Snap!
Under the dark night sky, Rasa caught sight of a single thread.
One end was attached to the sword Saitama had thrown, while the other remained pinched between his fingers.
"Notice it yet?" Saitama saw Rasa's expression change and followed his gaze, smirking slightly.
His right index finger and thumb pressed together, revealing a nearly invisible transparent wire nestled between them.
Saitama twisted his torso violently to the right, his biceps flexing as he yanked the wire. For a second it resisted — then snapped taut like a bowstring.
On the other end, the ninja sword curved through the air, pulled back by Saitama's force from an unexpected angle, trapping Rasa within the web of the wire.
[Fire Release – Dragon Flame Jutsu]
Without waiting for his blade to return, Saitama formed a single hand seal across his chest, inflated his lungs, and tilted his head back.
Blazing chakra surged in his throat as he locked eyes with Rasa and exhaled a torrent of fire.
The flames burst from his mouth, racing along the wire held in Saitama's grip toward the airborne Rasa.
[Magnet Release – Gold Dust Defense]
Rasa, with his vast combat experience, quickly activated a protective barrier around himself using ninjutsu after spotting Saitama's clever trick.
Boom! The flames slammed into the gold dust, unleashing a wave of heat instantly. The outer layer of sand turned black and began to melt.
One man stood on the ground, the other hovered midair—attack and defense colliding with powerful visual impact.
"Hmph!" Saitama's chakra flared again as he boosted the intensity of his technique.
Hidden behind the wall of gold dust, Rasa endured continuous bombardment from Saitama's attacks, beads of sweat forming rapidly on his forehead.
What's more, while fully exerting [Magnet Release], his abdominal wound worsened and showed signs of tearing open further.
Gold dust was a special type of sand created when Rasa used his [Magnet Release] to extract metal from underground and mixed it with ordinary sand.
It was extremely durable and easily fused with chakra.
Yet under Saitama's [Fire Release], it started melting. The outer layer of gold dust clumped together, forming a smooth, glass-like surface.
Snap! Saitama released the steel wire pinched between his fingers and snatched the returning sword midair.
...
"That chakra surge again..."
A scout from Shisui's team looked up toward the distant horizon.
Even without him speaking, all four members of the group halted their steps at once.
"I'll go ahead first—you guys hurry up!"
Shisui knew that place was where he'd felt that strange stirring earlier.
Whoever made that familiar feeling return to his eyes must be out there.
"Yes sir!" They nodded, sensing that Shisui was acting out of the ordinary.
Normally, he wouldn't issue such orders or intentionally separate from the team to rush off alone.
Glancing once toward the source of the chakra fluctuations, Shisui slammed his foot down and shot forward with a sudden burst of speed, vanishing from sight before his teammates could react.
The black cloak flapped in the wind. The forehead protector of Konoha was tightly tied around Shisui's forehead, reflecting a faint glow under the moonlight.
He kept his mouth shut, eyes fixed straight ahead. His heart beat anxiously—the closer he got, the more familiar that chakra fluctuation felt.
His pace quickened, and Shisui's speed grew faster. He wanted to confront the person who unsettled him completely.
The one with the Sharingan, just like him.
...
"I hope you won't regret chasing after me, Rasa!"
Saitama gripped the sword in his hand and slowly tucked it back into his waistband. At the same time, the tomoe within his eyes began to rotate, gradually transforming into the Mangekyou pattern.
Blood trickled from the corner of his left eye, running down his cheek and dripping onto the ground.
Rasa manipulated the scattered Gold Dust that had been shielding him, pulling it away to reveal Saitama.
"Though your attack was strong, my Gold Dust won't break so easily either!"
Rasa removed his hand from his abdomen, where Gold Dust had formed a layer of 'sand armor' on his skin, temporarily stopping the blood flow.
Straightening his body, Rasa raised both hands high and began circulating chakra within, causing the gold dust to swirl around him once again.
Thud! Saitama crouched lower, and the sand beneath his feet caved in from the pressure. Then, a burst of air spread outward from him in all directions, propelling Saitama upward in a single leap.
Closing his left eye tightly, Saitama widened his right eye, locking his gaze onto Rasa.
In front of him lay a vast ocean of flipping, swirling gold dust.
Crackling! Blue arcs of electricity surged over Saitama's entire body.
The cool night wind whipped against his face, clearing his mind and heightening his focus.
CRACK! A lightning bolt cut through the air without warning, and Saitama swung downward from above with his right arm, slicing open a portion of the wall blocking his path, briefly revealing Rasa hiding behind it.
"Now!" Narrowing his eyes, Saitama focused instantly. A surge of intense energy shot through his left eye, consuming part of its power.
[Amaterasu]
Black flames erupted into view within Saitama's vision, landing directly onto Rasa, who originally wore a calm expression.
"Ahh..." Rasa screamed in pain as the unexpected fire wrapped tightly around him.
Boom! The sand underfoot lost Rasa's control, scattering into loose grains, losing all cohesion.
Puff! Rasa fell from midair onto the ground, creating a deep crater upon impact.
"It looks like I've won after all!" Smiling slightly, Saitama approached, halting a few meters away from Rasa.
Black flames continued raging over Rasa's body, drawing out screams of agony.
Buzzing! Electricity sparked around Saitama's right hand—he activated [Chidori].
He was ready to finish this—snuffing out a danger before it could grow into something worse.
Lifting his right arm high, Saitama extended the Chidori, reshaping it into the form of a long spear.
[Chidori Light Sword]
Watching the figure writhing on the ground, attempting to smother the flames with sand, Saitama gathered force at his waist and stretched his arm straight, hurling the ninjutsu forward.
Swish! The jutsu tore through the air, producing a sharp sound as it pierced through.
Rasa was lying on the ground when his eyes narrowed at Saitama's movement. Instinctively, he tried to control his Gold Dust to protect himself, but the pain in his body made it impossible for him to concentrate at all.
The blue-white Ninjutsu drew closer. A flicker of fear flashed in Rasa's eyes, his whites bloodshot and growing more so. His body writhed increasingly violently.
This man who had once carried an entire village on his shoulders—right now, at this moment—he felt fear! Death loomed larger and larger with every passing second!
Just then, a rapidly approaching Chakra entered Saitama's Sensor range—one that felt very familiar.
Swish! A blade flew through the air, glowing blue beneath the night sky, aimed directly at the Ninjutsu in front of Rasa. The figure wielding it quickly approached as well.
"Is…that really Shisui?"
Saitama smiled slightly, looking toward the silhouette standing not far away.
He had pictured their reunion many times, but never in a scene like this.
Shisui landed beside Rasa and picked up the blade he had just used to deflect Saitama's Ninjutsu.
Shock flooded Shisui's face. His pupils widened as if he were seeing a ghost. He stared at the distant but unmistakably familiar figure.
He never expected to find Saitama alive here, of all places—and in this way.
"Is that really…Saitama?"
Shisui raised his blade toward Saitama, recognizing the man at his feet as Rasa, the current Kazekage of Sunagakure.
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