Shinichi listened quietly to their conversation, the same gentle, serene expression resting on his face.
The "gossiping student" who had started the rumor was, naturally, him.
Just last month, during another practical combat class where the two classes overlapped, Shinichi had deliberately held back from challenging Kakashi. Instead, he stood silently in the crowd, watching as Kakashi cleanly and decisively defeated Asuma, the Hokage's son, using a highly proficient and oppressive Fire Release jutsu.
As the surrounding students marveled, whispering things like, "It seems Kakashi can use all five chakra natures," Shinichi had chimed in. Sounding as though he were just casually recalling a piece of trivia, he remarked, "You know, I read in a library book once that the First, Second, and Third Hokage all possessed an innate physique with all five chakra natures..."
It didn't matter if the First, Second, and Third Hokage actually had innate five-nature chakra. It also didn't matter if there were other shinobi in Konoha's history who possessed such talent.
What mattered was that through that single sentence, a simple yet powerful association had been quietly planted in the minds of everyone listening: Five-Nature Chakra ≈ Hokage.
Kakashi has the potential of a Hokage!
As far as Shinichi was concerned, the louder Kakashi's name rang and the brighter his halo shone, the better.
"Still, I think Shinichi is stronger," Takashi declared, his voice carrying an undisguised bias. "If Shinichi goes up against Kakashi, he'll definitely win."
Hearing this, Shizune raised her eyes, her gaze lingering on Shinichi's calm profile for a moment.
Shinichi?
In her mind, her desk mate was undoubtedly excellent. He was the top student in their class, his grades across all subjects were impeccable, and he was the absolute model student.
Sure, his daily routine of running around the school track carrying a giant boulder every morning was a bit bizarre, but that day-in, day-out dedication and staggering perseverance were genuinely admirable.
Shinichi was indeed outstanding, but in Shizune's eyes, his excellence was that of a steady, reliable honor student.
Kakashi, on the other hand... felt like an entity from another dimension. His talent was blindingly bright: five-nature chakra, comprehensive combat strength that utterly crushed his peers, and that title of "Hokage Potential" that had already spread throughout the entire village.
All of these factors combined to create the impression of an epoch-defining, almost mythological genius. It was a radiant light so impossibly distant that it killed any thought of comparison before it could even form.
Shinichi caught the subtle evaluation in Shizune's glance and filed it away. He stood up, smiled, and said mildly, "Whoever I get matched against, I'll just do my best. I'm going to practice my sword swings now."
---
> [Name: Shinichi Higashino]
> [Class: Academy Student / Kenjutsu Apprentice]
> [Traits: Innate Godly Strength (Green), Diligence Makes Up for Weakness (Green), Clever (White), Affinity (White), Glutton (White), Tenacious (White), Agile (White), Calm (White), Basic Wind Release (White), Basic Taijutsu (White), Basic Kenjutsu (White).]
Shinichi pulled his gaze away from the personal interface that only he could see.
Compared to when he first enrolled, his persistent PR efforts over the semester had brought about significant changes to his panel.
The most notable was the upgrade of his White-tier [Diligent] trait into the Green-tier [Diligence Makes Up for Weakness].
> [Diligence Makes Up for Weakness (Green): Hard work compensates for natural shortcomings, and effort always yields rewards! When studying, training, or working, focus is enhanced and fatigue is reduced. Furthermore, you are guaranteed to make slight, measurable progress in your endeavors!]
The effect of this trait was straightforward yet incredibly powerful. Enhancing focus and reducing fatigue were just minor upgrades from the previous White-tier version.
The true essence of the trait lay in the second half of the description: "guaranteed to make slight, measurable progress."
To Shinichi, those few words elevated the trait to near-godly status.
It meant stability. It meant predictability. It meant no bottlenecks.
As long as he invested the time and sweat, he was guaranteed a return. No matter how minuscule that return might be, through sheer, daily accumulation, it formed a staircase that led to infinity.
Additionally, two new White-tier traits had appeared on his panel: [Basic Taijutsu (White)] and [Basic Kenjutsu (White)].
> [Basic Taijutsu (White): Your physical coordination, strength, and endurance exceed those of ordinary people. You learn and master Taijutsu forms faster, and you can more easily grasp the timing to exert force during close-quarters combat.]
> [Basic Kenjutsu (White): You possess an exceptional feel and intuition for the sword. You learn sword techniques swiftly, your stance is steady, and you can more accurately exploit your opponent's openings in combat.]
The changes these brought were direct and highly practical. The Taijutsu trait enhanced his bodily control, the efficiency of his kinetic linking, and his timing in hand-to-hand clashes. The Kenjutsu trait bolstered his perception of the blade, his comprehension of new techniques, and his sharpness in spotting flaws during a fight.
Both traits provided a solid boost to his baseline competence and growth rate in their respective fields.
Reining in his thoughts, Shinichi looked away from the panel and focused on swinging his wooden sword. This afternoon's practical combat assessment would be a test of his current progress, and another prime opportunity to sow the seeds of public perception.
He was practicing, but he was also warming up!
---
That afternoon, out on the training grounds, the homeroom teachers of Class 1 and Class 2 huddled together, exchanging low whispers as they seemingly finalized the arrangements.
Moments later, the Class 2 homeroom teacher, Chunin Fumio Matsumoto, stepped to the front of the gathered students, a new clipboard in hand.
"Alright, everyone. We have now reached the final phase of your end-of-term exams: the practical combat assessment." Sensei Matsumoto's voice rang clearly across the field. "To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, this assessment will be conducted jointly between Class 1 and Class 2. Sensei Inoue and I have reviewed your past performance records and matched you with opponents of similar skill levels. The goal is to test your mastery of Taijutsu, basic Ninjutsu, and your overall combat adaptability from this past semester."
He cleared his throat and cast his eyes down the roster. "We will begin with the first match. Raido Namiashi from Class 1 versus Higashino..."
"Excuse me, Sensei Matsumoto."
A calm, clear voice cut through the air, interrupting the teacher.
Matsumoto paused, slightly taken aback. But upon seeing it was Shinichi, no displeasure showed on his face. This student was notoriously composed and sensible; if he was speaking up now, he surely had a reason. "Is there a problem, Shinichi?" Matsumoto asked gently.
"Sensei, you mentioned that opponents were assigned based on our past academic performance, correct?"
Shinichi stepped out from the crowd. His gaze swept slowly across the Class 1 ranks before finally landing on that quiet, silver-haired figure.
"Since I am currently ranked first in Class 2, my opponent should logically be the student ranked first in Class 1: Kakashi Hatake."
As his words settled, a low hum of whispers erupted across the training grounds. Dozens of eyes darted back and forth between Shinichi and Kakashi.
Takashi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes shining with excitement. Shizune's eyes widened slightly as she stared at Shinichi.
The students in Class 1 also murmured, their faces painting a mix of shock and curiosity.
Sensei Matsumoto clearly hadn't anticipated such a direct and specific request, and he found himself in a tough spot.
He knew Shinichi was telling the truth about the rankings, but his matching arrangement had been born out of a bit of personal bias. In Matsumoto's eyes, while Shinichi was incredibly talented, the gap between him and Kakashi Hatake was simply too massive.
He was worried that in a battle with such a severe power disparity, a crushing, one-sided defeat might shatter this excellent student's confidence. As a teacher, he naturally wanted to protect him.
Just as Matsumoto was struggling to come up with a diplomatic way to smooth things over, a flat, rippleless voice rang out.
"I have no objections."