Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Boom—

As the enemy's corpse collapsed to the ground, Uchiha Haruki emotionlessly flicked the blood off the kunai in his hand, leaving streaks of crimson across the floor. He then sheathed the weapon and walked over to where Takeki Hikaru lay, pulling his short sword from the enemy's hands and chest.

Only now did those who had been stunned by the overwhelming wave of chakra Haruki had just released begin to snap out of their daze.

The Konoha shinobi were relieved—having someone this powerful on their side significantly increased the chances of success.

As for the Iwagakure shinobi?

The few remaining Iwa jōnin had already believed they'd accounted for Haruki's strength. But even with that consideration, they still underestimated him.

And now, dread began to take root in their hearts.

That sheer amount of chakra he'd just released… Forget regular jōnin—even among the elite, few could compare to that level.

Granted, an abundance of chakra didn't guarantee overwhelming strength, but it undeniably marked someone with immense potential.

And Haruki...

The Iwa jōnin glanced at the distant corpse of Kagero, then to their two recently slain comrades nearby.

There was no doubt.

He was the real deal.

They exchanged silent looks, as if reaching a mutual understanding. Then suddenly, in unison, they exploded with power, breaking free of the attacks from the Nara and Yamanaka clan jōnin.

With a flash of movement, they disengaged from the battle and simultaneously activated Body Flicker Technique, sprinting madly down the corridor.

If Haruki recalled correctly, that path led to the exit of the underground complex.

Clearly, they were trying to flee.

And honestly? It made perfect sense.

Haruki had already dealt with his opponents. Once he turned his attention to them, it would be a simple matter to finish the job. No wonder they were trying to escape now.

But just because he understood didn't mean he would let them go.

In fact, he didn't even have to act first.

The Nara and Yamanaka jōnin sprang into action immediately.

The Nara shinobi used Shadow Gathering Technique, transforming the shadows beneath his feet into dozens of shadowy tendrils, each one whipping forward to restrain the fleeing Iwa jōnin.

Meanwhile, the Yamanaka shinobi formed hand seals and launched Mind Body Switch Technique, projecting his entire consciousness in a straight line at one of the Iwa escapees.

The next moment, that Iwa shinobi's steps faltered. Without warning, he pulled out a kunai and drove it toward the chest of his own comrade.

Caught completely off-guard, the second Iwa jōnin barely managed to dodge. But even so, the kunai tore a deep gash across his chest.

Blood flowed freely, soaking through his clothes in seconds.

"Argh!"

The injured shinobi, Fujita Eita, screamed in pain and stared at his attacker.

"Kōju! What the hell are you doing?!"

But Kōju didn't respond. Instead, with cold precision, he attacked again—another kunai strike.

This time, Fujita Eita was prepared and dodged with ease. But he immediately realized something was off.

He looked closely at Kōju's eyes—something was wrong. That familiar glint was gone. Now, his comrade looked at him as if he were a total stranger.

What's going on?

A flash of realization struck Fujita Eita. He turned his gaze to the corridor's edge, where the Yamanaka jōnin was slumped against the wall, head lowered as if asleep.

So that's it!

Everything made sense now. During the battle earlier, Eita had already suspected the shinobi was from the Yamanaka clan, based on his technique. And as one of Konoha's major clans, their secrets weren't entirely unknown in the shinobi world.

He knew they had a unique mind-controlling jutsu.

And now, seeing Kōju's abnormal behavior, and the slumped Yamanaka shinobi, Eita fully realized: Kōju had been possessed.

Indeed, the one controlling Kōju's body was the Yamanaka jōnin himself.

To guarantee success against a jōnin-level opponent, he had forgone the safer Mind Clone Technique and used the full-power Mind Body Switch, sacrificing all mental defenses to seize full control.

Of course, he only dared do this because there were no enemies left nearby, and because Uchiha Haruki was within striking range.

Otherwise, letting one's real body fall unconscious on a battlefield was far too dangerous.

"Damn it!"

Eita cursed as the possessed Kōju attacked him with suicidal determination, not caring about his own life or safety.

Though Eita didn't want to fatally harm Kōju—given their past camaraderie and the temporary nature of the jutsu—his restraint worked against him.

After all, once the technique ended, Kōju would return to normal and be an ally again.

But that didn't mean Kōju—under Yamanaka control—would hold back.

Even though the Yamanaka jōnin couldn't fully unleash Kōju's power due to spiritual distance, his greatest advantage was fearlessness.

Unbothered by pain or injury, he pressed the assault. Though weaker than Eita overall, this reckless aggression actually gave him the upper hand.

And that was Haruki's opportunity.

Ignoring the three Iwa jōnin still entangled with the Nara's shadows, Haruki lunged straight at Fujita Eita.

Sensing him, the possessed Kōju grew even more aggressive, forcing Eita to focus all his attention on defending.

In an instant, Haruki joined the fray.

Now under a two-pronged assault, Eita's pressure skyrocketed.

He could no longer afford to hold back—he launched a fierce counterattack.

But truth be told, while he was stronger than average jōnin, his strength was still limited. Even on his own, Haruki had the confidence to take him down.

Now, with a fearless Kōju aiding him—and with Eita already injured—victory was inevitable.

The battle lasted less than two minutes.

Haruki seized the perfect moment and thrust his short sword forward, aiming for a blind spot in Eita's defense.

The strike was swift and ruthless. By the time Eita sensed the danger, he could only avoid a fatal hit.

Slash—

The blade tore into his left side, cutting deep enough to expose bone.

"Ugh—"

Eita grunted in pain, staggering back several steps.

Kōju's eyes gleamed, and he immediately charged, plunging his kunai toward Eita's chest.

"Damn it!"

Cursing, Eita had no choice but to retreat again.

But right at that moment—he felt a chill run down his spine.

A sharp pain bloomed in his chest. Looking down, he saw a fine red line slowly appear across it.

The next second, a blade of wind burst from his body, tearing his clothes apart and slicing a deep scar into the wall behind him.

"What…?"

Eita stared at the wind blade, eyes wide in disbelief.

Before he could finish speaking, his body split in half along that crimson line.

Even then, he wasn't quite dead.

But the final blow came in the form of a bloodstained kunai, slicing through the air and burying itself straight into his heart—killing him instantly.

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