Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Clang!

Once again, Jūzō Biwa raised his Executioner's Blade to block Uchiha Haruki's strike, but this time, he was panting heavily, gasping for breath.

The two had been locked in combat for nearly half an hour, and the constant need to be on guard against Haruki's Sharingan genjutsu had drained Jūzō immensely.

He was already reaching his limit.

Naturally, Haruki noticed his opponent's worsening state.

Jūzō's strength was formidable, but compared to Haruki, he still fell short—and that was without Haruki even using his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Unlike Kaguya Morinosuke, who had inherited the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), Jūzō had no unique bloodline limit or special power.

His strength came mainly from two sources: his razor-sharp Executioner's Blade, and his extensive battlefield experience.

That made him dominant against ordinary Jōnin—but against Haruki, it simply wasn't enough.

So, it was only natural that he was now struggling.

Still, Haruki didn't rush in recklessly. Instead, he continued to wear down Jūzō's stamina and chakra.

After all, thanks to Haruki's earlier rampage through numerous Mist Special Jōnin and Chūnin, the pressure on the Konoha forces had significantly eased.

There was no need for urgency. He could take his time.

Plus, after three consecutive high-level battles, his swordsmanship skill had improved again, inching closer to Level 7.

Maybe—just maybe—Jūzō could provide him with that final push, helping him reach mastery in swordsmanship.

It wasn't wishful thinking. Counting his shadow clones, Haruki had four versions of himself accumulating experience at once.

While some insights might overlap, the efficiency still far exceeded what one person could achieve alone.

Based on his prior estimates and the growth pattern of his proficiency, this current pace would likely be enough.

So of course—he wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

Minutes passed.

Roughly ten more minutes went by.

Jūzō's condition had worsened further. He had tried multiple times to land a killing blow on Haruki or one of his clones, but every attempt was evaded, thanks to Haruki's exceptional Sharingan insight.

And now that the time seemed right, Haruki began looking for a chance to deliver the final blow.

As for the idea of sparing Jūzō and leaving him for Might Duy, in order to preserve the "original plot"?

Haruki had never once considered that.

Just like he'd said before—the moment he crossed into this world, the so-called "plot" was already altered.

So there was no point holding back.

Especially now that his strength had grown, he had even less reason to suppress himself.

Clang, clang, clang!

The battle continued.

Then suddenly—Haruki saw an opening.

Instinctively, he activated Genjutsu: Sharingan.

Unfortunately, the opportunity had come and gone in a flash. The moment had been too brief, so the genjutsu's effect wasn't strong.

Still, it was enough. Jūzō momentarily faltered under the illusion.

That brief lapse allowed Haruki's two shadow clones to seize their chance.

"Rasengan!"

In an instant, one clone formed a massive, swirling chakra sphere, roughly fifty to sixty centimeters in diameter, in the palm of his hand.

Sensing the threat pulsing from it, Jūzō snapped out of the illusion and quickly retreated, narrowly dodging the ambush.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief—

A familiar high-pitched screech pierced the air.

Jūzō's face changed drastically as he turned toward the other shadow clone.

There, in the clone's palm, spun a gigantic chakra shuriken, stirring up the air into a turbulent vortex.

"That jutsu!"

Jūzō's heart trembled—but he didn't panic.

From the very moment Haruki had used Shadow Clone Jutsu, Jūzō had been on high alert for this technique.

Even though things weren't going his way, he'd never once let his guard down.

Now, his caution paid off.

Just as Haruki's clone charged forward with the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, Jūzō successfully used Water Clone Substitute—a swift and timely substitution.

Even with the Sharingan, there was no time to change tactics now.

The Rasenshuriken struck Jūzō's water clone, tearing it apart.

The clone carrying the Rasenshuriken was hit by the backlash and instantly shattered under its own technique's recoil.

"Damn it. The lack of proficiency is really a problem."

Screeeeeeeee!

That sharp, ear-splitting sound rang out once again.

This time, it was Haruki's true body, charging forward with a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken of his own.

His peripheral vision had seen the shadow clone fail. But while Jūzō had dodged the first clone and then the second, he no longer had time to evade this one.

Haruki had read the opening perfectly.

Jūzō realized this too—and at the last second, he raised his Executioner's Blade to shield himself.

Screeeee—!!!

The Rasenshuriken struck the massive blade with a horrible shriek, like thousands of needles scraping metal.

It was unbearable to hear.

But the sound didn't last long.

In less than a second—the Executioner's Blade shattered.

No—it was more accurate to say it was obliterated.

All that remained in Jūzō's hand was the hilt. The blade had been reduced to fragments, flung in every direction.

But it didn't end there.

After smashing through the Executioner's Blade, the Rasenshuriken exploded, unleashing countless chakra needles.

Haruki's face changed drastically.

He slammed both feet into the ground and launched himself backward like a cannonball, flying back over ten meters before coming to a halt.

Even then, several shards of the Executioner's Blade had embedded themselves into his body.

Thankfully, they were all surface wounds—nothing serious.

But the real issue was those chakra needles.

Some had pierced into his body.

Haruki quickly checked his condition.

After a moment, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Because he'd retreated in time, the chakra needles hadn't had long to circulate inside him, and the damage wasn't too bad.

The Rasenshuriken kills by disintegrating the opponent's body with its internal chakra needles. If the target escapes quickly, the effect is minimized.

Just like the right hand used to form the jutsu—as long as you don't hold onto it too long, you won't suffer serious injury.

Otherwise, the Rasenshuriken wouldn't be a forbidden technique—it'd be a complete failure.

Still, even so, Haruki made a decision in his heart:

From now on, until his proficiency improves, he would never again use this technique with his real body.

The risk… was simply too high.