Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"

Uchiha Haruki swiftly dodged several ninjutsu attacks from the Iwagakure shinobi, piercing one of the enemy chunin through the chest with his blade. Using the corpse as a human shield, he blocked incoming attacks while already raising his left hand.

In a flash, he completed a series of hand seals.

—Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!

In an instant, over a hundred fist-sized fireballs materialized and, under Haruki's precise control, rained down like a meteor shower toward the enemy.

The Iwa shinobi either dodged or blocked the attack, and miraculously, none were hit directly.

Just as they were preparing to counterattack, however, a transparent wind blade cut through the air at high speed.

All that followed was the chilling sound of flesh being torn apart.

Slash!

Two Iwa chunin were cleaved cleanly in half at the waist.

"AHHH!"

"Ughhh—!"

Agonized screams tore through the battlefield. The two Iwa shinobi hadn't died instantly—their upper halves fell to the ground, mouths agape as they cried out in unbearable pain.

Nearby, a group of Iwa shinobi witnessing the gruesome scene were visibly shaken, their pupils contracting in fear.

They stared ahead, trying not to blink, terrified that they might be next.

But by then—Haruki had already vanished from that location.

Meanwhile…

On another part of the battlefield, Ichiro Kurokawa, still watching Haruki calmly maneuvering through his encirclement, ground to a frustrated halt.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.

Turning to a nearby Iwa chunin, he barked an order:

"Send in the Third and Fourth squads, now!"

"Huh?" The Iwa chunin froze, visibly startled by the command.

Seeing the hesitation, Kurokawa scowled.

"What do you mean 'huh'? That's an order. Execute it immediately!"

The chunin glanced toward Haruki, clearly wanting to object. But facing Kurokawa's authority, he kept silent and nodded.

"Yes, Captain!"

He turned and ran to carry out the command, though inwardly, he couldn't help but think the captain had gone mad.

From everything Haruki had shown so far, it was clear that no amount of lower-ranking shinobi could stop him.

Sending in more troops now was no different from throwing them into a furnace.

Surely Kurokawa realized this?

Of course he did.

But he had no better options.

By being the first to organize a mass assault on Haruki, Iwa had already violated one of the unspoken rules of battlefield conduct.

Now, the only way to stop Haruki from retaliating against Iwa's mid- and lower-tier shinobi... was to send in more Jonin.

But—

Kurokawa glanced across the battlefield.

All their remaining Iwa Jonin were already engaged, locked in battle with Konoha's elite. None could be spared.

So to prevent Haruki from assisting his allies and turning the tide of the war, the only remaining move was to sacrifice more soldiers and continue the encirclement.

Yes, the losses might be heavy.

But if they could pin Haruki down, he wouldn't be able to tip the balance elsewhere.

And if the rest of the battlefield could claim victory before Haruki broke free, then his efforts would ultimately be in vain.

As for the lives of the mid- and lower-tier shinobi...

To be blunt, in a place like Iwagakure, Kurokawa didn't care.

If they could drain Haruki's chakra and wear him down—even at the cost of dozens of lives—it would be worth it.

Sadly, his reasoning couldn't keep up with the reality of Haruki's strength.

Fifteen minutes later…

Kurokawa stared at the near-complete annihilation of the Third and Fourth squads, along with the tattered remains of his initial force. A wave of dizziness hit him.

In just this short time, Uchiha Haruki had slaughtered over forty Iwa shinobi—a kill count greater than the entire Konoha force combined.

At this rate, it wouldn't be Konoha that collapsed first—it would be them.

"Captain, this can't go on! We need another plan. The Third and Fourth squads are barely hanging on!"

It was that same Iwa chunin again, looking at Kurokawa with genuine concern.

But Kurokawa was just as helpless.

What could he do?

Just a few days ago, Haruki had been strong—but not unstoppable.

Yet today…

"What the hell did that guy eat?!"

He hadn't just defeated the four Jonin assigned to deal with him—including Nobunaga Kamihara—he had turned the tide and brutalized them.

Kurokawa gritted his teeth.

"Damn it. Do I need to retreat?"

Looking at the broader battlefield, where Iwa still held the upper hand, a withdrawal—especially right now—felt irrational and wrong.

After a moment of thought, he turned to the chunin and gave a new order:

"Have the First, Second, Fifth, and Sixth squads pull back from their current positions. Tell them to block the Konoha Jonin currently fighting with Black Wind's team. Then get Black Wind and his men over here to deal with Uchiha Haruki."

The chunin's eyes lit up. He instantly understood the plan.

Kurokawa's idea was simple:

Instead of wasting more expendable troops on Haruki, use them to delay the Konoha Jonin.

Then, have Iwa's Jonin—Black Wind and the others—break away and focus entirely on Haruki.

Yes, it might still result in losses.

But it wouldn't be the bloodbath it had become now.

Of course, this shift in strategy came with a risk.

If they couldn't suppress or kill Haruki... then Konoha's Jonin, once freed, could rally their forces and turn the tide completely.

It was a high-stakes gamble.

But Kurokawa had no choice.

If things continued as they were, Haruki would destroy them from the inside out.

As the chunin rushed off to relay the orders, Kurokawa looked back toward the battlefield—

There, Haruki was still weaving death among the enemy ranks like a phantom.

Over the years, Kurokawa had heard legends of shinobi strong enough to change the outcome of war alone.

But all those figures were legendary names in the shinobi world.

Now, it was happening again.

And this time—it was Uchiha Haruki.

In that moment, Kurokawa couldn't help but feel a chill.

"After today... the name Ghost Blade Haruki may echo even louder than before…"

Suddenly, he froze.

"Wait a second—does that mean… deep down… I already think even Black Wind and the others won't be able to kill him?"

Kurokawa didn't know how to answer himself.

Or perhaps—he already had the answer.

He just didn't want to accept it.

"Hmph! Then let me see it with my own eyes!"

Kurokawa grunted and shook off the thought. He reached up to touch his hardened left forearm.

It was a prosthetic limb.

Half a month ago, during the failed assault on Kotani Village, it was Haruki who had slaughtered several Iwa Jonin and shattered their offensive.

Kurokawa lost his arm in that battle—caught in the counterattack by several Konoha Jonin.

And ever since, he'd held a grudge against Haruki.

Now, with personal vengeance and the interests of the village aligned, Kurokawa was determined to fight.

He would find out for himself—

Whether Uchiha Haruki could truly survive against everything Iwa had left.

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