Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Half an hour later.

East of the Black Stone stronghold.

Not far from the coastline.

Hundreds of Konoha shinobi were divided into three groups, forming an arc as they hid behind makeshift barricades, silently awaiting the arrival of the enemy.

The entire defensive line was eerily quiet. Other than the occasional crash of waves against the shore, only the subtle sound of breathing could be heard.

In stark contrast was the noise from the rear.

There, a group of lower-ranked and mid-ranked shinobi were busily hauling supplies out of the stronghold. Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags—everything was in abundant supply.

It was clear that Konoha had spent considerable time preparing for this battle.

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Time ticked by, second by second.

No one knew how long it had been when suddenly someone shouted, "They're coming!"

Instantly, everyone snapped to attention, eyes locking on the sea ahead.

From the bay, a single Mist Village warship emerged into view, followed by a second, and then a third.

Eventually, more than a dozen Mist Village warships appeared on the ocean surface.

Immediately, members of the Hyuga Clan activated their Byakugan to assess the number and strength of the Mist shinobi aboard the ships. The intel was quickly passed along to commanders like Sano Nobuhisa for reference.

In the shinobi world, warfare wasn't as reliant on strategy as it was for regular armies, but intelligence was even more critical.

Still, in a world where power often resided in individuals, intelligence wasn't always decisive. If a foe couldn't be defeated, no amount of intel could change that.

That's why battles between shinobi often resembled chaotic brawls.

Teams of two or three engaged their own opponents, and the fight only ended when one side's forces had mostly perished.

Brutal, primitive—but effective.

This simplicity allowed each shinobi village to fully utilize its strength. Win or lose, there would be no excuses.

These thoughts flashed through Uchiha Haruki's mind as he hovered high above the battlefield, quietly observing.

As the Mist warships drew closer, a group of Konoha jonin suddenly broke from the defensive line and leapt onto the sea.

In unison, they formed hand signs and unleashed their jutsu: Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!

Though none could match Kisame Hoshigaki's legendary mastery of the technique, the combined effort of so many jonin still packed a punch.

A towering wave, more than ten meters high, surged forward with terrifying speed toward the Mist ships.

If struck, even the sturdiest of warships would be reduced to splinters.

Would the Mist Village allow such destruction?

Of course not.

Before the wave could crash, three Mist shinobi leapt from the ships.

They quickly performed hand signs, crouched, and pressed their palms to the sea surface, shouting, "Ice Release: Frozen Seal Technique!"

These weren't ordinary shinobi—they were members of the Yuki Clan, bearers of the rare Ice Release kekkei genkai.

As their jutsu activated, sheets of solid ice formed beneath their hands and spread rapidly outward, reaching the oncoming wave in moments.

The instant the wave made contact, it was frozen into a massive ice sculpture, suspended in midair.

But it didn't end there.

The ice continued to spread, creeping toward the beach.

Seizing the opportunity, dozens of Mist shinobi leapt from their warships and dashed across the newly formed ice toward the shore.

Konoha's defenders tried to intercept them, but the massive frozen wave blocked their line of sight and delayed their response.

Thus, the Mist shinobi closed the distance unscathed.

Watching this unfold, Haruki shook his head slightly.

In the end, there hadn't been enough time to fully prepare. Though Konoha had brought in reinforcements, their defensive measures were mediocre.

In contrast, the Mist shinobi clearly had a well-rehearsed plan.

Konoha had already lost the upper hand in the opening exchange.

Still, this was just the beginning. The outcome would depend on how each side adapted.

Realizing they'd failed to gain an early advantage, the Konoha jonin retreated behind the defensive line.

As soon as the Mist shinobi crossed the frozen wave, someone shouted, "Attack!"

Dozens of kunai suddenly flew from behind the barricades like a hailstorm, aimed directly at the advancing enemy.

Unfazed, the Mist shinobi hurled their own kunai in retaliation.

Simultaneously, some Mist shinobi formed hand signs and unleashed Water Release: Wild Water Wave, targeting the Konoha defenders.

Among the Mist shinobi, this jutsu was as common as Earth Release: Rock Bullet was in Iwagakure. Any Mist shinobi with water chakra affinity could use it.

But like its Iwagakure counterpart, its power was minimal, mostly useful for disruption.

As expected, none of the Konoha shinobi were injured.

The battle raged on!

With the second round of attacks, the gap between both sides shrank further. Shinobi began attaching explosive tags to their weapons before throwing them.

This escalation dramatically intensified the battlefield.

Numerous shinobi were injured or killed in the blasts, unable to evade in time.

Agonized screams echoed across the shoreline.

Driven by this, the fighting grew even more brutal.

Kunai sliced through the air with a chilling rhythm. Explosive tags detonated with deafening booms.

Flames erupted across the battlefield, heating the air to a blistering degree.

The high temperatures and shockwaves from the explosions caused the ice layer created by the three Yuki Clan jonin to begin fracturing.

This slightly impeded the Mist shinobi's advance.

But only slightly.

Those in the first assault wave were at least chunin-level and could walk on water. The cracking ice didn't slow them much.

Soon enough, the Mist shinobi reached the beach.

Now, the distance between the two sides was less than ten meters.

For shinobi, that's the blink of an eye.

The brutal melee began.

Mist shinobi stormed into Konoha's defenses, engaging in deadly close-quarters combat.

At such close range, explosive tags were too risky.

Not only might one injure oneself, but a misstep could also harm an ally.

This phase of battle came down to sheer strength and skill.

"Kill!"

A Konoha jonin roared, and his comrades surged forward from behind the barricades, joining the fray.

Steel clashed with steel. The clang of weapons rang out endlessly.

Shinobi from both sides fought like madmen, consumed by the frenzy of war.