Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A dozen shuriken flew toward him.

Uchiha Haruki's steps barely paused. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, instantly locking onto the trajectory of every single incoming projectile.

Then, with a mix of swift dodges and precise deflections, he avoided them all perfectly.

But before he could even catch his breath, several kunai came flying at him. Through his Sharingan, Haruki clearly saw the explosive tags attached to them.

Without hesitation, he darted away in a flash, quickly widening the distance.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A series of violent explosions erupted. Fireballs bloomed in rapid succession, compressing the surrounding air and generating shockwaves that sent Haruki's hair flying wildly.

As he braced for the shockwaves to pass, a series of sharp whistles of varying lengths suddenly rang out across the battlefield.

Immediately, the Iwagakure forces began retreating—clearly acting on a prearranged command. In no time, they had pulled back, widening the gap between them and the Konoha shinobi.

That's right—Haruki was currently on the battlefield.

At this point, it had been half a month since he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and twelve days since he began training seriously.

On the second day of his new training routine, the Iwagakure forces, having completed their preparations, launched another full-scale assault on Valley Village.

This time, knowing Haruki's existence, Iwagakure had sent several elite shinobi specifically to target him.

To keep his strength hidden, Haruki didn't reveal his full capabilities and was soon locked in combat.

As a result, the battle at Valley Village turned dire. The Konoha shinobi stationed there suffered devastating losses—nearly one-third of the force was wiped out before the enemy was finally repelled.

Over the next ten days, Iwagakure launched multiple follow-up assaults.

By today, despite two waves of reinforcements from Furyu Town, the number of surviving Konoha shinobi in Valley Village had dropped below 150.

And every one of them was exhausted.

Simply put, the outpost was teetering on the edge of collapse. One mistake, and it could all come crashing down.

And it wasn't just Valley Village. Other nearby outposts around Furyu Town were also on the verge of falling apart.

Even so, Omura Yuuto's strategy could still be considered a partial success. Though not flawless, it had achieved part of its objective.

By assigning powerful jonin like Haruki to hold separate locations, the plan helped offset the shortage of Konoha shinobi.

Their presence indeed slowed down Iwagakure's advances, keeping them locked in skirmishes at the outer posts and away from Furyu Town itself.

Unfortunately, for the lower-ranking Konoha shinobi, this kind of stalemate was far from good news.

Because the elite jonin like Haruki were holding key pressure points, it left the mid- and low-tier combatants exposed to brutal and prolonged fighting, leading to massive casualties.

Sure, Iwagakure had also paid a steep price—but with their overwhelming numbers, such sustained attrition was manageable.

That's why Haruki considered Omura Yuuto's plan only a partial success.

Based on the current intel, their outer posts might hold for a short while longer—but eventually, their collapse was inevitable.

And when they did fall, Furyu Town—the central hub—would surely follow.

"I wonder what Omura Yuuto and HQ are thinking right now..."

Haruki pondered as he turned back toward the Valley Village outpost.

Seeing the wounded strewn across the grounds, he swiftly assumed his role as a medic, skillfully treating their injuries.

Luckily, most of their wounds were surface-level—caused by tools and weapons. With his Lv7 Mystical Palm Technique and Lv4 Chakra Scalpel, the treatment was relatively easy.

After over an hour of effort and coordinating with other medics, Haruki helped finish treating the wounded. He then gave instructions to several squad leaders to stay alert, before returning to his quarters.

Maybe it was due to the surge in power from awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan…

Or perhaps it was because he already knew the outcome of this Third Great Ninja War—working backward from effect to cause, he could easily deduce how the battle at Furyu Town would end.

Whatever the reason, Haruki no longer felt much emotion toward the Iwagakure attacks.

Now, he resembled more of an observer than a participant—just fulfilling his designated role without much care.

Death of subordinates? The direction of the war? He didn't really care anymore.

Haruki wasn't sure if this indifference was a sign of cold-bloodedness or something else—but ever since he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and gained the power to protect himself, this was simply how he felt.

Whether this shift in mentality was good or bad, Haruki didn't want to overthink it.

At the moment, he just wanted to train, grow stronger, and do as he pleased.

Maybe... that was its own kind of purity.

Time flew by, and the next day arrived.

After a night of rest, Iwagakure launched yet another attack—and this time, they clearly intended to end it all.

Haruki stood atop a roof, gazing at the energetic force of 300 Iwagakure shinobi.

Then he looked at his side—fewer than 150 Konoha shinobi, all with tired faces and weary eyes.

At this rate, Haruki felt that if he didn't step up, the outpost would surely fall this time.

As he debated whether to reveal a portion of his true strength, four Iwagakure jonin broke from the enemy ranks, charging directly toward him.

Seeing the four, Haruki's expression darkened. Over the past ten days, he had been constantly harassed by this kind of clingy strategy.

Sure, he'd killed a few—but it was no use. Iwagakure's high command was clearly hell-bent on tying him down. For every one he killed, they sent replacements.

The bottom line? They were determined to keep him from interfering on other fronts.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

Haruki glanced once more at the brave but weary Konoha shinobi around him, then at the incoming wave of Iwagakure forces.

He sighed inwardly. "Fine. I'll help you hold the line this time."

With that thought, Haruki slightly bent his knees—and Body Flicker Technique activated.

In an instant, his figure vanished from the rooftop. The next moment, he was already in front of the four incoming Iwagakure jonin.

They reacted quickly, launching attacks without hesitation.

But Haruki's Sharingan spun like a vortex, instantly capturing all their movements and predicting their next steps.

His body twisted elegantly, avoiding two of the strikes by a hair's breadth. With a swift motion—shiiing!—he unsheathed his short sword at his waist.

Clang! Clang!

Two sharp metallic clashes rang out as he expertly deflected the kunai of the remaining two jonin.

For a moment, it was as if the entire battlefield stood still. Everything slowed down in Haruki's eyes.

In that instant, he raised his free left hand and, at unprecedented speed, completed a series of hand signs, unleashing the jutsu:

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

His chest swelled as he took a deep breath—and then exhaled with tremendous force!

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