Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

"Second match, Uchiha Haruki wins!"

Hearing the proctor's announcement, Haruki lowered his kunai, stepped back a couple of paces to create distance, then turned around and calmly headed for the stairs.

He didn't say a single word the whole time—his demeanor could be summed up in two words: cool and aloof.

Not that Haruki was deliberately putting on an act. It was simply that this kind of cold attitude effectively pushed away anyone trying to get close to him.

That way, he could focus on his own path in peace.

Only after Haruki disappeared into the stairwell did the rest of the crowd seem to react. Whispered discussions quickly broke out across the room.

Even though Haruki wasn't trying to eavesdrop, his sharp senses still picked up fragments like:

"How is he that strong?"

"That was way too fast!"

Indeed, the fight had ended far too quickly.

From the moment they faced off to when Takakura Shōta admitted defeat, not even two minutes had passed. The actual combat? Barely ten seconds.

To these genin and chūnin-level examinees, it was almost unbelievable.

But for the jōnin observers watching from above, things were much clearer.

The fight may have been short, and Haruki may have won with ease, but what he showcased was total dominance in experience and combat technique.

Add in his skilled use of the Sharingan, and it wasn't surprising the fight ended in an instant.

Even so, several of the jōnin were still surprised by Haruki's strength.

That included Uchiha Jiren.

Only now did he realize that he and the higher-ups in the clan had been so focused on Uchiha Shisui that they had completely overlooked Uchiha Haruki, another clear genius within the clan.

Sure, Haruki's potential might not surpass Shisui's—but it definitely outstripped most other Uchiha.

"Looks like once this is over, I'll need to report to the Grand Elder and have him pay more attention to Uchiha Haruki," Jiren thought to himself.

Meanwhile, the third match had already begun.

This time, it was between two female candidates. One of them was someone Haruki recognized—Aoki Beniko, a member of Nara Naruhira's team, and the girl he had previously sent flying with a single kick.

She might not have been much of a threat to Haruki, but against her current opponent, she had some clear advantages.

At the very least, her taijutsu skills were slightly stronger than the other girl's.

It was with that edge that she managed to narrowly win the fight.

"Third match, Aoki Beniko wins!"

The proctor's voice echoed out at just the right moment.

"Beniko, nice one!"

From the second-floor hallway, her teammate Sato Katsu cheered her on.

Once the fighters exited the field, the proctor quickly drew the names for the fourth match.

And so it continued.

Time passed steadily, one match after another.

Finally, during the second-to-last match, Uchiha Shisui's name was called.

His opponent? Nara Naruhira, the same boy who had previously crossed paths with Haruki.

When Naruhira walked into the arena and saw the calm, double-tomoe Sharingan eyes of Uchiha Shisui staring back at him, he was momentarily speechless.

What kind of karma is this?

He had just gone up against Uchiha Haruki in the second round of exams, and now, here he was, facing Uchiha Shisui.

Sure, if you were aiming for a top ranking, it was inevitable you'd have to fight them at some point…

But did it have to be in the first round!?

He didn't even get a chance to properly prepare!

The Nara clan prided itself on brains and tactics—but intelligence needed data to work. Without information, even the sharpest mind couldn't operate.

Right now, he was practically blind.

Aside from knowing that Shisui had the same kind of Sharingan as Haruki and that he carried a sword—which probably meant he was good at kenjutsu—Naruhira knew nothing.

And what good did that do?

He had no info on Shisui's battle experience, fighting style, or habits.

So how was he supposed to win?

"Sigh… guess I'll just have to take it one step at a time…"

He braced himself as the match began.

From the second-floor balcony, Haruki watched closely, his gaze sharp.

He didn't think much of Naruhira—his entire approach relied on brainpower. He clearly didn't know much about Uchiha Shisui, but his adaptability was impressive.

Using his clan's signature Shadow Technique and decent close-combat skills, Naruhira actually held his own for a while.

Unfortunately, that was all he could manage.

Once Shisui decided to go all out, Naruhira wouldn't be able to hold up.

And Haruki had already seen it—up until now, Uchiha Shisui wasn't even fighting seriously.

At the very least, he hadn't used any genjutsu or ninjutsu. He was relying entirely on swordplay.

It wasn't about going easy—Shisui was simply testing Naruhira's limits.

Once he figured that out, ending the fight would only take an instant.

Just like Haruki had done with Takakura Shōta.

The difference was that Takakura's strength was easy to read—there was no need to test it.

But Naruhira was trickier. He needed to be probed first.

If Shisui had just charged in recklessly, he might've ended up paying a price.

Thankfully, Shisui was cautious.

Still, Haruki figured it wouldn't be long before he got serious.

Why?

Simple. Shisui had probably already figured out Naruhira's full capabilities. Any further delay would only waste time and risk unnecessary surprises.

After all, Nara clan shinobi were notoriously clever. Give him too long, and Naruhira just might find a way to turn the tables.

So it was best to end it quickly.

And sure enough, things went exactly as Haruki had predicted.

Shisui finally revealed his true strength.

Genjutsu and ninjutsu burst forth alongside his swordplay.

In just a few moments, he had Naruhira completely overwhelmed.

The match ended with Shisui's sword at his opponent's throat—and Naruhira, with no choice, admitted defeat.

Watching this unfold, Haruki quietly murmured:

"Uchiha-style kenjutsu… looks like early level 3."

That's right. The technique Shisui used was none other than the Uchiha clan's traditional Uchiha-style swordsmanship.

From the way he fought, Haruki could clearly tell that Shisui's swordsmanship was at level 3—a full level below his own.

And Haruki also had the Leaf-style kenjutsu, which he had mastered to an even higher proficiency.

With both styles combined, Haruki was confident that he held the upper hand in close combat.

As for long-range attacks…

He recalled the Fire Style jutsu Shisui had used just now. If that was representative of his actual strength, then there wasn't much to worry about there either.

The only real variable was Shisui's genjutsu.

Both of them had double-tomoe Sharingan, but was there a gap in their genjutsu abilities?

It wasn't that Haruki was dead set on treating Shisui as an enemy—far from it.

But after watching this round of battles, he came to a realization:

The only two people with a chance of making it to the final match were him and Shisui.

So eventually, they would have to face each other.

As Haruki studied Shisui, Shisui seemed to sense it and turned to meet his gaze.

Their eyes locked across the hall—and in that silent moment, they both saw the same thing:

Battle intent.

Eight or nine months had passed since Haruki first arrived in this world. He had been training hard, pushing himself.

And now, finally, he had encountered a well-known figure from his memories—someone he could fight fairly and openly.

Even someone like Haruki couldn't help but feel a bit eager.

Not out of malice.

But simply to prove that his hard work hadn't been in vain.

That was why his fighting spirit burned so brightly.

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