Born To Rise In Konoha
Chapter 120

Chapter 120: Chapter 120

"Can you not scratch my palm?" I murmured, my neck turning red.

Though Shizune wore only a standard flak jacket and combat uniform, she still felt warm in the coastal breeze.

"Oh!" Saitama nodded, continuing the small movement with his fingers, hand still resting in hers as they sat side by side.

"Any injuries from this mission?" Shizune asked, shifting topics when Saitama didn’t let go despite agreeing.

"Do I look injured?"

Saitama patted his chest boldly with his free hand, grinning.

"That’s good," Shizune replied softly, for some reason breathing a quiet sigh of relief. She nodded repeatedly, her lowered head bobbing like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Is there something interesting on the ground? Why won’t you look at me?" Saitama teased, lifting her chin gently with his fingers.

"No!" Shizune’s face flushed, but she didn’t resist the unexpected gesture. Slowly, she raised her gaze, her clear eyes locking onto his with shy intensity.

"Haha, what’s wrong?" Saitama asked knowingly, brushing her nose lightly, feeling the faint heat on her face.

"Isn’t it obvious?" Shizune turned away, not expecting Saitama to be so forward this time.

"Haha!" He scratched his head and laughed.

"I guess I finally figured something out," he added, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Mm." Shizune nodded, as if she understood. Her eyes remained fixed on him.

They sat like that for a while, just talking. Shizune listened more than she spoke, as usual, occasionally offering her thoughts.

After today, something between them had clearly changed. Shizune had always sensed Saitama was different from the others—interesting, kind, capable. Until now, it was a vague feeling. But today, she began to understand it more clearly. As for Saitama, he’d always felt drawn to Shizune, but assumed it was just the lingering sentiment of his previous life. Yet earlier, when he saw her searching the crowd for him, her eyes lighting up when they found him—he realized it was more than that.

They were still kids—Saitama around nine, Shizune maybe twelve—but feelings don’t wait for the right age. And Saitama’s soul had already lived decades. Shizune, born into wartime, had matured quickly.

---

Later that Day, Uchiha Camp

"Saitama!"

Uchiha Mori waved him over from where he sat beside Uchiha Tenaki, the clan head. His smile was odd, making Saitama uneasy.

"How was it, being with your little girlfriend?" Mori teased in a low voice as Saitama walked past.

Saitama glanced around. The meeting hadn’t started, and few had arrived yet. No one seemed to hear, so he shot Mori a glare and silently took the empty seat at Tenaki’s right.

Tenaki gave him a nod of approval.

Currently, Saitama was seen as the third most influential figure in the Uchiha camp, highly respected among both the elders and younger generation.

This was an internal strategy meeting—Tenaki’s war council.

Only several high-ranking Uchiha officers were present.

"I heard you ran into the Seven Ninja Swordsmen on this last mission. Took two of them on, didn’t you?" Tenaki asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and praise.

Though Tenaki hadn’t participated directly, intelligence reports had landed on his desk. He’d always considered Saitama talented—strong enough to kill standard jonin—but defeating any of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen? That was another level.

"Well, I did run into them," Saitama admitted. "But I only fought them one at a time. If two came at me together, it wouldn’t have been so easy."

Even so, his tone carried modesty.

"Still impressive. Those guys are top-tier in the entire ninja world," Tenaki mused, stroking the long beard he kept deliberately unkempt. "Elite jonin struggle against them—even more so against their legendary swords."

Saitama crossed his arms and looked down at the table. "Yeah."

"To have a shinobi like you in the clan... our ancestors must be smiling," Tenaki said, voice turning sentimental.

Saitama didn’t know how to respond, so he remained silent.

"Ahem." Mori coughed lightly beside them, snapping Tenaki from his praise.

Just then, a few more Uchiha entered the tent. With everyone present, the meeting began.

Tenaki outlined the current war status, urging every captain to minimize losses while pushing for maximum effectiveness on the battlefield.

Two hours passed.

Tenaki, as always, was thorough—painfully so. His words were sharp, but exhausting. By the end, even Mori looked like he’d rather be fighting.

Saitama, on the other hand, zoned out barely five minutes in.

---

After the Meeting

"Hah, he can talk forever!" Saitama muttered, walking back through the darkened camp beside Mori.

"It’s for the clan," Mori stretched. "Lord Tenaki always gives his best, even if it’s... long-winded."

"I know. You go rest. I’m taking a walk."

Saitama waved him off and headed out of the Uchiha quarters.

It was past nine. Most of the shinobi had turned in, but Saitama wasn’t tired. This was the time he’d agreed to meet Shizune.

---

At the Clearing

As he approached the clearing, he spotted a small figure sitting on a wooden crossbeam.

Shizune.

She was petite—barely 1.5 meters tall—but somehow that only made her presence more striking.

"Ahem."

He hadn’t meant to sneak up on her, but she hadn’t noticed. So he cleared his throat.

"Ah! You’re here, Saitama!" Shizune turned her head quickly, her short hair flipping with the motion.

"What were you thinking about so deeply?" Saitama asked, sitting beside her and leaning back on his hands.

"Nothing. Is the meeting over?" she asked, glancing up at him with a soft smile. Her clear eyes reflected the starlight—and him.

"Yeah, finally. It was worse than one of Tsunade-sama’s lectures."

He groaned dramatically.

"Want me to massage your shoulders? Tsunade-sama has me do it when she’s tired. I’ve even learned a few techniques at the hospital."

Shizune looked away as she spoke, cheeks tinting pink.

"Really? Then I’ll be your test subject." Saitama chuckled, leaning forward slightly so she’d have more room to work.

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