Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Uchiha Haruki wiped the blood from his blade and turned his gaze toward Mizutani Shizuko and the Iwagakure chunin she was fighting.

After over twenty minutes of fierce combat, Shizuko had clearly fallen into a disadvantage. Her stamina was fading, and minor wounds covered her body.

Female shinobi generally lacked the same physical endurance as male counterparts, and Shizuko was still a minor.

As the fight dragged on, her weaknesses were becoming more obvious. She was on the verge of defeat—and needed help.

That's exactly why Haruki had chosen to eliminate Nishimura Ishihei.

Otherwise, he might've continued dragging things out with him.

Whoosh—

A kunai flew from Haruki's hand, hurtling straight at the Iwagakure chunin fighting Shizuko.

Elsewhere on the battlefield—

Hirai Ichirou was gripping a kunai, just about to finish off Mizutani Shizuko in one final push—

when a kunai suddenly came flying in from the side.

Sensing the danger, Ichirou quickly dodged.

Only after confirming he was safe did he glance in the direction it came from—

And the moment he saw who it was, his face paled.

He'd been keeping half an eye on the battle between Haruki and Nishimura Ishihei.

Just moments ago, the two had been locked in a fierce duel.

How had Ishihei… already died?

They weren't exactly close, but he'd met him several times and had a decent grasp of his strength.

While Ishihei might not have been the absolute best among chunin, he was far above average—and far stronger than Ichirou himself.

Yet now… the man had been killed by a kid?

That could only mean one thing—

This "kid" was far stronger than him.

And judging by Haruki's neat, unscathed appearance, Ichirou grew even more certain of that thought.

But it didn't bring him any relief.

The stronger the enemy, the worse his chances.

What do I do now?

Ichirou's eyes flicked around, looking for help.

But the Iwagakure forces were already outnumbered.

After twenty-plus minutes of chaotic battle, their numbers had dropped even further.

Anyone still alive and remotely strong was currently being double- or triple-teamed by Konoha shinobi.

There was no one free to help him.

So... it's just me now.

Resolving himself, Ichirou hurled his kunai and began forming hand seals in rapid succession—preparing to cast a jutsu.

Haruki reacted immediately—

He dodged the incoming kunai with a blur and swiftly formed the hand seals: Rat – Tiger – Dog – Ox – Hare – Tiger.

He took a deep breath, channeling fire-style chakra into his throat.

And then—

Like a machine gun, he began spitting fireballs one after another, flooding the air with blazing projectiles.

The attack resembled a burst of blooming fire—like seeds from a phoenix flower, engulfing the space between them in flames.

Ichirou's hands froze mid-sign.

Why is it so fast?!

That was all he could think.

Why indeed?

Because ever since Haruki had focused his training on the Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique, his proficiency had been skyrocketing.

Even though only a quarter of his daily chakra was invested into it, the jutsu had already reached Level 3 (226/1000).

With that level of mastery, he didn't need to overpower his opponent—he could simply act faster.

Though he'd started the jutsu slightly after Ichirou, his fire hit first.

Now, Ichirou was trapped in an awkward bind.

If he continued casting his jutsu, he'd get hit.

If he canceled it, all his effort would be wasted.

But when it came down to survival—

He had no choice but to abort.

He wasn't skilled enough to dodge a barrage and complete hand seals at the same time.

So he hesitated—just for a moment—then jumped back, hoping to escape Haruki's attack.

Unfortunately for him—someone didn't want to let him go.

From the side, Mizutani Shizuko found her opening and struck.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Multiple shuriken flew toward Ichirou, aimed precisely at his vital points.

Sensing danger again, Ichirou twisted and evaded, but he couldn't dodge everything.

He avoided Shizuko's projectiles—but one of Haruki's fireballs grazed his left arm, searing through cloth and skin.

Pain surged up his arm—hot, sharp, burning. He grimaced involuntarily.

Haruki noticed it right away.

He activated Body Flicker Technique, and in a blink, closed the distance from the right side.

Ichirou flailed, dodging wildly, avoiding any close contact.

But the more he avoided, the more Haruki pressed—

He deliberately attacked Ichirou's left side, targeting the injury.

Haruki's strikes grew faster, more aggressive, and finally—

Ichirou had no choice but to face him head-on.

And just as Haruki predicted, once they clashed directly, it didn't take long.

A few exchanges later, Haruki's blade nearly severed Ichirou's entire left arm.

Drip, drip, drip…

Crimson blood ran down Ichirou's arm, soaking into his palm, and dripping from his fingertips.

He felt the sting of the wound, but he didn't dare look away from Haruki's sword.

Even in such a brief encounter, he had fully grasped the danger in Haruki's swordsmanship.

Now it made sense—

Why Nishimura Ishihei had died.

This wasn't just good swordsmanship—it was deadly.

This kind of swordplay…

Even a jonin might not come out unscathed.

So Ichirou didn't blink, didn't flinch.

He couldn't afford to.

But Haruki didn't need to rely on surprise anymore.

A straightforward fight was enough to finish this.

With that thought, Haruki leapt forward again.

Clang, clang, clang—!

Steel clashed against steel.

Short sword and kunai collided in a flurry.

Two minutes later—

A clean thrust opened up Ichirou's abdomen.

Haruki's blade sank deep.

Splurt—!

A mouthful of blood spilled from Ichirou's lips.

In a desperate final act, he reached into his pouch and pulled out an explosive tag—hoping to grab Haruki's arm and take him down too.

But Haruki had already anticipated it.

Ichirou's body was already failing him, and his hand moved too slowly.

Before he could activate it, Haruki had already retreated.

A moment later—

BOOM!

A violent explosion erupted in red flame, swallowing Ichirou whole.

Only then did Mizutani Shizuko walk over.

The fight had been too fast for her to join.

Instead, she used the time to catch her breath.

Thanks to her natural shinobi stamina, just a few moments of rest were enough to recover quite a bit.

She approached Haruki, about to speak—

when suddenly, another person appeared nearby.

Shizuko, still tense, instantly raised her kunai.

Haruki, by contrast, remained motionless.

Not because his reflexes were slower—

Quite the opposite.

He'd already recognized the man's face, which is why he didn't react.

It was their team leader, Haruki Mori, a special jonin.

Mori ignored Shizuko's overreaction and cut straight to the point:

"Head to Sector E3 immediately. Follow Second Squad Captain's orders."

Then, without another word, he rushed off in another direction.

Haruki followed his gaze and saw two Konoha chunin nearby, catching their breath after defeating some enemies.

He understood right away—Mori was gathering reinforcements.

But—

E3 Sector?

Isn't that another path connecting Iwagakure's HQ to their supply base?

Could they be sending more reinforcements?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Haruki couldn't help but curse in his heart:

"Just as one wave settles, another rises…"