Shinichi quietly listened to the conversation between the two, his expression still gentle and calm.
That student who liked to stir up trouble was naturally himself.
Just last month, during another practical combat class where the two classes overlapped, Shinichi still didn't rush to challenge Kakashi.
He quietly watched from the crowd as Kakashi used a more skillful and suppressive Fire Release to decisively defeat Asuma, the son of the Hokage.
When the surrounding classmates mentioned in astonishment, "It seems Kakashi can use Ninjutsu of all five elements," Shinichi, as if recalling something, casually remarked in a conversational tone: "Speaking of which, I read in the library that the First, Second, and Third Hokage-sama all seemed to naturally possess the constitution for Five Elemental Chakra Natures..."
Whether the Five Elemental Chakra of the First, Second, and Third Hokage were entirely innate was unimportant, and whether there were other such Ninja in Konoha's history was also unimportant.
What was important was that a simple yet powerful association had been subtly planted in the listeners' minds through that statement: Five Elemental Chakra ≈ Hokage.
Kakashi has the The potential of the Hokage!
For Shinichi, the greater Kakashi's fame and the brighter his halo, the better.
"But, I still think Shinichi is stronger," Ishizuka Takashi's voice carried an undisguised bias. "If Shinichi were to fight Kakashi, he would definitely win."
Hearing this, Shizune raised her eyes, her gaze lingering for a moment on Shinichi's calm profile.
Shinichi?
In her heart, this deskmate was undoubtedly excellent, the most outstanding student in their class, with impeccable grades in all subjects—a Model Student among Model Students.
His daily, unwavering habit of running laps on the school field while carrying a giant rock was certainly a bit eccentric, but the hard work and persistence he showed day after day were admirable.
Shinichi was indeed very excellent, but in Shizune's eyes, this excellence manifested as a steady and reliable Model Student.
And Kakashi... he seemed like an existence from another dimension. His talent was too dazzling: Five Elemental Chakra, comprehensive strength that crushed his peers, and the reputation of "The potential of the Hokage" that had already spread throughout the Village.
All of this combined created an impression of a near-legendary, epoch-making Genius.
It was a distant light that made it difficult for others to even entertain the thought of comparison.
Shinichi took in the subtle assessment contained within Shizune's glance. He stood up, smiled, and said in a calm tone:
"No matter who I'm matched against, I'll just do my best. I'm going to practice my sword First."
...[Name: Shinichi Higashino]
[Profession: Ninja Academy Student/Swordsmanship Apprentice]
[Talents: Innate Divine Strength (Green), Diligence Can Compensate for Lack of Talent (Green), Intelligent (White), Affinity (White), Foodie (White), Toughness (White), Agility (White), Calm (White), Wind Release Foundation (White), Taijutsu Foundation (White), Swordsmanship Foundation (White).]
Shinichi retracted his gaze from the Personal Panel that only he could see.
Compared to when he First enrolled, his panel had undergone significant changes due to his continuous Character Management this semester.
First, the originally white entry [Diligence] was promoted to the green [Diligence Can Compensate for Lack of Talent].
[Diligence Can Compensate for Lack of Talent (Green): Diligence compensates for lack of talent, and success is guaranteed! When studying, cultivating, or working, you will inevitably make slight progress while increasing Focus and reducing Fatigue!]
The effect of this entry was simple yet powerful: increasing Focus and reducing Fatigue—these two aspects were only slightly improved in magnitude compared to the previous white entry.
But its true essence lay in the latter half—"you will inevitably make slight progress."
These simple words, in Shinichi's opinion, could be considered a Divine Skill to some extent.
It meant stability, predictability, and the absence of Bottleneck.
As long as he invested time and sweat, he was guaranteed to receive a return. No matter how meager the return, accumulated over time, it became a staircase leading to the infinite.
Furthermore, two new white entries were added to the panel:
[Taijutsu Foundation (White)] and [Swordsmanship Foundation (White)].
[Taijutsu Foundation (White): Your Physical Coordination, strength, and Stamina are superior to ordinary people. You learn and master Taijutsu Moves faster, and it is easier to grasp the Timing of Exerting Force during Taijutsu confrontations.]
[Swordsmanship Foundation (White): You possess excellent feel and Comprehension Ability for the sword. You learn Sword Moves quickly, your stance is stable, and you can more accurately capture your opponent's Weaknesses in battle.]
The changes they brought were direct and practical: Taijutsu Foundation improved his Bodily Control, Force Exertion Efficiency, and timing control in Taijutsu confrontations;
Swordsmanship Foundation enhanced his perception of the sword, his Comprehension Ability for learning moves, and his acuity in spotting Weaknesses during combat.
Both genuinely raised his lower limit and growth rate in these two fields.
He gathered his thoughts, stopped looking at the panel, and earnestly began swinging his sword. The Practical Combat Assessment in the afternoon would be an opportunity to test his current results and continue sowing seeds of perception.
He was practicing his sword, and also warming up!
...In the afternoon, on the Training Grounds, the Homeroom Teachers of Class One and Class Two gathered and exchanged a few words in low voices, seemingly confirming the final arrangements.
Subsequently, the Class Two Homeroom Teacher, Chunin Matsumoto Fumio, walked to the front of the Formation and took out a new roster.
"Students, next is the final segment of this Term Exam—the Practical Combat Assessment." Teacher Matsumoto's voice clearly carried across the field. "Considering the comprehensiveness of the evaluation, this assessment will be conducted by mixing Class One and Class Two. Teacher Inoue and I have matched opponents with similar strength based on your past performance records, aiming to test your learning outcomes in Taijutsu, Basic Ninjutsu, and Practical Combat Response this semester."
He cleared his throat and glanced at the list: "Now, for the First match, Class One's Raido Namiashi versus Class Two's Higashino..."
"Please wait a moment, Teacher Matsumoto."
A calm and clear voice rang out, interrupting the teacher.
The interrupted Teacher Matsumoto paused slightly, but seeing it was Shinichi, he did not show displeasure. This student was always steady and sensible, so his speaking up must have a reason. He asked gently, "Shinichi, is something the matter?"
"Teacher, since you said opponents are assigned based on past scores, then..."
Shinichi stepped out from the crowd, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Class One Formation opposite, finally resting on the quiet, Silver-haired figure.
"As the top student in Class Two, my opponent should be Kakashi, the top student in Class One."
As his voice fell, a low murmur of conversation rose on the field, and gazes shifted back and forth between Shinichi and Kakashi.
Ishizuka Takashi suddenly clenched his fists, his eyes shining; Shizune widened her eyes slightly, looking at Shinichi.
The students in the Class One Formation also showed expressions of surprise or curiosity.
Teacher Matsumoto clearly hadn't anticipated this direct and specific request, and he felt troubled.
He knew Shinichi was speaking the truth, but the current arrangement was due to a bit of his own Personal Bias.
Because in his view, although Shinichi was very talented, the gap between him and Kakashi Hatake was still too large.
He worried that such a lopsided match, where Shinichi might be decisively defeated, could severely damage the confidence of this excellent child. As a teacher, he naturally harbored a desire to protect him.
Just as Teacher Matsumoto felt awkward and was pondering how to smooth things over, a calm, unruffled voice rang out:
"I have no objection."