Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

As the scorching heat of the fireball surged forward, Kari didn't hesitate. He immediately lunged to the side, narrowly dodging the incoming flames.

But before he could regain his footing—

a faint slicing sound pierced the rain.

It was subtle, barely audible through the downpour, but Kari, his nerves wound tight, instinctively sensed danger.

He flipped backward just in time, dodging a flurry of kunai by a hair's breadth.

Zzzzz...

The kunai struck the ground, releasing a sizzling hiss.

"Hmm?"

Kari's expression changed.

From the corner of his eye, he saw it—

one of the kunai had a burning explosive tag affixed to it.

With no time to think, Kari pushed off the ground and shot away like a cannonball.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion tore through the air.

A flash of fire erupted, followed by a powerful shockwave that blasted outward from the blast's center.

In mid-air, Kari was caught by the blast and hurled even farther away.

Cough cough...

He hit the ground, coughing twice. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth—clearly, he hadn't escaped unscathed.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

More kunai were launched toward him.

"Again?!"

Kari let out a cold snort as he heard the familiar sound of steel slicing through rain. His hands blurred through hand signs, and he slammed his palms to the ground.

A moment later, a two-meter-wide stone slab rose up in front of him.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

The kunai thudded harmlessly against the slab, and even the explosions from their attached tags failed to reach him behind the barrier.

Haruki didn't waste a second.

His hands flew into another seal, and as he opened his mouth, he released a barrage of fireballs—over a hundred in total.

Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!

The fireballs split into two streams and swept toward Kari from both flanks.

Kari leapt back several times, dodging the oncoming fire with practiced ease.

But he didn't sit idle.

While retreating, he formed seals and, the moment he landed, slammed his hand to the ground.

Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!

In an instant, the rain-soaked ground beneath Haruki's feet melted into sludge, like a yawning mouth ready to devour him whole.

At the critical moment, Haruki channeled chakra to his feet and vaulted upward, landing atop a nearby tree.

He leapt again, moving from tree to tree, just ahead of the spreading swamp.

But that gave Kari an opening.

Before Haruki had fully stabilized himself on a branch, Kari launched several kunai, each targeting vital points.

Fortunately, Haruki's Sharingan was razor sharp.

In a flash, he tracked every projectile's path, twisting his body just enough to narrowly avoid them all.

For a moment, the battlefield fell into a strange silence.

Haruki stood on a tree branch. Kari stood below, on the muddy ground.

They were twenty meters apart, glaring at each other—neither one moving, neither one speaking.

The seconds ticked by.

Then, the rain suddenly intensified, clouding Haruki's vision.

Now's my chance!

Kari's eyes lit up.

Like a monkey in motion, he bounded up the surrounding trees, using their trunks to propel himself upward toward Haruki.

Despite the uphill angle, Kari closed the twenty-meter gap in an instant.

In a flash, he appeared in front of Haruki and threw a fierce punch.

Haruki twisted to the side, dodging. The punch slammed into the tree behind him.

BOOM!

The tree exploded on impact, sending shards of bark flying into Haruki's face, leaving red welts.

But Kari wasn't finished.

Without pause, he swung his left fist, aiming straight for Haruki's gut.

Haruki could feel the explosive chakra building in Kari's fist and knew he couldn't block it.

He kicked off the tree branch, flipping backward and dropping to the ground below.

Kari prepared to give chase—

—but Haruki was already reacting.

Before he hit the ground, Haruki formed hand seals mid-air.

Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!

As Kari leapt after him, Haruki opened his mouth and unleashed a stream of flame, aimed directly at his mid-air attacker.

Kari cursed under his breath.

"Not good—!"

He quickly formed his own hand signs and activated Substitution Jutsu, vanishing as a chunk of stone took his place.

BOOM!

The flame blast struck the stone, shattering it instantly.

Meanwhile, Kari used the opening to dart behind a tree, breathing hard.

Huff... huff...

"That was close…"

But just then—

A nearly invisible wind blade sliced through the tree and struck his body.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing the pooled rainwater beneath him a deep red.

Only then did the pain register.

Kari looked down and saw a long gash running across his chest.

Across the field, Haruki slowly lowered his hands, his face easing into a rare look of relief.

He had seen everything.

Even though Kari had moved fast, Haruki's Sharingan had tracked every motion—including the moment he reappeared behind the tree.

Haruki had used that instant to complete a jutsu:

Wind Style: Blade of Wind.

It was only thanks to the thickness of the tree that the wind blade's power had been reduced. Otherwise, Kari would've been cleanly sliced in half.

But this result was enough.

Even if Kari hadn't been bisected, he had completely lost his fighting strength.

Seeing Haruki approach, Kari mustered the last of his chakra, formed rapid hand seals, and vanished into the earth.

Earth Style: Earth Dragon Concealment!

"Swish!"

Haruki landed behind the tree a moment later—

only to find Kari gone again.

His expression darkened.

"Again?"

This was the second time.

Just like last time—Haruki had gained the upper hand, only for his enemy to slip away right under his nose.

And this time, Kari had been critically wounded!

"There won't be a third time…"

Haruki silently vowed.

He took a breath, composed himself, and drew his short sword once more, scanning the surroundings.

The rain kept falling.

The battle was still raging.

The Iwa forces were clearly well-trained. Despite being pushed back several times, they had managed to keep the Konoha forces locked in close combat.

But that was about to change.

The moment Haruki rejoined the battlefield, the tide shifted dramatically.

Other than Kari, who could somewhat counter his fighting style, no one else could hold him back.

Even Iwa jonin couldn't keep up—unless they teamed up.

But the other Konoha jonin never gave them that chance.

So Haruki attacked freely, without reservation.

And in just a few minutes, the Iwa chunin and genin ranks collapsed.

With those numbers gone, even the remaining jonin no longer dared press too hard.

Finally, Haruki and his team broke through the final blockade and entered the outer defensive perimeter of Fengliu Town.

They weren't entirely safe yet, but at least they'd escaped the worst.

There was only one thing bothering them now—

it had been a full day, and still...

No reinforcements.

Back during their first enemy encounter, they had sent out a distress signal to Fengliu Town.

But there had been no reply at all.

This lingering silence filled Haruki and the others with a growing sense of unease.