Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Clang!

Clang, clang, clang!

After several more exchanges, Uchiha Haruki suddenly noticed that Shisui had stopped trying to counterattack. He had shifted entirely into defense.

Once the battle became purely defensive, even with a lower level in swordsmanship, the advantage of the Sharingan allowed Shisui to avoid immediate defeat.

This unexpected shift raised a small question in Haruki's mind.

But he quickly pieced it together.

Most likely, his earlier performance had been a little too obvious, and Shisui now suspected that he had also mastered Uchiha-style Kenjutsu. That would explain Shisui's sudden shift to a more stable and adaptive strategy.

Realizing this, Haruki no longer bothered to hide anything.

He immediately unleashed his Uchiha-style swordsmanship, combining it with his Leaf-style swordsmanship, causing his offensive flurry to become even more overwhelming.

"As I thought... he knows Uchiha-style Kenjutsu."

Seeing Haruki's technique, Shisui confirmed his suspicion—but that didn't make the situation any better.

He still had to endure the pressure.

With every strike Haruki launched, the pressure on Shisui mounted.

Even with the assistance of his Sharingan, he was beginning to show signs of strain.

Finally, after parrying another one of Haruki's heavy slashes head-on, Shisui stopped trying to resist directly.

He pushed off the ground with both feet, using the recoil from the blade to launch himself backward, retreating rapidly.

But stepping back meant surrendering the initiative again.

Haruki was already charging forward—just two steps in—when Shisui suddenly reached into his pouch and threw something dark and spiked onto the ground in front of Haruki.

The tomoe in Haruki's Sharingan spun rapidly.

Thanks to his enhanced perception, he immediately identified what they were:

Caltrops.

Black, sea urchin-shaped metal spikes, their surfaces covered in razor-sharp points—a classic ninja trap.

Stepping on them would cripple his mobility almost instantly.

Suppressing the wave of revulsion in his chest, Haruki immediately halted his pursuit.

Watching the still-retreating Shisui, Haruki suddenly sheathed his short sword and raised both hands to quickly form hand seals.

He took a deep breath, gathering Fire Release chakra in his throat—

And exhaled sharply.

A fireball, initially the size of a fist, shot out and rapidly expanded in midair, spinning violently as it hurtled toward Shisui.

Even from the distant second-floor corridor, the sheer heat radiating from it could be clearly felt.

There was no mistaking it—this was the famous Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, a C-rank jutsu known for its raw power.

Seeing the massive ball of fire flying toward him, Shisui realized that dodging was no longer an option.

Even if he managed to avoid the direct impact, the ensuing explosion would still do serious damage.

"No choice now... I'll have to meet it head-on."

The decision was made in an instant.

Still mid-air, Shisui suddenly raised his hands and performed hand seals even faster than Haruki had.

Then he opened his mouth—

And spat out a fireball of his own, rapidly growing in size as it soared forward.

The two identical techniques—both Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique—clashed midair with a thunderous roar.

The large and small fireballs met, held for a heartbeat, then exploded in a massive blast.

A powerful shockwave, wrapped in searing heat, rippled out in all directions, forcing many spectators to shield their eyes from the blast.

Just then—

Clink!

The sharp sound of metal colliding echoed through the arena.

Then a second clang.

Then a third.

Soon, the sounds of flying ninja tools filled the space like a storm of iron.

Everyone on the second floor leaned in to look.

They saw Haruki and Shisui relentlessly exchanging shuriken and kunai, their tools colliding in midair with dazzling speed and precision.

Each clash rang out like a bell—

The sheer pace of it made everyone's eyes blur.

Rip!

Suddenly, a faint but distinct sound broke through the metallic cacophony—

The sound of fabric tearing.

It stood out like a needle through the noise.

Everyone turned toward the source—

And saw that the sleeve of Shisui's left shoulder had been sliced open, with a faint trace of blood beginning to seep through.

Behind him, embedded into the floor, was a shuriken tipped with crimson.

No explanation was necessary.

Clearly, Haruki had taken the edge in this exchange.

But Haruki didn't look happy at all.

He had always known he wasn't a natural genius. Everything he had achieved came from relentless training and his skill panel system.

But facing the gap between himself and someone who was a genius—like Shisui, two years younger than him—still stung.

After all his time practicing ninja tool throws, all he could manage was a slight upper hand against Shisui.

The realization left a bitter taste.

Fortunately, Haruki recovered quickly.

So what if Shisui was a genius? Geniuses had limits.

He didn't.

Being faster once didn't mean anything.

Only the one who stood victorious in the end was the true winner.

Haruki was determined to be that one.

Besides…

Right now, he was the one who was faster than Shisui—

Not the other way around.

There was no need to be discouraged.

On the other side, Shisui noticed the flicker of emotion in Haruki's expression, but didn't know the reason behind it.

Still, it didn't stop him from seizing this rare opportunity to counterattack.

He sidestepped a few of Haruki's flying shuriken, quickly formed seals—

And cast Genjutsu: Sharingan.

Haruki's eyes narrowed.

"Not good."

He immediately gathered his chakra and activated his Sharingan with full force to resist the mental onslaught.

Both of them froze in place.

Neither moved an inch.

Only the swirling waves of mental energy in the air hinted at the intensity of their spiritual clash.

Moments later, the two opened their eyes at the same time.

A thin line of crimson blood trickled from the corner of Haruki's mouth.

Clearly—he had come out worse in that mental duel.

He wiped the blood from his lips and looked toward Shisui, who only appeared slightly drained, his breath a little unsteady.

Haruki sighed inwardly.

"As expected from the future Mangekyō Sharingan wielder. His spiritual strength already surpasses mine."

Yes—when it came to raw mental power, Shisui had outstripped him.

And with the added advantage of casting genjutsu first, it had left Haruki with some internal injuries.

Luckily, it wasn't enough to prevent him from continuing the fight.

Resolved, Haruki picked up his sword and rushed forward again.

If close combat was where he had the overwhelming advantage, then there was no reason to drag things out.

He would use his strength to break through Shisui head-on.

But just as he closed in—

Shisui, unwilling to be forced into another passive state, suddenly vanished in a blur of movement.

Without any visible signs, he had activated Body Flicker Technique and retreated with astonishing speed.