Chapter 123
Saitama subconsciously touched the shinobi blade at his waist and turned to ask Yuuki, who looked a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, I just ran into a squad from Kirigakure, but we managed to take care of them," she replied.
Yu Nushi adjusted her nose-tip sunglasses slightly, and the two ninja behind her—also wearing sunglasses—remained silent. Even so, Saitama could sense their curious gazes lingering on him.
"Alright then, head to the rear and get some rest. We’ll continue the patrol," Saitama said with a wave of his hand. They had a mission to complete—there was no time to linger.
"Okay!" the group responded, passing by quickly.
"Be careful ahead—the border’s close," Saitama warned.
The border with the Land of Bears was long, and while the main conflict was centered near the coast, skirmishes frequently broke out in remote areas. Most of these were infiltration missions that resulted in sudden clashes.
Saitama’s team was tasked with patrolling one such area today. Just a few days ago, they had been assigned to the front lines to handle fortifications. Today’s assignment was thanks to Tsunade’s rotation strategy—after periods of heavy combat, her distribution system ensured leaf ninja got a break through lower-intensity patrols.
Of course, that "break" only held if they didn’t encounter enemy forces.
"Woosh!"
Figures darted through the trees in silence. Saitama’s team advanced swiftly toward their designated patrol zone.
After a while, a subtle noise caught Saitama’s ear. The chakra he sensed ahead was unfamiliar—not from the Leaf.