The captain snapped at the chatty ninja, and the entire squad immediately quieted down.
Meanwhile, Saitama's group narrowly avoided an encounter with a Suna patrol unit, successfully moving one step deeper into enemy territory.
The sand and wind blew constantly against Saitama's face, but he didn't budge an inch, lying there motionless like a corpse. Ignoring a scorpion that had been swaggering by his nose for some time, it finally skittered away, bored. Thick layers of sand already covered his body, yet his eyes remained fixed intently in one direction.
That was the food supply route the captured Suna ninja had revealed after being interrogated by Saitama. The wind howled loudly—this area was deep within Sunagakure territory, full of hidden dangers!
Far in the distance, several dark figures ran swiftly across the sand, barely affected by the blowing wind and sand.
Saitama narrowed his eyes, focusing even more intently on those shadowy figures as he tried to assess their strength.
"Rustle... rustle..." The shadows drew closer, yet Saitama still did not move, as though he had become part of the desert itself. There were nine of them total, led apparently by two Jonins. Saitama knew his small squad had absolutely no chance of stopping such powerful enemies.
He glanced toward the opposite side of the dune. Based on his memory of positions, Saitama located Captain Masano.
Masano slightly pressed his hand downward, then froze completely.
Saitama tightly suppressed his presence, condensing his chakra to make himself as undetectable as possible.
This was already the second day since infiltration began, and Saitama's squad had only successfully ambushed one food supply team—a convoy guarded by one Jonin and four Chunins.
The Sand Village took securing logistics to the rear very seriously. Previously, each transport included at least one Jonin escort. However, after multiple attacks recently, Sunagakure started randomly assigning two Jonins per shipment.
Jonins were rare powerhouses in this war and couldn't possibly be assigned solely to such tasks.
Saitama and his team were lying in wait—for a Food Supply Team guarded by just a single Jonin.
A squad of Suna ninja passed not far from where Saitama was hiding, heading toward the frontline without noticing the three Konoha ninjas lying in ambush nearby.
"Hmm?" About ten minutes after the group had passed, Saitama looked toward the distant horizon again, where four figures began to appear.
"Could this be a bait team?" A thought crossed Saitama's mind. These latecomers might be the hidden protectors. But weren't they staying too far back? The first group had already been gone for quite some time before these came into view.
Remaining alert, Saitama made no move yet—perhaps the front group would suddenly double back? He decided to wait longer. Although, admittedly, those few ahead looked pretty tempting.
Gekko Masano's position remained motionless as well, silently observing how things unfolded.
Soon enough, the figures drew close to where Saitama lay hidden.
"Captain, nothing's going on here. No need to be paranoid!" One short-haired ninja said.
"Better safe than sorry. Lately, our food supply teams have been hit again and again. All signs point to Konoha scum."
"This area's clear. Fall back," the leader said, waving a hand.
They were part of a special unit, tasked with randomly trailing behind supply convoys to provide covert protection.
The group stood less than fifty meters from Saitama, yet they completely failed to notice the figure lying quietly nearby.
Saitama observed the four closely—one Jonin, three Chunins. It matched the standard Suna squad composition.
He glanced toward Gekko Masano's position but couldn't spot him. A wave of tension rushed through him.
[Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique!] A whisper-like voice cut through the desert winds.
"What?!" Before the Suna ninja could react, one of the Chunin was dragged beneath the sand, blood quickly spreading across the surface.
"Move out!" Gekko Masano's voice rang out through the desert, and Saitama knew there was no reason to stay hidden any longer.
Lightning crackled over Saitama's body as his speed surged, blurring toward the enemy like a Taijutsu-specialist Jonin in full charge.
At the same time, Soma also dashed toward one of the Chunin, his speed likewise far surpassing an average Chunin's.
With Gekko Masano eliminating one of the enemy Chunin by surprise, the odds had already shifted. Even more so when considering Saitama's side held better chances. No need for caution anymore.
"Clang!" Masano slashed down at the Jonin, who barely deflected the blow using a kunai.
"End this quickly!" With those words left behind, Masano resumed his fierce duel against the Jonin. Jonin-level fights rarely ended quick unless one side had a crushing advantage.
The Suna Jonin seemed unconcerned about his own situation either, fully engaged in intense combat with Gekko Masano.
Using lightning chakra to stimulate his cells, Saitama reached his target in an instant.
A fierce grin curled on his lips. He pushed off the ground, leapt forward, hand gripping his sword's hilt as lightning danced along the blade. [One-Cut Strike]—a final blow meant to end it all in one swift motion.
"Boom!"
"That strike didn't take down the Suna ninja after all—it carved into the sand and sent a cloud of dust flying.
"Tch, so a Konoha rat finally showed up!" The Suna ninja stayed surprisingly calm, sidestepping Saitama's attack and crouching into a defensive stance with his hand resting on his thigh.
"Not a Chunin!" Saitama realized instantly as he stared at the Suna ninja before him. That reaction just now was beyond what a regular Chunin should be capable of.
"You don't think only one Jonin squad was sent to secretly protect the Food Supply Team, right?" The Jonin fighting against Masano Gekko mocked while continuing his assault without missing a beat. He wanted to keep this Konoha Jonin busy so the others could finish quick.
"Sayuki, hurry up and finish off that brat!" Mashu shouted toward the ninja battling Saitama.
"Well well, little punk, looks like your luck just ran out!" Sayuki grinned cruelly as his aura surged.
Saitama remained unhurried too, his chakra surging outward while Tomoe patterns became visible in his eyes.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!