"Thank you for the match, Kakashi."
Watching Kakashi's bewildered expression, Higashino Shinichi slowly drew back the long sword he had held against his opponent's throat.
Five years of planning, accomplished in a single day.
Shinichi had replayed this scene countless times in his mind, imagining the exhilaration he would feel after defeating this genius. But now that it had really happened, with the dust settled, all he felt was a deep, unruffled calm.
And even... a hint of indescribable emptiness.
"I lost." Kakashi came back to his senses and looked at the black-haired boy before him.
"This time, you won. But that doesn't mean my father's swordsmanship is lacking. It's just that I..." He pressed his lips together, unwilling to say that he hadn't mastered his lessons or that he lacked strength.
"Next time, I'll win!"
Shinichi met his gaze, the same warm, sunny smile on his face. "I look forward to our next match, Kakashi."
"Ahem." Teacher Matsumoto stepped forward at just the right moment and stood between them. In a booming voice, he announced, "This practical exam is over. The winner is—Higashino Shinichi!"
"Shinichi! Shinichi! Shinichi!"
Before Teacher Matsumoto had even finished speaking, Class 2 erupted like a long-suppressed volcano! Their deafening cheers soared into the sky.
Ishizuka Takashi's rough, hearty voice rang out like a war drum, rousing the whole class. "Beautifully done, Shinichi! That was amazing! I knew you could do it!"
"H-he really won?!" Shizune's eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open.
Compared to Class 2's celebration, Class 1 fell silent.
"Kakashi..." Rin Nohara clasped her hands to her chest, worry written across her little face.
"Kakashi actually lost..." Obito Uchiha looked at a loss. He'd thought he'd be happy to see Kakashi get humbled, but he wasn't. Instead, he felt strangely uncomfortable.
Might Guy, who had witnessed the entire match from within the crowd, said nothing. But beneath his thick brows, his eyes burned with a fire unlike any he'd felt before.
"Now, both sides, form the Seal of Reconciliation!" Teacher Matsumoto announced loudly, drawing everyone's attention back to the formalities.
Shinichi and Kakashi formed the Seal of Reconciliation. Kakashi said nothing afterward, turning and walking back to Class 1's line.
But Shinichi didn't return to Class 2.
Teacher Matsumoto noticed him lingering and asked gently,
"Shinichi, is something the matter?"
A look somewhere between troubled and apologetic appeared on Shinichi's face. He bowed slightly, his tone earnest. "Well, Teacher Matsumoto, this may not be the best time, but something has been making me uneasy and confused lately. Since after today's exam I probably won't see you again until next term, I had to trouble you with a question."
"What's troubling you? Go ahead."
Shinichi gathered his thoughts and described it with a hint of uncertainty. "Lately, I sometimes feel strange when I'm asleep at night. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll suddenly feel like there's a lot of noise around me, but I can't tell where it's coming from. Other times, I seem to vaguely sense something nearby, but when I wake up, everything seems normal."
"And... when I wake up, I always feel a little tired. I checked and found that I seem to have less Chakra than before I went to sleep. It's almost as if... while I'm in a deep sleep, some of my Chakra escapes on its own."
He let a touch of adolescent unease show. "Teacher, could... something be wrong with my training? Or could there be something wrong with my health?"
"Well..." Teacher Matsumoto's brows immediately furrowed. He rested a hand beneath his chin and fell into thought.
"A sensory talent!" Inoue-sensei, Class 1's homeroom teacher, brightened and spoke up first, sounding intrigued. "Shinichi, what you've described sounds a lot like an emerging sensory talent! You may have been born with the potential to become a sensory ninja!"
"That's right! Sensory!" Teacher Matsumoto suddenly understood. The doubt on his face gave way to delight. "When Chakra unconsciously radiates outward during deep relaxation and resonates faintly with the surrounding environment or living things, it can cause strange sensations or even vague feedback. These are common early signs of an awakening sensory talent!"
"A sensory ninja?" Shinichi put on an appropriately curious, puzzled expression.
Seeing this, Inoue-sensei took the initiative to explain to all the students who had pricked up their ears. "Sensory ninjas are those who, either by nature or through training, can finely control their Chakra and extend it outward to investigate their surroundings, sense signs of life, and especially detect other people's Chakra. They're like the eyes and ears of a team, and play an indispensable role in reconnaissance, keeping watch, and tracking. The Yamanaka Clan of Konoha, for example, specializes in Sensory Ninjutsu."
Teacher Matsumoto picked up where he'd left off, reassuring Shinichi warmly. "So you don't need to worry. This isn't a bad thing at all—in fact, it's a talent worth celebrating! It means that in addition to your excellent physique and willpower, you may also possess a rare and precious sensory ability!"
"Once you get home, make sure you rest. When you're awake, you can try calming your mind and paying attention to that subtle feeling of your senses extending outward. But don't force it or get anxious. If it happens again or you notice anything new after the term begins, you can come to us anytime."
"A sensory ninja? So that's what it is." Shinichi looked relieved, with a hint of dawning realization. He bowed respectfully to the two teachers. "Thank you both for explaining it. I feel much more at ease now."
Under the varied gazes of those around him, Shinichi calmly returned to the crowd of Class 2 students.
Of course, everything he'd said was made up.
He had no problem with his Chakra leaking while he slept, nor was he a natural-born sensory ninja.
This was still part of the persona he had carefully crafted.
Having just defeated Kakashi head-on and become the center of attention, he'd seized the perfect opportunity to plant the seed that he might have a sensory talent, presenting it as a concern and asking about it in a mild, unassuming way.
An authoritative teacher had publicly judged that he might have a sensory talent and explained what that meant, while scores of classmates had heard it with their own ears and witnessed it with their own eyes.
The seed of an impression had been planted.
Once this idea reached their families through the students' words, was perhaps recorded by a teacher, and gradually spread through Konoha... people would come to believe that Higashino Shinichi had a sensory talent.
By then, there would be a good chance that a new sensory-related trait would take shape on his Personal Panel.
Shinichi had always followed one core principle when building his persona: take steady steps, move from the tangible to the intangible, and turn small victories into a great one.
He never expected, and would never recklessly try, to fabricate some grandiose persona like a castle in the air just to produce a powerful trait—Wood Release, the Sharingan, other Kekkei Genkai, or even being the reincarnation of the Six Paths, or someone whose words became reality.
Those would be lies that fell apart at the slightest poke. And the strength and breadth of belief needed to generate them would surely have to reach a terrifying level.
So he always started with traits supported by his background, his real actions, or reasonable logic—things that could withstand basic scrutiny and the test of time.
A sensory talent was one such trait.
Like strength or diligence, it wasn't exclusive to ninjas with Kekkei Genkai. Ordinary ninjas could have sensory talents, too.
After Shinichi returned to the crowd, the end-of-term practical exams continued.
The remaining matches had their highlights, of course. But with that earth-shattering duel fresh in everyone's mind, the others inevitably seemed a little dull.
The students from both classes gave their all or proceeded cautiously, and the exams finally ended when the sun began to sink.
The exam was over, but the commotion it had caused—especially the uproar over one particular match—was far from dying down. Like a boulder dropped into a lake, its ripples were spreading rapidly.
On the streets of Konoha, on the way home from school.
"Hey, have you heard? That genius Kakashi from Class 1, first year, lost to a student in his own grade during today's practical exam!"
"What? How could that be? Didn't the teachers say Kakashi was already strong enough to graduate as a full-fledged Genin? Last time, two older students who graduated as Genin this year came looking for trouble because they couldn't stand him being called the 'Hokage of the Future.' Kakashi beat them both."
"It's true! And Kakashi even used a sword later—White Fang-sama's swordsmanship! You have to understand, he hadn't used a sword against any of his previous opponents!"
"Whoa, he lost even after using his family's swordsmanship? What kind of monster came out of nowhere? What's his name?"
"Higashino Shinichi! He's in Class 2, first year. Apparently, he's a civilian!"
A well-informed upperclassman stated the name with certainty.
At a training ground, in the evening.
"Teacher Chen! Teacher Chen! Have you heard? Shinichi—the boy I told you about, my desk mate, Higashino Shinichi! He beat Hatake Kakashi in today's practical exam!"
Ishizuka Takashi rushed into the training ground and shouted at a short, stocky man in the middle of it. The man wore small, round sunglasses and had a somewhat comical air about him. Excitement shone on Takashi's dark face, as if Shinichi's victory were his own.
"Oh?" The man known as Teacher Chen stopped what he was doing and adjusted his sunglasses. Surprise and interest crept into his voice. "That kid... is that strong?"
He knew the name of the boy from the Hatake Clan, and had some idea of the weight of his talent.
Near a residence.
"Shizune, how did your end-of-term exam go?" asked Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, a blonde woman who was casually flipping through a book without looking up at Shizune, who had just returned home.
"I suppose that Hatake kid came first, right?"
"It was all right." Shizune set down her bag, sounding as listless as ever, then added, "But Hatake Kakashi didn't come first in the practical exam."
"Hm?" Tsunade looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Then who did?"
"Shinichi!" Shizune answered earnestly. "He beat Kakashi in both matches!"
"Shinichi?" Tsunade paused, as if searching her memory for the name. "You mean that desk mate you've mentioned now and then, the hardworking kid who looks like he's pretty strong?"
"Mm." Shizune nodded, recalling the storm of attacks and the long sword that had finally come to rest at her opponent's throat.
At the Third Hokage's residence, at dinnertime.
The mood around the table was warm. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, his wife Biwako Sarutobi, and his eldest son, Sarutobi Shin'nosuke, were all seated.
Asuma, meanwhile, excitedly gestured as he described the match he'd witnessed that afternoon.
"...Then Shinichi knocked Kakashi's short blade flying with one slash! Then he launched another attack, and Kakashi couldn't block it at all! Finally, the sword was at his throat! It was so fast!"
The Third Hokage listened in silence, his chopsticks pausing slightly in his hand.
Shinichi? The boy who used to carry boulders... He could actually defeat Kakashi head-on?
At that moment, Asuma suddenly asked, "Old man, what exactly is a sensory talent? Inoue-sensei said today that Higashino Shinichi might have one..."
The Third Hokage's eyes shifted, and he said thoughtfully, "A sensory talent is a very precious ability..."
At the Hatake Clan residence, in the courtyard.
Hatake Sakumo stood quietly beneath the veranda, watching his son, who had returned from school and hadn't said a word since. He had been practicing with his sword the whole time.
After a long while, Hatake Sakumo finally spoke gently. "Kakashi, it's time for dinner."
Kakashi's movements stopped. He slowly sheathed his sword and turned to face his father.
"Father, I..."
"Let's eat first." Hatake Sakumo interrupted him, his tone calm.
Dinner passed in relative silence. Only afterward did father and son return to the courtyard.
"I heard what happened today." Hatake Sakumo looked at his son. "How does it feel to lose?"
"...I hate it." Kakashi lowered his head and clenched his fists. "I was too careless, and my strength..."
"Kakashi." Hatake Sakumo placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Look at me. A single win or loss means little over the course of a long shinobi career. Failure is a mirror that lets you see your weaknesses. In my eyes, your talent and potential far surpass what I had at your age. Your future is by no means limited to this."
Kakashi raised his head, a fire rekindling in his eyes. "I'll definitely beat him next time, Father!"
Hatake Sakumo smiled with relief. "I believe you. But training should progress step by step. Don't rush for quick results."
He paused, then continued in a more matter-of-fact tone.
"By the way, I'm leaving the village early tomorrow morning for a mission. I may be gone for a while. While I'm away, take good care of yourself. If there's anything you don't understand in your training, you can make a note of it and ask me when I return..."
"Yes, Father! Please be careful on your way!" Kakashi nodded solemnly. The bitterness of defeat and his concern over his father's departure became an even stronger source of motivation.
Night deepened over Konoha, but the name Higashino Shinichi, his feat of defeating Hatake Kakashi head-on, and the rumors of his possible sensory talent—
Like a sudden brushfire, they blazed through every corner of the village at astonishing speed, spreading and burning their way into the minds of many.
One week later.
The effects of defeating Kakashi were plain to see. As Shinichi walked through the streets, he more often felt passersby glancing and sizing him up. Now and then, he even caught fragments of hushed conversation.
He had never been this well-known, not even after years of effort.
During this time, new traits appeared on Shinichi's Personal Panel, and some of his existing traits leveled up.
But the change he most anticipated, the one at the heart of his plan, still hadn't happened.
Just as Shinichi was starting to feel disappointed and think his plan might have failed,
one morning, after finishing his training and washing up at home, he instinctively swept his attention over his Personal Panel.
Without warning, a burst of azure light suddenly appeared at the top of the talent-traits section!
The light was pure and profound, carrying an otherworldly quality utterly different from the white and green glows that had come before.
Within it, a line of new writing, as if formed from starlight, slowly appeared and solidified.
[Trait: Genius (Blue) — You are a true genius who displays outstanding talent in every area. Your efficiency and potential are significantly enhanced across all fields, including learning, training, combat, and innovation.]
"Heh... hehehe..."
Looking at the newly formed trait, Shinichi's lips curled into a smile. A low, trembling laugh escaped his throat, restrained at first.
But the feelings he'd held back for so, so long soon erupted like lava escaping a volcano at last, impossible to contain!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
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