Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

"Kill!!"

Another thunderous battle cry rang out from the Cloud Ninja forces.

Then came a second, a third…

The moment the Third Raikage charged ahead, the other Cloud Ninja didn't hesitate—they followed immediately, storming toward the Iwa-nin in front of them.

In an instant, the battlefield erupted in chaos, the air filled with deafening shouts and the clash of steel.

Uchiha Haruki observed the chaos, thought for a moment, and moved closer—not because he wanted to fight, but to better adapt if the situation shifted.

However, he hadn't gone far before catching sight of a suspicious figure—cloaked in black, face hidden behind a mask. It was clearly an ANBU operative.

But…

Haruki's eyes scanned the mask. It bore no symbol or insignia. It wasn't clear what faction this spy belonged to.

Just as Haruki was sizing him up, the masked ninja suddenly turned his head, clearly sensing something. His eyes locked onto Haruki's position, and his steps paused for just a second.

He had spotted Haruki as well.

Haruki considered activating his Sharingan to cast a hypnotic genjutsu and restrain the stranger.

But before he could act, the ANBU used a Body Flicker Technique—vanishing on the spot.

Haruki watched the blurred motion fade into the distance but didn't give chase. Though he could probably catch up if he went all out, it wasn't worth the risk of exposing his identity or position. Compared to the many Iwa-nin and Cloud-nin clashing up ahead, one spy simply wasn't worth it.

After a brief pause, Haruki continued forward. When he reached a spot not too far from the main battlefield, he concealed himself once more.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Even with the Third Raikage still leading the charge and the Cloud-nin fighting with everything they had, they couldn't break through the Iwa-nin formation a second time.

After two full hours of relentless combat, they had advanced less than a kilometer.

And they were still trapped within the Iwa-nin encirclement.

Worse, as time dragged on, more and more Iwa-nin reinforcements poured in, increasing the pressure on the already strained Cloud forces.

The Third Raikage leapt high into the air after swatting aside several elite Iwa jōnin, scanning the battlefield below.

What he saw was grim.

Waves of Iwa-nin, dense as a tide, surging in from all sides.

His Cloud-nin forces stood firm like a dam, but the pressure was building dangerously—it could collapse at any moment.

The Third Raikage clenched his jaw.

He knew it—he had lost this round.

But…

His eyes swept over the warriors still fighting tooth and nail below.

"I can't let all of them die here."

These weren't just soldiers—they were the elite of Kumogakure. If they all perished, the village's strength would be crippled.

Without any more hesitation, he made his decision. His gaze sharpened as he instantly pushed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its absolute limit.

Crackling!

Visibly solid lightning surged across his body, forming a thick armor of electricity that wrapped him from head to toe—enhancing both offense and defense to their peak.

Without a word, he broke away from the Cloud-nin ranks once more and charged headlong into the endless Iwa-nin forces, becoming a storm of destruction.

In just moments, dozens of Iwa-nin fell at his hands.

The Iwa-nin had no choice—they were forced to redirect more troops to swarm and surround him.

The result?

The pressure on the Cloud-nin lightened considerably.

Taking the opportunity, the bulk of the Cloud forces began to slowly shift, inching their way toward the border, trying to break out.

Meanwhile, the Third Raikage made no attempt to retreat—he was lost in his slaughter, drawing in more and more enemies like a flame attracting moths.

Soon, the battlefield was clearly divided into two parts:

One where the bulk of the Iwa and Cloud forces clashed violently,

And another where the Third Raikage stood alone, holding back a tide of Iwa-nin.

As the minutes ticked by, the two battlefronts drifted further and further apart.

Thanks to the Third Raikage's sacrifice, the Cloud forces were on the verge of escaping the encirclement.

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in the Third Raikage's mind:

"Lord Raikage, that's enough. You can fall back now."

But the Third Raikage didn't move.

Instead, he glanced toward his retreating men, then swept his eyes over the Iwa-nin surrounding him. He responded in his thoughts:

"Heath… you go on without me."

"What? Lord Raikage, what are you saying?"

Heath's voice rang in his mind, full of urgency.

"Silence."

The Third Raikage's voice was low and firm. He sighed and said,

"Heath, we lost."

"I know, my lord. But we can regroup—start again."

"No."

He cut her off.

"We lost—and losses must be paid. Either you all… or me."

Heath was silent.

The Raikage continued:

"Haven't you noticed? If I try to break out now, Iwa will immediately send everyone to block our retreat. That's not something I'm willing to risk."

"But—!"

"There are no 'buts,' Heath."

He interrupted her again.

"You and the others are the future of the village. Protect yourselves. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."

With that, the Third Raikage forcibly severed Heath's mental connection and purged her chakra from his body.

Uchiha Haruki watched the Cloud forces slow down for a brief moment—then push forward again, breaking out with increased speed and determination.

At that point, Haruki was nearly certain:

The "storyline" was still following the general path he remembered from his past life.

Though he didn't know exactly how the Third Raikage and his subordinates coordinated it, one thing was clear:

The Raikage had chosen to stay behind alone.

Actually, calling it "staying behind" wasn't quite accurate.

After all, even with overwhelming power, one man alone can't hold back thousands of Iwa-nin indefinitely.

If Iwagakure hadn't intentionally left him behind to slow the Cloud retreat, he wouldn't have even had the chance to make this sacrifice.

So rather than "holding the rear," it was more like a trade of life for time—a grim agreement from Iwagakure to let him serve as a decoy while they hunted the rest.

Of course, they wouldn't let the other Cloud-nin escape easily either. A tailing force would surely be dispatched.

Now, Haruki had to decide—stay here, or follow the retreating Cloud forces?

It only took him half a second to decide.

He crossed his fingers and performed the Shadow Clone Technique, splitting off a clone.

Looking at the clone, Haruki knew it understood his intent, but he still said out of habit:

"I'm leaving the rest to you."

"Understood,"

the clone replied simply.

With the clone staying to tie up loose ends, Haruki wasted no more time. He immediately turned and began heading in the direction of the Cloud escape.

That's right—he had chosen the other battlefield.

Partly because the chaos would give him more room to move unseen.

But mostly, he feared staying here would lead to him being "accidentally eliminated" by Iwagakure during their sweep.

He knew what was coming:

Iwa would soon lock down the area to prevent the Third Raikage from escaping.

Any spies caught in the crossfire would be neutralized along with the rest.

For his own safety, Uchiha Haruki had no choice but to leave this place behind.

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