"Have you eaten yet, Saitama? Granny Ka is cooking," said Ka Uchiha, releasing her right hand. She looked at Saitama with tender care in her eyes. No matter how much he'd changed, to her, Saitama was still the child she had taken care of.
"Nope, Granny. I came back early just because I really wanted to eat your food," Saitama replied coldly, though his voice sounded warm in Ka Uchiha's ears.
"All right then, wait here for a moment," said Granny Ka as she handed Saitama a plate of seaweed rice balls and then turned to go back into the kitchen.
"Okay." Nodding slightly, Saitama followed her into the kitchen.
...
"Pant... pant..." Saitama breathed hard, leaning on his knees as sweat soaked through his clothes.
Two days had already passed since his return, but Saitama hadn't relaxed at all. He spent most of his time training at the Clan Guards' training ground.
"I've only just started applying Chakra Nature Transformation to my Lightning chakra, and even the simulated Chidori lacks strength compared to the original version. Something feels missing," Saitama murmured, looking at the targets he'd struck—some scorched black, others pierced with neat holes.
"How are you feeling?" Mori Uchiha had been at the training ground and was observing closely, having received Saitama's permission.
"Fine. Just tired," Saitama stood straight and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"The way you're using Lightning chakra to stimulate your cells is similar to techniques from Cloud Village—it looks pretty effective," Mori nodded thoughtfully while stroking his chin.
"It can be a powerful boost—as long as you've got enough chakra to spare," Mori said seriously, showing genuine concern for Saitama's growth and carefully evaluating his techniques.
"Shwaa!" Saitama pulled the sword embedded nearby and hooked it onto his waist.
"Has anything happened in the clan recently?" he asked casually.
"Not much, everything's pretty much the same. Although the Konoha elders have changed their stance about our refusal to contribute during the war," Mori waved offhandedly.
"Oh, so the agreement turned out to be nothing but words on paper," Saitama responded knowingly. He knew there had been a pact between the Uchiha and Konoha High-level, allowing the Uchiha to opt out of battles unless under crisis conditions.
This was a protective policy for large clans within Konoha. The Hyuga main branch also benefited from such treatment.
"The elders think that with the Uchiha's great power, we're slacking on the battlefield and don't consider ourselves part of Konoha."
There was something odd in Mori's tone. In his experience, relations between the clan and the village had never been good. Many of the family's angry youths kept clan and village loyalties strictly separate.
"What does the captain think?" Saitama knew Mori served as Fugaku Uchiha's chief aide in the village, and Fugaku often discussed major decisions with him.
"What else can we do? The captain has no intention of sending more troops to the Sand front. Mist has been causing trouble recently anyway—we'll send some personnel to Mist to handle the issue and keep the elders satisfied," Mori considered thoughtfully before revealing.
"This information hasn't been shared with the Uchiha youth yet, and no official team leader has been decided."
"Eh, it'll probably be next year anyway. I'll have time then—add me to the list," Saitama said with a smile while rubbing his hand along the sword at his waist.
"Fine, if you've got something else to do, go ahead," Mori waved him off, already knowing that Fugaku Uchiha had spoken to Saitama earlier.
Wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Saitama turned and walked away. At the training ground, a few members of the Clan Guards were still practicing. They hadn't gone to the frontline yet, and Shisui hadn't returned from his mission.
Saitama took light steps, adjusting his body rhythm as he slowed his breathing, reduced sweat, and quickly regained his energy.
"This body was already in great condition, but chakra really boosts cellular activation. Recovery after training is quick."
Thinking back to when Fugaku Uchiha came looking for him—he seemed to want something?
At that moment, Fugaku was still in his office, not having left yet.
"Ahem!" Saitama knocked on Fugaku Uchiha's door before standing still outside.
"Come in!" A mature voice responded—steady and solid.
"Captain!" Saitama entered and stopped a few meters from Fugaku.
"You've been back a few days. How are you holding up?" Fugaku already held a firm impression of Saitama's strength and talent in his mind. Out of appreciation for the younger generation, he didn't jump straight into business.
"The village feels peaceful, but being too relaxed can be bad too." Saitama paused briefly, speaking casually.
"I read Hayashi's letter. It said you impressed everyone out there—it upheld the honor of the Uchiha name!" As he spoke, Fugaku's tone grew more animated, filled with pride.
When someone from his own clan brings glory elsewhere, as current clan head, it brought pride to him as well.
"Now that you're back, what are your plans?" Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, supporting half his body weight on his arms, Fugaku fixed his gaze on Saitama.
"A few days' rest, then I'll take some missions. I don't plan on heading back to the battlefield anytime soon—it's just not the right time yet." Saitama kept his eyes on the table, occasionally glancing up at Fugaku.
"That works. Although Konoha is currently in wartime, we haven't reached full-scale war yet. There are still various big and small missions available around the village, and many clans have their share of assignments." Fugaku leaned back in his chair, nodding.
"Shisui came back today—you two should meet up again. It's been quite a while." Smiling gently, Fugaku reminded him.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now, Captain."
"Hmm, go ahead."
...
"So you came back just like that?" Shisui found it odd. That wasn't like the Saitama he remembered, always eager to get onto the battlefield.
"What else would I do? Stay there over New Year?" Saitama shook his head. He'd grown quite a bit taller than Shisui, making him feel like he was standing next to an older sibling.
"Did something happen?" Shisui asked cautiously, glancing alertly around them.
"What do you think about the war between Konoha and Sunagakure?"
"Konoha will definitely win. Just a matter of time!"
"If it were only against Sunagakure, Konoha would indeed have the upper hand."
Saitama and Shisui sat on a bench by the roadside. Shisui sat upright while Saitama leaned back rather casually.
Thinking for a moment, Saitama continued, "The village is requesting our Uchiha clan to send troops—no longer just going through empty formalities like before."
Shisui furrowed his brow. He knew about the agreements between the village and its prominent clans, and he also realized that the current battle situation didn't seem severe enough to justify such a demand.
"Recently, Mist has become restless again, and so has Iwagakure. Konoha's current situation isn't optimistic, so it's only reasonable for the Uchiha to contribute," Shisui expressed his views.
"Forget that, these aren't issues we should be worrying about right now. Let the higher-ups in the clan and our captains handle it," Saitama sighed helplessly as he leaned his head back against the chair, stretching out his body on it.
Although his strength had improved significantly, he still held little actual authority—his youth and lack of experience were holding him back.
"This time, I had a mission: escorting a minister from the Land of Fire to visit the Land of Hot Springs. Along the way, we also encountered some ninja from the Cloud Village," Shisui mentioned the assignment he had just completed.
"Really?" Saitama asked. He wondered whether the Cloud Village might already be plotting something against Konoha at this point. From what he remembered, weren't they supposed to be fighting against Iwagakure first? They shouldn't be coming into conflict with Konoha yet, should they?
"The Cloud ninja were also accompanying their own minister from the Land of Lightning on a visit to the Land of Hot Springs."
Hearing this, Saitama started to grow suspicious. Could the Kumo ninja visiting the Land of Hot Springs be planning to pass through?
He pondered this quietly but decided not to speak up.
"The Kumo ninja looked pretty strong. They all seemed skilled with blades, though they were kind of dark-skinned," Shisui added. Among the Cloud ninja squad he'd previously encountered, three out of four carried swords on their backs.
"The Cloud Village is known for being martial-oriented; many of its ninja are skilled in both swordsmanship and Lightning Release," Saitama explained. As he spoke, he hesitated slightly—it sounded strangely similar to himself.
"They also practice a widespread form of Taijutsu, giving them physical abilities that generally surpass those from other villages."
Shisui glanced curiously at Saitama upon hearing this. Saitama himself noticed how closely these descriptions applied to him.
The combat style of the Cloud ninja was indeed very similar to Saitama's, although their system was more structured. Saitama merely drew upon his memories and knowledge, imitating what he thought was effective.
"I'm going to take a few days off once I get back. Even though the mission wasn't dangerous, being out for so long and always staying alert really wears you down." Shisui stretched halfway, looking more relaxed than usual.
"Then I'll head back first. Do you want to come over for dinner?" Saitama stood up, realizing that it was getting late.
"Yeah, I've been craving Ka Po-pu's cooking," Shisui said, visibly brightening as he stood up with Saitama.
"Alright then. Should I go back and tell your mother first?" Saitama nodded.
"No need. I ran into my father earlier when I got back to the village to report my mission. I already told him I was coming to find you." Shisui gave it some thought and shook his head.
"Got it."
The two shared a smile and dropped the topic.
"What's the battlefield like, Saitama?" Shisui suddenly asked as they walked.
When Shisui met Saitama today, he'd already noticed a change in his presence — it had grown much heavier, unknowingly putting immense pressure on him.
"It's far more ruthless than missions. You can quit a mission, but on the battlefield, it's either kill or be killed!" A faint chill hung around Saitama as he slowed his steps, lost in thought.
"I guess I'll probably end up on the battlefield too next time," Shisui said, staring ahead.
"You'll find it one hell of a ride," Saitama replied, slinging an arm around Shisui's shoulder and pulling him closer.
At dinner, the two finished off a huge pot of braised pork and a large plate of seaweed rice balls. Then Shisui said goodbye to Ka Po-pu and Saitama, rubbing his bloated stomach as he made his way back home.
Of course, peace never lasted long. Saitama had returned to the village simply because he figured the war with Sunagakure would stretch on forever — sticking around longer was pointless.
Next year marked Konoha Year 46 — the year when the historic Battle of Kikyo Pass, a pivotal moment in the Shinobi World, was set to unfold.
Speaking of which, despite spending so much time among the Uchiha, Saitama still hadn't crossed paths with that certain senior he remembered so clearly. Where exactly was Obito Uchiha now? And wasn't he supposed to already be a Chunin by this point — the future big bad?
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