Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

Saitama wielded his Susanoo, cutting through the remaining enemies nearby.

A strange sense of pleasure stirred within him as he looked at the foes he had just wiped out in an instant.

However, the stabbing pain in his eyes became unbearable, as if daggers were piercing them from inside!

"Pfah!" Blood suddenly spurted from his mouth while he still wore a smile. The red liquid splattered onto Susanoo's skeletal frame. The construct shuddered and began to flicker, its form growing pale—as if it might vanish any moment.

Saitama didn't mind. He understood his current state perfectly.

Although he had awakened the Mangekyou at a critical moment, his body had already reached its limit.

Being able to use Susanoo immediately upon opening his eyes was purely through burning his own life force.

His gaze scanning blankly around, Saitama knew it was time to leave.

The Stone Shinobi hesitated to face that monstrous spectral guardian again. Though dozens of surviving ninjas remained, every one of them wore fearful expressions.

If Shihara Shin hadn't been watching closely, many veteran ninja among them would've already begun retreating.

This Susanoo was simply too horrifying!

Though only in its first stage, its combat power was in a completely different league than ordinary ninjutsu—it could be described without exaggeration as utterly crushing!

"Stop right there!"

Just as Saitama bent his leg, preparing to leap eastward, a voice rang out.

It was Shihara Shin!

Those crimson Sharingan fixed on him. Saitama couldn't tell what the man wanted now—blocking his path?

Even as he burned his own life force to maintain Susanoo, did he truly believe that he and those Rock Ninjas could stop him?

Swish!

Bending then extending his right leg, Saitama sprang toward Shihara Shin like a one-legged frog.

Meanwhile, Susanoo loomed behind him like a massive armor, sticking close.

[Earth Release: Earth-and-Rock Comeback!]

Shihara Shin wore a serious expression. He wouldn't allow this enemy to escape from his territory. Even at the cost of his life, he'd keep this enemy here!

Seeing Saitama spring straight toward him, he formed a single hand seal before slamming his palm into the ground.

A huge slab of stone erupted from the earth and stood vertically in front of him as a shield.

Swish! The blade of Susanoo sliced cleanly through the stone barrier. Wordlessly, Saitama pressed forward toward Shihara Shin without hesitation.

He needed to wrap this up fast and get out of here.

The longer this dragged on, the more likely enemy reinforcements would arrive!

Although his current state was formidable, it came with considerable strain—already, the brief skirmish drained much of his strength.

"Die!"

Breaking past the rock blocking his way, Saitama drove Susanoo forward in another attack against Shihara Shin.

The blue-white blade carved a sharp arc through the night sky. With every swing, faint black lines tore through the air—as if space itself was being sliced open.

Shihara Shin let out a powerful battle cry and lifted a massive boulder overhead. Following his movement, he hurled the enormous stone toward the airborne Saitama and his Susanoo.

"Heh!" Unaffected, Saitama casually swung Susanoo's blade, slicing the colossal rock in two halves that fell apart sideways.

Shihara Shin's pupils contracted as he realized the stark gap between their powers.

At that moment, Susanoo landed a few meters ahead of Saitama.

"Truly amazing!"

Shihara Shin made no other movements. He stared at the several-meter-tall skeletal warrior and couldn't help but sigh with admiration.

At that moment, he realized he had finally fallen too far behind the times!

"But would an old man like me just give up like this?!"

Shihara Shin gritted his teeth, his expression hardening as his features sharpened with focus.

As he lowered his stance, the ground half a meter around him began to tremble.

Some scattered small stones started floating into the air, while muscles on his left arm continuously expanded, the veins becoming increasingly noticeable.

[Earth Release - Weighted Rock Technique]

The moment Saitama landed, he noticed Shihara Shin's transformation, but he didn't care. He immediately bent his leg, guiding his Susanoo to charge at Shihara Shin once more.

With a deep gaze, Shihara Shin watched Saitama approach. Activating his Ninjutsu, he simultaneously rushed toward Saitama himself.

Boom!

Death and survival hung in the balance as Shihara Shin collided with Susanoo, his clenched fist smashing against the blade.

A shockwave burst outward from the center where the two fighters met, sweeping in all directions.

Wind stirred dust and scattered pebbles across the ground. The surrounding Stone shinobi struggled to keep their eyes open while watching these two at the epicenter.

Although they hoped Shihara Shin could win, judging merely by size, this was clearly an uneven battle!

A jet of blood sprayed from Saitama's mouth, splattering onto the Susanoo. The skeleton's color faded further; even the two blades became duller.

"Hehe, kid!"

Blood flowed continuously from Shihara Shin's nostrils, and even the corners of his eyes bled.

Yet somehow, he smiled at this very moment!

[Earth Release - Yellow Spring Swamp]

Right after sustaining injuries, his previously unusable right hand formed a seal. Instantly, the ground beneath both Saitama and himself transformed into a muddy swamp, treacherous and unstable.

"It turns out old masters are tougher than I thought!"

Bending forward, Saitama clutched his mouth with one hand, blood trickling steadily between his fingers.

"Focus fire! Take him down! Don't let him reach Konoha's camp under any circumstances!"

Seeing Saitama trapped in his Ninjutsu with severely restricted movement, Shihara Shin seemingly felt relieved. He signaled surrounding ninja to attack both fighters.

Saitama glanced at his right foot sinking deeper. He drove one blade of his Susanoo into the earth, using it to prop up the entire skeletal body.

"Hurry!"

Observing Saitama's maneuver, Shihara Shin immediately used his left hand to grab the sword blade of Susanoo, lowering his stance.

Instantly, Saitama sensed a tremendous force dragging him downward.

The Stone shinobi exchanged glances before launching various Ninjutsu attacks toward the two fighters.

Brilliant, multicolored jutsu lit up the sky like an overwhelming storm, heading straight for them.

Narrowing his eyes, Saitama experienced eye pain so severe that his vision blurred, yet still forcibly activated Susanoo to tightly protect himself.

Boom! Boom!

The incoming jutsu struck Susanoo, causing its skeletal frame to sway violently, though it maintained its basic form.

Clearly, these ninja lacked the strength needed to breach Saitama's defense.

"Time to go."

Saitama muttered, watching Shihara Shin get caught within the impact range of those techniques.

Shihara Shin had no protection from Susanoo. Although the Stone Shinobi's ninjutsu were primarily aimed at Saitama, the collateral damage still wounded him. Right now, he looked battered and was covered in countless wounds.

Seeing Saitama, who appeared completely unharmed, a flicker of shock flashed deep within his eyes, and he immediately began retreating backward.

If staying here meant dying for nothing, then he'd rather not die at all!

He had his own plans, but Saitama wouldn't give him a chance to escape.

Swish! The left hand of Susanoo held a blade that slashed toward Shihara Shin with incredible speed—an attack that someone drained of chakra and heavily wounded like him couldn't dodge.

Tsssh! A dull red arc passed across Shihara Shin's waist, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

He stared at his waist in disbelief, unable to accept how easily he'd been struck.

Zzzt! Another slash—Susanoo's right arm came down in a brutal arc, severing one of Shihara Shin's arms. [Electric Shock] surged from the wound into his upper torso.

It's over! Saitama glanced at what remained of Shihara Shin, then without looking back, leapt eastward, leaving devastation behind.

The surviving Stone Shinobi dared not confront him, letting Saitama leap freely into the distance.

"Call for reinforcements now!"

One ninja shouted loudly upon seeing Shihara Shin showing no sign of life.

He clutched his right shoulder—his arm was gone entirely. Looking at the smooth cut surface, it was clearly caused by Saitama's Susanoo.

Saitama leapt away, spitting blood mid-air.

At this point, blood meant nothing.

Soon, he reached the foot of the mountain to the east, and Susanoo had already vanished by then.

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