After parting ways with Uchiha Huo, Saitama continued forward at a slow pace.
He remained alert, suppressing his chakra and moving purely on muscle power.
Though near Bear Country, it also lay close to the sea.
Just offshore was an island nation known as Whirlpool—an ancient land long since destroyed.
Since its destruction, no nation had claimed Whirlpool's land. It was too desolate and far from the mainland, making the effort outweigh the benefits, especially in terms of management.
If any country might make use of it strategically, Saitama could only think of one: the Land of Water.
Perhaps the Mist ninja were using Whirlpool's islands as a foothold to infiltrate Fire Country's border?
After all, Konoha concentrated most of its defenses along the border with Bear Country. The sea route from Whirlpool was naturally less guarded. Furthermore, the route from Whirlpool to the Land of Fire required a longer detour—hardly an ideal strategy. But what if the Mist ninja preferred reckless gambits?
Before long, Saitama reached a vast blue ocean.
Rather than heading inland toward Bear Country, he turned toward the coast, hoping to find proof supporting his suspicions.
"Boom!" A loud noise suddenly rang out ahead.
Saitama's expression changed instantly. He dropped to the ground, scanning the area with sharp eyes.
"What was that?" His right hand gripped the sword at his waist while the other supported his body.
But after waiting for a long time, Saitama heard nothing else. It was as if that earlier sound had been imaginary.
"I'll go a little further, then retreat. Something feels off," he silently resolved.
Keeping low, he advanced slowly, using bushes for cover.
Due to years of neglect, plants here grew densely. Shrubs reached halfway up a man's height. Though climate conditions made them appear dry and yellowed, they provided excellent concealment.
Carefully stepping forward, Saitama stayed alert. He didn't know if traps lurked beneath—he knew well that caution was the ninja's way.
"Yuanzhi! Watch yourself!"
As he crept forward, unfamiliar voices reached Saitama's ears, stiffening his body slightly.
"I know already! You won't even help me carry this heavy thing, yet you still lecture me!"
Another voice followed, filled with complaints aimed at the first speaker.
"Don't talk back. As ninjas, we must overcome simple obstacles like this. Keep moving and stop dragging your feet!"
Through gaps in the bushes, Saitama spotted two figures—or rather, one figure. Beside it, stacked wooden poles moved forward, clearly hiding someone underneath.
"What's going on here?" He didn't act recklessly, though his sharp eyes told him both ninja were probably expendable grunts.
"Ugh, fine! Don't keep pushing me!"
The hesitant one muttered back.
"The quicker we finish, the quicker we get to eat. You hungry or not?"
"We've been stuck out here all day, and it's already the afternoon. Haven't even had a sip of water!"
"I know, I know. Just watch my back a little, okay? I'm really having trouble carrying this."
"Fine! Just hurry up and get back already."
...
Saitama frowned while tailing these two ninjas. The power difference was too great — they didn't sense anyone following at all.
"Let me follow them first and see what exactly they're up to." Saitama didn't act recklessly. These two ninjas didn't seem like Mist ninjas at all.
Following them, Saitama soon arrived at a bay where the sea met the land. It naturally formed a rather hidden harbor.
He hid himself in the bushes, observing an apparent dock under construction hundreds of meters away.
"So the Mist village really plans to launch a direct landing instead of going through Bear Country."
"These ninjas must belong to Bear Country then?" Saitama carefully examined the figures patrolling around the construction site. He hadn't spotted any signs identifying them as Mist ninjas.
"What should I do? Return or keep watching?"
Saitama noticed the defenses weren't very strong here. He'd already gotten this close, yet no one detected him.
"I'll grab someone for questioning first, then head back."
Saitama made his decision. Coming back empty-handed wasn't his style.
His eyes searched for a target until settling on the campsite behind the construction area.
Saitama narrowed his eyes, carefully scanning the surroundings as he crept slowly toward the camp.
The camp looked crude and rundown, especially when compared to Konoha. The tents were tattered and patched many times over.
Unaware, guards within the camp never noticed a figure sliding silently into the site from the hill behind without making a sound.
"Ssssh!" Saitama sliced open a tent flap and quickly slipped inside.
"Tsk tsk!" The moment he entered, Saitama caught a whiff of a sour stench that reminded him of memories from working part-time at a construction site in his previous life.
Inside, numerous beds were laid out side-by-side in a few square meters, tightly packed together.
Saitama glanced around — there was no one inside.
"Clap clap clap!"
Footsteps rang by his ears, drawing closer. Saitama positioned himself in a blind spot beside the entrance, waiting for someone to come in.
"Rattle!" The tent flap was pulled aside, and a skinny figure stepped in. Sweating heavily with flushed cheeks, he looked exhausted — and clearly wasn't a ninja.
The man didn't see Saitama standing right next to the door — the moment he stepped in, he made a beeline for one of the beds.
Noticing no one else followed inside, Saitama narrowed his eyes, and a stream of [Chidori Current] crackled across his palm.
"F**k! Who did this?"
As the man reached one of the beds, he spotted the slit Saitama had made when entering the tent, blurting out a curse word instinctively.
The tent was already in poor shape, and now another tear meant extra effort patching it up again. Annoyance showed unusually on the man's face.
"Zzztt!" Saitama placed his hand on the man's neck. Electricity coursed through his body, causing spasms that left him unable to speak.
"Don't scream, or I'll kill you. You're not a ninja, so I assume you won't try to resist," Saitama said softly with an indifferent tone.
"Just nod if you understand," Saitama added, slightly reducing the electric current in his hand to allow the man to move.
"Good. As long as you cooperate, I'll leave once I get what I need," Saitama continued, watching the man slowly and reluctantly nod his head.
"One more time—don't scream. I can kill you before they arrive—you get the idea!" Saitama gave a final warning, then released his grip, letting the man collapse onto the ground.
"Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything!" The man sounded terrified, sitting helplessly on the floor with his pupils constricted in fear.
"I ask, you answer," Saitama replied. He knew guys like this wouldn't have anything big to say, but he could still squeeze out the basics.
"Who built this dock?" Saitama asked, pretending not to know.
"It... it was ordered by the Daimyo. Rumor has it that it was for the Mist Ninja, but I don't really know." The man was panting heavily, afraid that Saitama would kill him over the slightest dissatisfaction.
"Hmm. How much longer do you think construction will take?" Saitama didn't ask about ninjas further, instead posing a question that a construction worker should be able to answer.
"The exact time isn't certain. At the current pace, it should take about another two weeks. But the ninja who oversees us said today that another crew is coming tomorrow, so things are probably gonna speed up a lot," the man answered uncertainly, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Hmm. Are all the ninjas here from Bear Country?" Saitama remained vigilant, keeping watch on the outside situation.
"Most of them are. But last night, a boatload of Mist Ninja arrived from the sea, and they left early this morning," the man wiped his forehead, revealing a frightened expression.
"Shing!" Slowly pulling out his blade, Saitama's eyes revealed a contemplative gleam.
"No, no! You..." Seeing Saitama's movement, the man's voice suddenly raised, but just as he was about to cry out, the hilt of the sword struck his head. His eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground.
"I'll find another ninja to ask," Saitama murmured. He crawled out through the hole he had entered from, concealing his presence as he began searching for the next target. Time was limited—he needed to move fast.
The previous man wasn't a ninja; he was merely an ordinary worker. Therefore, Saitama hadn't intended to kill him—just knock him unconscious.
But once he woke up, there was no telling whether he'd report to the ninjas inside the camp. Saitama had no choice but to act swiftly during this short window of time. If today didn't pan out, he'd pull back anyway—he already knew where it was. Better to come back later when ready.
...
In the end, Saitama failed to capture a lone ninja. Judging the timing to be appropriate, he quietly slipped away.
"What?! You're sure about this?" Uchiha Mori stared at Saitama, his expression seemingly asking whether Saitama was joking.
"I checked it myself—it's confirmed. The Mist Ninja are planning a direct amphibious landing. That area is being constructed under Bear Country's supervision."
Saitama stood there with little surprise on his face. He had expected all along that reporting this information would definitely confuse the people from Konoha.
"This matter I'll report shortly. Come with me first and let's grab something to eat," Uchiha Mori said, nodding. He also wiped the shocked expression off his face and returned to his usual cold demeanor.
"Alright then, I'll head down first," Saitama replied, immediately turning around and leaving Mori's tent.
As soon as he came back in the afternoon, he immediately reported the intelligence he gathered to Mori. As for reporting it further, that was Mori's responsibility—he was only responsible for reconnaissance.
"Captain!" The Uchiha brothers Yan and Huo were waiting outside the tent. Seeing Saitama come out, they called out.
"Not now. We'll talk about it later," Saitama replied, noticing their hesitant expressions.
"Okay!" Both nodded.
"So back then, when we encountered those Mist ninja in the forest, you already suspected this?" Uchiha Huo sounded a bit too surprised.
"Yeah." Saitama nodded.
"What was the situation over there like?" Uchiha Yan asked without showing any other emotions.
"The exact number of enemy ninja wasn't known. I caught a civilian, got some quick intel, and headed straight back," Saitama said, taking a bite of some kind of fruit in his hand.
"A little sour," he remarked on the taste, without paying attention to the confused expressions exchanged by the two beside him.
This was a kind of fruit picked by Konoha ninja from the surrounding areas—edible and rich in vitamins.
"What do we do next?" Uchiha Huo's eyes sparkled excitedly, clearly eager to destroy the enemy camp right away.
"What can we do? Just wait for orders. I think there might be more than one place like this. Let's see how Tsunade-sama handles it," Saitama said after finishing the fruit, wiping his hands against his clothes.
"Let's grab a bite first. I have to meet up with Mori shortly after," he added, standing up and heading outside.
Uchiha Yan wore a thoughtful expression, clearly still absorbing the information from Saitama. Meanwhile, Uchiha Huo immediately broke into a grin at the mention of food and followed Saitama out.
...
"If things are really like this, Konoha's strategy is going to undergo major changes," Uchiha Mori mused while sitting inside the tent, thinking about the intelligence Saitama had just delivered.
"Mori had initially assumed the war with the Mist would drag on, but never expected them to take this approach. The pace of the battlefield will suddenly speed up!" Mori tapped the table repeatedly with his fingers, his eyes fixed on the map laid out before him.
One spot on the map had been circled in red by Saitama—the location where he found the enemy.
Moreover, Saitama had told him, "I suspect there might be more than one spot like this!"
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