Shinichi Higashino was born in Konoha Year 36 and grew up in an orphanage.
As an orphan, he possessed neither a prominent family background nor a special bloodline, yet he had a Personal Panel that had appeared in his line of sight since birth.
After gradually understanding the operating logic of this panel, he began consciously "managing his persona."
Possessing an adult mind, he quickly displayed understanding and learning abilities beyond his age, leading the orphanage staff and neighboring adults to praise him as smart.
He ingrained diligence into his daily life, proactively taking on chores at the orphanage from a young age. Furthermore, since he was old enough to run and jump, he deliberately exercised—doing push-ups, running, and jumping—and even gritted his teeth to do more and heavier repetitions, just to leave others with the impression of excellent physical fitness.
Even at the dinner table, he openly displayed an appetite disproportionate to his small size, eating a second and third bowl cleanly and attentively.
He also managed his social connections, blending in with the children at the orphanage, comforting and caring for crying babies, and running errands for the elderly in the neighborhood.
He even once used the excuse that "future Ninja need strong bodies and strong wills" to invite the children in the orphanage to hit his back and limbs with smooth wooden sticks. Although it hurt, he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, even pretending the next day that nothing had happened, as if the pain was negligible.
These small, deliberate or unintentional actions, like scattered puzzle pieces, eventually converged on his panel to form white Entries, one after another. They were both the "truth" in the eyes of others and the foundation Shinichi built for himself on the path to transcendence.
Through years of observation and experimentation, Shinichi gradually figured out some rules for Entry generation. The speed and quality of generation seemed closely related to three factors:
The number of people who recognize his trait, the depth of their impression of that trait, and the strength, status, or influence of the recognizer themselves.
Precisely because of this, today's entrance display, carrying the rock, was merely another meticulously planned act of Persona Building.
On the opening day, numerous students, parents, and teachers gathered at the Ninja Academy entrance; the crowd was bustling, and the level of attention far surpassed normal days.
It was even possible that the Third Hokage was quietly observing the new students' enrollment through some means.
And that astonishingly large piece of Yellowish-Gray Rock, which completely obscured him, was also the result of his deliberate selection.
This type of rock has a relatively low density, making its volume appear especially large for the same weight. When people first saw it, the visual impact was particularly strong.
The exaggerated contrast between his small physique and the heavy load captured attention much faster than carrying a smaller but heavier metal block, deepening the shocking impression of Innate Divine Strength and superhuman physique.
This behavior was a bit unconventional, but looking around, there were certainly others in the Village whose actions were more exaggerated or eccentric.
The most crucial reason was that Shinichi urgently needed to accelerate the generation and upgrading of Entries to enhance himself.
This was to ensure that he could definitely... defeat Kakashi in the first school year!
Compared to the potential rewards, this minor ripple of attracting attention was completely within an acceptable range.
Kakashi, go ahead and fully display your dazzling Talent, and let everyone in Konoha recognize your name as a Genius!
Don't disappoint me!
Shinichi took a deep breath, calming the emotions stirred by the heavy load and his first sight of Kakashi, and walked steadily toward the Registration Desk.
There, a male teacher wearing a green Chunin Vest and possessing a capable face was sitting behind a desk, systematically processing documents.
"Name?" the teacher asked formally, without lifting his head.
"Shinichi Higashino."
"Did you bring your Acceptance Letter?"
"Yes, Sensei."
Shinichi took the well-preserved notice from his chest and handed it over with both hands. The Konoha Ninja Academy was open to all age-appropriate children in the Village, regardless of background, but Entry still required passing a Basic Assessment.
Many children failed to be selected every year. Might Guy, for example, failed initially and only gained admission later after passing a Makeup Exam based on his Taijutsu Specialty.
The registration teacher took the notice, his gaze sweeping over the information section and the grade evaluation. When he saw the uniform "A" grades for all subjects, he looked up, a hint of surprise and approval on his face: "All subjects are A? Not bad, your foundation is very solid."
His tone softened slightly. He glanced at Shinichi's date of birth on the notice and casually asked, "You were old enough to enroll last year, so why are you only registering this year?"
Shinichi displayed his usual gentle and slightly apologetic smile. He explained calmly, "Yes, Sensei. Last year, due to some personal reasons, I needed to save up a necessary sum of money, so I postponed it for a year. I mainly helped out at the Village's Blacksmith Shop and Restaurant."
This was naturally a lie. Shinichi's primary goal in enrolling this year was to ensure he was in the same year, or even the same class, as Kakashi. Only this way would the chances of competing alongside him in Practical Combat Classes and assessments greatly increase.
Secondly, this year was also his exploratory period for the "Profession" column. He didn't even need to search for a reason: a child from an orphanage who supports himself by working, and even uses extra money to subsidize the orphanage that raised him—sensible, independent, and loyal—what more needed to be said?
Unfortunately, he tried many professions, but almost nothing changed.
Only when he apprenticed at a Kendo Dojo—reportedly founded by an Old Samurai who came from the Land of Iron and settled in Konoha early on—to learn swordsmanship, did the previously vague "Profession" column slowly condense into new text after a long period: [Swordsmanship Apprentice].
A Profession Card that could slightly improve his physical fitness and accelerate his swordsmanship training, and granted him one chance to directly draw a new white Entry.
The registration teacher's gaze subconsciously flickered to the address column on the notice. His expression momentarily stiffened, and his previous formal attitude was instantly replaced by a subtle trace of awkwardness and understanding.
He lightly coughed, quickly composed himself, and looking at the brightly smiling child before him, his tone involuntarily softened: "I see... Your materials are complete, registration passed. Go over there to collect your Enrollment Documents. Work hard while you're at the school."
"Yes, thank you, Sensei." Shinichi took the form with both hands, bowed politely, and turned toward the Document Collection Area.
After completing all the Enrollment Procedures, he walked steadily toward the school gate. The moment he stepped out of the gate, officially putting the Ninja Academy behind him, he suddenly felt something.
He paused his steps slightly, cast his gaze toward the empty space ahead, and silently recited.
The semi-transparent panel, visible only to him, quietly appeared.
[Name: Shinichi Higashino]
[Profession: Ninja Academy Student (New), Swordsmanship Apprentice]
[Talent: Omitted...]
[draw count: 1 (White)]
His gaze was fixed firmly on the new line of text that appeared in the Profession column.
[Ninja Academy Student: You have officially become a student of the Ninja Academy and have begun systematically receiving knowledge and training related to being a Ninja. Under this identity, your efficiency in cultivating Chakra perception and control, understanding Ninja Theoretical Fundamentals, mastering conventional weaponry, and practicing basic subjects like Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu will receive a slight boost.]
[Based on the Ninja Profession activation, any perception or impression others form of your Ninja-related Talents will henceforth generate Talent Entries in the corresponding area. The Profession Level determines the conversion efficiency of others' recognition of your related Talents. When the Profession Level reaches maximum, you can designate one qualifying Talent Entry to be directly upgraded to the highest quality.]
[You have received a one-time Draw Opportunity: Random White Entry × 1—You can randomly select and directly generate one white Entry.]
...