"I yield, Kakashi."
Seeing the blank, bewildered look on Kakashi's face, Shinichi slowly pulled the katana away from his opponent's throat.
Five years of planning, finally realized in a single day.
Shinichi had visualized this exact scenario countless times in his mind. He had imagined the ecstatic, heart-pounding joy he would feel upon finally defeating this genius. But now that it had actually happened and the dust had settled, all he felt was an ocean of absolute, fathomless calm.
There was even... a slight, indescribable sense of emptiness.
"I lost." Kakashi snapped back to reality and looked at the black-haired boy standing before him.
"You won this time. But that doesn't mean my father's kenjutsu is flawed. It's just that I..." He pressed his lips together, refusing to make excuses about his lack of skill or insufficient physical strength.
"Next time, I will win!"
Shinichi met his gaze, that same warm, sunny smile still resting on his face. "I look forward to our next match, Kakashi."
"Ahem." Sensei Matsumoto stepped forward at exactly the right moment, inserting himself between the two boys. His voice boomed across the field, "This practical combat assessment is over! The winner is Shinichi Higashino!"
"Shinichi! Shinichi! SHINICHI!!"
Before Sensei Matsumoto even finished speaking, Class 2 erupted like a long-suppressed volcano! The deafening cheers pierced straight into the clouds.
Takashi's booming, boisterous voice acted like a war drum, leading the entire class's frenzy. "Beautifully done, Shinichi! That was incredible!! I knew you could do it!"
"He... he actually won?!" Shizune stared, her eyes wide and her jaw practically unhinged.
In stark contrast to the boiling excitement of Class 2, Class 1 was completely silent.
"Kakashi..." Rin Nohara clutched her hands to her chest, her small face painted with deep worry.
"That bastard Kakashi... he actually lost..." Obito Uchiha was at a complete loss. He had thought he would be thrilled to see Kakashi get knocked down a peg, but it wasn't true at all. Instead, he just felt a bitter, uncomfortable knot in his stomach.
Standing in the crowd, Might Guy—who had witnessed the entire fight—didn't say a word. But beneath his thick brows, his eyes blazed with an unprecedented, roaring inferno.
"Now, both sides, form the Seal of Reconciliation!" Sensei Matsumoto announced loudly, pulling everyone's attention back to the proper etiquette.
Shinichi and Kakashi extended their hands and formed the seal. Afterward, Kakashi turned without a word and walked back to the Class 1 ranks.
Shinichi, however, didn't immediately return to his class.
Sensei Matsumoto noticed him lingering and asked gently, "Is there something else, Shinichi?"
Shinichi allowed a look that hovered perfectly between troubled and apologetic to surface on his face. He bowed slightly, speaking with earnest sincerity. "Yes, Sensei Matsumoto. I know this might not be the most appropriate time... but recently, I've been dealing with something that has left me feeling a bit anxious and confused. Since I likely won't see you again until next semester after exams end today, I figured I should take the liberty of asking for your guidance now."
"What is it? Tell me."
Shinichi organized his words, describing the situation with a slightly uncertain tone. "Well, recently, when I'm sleeping at night, I sometimes get this really strange feeling. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll inexplicably feel like my surroundings are incredibly loud, but I can't pinpoint where the noise is coming from. Other times, in a half-asleep daze, I feel like there's something moving nearby, but when I wake up, everything is perfectly normal."
"Also... when I wake up, my body always feels a little drained. I checked, and the chakra in my body always seems lower than it was before I went to sleep. It feels like... when I enter deep sleep, my chakra uncontrollably leaks out on its own."
He masterfully displayed the exact right amount of youthful anxiety. "Sensei, is... is there something wrong with my training? Or do I have some kind of hidden physical issue?"
"This..." Hearing this, Sensei Matsumoto immediately frowned. He rested a hand on his chin, falling into deep thought.
"A sensory talent!" Sensei Inoue, the homeroom teacher for Class 1, suddenly interjected. His eyes lit up, his tone colored with intense interest. "Shinichi, the phenomena you're describing sound exactly like the initial awakening of a sensory talent! It's highly likely you possess the innate potential to become a sensory-nin!"
"Yes, exactly! Sensory perception!" Sensei Matsumoto suddenly realized, slapping his forehead. The doubt vanished from his face, replaced by a look of pleasant surprise. "That's it! When you enter a state of deep relaxation, your chakra unconsciously projects outward and creates a faint resonance with the external environment or nearby living creatures, resulting in those strange sensations or vague sensory feedback... That is a very common early symptom of a sensory-nin awakening their talent!"
"A sensory-nin?" Shinichi feigned the perfect mix of confusion and curiosity.
Seeing this, Sensei Inoue took the initiative to explain, ensuring his voice carried to all the students currently straining their ears to listen. "A sensory-nin is a special type of shinobi who, either innately or through specialized training, can project their chakra outward with extreme precision to scout their environment, detect life signs, and specifically track other people's chakra. They act as the eyes and ears of a squad and are absolutely irreplaceable in reconnaissance, guard duty, and tracking. For example, our village's Yamanaka clan specializes in sensory ninjutsu."
Sensei Matsumoto picked up the thread, offering Shinichi warm reassurance. "So you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Not only is this not a bad thing, it's a manifestation of talent worth celebrating! It means that on your path as a shinobi, in addition to your outstanding physique and willpower, you might also possess incredibly rare and valuable sensory abilities!"
"Make sure to rest well when you go home. When you're awake, you can try to calm your mind and actively attempt to capture and familiarize yourself with that subtle feeling of external perception, but don't force it or get anxious. When school starts again, if you have any similar experiences or new discoveries, you can come find us anytime."
"A sensory-nin? So that's what it is." Shinichi's face broke into an expression of profound relief and sudden understanding. He bowed deeply to the two teachers. "Thank you for explaining, Sensei. I feel much better now."
Under the varied gazes of the crowd, Shinichi calmly retreated back into the ranks of Class 2.
Everything he had just said was, of course, a complete lie.
He suffered from zero "uncontrollable chakra leakage" during his sleep, and he certainly wasn't some innate sensory-nin prodigy.
It was just another piece of his meticulously orchestrated PR campaign.
Capitalizing on the perfect moment—having just defeated Kakashi head-on and becoming the absolute center of attention—he planted the seed that he might possess a sensory talent, disguising it as an innocent question about a troubling issue.
The authoritative teachers had publicly diagnosed and explained his "suspected sensory talent" on the spot, right in front of dozens of students who had heard and witnessed it with their own eyes and ears.
The seed of perception had been planted.
Once this "fact" was carried home through the mouths of the students, perhaps documented by the pens of the teachers, and gradually spread throughout Konoha... the world would begin to believe that Shinichi Higashino possessed sensory abilities.
When that happened, there was a massive probability that his interface would generate a new trait related to sensory perception.
When crafting his personas, Shinichi strictly adhered to a core principle: build a solid foundation, move from the tangible to the intangible, and accumulate small victories into massive triumphs.
He never entertained the delusion of weaving grandiose, baseless lies like possessing Wood Release, the Sharingan, or some other Bloodline Limit, let alone claiming to be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths. He wouldn't risk generating high-tier traits through empty boasting.
Those were fragile lies that would pop with a single poke. Furthermore, the sheer breadth and depth of public conviction required to manifest such god-tier traits was astronomically high.
Therefore, he always started with traits that aligned with his background, were supported by his actual performance or logical deduction, and could withstand basic scrutiny and the test of time.
Sensory talent was one such trait.
Just like physical strength and diligence, sensory abilities weren't exclusive to Bloodline Limit clans; ordinary shinobi could awaken them too.
After Shinichi returned to his class, the practical combat assessments continued.
While there were certainly highlights in the subsequent matches, following that earth-shattering duel, everything else inevitably felt a bit dull.
The students from both classes gave it their all or fought cautiously until the sun began to set, finally marking the end of the exams.
The assessment was over, but the shockwaves triggered by that single duel were far from subsiding. Instead, like a massive boulder thrown into a quiet lake, the ripples were expanding at a terrifying speed.
---
On the streets of Konoha, during the walk home from school.
"Hey, did you hear? That genius Kakashi from Class 1-1 actually lost to another first-year in the practical combat exam today!"
"What?! How is that possible? Didn't the teachers say Kakashi was already strong enough to graduate and become an official Genin? Just the other day, two upperclassmen who graduated this year tried to pick a fight with him because they hated his 'Hokage Potential' title, and Kakashi beat them both!"
"It's true! And supposedly, Kakashi even drew his sword in the end! It was Lord White Fang's kenjutsu! You have to remember, he hasn't used a sword against any other opponent before this!"
"Holy crap, he used his clan's kenjutsu and still lost? Where did this monster even come from? What's his name?"
"Shinichi Higashino! From Class 1-2. Word is, he's just a civilian kid!"
The well-informed upperclassman spat out the name with absolute certainty.
---
At a training ground, early evening.
"Master Chen! Master Chen! Did you hear?! Shinichi! The desk mate I told you about, Shinichi Higashino! He beat Kakashi Hatake in the practical combat exam today!"
Takashi barged into the training ground like a hurricane, shouting at the top of his lungs at a short, sturdy, middle-aged man wearing small round sunglasses and exuding a slightly comical aura. Takashi's dark face was glowing with immense pride.
"Oh?" The man known as Master Chen stopped what he was doing and adjusted his sunglasses. A hint of surprise and genuine interest colored his voice. "That little brat... is really that strong?"
He was well aware of the Hatake kid's reputation and had a rough idea of the sheer weight of his talent.
---
Near a certain estate.
"Shizune, how were your final exams today?" Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, asked casually without looking up from the book she was flipping through.
"I imagine that Hatake kid took first place again, right?"
"They were okay," Shizune replied as she dropped her bag, her tone still carrying its usual lethargy. She then added, "But Kakashi Hatake wasn't the number one in practical combat this time."
"Hm?" Tsunade looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Then who was?"
"It was Shinichi!" Shizune answered earnestly. "He beat Kakashi. Twice!"
"Shinichi?" Tsunade paused for a moment, searching her memory for the name. "Is that the incredibly hardworking, surprisingly strong desk mate you've mentioned a few times?"
"Yeah." Shizune nodded, her mind flashing back to that storm of violent attacks, and the cold steel of the katana resting steadily against Kakashi's throat.
---
At the Third Hokage's residence, dinnertime.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, his wife, Biwako Sarutobi, and his eldest son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, were all present.
Asuma was gesturing excitedly, recounting the duel he had witnessed that afternoon.
"...and then, Shinichi just smashed Kakashi's short sword away in a single hit! Then came another strike, and Kakashi couldn't even block it! By the end, the blade was right at his neck! He was so fast!"
The Third Hokage listened in silence, his chopsticks pausing mid-air.
Shinichi? That child carrying the boulder... he actually defeated Kakashi in a head-on fight?
Suddenly, Asuma asked, "Hey, old man, what's a sensory talent? Sensei Inoue said today that Shinichi Higashino highly likely has one..."
Hiruzen's eyes flickered. He mused, "A sensory talent is a very precious ability..."
---
In the courtyard of the Hatake estate.
Sakumo Hatake stood quietly on the veranda, watching his son. Since coming home from the Academy, Kakashi hadn't spoken a single word. He had just been endlessly, relentlessly practicing his sword swings in the courtyard.
After a long time, Sakumo finally spoke, his voice gentle. "Kakashi, it's time to eat."
Kakashi froze. He slowly sheathed his short sword and turned to look at his father.
"Father, I..."
"Eat first," Sakumo interrupted, his tone calm and steady.
Dinner passed in relative silence. Only after they finished did the father and son return to the courtyard.
"I heard about what happened today," Sakumo said, looking at his son. "How does it feel to lose?"
"...It's frustrating." Kakashi lowered his head, his fists clenched tight. "I was too careless, and my strength..."
"Kakashi." Sakumo placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Look at me. A momentary victory or defeat means nothing in the long span of a shinobi's career. Failure is just a mirror that allows you to see your own weaknesses clearly. In my eyes, your talent and potential far exceed what I had at your age. Your future is definitely not limited to this."
Kakashi looked up, the fire reigniting in his eyes. "I will definitely beat him next time, Father!"
Sakumo smiled proudly. "I believe you. But remember, training must be done step-by-step. Don't rush for quick results."
He paused, his tone shifting as he gave instructions.
"By the way, I have to leave the village early tomorrow morning for a mission. I might be gone for a while. While I'm away, make sure you take good care of yourself. If you run into any issues with your training, write them down, and when I get back..."
"Understood! Father, please be careful out there!" Kakashi nodded solemnly, forging the bitterness of his defeat and his concern for his father's departure into an even stronger, burning motivation.
---
The Konoha night grew deeper, but the name "Shinichi Higashino"—along with the tale of his decisive victory over Kakashi Hatake and the whispers of a latent sensory talent—spread like a sudden, raging wildfire. It raced through every corner of the village at an astonishing speed, scorching itself into the minds of the people.
A week later.
The impact of defeating Kakashi was immediately obvious. As Shinichi walked down the street, he noticed the sideways glances and scrutinizing stares of passersby far more frequently, and he occasionally caught fragments of hushed whispers.
This level of notoriety was something he hadn't achieved even after years of accumulating his previous reputation.
During this period, Shinichi's personal panel generated several new traits, and some of his existing ones upgraded.
However, the core change—the specific upgrade he had been anticipating most of all—remained absent.
Just as Shinichi was beginning to feel disappointed, wondering if his plan had somehow failed...
Early one morning, after finishing his workout, washing up, and habitually scanning his interface...
At the very top of his Talent Trait column, without any warning whatsoever, a brilliant azure light suddenly erupted!
The light was pure and profound, carrying a transcendent, ethereal quality entirely unlike the previous White and Green glows.
Within that brilliant light, a brand-new line of text—appearing as though it were forged from starlight—slowly materialized and solidified.
> [Genius (Blue): You are an absolute genius who displays transcendent talent across all fields. Your efficiency and absolute limits in studying, training, actual combat, innovation, and all other domains are comprehensively and significantly elevated.]
"Heh... hehehehe..."
Staring at the newly generated trait, the corners of Shinichi's mouth curled up. A low, trembling chuckle escaped his throat. At first, he tried to suppress it.
But that emotion—suppressed for far, far too long—was like volcanic magma that had finally found a crack in the rock. It could no longer be contained!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"