Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

As everyone knows, the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique is a signature jutsu of the Uchiha clan.

For the opponent to use this technique against Uchiha Haruki at such a crucial moment—what exactly were they thinking?

If Haruki hadn't already demonstrated his proficiency with fire-style chakra, that might have made sense. But he had clearly used multiple fire-style jutsu earlier in the battle.

Did the enemy seriously think he didn't know this technique?

Even setting that aside, judging by the size and formation of the fireball, the Mist ninja didn't seem to be particularly skilled in it either.

This is what they dare to bring to the table?

Haruki shook his head in mild disbelief and stopped giving it any further thought. Raising his hand, he quickly formed a set of seals, executing the jutsu in a flash.

Opening his mouth wide, he released a massive fireball—also the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

Boom!

The two fireballs collided mid-air. The one conjured by the Mist ninja was instantly overpowered, shattered into countless embers that scattered in all directions.

Meanwhile, the fireball created by Haruki continued its advance, roaring toward the Mist ninja.

The enemy responded quickly and narrowly avoided being incinerated by casting Substitution Jutsu at the last second.

Haruki didn't bother chasing him down. With a thought, the chakra wings on his back flapped lightly, and he began to ascend and distance himself from the nearby buildings.

But just then—ZING! ZING! ZING!

Three beams of light suddenly shot out from surrounding structures, converging above him to form a triangular point.

Haruki immediately halted mid-air and looked up.

The next moment, three luminous panels appeared and connected at that apex, forming a triangular prism that sealed him inside.

"A barrier..." Haruki murmured.

Sure enough—it was a sealing barrier.

Glancing around, he now saw large numbers of Mist ninja rapidly gathering, occupying the rooftops and completely surrounding his position.

Among them, Haruki spotted several familiar faces—Mei Terumi, Ao, Yukikaze, and other elite Mist jōnin he had previously fought.

It was now crystal clear—this was a trap.

Reflecting back, Haruki realized something: earlier, when he'd noticed several ballistae left under-defended, the Mist ninja had seemed quick to send reinforcements. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it and simply acted on instinct, thinking it was a rare opportunity.

But now that he reconsidered, every ballista he had destroyed—their placements had seemed oddly deliberate.

And now, with the sealing barrier suddenly in place, Haruki couldn't help but suspect:

This had all been a carefully staged bait—a trap designed to lure him in.

"Quite the clever plan," Haruki muttered, his expression darkening slightly.

Still, that brief irritation faded quickly.

Yes, the Mist had planned this out meticulously. Anyone else in the shinobi world caught in such a scenario would likely be panicking right now.

But Haruki wasn't just anyone.

He scanned the barrier around him.

Unlike the Four Mist Sealing Formation he had encountered before, this barrier was smaller but clearly more reinforced.

It seemed the Mist had learned from the last time—when Haruki had inexplicably escaped their formation—and they had switched to a more advanced seal.

Unfortunately for them, no matter what kind of sealing technique they used, unless it could completely suppress him instantly and prevent him from activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be useless.

The very existence of Amatsu-no-Mikoto—his Mangekyō's special ability—completely countered this type of technique.

In other words, if he wanted to leave, he could do so at any time. From his perspective, this so-called "trap" didn't exist.

Still, Haruki wasn't in a rush to leave.

As much as possible, he preferred not to expose the fact that he possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan.

With that in mind, he looked at the Mist forces now closing in.

He noticed that many of them were stepping directly into the barrier under the command of the jōnin leaders.

Haruki's brows furrowed slightly at this sight.

Normally, once a sealing barrier is deployed, it should isolate the inside from the outside—he couldn't get out, and they shouldn't be able to get in.

Yet here these Mist ninja were, entering the barrier one after another.

Squinting, Haruki saw that each of them had a special sealing tag affixed to their bodies.

Clearly, it was these tags that allowed them to bypass the restriction.

This only confirmed further—the Mist had been thoroughly prepared.

"That's fine. The more chaotic it gets, the easier it'll be to escape."

Just as Haruki raised both hands to begin forming seals, a flurry of shuriken shot toward him, aimed precisely at his vital points.

It was obvious—someone wanted to interrupt his jutsu.

But there was no way Haruki was going to let them get their way.

With his mind split in two, he simultaneously continued forming hand seals while dodging the incoming blades with precise footwork.

However, this was just the beginning.

In the next instant, a storm of kunai and shuriken came flying in—many of them rigged with explosive tags.

Faced with such a barrage, Haruki had no choice but to abandon his jutsu temporarily.

He activated his Sharingan at full power and, with a flap of his chakra wings, began dodging the attacks—especially the explosive tags, which were far more dangerous than ordinary weapons.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions lit up the night.

Scarlet fireballs burst around him, illuminating the dark sky.

Then, from within the blaze, a shadow darted out like a phantom.

The next moment, dense white mist erupted from nowhere, rapidly filling every corner of the barrier.

"That's... the Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

"Stay alert!"

One of the Mist jōnin quickly identified the source of the fog and shouted a warning while preparing to cast a Wind Style jutsu to blow it away.

But just then, Ao's voice echoed across the battlefield:

"Everyone! Watch the skies—he's breaking out from above!"

The reaction was immediate, as if they had rehearsed it.

Every Mist ninja hurled their kunai upward, creating a dense metal storm targeting the entire upper zone of the barrier.

"Ugh—"

A barely audible grunt came from above.

Haruki glanced at the shuriken embedded in his shoulder. His brows knit together slightly in annoyance.

In the next second, his body vanished.

When he reappeared—he was already outside the barrier.

At the same time, a Mist jōnin who had responded to Ao's call leapt onto the rooftop above the barrier, arriving just in time to come face-to-face with Haruki.

For a split second, the two locked eyes.

"Wha—?"

When the Mist jōnin saw Haruki's eyes—black like twin suns, swirling with eerie power—his face went blank with confusion.

Clearly, he didn't recognize the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But Haruki wasn't about to explain.

In a flash, he cast Genjutsu: Sharingan Illusion.

With the power of the Mangekyō, the genjutsu activated instantly—immobilizing the Mist jōnin on the spot.

Shing—

Haruki drew his blade.

A gleam of cold steel flashed, and the Mist jōnin's head was severed in one clean strike.

Without pause, Haruki raised his left hand, rapidly forming hand seals. He opened his mouth and released another jutsu—Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

BOOM!

A fireball erupted and struck the severed head directly, engulfing it in flames.

By the time the blaze died down, the head had been reduced to ashes—no intelligence could be recovered from it now.

Sheathing his sword and deactivating the Mangekyō Sharingan, Haruki cast one last glance at the barrier below.

Then, without hesitation, he activated Wind Style: Wings of Wind and soared into the distance.

Now that he knew it had all been a setup, he had no intention of sticking around.

Who knew what other traps the Mist had in store?

Better to leave—fast.