"Hey!"
Sand crunched beneath Saitama's feet as he dashed across the battlefield, kicking up clouds of yellow grit. His figure flickered through the chaos—fluid, fast, and unstoppable. The Sand Shinobi couldn't react in time. In the blink of an eye, several were left groaning in his wake, completely incapacitated.
"Kill! Take down these Suna bastards!"
Saitama's sudden intervention gave the nearby Konoha forces a moment to breathe. The crushing pressure on their front lines lightened instantly, and the tide began to shift. His presence alone sent shivers through the ranks of enemy shinobi. The Sand ninja who had once been advancing now staggered or fell back, not daring to challenge him directly.
Saitama ignored the wounded enemies left behind, their groans fading into the background. His goal lay ahead—the frontline battle Lin had mentioned earlier. That was where the true core of the war was being decided. Compared to that, the enemies here were little more than expendable pawns.
Electric chakra crackled across his blade, and his pace never faltered. Every ninja in the vicinity instinctively knew—this wasn't someone you wanted to stand in front of.
---
This war spanned a battlefield of tens of thousands, far vaster than Saitama had imagined. The front stretched endlessly. As he neared the area Lin had indicated—the sector where Konoha's jōnin forces clashed with Suna's elites—his ears picked up the sound of shouting.
"Konoha shinobi! Know this: the outcome of this war belongs to Sunagakure!"
"In your dreams, sand-rats!"
"Konoha won't lose—not today!"
"No more talking! Cut them down!"
"Make it quick! Lord Orochimaru needs reinforcements!"
The Konoha ninja were defiant, pride and battle-hardened confidence in their voices. Orochimaru's pre-battle speech echoed in their hearts—Konoha does not falter. And neither would they.
Hundreds of Sand Shinobi surrounded the area. Most were jōnin, or at least seasoned chūnin. The Konoha side, by contrast, had barely half their number—and far fewer elites.
"Ding!" "Boom!" Blades clashed, jutsu flared. A storm of elemental techniques and raw taijutsu assaults erupted. Despite their superior training, Konoha's forces were struggling against Suna's overwhelming numbers.
Saitama spotted a familiar figure in the melee—Moonlight Masano. Without hesitation, he surged forward.
"Masano, you alright?" a comrade called out over the clamor. It was another jōnin from the Moonlight clan.
Earlier, thanks to clever teamwork and the clan's trademark kenjutsu, Masano had downed two enemy jōnin in quick succession. But in doing so, he'd been struck in the right shoulder—his dominant arm—leaving a bloody hole and severely limiting his ability to fight.
"Luckily, their weapons weren't laced with poison," Masano replied grimly, parrying with his left hand as he dodged another strike.
"Reinforcements should be here soon—just hold on." His comrade glanced toward Saitama's direction. He couldn't make out the figure clearly—his eyes weren't as sharp as a Sharingan or Byakugan user.
"Saitama, get ready," Uchiha Lin called out coolly as he caught up. The tomoe of his three-tomoe Sharingan spun, reflecting the chaos around him. "We're breaking through. Konoha's units are surrounded."
"Got it." Saitama nodded, his eyes locking with Lin's. Around them, Konoha ninjas began to gather.
"Lightning Release: Go!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bomb!"
Before the Sand ninja could react, waves of elemental ninjutsu exploded into their formation.
"Kill them!" roared the Suna forces. "These Leaf bastards are too arrogant!"
They hadn't expected the Konoha team to strike first—and so decisively. Furious, the Sand ninja lashed out.
The barrage wasn't meant to wipe them out—it was to open a breach. An escape route. A rescue path. Konoha's reinforcements were coming.
"It's backup from the other front!" cried one of the surrounded Leaf shinobi.
Masano's eyes lit up as he spotted the streaks of thunder chakra. "There you are..."
Swish! Swish! Saitama dove through the breach, electricity crackling around him. He landed directly among the Konoha forces, blade humming with power.
For a brief moment, the two forces pulled apart, catching their breath—ready to clash again.
"You good?" Saitama said, dropping beside Masano and noticing his bloodied shoulder.
"Hmph, what do you think?" Masano grinned wryly. Even now, he had energy to tease.
Saitama didn't reply. His gaze scanned the field.
Boom! Boom! More Konoha ninja landed behind him, standing tall against the enemy.
"Is that all Konoha brought?" a gruff voice called from Suna's side—a mid-aged jōnin, likely the local commander.
Even with the reinforcements, Konoha's numbers barely reached seventy—still vastly outnumbered.
"Cut the crap and come fight, sand-scum!" Masano snapped, blood still dripping from his shoulder.
With a wave of the Suna commander's hand, a wall of Sand Shinobi surged forward.
Zzt! Lightning sparked again. The chakra surging from Saitama's body caught everyone's attention.
"Who is that?" murmured one Konoha ninja, eyes widening. "Is he a jōnin?"
They didn't recognize him—Saitama's reputation hadn't yet spread across the front. But his chakra, his speed... made them hesitate.
"Charge!" "Don't let them break through!"
Konoha was worn down, low on chakra. But still they advanced, refusing to yield.
Saitama showed no hesitation. His chakra reserves were strong—very strong. He activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, lightning enveloping his body as he sprinted across the sand, leaving scorched black prints behind him.
With a flash of light, he cleaved through a Sand shinobi wielding a scythe. The man screamed, collapsing with a deep gash across his chest.
But before Saitama could follow through, more blades came at him. Weapons clashed, slowing his momentum.
These enemies weren't like the earlier ones. These shinobi were coordinated, disciplined. Elite chūnin, possibly jōnin.
Saitama narrowed his eyes. The battlefield had shifted—this was no longer a massacre. It was a battle of equals.
His twin tomoe Sharingan spun, reading every movement. He couldn't afford to let down his guard now.
"You a Konoha brat?" sneered the Sand shinobi who had blocked him earlier, his tone mocking. "You're not bad... but you're not leaving alive."
"Hmph." Saitama exhaled, drawing his blade again. "We'll see."
With a surge of lightning, he lunged.
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