Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Uchiha Haruki walked back to Kurosaki Takeo, raising his hand to form seals, ready to cast the Chakra Absorption Technique and drain the remaining chakra from his body.

But just as he was about to do so, something caught his attention. His hand seals changed mid-form, and he said calmly, "Alright, since you're awake, there's no point pretending."

The moment Haruki finished speaking, Kurosaki Takeo opened his eyes.

In an instant, his right hand, which had been raised slightly, lashed out. The kunai in his grip shot like lightning toward Haruki's throat.

The speed was astonishing—far too fast for a normal reaction.

Even if Haruki tried the Genjutsu: Sharingan trick again, it was unlikely he could catch Takeo in time.

But Haruki had already prepared for this.

The moment he sensed something was off, he had begun laying a trap.

So just as Takeo moved, his body froze mid-action, paralyzed on the spot.

This time, he didn't pass out—instead, pain exploded across his entire body. It felt as though massive iron spikes had been driven through every joint and limb, rendering him completely immobile.

This was none other than the C-rank genjutsu—Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.

Despite being only C-rank, when used with proper preparation, it could be just as effective as Genjutsu: Sharingan—if not more so in sudden engagements.

Meeting Takeo's murderous glare with a calm expression, Haruki plucked the kunai from his frozen hand and drove it backward into his abdomen.

Takeo's eyes widened with agony. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.

His life force was plunging fast—he wouldn't last much longer.

Without wasting time, Haruki formed seals and activated the Chakra Absorption Technique.

Placing his palm on Takeo's chest, he felt the man's chakra surge out like a breached dam. In seconds, it had been drained completely.

Not satisfied, Haruki continued extracting both spiritual and physical energy.

He harvested nearly 20,000 points of chakra before Takeo's body finally gave out.

It wasn't that Takeo only had that much chakra left—it was simply that his body could no longer endure the strain. He died on the spot, forcing Haruki to stop.

After all, chakra is the fusion of spirit and body energy. Once a person dies, their spirit energy dissipates, making further extraction impossible.

Thud.

Takeo's lifeless body hit the ground.

Haruki withdrew his hand and looked around at the battlefield.

Elsewhere, five Mist Jonin were still locked in combat with five Konoha Jonin.

Earlier, the Mist Jonin had held the upper hand.

But after Haruki had taken out several of their comrades, including Hozuki Zangetsu and now Kurosaki Takeo, the others had become noticeably more cautious. Their aggression had vanished; they no longer dared press forward.

It was as if they feared drawing Haruki's attention.

Not that it mattered.

Haruki wasn't interested in them anymore. It wasn't about mercy or hesitation—he simply had bigger priorities.

The mid- and lower-ranked Konoha forces were starting to crumble.

Unlike the well-coordinated Mist ninja, Konoha's forces had been hastily assembled. Their teamwork and preparation were inferior.

Combined with a significant numerical disadvantage, they were on the verge of collapse.

Haruki's earlier victories had been the only thing holding morale together. Without him, they likely would have broken by now.

Even so, their casualties were severe. The pressure they faced continued to mount, and they desperately needed backup.

Haruki wasted no time.

With a sharp kick off the ground, he dashed toward one of the embattled clusters where Mist and Konoha ninja were clashing.

This group had over twenty Mist shinobi attacking just over ten Konoha ninja. Each Konoha fighter was fending off two enemies at once.

The situation was critical.

Suddenly, Haruki appeared.

He froze one enemy with Genjutsu: Sharingan, then used Instant Blade Technique to flash behind another Mist Chunin.

A cold gleam shone—an edge formed of Wind Release chakra sliced clean through the ninja's neck.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed like a fountain, soaring meters into the air.

Haruki vanished again, dodging the bloody spray and arriving in front of the previously frozen target.

Shing!

With a flash, he slit the man's throat.

The Mist Chunin snapped out of the illusion just in time to feel the life leaving his body. He clutched his throat and stared at Haruki, eyes filled with terror.

Haruki ignored him.

His Sharingan spun as he scanned the battlefield for his next target.

He launched forward again, a blur of motion with lethal precision.

Just like that, Haruki became a ghostly presence among the enemy ranks—every attack was decisive, every strike deadly.

The Mist ninjas tried to surround him, but without Jonin to pin him down, they failed miserably.

None of them could keep up with his speed and technique.

Within minutes, Haruki had torn through the group, freeing the surrounded Konoha forces.

He gave them no time to rest. "Go reinforce the others."

Then he turned to the next closest battle.

Like a one-man firefighting unit, Haruki moved from skirmish to skirmish. Wherever danger flared up, he appeared.

To the Mist, he was a nightmare.

To Konoha, he was salvation.

Minute by minute, the tide began to shift.

What had been a battlefield leaning in Mist's favor returned to an even balance.

If things continued at this pace, it wouldn't be long before Konoha gained the upper hand—and possibly, outright victory.

Mist could not allow that.

That's why, behind the scenes, some Mist ninja had already summoned their animal familiars to report the situation back to the main command.

They were requesting reinforcements.

All of this happened in secret—Haruki had no idea.

And even if he did, it wouldn't change his strategy.

No matter what Mist did, freeing up more Konoha allies was crucial.

If the Konoha fighters remained pinned down, no number of reinforcements would matter—Haruki couldn't handle everything alone.

So his focus remained on the immediate threat.

As for the rest…

Let the enemy come.