Chapter 126
"This is the border. That side is the Land of Fire... and over there lies the Land of Bears."
Saitama stood at the front of a formation of Konoha shinobi. Tension crackled in the air. On the other side, a contingent of Hidden Mist (Kirigakure) ninjas—Silent and watchful—faced them with killing intent.
Tsunade wasn’t present for this battle. The command was held by Uchiha Amama and Hyuga Shin. Despite the traditional rivalry between their clans, the two commanders stood united in the face of war.
"Kitada! Why are you still hiding back there? Scared of getting crushed by Konoha?"
Uchiha Tenaki’s voice boomed across the battlefield.
The forward commander of the Hidden Mist forces, Kitada Jiro, remained where he was. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had not yet arrived.
This time, four of the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been deployed to the battlefield. Among them were Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi, both of whom had previously suffered injuries at the hands of Saitama. The other two—Zabuza’s predecessor, Juzo Biwa, wielder of the Kubikiribōchō (Executioner’s Blade), and Kisame’s senior, the monstrous Samehada wielder—had only recently arrived, but had already inflicted heavy casualties on the Konoha side.
"Hmph!" A gruff voice rose from the Mist ranks as the soldiers parted. A burly, bald man in blue-white armor with a long beard stepped forward—it was Kitada Jiro, Mist’s field commander.
"That’s him? The brat they say electrocuted two of ours? The so-called ’Lightning Blade Messenger’?"
A deep voice growled. It was the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost—Kisame Hoshigaki’s predecessor. He carried a massive, bandage-wrapped blade on his back—Samehada, the chakra-devouring sword.
He had wild orange hair, sharp teeth, and bandages loosely wrapped around his neck. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he stared down Saitama.
"Don’t underestimate that kid," muttered Jinpachi Munashi, who had mostly recovered from his previous injuries. "Even you might not come out on top."