Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Although Han had managed to force Haruki back, he didn't immediately launch a follow-up attack. Instead, he used the momentum to leap more than ten meters away and came to a halt.

Standing in place, Han locked eyes with Haruki, his gaze filled with wariness.

He had no choice—whether it was the earlier sneak attack using kunai and ninjutsu or the precise, almost lethal sword strike just now, both had left him feeling genuinely threatened.

Because of that, he didn't dare to act rashly.

Right now, his only thought was to wait for the other six teammates to arrive. Then they could work together to finish Haruki off.

It had to be said—Han was very different from most Jinchūriki. Despite his immense power, he was unusually cautious.

The moment he realized that facing Haruki alone might be dangerous, he immediately chose the more conservative approach—wait for reinforcements.

But while Han could afford to stall for time, Haruki could not.

Haruki's Sharingan spun subtly, and his peripheral vision shifted toward the distance.

There, the six other Iwa-nin were rapidly closing in, following the path Han had carved through the forest during his charge.

Haruki might have confidence in his own strength, but even he knew it was impossible to take on seven Jōnin at once—especially when one of them was a Jinchūriki.

So…

'I need to retreat—now.'

With that thought, Haruki kicked off the ground and shot backward at high speed.

Han didn't hesitate for a second—he immediately gave chase.

He was cautious, but not cowardly. Now that Haruki was retreating, there was no reason not to pursue.

Steam swirled around his entire body, and his crimson armor glistened even brighter as it was blasted by the intense heat. The force from the steam-enhanced armor made him faster and faster, and the distance between them closed rapidly.

Seeing that he was about to be caught, Haruki suddenly twisted his body midair, forming a hand seal.

A powerful spiritual pressure emanated from his Sharingan, sweeping across the forest like an invisible wave.

"What the—?"

Han stiffened slightly, his pupils contracting.

Why did this kid's Sharingan feel so terrifying?

He had fought Uchiha Jōnin before. Even those with fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan had never made him feel such pressure.

What was with this brat?

Questions swirled in his mind, but none had answers.

'Forget it—don't think about it.'

Han abruptly reached up and pressed down on the brim of his straw hat, tilting it just enough to block his own line of sight and avoid direct eye contact with Haruki.

And that was exactly the moment Haruki had been waiting for.

As soon as Han cut off his line of sight, Haruki changed his hand seals. The genjutsu he had originally planned to use—"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique"—was instantly swapped out for a Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

Anyone familiar with both jutsu would have screamed that it was impossible.

After all, they were completely different ninjutsu types—switching between them mid-cast should have been impossible.

But Haruki wasn't just anyone.

He had already trained "Shackling Stakes" to Level 5 (Mastered)—allowing him to release or cancel it at will.

At the same time, he had pushed "Fire Release: Great Fireball" to Level 4, with very high proficiency.

Combined with his Level 4 Chakra Control, and the insights gained from mastering "Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Technique", his understanding of Fire Release was extremely deep.

All of this allowed him to execute the seamless transition between genjutsu and ninjutsu.

Because of that, the Great Fireball he unleashed came out of nowhere.

By the time Han noticed something was off, a massive fireball three meters in diameter was already roaring toward him.

Feeling the intense heat, Han instantly understood—he couldn't take it head-on.

In a split second, Han let out a fierce shout. From the gaps in the armor around his right arm, a blast of high-temperature steam erupted.

Using the recoil force from the steam, he propelled himself sideways several meters, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

Haruki wasn't going to let the opportunity slip away.

Just as Han dodged, Haruki detonated the fireball.

BOOM!

A wave of searing flames and a violent shockwave blasted Han from the left-rear, sending him flying and crashing hard into the ground.

But Han quickly scrambled back to his feet. His swift recovery showed that he hadn't sustained serious injuries.

Even the intense flames had been blocked by his steam-armored suit.

Haruki wasn't surprised. That armor could handle the high-pressure steam used for acceleration—blocking the residual heat from a fireball wasn't anything special.

He glanced toward the distant figures of the six Iwa-nin drawing closer by the second. He couldn't afford to linger.

With a flick of his wrist, Haruki threw several kunai with explosive tags attached at the newly-risen Han—and then turned to flee again.

The throw looked casual, but it was anything but.

Relying on the precision of his Sharingan, Haruki's kunai were aimed at awkward angles—exactly where they'd hinder Han's pursuit the most.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rocked the forest behind him.

Only after a moment did the now-familiar whssshhhhhh of Han's steam-boosted sprint resume.

Listening carefully, Haruki timed his responses precisely. As soon as he heard Han drawing close again, he'd turn and initiate an attack—always starting with genjutsu.

That forced Han to constantly block his vision again.

And the moment Han did so, Haruki would switch tactics—canceling the illusion and switching to fire-style jutsu, throwing tools, or laying traps.

In short, he used every trick in the book to keep Han from closing the distance.

Because Han was so wary of Haruki's Sharingan, he fell for it every time.

Despite his overwhelming strength, Han couldn't use it effectively. He was being completely led by the nose.

He tried to resist more than once, but each time he felt the oppressive pressure of Haruki's eyes, his instincts made him avert his gaze.

His gut told him—if he got caught in Haruki's genjutsu, he would be in serious trouble.

And as for the Five-Tails itself—it also seemed highly wary of Haruki's Sharingan. That made Han even more hesitant to act recklessly.

And so the chase continued—one fleeing, one pursuing—the two of them streaking through the forest, rapidly closing the distance toward the main Konoha force.

As for the six Iwa-nin behind them?

They showed no intention of speeding up to assist Han. They simply followed at a leisurely pace, keeping their distance.

At first, Haruki didn't understand what they were doing.

But after thinking it over, he realized—they were using Han as bait, hoping Haruki would lead them to Konoha's main force.

The moment he understood that, Haruki stopped caring about them entirely.

Their presence here confirmed that his earlier premonition had been spot on—someone had been spying on them from the shadows. Most likely Iwa-nin.

In that case, the enemy knowing about the main force's location was inevitable. It was only a matter of time—maybe they just hadn't received the latest intel yet.

So what if they followed him?

All it meant was that they'd find the main unit a little earlier than expected.

And maybe, just maybe... Konoha could turn that timing into an advantage and wipe them out first.

But what Haruki didn't realize was—there were more Iwa-nin in pursuit behind them.

And that would inevitably throw a wrench into his plans…