Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Tsunade glanced up, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Tsk, this kid's here again."

Shizune followed her gaze, still chewing something, and mumbled, "It really is Kakashi."

Kurenai looked up, glanced at it, then lowered her head and continued eating, her expression as calm as if she had only seen a cat passing by.

The members of Team 10 were already used to this. Whenever he had free time, Kakashi would appear by Shinichi's side. Sometimes they would spar, sometimes they would discuss ninjutsu, and sometimes he would just sit quietly to the side and watch Shinichi train before leaving silently.

Kakashi approached, his gaze sweeping over the group of people sitting in a circle, finally landing on Shinichi. Shinichi didn't speak, just stood there quietly, his white hair swaying slightly in the wind.

Shinichi put down his chopsticks, looked up at him, and said naturally, "Have you eaten? Want to eat something together?"

"No need," Kakashi replied simply and calmly. "I've already eaten."

Zhenyi glanced at him, said nothing more, and stood up.

"Let's go then."

"They're going to fight again," Shizune muttered under her breath.

The two walked one after the other towards the open space in the center of the training field.

In the center of the open space, the two stood ten steps apart. The autumn wind blew, swirling a few withered leaves between them.

There are no superfluous words, no opposing seals, and not even any starting stance.

The two moved almost at the same instant.

Clang!

The crisp sound of clashing swords shattered the afternoon tranquility.

Kakashi's short sword flashed in a sharp arc, aiming straight for Shinichi's shoulder and neck.

Instead of retreating, Shinichi advanced, dodging the blade while simultaneously slashing his longsword diagonally, the tip pointing directly at Kakashi's ribs.

Kakashi sheathed his sword to parry, the blade barely stopping the sword strike, but the force of the blow sent him staggering back a step. His eyes narrowed, and he pressed forward again.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clanging of metal was as dense as rain pattering on banana leaves. Two figures crisscrossed, separated, and collided at high speed in the open space, their speed dazzling!

The flashing blades formed an impenetrable net, each collision sparking tiny sparks. Shinichi's steps were unhurried, his swordplay steady and fluid, each parry and counterattack perfectly timed, presenting an impression of effortless mastery, as if he were sparring with his opponent.

Kakashi's attacks grew increasingly fierce, his short sword transforming into a series of chilling arcs of light as he slashed, hacked, stabbed, and parried—each movement clean and efficient, carrying a ruthless and reckless intensity.

He gritted his teeth and continued his offensive, but his heart sank deeper and deeper.

Is the gap still that big?

No, it's even bigger than before.

He could sense that Shinichi wasn't using his true strength at all. His composed demeanor and seemingly always-ready counterattacks were less like a fight and more like he was practicing with him.

This realization is more painful than any blow.

Kakashi took a deep breath, his body suddenly stopped, and the next moment!

Squeak squeak squeak!!

A piercing, sharp sound suddenly exploded!

A dazzling azure lightning bolt erupted from the short sword in Kakashi's hand, like countless angry birds screeching!

The lightning spread and condensed along the blade, enveloping the entire short sword into a dazzling blade of lightning!

Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!

This is a new application that he and Shinichi came up with after discussing it. It extends the power of Chidori not only to his hands, but also to his weapons, so that his weapons are imbued with the penetrating and paralyzing power of Chidori!

A resolute glint flashed in Kakashi's eyes. Using the momentum of his charge, the short sword wrapped in lightning slashed at Shinichi again with even greater speed and force!

The blade sliced ​​through the air, leaving a blinding blue trail. Even the autumn wind was torn apart by the violent lightning chakra, making it howl. This strike was faster and more ruthless than any of his previous attacks!

However......

Shinichi's figure swayed slightly, and in that sway, the lightning-infused blade grazed past him, striking only the air. The lightning left a brief trail in the air before dissipating.

Kakashi remained frozen in his sword-wielding stance.

It pierced through the air.

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, sweat trickling down his face and soaking the edge of his mask. His hand holding the knife was trembling slightly; his physical strength and chakra were nearing their limits.

Even so, he still didn't even touch the hem of her clothes.

Shinichi stood three steps away, his longsword already sheathed at his side, his breathing as steady as ever, as if the thrilling scene just now was nothing more than an afternoon stroll.

An autumn wind blew by, swirling up a few fallen leaves that drifted between the two of them.

In the distance, Shizune muttered softly, "They're done playing again."

It was impossible to tell from his tone whether he was expressing emotion or simply taking it for granted.

Shinichi looked at Kakashi, who was panting heavily, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "You've made great progress, Kakashi. You're much more skilled at using the Chidori Blade than last time."

Kakashi remained silent, not uttering a word, but simply lowering his eyes to stare at the short sword in his hand, which still bore faint sparks of electricity, sweat trickling down his forehead.

"However..." Shinichi changed the subject, "you still have one weakness."

"Your chakra is too low. Of course, this isn't your fault; it's because you're still too young. With your talent, your chakra level will naturally increase in a few years, but right now..."

At this point, Shinichi's tone became serious: "I've seen how hard you've been working these past few months, but when it comes to cultivation, ruthlessness alone isn't enough. You not only have to be diligent, but you also have to know how to nurture yourself. If you push yourself too hard, you won't be able to keep up with your recovery and it's easy to leave behind hidden injuries that will hinder your long-term progress."

As he spoke, Shinichi reached into his pocket, took out a scroll, and threw it at Kakashi.

Kakashi instinctively caught it, looked down at what he was holding, and frowned slightly.

"These are medicinal diet and bath recipes that I created based on prescriptions from some medical books, combined with my own understanding," Zhenyi explained. "If you eat them according to the recipes above, and take a medicinal bath after each training session, it will help you recover faster and nourish your meridians. If you persist with this, it will be of great benefit to your health."

Kakashi held the scroll and remained silent for a long while.

"Why are you helping me like this?"

His voice was devoid of emotion, but his eyes were fixed on Shinichi, as if waiting for an answer.

Tsk, I'm terrified by Konoha's friendship.

Shinichi inwardly complained, but didn't show it on his face. He smiled and said, "We're all comrades, isn't it only natural to help each other? Besides..."

"As a comrade, it's a good thing for me to become stronger. If I ever encounter any danger on the battlefield or during a mission, I might have to rely on you to save me."

Shinichi had his own plans.

Kakashi is a true genius, especially in his talent for Lightning Release; it's practically an innate ability.

Kakashi progressed rapidly and deeply on this path, developing Chidori, combining Lightning Release with weapons, and even exploring application ideas that Shin had never even considered.

Not to mention that Shinichi now has two attributes, [Chunin] and [Guidance], which slightly improve his efficiency in guiding others.

In addition, the guidance from the [Sword Master] on weapon skills can slightly improve Kakashi's ability to integrate Lightning Release into his weapons more quickly, making Kakashi's progress even more obvious.

His own clone, though inheriting the bloodline of the Monkey Demon and possessing a powerful physique and the ability to use lightning release, lacked the talent attributes related to ninja skills.

For example, the training efficiency bonus of the Chunin class, and the understanding of the essence of ninjutsu through Ninjutsu Mastery, are still not as efficient as Kakashi, a natural-born prodigy in Lightning Release, in terms of developing Lightning Release techniques.

As for his true form, he doesn't have any Lightning Release chakra at all. If he were to start training Lightning Release nature transformation from scratch, it would take him at least a period of hard work and concentration. But at this critical juncture, where would he find the energy and time to do so?

However, the benefits of guiding Kakashi are twofold. Every achievement and breakthrough Kakashi makes in Lightning Release is simultaneously obtained by his clone. The frequent exchanges and sparring between the two during this period have long since transcended mere sparring.

What is Kakashi thinking? What is Kakashi trying? What problems did Kakashi encounter and how did he solve them...?

All of these become the most valuable nourishment for the clone, and will also become a high-speed channel for the original body to quickly master and become proficient in Lightning Release in the future.

Helping Kakashi grow faster is ultimately helping yourself.

Save you?

You're so strong, do you really need me to save you?

Upon hearing this, Kakashi paused for a moment, then turned his face away.

"If it doesn't conflict with my mission," he said in a harsh voice, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, "don't expect me to abandon my mission to save you, so you'd better not get into any danger."

After saying that, he put the scroll into his ninja tool bag and turned to leave.

After taking only a few steps, Kakashi suddenly stopped, turned his head, and his voice drifted over in a hard tone: "I have to go on a mission tomorrow, and I might be away from the village for ten days to half a month."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

"I will come back to challenge you again in two weeks."

After saying that, the silver-white figure walked away without looking back, its steps even faster than before.

Oh?

Ten days or half a month?

Perfect timing, time to start planning.

Shinichi watched the departing figure, a slow smile curving his lips.

.........

That evening, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, put down his pipe and solemnly picked up the document signed "Shinichi Higashino".

"What did this child write this time?"

This is the second time.

As early as last year, shortly after returning from the Chunin Exams in Sunagakure, that child handed over a document report with a concise and direct title: "Analysis and Prediction of the Current Shinobi World Situation".

When the Third Hokage received the document, he simply smiled. It was common for a child to write down his thoughts and feelings after experiencing the customs and culture of Sunagakure. He had planned to just flip through it casually, offer a few words of praise, and encourage the child's enthusiasm.

However, when he turned to the first page and his eyes swept over the first few lines, the smile on his lips froze.

The document begins by analyzing the macro-level situation of the five great nations and five great ninja villages, revealing a breadth of vision and depth of thought that is unlike anything a child could write.

"Since the end of the Second Shinobi World War, major ninja villages in various countries have been recuperating and rebuilding, with populations recovering, economies reviving, and ninja forces continuing to expand..."

"Ninjas are officially appointed military personnel by the state. The income of each ninja village depends primarily on government funding. At the same time, private and official commissions such as caravan escort, border patrol, intelligence gathering, and disaster relief constitute other sources of income for the ninja villages. Together, these two sources support the economic foundation of the ninja villages..."

"However, the total amount of national resources, the national fiscal capacity, and the scale of the commissioned market ultimately have their limits. When the expansion speed of the ninja village's ninja force exceeds the combined carrying capacity of national support and commissioned economy, and when internal needs cannot be met, seeking breakthroughs externally becomes inevitable..."

When the Third Hokage saw this, he was deeply moved, his pipe stopped in mid-air, and he didn't take a puff for a long time.

The document then went on to elaborate, first listing the military equipment data of major ninja villages in various countries, and then analyzing the deep-seated predicaments faced by these villages from the perspectives of economic foundation, resource distribution, and geopolitical structure.

In some countries, most of the land is swallowed up by barren deserts, with very little arable land. The national treasury is already tight, and the support funds that can be allocated to ninja villages are just a drop in the bucket. The number of regular commissions that can be undertaken locally is pitifully small. In order to support the continuous graduation of new ninjas, the ninja villages have no choice but to force ninjas to cross borders and compete for mission quotas from neighboring countries. As a result, more and more ninjas are turning against each other for commission quotas.

It is common for ninja villages from different countries to have conflicting missions, and every conflict during a mission, every ninja who dies in a mission, sows the seeds of hatred between the two sides.

Some countries have small and cramped territories, with continuous rain and frequent floods throughout the year, making it difficult to maintain stable agriculture and trade. Their national finances are insufficient, and their support for ninja villages is intermittent. They are also sandwiched between several powerful countries, and their homelands are used as battlefields for clandestine battles by ninjas from major powers. Formal commissions are simply out of the question. In order to survive, they can kill anyone and die at the hands of anyone.

They even dared to defy the world and invade the Land of Iron, a country universally recognized as permanently neutral in the ninja world.

Some isolated countries have never relinquished their ambitions to interfere in the affairs of the mainland. Their ninjas are known for their bloodshed and cruelty, and their internal governance, shrouded in mystery for years, has become increasingly distorted, with bloody purges becoming the norm. When internal purges fail to truly solve the problems, external wars become the only outlet for diverting attention from their internal conflicts...

Some countries are mountainous with little arable land and scarce resources, yet their people are fiercely warlike, with a penchant for martial arts and a deep-seated instinct for conquest and plunder...

Some weak nations, through the generosity of the First Hokage, accidentally acquired tailed beasts—strategic weapons capable of altering the course of war—and thus, their possession of such a treasure became a curse...

Some countries possess the most fertile land and the most prosperous trade network in the ninja world. With abundant national finances, they are never stingy in their support for ninja villages. In addition, considering the amount of missions they can be entrusted with, they have consistently ranked first among the five major ninja villages in terms of their own territory alone.

The abundant economic support has enabled it to maintain the largest ninja force in the ninja world and enjoy relatively high salaries, but this has also made it a thorn in the side of all the surrounding ninja villages.

From filmmakers to celebrities, from ordinary citizens to officials, everyone in this country tries their best to avoid war. The government frequently signs peace treaties and mutual aid alliances with neighboring countries, but these treaties are forever worthless.

In every Shinobi World War, this country was not the one who initiated it, but rather the one who maintained stability. However, it was always the target of joint attacks by various forces. The desire for peace was extremely fragile in the face of the structural need for plunder.

"The economic base determines the superstructure. The essence of a ninja village is a military group that relies on the support and commission of the state for its economic survival. When a country's fiscal appropriations and mission commission income cannot support the ever-expanding ninja force, internal conflicts will arise..."

"When internal conflicts escalate to the point of being irreconcilable, war becomes the most direct way out. It can both plunder external resources to alleviate internal pressure and build internal consensus through a common external enemy. War is simply a continuation of politics through another means..."

The economic base determines the superstructure!

War is merely a continuation of politics through another means!

The Third Hokage read this passage countless times. At first, he was confused, then he experienced a strange clarity, and finally, he was deeply shaken.

Simple, cold, yet undeniable.

Unlike others, this child did not attribute the cause of war to a chain of hatred, to the unpredictability of human nature, to the conspiracies of certain ambitious individuals, or even to the inability of people to understand each other.

Rather, it means that this is an inevitable consequence of the structure!

Resources are limited, the national treasury's capacity is limited, and the scale of the commissioned market is limited, but the ninja ranks are constantly expanding, and the need for survival is also constantly growing. When it reaches a certain point, it will inevitably seek external expansion.

This wasn't instigated by any bad person, nor was it due to any generation being more ignorant. Rather, it was because when internal contradictions accumulated to a critical point, war would break down all the dikes like a flood during the rainy season.

How could a child write something like this?

Who taught him?

Do not!

Nobody can teach you!

The Third Hokage, who had ruled Konoha for decades, held a high position, possessed countless intelligence, and experienced every crucial moment of the two Shinobi World Wars, failed to grasp this principle, unlike the high-ranking officials of other ninja villages who had lived for decades and seen the world.

Even high-ranking officials in other countries, such as Taisho and Daimyo, who were the heads of all officials and the rulers of their respective countries, had never considered the issue from this perspective.

This child, after becoming a ninja, carried out missions for half a year, running around the Land of Fire a few times. Perhaps he only saw the public announcement of the financial allocation of Konoha by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and saw the endless stream of commissioners in the Konoha commission hall.

He went abroad to Sunagakure to participate in the Chunin Exams. Perhaps he only saw the vast deserts and barrenness of the Land of Wind on the way, and heard some Sunagakure ninjas complaining about the Daimyo's cuts in funding and the scarcity of mission assignments.

Based on these everyday routines that all ninjas take for granted, he clearly dissected the underlying logic of the entire ninja world—the deep connections between nations, ninja villages, the economy, and war—and wrote it down on paper.

He wasn't taught by someone else; he learned it from what he saw, what he thought, and what he wrote himself.

This kid is actually a genius strategist!?

At the end of the document, the child didn't simply say that war was likely to break out, but instead deduced the inevitable course of the war from a macro-level logical perspective:

"The expansion of military forces and preparations for war by various countries is a foregone conclusion, and it will not be later than next year at the latest. This is not something that can be controlled by the personal will of a certain famous person or a certain shadow, but an inevitability determined by structural contradictions. When everyone begins to prepare for war, the foundation of peace will be shaken. The first to strike will not necessarily be the party with the deepest hatred, but the party with the greatest internal pressure or the party that believes the time is most ripe."

"Once a conflict breaks out, it will never be an isolated local friction. The five major powers are interdependent, and any military adventure by any side will break the fragile balance and trigger a chain reaction. At that time, smaller countries such as the Land of Grass, the Land of Hot Water, and the Land of Waterfall will become buffer zones and chessboards for the great powers to compete, just like during the Second Shinobi World War, no one can escape it."

When the Third Hokage finished reading the document, he remained silent for a long time.

And the result was just as the child had predicted.

At the beginning of this year, all the Hidden Cloud Village, Hidden Rock Village, Hidden Sand Village, and Hidden Mist Village began large-scale military expansion and preparations for war without exception. The espionage activities of all parties increased sharply, and small-scale conflicts continued.

That's why, in March of this year, upon hearing about the unusual movements of various ninja villages around the world, the Third Hokage decisively initiated the war preparedness procedures.

Because a year ago, he had already been mentally prepared by reviewing the child's documents and reports.

Otherwise, given his increasingly conservative mindset over the years, he would probably wait until the situation is completely clear before making a decision.

It was precisely because of the accurate prediction last time that the Third Hokage paid unprecedented attention to this child's new report from the very beginning.

"To the Hokage..."

He had just opened the file, but the next line of text caused the Third Hokage's pupils to suddenly contract.

The opening line boldly proclaims—

"The Third Kazekage is dead!"

.........

Two-in-one, launching tomorrow.