[Name: Shinichi Higashino]
[Class: Chunin / Sword Master]
[Traits: Blue Quality (Genius, Clone, Endless Vitality, Ninjutsu Mastery, Taijutsu Mastery.)
Green Quality (Auspicious Omen, Ominous Sign, Spiritual Perception, Charisma, Glutton, Quick-Witted, Hard Work Pays Off, Innate Divine Strength, Thick Skin, Agile as a Hare, Blood-Bathed Battle, Fire Release Proficiency, Swordsmanship Proficiency, Firearms Proficiency, Polearm Proficiency.)
White Quality (Calm, Genjutsu Basics, Wind Release Basics, Medical Basics.)]
(Author's Note: Going forward, only updated traits will be shown in the main text. The complete trait list will be kept in the author's notes.)
---
Returning home, Shinichi opened his personal interface. Compared to before, the information on his panel had undergone significant changes.
First were the upgrades. The original white trait [Fire Release Basics] had vanished, replaced by the green [Fire Release Proficiency].
> [Fire Release Proficiency (Green): Your affinity with Fire-nature chakra has surpassed the ordinary. Your understanding of its characteristics and your precise control over it have reached a new level, significantly improving your efficiency in learning and casting Fire Release ninjutsu.]
This trait's advancement was clearly due to his successful development of the Great Flame Rasengan and Yamibarai (Darkness Sweeper). The jutsu had left a profound impression of his extraordinary mastery over Fire Release on everyone who witnessed them.
Although the number of people who knew about it was small, their status carried immense weight.
Next was the evolution of his white trait, [Fighting Spirit].
> [Blood-Bathed Battle (Green): Pain and adversity will instead ignite your fighting spirit. In battle, your combat will and physical explosive power will be enhanced, thereby reducing your stamina consumption.]
The origin of this trait was entirely thanks to his clone, Isshin, who was currently far away in the Land of Iron.
Over the past few months, his persona as Isshin—traveling all over the southeastern region to challenge dojos, stirring up storms, and acting like a fierce, battle-crazed warrior—had deeply rooted itself in people's minds. Even though the public perception was discounted by the [Clone] trait's effect, the sheer scale of the rumors and the deep impressions he left behind still generated enough recognition to push his fighting spirit into green quality.
Then came the newly added white trait:
> [Genjutsu Basics (White): Your mental energy is relatively focused and refined, making you more sensitive to the composition of genjutsu. Your ability to learn basic genjutsu and resist low-level genjutsu has been slightly enhanced.]
This trait had gradually coalesced over the past few months. Ever since the Chunin Exams last year, he had consciously used genjutsu to handle various situations during his missions. This left clients and civilians with the distinct impression that "this Konoha shinobi is pretty good at genjutsu."
Though the boost was minor, it meant he now possessed base traits in all three major ninja arts: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu.
Finally, there were two unexpected, yet perfectly logical, new green traits: [Firearms Proficiency (Green)] and [Polearm Proficiency (Green)].
> [Firearms Proficiency (Green): You possess an extraordinarily sharp intuition for weapons that rely on mechanical firing mechanisms for long-range attacks. Not only is your speed in grasping their structure, maintenance, and modification far beyond ordinary people, but in actual combat, your intuition allows you to quickly predict trajectories and seize the optimal firing timing and angles, significantly enhancing your power, accuracy, and deterrent effect.]
> [Polearm Proficiency (Green): You deeply understand the mechanical advantages and combat logic of polearms. Your speed in learning and mastering techniques for spears, halberds, staffs, and other long weapons is significantly accelerated. In actual combat, you can more effectively leverage their reach and control advantages to create and exploit openings.]
These two traits also stemmed from the reputation his clone, Isshin, had carved out in the Land of Iron.
His image of wielding a katana in one hand while resting a halberd on his shoulder to sweep through all opposition was undoubtedly vivid, naturally giving birth to his polearm proficiency.
However, this firearms proficiency...
Shinichi found it a bit amusing. In all those spars and duels, he had rarely used his modified flintlock. He could count the number of times he'd fired it on two hands.
Yet, the generation and evolution speed of [Firearms Proficiency] was actually faster than [Polearm Proficiency]!
He could only attribute it to the sheer shock value his "Ashina Style" brought to the people of the Land of Iron.
Pulling out a gun mid-sword fight delivered a subversive, psychological impact that far exceeded simply smashing ten dojos with a blade and halberd.
This was also exactly why President Yagyu always had a dark expression on his face while cleaning up his messes.
Furthermore, Shinichi had a premonition that two other green traits on his panel—[Innate Divine Strength] and [Swordsmanship Proficiency]—were on the verge of upgrading.
Both had reached green quality early on. Now, after months of high-intensity, continuous combat and the widespread fermentation of Isshin's reputation across the Land of Iron's southeastern region, they had accumulated a massive amount of public perception.
Perhaps he only needed one or two significant catalysts—or just the final few bricks of public recognition—to break through the green barrier and step into the realm of blue quality.
---
The next day, just as the sky was turning pale with the dawn, Tsunade woke up uncharacteristically early. Without waking Shizune in the next room, she quietly slipped out the door.
The early morning streets of Konoha were quiet and chilly, the air thick with the scent of vegetation and morning dew.
She walked toward the Ninth Training Ground on the edge of the village, her pace steady and unhurried.
As she passed an open area, her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the Hokage Rock on the distant cliff.
The First, the Second, the Third... those familiar faces looked solemn and distant in the morning light.
Once upon a time, she too had fought with the goal of standing at that height. Her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan had wanted it even more.
But the brutal tragedy of the Second Great Ninja War and the successive deaths of her loved ones were like heavy hammers, smashing her former ideals and hot-blooded passion to pieces.
Fear had coiled around her heart like a venomous snake—fear of blood, fear of loss, fear of absolute powerlessness.
She had chosen to run away, using alcohol to numb herself, distancing herself from anything that might reopen old wounds, including her duties as a shinobi.
Even when she realized Shizune was likely going to graduate early and step onto the dangerous path of a ninja, her first instinct was still an evasive attempt to stop her.
She tried to make Shizune give up, rather than facing the situation or trying to change anything herself.
She was terrified of once again experiencing the despair of watching someone important slip away while she stood by, helpless.
That was, until that black-haired boy in the BBQ restaurant looked at her with those clear, unwavering eyes and spoke about protection and inherited will.
Until he suffered that bizarre, horrific backlash injury, yet calmly stated his reasons for seeking power. Until she treated him with her own hands, feeling that surging vitality and his absolute, unyielding determination.
Something had pried open a crack in the emotional defenses that alcohol and depression had rusted shut, letting the light shine through.
If I'm afraid of losing them, then I'll use everything I have to protect them!
Since she couldn't change the fact that Shizune was becoming a shinobi, she would personally become her shield and spear, forging her into someone strong enough to survive!
She had run away for far too long. It was time to step forward again—not for some dream of becoming Hokage, but simply to protect the people right in front of her.
Her chaotic thoughts gradually settled, crystallizing into a clear, unshakable resolve.
Before she knew it, the outline of the Ninth Training Ground appeared before her.
"Tsunade-senpai?"
A gentle voice, tinged with obvious surprise, called out from slightly behind her.
"Minato?"
Tsunade snapped back to reality and looked up. A head of brilliant blonde hair stood out vividly in the morning light. The man approaching had a handsome face and a warm, mild aura.
It was Minato Namikaze.