"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
Seeing the enemy ninja named Huo charging at him, Saitama stepped back sharply. A short sword hung at his waist, crackling faintly with chakra—he was preparing to counter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like a phoenix scattering fireballs, the flames burst forth in a wild arc, flying toward Huo with explosive force.
Xio's brows furrowed. Her footwork shifted rapidly as she danced between the incoming fireballs, evading Saitama's ninjutsu with speed that seemed almost effortless. At this moment, her agility was fully on display—fast enough to blur.
Staring at Saitama, a chill ran through Xio's heart. She accelerated again. This Konoha ninja must die today.
Clang!
Saitama suddenly unsheathed the short sword from his waist, slashing down with force and pinning Xio to the ground.
Squelch!
Blood splattered. Xio dropped to one knee, stunned. This kid... has that much power?
Before she could recover, Saitama surged chakra into his blade. A flicker of lightning danced from the hilt, crawling across the metal—and through the contact point, straight into Xio's body.
"Aghhh!"
Xio screamed, smoke rising from her scalp as the current coursed through her.
Boom!
Saitama kicked her aside, preparing to finish her off with another strike. His sword sparked with visible lightning, arcs snapping through the air.
He raised his blade for the final blow.
Wham!
A kick landed square in his chest before he could react. Saitama was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his lips.
Crash!
He slammed into a tree, breaking it with the force of impact.
Leaning against the shattered trunk, Saitama coughed violently, blood staining his lips. He looked up, eyes narrowed, at the one who kicked him.
"You okay, Saitama?" Hyūga Ki appeared beside him, tense and alert.
"I'm fine," Saitama said, though his ribs throbbed painfully. He gripped his sword with one hand and used the other to stand.
If you're injured in battle, you don't retreat. You fight.
Kawaki and Hayado Yanagi, who had been fighting another Sand ninja earlier, rushed over.
Earlier, as Saitama moved to finish off Xio, another shinobi—a jōnin named Seabuckthorn—had suddenly flared with chakra, overpowering both Kawaki and Hayado in an instant and charging Saitama with brutal speed.
Now, he stood between them, chakra roiling like a storm.
"Heh... I underestimated you Konoha brats," Seabuckthorn sneered. "But you're all going to die today."
With that, his chakra surged, his presence becoming monstrous.
Fwoosh!
Seabuckthorn vanished.
"Look out!" Saitama shouted. Two tomoe spun in his eyes—his Sharingan had activated. He caught the movement just in time to shout a warning.
Boom!
Kawaki was smashed midair with a single punch. Blood burst from his mouth before he hit the ground.
Crash!
Seabuckthorn's next kick shattered Hayado's blade and launched him several meters. Though Hayado had managed to raise his sword in defense, he still slammed into a tree and passed out on impact.
"Ha!" Seabuckthorn laughed, turning toward Saitama again. "Your turn."
Saitama's Sharingan spun faster. He steadied his breath. Beside him, Hyūga Ki dropped into a defensive Jūken stance, Byakugan veins bulging at the sides of her face.
Whoosh!
Seabuckthorn closed the gap in an instant, sweeping his leg with a violent arc.
Boom!
Even with the predictive power of the Sharingan, Saitama's body couldn't keep up. The kick slammed into his right side and sent him flying—crashing into the rock alongside Hyūga Ki.
Crack!
The stone split. Saitama and Hyūga Ki crumpled, groaning.
"Ugh!" Blood dripped from Saitama's mouth. My ribs... probably broken.
"Saitama... are we going to die?" Hyūga Ki whispered, leaning against him. She had taken the brunt of the second impact, shielding Saitama mid-air.
That blow nearly knocked her unconscious. Her head drooped, and she blacked out.
Of the four-member squad, only Saitama was still conscious.
"You still think you're tough, brat?" Xio, slumped against a tree, sneered. Her face was pale, but she could still taunt.
Saitama spat blood in response, not even bothering with words.
Seabuckthorn stepped forward slowly, sand crunching underfoot, his smile widening.
"A little Uchiha... I'll send you to meet the First Hokage in the afterlife!" He began forming hand seals swiftly.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!"
He exhaled a compressed ball of wind with explosive force.
The air rippled with pressure, the wind bullet howling toward Saitama. Seabuckthorn's grin widened. He loved this moment—the look of despair in his prey's eyes.
But Saitama's eyes... weren't afraid.
"What?!" Seabuckthorn blinked. Even in this hopeless moment, Saitama's gaze remained steady—and the Sharingan tomoe spun faster than ever.
Electricity surged across his skin.
Saitama trembled violently, chakra visibly shifting across his body. Sparks danced between his fingers.
With a shout, he rose to his feet, sword in hand, and slashed through the incoming wind projectile.
"Chidori Katana—Thunder Slash!"
The blade, wreathed in lightning, cleaved the jutsu clean in half.
Though clearly injured, Saitama stood tall—lightning coursing around him like armor.
"I wasn't going to use this... it's not perfected yet. But I don't have a choice now."
Lightning exploded around him. He looked like a thunder god—wounded, yes, but still standing.
"H-He's using... Lightning Release: Chakra Mode?" Xio muttered in disbelief.
Seabuckthorn's eyes narrowed. "That's the Raikage's secret technique... How the hell does a Konoha genin know that?!"
Saitama's breath was ragged, but his stance was firm.
He charged. Lightning trailed in his wake.
Slash! Slash!
The blade crackled as he attacked, pushing his wounded body past its limit. He had barely activated the first stage of Lightning Chakra Mode, boosting his reaction time and striking speed.
Clang!
Seabuckthorn caught the blade with one hand, chakra flaring to defend.
"You think you can defeat a jōnin with just this?" he sneered. "Fool."
Crack!
His knee slammed into Saitama's chest. Saitama felt his bones break—again.
Clatter!
His sword flew from his hand. Another mouthful of blood escaped his lips.
He hit the ground, twitching.
The Sharingan helps me read movements. The lightning boosts my speed. But... even with both, there's still such a gap between us...
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