"Paralysis technique?" Sagaki frowned. This kind of immobilizing genjutsu was unfamiliar, but it was definitely an illusion technique.
He began circulating his chakra through specific tenketsu points, attempting to disrupt the technique with a sudden flare of chakra.
"Useless," Saitama said coldly, placing a hand on his waist as lightning chakra surged around him again.
"Raiton: Shunshin!" In a flash of thunder, he appeared in front of Sagaki.
"Impossible!" Sagaki's expression twisted with disbelief. His genjutsu-disruption method had no effect. He still couldn't move! He could only watch helplessly as Saitama's blade plunged forward.
"Tch." Saitama's eyes were cold as his lightning-infused blade pierced Sagaki's torso.
"This is the Uchiha Clan's genjutsu, activated through the Sharingan. Ordinary methods can't dispel it." He channeled more chakra, intensifying the electric arc along his blade.
"AAARGH!" The lightning surged violently, frying Sagaki from the inside out and cutting off his remaining life force.
"Pshk!" Saitama withdrew the blade and stepped past Sagaki's twitching form. As the body collapsed, he flicked the blade once more, drawing a shallow line across Sagaki's throat. Blood erupted in a wave like a burst dam.
"Khuh!" Clutching at his throat, Sagaki collapsed, the sand swallowing his form as he stopped breathing entirely.
---
"Captain, hang in there!" Saitama turned his gaze—not to Masano, but to Samu's distant location on the battlefield.
That side of the battle was about twenty meters away. Samu, though still engaged, was in dire condition—his body covered in countless wounds of varying depth.
His movements were sluggish, his attack rhythm long broken. Now, he was purely on the defensive.
"At least the teacher's side seems close to ending..." Samu muttered, glancing briefly toward Masano. Determined not to drag his team down, he clenched his teeth and struck out with his blade again, aiming to expose his opponent's flank.
"Bang!" A heavy kick landed before his strike could connect. Samu, unarmed for a moment, took the full brunt.
"Gah!" He spat blood and staggered, his vision blurring as his remaining chakra plummeted.
With that, he collapsed to the sand, unable to move.
"Die, Konoha ninja!" his Sand-nin opponent snarled, stepping in for the finishing blow.
"Fshh!" A sharp whistle of wind—Samu's eyes fluttered open, just in time to grab a fistful of sand and blind his enemy.
"Huh?" The Sand shinobi barely had time to react—a blade erupted through his chest.
"Small fry should just die quietly." Saitama pulled his sword free, crackling with lightning.
"Rest and recover. I'll handle the captain." he said firmly, eyes still sharp.
---
On Moonlight Masano's side, the battle was turning dire. His attacks barely affected his opponent, and the Sand shinobi—Matthew—shrugged them off without concern.
"Konoha ninja… you're barely scratching me." Matthew sneered, his posture still tightly guarded.
He had fought Iwagakure shinobi in the past and learned the Earth Spear Technique (Doton: Domu)—a powerful jutsu that hardened his body, greatly boosting both offense and defense. It had earned him renown among Sunagakure's jonin.
Again, he caught Masano's sword with his bare hand.
"Boom!" His punch slammed into Masano's chest, sending the Konoha jonin crashing into the sand.
"Guh!" Blood spilled from Masano's mouth. He barely had time to register the incoming blade—Matthew hurled it like a javelin.
Masano's pupils dilated—"Too fast—!"
"WHAM!" He struck the sand with a powerful kick, dodging the attack by inches.
But Matthew followed up instantly, launching another brutal kick to Masano's gut.
Masano blocked with a kunai, muscles tensed to the limit.
"Ting!" Metal met rock-hardened flesh, and Masano was knocked back again, arms trembling from the impact.
He realized he couldn't do real damage. As a fellow jonin, his taijutsu couldn't break through Matthew's Earth Spear defense.
He glanced to the side just as Saitama pulled his sword from another enemy's corpse. A surge of hope lit Masano's eyes—Saitama had just taken down a jonin in seconds.
Masano's role was clear now: stall for time until Saitama could join him, or close the gap and regroup. He couldn't take Matthew alone.
Matthew, meanwhile, showed a flicker of irritation—but not surprise. He slowly opened his eyes, glaring at Masano.
"You can't handle a brat? Pathetic." he muttered, then turned his killing intent fully on Masano.
"Let's finish you first—then I'll gut that kid." He charged forward.
The air howled around his punch, and Masano's instincts screamed. It felt like standing bare-skinned in a snowstorm.
Knowing he couldn't dodge, Masano raised his arms to guard and leapt backward to soften the impact.
"Bang!" The punch landed squarely—Masano's arms absorbed most of it, but the pain was immense.
"Crack!" He thought he felt his forearm bones splinter. If he hadn't reinforced them with chakra, they might've broken outright.
Matthew frowned, surprised Masano had blocked it. Still, he readied his next strike.
His arms darkened even further as chakra surged through his muscles.
"Ting!" A blade flashed in from the left—Saitama.
Matthew caught the sword effortlessly—but lightning immediately surged from the contact point.
"Bzzzt!" Sparks danced across his arms, scorching his clothes.
But Matthew held firm, seemingly unaffected.
"Tch!" Saitama's eyes narrowed. He channeled chakra to his legs and kicked—aiming directly for Matthew's midsection.
Matthew met him with his own kick—BAM!—both reeled from the impact.
Saitama used the recoil to flip backward and land near Masano.
The entire exchange had taken just seconds. Matthew's leg now smoked with charred skin where lightning had hit.
"You little bastard… you're dead!" Matthew barked, his eyes on Saitama.
"Captain, you holding up?" Saitama asked, glancing at Masano's battered form. His heart sank. Is this how strong Sand jonin are? Despite being equals in rank, Masano had been completely overpowered.
Chakra exhaustion tugged at his limbs—another drawn-out fight was dangerous.
"I'm fine. Just a scratch," Masano said through gritted teeth, retrieving his blade from the sand.
"Then let's finish this together."
The yellow sand stirred in the wind between them, tension thick as lightning.
Visit patreon.com/TEA_QUILL to get 30+ chapters