"Bored!"
Saitama turned around, still dragging Silent along behind him. He didn’t want some unnecessary tension to ruin their friendship because of Uchiha Bomori’s teasing — or so he told himself.
"Saitama!" A soft voice called after a few steps.
"Hm?"
He looked down. Silent was hesitating, her expression slightly conflicted.
"What’s wrong?" Saitama asked innocently, staring at her slightly flushed cheeks.
"Can you... let go?" she murmured, her head lowered and face turning redder.
"Oh! Why am I still holding on to you?"
Saitama released her hand awkwardly, and gave her a casual pat on the shoulder.
"Then... I’ll head back!" Silent mumbled, head still bowed.
"Alright, see you later. Same spot tonight?"
"Okay!" she squeaked, practically burying her head in her shoulders.
Without another word, Silent turned and bolted in the other direction. Saitama watched her go, then turned and strolled back to his tent.
---
"Tsunade-sama!"
Silent pulled back the tent flap. Inside, Tsunade sat hunched over a large map on the table, surrounded by stacks of mission scrolls and field reports.
"Back already?" Tsunade asked without looking up — only Silent would enter without knocking.
"Mm-hmm..." Silent’s voice was a little off, prompting Tsunade to glance up.
Her frown deepened slightly. Silent’s cheeks were still pink, and her mouth couldn’t quite hide a smile.
"What’s with that face?"
"Eh? It’s nothing." Silent quickly set a boxed meal down in front of Tsunade, covering her face with her hands.
"You win some money or something?" Tsunade asked, suspicious. "Though I doubt anyone in this camp is foolish enough to gamble with you."
Silent didn’t answer. She dragged out a chair and sat down with a thud, still hiding her face in her hands.
"Tch." Tsunade snorted and popped open the meal box. As she began eating, her eyes flicked occasionally toward her flustered apprentice.
She smirked to herself. It has to be that brat Saitama. She didn’t press, though. Teasing her student silently was more fun than saying it outright.
"Ah, youth," she thought, a flicker of nostalgia flashing through her expression — followed by something more somber.
---
"What nice weather today."
Saitama stood outside his tent, squinting at the sky. Around him, a number of off-duty Uchiha shinobi were lounging about, basking in the sunlight and enjoying rare peace.
"Captain!"
Uchiha Yan and Uchiha Huo, brothers stationed nearby, called out when they saw him.
Both were talented genin from the clan, and like many others, they looked up to Saitama, who had quickly risen through the ranks and gained a reputation as the standout among the younger generation.
"Saitama!" Several others greeted him as well.
"Hey, everyone."
Saitama gave them a friendly nod.
"What were you all talking about?"
"Ah, just speculating when we’ll launch the next offensive," said Uchiha Huo excitedly, his hands gesturing animatedly. "It’s been so tense lately — everyone’s itching to move!"
Saitama gave a faint smile but said nothing. He understood well — the Uchiha clan had a reputation for being fearless in battle, but sometimes their enthusiasm for war was... unsettling.
He left them chatting and returned to his tent. The sun was warm, and after lunch, a nap seemed perfect.
Lying down on his bedroll, Saitama stared at the canvas above him, and before he knew it, Silent’s blushing face crept into his mind.
Things are too peaceful right now.
But at least he could rest easy — for now, the Konoha camp was secure.
---
Later that day...
Uchiha Amaki — commander of the Uchiha forces at the front — put down his brush and reread the message he had just written.
> "To the honorable Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku,
The situation on the front remains stable. All Uchiha personnel are performing admirably. I assure you that our forces are being well-managed and risks minimized. Additionally, Uchiha Saitama continues to impress — his growth and talent are beyond expectations..."
Amaki nodded, satisfied. He rolled up the scroll and sealed it. A messenger hawk would carry it back to Konoha before sunset.
He sent these reports once a month — formal summaries of the clan’s performance on the front lines.
And lately, those letters had become more and more filled with praise for one person: Saitama. Not just a promising genin, but someone Amaki believed might one day lead the clan.
"He’s not just our present strength," Amaki thought, "but perhaps our future as well."
"Commander!"
The tent flap opened and Uchiha Bomori stepped inside, carrying a tray with food.
"Eat something while it’s still warm," he said, placing the tray on the table.
"Thanks." Amaki rubbed his tired eyes and dug in. He’d been working all day on logistics and strategy — food was the last thing on his mind.
With an upcoming offensive in the works, every senior officer was overburdened. Meetings, briefings, consultations... there was little time for rest.
"I ran into that Saitama kid earlier," Bomori said, leaning casually on the table. "He’s more grown-up than I expected."
"Oh?" Amaki raised an eyebrow, interested. "What happened?"
"He was having dinner with Tsunade-sama’s apprentice — the quiet one, always trailing behind her. Looked pretty cozy, if you ask me."
Bomori gave a smirk, tapping his fingers on the table.
"Haha, now that’s interesting. I wonder if Tsunade knows?" Amaki chuckled, swallowing another bite.
"She probably does. Or at least suspects," Bomori shrugged.
Amaki paused for a moment, looking at the letter he had just written. He was half-tempted to add a footnote:
> "P.S. Saitama may be experiencing his first love."
He imagined Fugaku reading that part and couldn’t help but grin at the mental image of his clan head’s reaction.
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