Chapter 83: Kindred Spirits?
"Zoro?" Saitama sounded puzzled when he heard the name.
He hadn't expected Zoro to have already made new friends. And now those friends were coming to their place?
But Saitama didn't dwell on these details. He quickly shook his head and said, "He's not here. He went to the Sword Saints Association and won't be back anytime soon. If you want to find him, you should go there."
Hearing this, Fubuki was somewhat surprised. It seemed this Zoro was more capable than she'd imagined—after all, the Sword Saints Association wasn't just any ordinary organization.
She found Saitama's face somewhat familiar, so she glanced questioningly at her subordinate beside her. The subordinate was Eyelashes, ranked 2nd in B-Class.
He was essentially Fubuki's lackey, and seeing that look from her, he immediately understood and reported: "He's C-Class rank 342, codename Caped Baldy, real name Saitama."
Obviously, because of his connection to Zoro, Eyelashes had also looked into Zoro's roommate Saitama.
That's right—during this time, Saitama hadn't been completely idle. He'd been doing some hero work outside and had successfully climbed from rank 388 to 342.
During this period, Bane hadn't accompanied Saitama and had been staying home studying, though he'd heard Saitama mention some things like the Paradise Group and Sonic.
"Rank 342?" Fubuki scoffed dismissively, then looked at Saitama. "Do you have Roronoa Zoro's contact information? If you give me his contact details, I can look after you and help you quickly rise to B-Class. You could even join our Fubuki Group in the future."
"Fubuki Group?" Saitama looked confused, but he realized that these people probably weren't Zoro's friends.
Saitama frowned slightly. "You're not Zoro's friends? What do you want with him?"
"Hmph." Fubuki let out a somewhat arrogant snort. "I'm the number 1 B-Class hero, Fubuki of Hell. Since Roronoa Zoro has become the 10th-ranked B-Class hero, he's worth taking seriously, so I've come personally to invite him to join my Fubuki Group."
Now Saitama understood. He shook his head. "Zoro wouldn't be interested in joining you guys—"
But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly remembered that Zoro's senior brother was here, so he didn't need to act as Zoro's shield. He turned toward the house and called to Bane, who was lying on the sofa: "Hey, Bane, you heard that, right? Should we give them Zoro's phone number?"
"No need. That guy has no interest in anything outside of swordsmanship," Bane said without hesitation.
Hearing movement from inside the house, Fubuki said irritably, "Shouldn't his personal matters be his own decision?"
"That guy is Zoro's senior brother. Zoro listens to him more than anyone," Saitama said casually.
"He has a senior brother? Why wasn't this mentioned in the files? Is he also a B-Class hero? Let me see who—" Fubuki said as she rudely tried to enter the house.
Saitama didn't stop her and stepped aside. Fubuki took a step forward and saw the situation inside. On the sofa lay a powerfully built, muscular man. When she saw his face, Fubuki froze in place.
The newest S-Class hero, rank 17?
The Dark Demon?
That's right—because of her older sister Tornado, Fubuki paid close attention to S-Class heroes. She'd been particularly interested when the Association had recently gained two new S-Class heroes who were reportedly master and disciple. So she instantly recognized Bane's identity.
At the same time, she understood why Zoro's files hadn't mentioned having a senior brother—because S-Class hero information was mostly classified, and as a B-Class hero, she didn't have clearance to access it.
While Fubuki stood stunned, Bane also took a careful look at this woman. He had to admit that despite her personality flaws—being rather self-centered and arrogant—in terms of looks, she could absolutely represent justice!
"Hello, I'm Roronoa Zoro's senior brother, Bane," Bane said, sitting up from the sofa and greeting her.
While Fubuki came across as arrogant, she was actually deeply insecure inside. Her outward arrogance was precisely meant to mask her insecurity, which stemmed from living in her sister's shadow since childhood. So now, seeing an S-Class hero on par with her sister, she felt flustered and at a loss.
"My apologies for the intrusion, Mister Bane," Fubuki said, bowing politely after snapping back to her senses.
Though she'd been rather rude to Saitama earlier, her arrogant attitude toward strangers was actually a form of self-protection.
"It's nothing," Bane nodded amiably, then said, "That Zoro probably wouldn't join your organization anyway. Sorry you made the trip for nothing."
"No, being able to meet you during this visit is already an honor," Fubuki said humbly.
Given Fubuki's background, she didn't really need to be so respectful toward S-Class heroes, but Bane was an exception. According to the Association's certification, Bane's public profile showed he was an extremely rare psychic user, just like Fubuki and Tornado.
The same was true for Zoro in the files—he was also classified as a psychic user.
So at this moment, Fubuki saw Bane as a "kindred spirit." Moreover, she was actually very intelligent. Upon learning about the relationship between Bane and Zoro, her first thought involved psychic-related speculation.
They both possessed special psychic abilities, and one was S-Class while the other was B-Class. Did this mean they had different insights into psychic powers than she did, or could even enhance their abilities through training and other methods?
This was something Fubuki valued greatly. She had a dream—she wanted to surpass her sister just once, no matter how. She just wanted to beat her once and prove herself!
But unfortunately, she'd never had such an experience growing up, because compared to her sister's psychic powers, hers were like heaven and earth—as if she were a defective product.
To change this situation, Fubuki had always been trying to find ways to improve her abilities. But so far, she hadn't found any effective methods. After reaching B-Class rank 1, Fubuki experienced the feeling of being "first" for the first time. And coincidentally, because of Blast's existence, Tornado had never managed to become S-Class rank 1, which gave Fubuki a sneaky sense that she'd finally surpassed her sister in something.
After that, to maintain her first-place position and to strengthen her power through group effort to triumph over her sister's individual strength, Fubuki formed the Fubuki Group.
Of course, in Tornado's eyes, this was just a B-Class hobby club that she didn't take seriously at all.
Though it was still just speculation and wishful thinking, Fubuki truly felt that the appearance of Bane and Zoro might represent an opportunity for her. Maybe these two kindred spirits really did possess the power to enhance psychic abilities?
That's why she was being so respectful to Bane—because she needed something from him!
Bane was also friendly toward Fubuki for several reasons. He did genuinely appreciate certain things about her, but the main factor was that Fubuki's looks and figure were right in his strike zone. Simply put, he was attracted to her!
After a brief and pleasant exchange, Fubuki seemed to sense Bane's goodwill and felt very happy. She also knew today wasn't the right time, so she politely took her leave, saying she would visit again in a few days.
Originally, Saitama didn't want Fubuki to come back, but when she said she'd bring gifts next time—like premium ingredients—this guy immediately changed his attitude, enthusiastically inviting Fubuki and hoping she'd come soon.
After Fubuki's group left, Saitama closed the door and looked at Bane. "That woman seems to have designs on you."
"Well, I am devastatingly handsome, plus I have a full head of hair," Bane laughed heartily, joking around.
Hearing this, Saitama gritted his teeth in anger and bickered with Bane for a few moments before continuing: "What I meant was, she might have some special purpose or agenda."
"Then why did you invite her to come back soon?" Bane retorted.
"Well, I could see you had no intention of refusing either," Saitama said matter-of-factly.
Bane stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, then raised an eyebrow as if he'd figured something out: "I see. She probably wants to learn something from me. After all, in her eyes, we're kindred spirits."
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