Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sharp clang of colliding blades echoed repeatedly across the sea.

Uchiha Haruki, wielding his longsword, fought one against two—yet he showed no sign of being overwhelmed.

Second by second, time passed.

In the blink of an eye, another fifteen minutes had gone by.

Kisame Hoshigaki and Yukikaze temporarily disengaged, widening the distance between them. As they stood facing Haruki, their gazes locked onto his still-youthful face, eyes filled with seriousness.

After several battles with him, even as enemies, they had to admit—Uchiha Haruki was a true genius.

Someone so young, yet able to go toe-to-toe with the two of them?

If that wasn't genius, what was?

It was clear—as long as he didn't die in this war, he was destined to become the backbone of the Leaf Village in the future.

And that thought only made Kisame even more determined to eliminate him.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn't find a weakness in Haruki.

Or rather, to be precise—it wasn't that there were no flaws… they just couldn't exploit them.

Haruki was still young. Even with the battlefield accelerating his growth, his combat experience couldn't match that of these two seasoned Jonin.

Naturally, this resulted in the occasional opening.

But the problem was—even when Haruki exposed a weakness, they couldn't capitalize on it. And even if they tried, Haruki could rely on his sheer strength to turn the tables.

That was what frustrated Kisame the most.

"Maybe… it's time to go all in," Kisame thought grimly, shooting a subtle glance at Yukikaze.

However, the silent understanding he hoped for didn't appear. Instead, he saw a deeply hidden fear in Yukikaze's eyes.

Under these circumstances, expecting her to go all out was impossible.

Most crucially, the mission assigned by their village wasn't to kill Haruki—but simply to delay the support team he led.

So even if Kisame wanted to risk everything, Yukikaze had every excuse to avoid doing the same.

This was one of the consequences of Kirigakure's brutal Blood Mist policies—the village lacked unity.

Even though the current Mist Village hadn't openly persecuted the Kekkei Genkai clans recently, those clans still instinctively prioritized self-preservation.

Just like Yukikaze.

She might carry out assigned missions—but she would never sacrifice herself for the village's sake.

Especially when she had a valid reason not to.

In her heart, the legacy of her clan mattered far more than any mission.

Kisame, though he treated himself like a tool of the mission and rarely spoke, was no fool. His sharp mind quickly saw through Yukikaze's attitude.

He didn't even need to ask—he already knew her answer.

Sigh...

Kisame let out a quiet sigh and stopped dwelling on it. He immediately prepared to launch a second wave of attacks.

Even if killing Haruki today was unlikely, he would still give it everything he had.

But just as he was about to strike—

Caw!

A mighty hawk suddenly swooped down from the sky and began circling above them, letting out a clear and piercing cry.

Kisame looked up, recognizing it immediately—a messenger hawk from the village.

Upon confirmation, he focused on the hawk's cry, parsing its message.

Yes—unlike messenger pigeons that carried written notes, these hawks could also transmit simple commands through specific vocalizations.

And this hawk's call… clearly conveyed:

Mission complete. Begin withdrawal when ready.

As Kisame finished deciphering the message, Yukikaze didn't hesitate.

"Retreat," she said coldly.

Without another word, she turned her back on Haruki and ran toward the battlefield where the Mist and Leaf ninjas were clashing.

Kisame was momentarily stunned.

"You're leaving that easily? Seriously?"

But with her already gone, he had no choice. After one last, reluctant glance at Haruki, he too prepared to retreat.

However…

Haruki wasn't going to let him escape so easily.

Though he had nearly given up on capturing Kisame alive earlier, the sudden shift in circumstances reignited that possibility. He wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

So, ignoring Yukikaze, he charged straight at Kisame.

Kisame had wanted to retreat, but seeing the remaining Mist ninjas still embroiled in battle nearby, he made a quick decision—to stall Haruki and give his comrades more time to withdraw.

That was the contradiction of Kisame's character.

He was someone who could sacrifice his allies for the mission without hesitation—yet, at the same time, he was willing to risk his own life for those same comrades.

Such is the complexity of human nature.

Clang! Clang!

The battle resumed once more.

This time, without Yukikaze's support, Kisame was clearly under more pressure.

Still, that was all.

Even though he couldn't match Haruki in close combat, Haruki still couldn't finish him off easily—especially once Kisame shifted entirely into a defensive strategy.

Five minutes passed.

Haruki's exquisite swordsmanship landed two fresh wounds on Kisame. But neither cut was deep—they weren't enough to cripple or kill him.

Meanwhile, Kisame observed that the surviving Mist ninjas had finally escaped the Leaf forces and were retreating alongside Yukikaze.

Only then did he decide—it was time to go.

But leaving was easier said than done.

The moment Kisame showed the slightest intention of escaping, Haruki picked up on it.

Immediately, Haruki intensified his assault, denying him any window to retreat.

At the same time, the remaining Leaf ninjas had begun converging on their location.

Catching them in his peripheral vision, Kisame realized:

"If they get close enough to pin me down—even with their mediocre strength—I'll be trapped. If Haruki capitalizes on that, I could be in real danger."

With that thought, Kisame gritted his teeth, waited for the right moment, and then deliberately took a cut to the chest in order to widen the distance between them.

Next—

Hand signs flashed rapidly.

Kisame unleashed his signature Water Style jutsu—

Water Style: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!

In an instant, a massive torrent of water burst from his mouth like a heavenly river, forming a towering wave that surged toward Haruki.

Haruki responded instantly, diving into the sea with a clean motion.

Then—

He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and used Heavenly Dominion, ignoring the impact of the water entirely as he reappeared beneath Kisame.

In a flash, he dispelled the jutsu, emerged from the surface, disabled the Mangekyō, and thrust his blade forward.

Squelch!

His longsword pierced straight through Kisame's back.

But no blood flowed.

Only the sound of water dripping—drip, drip.

Boom—!

Kisame's body exploded into a puddle, turning back into sea water.

It had been another water clone.

Haruki withdrew his blade, turned his head, and saw—in the distance—a shark surfacing and swallowing Kisame in one gulp.

Then—

The shark vanished from view.

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