Saitama saw the Tomoe in Shisui's eyes but showed no surprise. In truth, this was only natural, considering Shisui's talent.
But had he already awakened the Mangekyou?
Saitama narrowed his eyes. His own Tomoe began spinning as well, and his focus sharpened completely.
If Shisui had indeed unlocked the Mangekyou, he would need to be more cautious during their fight. After all, Shisui's abilities were terrifying—below Six Paths level, there probably wasn't any way to resist them.
And given how determined Shisui seemed about convincing him otherwise, it wouldn't be impossible for him to ultimately use some ninjutsu from his Sharingan.
As it was, Saitama himself wasn't sure whether his unique nature could grant him immunity or resistance against Shisui's techniques.
"Are we really going to fight, Shisui?" Saitama asked aloud. It seemed Shisui wasn't quite ready—his hand gripped the blade, trembling just a bit.
...
"Captain, there's a chakra imprint left behind by Kazekage here! It's his signature Gold Dust!"
In the distance, a ninja wearing a Sunagakure forehead protector picked up a kunai made of solidified gold dust from the ground and reported to the team leader.
"Understood. Continue chasing in this direction. Rasa should still be nearby!"
"And also, send out a signal to summon forces from other regions toward our location!"
The one who appeared to be the leader glanced at the gold kunai, recognizing it as Rasa's before quickly issuing orders.
They were just one of multiple units dispatched by Sunagakure Village to reinforce Rasa.
This time, three such squads had been sent beyond the village walls, each unit consisting of nearly fifty shinobi.
One of these units had even been personally led by Elder Chiyo, who hadn't left the village in a long while.
To support Rasa and recover the Jinchuriki stolen from the village, Sunagakure had practically thrown everything it had into this mission.
Meanwhile, Ebizō remained behind in the village, guarding against any possibility of a surprise enemy counterattack.
At present, Sunagakure had entered a state of high alert, with war alarms ringing throughout—the situation on par with an actual wartime crisis.
...
Boom! Within Saitama's vision, a red firework burst into the sky, transforming into a symbol that lingered for a long time.
Shisui also noticed the firework, then turned his gaze back toward Saitama.
"This is Sunagakure's signal flare. Looks like they've caught up!"
Seeing Saitama's slight confusion, Shisui spoke first.
"Oh really?"
Saitama estimated their approximate position—it seemed like the Suna forces were still several kilometers away. It would take them a while to get here, especially since they didn't know exactly where they were.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as both men lifted their heads slightly in thought, three figures vaulted over the sand dunes and landed near where Shisui stood.
Wearing black cloaks like Shisui, these were the Konoha ninja who had fallen behind earlier.
"Captain!"
The three landed beside Shisui, naturally noticing the tense confrontation between Shisui and Saitama.
Eyes filled with vigilance, they stared at the imposing man ahead. Giving nods of acknowledgment, the trio positioned themselves alongside Shisui.
"Let me check Rasa's condition first. I'll handle the enemy over there!"
Shisui spoke to his companion who knew some Medical Ninjutsu, then glanced toward Rasa lying on the ground.
"Yes!"
The ninja nodded, eyes wary as he looked at Saitama before crouching down beside Rasa.
The black [Amaterasu] flames had already vanished. Saitama didn't know why Rasa hadn't been completely burned away after the flames consumed everything.
Normally, once someone was hit by [Amaterasu], they would burn until nothing remained. Because of its unique properties, it acted like a passive ability.
But he believed in [Amaterasu]'s power. Although he didn't know how Rasa managed to escape its passive effect, he was probably still dead.
No one survives a direct hit from [Amaterasu] once the flames take hold.
"These are your subordinates?" Saitama's gaze swept across the two standing behind Shisui.
"Yeah!" Shisui answered truthfully while glancing at the two behind him who looked ready to jump into battle.
"In that case, I'll take my leave first! Today isn't really a good day for reminiscing!" Saitama smiled innocently, but his eyes turned dangerous as he started moving his feet.
Shisui's true strength was still a mystery, but judging by how sure of himself he looked, there was no way he was a pushover.
If he got caught up fighting them, and those Suna ninja arrived, he probably wouldn't have any chance of leaving today.
Better not push my luck. Can't afford to mess this up now!
"So you're trying to run?"
Shisui leaned in, clearly showing he had no intention of letting Saitama go.
Whoosh! Suddenly disappearing, Shisui activated [Shunshin no Jutsu] instantly.
"Can't say I'm surprised. Typical Shisui."
Saitama showed no surprise, glancing sideways at his flank.
Shisui had already appeared beside him, blade pointing straight at his throat—but Saitama's sword was at Shisui's throat too.
Tension froze the air. Both stared at each other as a cold night wind blew past, lifting their bangs.
"You're still amazing. I thought my speed had gotten pretty fast over these years."
Shisui didn't flinch at Saitama's blade, speaking calmly. The sword pressed against Saitama's throat didn't tremble even slightly as he gripped it tightly.
"You're not bad yourself. I've heard people call you Flash Shisui now. Seems true enough!"
Saitama kept his tone just as calm, showing no astonishment at Shisui's speed.
Zzzzt! Saitama activated an electric shock through his muscles, arcs of electricity flashing across his body.
Whoosh! Both disappeared from sight simultaneously. Sand swirled into the air, pressured bursts echoing continuously through the atmosphere.
The newly arrived Konoha ninjas shot each other looks, faces pale as if they'd just seen a ghost.
"This is our captain's real speed?"
Sakan sounded genuinely shocked — a taijutsu specialist who took pride in his speed and strength.
Though they'd never fought Shisui before, he always believed he wouldn't be far behind him.
Looking back now, Shisui realized he had overthought things back then. The difference in their strength was simply too great. In his current state, he couldn't even see the movement of Nagare's attack!
As for the one fighting against Shisui, he was no ordinary opponent either, moving at a similarly blinding speed.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Saitama and Shisui continuously clashed. Their battle becomes a pure contest of swordsmanship.
Their figures flickered across the desert landscape, with blue chakra streaks constantly crisscrossing.
Shisui infused his blade primarily with [Wind Release] nature transformation, mainly enhancing its cutting power.
In some ways, it resembled the style of Asuma from Saitama's memory, but Shisui's superior speed gave him far greater threatening potential compared to Asuma.
As for Saitama, naturally, he used [Chidori Current], focusing on increasing damage output.
Clang! Another collision occurred, with Saitama forcefully pressing down on Shisui while glaring at him, a faint smirk playing on his face.
Saitama could feel Shisui's improvement in strength, but winning against him—Shisui still had quite a long way to go!
Swish! Saitama extended his left hand, clenching [Chidori] directly in his palm and thrusting it toward Shisui.
There was no need to hold back in such a battle, and Saitama had no intention of doing so either.
His left hand sliced past Shisui's chest, tearing through his clothes and leaving a mark without actually injuring him.
Unfazed, Saitama kicked out with his right leg once more, blocking Shisui's counterattack.
At that moment, Shisui seized the opening when Saitama's attack missed, suddenly launching a kick to catch him off guard.
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