Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

The tent wasn't very large, about ten square meters in size. The only notable feature was a massive desk buried beneath towering piles of documents.

"This must be where they handle official matters," Saitama muttered, striding toward the desk.

Although his objective lay right before him, he remained alert and vigilant throughout.

The more intense the moment became, the more he had to suppress any excitement rising inside him.

As he reached the desk, Saitama immediately noticed a single document placed directly at its center.

Titled "On the Transport of War Supplies," the bold text stood out clearly on the front page, the ink still fresh as if it had just been written.

Saitama's eyes flew wide, his body locking up with sudden tension as his nerves screamed with alarm—he silently cursed his own recklessness.

At that very instant, crackling electricity burst from Saitama's feet as he braced himself to bolt—something felt off.

[Earth Release Barrier – Earth Prison Tomb]

A cold shout erupted from beneath his feet, sending icy sweat pouring down Saitama's skin and every hair on his body standing straight up.

Whoosh! The earth churned violently around him, rapidly forming an immense cage that sealed him inside completely.

The entire tent exploded outward from the force of the ninjutsu, scattering everything within—including the precious document—across the ground.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless ninja converged on the spot as if summoned by a silent command, surrounding the prison of rock and earth.

Damn it! Trapped within the rocky confinement, Saitama couldn't help but glance warily at the dark surroundings.

Now that things had gone this far, everything finally made perfect sense.

Why infiltration had been so easy, why despite seeming tight patrols he'd managed to remain hidden for so long.

And that document left plainly on the table—so obviously brand-new—was practically laughing at Saitama's gullibility.

Outside the stone walls, an old man stood with arms crossed, his beard whipping wildly in the wind.

Yet his face bore no expression other than calm observation as he stared at the rocky prison before him.

Beside him, two ninja pressed their hands against the cage, channeling chakra into it to maintain its structure and keep Saitama locked inside.

Trapped within this stony enclosure, Saitama knew he had no time to wonder why he'd been so reckless—escape was now his top priority.

With enemies closing in fast, breaking free wouldn't be easy.

But he wouldn't give up. He'd come too far to back down now. Whatever came next, he'd face it head-on.

Clang! Drawing his blade, Saitama scanned the rock walls around him, searching for the weakest point.

Charging his sword with lightning energy, he slashed sideways into the stone, slicing through with a mighty strike that tore open a gaping hole—revealing the waiting ninjas outside. But before Saitama could move further, the gap sealed shut once again.

He recognized this technique—it wouldn't vanish as long as those outside kept channeling chakra into it.

What's most terrifying is that this ninjutsu continuously absorbs the chakra of the trapped ninja, channeling it back to the caster.

And so the cycle begins again—an unending death spiral for the ensnared ninja.

"Konoha ninja!" A voice echoed. "Never thought you'd have the audacity to infiltrate our Main Camp single-handedly! I must admit, as an old man myself, I truly respect your guts!"

Shihara Shin stood outside, addressing Saitama. He hadn't expected just one ninja to show up this time.

But perhaps—it was a big catch!

Hearing the sound outside, Saitama stayed silent, his opened Sharingan scanning the surroundings.

Soon, he detected a spot with weak chakra—hidden within the rock right behind him.

[Lightning Release - Chidori Blade]

Target locked, Saitama crouched low, his sword in his right hand radiating dazzling lightning.

Swish! Swish! Two slashes struck the rock, and instantly, it split open like being cut by a laser, forming a cross-shaped wound.

Whoosh! Without waiting for the rock to heal, Saitama leapt out.

Through the opening, he glimpsed the surrounding situation.

Standing atop the rocky prison, he saw over a hundred Stone Shinobi gathered around. Facing him stood an old man watching silently.

"Lightning Release?!"

Shihara Shin noticed the elemental release Saitama had used to break through the Earth Release barrier. Truthfully, he hadn't expected such a technique to hold someone daring enough to storm into the enemy camp alone.

Yet when that flash of blue electricity lit up the night sky, his eyes involuntarily narrowed.

Damn it!

The two ninja responsible for maintaining the jutsu saw Saitama already standing on the rock surface and immediately shouted in alarm.

"It's fine!" Shihara Shin suppressed his anger, signaling them to retreat. They were support-type ninja; clearly at a disadvantage against Saitama, keeping distance was their best strategy.

"Are you Shihara Shin?" Standing high above, Saitama looked across the Rock Shinobi below and addressed the old man who exuded a class of his own.

He had seen this Stone Shinobi before—at the bar, where he even advised Saitama to go home early.

Though he had anticipated the old man wasn't ordinary, he hadn't guessed he was actually the top commander of this enemy base.

"Yes indeed, kid!" Shihara Shin recognized Saitama as well. Though older himself, and having only met once before, he still instantly recognized the boy from that night at the bar.

"Kid, there are so many here—don't even think about running," Shihara Shin warned, seeing Saitama scanning the area.

"Oh, really?"

Saitama raised his sword high, electric arcs pulsing all over his body—he was clearly preparing to fight.

"Kid, few days ago in the outskirts, did you or your companion kill a squad of Stone Shinobi?"

Clutching his fists, Shihara Shin didn't attack yet. There was still something he needed to confirm.

"Oh, I've killed quite a few. Not sure which one you're talking about."

Saitama spread his left hand openly, not denying anything.

"Well then… die!"

As the voice faded, a fist wrapped in rock came flying straight at Saitama. Shihara Shin shot forward like a projectile from his spot, propelling himself toward Saitama and closing the several-meter distance in an instant.

His speed wasn't as slow as it appeared. Even for Saitama, dodging became slightly difficult.

Boom! The sword and the fist collided. Saitama was sent flying. Although he had been watching Shihara Shin closely, the attack still caught him off guard.

It wasn't just lightning-fast—it packed serious power too!

The fist ignored the surging electric current on the blade, slamming heavily into the sword and sending Saitama crashing away.

"For reasons of both duty and personal vengeance, today I will not let you leave here alive!"

Standing atop the rocky ledge where Saitama had just stood, Shihara Shin radiated killing intent.

Saitama pushed himself up from the ground, silently staring at Shihara Shin.

He had indeed underestimated Shihara Shin's capabilities. From that last attack alone, it was clear this Stone Ninja was formidable.

After all, someone who serves as a commander of an army couldn't possibly be weak!

Straightening up, Saitama gripped his sword tightly with his right hand. White lightning surged continuously across the blade.

The surrounding Stone Shinobi didn't move; they simply encircled Saitama.

Pfft! Saitama spat out some saliva flecked with traces of blood from the punch's impact.

The Tomoe within his Sharingan continued to rotate. Saitama pushed off the ground and rushed toward Shihara Shin.

Swish! A sharp whistling sound spread through the air as Saitama transformed into a bolt of lightning, charging straight at Shihara Shin.

Naturally, Saitama understood the principle of capturing the bandit chief first. He wasted no time and struck without hesitation.

With one foot stepping onto the curved rock ring, Saitama accelerated once more, instantly appearing before Shihara Shin.

Crackling electricity surged as the blade slashed toward Shihara Shin's throat.

Hmph! Shihara Shin merely gave a cold snort, twisted his body sideways, dodged Saitama's strike, then immediately punched toward Saitama's chest.

Zzzap! Expecting such a counterattack, Saitama unleashed a powerful surge of Chidori Current while simultaneously spinning the blade midair, thrusting again at his opponent's chest.

Swish! As Shihara Shin planted his foot and dodged sideways to the right, his right hand tightened around Saitama's left shoulder.

With his Sharingan silently tracking every movement, Saitama anticipated Shihara Shin's action. At the exact moment his enemy grabbed his shoulder, his own hand seized the opponent's arm.

Zzzapping! Intense crackling electricity surged between them!

Saitama remained expressionless. Shihara Shin showed no emotion either.

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