Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

Moving carefully through the trees, Saitama followed his instincts in search of water.

Infiltrating deep behind enemy lines wasn't just risky because of possible encirclement—it also meant handling food and drink on his own. Sure, he could carry rations, but they never met his usual needs, and he'd grown tired of their taste.

So for the past few days, Saitama had been hunting game himself and cooking it.

There was some risk of being spotted, but if he stayed cautious, it wasn't an issue. After all, changing locations daily kept enemies from tracking any pattern.

The moment he entered this forest, a cool freshness spread across his skin.

Soon, Saitama found a small stream with clear, flowing water—no need to worry about poisoning here.

Using that spot as his base, Saitama quickly found today's lunch—a lively rabbit.

Finding just one didn't seem enough. Following signs of movement, he flushed out and captured several others hiding inside their burrow.

He had no idea that due to his carefree actions, a full-scale hunt targeting him had already begun.

Unbothered, Saitama picked a relatively hidden spot near the water source, lit a fire, and roasted his rabbits.

After finishing the meal and erasing any signs he'd been there, Saitama got ready to move out again.

Not like he was here for anything else—chaos and destruction were the whole point!

Saitama thought this kind of mission suited him just fine.

...

At the moment, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure was locked in fierce battle at the frontlines against Konoha—but that didn't mean the rear lacked powerful ninja.

Iwagakure was a village that preserved its strength exceptionally well. After years of recovery, they launched this war filled with ambition.

Whether it was training shinobi or stockpiling wartime supplies, they had fully prepared for this conflict. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared challenge the currently thriving Hidden Leaf Village.

Moving silently through the forest, Saitama started piecing together a rough plan. Infiltrating deep behind enemy lines wasn't easy—but he had time on his side.

Detecting chakra fluctuations using his Sensor ability, Saitama slowed down his pace and carefully hid himself on a branch.

Looks like a squad of Stone Shinobi?

A cold, merciless glint flickered in Saitama's eyes—perfect timing for some post-meal exercise.

Thinking this, he masked his presence completely, slowing every motion until it became imperceptible. Unless you looked directly at him, no one would notice anything unusual happening right here.

Using thick foliage for cover, Saitama crouched silently behind them.

Despite possessing overwhelming power, he remained cautious. He decided to observe first before taking action.

"Damn it! What a pain! That kid had to die here! Now we've got to go track down his killer!"

A gruff voice echoed, full of irritation.

"Quiet! Just do your job!"

Another voice snapped back sharply.

"Tch, what's the big deal? He just had a powerful dad or something?"

The rough tone lowered slightly, but still carried dissatisfaction.

Ears alert, Saitama listened closely. Nothing important seemed to come from their words—just mentions of someone's death and a search for a murderer.

Holding his breath, Saitama peered through gaps in the leaves. Only two figures were visible, but according to his sensing ability, many other chakra signatures—varying in strength—were nearby.

So he decided to hang back a bit longer and see what happens next.

Clutching the hilt of his sword, Saitama stared into the eyes of his enemies, his gaze gleaming with bloodlust.

Rustle... rustle...

Hearing a sound, two Stone Shinobi turned to see an animal leap from the nearby bushes. Instantly, they drew their weapons.

As soon as the creature jumped out and saw the humans, it got startled and sped off in another direction in panic.

"Huff!"

The two Stone Shinobi exhaled in relief simultaneously.

"Let's go. There's nothing unusual here. First, let's regroup with them and move on to the next location. How unlucky—we ended up with such a task!"

One ninja waved his hand, sheathed his weapon, and turned around.

The other ninja also put away his weapon and followed suit, turning his back.

Now!

Crouched on a branch beside them, Saitama's eyes narrowed sharply.

As soon as the thought arose, so did his body.

Gotta end this fast—can't let anyone else notice!

Pushing off the branch, he dropped toward the two enemies.

Zip!

Crackle! 

The two Stone Shinobi didn't even react before both were pierced through their backs by Saitama's attack, their hearts crushed into nothingness.

For this strike, Saitama didn't use his sword—he used his Double Chidori instead.

Using his sword in one hand and Double Chidori in the other wouldn't guarantee simultaneous elimination. The weight difference between sword and hand made that impossible.

Even though using the sword might have only delayed him by less than a second, that single second might allow the second enemy to cry for help.

So, to shut down every chance, Saitama went straight for the Double Chidori.

The crackling of electricity filled the air as the two enemies were drained of all strength, releasing weak, pitiful groans—barely audible within a few meters.

After eliminating them, Saitama immediately cut off his chakra flow, dispersing the Chidori while pulling his hands back.

Ignoring the bloodstains on his hands, he leapt away in a different direction.

Though the Chidori was released swiftly and withdrawn even faster, just to be safe, Saitama decided to create some distance first before handling the aftermath calmly.

"Hey, do you have anything over there?"

Right after Saitama left, someone shouted.

"Hmm? Something happened!"

Before the ninja even arrived at the scene, he caught the familiar scent of blood and quickly called for backup while rushing closer.

Arriving at the two corpses, his face darkened, his already dusky skin turning nearly pitch-black.

"Whoosh!"

Several more figures landed nearby—the rest of their squad.

"What's going on?"

An apparent leader among them asked as he squatted down, bringing his hand close to the wounds for examination.

"I don't know. I feel like something is definitely wrong—it was already like this when I got here."

The ninja who reached first answered, frowning deeply.

[Lightning Release]—this must be the target!

"He hasn't gone far; he should still be nearby."

Another ninja signaled to the others and pressed his palms together, shutting his eyes tightly as if activating a sensing-type ninjutsu.

"West side!"

A few seconds later, the Sensor ninja opened his eyes and shouted the direction.

A group of shinobi nodded to one another before activating the Body Flicker Technique and vanishing on the spot.

Leaping silently from tree to tree, Saitama maintained a steady pace.

After all, it was guerrilla warfare—kill a few and retreat. A safe bet with no losses.

Eyes fixed ahead, his clear, black-and-white eyes revealed a sharp, calm mind. He hadn't lost control—he was calm and collected.

This region lay deep within the Land of Earth, so although mostly barren, there were still scattered civilian settlements like small towns. Not heavily populated, but enough for Saitama to use them for better concealment.

Having made a decision, Saitama set out to find an encampment and gather intel while continuing his mission.

But first, he needed to deal with the pursuers behind him.

Saitama's eyes flickered slightly, as if already seeing the enemies tailing him.

Though not a Sensor ninja, his sensitivity to chakra gave him a basic ability to sense others' presence.

In his perception, a group of Stone Shinobi clung tightly to his trail, chasing him relentlessly.

Probably that squad from just now?

Thinking it over, Saitama could only come up with that explanation—he had casually taken down two shinobi earlier, so being chased was normal.

Since they dared to pursue, did they even prepare themselves properly? Saitama suddenly stopped, halting his movement entirely.

Closing his eyes, he focused deeply, reaching out with his senses. In his mind's eye appeared five human-shaped figures radiating chakra whirlpools, leaping from branch to branch, drawing closer.

They seemed manageable—no need to run!

Opening his eyes, Saitama stayed right where he was, even boldly sitting on a tree branch.

His legs dangled loosely as he calmly waited for his approaching enemies.

"Right ahead—the enemy's chakra signal stopped moving!"

The Sensor ninja from the previous squad formed hand seals, providing the team with Saitama's location.

No sooner had he spoken than five figures burst through thick foliage and landed in the clearing before Saitama.

Upon seeing Saitama, the Stone ninjas immediately took defensive stances, gripping their weapons tightly.

"Just him alone!"

The Sensor ninja spoke again, surprised to detect no other chakra signals around.

Frowning slightly, the Lead Enemy stared at Saitama, who still hadn't moved from his seated position.

"Nice of you to drop by."

Saitama silently watched the enemies who had finally caught up, expressionless as he greeted them, flashing his white teeth in a smile.

"What the—?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Saitama vanished from sight. Instantly, the group of ninjas turned back-to-back, assuming a defensive posture.

"Ahh!"

The Sensor ninja screamed as Saitama grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground and slamming him against a tree trunk.

"So fast!"

The remaining Stone shinobi didn't dare act rashly since Saitama held their comrade by the throat, though they couldn't help expressing shock at his speed.

The Lead Enemy tightened his fists, staring at Saitama.

"What's your mission?"

Saitama steadily increased pressure with his index finger. The Sensor ninja twitched violently in pain.

"Y-You...!"

Despite being caught at a critical point, the captured ninja showed grit, trying hard to speak even under duress.

Crack! The sound of brittle bones snapping echoed as Saitama twisted the spine in his hand, dislocating it completely. The Stone Shinobi's eyes rolled back, a trickle of blood sliding from his lip—dead before hitting the ground.

"You should die!" 

A ninja burst forward, launching a punch straight at Saitama. He hadn't expected that while pretending to ask questions, Saitama would kill his comrade outright. Anger instantly filled his eyes. 

Boom! The punch missed Saitama and struck the tree trunk beside him, carving out a massive crater. But it didn't stop there—the trunk exploded instantly, as if a bomb had been set on a timer. 

"Huh?!" Saitama dropped the enemy's corpse, jumped, and leapt onto a limb. 

"I'll make you die in an explosion!" 

The ninja's eyes burned red, his breath ragged. 

"Get a grip, Shū!" 

Another ninja warned him, clearly not wanting him to lose control. 

But Shū didn't even flinch, lunging at Saitama with yet another punch. 

[Landmine Punch!] 

This time, Saitama heard the enemy's shout. A fist shot toward his face. 

Eyes narrowing, Saitama recalled the earlier explosion. Unable to take it head-on and hard-pressed to dodge at this moment, he unsheathed the sword at his waist and slashed outward with Chidori Current, trying to block. 

Boom! The explosion came as expected—even more intense than before. Saitama nearly lost his grip on the blade, blown backward by the shockwave. 

Flipping midair, Saitama activated his Sharingan immediately. 

Shū was also pushed back by the counterattack, landing beside his comrade. 

When Saitama's lightning clashed with his fist just now, an extra burst of energy erupted as well. 

Hiss! 

Saitama stared at the enemy before him. Judging by appearance, he wasn't very old, his hair spiking up like a hedgehog's—but such a technique was nothing like ordinary ninjutsu! 

Just like Deidara's Explosion Release from memory—it had different power and fighting style, but they probably came from the same family of techniques. 

"Shū! Get a grip—he's not going anywhere!" 

As soon as Shū landed next to his companion, one of the other ninjas spoke. 

Though Shū had great strength and possessed the rare Explosion Release, he tended to get too worked up easily, failing to accurately judge battlefield conditions. 

"Yeah!" Shū nodded. This brief clash cooled his temper. The Konoha ninja before him was no ordinary opponent; blocking his punch directly seemed to drain almost no stamina at all. 

He wasn't completely reckless—he only became reckless and fearless against weaker enemies. After all, the weak deserved nothing but brute force!

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