Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Whoosh—!

A sharp sound tore through the air.

Just as Haruki blew away the lingering white mist around him, a kunai came whistling from behind, aimed straight at the center of his back.

But it was as if Haruki had eyes on the back of his head—he sidestepped a moment before the kunai even reached him.

Seeing the attack fail, the Kirigakure ANBU instantly switched tactics. His hands blurred into motion as he pulled out a storm of shuriken from various pouches, scattering them like a blossoming shower toward Haruki.

A closer look revealed a faint purple glow coating the blades—obviously laced with poison, very typical of ANBU-style assassination.

Yet Haruki didn't flinch in the slightest.

His blood-red pupils spun rapidly—the Three Tomoe Sharingan in full activation. Every incoming blade was caught clearly in his vision, each trajectory read and predicted in an instant.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

One by one, Haruki knocked the shuriken out of the air with his short sword in a flurry of precise strikes.

Not only that, he used the opportunity to lunge straight toward the ANBU.

The masked ninja wasn't about to let him get close. With a sudden push of his legs, he launched himself backward to create distance once again.

As he landed, his hands flashed through a rapid series of hand seals. He opened his mouth wide and released a stream of water, which quickly expanded like a trumpet bell, surging toward Haruki.

Haruki's step faltered slightly. He sheathed his short sword and, in an instant, completed a set of hand seals.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Flames burst from his mouth, coalescing into a sphere of fire that grew larger with each passing second.

By the time it clashed with the Kirigakure water technique, the fireball had swelled to a diameter of over three meters.

Ssssshhhhh—!!

The collision of fire and water produced a high-pitched hiss, and an enormous cloud of steam filled the battlefield, spreading rapidly in all directions.

Seeing the mist rise, the ANBU's eyes gleamed. He was about to cast Hidden Mist Technique again.

But before he could move—

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind swept in from nowhere, dispersing the mist with a powerful force.

Haruki lowered the hand he had just placed near his lips. The ANBU froze for a moment, bewildered.

That moment was all Haruki needed—his Sharingan's genjutsu activated instantly.

The ANBU suddenly felt his mind go heavy, his consciousness slipping as drowsiness overtook him. Alarmed, he quickly broke eye contact and retreated backward.

But before he could get far, several shuriken zipped toward him, cutting off his escape.

For most shinobi, pulling that off would've been impossible.

But Haruki was different. Not only did he possess the fully matured Three Tomoe Sharingan, but he had also mastered Throwing Techniques to Level 5 (0/0)—the peak.

With those two combined, even a handful of simple shuriken could precisely block off an elite's escape route.

Haruki seized the opportunity and used Body Flicker Technique, appearing directly in front of the ANBU in a flash. His short sword gleamed as he slashed forward without hesitation.

The ANBU had no time to dodge—he raised his kunai in defense.

Clang!

The crisp clang of steel-on-steel echoed.

Haruki didn't press the clash. He instantly withdrew, spun around, and launched another strike.

Clang!

The ANBU parried again.

Still not slowing, Haruki shifted angle once more and went for a third attack.

Blocked again.

But with his Sharingan's full power unleashed, Haruki's body seemed like a specter, constantly shifting, weaving, and attacking.

If another Uchiha with a Three Tomoe Sharingan had been observing, they would've noticed: Haruki's every strike was perfectly aimed at the blind spots in his opponent's field of vision.

Only someone who had trained both Uchiha Sword Style and Genjutsu: Sharingan to above Level 5 could achieve such precision.

And among the entire Uchiha clan, Haruki might be the only one capable of it.

Such high-level mastery naturally brought overwhelming combat effectiveness.

The only reason the ANBU hadn't been killed already was due to his rich combat experience and quick reflexes—any mid-to-low-level shinobi would've died several times over by now.

But even so… how much longer could the ANBU last?

He had already suffered serious injuries from the previous battle. Now, with Haruki's relentless assault piling on pressure, it was only a matter of time before he slipped.

Haruki knew this. And the ANBU knew it too.

That's why the Kirigakure shinobi began looking for a window to counterattack.

But that decision—choosing to go on the offensive—was exactly what Haruki had been waiting for.

In a blur, Haruki performed hand seals at his fastest speed ever, instantly casting Genjutsu: Sharingan. In the moment the ANBU was caught off guard, Haruki's sword pierced through his right arm.

The ANBU let out a sharp grunt as the searing pain jolted him back to awareness.

Clenching his teeth, he quickly assessed his condition. Then he glanced at Haruki, realizing he had no hope of victory—and no chance of escape.

His eyes hardened, as if making a final decision.

Then, he stopped defending altogether. Eyes closed, he began staggering backward. At the same time, he raised both hands as if to form hand seals.

"Wait… No! That's bad!"

Haruki suddenly realized what was happening.

He unleashed all of his chakra at once—a wave of power so intense it momentarily stunned the ANBU in place.

Still, the ANBU didn't open his eyes—clearly trying to guard against Haruki's genjutsu.

But it was too late.

With his chakra fully released, Haruki's speed surged exponentially. In what seemed like a blink, he had closed the gap again.

Swish! Swish!

Two flashes of light—Haruki swung his short sword and sliced off the ANBU's forearms, just as the man began to raise them.

That still wasn't the end.

Haruki blurred again, this time appearing behind him. His hands moved like lightning, forming seals.

Chakra Absorption Technique.

His hand clamped onto the ANBU's neck.

An intense stream of chakra surged into Haruki's body, bringing with it an almost euphoric sensation.

But Haruki didn't relax—not until he had completely drained every last drop of chakra from the ANBU did he finally exhale in relief.

You couldn't blame him for being this cautious.

The ANBU's earlier action had been way too risky.

If Haruki hadn't stopped him in time, the man would've either triggered some kind of self-destruction jutsu or attempted to take Haruki down with him.

If it had been the latter, and Haruki had failed to react quickly enough… the consequences would've been disastrous.

That's why he hadn't chosen to flee—but instead struck preemptively.

Still, that also meant his presence was now completely exposed.

After all, they were way too close to the battlefield. Any decent sensor-type ninja would've picked up on the chakra eruption.

Whether it was Kumo-nin or Iwa-nin, they would undoubtedly send someone to investigate.

No shinobi could rest easy knowing a powerful, unidentified enemy was lurking nearby.

"Time to go."

Haruki didn't linger. After quickly clearing the scene, he grabbed the unconscious ANBU and left the area.

Just minutes after his departure, several different groups arrived at the scene—Kumo-nin, Iwa-nin, and even spies from other factions.

Unfortunately, the battle between Haruki and the ANBU, though intense, had lasted less than ten minutes.

Throughout the fight, Haruki had relied mostly on swordsmanship and his Sharingan—neither of which left behind any clear evidence.

So despite their thorough search, the investigators found nothing useful.

And as for tracking him?

Not a chance.