Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

October, the 46th year of Konoha.

Although it was already autumn, the air was still so stuffy it felt like it was solid. Even in the lush greenery of Konoha, it was difficult to completely dispel the unsettling heat that permeated from all directions of the ninja world.

The tension is high.

The Raikage of Kumogakure's public pronouncements grew increasingly forceful, while the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Onoki, maintained an enigmatic silence. Kirigakure remained shrouded in seclusion within the Blood Mist Village, but the scattered intelligence emanating from that sea area revealed an even deeper and more sinister nature.

Although the Kazekage of Sunagakure has not made a clear statement, he has not made a public appearance for some time.

However, the frequent military mobilizations within its borders and the expansion of its ninja forces have already revealed its true intentions.

However, it is rare in the ninja world for the Third Kazekage to not make a public appearance for more than a month. The Sand Village explained that he had gained some insights and was in seclusion for training, which was a legitimate reason. However, a small number of people privately speculated that something might have happened to the Third Kazekage since he did not show up at this critical moment.

He hasn't made a public appearance for so long, it's possible he's gone missing, and his fate is currently unknown.

Alright, since their fate is unknown, then they must be dead.

Of course, this statement is limited to a small group of people who make malicious speculations and is regarded as a joke by the general public. After all, the Third Kazekage is known as the strongest Kazekage in the history of Sunagakure. How could something happen to him on his own turf?

However, all those with a keen sense of smell know that the curtain of peace is being slowly drawn back by an invisible hand, revealing the cold glint of swords behind it.

However, amidst this oppressive atmosphere of impending doom, a completely different trend, imbued with the warmth of everyday life and scorching heat, swept through the streets and alleys of the Land of Fire at an astonishing speed.

At first, the children were excitedly passing around a novel manga called "Cooking Master Boy" with a unique art style that tells the story of cooking battles, and discussing the young chef in the story who shares the same name as the real-life genius ninja and author.

Then, some adults who already loved comics and cooking were also drawn in. They were amazed by the almost obsessive detail in the comics about the cooking process and how the dish called "Mapo Tofu" was described as so enticing.

Then, a restaurant owner in Kyoto, a seasoned manga fan and chef, decided to give it a try and meticulously recreated the "Mapo Tofu" recipe from the detailed appendix of the first volume of the manga.

When that plate of glistening, spicy, and fragrant tofu was served, everything changed.

The diners' exclamations, the word-of-mouth praise, and the imitation by other restaurants... all exploded like a drop of water thrown into a hot oil pan!

In just over four months, "Mapo Tofu" and the "Cooking Master Boy" manga spread like wildfire from Kyoto to major towns and cities in the Land of Fire.

Restaurants are launching "authentic Mapo Tofu" to attract customers, and housewives are studying the recipes in the comic book appendix and trying to recreate them.

The name Shinichi Higashino has been firmly linked to the new and very approachable title of "culinary manga author who created new dishes" after "Konoha's genius ninja" and "special-grade chef".

This trend was so intense that even Konoha, a village far removed from the hustle and bustle and focused on war preparations, could not completely escape its influence, and was even more enthusiastic about it. After all, the author of the manga was Shinichi, their genius ninja.

The restaurant "Aji no Takumi" in the village has long made "Shinichi's Special Mapo Tofu" its signature dish, and it is always packed with customers.

The young ninjas, after finishing their training, would often gather together, eating Shinichi's Mapo Tofu while debating how Shinichi would handle the new culinary challenges in the latest chapter of the manga.

The afternoon sun was scorching on Konoha's main road.

"Shinichi, when is the new manga coming out? And what's with all those legendary kitchen utensils they mentioned at the end? I'm so anxious!"

"Shinichi, I tried making Mapo Tofu according to the method in the appendix of your manga, and the kids in my family said it was incredibly delicious! The only problem is I'm always unsure how much Sichuan peppercorn to put in. Could you explain it in more detail next time?"

"Hey, isn't this our great cartoonist and master chef? You're not at the restaurant researching new dishes or drawing new storyboards today?"

"I heard the next opponent is a pastry master? A noodle duel? Shinichi's sure to win!"

"That glowing dish design is so cool! How did you come up with that?"

Shinichi, with an impeccable gentle smile on his face, calmly responded to the greetings, inquiries and teasing from all directions, but his steps did not stop, and he walked steadily toward the meeting place agreed upon by Class 10 for today.

The manga's immense popularity and the widespread appeal of various new dishes have deeply embedded the name "Shinichi Higashino" into the daily conversations of many ordinary villagers and even ninjas in a more approachable and relatable way.

Name: Shinichi Higashino

[Class: Chunin/Swordsman]

[Talents: Clarity of Understanding (Blue), Medical Expertise (Green), Guidance (White)...]

As he walked, Shinichi's mind sank slightly into the panel. In the talent bar, the entry representing "Quick Thinking" had disappeared, replaced by a clear and deep azure halo.

[Insightful Understanding (Blue): Your mind is as clear as a mirror, able to see the underlying connections and deep-seated operating principles beneath the surface of things, resulting in a qualitative leap in learning and comprehension efficiency.]

With the explosive popularity of the manga "Cooking Master Boy," the exquisite culinary knowledge, the ingenious battle ideas, and the profound depiction of concepts such as culinary ethics and inheritance have not only allowed countless readers to enjoy the story but also deeply marvel at the author's talent and depth of thought.

In addition, the widespread popularity and high praise of real recipes such as "Mapo Tofu" have led people to learn that the author, who was only ten years old and shared the same name as the protagonist, was actually a genius ninja and a top-level chef who won the national culinary competition.

This extraordinary multi-disciplinary excellence further reinforces the outside world's perception of his exceptional talent and extraordinary thinking.

These continuously accumulating and deepening insights relate to his astonishing creativity and profound cross-disciplinary understanding.

Finally, quantitative change led to qualitative change, propelling the green entry to break through the bottleneck and evolve into the higher-level blue entry, "Enlightenment".

This is not merely an improvement in thinking speed, but a fundamental leap in insight and comprehension, which will provide immeasurable assistance to his future personal learning, ninjutsu research and development, and even the exploration of higher levels of power.

Then, the entry representing [Medical Basics] in the talent bar disappeared, replaced by a vibrant emerald green aura [Medical Expertise].

[Medical Expertise (Green): Your speed in learning and mastering medical ninjutsu and related knowledge has significantly increased. You can quickly memorize and understand complex anatomical diagrams, pharmacological reactions, and chakra meridian diagrams. In actual practice, your techniques are extremely stable and precise.]

In the months since, amidst his busy schedule and the creation of his serialized manga, Shinichi has consistently made it a point to visit Konoha Hospital.

He took on a large number of medical cases, from common sprains and bruises and chakra disorders to some rather tricky old injuries or complex toxin cases that even veteran medical ninjas found troublesome.

His medical ninjutsu skills and clinical adaptability not only far surpassed most dedicated medical ninjas who had worked hard for many years, but even reached the level of the best in the hospital. Many senior medical ninjas had to admit in private discussions that this Shinichi Higashino had already surpassed many others.

These gazes and discussions, some filled with admiration, some with amazement, and some with a touch of pressure, along with his quietly spreading reputation as a medical genius as he cured more cases, all transformed into more tangible recognition. These subtle threads converged, ultimately propelling the initial white entry to naturally transform into the green "Medical Expertise" field.

Finally, there is a newly generated white entry: "Guidance".

[Guidance (White): You possess basic guidance skills and can clearly impart your acquired skills and knowledge to others. Those who practice under your guidance show a slight improvement in learning efficiency and find it easier to understand the key points you explain.]

This entry comes from the character Isshin, who currently only has two disciples. However, he often encourages these two disciples to spar with students from other dojos, arguing that swordsmanship cannot be learned in isolation. Although this has caused some controversy, it has also given many people the impression that Isshin can also teach students.

Shinichi refocused his gaze on [Complete Enlightenment], thinking to himself:

"It seems my decision was right. When I become a powerful and influential figure in the ninja world, perhaps I can write an autobiography, detailing how diligent and hardworking I was, and how I achieved success. I've even thought of a title: 'My…'"

Huh?

Why did you suddenly raise your hand?

After dealing with yet another wave of enthusiastic passersby, Shinichi finally turned into a quiet path leading to the assembly training ground, slightly isolating himself from the noise behind him.

"Ah, look who's here! It's our popular and bestselling manga artist from the Land of Fire, the top-level chef certified by His Highness the Daimyo, the rising genius ninja of Konoha, the developer of the A-rank Rasengan, the genius doctor praised by Konoha Hospital, the champion of the Chunin Exams in Sunagakure, the pioneer of the new path of Fire Release ninjutsu, and the outstanding practitioner of the Will of Fire that the Third Hokage always talks about—Higashino Shinichi has arrived."

Tsunade, arms crossed, leaned against a wooden post at the edge of the training field, watching Shinichi approach unhurriedly. She deliberately drew out her words, reciting a string of titles as if reading a menu in her signature voice, tinged with three parts languor and seven parts mockery.

This series of exaggerated and somewhat comical titles, when read aloud by Tsunade in her unique, slightly upturned, teasing tone, was incredibly effective.

Shizune, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Kurenai Yuhi also pursed her lips, a barely suppressed smile spreading across her beautiful red eyes.

……

This is the fourth update, making up for the previous update. The first update will be one more chapter.