As the sun set and the moon rose, night quietly descended.
Hours passed, and Uchiha Haruki was still sound asleep.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock knock—
In the next moment, Haruki's eyes flew open.
Within a split second, his gaze shifted from dazed to alert.
Immediately, he extended his sensory perception outward. Once he confirmed the identity of the visitor, he relaxed slightly.
Still, he didn't respond right away. Instead, he sat up, stretched his arms wide, and gave a long, satisfying stretch.
Crack crack crack—
A series of popping joints echoed as his body moved.
Haruki felt an immense sense of relief.
"It's been a long time since I slept this well," he murmured as he lowered his arms.
Then he finally called out, "Come in!"
Creak—
The door opened, and Uchiha Tekka stepped into the room.
Seeing him, Haruki asked directly, "What is it?"
Tekka didn't waste time. He immediately replied, "This afternoon, Captain Kurozawa sent word. You're to report to Blackstone Base by 8 a.m. tomorrow."
"Blackstone Base?" Haruki frowned slightly and confirmed, "The one on the central defense line, near the southern edge of the northern front?"
"That's the one," Tekka affirmed.
"If I remember correctly, that's a major base with strong defenses. It hasn't fallen… has it?" Haruki asked, then suddenly seemed to recall something and cut in, "Wait, how many bases did we lose during last night's battle?"
"Four," Tekka replied. "According to Captain Kurozawa's report, Mist Village forces overran four of our bases. One of them is located near Blackstone Base."
"Ohh..." Haruki nodded in understanding. "So the command center is preparing to retake that base."
"That seems to be the case," Tekka replied. "You're not the only one. I've heard that other jonin are being pulled from different outposts and gathered at Blackstone."
"I see…" Haruki muttered, then asked again, "If I leave, what about this base? Mist Village might not actually give up on it. Has Captain Kurozawa made any arrangements?"
"Yes," Tekka nodded. "A reinforcement squad of one hundred shinobi will arrive tonight."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Also, from what Captain Kurozawa said, it seems the village has received intelligence that Mist Village won't attack any more bases — they're planning to use the four they've already taken as stepping stones to expand their control."
Haruki considered this for a moment and found it reasonable.
Now that Mist had taken four bases, they had no real reason to keep launching assaults everywhere. Sure, it could stretch Konoha's attention…
But it would also split their own forces.
And since this was Konoha's home turf, if the Leaf were to suddenly concentrate their troops and reclaim the four bases, then Mist's efforts would be in vain.
So the wiser choice was to consolidate what they had already taken — hold onto their gains first.
That meant spreading out further wasn't in their best interest.
If so, there was no need to worry too much about Eagle Cliff Base anymore.
Even if Mist Village still had designs on it, they likely wouldn't send too many troops.
With a hundred-man reinforcement squad, it would be enough.
Thinking this, Haruki finally relaxed.
The room fell into silence for a moment.
Then Haruki asked, "Anything else?"
Tekka thought for a second, then shook his head. "That's all."
"Alright, you're dismissed," Haruki said, already ushering him out.
Tekka nodded and headed for the door. But just as he reached it, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and said, "Haruki… be careful out there."
"Hmm?" Haruki raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Relax. Don't you know what I'm capable of? I'll be fine."
"Yeah. I trust you," Tekka nodded sincerely. He didn't say anything more and quietly closed the door behind him.
Sensing his chakra signature moving away, Haruki shook his head and laughed softly.
"He's worried about my safety? Do I really seem like someone who overestimates himself?"
But as he said this, Haruki suddenly froze.
Because in that instant, he remembered what he had done last night — flying recklessly through enemy territory, launching bold attacks, and later healing nearly all the wounded until he was completely drained.
"…I guess… maybe just a little," he thought with a wry smile.
Still, he quickly shook his head.
He knew himself best.
The reason he acted so boldly last night was because Mist Village had no real way to deal with his aerial techniques — and more importantly, he had Heavenly Dominion as a trump card.
With that kind of insurance, it was only natural he'd act more fearlessly.
Without those two advantages, he wouldn't have taken such risks.
As for the treatment of the wounded…
That was simply something within his power — it didn't feel like a big deal to him.
So really, Tekka's concern was a bit excessive.
That said, all the medical ninjutsu he had used earlier that day hadn't gone unrewarded.
At the very least, the proficiency of his techniques had increased significantly.
Previously, he had worried that it would slow his progress — particularly his body's transformation and the evolution of his Sharingan.
But in truth, it hadn't affected him that much.
Most of the chakra he used ended up converting into skill proficiency and remained within him.
The only downside was that the type of proficiency gained didn't align with his intended focus.
Haruki opened his skill panel for a quick glance.
Sure enough, his Mystic Palm Technique, Chakra Scalpel, and Microscopic Diagnosis Technique had each gained several hundred points of proficiency.
Especially Mystic Palm — thanks to all the practical application, its proficiency had increased by nearly a thousand points, equal to what he'd normally gain in four days of training.
Unfortunately, all of that experience went toward saving lives.
Otherwise, his body might already be at the brink of transformation by now.
Haruki shook his head and set the thought aside.
He began channeling Mind Projection Technique, stimulating his brain to generate the special chakra required for advancing his Sharingan.
After an afternoon of rest, his chakra had fully recovered.
And with Blackstone Base only 60 kilometers away, he could reach it in under 40 minutes using Wind Style: Wings of Wind — there was no need to rush.
Now that he was well-rested, he could take this time to catch up on the training progress he missed earlier.
And so, time passed quietly.
Night deepened.
Uchiha Haruki remained in his room, practicing Mind Projection Technique over and over again — as if determined to reclaim every minute lost during the day.