"It was that fast?"
Shinichi's heart skipped a beat. One must know that the generation of the [Swordsmanship Apprentice] term was not an overnight success.
It was a solidified perception that he gradually formed over several months after joining the Kendo dojo, through countless casual mentions and demonstrations of his practice results while conversing with people at the orphanage, the blacksmith shop, and the restaurant.
But for this [Ninja Academy Student], how long had it been?
It was generated right after he completed the enrollment procedures.
Shinichi's thoughts raced.
The key difference might lie in the perceivers.
Today, crowds gathered at the school gate—parents, teachers, new students—the base number was already considerable.
But more importantly, it was the "weight" of the individuals among them.
Kakashi was present.
His father, the Konohas White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, renowned throughout the Ninja World, was also present.
Moreover... Shinichi recalled that when he quickly glanced at the Hatake father and son upon arriving at the school, the Konohas White Fang, who had been observing him, suddenly looked up.
That's right, the Third Hokage, the Ninja who habitually used the "Telescope Jutsu" to overlook Konoha Village, was very likely also observing the movements on the first day of school.
These figures, standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World or Konoha, their perception and attention, even if only for a fleeting moment and not taken to heart, still had an influence far beyond that of ordinary people!
The speed of term generation is indeed closely related to the "strength and status of the perceiver."
Shinichi's gaze fell on the two coexisting professional terms on the panel: [Swordsmanship Apprentice] and [Ninja Academy Student].
As Shinichi had previously guessed, before a professional term can be generated through "cognition," it first needs to be "acknowledged" and "accepted" by a certain system, tradition, or authority.
Teacher Yamashita Shuji, who taught him swordsmanship, settled in Konoha at its inception, but he originated from the Land of Iron and was a formal Samurai, representing a "Samurai" and "Kendo" inheritance system even older than the Ninja system.
Receiving his recognition and beginning training was equivalent to obtaining official endorsement for the "Swordsman" profession within that system.
And the Konoha Ninja Academy is the legitimate official starting point for cultivating Ninja, recognized by the entire Village and even the entire Ninja World. The moment he completed the registration procedures and officially enrolled, he was integrated into the lowest tier of the vast "Ninja" professional system, obtaining the most basic official identity certification.
"So why not blacksmiths and chefs?"
A new question arose in Shinichi's mind. Blacksmiths and chefs are also stable, inherited professional systems, and their appearance predates Ninja by a long shot.
Could it be that this inheritance system must involve supernatural power or the application of Chakra to form corresponding professions?
But as far as he knew, there indeed existed "Craftsman Ninja" and "Culinary Ninja" in the Ninja World who used Chakra for forging and cooking.
"Is it that I haven't received recognition from the corresponding authority? Or is it..."
His gaze narrowed, seizing upon the crucial difference, and his thoughts gradually cleared, but Shinichi did not delve deeper; there were more practical matters at hand.
This answer might be revealed when he enters the Konoha Hospital to formally study pharmacology, medicine, and medical Ninjutsu.
He walked out of the school gate, once again shouldering the conspicuous giant rock, and began his weighted run around Konoha. The heavy footsteps once again struck the ground, drawing curious or surprised glances along the way.
"Must level up quickly."
While running, his mind swept over the list of white terms on his personal panel: [Diligence (White)], [Sturdy (White)]. They were the fruits of his years of effort, and also the foundation for leveraging stronger power in the future. Every sweat-drenched moment, every time he pushed past his limits under the gaze of others, was a reinforcement and strengthening of these impressions.
An hour later, an exhausted Shinichi returned to his new residence.
A week ago, he had moved out of the orphanage and rented this slightly dilapidated small apartment.
Moving out was not just for convenience of action; it also meant that his stage for "building his persona" had officially expanded—from around the orphanage to around the Ninja Academy, even radiating throughout the entire Konoha Village.
Closing the door, he shut out external gazes. He leaned against the wall, slowly calming his breathing, and the Calm expression he had deliberately maintained on his face finally relaxed, revealing his true fatigue, but his eyes remained clear.
He walked into the small kitchen. Years of assisting in the orphanage kitchen, coupled with a year of actual work at a restaurant later, had honed his cooking skills to a respectable level.
He deftly prepared the ingredients, and soon, the simple aroma of food wafted through the air.
Sitting at the table with his bowl, Shinichi ate quickly, yet his body seemed to instinctively know how to more fully and efficiently absorb every bit of heat and nutrition from it.
After the meal, though brief, his previously overdrawn physical strength had actually recovered somewhat, and even his mental weariness had significantly diminished.
[Foodie (White): You possess an extraordinary passion and discernment for food, enabling you to absorb nutrients from food more efficiently and gain some extra satisfaction and stamina recovery from it.]
That night, after another round of training, Shinichi meticulously washed up and changed into clean clothes before refocusing his attention on the personal panel deep within his consciousness.
His gaze fell on the "Draw Count" section.
[Draw Count: 1 (White)]
The generation of professional terms, in addition to granting cultivation bonuses related to that profession, also rewards an extra opportunity to draw a talent term, which is completely random and does not rely on external recognition.
Two months ago, when the [Swordsmanship Apprentice] term condensed, he received his first draw opportunity and obtained the Calm term from it.
[Calm (White): When encountering crises, battles, or sudden situations, you are more likely to remain Calm, thus unaffected by external disturbances, and can think of countermeasures.]
Shinichi's feelings about this result were somewhat complex at the time. The value of this term itself was beyond doubt; maintaining composure and clear thinking in moments of crisis is an extremely important quality for a Ninja.
However, he believed he could have generated this term by crafting his persona.
It was just that he had too little time. Earlier, in order to quickly generate terms like [Diligence], [Sturdy], [Toughness], and [Agility], he had to engage in some behaviors that seemed erratic, even worrying.
Especially for [Toughness], to generate this term quickly, he even chose to get beaten at the street corner, just so more people could see and remember him. Such erratic behavior naturally did not fit a Calm persona.
And now, the second draw opportunity had arrived, stemming from this morning's [Ninja Academy Student].
"What will I draw this time?"
Shinichi took a deep breath, calming his slightly accelerated heartbeat, and focused his mind on the faintly glowing "1 (White)" text.
There were no flashy special effects, no lengthy waiting.
It was as if a faint ripple merely passed through his vision, and the text on the panel had already changed.
[Draw Count: 0 (White)]
And in the talent terms section, immediately following [Calm (White)], a new line of text quietly emerged in a white glow.