Ninja Academy Student

Higashino Shinichi was born in Konoha Year 36 and grew up in an orphanage.

As an orphan, he had neither a distinguished family background nor a special bloodline. But ever since birth, a Personal Panel had floated in his field of vision.

Once he gradually figured out how the panel worked, he began consciously shaping his image.

With the mind of an adult, he displayed an understanding and capacity for learning far beyond his years, earning praise for his intelligence from the orphanage staff and the adults nearby.

He made diligence part of his daily routine. From a young age, he volunteered for chores around the orphanage. And as soon as he was old enough to run and jump, he began exercising in a planned way: push-ups, running, jumping. He gritted his teeth and did more, pushing himself harder, all to give people the impression that he was in excellent physical condition.

Even at the dinner table, he openly showed an appetite that seemed at odds with his small frame, polishing off a second bowl, then a third, with focused determination.

He also worked on building good relationships. He got along with the other children at the orphanage, soothed and cared for crying babies, and ran errands for the elderly in the neighborhood.

He had even used the excuse that "future ninja need strong bodies and strong wills" to invite the children at the orphanage to strike his back and limbs with smooth wooden sticks. Though it hurt, he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. The next day, he acted as if nothing had happened, as though the pain had been nothing at all.

These little acts, deliberate or otherwise, were like scattered puzzle pieces. In the end, they came together on his panel as one white Trait after another. They were both the "truth" in other people's eyes and the foundation Shinichi was building for himself on the road to surpassing the ordinary.

Through years of observation and experimentation, Shinichi had gradually worked out some of the rules behind Trait generation. The speed and quality of generation seemed closely tied to three factors:

How many people recognized a certain trait in him, how strongly they associated him with that trait, and the observer's own strength and status—or, in other words, their influence.

That was why today's entrance display, with him carrying a boulder, was simply another carefully planned exercise in shaping his image.

On the first day of school, students, parents, and teachers gathered at the Ninja Academy gates, and the crowds flowed like a river. The attention was far greater than usual.

For all he knew, even the Third Hokage might be quietly keeping an eye on the new students' arrival through some means.

The enormous Yellow-Gray Rock, which completely hid him from view, was also something he had chosen on purpose.

This kind of rock had a relatively low density, so at the same weight it looked especially huge. When people first saw it, the visual impact was all the greater.

The exaggerated contrast between his small build and the heavy load would catch people's eyes in an instant far better than a smaller, heavier block of metal. It would deepen their impression of him as naturally strong and physically extraordinary.

His behavior was a little outlandish, but there were people in the village who acted even more dramatically and eccentrically.

The most important reason was that Shinichi urgently needed to speed up the generation and upgrading of Traits to strengthen himself.

That way, he could make sure he would be able to do it in his first year...

Defeat Kakashi!

Compared with the potential rewards, this bit of attention was entirely within acceptable bounds.

Kakashi, now go ahead and show off your dazzling talent. Make sure everyone in Konoha recognizes you as a Genius!

Don't disappoint me!

Shinichi took a deep breath, calming the emotions stirred up by the weight and his first glimpse of Kakashi. Then he walked steadily toward the registration desk.

There, a capable-looking male teacher in a green Chunin vest sat behind a desk, processing paperwork in an orderly fashion.

"Name?" the teacher asked mechanically without looking up.

"Higashino Shinichi."

"Did you bring your admission notice?"

"Yes, teacher."

Shinichi took the well-preserved notice from inside his clothes and handed it over with both hands. The Konoha Ninja Academy was open to all children of the appropriate age in the village, regardless of their backgrounds, but applicants still had to pass a basic assessment before enrolling.

Every year, plenty of children failed to get in. Might Guy, for instance, hadn't passed at first; he only got in later after retaking the assessment and demonstrating his strength in Taijutsu.

The teacher took the notice and scanned the information and grades. When he saw that every subject was marked "A," he looked up, surprise and approval on his face. "An A in every subject? Not bad. You've got a solid foundation."

His tone softened. Glancing at Shinichi's birth date on the notice, he asked casually, "You were old enough to enroll last year. Why are you only signing up now?"

Shinichi's familiar, gentle smile appeared, tinged with an apologetic warmth. He calmly explained, "Yes, teacher. Last year, I had some personal matters to take care of and needed to save up some money, so I put off enrolling for a year. I mostly helped out at a smithy and a restaurant in the village."

That was naturally a lie. Shinichi's main reason for enrolling this year was to ensure he would be in the same year as Kakashi, and even in the same class. Only then would the chances of competing with him in sparring lessons, assessments, and other such settings increase significantly.

The other reason was that he had spent the year exploring the "Occupation" field. He didn't even need to make up an excuse: an orphan who worked to support himself and even set aside some extra money to help the orphanage that had raised him—self-reliant, considerate, and loyal. What more was there to say?

Unfortunately, he had tried many occupations, and almost none of them changed anything.

Only after he began studying swordsmanship at a dojo founded by an old samurai said to have come from the Land of Iron and settled in Konoha in its early days did anything happen. After a long while, new letters slowly formed in the once-empty "Occupation" field: [Swordsmanship Apprentice].

It was an Occupation card that slightly improved his physical abilities and accelerated his swordsmanship training, and it had granted him one chance to draw a new white Trait directly.

The registration teacher's gaze instinctively drifted to the address on the notice. His expression faltered, and the mechanical air about him gave way to a trace of barely perceptible embarrassment and understanding.

He gave a slight cough and quickly composed himself. Looking at the child's bright smile, he softened his tone without meaning to. "I see... Your paperwork is all in order, and your registration is approved. Go over there to collect your enrollment materials. Work hard at school."

"Yes, thank you, teacher." Shinichi accepted the form with both hands, bowed politely, and turned toward the materials desk.

After completing all the enrollment procedures, he walked steadily toward the gate. The moment he stepped outside and officially left the Ninja Academy behind, he suddenly felt something stir within him.

He paused and looked at the empty space ahead, thinking to himself.

The translucent panel that only he could see quietly appeared.

[Name: Higashino Shinichi]

[Occupation: Ninja Academy Student (New), Swordsmanship Apprentice]

[Talent: ...]

[Draws Available: 1 (White)]

His eyes fixed firmly on the new line in the Occupation field.

[Ninja Academy Student: You have officially become a student at the Ninja Academy and begun systematic study and training in the ways of the ninja. In this role, your perception and control of Chakra, understanding of basic ninja theory, ability to use standard weapons, and training efficiency in basic subjects such as Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and Genjutsu will all receive a slight boost.]

[With the Ninja Occupation unlocked, other people's perceptions and impressions of your ninja-related abilities will now form corresponding Talent Traits. Your Occupation level determines how efficiently their perceptions of your abilities are converted. Once your Occupation level reaches its maximum, you can directly upgrade one qualifying Talent Trait of your choice to the highest quality.]

[You have received a one-time draw: Random White Trait ×1—randomly select and directly generate one white Trait]