Five years!
From the day he learned of Kakashi Hatake's birth, that figure became a mountain peak he absolutely had to cross in his plan.
In this battle, his core strategy was extremely clear and ruthless: hand-to-hand combat, close range, suppression, and absolutely no space for the opponent to use Ninjutsu.
From the very beginning, he pulled the fight into a rhythm he dominated; his far-faster-than-expected rushing speed disrupted Kakashi's footing, followed by heavy strikes that completely overwhelmed him with sheer force.
Throughout the process, he used a storm of Taijutsu attacks to firmly pin his opponent in the mire of close-quarters combat, interrupting any possibility of hand signs or retreat.
Forget Five-Attribute Release Ninjutsu; Kakashi couldn't find a single gap to perform even the most basic Clone Jutsu or Substitution Jutsu.
This was not an accident or a stroke of luck, but a precise strike that had been long premeditated, targeted weaknesses, and infinitely magnified his unique personal advantages.
The sunlight was still blazing, and the shock filling the air was gradually replaced by a complex emotion.
Looking at the calm, black-haired youth in the arena, many people, for the first time, truly peeled the name Shinichi Higashino away from the category of 'hardworking top student' and placed it in a position requiring re-evaluation.
"Shinichi! Shinichi! Shinichi!!"
Ishizuka Takashi was the first to snap out of the shock. He waved his fists and shouted with all his might. This cry was like a spark dropped into boiling oil, instantly igniting Class Two's formation!
"He won! Shinichi won!"
"That was amazing!"
"Shinichi! Shinichi!"
Cheers, shouts, and cries of disbelief erupted from the Class Two camp, forming a stark contrast to the deathly silence of Class One across the way.
Many Class Two students felt honored and their faces were filled with excitement, while most of the Class One students were still reeling from the immense cognitive shock, feeling lost and confused.
"How is that possible? How could that bastard Kakashi possibly lose..." Uchiha Obito muttered blankly.
The boisterous cheers woke up the two homeroom teachers who were also in shock. Matsumoto Fumio and Class One's Teacher Inoue quickly exchanged glances. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and prepared to fulfill his duty as a referee to announce the result that surprised everyone.
"Wait a moment, teachers."
Shinichi's clear voice rang out again as he neatly slid his Kunai back into the tool pouch on his thigh.
He looked at Kakashi, who was slowly getting up, his face still bearing that gentle, approachable smile.
"Kakashi, you probably haven't used your true strength yet, have you?"
He paused, his tone carrying a guiding certainty:
"I heard that Konohas White Fang's swordsmanship is unparalleled in the Ninja World, making him a master swordsman who strikes fear into countless enemies. As the son of Konohas White Fang, your swordsmanship must also be quite strong, right?"
As he spoke, Shinichi walked over to the weapon rack and took out a katana.
Just winning wasn't enough!
Far from enough!
He didn't want any excuses like luck, fortune, or opponent carelessness that would summarize his victory as an accidental win due to the opponent underestimating him.
What he wanted was an undeniable, comprehensive victory, crushing his opponent in the field where they were supposed to be strongest.
Guiding everyone's attention to swordsmanship was precisely his carefully planned next step.
If the father was a top swordsmanship master who shook the Ninja World, then the son should naturally inherit astonishing swordsmanship talent—this was the most common association people would make.
Especially in this world where bloodline reigns supreme.
Although Kakashi had defeated all his opponents in a casual manner over the past few months, no one had ever seen him use a sword in a real battle.
But this didn't stop everyone from believing that Kakashi, as the son of the White Fang, was only in his complete and truly strongest form when using a sword.
Regardless of whether it was true, once public opinion and impressions were formed, they became reality.
He wanted the fact that "Shinichi Higashino defeated Kakashi Hatake," and specifically "defeated Kakashi Hatake in his strongest state," to be indelibly etched into everyone's minds.
"So, Kakashi, could you allow me to witness the elegance of Konohas White Fang's swordsmanship?"
Shinichi took a deep breath, slowly drew the katana from his hands, and said seriously:
"And let me truly experience your full strength."
This sentence was yet another carefully designed step by Shinichi. He cleverly used it to silently place a heavy choice and expectation onto Kakashi's shoulders.
Given Kakashi's pride as a Genius, and his deep-seated respect and desire to uphold his father Konohas White Fang.
It would be almost impossible for him to use Ninjutsu in the subsequent match after the opponent had so solemnly challenged him using swordsmanship; he would view this as disrespecting his father's swordsmanship.
Shinichi had calculated this precisely. He intended to continue pulling Kakashi into the domain where he held a greater advantage: pure physical confrontation and cold weapon combat.
At the same time, this prevented the possibility of Shinichi potentially suffering an unexpected defeat due to the opponent using Ninjutsu.
The swordsmanship Shinichi learned at the Kendo Dojo was naturally inferior to the swordsmanship Kakashi learned under Konohas White Fang's guidance.
But in the clash of weapons, the overwhelming strength brought by Innate Divine Strength, the improved overall physical quality from Swordsmanship Apprentice, the extra endurance and resilience provided by Toughness, and the flexibility and speed enhanced by Agility, etc.
ensured Shinichi still held a tremendous advantage in terms of physical attributes.
In the arena, everyone's eyes and expectations were focused on the silver-haired Genius who had stood up again.
"Fine!"
Kakashi slowly lifted his head. Those eyes, which always carried a hint of laziness and indifference, finally sharpened.
Without saying more, he simply drew a Tanto from the tool pouch behind his waist, a size perfectly suited to his height and arm length.
The two faced each other in the arena once more; the second battle was about to begin.
"Shinichi! Hold steady!"
"Go, Shinichi, you can definitely win!"
Cheers erupted again from the Class Two formation, but this time the sound was less unrestrained and carried more nervous anticipation.
As for Class One, the silence was finally broken.
"Kakashi! Go!"
"Let him witness Konohas White Fang's swordsmanship!"
Among them, Uchiha Obito, who had previously cheered for Shinichi in reverse, was now shouting the loudest and most urgently, his face flushed red:
"Bastard Kakashi! You're a Genius! Don't get careless again! Use all your skill, you must win!"
In the arena, Kakashi seemed deaf to the noise behind him. He slightly rotated his wrist, changing the grip on his Tanto from standard to a reverse grip, which was better suited for thrusts and deceptive movements, and slightly tilted his body.
The next moment, he moved. His figure suddenly blurred, appearing like a silver streak rapidly skimming the ground.
Using extreme speed and irregular zigzag footwork, he moved rapidly around Shinichi, searching for an angle of entry.
Shinichi stood firm in the center, holding his katana with both hands, his eyes calmly following the silver trajectory.
He knew clearly that while his systematically learned Kendo foundation was solid, it was definitely inferior to Kakashi's family-inherited White Fang Swordsmanship in terms of refinement and variation.
His winning chance lay in dragging the fight into the rhythm he was best at—using strength to break skill, and simplicity to overcome complexity.