Saitama rubbed his messy hair, ignoring the nearby water basin. Instead, he ran his fingers through his medium-length hair, pushing it back so it wouldn't obstruct his vision.
"Huh?" Just as he was about to leave the tent, he noticed a large pot of meat and a container of drinking water placed on the table.
"Who's this considerate?" he muttered, raising his eyebrows as he tried to recall. "Did someone come by earlier? I was too tired to notice…"
Saitama tapped his temple with his right hand, lost in thought.
"Could it have been Fire? That kind of reckless guy would barge into my tent without asking." Shrugging, Saitama walked over, picked up the pot, and sat down on a chair.
Inside were some cold, steamed rice balls and a generous portion of meat—probably beef, nearly half a catty.
"Tastes decent, just cold," Saitama commented between bites, swinging his legs beneath the chair.
He was quite hungry and didn't have much food left. In about ten minutes, he had cleaned the pot.
"Belch!"
"Half full… better not eat too much at night," he mumbled, patting his stomach as he stood up. Deciding to walk a few laps around the camp, he stepped outside.
The Konoha camp was under heavy guard that night. Patrols moved constantly—mostly squads that had arrived earlier and were currently doing double shifts due to the lack of reinforcements.
Saitama greeted the patrolling shinobi with a nod as he passed. He didn't look down on them despite most being non-combat support or low-ranked ninja.
The border was still some distance away, and as he gazed in the direction of Kirigakure, Saitama's thoughts drifted.
After a moment, he wandered toward a quiet corner of the camp—a cleared area, perhaps not yet assigned for tents or deliberately left open for rest.
Thunk!
A sudden voice rang out: "Hyaa!"
Whoosh! Clang!
The sound of shuriken slicing through air and striking wood echoed in the night.
"Who's out training in the middle of the night?" Saitama muttered. Although this area was open, it was still inside the camp. Curious—and with nothing better to do—he followed the sounds.
His steps were light, and although the campfires provided some illumination, this part was dim. He moved quietly toward the source of the noise.
Leaning against a wooden stake, a young girl panted heavily. The exertion of her recent practice was obvious.
Saitama stayed just outside the reach of the firelight, near a tent. The moonlight illuminated the training girl in the clearing ahead.
"What are you doing?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Who's there?!" the girl gasped, startled, and turned toward him.
Her face was still slightly youthful but filled with resolve. A Konoha forehead protector was tied securely on her brow. She wore a standard flak jacket over a black, close-combat uniform, and dark pants—clearly trained and prepared for battle.
"Who are you?" she asked, cautious. She vaguely remembered seeing him earlier that day during the captain's briefing. Being the youngest among them, he had stood out.
"I'm Uchiha Saitama," he answered calmly, standing a few meters away and nodding slightly.
"Why are you here?" Her tone was serious, almost comically so on her small face.
"Just wandering. I heard someone and came to take a look."
"Oh. Sorry for disturbing you," she said, assuming she'd woken him. Embarrassed, she quickly gathered her things, preparing to leave.
"You're leaving already?" Saitama asked with a smile, stepping in front of her.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your rest," she replied, bowing politely with a sheepish smile.
"It's not like that. You didn't bother me."
"Oh…" She looked up, trying to confirm whether he was serious.
"What were you practicing?" Saitama asked. He had seen her throwing shuriken and using basic taijutsu moves.
"Ninjutsu training," she replied, standing straighter now that she understood he wasn't upset.
"Aren't you Tsunade-sama's apprentice? Shouldn't you be focusing on medical ninjutsu?" he asked curiously. Though medical-nin needed some combat skills, the techniques she was practicing seemed unrelated.
She didn't answer right away and instead asked, "Are you a jōnin?"
"Uh, no."
"Then how were you at the captain's meeting earlier?"
"You were there too," he pointed out.
"I was brought by Tsunade-sama. That's different."
"Well, I was also brought along—by someone else."
"Then… are you a chūnin?"
"Yeah. Chūnin," Saitama admitted. Technically true—though his strength surpassed many jōnin.
"Oh," she nodded, accepting the explanation.
"Aren't the Uchiha known for their strong physiques? You use a sword, right?" Her gaze shifted to the blade at his waist.
"More or less," Saitama replied modestly, patting the hilt. He found the conversation amusing—especially since he'd always liked this character in his past life.
"Then… can you teach me a few moves?" she asked, surprisingly direct.
"Teach you? Hmm… what do I get in return?" he said playfully.
"I can teach you a basic medical ninjutsu," she offered, but then hesitated. "Actually… never mind."
"That's fine," he said, stepping closer. "What do you want to learn?"
"Close-quarters combat. I have… personal reasons, but I need to be able to defend myself up close," she answered after a pause.
Although they hadn't really spoken before, she felt oddly at ease with him. His calm eyes gave her a strange sense of familiarity and trust, as if they'd known each other for years.
"By the way, you still haven't told me your name," Saitama said casually.
"Oh! Right—I'm Shizune, Konoha chūnin!" She blushed slightly, realizing she'd forgotten to introduce herself.
"Shizune, huh," he repeated, pleased. "Alright then. Show me your attack so I can see where to start."
He stepped back, resting one hand on his sword, and nodded for her to begin.
"Huh? Just like that? Okay…" Shizune took a stance, her expression turning serious as she focused on Saitama standing there so casually.
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