Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

After missing their first strike, the two immediately broke apart and put distance between them.

Saitama frowned. He felt like his shoulder had been dislocated, but luckily it didn't affect his fighting too much—he could still keep going.

Shihara Shin's one arm was charred black, with Chidori Current still crackling across its surface.

"Sir!"

A ninja approached Shihara Shin and called out.

"This enemy is extremely strong. Based on his appearance and age, he must be the ninja we've heard about in previous reports."

This ninja continued, gripping a kunai in his hand while looking toward Saitama.

"Hmm, I see. That signature Sharingan eye."

Shihara Shin stared at Saitama's crimson eyes, where three tomoe swirled slowly.

"Don't let him leave! This ninja named Uchiha Saitama has quite the reputation lately!"

Shihara Shin gestured toward the surrounding ninjas. After many days of waiting, he'd already received the information he wanted from the frontline intelligence division.

Among the reports were details about Saitama. Until now, he hadn't been sure if it was really him, but seeing those eyes and that signature Lightning Release Swordsmanship, he was certain.

Saitama glanced around at the restless ninjas and realized there was no way around a one-against-many battle this time.

Yet deep down, he wasn't nervous—in fact, a spark of excitement ignited within him.

"Go!"

Shihara Shin waved his hand. After all, he was getting older. Just those few exchanges had left him slightly winded.

He couldn't tell whether it was because Saitama was simply too strong or if he truly was aging.

His right arm, wounded by Saitama's Chidori Current, was completely useless for now, unable to apply even the slightest force.

With so many Stone Shinobi surrounding him now, Saitama had no intention of running away either.

All the ninjas launched their attacks at once, and the ones closest to Saitama immediately rushed forward with weapons raised.

[Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Projectile]

Saitama quickly formed hand seals while continuously shifting his footing to dodge the hidden weapons being thrown from above.

After completing the seals, he abruptly stopped, forming one final seal and pointing his palm forward.

Whoosh! A blazing dragon of flame surged forth, racing directly toward the attacking ninjas and radiating scorching heat.

In an instant, a swath was cleared through the battlefield.

Several ninjas turned to ash in an instant, while others managed to dodge in time, only suffering minor burns.

As soon as the attack ended, Saitama drew the blade at his waist and charged straight into the fray.

Lightning crackled along the blade, radiating blinding killing intent. Facing over a hundred enemies, Saitama showed not a trace of fear!

"Tch, you're not bad!"

Standing outside the battle circle, Shihara Shin watched as a medical ninja examined his injured arm.

Although his face remained expressionless, he had to admit—Saitama's Lightning Release was truly powerful. His entire right arm had been scorched by raw electricity, despite having covered it with a layer of Earth Release just in time.

Now, watching Saitama charge headfirst into combat with a blade against countless ninjas—and clearly dominating—he couldn't help but acknowledge the situation.

Crash! Saitama slammed a kick straight into a ninja's chest, using the recoil to launch himself in another direction.

There were simply too many enemies. Even someone as strong as Saitama began feeling a tinge of helplessness.

Slay one, and two more take his place — they seemed endless. Of course, the number of Stone Shinobi wasn't truly infinite, but for Saitama at this stage, this many ninja were absolutely beyond his capability to handle alone.

Slash! Another decisive cut, Saitama's eyes wide open, not daring to relax even slightly.

This single stroke once again claimed a Stone ninja's life. The blade slid across his enemy's throat, drawing forth a smooth stream of crimson liquid.

Seeing that the enemies still showed no sign of slowing down as they closed in on him, Saitama cut down the nearest few while simultaneously planning an escape route.

Continuing to fight these seemingly insane Stone ninja head-on would undoubtedly lead to death — the only way out was to quickly break away from them.

Boom! Just as Saitama cut down an enemy, his eyes suddenly narrowed — a punch crashed straight into his back.

His body uncontrollably staggered forward several steps, blood involuntarily dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Damn it!

Glancing backward briefly, Saitama couldn't even counterattack before multiple attacks came raining down from all directions again.

Saitama kept shifting his stance as he activated his Sharingan, darting through the battlefield — dodging attacks while landing deadly blows.

While fighting, he steadily moved eastward toward the camp.

There stood a mountain; perhaps it would become the key to Saitama's escape.

His stamina and chakra were being drained nonstop by these relentless enemies. For the first time, even he was beginning to feel the strain.

After all, he wasn't Hashirama Senju, nor the Third Raikage, let alone Madara Uchiha.

Such chaotic combat situations were completely new to Saitama — even on battlefields before, he'd never been caught in such predicaments.

Though stronger than ever before, even his current power wasn't enough against such overwhelming odds.

[Earth Release - Yellow Spring Swamp]

Just when several Stone shinobi noticed Saitama actually managing to gradually break free despite their encirclement, they exchanged glances before simultaneously executing ninjutsu techniques.

The moment the techniques activated, Saitama sensed them instantly. He grabbed a nearby enemy, slit the man's throat with his blade, then stamped his foot, propelling his body high into the air.

Exactly as Saitama leapt upward, the previously solid ground instantly transformed into a brownish-yellow quagmire. This viscous mire kept shifting, as if trying to pull anyone standing on it down beneath the surface.

Saitama remained expressionless, immediately slamming the corpse he carried onto the swamp-like terrain as he landed, then stepping onto its surface.

His body sank downward slightly, knees slightly bent in a power-charging posture, before suddenly a flash of lightning illuminated his lower limbs, propelling him outward beyond the [Yomi Swamp] area.

[Don't let him escape!]

The surrounding ninja watched with cold dread as this lone shinobi, surrounded by so many of their comrades, continued skillfully retreating while still fighting. But it only made them more determined: today, there was no way they were letting Saitama escape.

Before Saitama even touched ground again, countless jutsu techniques rained down upon him midair, colorful and dazzling — primarily brownish-yellow Earth Release techniques.

Helplessly suspended midair, naturally performing any evasive maneuvers became impossible.

This situation had already been anticipated by Saitama beforehand — compared to becoming trapped within the [Yomi Swamp] like a helpless target, this outcome was merely slightly better by the smallest margin.

Lightning crackled wildly around Saitama like protective armor as he braced himself midair. 

With his right blade spinning in smooth, circular arcs, he continuously deflected or blocked the waves of incoming ninjutsu aimed at him. 

Hmph! The moment his feet touched the ground, Saitama spat out a mouthful of blood. 

With such a dense barrage of ninjutsu, he could only deflect or block part of it. Many attacks had struck his body directly, even through the protection of the Lightning Release. 

The surrounding enemies watched coldly as Saitama pushed off the ground and charged into the eastern crowd once more. 

No time to recover! 

The enemies didn't flinch either—though Saitama was indeed powerful, they weren't pushovers either. 

Slash after slash—Saitama swung with mechanical precision! Fresh wounds marked his body, but his blade stayed true, cutting down enemies without pause. 

At this moment, the power of the Sharingan was being maximized. Amid the chaos of battle, Saitama remained fully autonomous, clearly tracking every movement of the surrounding enemies. 

"Perish!" 

A furious roar erupted from his flank. Saitama's scalp stiffened instantly as he twisted his body and slashed toward the source of the voice. 

Boom! A massive fist slammed into Saitama's chest, leaving a visible dent. 

Ugh! Even protected by the Lightning Release, Saitama suffered severe damage from the blow. 

Prolonged combat not only sapped his strength but also dulled his reflexes. 

Now that he had taken the blow, Saitama clearly recognized his attacker. 

It was none other than Shihara Shin—the one he'd previously injured with a single strike, leaving him out of the fight for half the battle. 

His hair now stood on end, and visible streams of chakra swirled around his body. 

He had clearly activated a secret jutsu, completely ignoring his earlier injury. 

Looking at Saitama—who had taken a direct punch—Shihara Shin heaved a heavy breath but held back from pressing the attack. 

Seeing Saitama endure so long under such encirclement surprised him slightly. Ignoring the wound on his arm, he forcefully initiated the technique, launching a surprise attack during Saitama's chaotic melee. 

Though such tactics were disgraceful, they proved highly effective. 

As he watched Saitama crash into the crowd from a single punch, Shihara Shin's gaze sharpened further—this victory was going to come at a heavier price than anticipated.

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