Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

"Kuroishi!"

The moment the Iwa chunin was killed by Uchiha Haruki, the Iwa shinobi battling Ryosuke let out a furious roar, his eyes bloodshot. Forcing Ryosuke back with a surge of chakra, he charged directly at Haruki.

Haruki didn't back down. Planting his feet into the ground, he shot forward to meet the enemy head-on.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out clearly as their kunai clashed mid-air.

Both men exerted force at the same time, their blades grinding violently, throwing out sparks.

Staring into the fury in the man's eyes at such close range, Haruki's expression didn't change in the slightest.

Perhaps this shinobi was very close to the one Haruki had just killed. Maybe his anger stemmed from grief—but those who kill must be prepared to be killed.

Once you step onto a battlefield, you must accept the reality of death.

What, was Haruki supposed to just do nothing while others were out to take his life?

He had no psychological burden for killing this man's comrade.

"Hmph!"

As these thoughts flashed across his mind, Haruki let out a low grunt, knocked the Iwa shinobi's kunai aside, and stepped in once more.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sharp clash of steel echoed repeatedly.

Haruki's kunai danced like a shield of steel, tight and unbreakable. The basic taijutsu techniques ingrained in him were used to their fullest extent.

They weren't advanced techniques, but his movements were clean, efficient, and deadly effective—enough to match this experienced chunin blow for blow.

After several exchanges, they both leapt back and squared off.

Standing a few paces away, the Iwa shinobi—Ishii Ichiro—began regaining his composure. The shock and rage of losing his comrade moments earlier began to fade.

Though he hated to admit it, the young Leaf genin before him truly deserved to be taken seriously.

At least in close combat, this boy was nearly equal to him.

If not for Ichiro's greater battlefield experience and the physical advantage of being a full-grown adult, he might have even suffered minor losses in that previous exchange.

Meanwhile, Haruki was also observing his opponent carefully.

From the brief skirmish, he had a good grasp of the man's abilities. Though neither of them had used any major jutsu yet, Haruki was confident—this guy wasn't his match.

But…

Haruki discreetly scanned the battlefield.

It was pure chaos. The sounds of combat were everywhere.

While Konoha did have a numerical advantage, the sheer size of the force actually worked against them. The crowded canyon left little room for movement.

The Iwa shinobi, clearly prepared for this ambush, avoided head-on clashes with Konoha's chunin.

Whenever possible, they dove into the mass of genin, using them as human shields.

As a result, both sides were mixed together, and Konoha's chunin had to hold back. They couldn't risk using powerful ninjutsu for fear of harming their own.

Even explosive tags had to be used sparingly.

In contrast, the elite Iwa shinobi had no such concerns.

To them, the genin posed little threat. They weaved through the crowd with ease, using their superior combat experience to dish out damage.

One side was restricted, the other ruthless—the outcome was obvious.

Haruki didn't know how the rest of the battlefield was faring, but near him, several Konoha genin had already fallen.

So even though he was confident he could defeat Ishii Ichiro, Haruki had no intention of doing so.

Why? Because that would only make him a target.

"The tall tree gets the wind."

Geniuses always attracted attention—and that made them enemies' favorite targets.

Killing Kuroishi could be dismissed as a sneak attack.

But if Haruki openly defeated Ishii Ichiro, there'd be no hiding his strength.

He didn't want to stick out. All he wanted was to survive this war quietly.

So from now on, he'd just maintain the balance.

While Konoha was caught off guard, they weren't going to be wiped out.

The base camp in the Rain Country wasn't far away. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.

And when they did—if Iwa's forces hadn't withdrawn, the tables would turn completely.

This ambush wasn't meant for a full-scale war. Iwagakure's goal was to inflict losses and weaken Konoha's reserves—not start a death match.

So Haruki figured these Iwa shinobi wouldn't stick around long.

He just had to hold out until then.

And to do that—he needed to keep Ishii Ichiro occupied.

With that thought, Haruki stopped wasting time.

He raised his hands, performed hand seals, and executed the Body Flicker Technique—vanishing like a gust of wind, reappearing right in front of Ichiro and engaging him again.

The D-Rank Body Flicker Technique only looked like true "teleportation" when used against weaker foes.

Against opponents of equal or greater strength, the effect was simply "fast movement."

So when Haruki reappeared, Ichiro had already reacted, raising his weapon to block.

In doing so, Ichiro had to cancel a jutsu he was about to unleash.

That's right—he'd planned to counter Haruki with a ninjutsu attack, knowing he couldn't win in close combat.

Unfortunately for him, Haruki saw it coming and gave him no chance.

And it wouldn't just be this time—Haruki would keep interrupting him.

Whether through close-range pressure or kunai throws, Haruki would never let him complete a jutsu.

This was the exact tactic that gave the samurai of the Land of Iron a place in the shinobi world—relentless melee disruption.

Haruki didn't have the samurai's raw strength or speed, but with Level 3 Basic Taijutsu and Level 3 Ninja Tool Throwing, he had more than enough to suppress a mid-tier Iwa chunin.

Even more so with Ryosuke and Shizuko providing support.

They couldn't pose a real threat to Ichiro, but their occasional shuriken throws added just enough distraction.

And so, Ichiro was forced into a prolonged fight with Haruki.

Time ticked by slowly.

The fighting along the cliffs and outer areas intensified. The explosions and chakra bursts from the jonin battles grew stronger and louder.

Occasionally, shockwaves would sweep through the battlefield, forcing everyone to dodge or take cover.

One such moment gave Ichiro his opening.

Dodging a falling rock, he raised both hands and formed seals at lightning speed, unleashing Iwagakure's signature jutsu—

Earth Release: Earth Spear Barrage!

Jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground like a deadly forest.

Haruki didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled Ryosuke and Shizuko backward, narrowly dodging the wave of piercing spikes.

Before Ichiro could launch another attack, Haruki released his teammates.

With a swift motion, he palmed three kunai, and with practiced ease, hurled them at Ichiro's throat, heart, and lower abdomen.

Ichiro's eyes widened. The kunai were fast—too fast.

He shifted to the side just in time to avoid a lethal hit.

His memory flashed back to their earlier battle—Haruki's throws had already left a deep impression.

Had Haruki's eyes not shown any unusual signs, Ichiro would have sworn he had awakened the Sharingan.

That's right—Ichiro had long since recognized Haruki as a member of the Uchiha Clan, thanks to the crest on his clothing.

And in his experience, only a Sharingan wielder could manipulate kunai with such frightening precision at such a young age.

Unfortunately for him, Haruki had been careful not to reveal his Sharingan, keeping that card hidden.