The Land of Iron was the home of the samurai—a calling that ninja had long left behind. Compared to ninja, samurai possessed a relatively higher base power level; lower-ranked samurai often surpassed low-level ninja in combat strength.
However, their potential ceiling was significantly lower. No matter how hard they tried, most could never break through some invisible boundary and reach the level of elite ninja. Even those rare exceptions like General Mifune were few and far between.
This was one of the reasons why the samurai had declined—they lacked sufficient high-end fighters!
In recent half month, something unusual had been happening in the Land of Iron—even ordinary civilians could sense the change in atmosphere.
Ninja who previously only appeared during missions or came for weapon procurement were now showing up frequently.
And it wasn't just ninja from nearby Hidden Villages; shinobi from Sunagakure far to the south and even Mist shinobi separated by oceans were also appearing.
At first, these changes made the resident samurai groups nervous, worrying that the ninja might be planning something against them as remnants of the older generation of power.
But soon, Mifune—nominal leader of the samurai forces and currently the strongest among them—stepped forward to inform the confused samurai about information he had obtained earlier, calming tensions.
"The Five Kage Summit?!"
"I wasn't even born last time it happened! I heard it was jointly initiated by Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, and Madara Uchiha!"
"So what kind of actions are these ninja taking this time?"
"Who knows? Haven't you heard? A terrifying organization called Akatsuki has recently emerged in the Shinobi World!"
"Right! This organization seems to target the Tailed Beasts of Hidden Villages—and they've actually succeeded!"
"If that's the case, then this matter isn't small at all! I wonder what Leader Mifune thinks."
"Whatever the ninja do has nothing to do with us samurai. Let them fight themselves into oblivion so we can return to our golden age of supremacy!"
"Although we don't know exactly what Lord Mifune is thinking, it seems because our Land of Iron is a force different from the shinobi world, and also one of the few neutral territories in the Shinobi World, they chose here to hold this Five Kage Summit."
"You know how mutually distrustful the Hidden Villages are. Other than here, where else would they dare go?"
"Hush..."
After withdrawing his gaze, Kakashi fixed his eyes straight ahead, not even glancing to the sides. The group of sword-wielding samurai who had been whispering together earlier exchanged glances before disinterestedly walking away.
Since he'd already received orders from Minato, Kakashi's job was to make contact with Mifune—the leader of the Land of Iron's samurai forces—and arrange certain details.
Naturally, being a neutral land, the Hidden Villages couldn't exert direct control over the Land of Iron. Before sending Kakashi, Minato had already conveyed his request through letters. Other villages should have also sent their messages to Mifune over the past few days, each dispatching advance shinobi like Kakashi, which meant no single Hidden Village controlled this summit.
The Land of Iron, stronghold of samurai forces—what it was most famous for was its weapon forging.
Kakashi cast a glance around and noticed that nearly the entire street was lined with weapons forges and shops. The quality of weapons produced in the Land of Iron was exceptional. Large Hidden Villages like Konoha regularly placed major orders for ninja tools with the Land of Iron, which accounted for a significant portion of its annual revenue.
Kakashi also knew that his White Fang—the blade once used by his father and later passed down to him—was forged right here. Even after all these years and continued use by Kakashi himself, the blade had never encountered any serious issues.
After completing the mission Minato had assigned him following the Meeting—to make contact with Mifune—Kakashi had been conducting simple surveillance around the designated area where the upcoming Meeting would take place, ensuring the samurai guards could perform their security duties effectively.
Today was the day he had arranged to meet his mentor, Minato, so Kakashi planned to walk around the street for a bit before finding a shop to reinforce his White Fang.
Although the White Fang hadn't experienced any major problems over the years, with the passage of time and Kakashi's own growth in strength, the original durability of the blade was no longer sufficient for future missions or battles.
Locating a well-known forge that Konoha frequently partnered with, Kakashi laid out his accumulated savings as a ninja and requested the owner to infuse some chakra-infused metals and flexible alloys into his blade before heading back out.
Because Kakashi was a returning customer from Konoha, the owner agreed to start the reinforcement process immediately, promising to finish within a week, at which point Kakashi could simply come back and pick it up.
Since Kakashi didn't request a complete rebuild but only an enhancement of the blade itself, the work wouldn't take long, and one week was more than enough.
But the cost hit him like a punch to the gut—nearly a year's worth of savings gone just like that, leaving Kakashi—who was making his first personal visit here—feeling a little lightheaded.
A different kind of prosperity—just as lively as any Hidden Village!
Looking at the passing samurais and all kinds of weapon shops, ranging from large to small, Kakashi sighed in admiration.
He wandered around idly for a while before glancing at the time and deciding to grab something to eat first, then wait for his teacher Minato's arrival.
As he turned around, a flash of familiar red caught his eye, causing his entire body to stiffen instinctively. His hand automatically reached toward his back—but found nothing there. Just earlier, he had personally handed the weapon over to the blacksmith.
The fleeting glimpse he caught just now must have belonged to someone from Akatsuki—their signature outfit was unmistakable!
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, wondering if he should tail them.
Watching the figure in the black cloak adorned with red clouds vanish through the crowd, Kakashi clenched his teeth and chased after them.
If Akatsuki's showing up here, that's never a good thing. I need to find a way to discover why they're here—or at least keep them under control!
Kakashi was reasonably confident in his own abilities. Although this area was considered a "neutral" zone, that neutrality applied only between Hidden Villages. If anything serious were to happen, the samurai led by Mifune wouldn't allow someone as important as a Konoha ninja like Kakashi to be placed in danger. So it wasn't too risky for him to follow cautiously without direct confrontation.
Following that figure, Kakashi watched the calm silhouette strolling slowly down the street, gradually feeling an odd sense of familiarity. That relaxed pace began to match the image of someone from his memories.
Soon, the figure slipped into a barbecue restaurant. After some hesitation, Kakashi followed as well.
The restaurant wasn't large, but its style differed greatly from those in Konoha, appearing more rugged and grand.
Scanning the interior, Kakashi quickly located the familiar outfit seated near the window.
He cast a calm glance in that direction before walking toward another part of the room.
However, before he could move far, a voice rang out—like the pause button had been pressed, freezing Kakashi's movements at a particular moment. At the same time, a chill crept up his spine.
"Well look who it is—Kakashi! Long time no see!"
Saitama shifted from his earlier position with his back to Kakashi, leaned on the table, and faced him. A faint smirk danced across his face—neither here nor there.
That 'smile' and indifferent tone alone caused Kakashi to momentarily freeze up.
Of course, Saitama had already noticed Kakashi long ago. He'd even intentionally exposed himself to Kakashi's line of sight. He just felt like finding an old acquaintance to chat with for a bit.
Slowly turning around, Kakashi stiffly faced this ninja from Akatsuki, also a rogue ninja from Konoha.
"I didn't expect it to be you! Saitama Uchiha!"
"Why not me? The Land of Iron is a neutral territory. Don't I have the right to come here and eat some barbecue?"
Saitama shrugged, pointing with his hand toward several freshly served plates of grilled meat.
Kakashi remained silent, just staring at an enemy who felt both familiar and utterly different.
His body tensed, completely alert and braced for any sudden attack. Facing Saitama, he held absolutely no chance of victory—even though recently his strength had improved significantly.
"You seem nervous," Saitama said. "In my memory, Kakashi was never such a timid person. And do you really think tensing up like this will help? If I wanted to make a move, I wouldn't have waited until now!"
Then Saitama turned away again, no longer looking at Kakashi. He picked up chopsticks, placing the half-grilled meat carefully back onto the grill. He applied a thin layer of oil, moving calmly and methodically, showing no sign of haste.
Sizzle!
The meat sizzled upon contacting the hot surface. Moisture evaporated, spreading a delicious aroma through the air.
"Why don't you join me? You can 'keep an eye on me' while we eat."
Saitama extended an invitation to Kakashi, as if they weren't enemies at all, but old friends catching up over a meal.
Although Kakashi couldn't figure out what Saitama was planning, he had little choice but to accept.
As Saitama had said, Kakashi wasn't confident about escaping unscathed from Saitama's grasp. Plus, Saitama currently showed no interest in fighting. So sharing a meal and fulfilling the purpose of "monitoring" at the same time didn't sound like a bad idea.
With a gloomy expression, Kakashi sat down opposite Saitama, his lone visible eye never leaving Saitama's face.
"You don't need me to grill your meat too, right?"
Saitama picked up the barbecue meat he'd placed on the grill earlier, carefully moving it to his own side and arranging it neatly with a focused look.
Kakashi was momentarily taken aback before glancing in surprise at the man across from him, then picked up his chopsticks and began grilling his own meat.
The two shared an unspoken understanding, each eating their grilled meat silently for quite some time without exchanging a word.
"I heard they're holding the Five Kage Summit here. Is it about planning the next move against Akatsuki? Even the mighty Hidden Villages have finally reached a point of fear, seeking comfort by huddling together?"
Picking up a thick slice of tenderloin, dipping it into the sauce several times, Saitama slowly put it into his mouth and asked indifferently.
Kakashi remained silent. The meat in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor—he had no answer to Saitama's question.
Should he admit that the villages were indeed afraid, hence coming together for support? That would be disrespectful to the great Hidden Villages, even if it was true. Speaking it aloud still felt inappropriate.
"Just the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails are left, and then my goal will be achieved. At that time, the world will change entirely!"
Unfazed by Kakashi's silence, Saitama chewed on his grilled meat, occasionally sipping his fruit-flavored drink and speaking during pauses.
"Is your ultimate aim really just to gather Tailed Beasts for military intimidation?"
This time Kakashi did not stay silent. He set everything aside and fixed his gaze on the composed man across from him.
They had known each other for quite a while, having interacted many times before.
"Something like that," Saitama replied. "Don't you think this world has been divided way too much by all these Hidden Villages and nations, Kakashi? What I want to do is simply reunite this fragmented world that's been separated for a thousand years. Unification is the best path forward for this world, the fundamental way to avoid endless wars! What do you think?"
He picked up another piece of meat and put it into his mouth, taking a deep sip of his drink afterward while looking straight into Kakashi's eyes with complete sincerity.
"Isn't the current coexistence model between the Hidden Villages and the Shinobi World working well enough? A method even the First Hokage—a figure of great power—approved of has lasted until now for a reason."
"But nobody has ever tried full-scale unification before, so why shouldn't we give it a shot? Perhaps the outcome could be far better than the world dominated by Hidden Villages today!"
Saitama didn't stop picking up meat as he ate. The flavor here was different from what he'd had before, uniquely tempting to him.
"You're playing with fire!" Kakashi accused, his tone extremely stern.
"You can't see the forest for the trees!"
Saitama put down his chopsticks. "Transformations in human history always bring many changes. Those who hold onto the past will be left behind by the new age—just like how samurai can no longer keep up with ninjas!"
"There was a time I desperately wanted to have a meaningful conversation with someone—not just superficial small talk, but sincere communication! But eventually I discovered mutual understanding is impossible. Without sharing the same pain, one cannot truly comprehend another's suffering. And even if understanding exists, true empathy remains unattainable. This is an immutable truth."
"I will put an end to this war-torn world through my actions. This is my mission! When countries are locked in battle, how can we quickly stop these wars?" Saitama paused and lifted a cup filled with beverage, taking a measured sip. "By introducing forbidden weapons into every nation, letting those who possess them demonstrate their terrifying power to all people. Then everyone will experience fear and dread."
"That very fear will create a deterrent effect, eliminating war forever."
"The current world is like an immature child—you must display sufficient force to make it understand what true fear means before it can grow!"
"Don't you want to change this decaying world either, Kakashi?"
Saitama could understand much darkness because he had personally experienced some of it. Kakashi too had been a victim of darkness.
Kakashi smiled slightly, and Saitama could clearly notice the movement of Kakashi's mask fabric. He believed Kakashi had actually grasped some part of what he said.
"This conversation has gone far enough! I'm sorry, but no matter how much you've said, I still can't understand your reasoning." Kakashi slowly stood up, looking past Saitama toward the outside world.
Some samurai had already gathered over there, led by an elderly man with whiskers on his mouth and chin, his head wrapped in bandages.
"Because we have experienced loss, we truly comprehend! The fate of ninja is to keep moving forward even through the darkest times. Everyone faces desperate times, but that is no justification for abandoning the light! Your ideals may be grand, but they're also impossible! My apologies!"
Kakashi fixed Saitama with a serious gaze. Somehow, the entire barbecue restaurant had been emptied—including even the shop owner having vanished without a trace.
"All I wanted was a simple barbecue meal—never thought it'd end up as a dine-and-dash."
Saitama noticed the samurai who had appeared behind him, instantly recognizing the leader as Mifune, the head of the samurai forces from the Land of Iron, renowned as a master of Iai Beheading!
"Are you one of Akatsuki? I deeply apologize, but the Land of Iron does not welcome your presence. We request that you leave immediately!"
Standing at the doorway, Mifune slowly shifted his right hand toward the weapon at his waist, an invisible pressure beginning to radiate from him.
"Mifune-sensei!"
Kakashi crouched lower, locking eyes on Saitama while vigilantly watching his every move.
"Before, while tailing Saitama, he had already used 'guard' to send word through the Samurai near him to Mifune, who was still busy preparing the meeting venue, warning him about the appearance of a member from the Akatsuki Organization. Thus came this moment where Mifune arrived with his men to intercept Saitama."
Saitama said with a smirk as he stood up, lazily stretched his arms, then chugged down the rest of his drink in one go.
A flicker of crimson light pulsed within his Sharingan, instantly caught by Kakashi.
"Everyone, be careful!"
Kakashi swiftly increased the distance between them, nearly retreating backward until his back hit the wall. He raised one hand defensively in front of his chest while shifting the other hand behind him, his expression turning solemn as he locked eyes on Saitama.
"Guess I'm not wanted here. I'll just leave then. Still, being treated like this leaves a bitter taste. What should I do?"
Saitama slightly tilted his head and glanced toward Mifune standing behind him. At the same time, his Sharingan activated—the three tomoe swirling with an eerie crimson glow. Faint arcs of electricity crackled around his body like Hashirama-like awakening lightning.
"Sharingan? Saitama Uchiha!"
Mifune fixed his gaze on the now-turned Saitama and quickly identified the Akatsuki member's identity. His grip tightened fiercely around his weapon, whitening his knuckles, his expression sharpening with intense focus.
This guy was someone capable of killing the Third Hokage! As a peer of the Third Hokage, Mifune naturally understood the former's power!
"Whoosh!" Kakashi breathed out.
Both Kakashi and Mifune narrowed their eyes in shock, their inner astonishment surging.
Out of the two, Kakashi had some expectations, but Mifune, although he'd received intelligence reports on Saitama before, had never actually fought him. Therefore, his understanding of Saitama's strength was purely theoretical.
So seeing Saitama's speed firsthand shocked him directly.
"Iai Beheading!!!"
Although Saitama moved incredibly fast, momentarily stunning Mifune, it wasn't enough to catch a seasoned veteran like Mifune off guard, let alone stop him.
Swish!
Visibly clear, a streak of white light shot out from Mifune's waist, slicing straight and unwavering toward the charging Saitama.
[Draw-and-Cut Slash] surged forward unyieldingly, as if ready to cleave through everything in its path!
Clang!
A circular wave of air pressure erupted outward around the two.
Saitama had also drawn his sword and barely managed to block Mifune's strike.
Electricity surged along the blade, emitting a constant sizzling sound.
Saitama firmly resisted the pressure from Mifune's weapon with one hand gripping the hilt, slowly forcing it downward toward Mifune's chest. The current became increasingly active with each movement, seemingly about to leap off the blade and onto Mifune any second.
"Lord Mifune!"
A few meters behind Mifune, several other samurai drew their weapons, pointing them at Saitama, their faces twisting into grimaces of rage and determination.
They couldn't even track Saitama's movements clearly. All they saw was a flash, and their commander was already locked in combat—and seemingly at a disadvantage.
"Don't interfere! Fall back!"
Mifune knew his men well and quickly shouted to stop them, while beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, sliding down along the edge of his bandages.
Saitama's strength far exceeded his expectations. With just one hand, he suppressed Mifune, a seasoned warrior who had long trained his body. Saitama was way beyond any normal samurai—both in speed and strength!
"Chidori!"
Just as Saitama and Mifune were locked in a stalemate, a low shout rang out from Saitama's side—it was Kakashi!
The air split apart, filling the area with a sharp smell of burnt hair.
Kakashi had originally just wanted Mifune to come over so they could deal with Saitama together. He hadn't expected Saitama to attack the moment they met.
Kakashi clearly understood the power differences between them. Therefore, rather than recklessly charging in, he waited nearby, watching for the perfect moment to strike.
That moment of deadlock between Saitama and Mifune proved exactly the opportunity he needed. Timing it perfectly, Kakashi shot forward and unleashed his strongest move yet.
Moreover, to accelerate his speed, he unhesitatingly stimulated his cells using lightning-natured chakra, instantly pushing his speed to its peak!
Crackle! Crackling sounds!
Kakashi slightly lowered his posture, reaching Saitama's waist level. The brilliant white light radiating from his right hand emitted a deadly danger, making even the nearby Mifune feel a chill run down his spine.
Crack!
Saitama stretched out his other hand at incredible speed, snatching forward as easily as scooping up goldfish at a Konoha festival—a child's game where you catch fish with paper nets.
As Saitama reached out barehanded, Kakashi's right hand lunged straight at him, directly colliding into Saitama's half-open palm before being gripped tightly by the wrist, unable to advance even a fraction further!
"Huh? Bad!"
Bending low, Kakashi felt his right hand locked up and immediately twisted his arm around, trying to slam the ninjutsu in his hand onto Saitama's arm.
But Saitama's speed and reflexes were even faster!
Skreee!
Mifune quickly retreated, directly abandoning his struggle against Saitama's strength. Yet his reaction still lagged half a beat. Saitama grabbed Kakashi's arm and then turned Kakashi's own jutsu to slash toward Mifune.
Despite Kakashi cutting off the chakra supply just before the technique struck Mifune, some residual power still manifested, carving a long, narrow wound across Mifune's chest.
Thoom!
Kakashi formed his other hand into a fist covered with Chidori Current, which smashed heavily toward Saitama, making the air whistle with 'hoo-hoo' sounds.
However, Saitama wouldn't allow him such a counterattack opportunity. After pulling Kakashi's arm to deflect the jutsu away from himself and toward Mifune, he continued smoothly swinging Kakashi forward, throwing him ahead.
So Kakashi's counterattack merely skimmed past Saitama and vanished harmlessly into the air.
Throughout all this, Saitama remained firmly rooted in place without taking even a single step back, clearly brimming with confidence!
But this wasn't over yet!
Under strong force, Kakashi replaced Mifune's former position in front of Saitama. And due to being yanked off balance, Kakashi briefly went airborne, unable to dodge.
A mocking smirk flashed in the Sharingan eye as Saitama lifted his right leg, gathering a mass of tangible lightning at his toe tip.
Boom!
It was like a sonic boom as Saitama's foot smashed into Kakashi's side.
Kakashi was flung forward like he'd been hit by a train, flying off in an instant!
Bang! Bang!
Kakashi crashed through several walls and vanished from sight!
Just like that, the first wave of attacks from Mifune and Kakashi against Saitama was over, both ending up with minor injuries.
"Phew! That felt good! Alright then, I'll call it a day. You lot don't seem to want me around, so I'll leave first."
Unfazed by Mifune's stern gaze, Saitama casually slid his blade into the sheath beneath his coat and strode toward the big door behind Mifune.
Clop.
Mifune and the samurai behind him stepped aside in unison, silently watching Saitama walk away.
"Lord Mifune, are you alright?"
After Saitama disappeared from view, the samurai finally regained their composure and cautiously approached to ask.
"I'm fine! Go check on Konoha's ninja!"
Clutching his chest, Mifune let scalding blood drip between his fingers onto the floor, though his face showed no pain—only growing concern over the Five Kage Summit being held in the Land of Iron.
The more he thought, the grimmer his face became.
A single exchange of blows had already made him wary of this rogue ninja from Konoha and the organization behind him.
Although his injury partly came from his own carelessness and lack of full commitment during battle, Saitama Uchiha's power was simply too overwhelming to deny. Even at his peak strength, he probably wouldn't last long—maybe only survive a bit longer.
Besides, this was a residential area—not suitable for fighting!
That's partly why he stopped the fight earlier.
"Cough! Cough! I'm fine!"
One of the samurai was about to go through the hole to look for Kakashi when Kakashi himself staggered out holding his waist, wearing a wry smile.
He never expected to feel so helpless against Saitama again—the pressure from him was even greater than what his former mentor Minato had ever given him.
Kakashi thought to himself. He had hoped that after recent intense training, he might have closed the gap with Saitama Uchiha, but apparently, the difference remained laughably vast.
"We also have a dedicated Medical Division in our Land of Iron. Let's get checked later," Mifune said, looking at Kakashi with a grave expression but a slightly softer tone.
"Thank you."
Kakashi didn't argue. Truth was, he did get hurt, but since he'd covered his body in chakra beforehand, most of Saitama's force had been absorbed, leaving him with just minor wounds.
With the Five Kage Summit approaching, getting rid of even small injuries would be best.
...
"That Kakashi guy still isn't half bad! Alright, next step is waiting. Prepare for a massive showdown!"
Standing atop high ground, Saitama looked toward the distant town with an anticipatory grin.
Looking further, he saw ninja gathering from all directions.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>