Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

"You flatter me, Kakashi."

Seeing Kakashi's bewildered expression, Shinichi Higashino slowly withdrew the long sword he had been holding against Kakashi's throat.

Five years of planning, accomplished in one day.

Shinichi had rehearsed this scene in his mind countless times, imagining the ecstatic feeling he would have after defeating this genius. But now, as it all actually happened and the dust settled, he felt a deep, calm stillness.

Even... a trace of indescribable emptiness.

"I lost." Kakashi regained his senses and looked at the black-haired boy in front of him.

"This time, you won. However, it doesn't mean my father's swordsmanship was lacking. It's just that I..." He pursed his lips, not uttering words like "insufficient skill" or "lack of strength."

"Next time, I'll win!"

Shinichi met his gaze, his face still bearing that gentle and sunny smile: "I look forward to our next match, Kakashi-kun."

"Ahem." Matsumoto Fumio stepped forward at the opportune moment, standing between the two, and announced in a loud voice, "This practical assessment is now concluded. The winner is—Higashino Shinichi!"

"Shinichi! Shinichi! Shinichi!!"

Before Mr. Matsumoto finished speaking, the Class 2 line erupted like a long-suppressed volcano! The deafening cheers soared into the sky.

Among them, Takashi Ishizuka's rough and bold voice, like a war drum, led the entire class's emotions: "Well done! Shinichi! That was amazing!! I knew you could do it!"

"They actually won?!" Shizune's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.

Compared to the excitement of Class Two, Class One fell into silence.

"Kakashi..." Rin Nohara clasped her hands tightly to her chest, her small face filled with worry.

"Kakashi... he actually lost..." Obito Uchiha was somewhat at a loss. He thought he would be happy to see Kakashi suffer a defeat, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, he felt quite bad.

Among the crowd, Matt Kai, who had also witnessed the entire process, remained silent, but his eyes beneath his thick eyebrows burned with an unprecedented flame.

"Now, please form the seal of reconciliation!" Teacher Matsumoto announced loudly at the opportune moment, drawing everyone's attention back to the etiquette procedure.

Shinichi and Kakashi reached out and formed a reconciliation seal. After Kakashi formed the seal, he didn't say a word and turned back to his squad.

Shinichi, however, did not return to Class 2's group.

Mr. Matsumoto noticed his pause and asked gently.

"Shinichi-kun, is there anything else?"

A look of confusion and apology appeared on Shinichi's face. He bowed slightly and said sincerely, "It's like this, Matsumoto-sensei. Although now may not be the most appropriate time... I have indeed encountered something that makes me a little uneasy and confused recently. Considering that after today's exam, I may not see you again until next semester, I have to take the liberty of asking for your advice here."

"What's the problem? Tell me."

Shinichi organized his thoughts and described the situation with a slightly uncertain tone: "Recently, I've been experiencing some strange sensations when I sleep at night. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll feel a strange noise around me, but I can't quite put my finger on where the sound is coming from. Other times, I vaguely sense something nearby, but when I wake up, everything seems normal."

"And... I always felt a bit tired after waking up. After checking, I found that my chakra seemed to be less than before I fell asleep. It was as if... when I entered deep sleep, my chakra uncontrollably dissipated a little bit on its own."

He subtly revealed a hint of youthful unease: "Teacher, could it be... that there's something wrong with my cultivation? Or is there some hidden danger in my body?"

"This..." Upon hearing this, Matsumoto-sensei frowned immediately, resting her chin on her hand as she fell into deep thought.

"Sensory talent!" Inoue-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She spoke first, her tone tinged with interest: "Shinichi, the phenomena you described sound very much like the initial awakening of sensory talent! You may very well possess the potential to become a sensory ninja by nature!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Sensing!" Matsumoto-sensei suddenly realized, his doubts vanishing and replaced by delight: "That's right! Chakra is unconsciously released during deep relaxation, creating a subtle resonance with the external environment or living beings, resulting in a strange sensation or even vague information feedback... This is one of the common signs of the early awakening of many sensory ninja talents!"

"A sensory ninja?" Shinichi appropriately expressed his doubt and curiosity.

Seeing this, Inoue-sensei took the initiative to explain to all the students who had pricked up their ears: "Sensory ninjas are special ninjas who are born with or trained to release their chakra with highly refined externalization, using it to explore their environment, sense vital signs, and especially detect the chakra of others. They are like the eyes and ears of the team, playing an irreplaceable role in reconnaissance, vigilance, and tracking. For example, our Yamanaka clan in Konoha is skilled in sensory ninjutsu."

Teacher Matsumoto picked up the conversation and gently comforted Shinichi, saying, "So you don't need to worry. This is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it is a sign of your talent! This means that on your path as a ninja, in addition to your outstanding physique and will, you may also possess a precious and rare sensory ability!"

"After you get back, make sure you get some rest. Try to calm your mind and focus when you're awake, actively trying to capture and become familiar with that subtle feeling of externalized perception, but don't try to force it or feel anxious. If you experience similar symptoms or make any new discoveries after the start of the semester, feel free to come to us."

"Sense-based ninjas? I see." Shinichi's face showed a relieved yet slightly enlightened expression. He bowed respectfully to his two teachers: "Thank you for your explanation, teachers. It has put my mind at ease."

Under the varied gazes of the crowd, Shinichi calmly retreated back into the group of Class Two.

All of what he said was, of course, false.

He didn't have any problem with chakra leakage during sleep, nor was he a natural-born sensory ninja.

This is still part of his carefully planned public persona management.

Taking advantage of the excellent opportunity of having just defeated Kakashi and become the focus of everyone's attention, he sowed the seeds of his potential sensory talent in public in a gentle way, as if asking for guidance on his troubles.

The authoritative teacher made a judgment and explanation on the spot that it was "suspected sensory talent", which many students heard and witnessed firsthand.

The seed of impression has already been sown.

Once this understanding is passed down from students to their homes, or perhaps recorded by teachers, and gradually spreads throughout Konoha Village... then the world will believe that Shinichi Higashino possesses a talent for perception.

At that time, there is a high probability that new terms related to perception will appear on his personal panel.

Shinichi always adheres to a core principle in creating his character: take steady steps, start with the real and work his way up to the unreal, and accumulate small victories into a big one.

He never dared to dream of, nor would he ever rashly create, those super-powerful character designs that were like castles in the air, thereby directly generating powerful terms such as Wood Release, Sharingan, various bloodline limits, or even Six Paths reincarnation, and words becoming law.

These are lies that are easily exposed, and the cognitive strength and breadth required to generate them must be terrifying.

Therefore, he always starts with qualities that are consistent with his background, actual performance, or reasonable logic, and that can withstand basic scrutiny and the test of time.

Perception talent is one of them.

Just like traits such as great strength and diligence, these are not exclusive to bloodline limit ninjas; ordinary ninjas may also possess sensory talents.

After Shinichi returned to the group, the final practical assessment continued.

While there were certainly highlights in the subsequent matches, the other matches inevitably seemed somewhat bland after the spectacular showdown that followed.

The students in both classes either gave it their all or took it very seriously, until the sun began to set and all the assessments finally came to an end.

The exam is over, but the ripples caused by this assessment, especially one of the duels, are far from subsiding. Instead, like a boulder thrown into a lake, the ripples are spreading rapidly.

On the way home from school in Konoha.

"Hey, did you hear? Kakashi, that genius from Class 1, Grade 1, lost his practical assessment to a student from the same grade today!"

"What? How is that possible! Didn't the teachers all say that Kakashi's strength was enough to graduate and become a full-fledged genin? Last time, two seniors who graduated this year and became genin came to cause trouble because they couldn't stand Kakashi's title of Hokage potential, and they were both defeated by Kakashi."

"Absolutely true. Moreover, Kakashi even used a sword later on—it was Lord White Fang's swordsmanship! You must know that he had never used a sword against any of his opponents before!"

"Hiss, he still lost even after using his family's swordsmanship? Where did this monster come from? What's its name?"

"Shinichi Higashino! He's in Class 2 of the first year, and supposedly comes from a commoner background!"

The well-informed upperclassman confidently uttered the name.

At a training ground, in the evening.

"Teacher Chen! Teacher Chen! Do you know? Shinichi! The one I told you about, my deskmate, Higashino Shinichi! He defeated Kakashi Hatake in the practical test today!"

Takashi Ishizuka stormed into the training field and shouted at a short, stocky middle-aged man with a somewhat comical demeanor and round sunglasses, his dark face filled with pride and excitement.

"Oh?" The man called Teacher Chen stopped what he was doing, adjusted his sunglasses, and asked with a hint of surprise and interest, "That kid... is that strong?"

He knew the reputation of that kid from the Hatake family and had a vague understanding of the significance of his talent.

Near a mansion.

"Shizune, how did your final exams go today?" Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin with blonde hair, asked Shizune, who had just returned home, without even looking up from her book.

"Shouldn't that brat from the Hatake family be number one?"

"Not bad." Shizune put down her schoolbag, her tone still somewhat lazy, and then added, "However, the first place in this practical battle wasn't Kakashi Hatake."

"Hmm?" Tsunade looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"It's Shinichi!" Shizune answered earnestly, "He beat Kakashi, in two matches!"

"Shinichi?" Tsunade paused for a moment, seemingly searching her memory for the name. "Is he the classmate you mentioned before, the one who seemed hardworking and quite strong?"

"Hmm." Shizune nodded, recalling the storm-like attack and the long sword that finally came to rest steadily on her opponent's throat.

The Third Hokage's house, dinner time.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and friendly, with the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, his wife Biwako Sarutobi, and their eldest son Shinnosuke Sarutobi all present.

Asma gestured excitedly as he recounted the duel he had witnessed that afternoon.

"...Then, Shinichi, with a single slash, sent Kakashi's short sword flying! Then came another attack, which Kakashi couldn't block at all! Finally, the sword was at his neck! It was too fast!"

The Third Hokage listened silently, his chopsticks pausing slightly.

Shinichi? That child carrying the giant boulder... he actually managed to defeat Kakashi head-on?

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma suddenly said, "Old man, by the way, what is sensory talent? Today, Inoue-sensei said that Higashino Shinichi might have sensory talent..."

The Third Hokage's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered, "Sensory talent is a very precious ability..."

The Hatake family residence, in the courtyard.

Sakumo Hatake stood quietly under the veranda, watching his son in the yard, who had been silently practicing his swordplay ever since he came home from school.

After a long while, Sakumo Hatake finally spoke gently: "Kakashi, it's time to eat."

Kakashi paused, slowly sheathed his sword, and turned to look at his father.

"Father, I..."

"Eat first," Hatake Sakumo interrupted him, his tone calm.

Dinner proceeded in relative silence, and it wasn't until after the meal that the father and son returned to the courtyard.

"I've heard about what happened today," Hatake Sakumo said, looking at his son. "How does it feel to lose?"

"...I'm so unwilling to accept this." Kakashi lowered his head, clenching his fists. "I was too careless, and my strength..."

"Kakashi." Sakumo Hatake placed his hand on his son's shoulder: "Look at me. A temporary victory or defeat means nothing in the long ninja career. Defeat is a mirror to see your own weaknesses. In my eyes, your talent and potential are far greater than mine were back then. Your future is definitely not limited to this."

Kakashi raised his head, his eyes burning with renewed fervor: "I will definitely defeat him next time, Father!"

Sakumo Hatake smiled with satisfaction: "I believe you. However, cultivation must be done step by step; one cannot be impatient for quick results."

He paused, his tone shifting to one of instruction:

"By the way, I have to leave the village early tomorrow morning for a mission, which may take some time. While I'm gone, please take good care of yourself. If there's anything you don't understand about cultivation, feel free to write it down and I'll let you know when I get back..."

"Yes, Father! Please be careful on your journey!" Kakashi nodded solemnly, turning the bitterness of defeat and the worry of parting from his father into even stronger motivation.

The night in Konoha deepened, but the name Shinichi Higashino, along with his feat of defeating Kakashi Hatake head-on and the vague rumors of his sensory talent, remained.

But like a wildfire that suddenly ignites, it sprang up and spread at an alarming speed in every corner of the village, scorching the perceptions of many.

One week later.

The impact of defeating Kakashi was immediate. As Shinichi walked down the street, he could feel the sidelong glances and scrutiny from passersby more frequently, and occasionally catch snippets of hushed whispers.

This level of fame is something he had never achieved in the years before.

During this period, Shinichi's personal panel generated new entries, and some existing entries were also upgraded.

However, the most anticipated and core change has yet to materialize.

Just as Shinichi was feeling somewhat disappointed and thought his plan might fall through.

That morning, after he finished his morning exercise and returned home to wash up, his mind habitually scanned his personal panel.

Without warning, a bright blue light suddenly appeared at the very top of the talent attribute column!

The light was pure and profound, with a kind of otherworldly quality, completely different from the white and green radiance of the past.

Amidst the light, a brand new line of writing, seemingly formed from starlight, slowly emerged and solidified.

[Genius (Blue): You are an absolute genius who demonstrates exceptional talent in every aspect. Efficiency and potential in all areas, including learning, practice, practical application, and innovation, have all seen comprehensive and significant improvements.]

"Hehe...hehehehe..."

Looking at the newly generated entry, Shinichi's lips curled into a smile, and a low, trembling laugh escaped from his throat, which he initially managed to suppress.

But the emotions that had been building up for so long soon burst forth like volcanic lava that had finally found a crack, and could no longer be contained!

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"