The atmosphere at the Konoha front-line camp was as heavy as leaden clouds before a thunderstorm.
The ninjas on the watchtowers had gazes that were sharp yet exhausted.
The air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs, sweat, and a faint, lingering metallic tang of blood.
Saiki's arrival was like a stone dropped into stagnant water, sending out ripples of unease.
After verifying his identity—specifically showing the temporary order stamped with Tsunade's Hokage seal—he was led by a grim-faced ninja toward the main tent.
Inside the command tent, the light was dim.
It smelled of herbal poultices and that unique, unsettling musk characteristic of snakes.
Orochimaru sat regally in the seat of honor.
The moment Saiki stepped inside, those golden slit-pupils locked onto him.
A subtle, indecipherable smirk curled the corners of his pale lips.
"Heh... Saiki-kun, welcome to the front lines."
Orochimaru's voice was raspy and laced with a strange eagerness, as if he were admiring a rare, priceless treasure.
"I didn't expect Tsunade to send you here. It is... quite a delightful surprise."
Saiki's expression remained flat as he gave a slight nod.
His etiquette was technically perfect, yet a freezing coldness lurked in the depths of his eyes.
On the journey here, he had already sensed that faint, slippery feeling of being watched by Orochimaru's snakes.
He immediately connected the previous ambushes on the road to this venomous serpent sitting before him.
This guy likely knew every detail of the upheaval back in the village and might even have enjoyed the chaos.
The "welcome ceremonies" Saiki encountered on the path were almost certainly encouraged by him.
"Lord Orochimaru," Saiki said in a neutral tone.
"I have been dispatched by the Fourth Hokage to support the front and escort a shipment of critical supplies."
He placed a sealing scroll on the desk.
"Here is the manifest. Please verify it."
Orochimaru didn't even glance at the scroll.
His eyes never left Saiki, as if he wanted to dissect the boy from the inside out and study his marrow.
"Tsunade... the Fourth, is it? She certainly moves fast."
He smiled meaningfully. "I accept the supplies on behalf of the soldiers. You've had a long journey, Saiki-kun. Was the road... smooth?"
The question was loaded with hidden meaning.
Saiki raised his eyes to meet Orochimaru's, his gaze unwavering.
"I ran into a few blind insects. I've already scrubbed them away. Lord Orochimaru needn't trouble himself with such trifles."
He paused, then cut directly to his real objective.
"Furthermore, I wish to review the detailed intelligence on recent casualties—specifically the report regarding the death of Tsume Inuzuka's husband."
A flash of understanding crossed Orochimaru's eyes.
He clearly knew Saiki's personal motive for this trip.
He didn't obstruct him; instead, he gestured to an assistant to bring forth an intelligence scroll.
"The casualty lists and combat logs are all here. The warrior of the Inuzuka clan encountered the Iwagakure Explosion Corps during a scouting mission several days ago... He died a heroic death."
Saiki took the scroll.
His Divine Sense swept over it in a heartbeat, extracting the vital data.
Iwagakure Explosion Corps. Captain Gari (user of the Blast Style). Location: The canyon southeast of Kannabi Bridge.
"Thank you." He stashed the scroll, offering no further words.
"Since you've just arrived, I've arranged quarters for you. After traveling for days, perhaps you should rest first..." Orochimaru said with a mask of feigned concern.
"No need," Saiki interrupted.
His tone remained flat, but it carried a weight of absolute authority.
"I have the Fifth's mandate; I operate with autonomy. I will find my own accommodations. Lord Orochimaru shouldn't waste his energy worrying about me."
He didn't trust Orochimaru to put him anywhere that wasn't a trap.
Orochimaru didn't push. His smile only deepened, turning more sinister.
"If that is what Saiki-kun prefers. The front is dangerous. Do be careful."
Saiki didn't waste another breath. He gave a sharp nod and turned to leave.
He felt Orochimaru's gaze—hungry, prying, and predatory—sticking to his back until he stepped through the tent flaps.
He didn't linger in the crowded, suffocating camp.
Instead, he moved directly toward the most volatile sections of the front line.
Using his superior speed and sensory range, he easily bypassed the camp's watchmen.
He plunged deep into the hazardous "no-man's land" where the two nations' forces bled into each other.
As he crossed a thick patch of woodland, the sounds of metal clashing and explosions reached his ears.
In a clearing ahead, Team Minato was locked in a desperate struggle against a squad of Stone ninja.
The situation looked grim.
Rin Nohara was backed into a corner by two Stone shinobi.
As a medical ninja, she lacked the offensive power to repel them, and her life was hanging by a thread.
Obito Uchiha was roaring in frustration, his Sharingan spinning wildly as he struggled against a Stone Jonin.
Kakashi Hatake, wielding his White Light Blade, moved like a bolt of lightning, fighting three enemies at once.
While he was holding his own, he was too pinned down to help his teammates.
Minato, who should have been the anchor, was nowhere to be seen.
Just as a Stone ninja's "Earth Spear" was about to pierce Rin's shoulder, a silhouette appeared in front of her like a vengeful ghost.
Saiki didn't even draw his sword.
He simply held his hand out, fingers stiffened into a blade, and made a casual swipe.
SHRED!
The hardened earth spear and the arm of the ninja holding it were sliced through as if they were made of soft tofu.
The severed limb hit the dirt. Blood sprayed in a hot fountain.
The ninja let out a high-pitched, agonizing shriek.
The second Stone ninja gasped in shock, but before he could retreat, Saiki blurred into his personal space.
He delivered a simple, brutal straight punch to the man's gut.
THUD!
The sound of the impact was followed by the sickening crunch of a shattering ribcage.
The ninja's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
His body was launched backward like a broken sack of meat, slamming into a tree and sliding down, his life extinguished instantly.
After erasing two threats in a heartbeat, Saiki didn't slow down.
He moved through the remaining Stone ninja like a wolf through a flock of sheep.
He didn't use massive, flashy Ninjutsu.
He used raw Taijutsu and pinpoint chakra strikes.
Every move he made resulted in a downed enemy—either bones were pulverized or chakra was injected into their organs to shut them down.
His movements were clean, ruthless, and decisively lethal.
It was a terrifying contrast to his youthful, handsome appearance.
In the time it took to draw a single breath, the rest of the Stone squad was neutralized.
The clearing was a mess of mangled limbs and groaning survivors.
"Saiki-kun!" Rin gasped, her voice full of the relief of a survivor.
She looked at the back of the boy who stood before her—not particularly tall, yet feeling as immovable and reliable as a mountain.
Her eyes sparkled with a sudden, intense light of adoration and reliance.
However, that look of joy stung someone else nearby.
Obito Uchiha watched Rin's blatant delight and then looked at the effortless, bloodless way Saiki stood in the center of the carnage.
Seeing the way Rin's gaze was fixed entirely on Saiki, a flame of jealousy and rage ignited in Obito's chest.
His eyes burned with resentment as he stared at Saiki.
Kakashi sheathed his blade and stood up.
His single visible "dead-fish" eye scanned Saiki, then the broken Stone ninja on the ground.
His gaze was detached, yet it carried a trace of clinical appraisal... and was that respect?
He didn't seem surprised by Saiki's ruthlessness, but he clearly recognized the terrifying scale of his power.
Suddenly, in a flash of yellow light, Minato Namikaze appeared.
His face was etched with apology and exhaustion. "Sorry! I'm late! I was pinned down by a diversionary unit..."
His words died in his throat as he took in the scene: his students were safe, and a strange youth was standing amidst the wreckage of an elite squad.
"Saiki?" Minato recognized him, his brow furrowing slightly.
He knew something massive had happened in the village, a total overhaul of the leadership.
But the details had been classified at the highest level.
He only knew Tsunade was taking over and that Saiki was her most trusted confidant.
Seeing Saiki here on the front, demonstrating power that far exceeded his records, filled Minato with questions.
The chaos at home, the pressure of the front, and the lack of intel were making even the "Yellow Flash" feel the weight of the war.
"Jonin Minato," Saiki said flatly, meeting Minato's gaze with a calm, level stare.
He knew about Minato's history with Kushina.
He knew exactly who Kushina's heart and body now belonged to.
A subtle, dark sense of victory flickered in Saiki's gut, but he didn't let it show.
The sheer, natural calmness of his presence only served to make the sensitive Minato feel a strange sense of discomfort.
"Thank you for saving Rin and the others," Minato said, suppressing his questions to offer a sincere thanks.
"It was nothing." Saiki's tone remained indifferent.
He glanced at the glowing, happy face of Rin and gave her a brief nod.
He swept a look over the fuming Obito and the expressionless Kakashi.
Finally, he looked back at Minato. "Be careful. I have my own mission."
Without waiting for a response, Saiki blurred.
He vanished into the depths of the forest, continuing his hunt for Gari.
He pushed the complicated interpersonal drama of the team to the back of his mind.
His goal was simple and bloody: Vengeance.
And he would use the blood of his enemies to prove that Tsunade had made the right choice.
Watching the spot where Saiki had disappeared, Minato's scowl deepened.
A sense of profound unease began to settle in his stomach.
Rin, meanwhile, stared at the empty space with a lingering blush on her cheeks and a dazed look in her eyes.
Obito stomped his foot in a fit of pique, while Kakashi silently sheathed his sword, his eyes grim.
The front lines were about to be hit by a hurricane, and Saiki was the eye of the storm.