Kakashi shivered and turned his head sharply; his classmates were laughing and joking, and unfamiliar faces were hurrying by; nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Hmm? Is it just my imagination?"
Kakashi glanced at the distance out of the corner of his eye, a suspicion creeping into his mind.
On the other side, Shinichi Higashino carried a sword and walked steadily toward the school's training ground.
Just as he had planned, moving out of the orphanage and into the Ninja Academy, the stage for building his persona officially shifted from the relatively closed area around the orphanage to a larger stage that brought together the future generation of Konoha and could radiate to families throughout the village through them.
It was nearly noon, and the sun was blazing.
Although it was lunch time, the school was not deserted. Similar to many schools in Japan, most students at Konoha Ninja Academy do not go home for lunch.
They either bring their own lunch from home or have a simple meal in the school cafeteria, then stay in the classroom, on the playground, or in the library to enjoy their lunch break and free time.
Therefore, even during lunch break, the campus is still bustling with people, filled with the energy and noise of teenagers.
This is exactly the kind of audience Shinichi needs.
He arrived at the edge of the training ground, a fairly open area with simple wooden stakes, targets, and a flat area for practicing Taijutsu and Ninjutsu.
At this moment, many students were scattered in twos and threes: Some were sitting under the shade of trees, eating their lunch and chatting, some were practicing throwing shuriken, and some were doing simple physical training in the open space.
Shinichi's choice was quite obvious. He walked to a relatively isolated open space that was easily visible from the paths and various parts of the playground, and stopped.
He didn't start immediately, but stood quietly for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across his surroundings, taking in the gazes that were intentional or unintentional.
Very good.
He took a deep breath and gripped the sword hilt with his right hand.
The next second, he moved.
There were no fancy or dazzling moves, just the most basic and solid swordsmanship techniques, stepping, twisting the waist, swinging the arm, and the longsword cutting through the air with a short, powerful, sharp sound.
The movements were so precise they were almost rigid, and every exertion of force was clearly discernible.
From the soles of the feet to the waist and hips, and then to the shoulders, arms, wrists, and fingers, the transmission of power was rigorous and smooth.
Then came the second slash, the third slash...
His speed was not fast; in fact, he deliberately maintained a steady and clear rhythm, as if he was not pursuing lethality but rather refining the details of every movement. His hand holding the sword was extremely steady, and his eyes were focused and fixed, staring straight at a non-existent point in the void ahead, without any distractions.
Gradually, the attention of some students who were doing their own things was drawn to this.
"Look over there... Is that person practicing swordsmanship?"
"So serious! The movements are exactly the same, repeated so many times, and still so standard."
"Is he a freshman? I've never seen him before."
"Tsk, not even taking a lunch break, working so hard..."
A low murmur of discussion drifted over, a mixture of curiosity, praise, and disapproval.
Shinichi sensed the gazes and whispers, which were exactly what he wanted.
Starting at noon today, he is going to practice his swordsmanship here every day during his lunch break, without fail, in full view of everyone.
Starting tomorrow and every day thereafter, he will appear on the playground or roads around the school during the morning rush hour, carrying one huge rock after another.
Day to day.
He doesn't care if it brings ridicule, sarcasm, or even being labeled as an oddball or freak.
As long as one is diligent, hardworking, has amazing perseverance, a solid foundation, and a talent for swordsmanship... These impressions may be recognized and acknowledged by some of them.
And through the eyes of these classmates, it was constantly confirmed and deepened, and then quietly flowed into their respective families through casual conversations after school.
A casual remark from parents or elders at the dinner table, or a normal conversation among neighbors, will gradually associate the name Shinichi Higashino with these qualities.
Even in the future, when these classmates graduate and become Genin, Chunin, or pursue other professions, they might occasionally recall in casual conversations with their mentors, teammates, and colleagues: "Back in school, there was this guy who would run every morning carrying a huge rock, and practice swordsmanship without fail at noon, he was incredibly dedicated..."
Impressions are like drops of water, converging into a stream, ultimately shaping the true image of him in the minds of others.
...
The July weather had completely immersed the leaves in a sticky heat.
(Note: It's late March when the MC enrolled in the Ninja Academy.)
Time flies, and the first semester is about to end. The Ninja Academy is about to hold its three-day final exams.
"Thank goodness you're here, Shinichi!"
The morning's written exam for academic subjects had just ended, and the proctor had just packed up the papers and left the classroom when Takashi Ishizuka let out a long sigh of relief.
He then looked at Shinichi beside him, his dark, muscular face showing relief: "If it weren't for you, my academic subjects would have been a complete disaster, just like the previous exams."
He was telling the truth. During the exam, Shinichi didn't make any big movements; he simply turned the part filled with answers towards Takashi's side.
"The practical assessment is this afternoon."
Takashi Ishizuka quickly recovered from the ordeal of the academic exam, and then he leaned forward with a familiar eagerness for the practical exam burning in his eyes. "I heard from the upperclassmen that, in order to make a more comprehensive assessment, the practical exam sometimes randomly matches opponents between classes. I really hope I can run into some tough guys from other classes and have a good match."
"Hey, don't get too excited. You'll be crying if you get matched with Kakashi."
Shizune, who was tidying up her stationery, looked up and poured cold water on her enthusiasm.
"Kakashi..."
Takashi Ishizuka's excitement froze for a moment, then he scratched his head and frankly admitted, "That guy... is indeed very strong, a genius among geniuses."
The assessment of a genius among geniuses is almost universally accepted by everyone at the current Ninja Academy regarding Kakashi Hatake.
Since enrolling, he has consistently achieved perfect scores in all monthly and midterm exams, including theory, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, shuriken, and all other subjects.
A perfect score was merely the starting point of his astonishing talent.
While most first-graders are still struggling to build a foundation, being able to use the Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Body Replacement Technique flawlessly is enough to earn them the title of genius.
Kakashi can now fluently perform elemental Ninjutsu.
Moreover, it's not just one type; it includes all five basic chakra natures: wind, fire, thunder, earth, and water.
The innate five basic chakra natures are a rare talent; it's one in ten thousand.
Throughout the history of Konoha since its founding, only three people have been clearly recorded as possessing such talent: Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage who ushered in a new era; Tobirama Senju, the second Hokage who laid the foundation for the village; and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the current third Hokage, who is hailed as the Strongest Hokage.
Kakashi is fourth.
Therefore, when Kakashi's talent in the five basic chakra natures was revealed at the school... A meddlesome student came up with the phrase, Kakashi has the potential to become the Hokage.
But soon it spread quietly among teachers and students like wildfire, and quickly spread throughout Konoha.
Nowadays, even the most ordinary villagers have heard, more or less, during their leisure time: the five-year-old son of Konoha's White Fang is a genius among geniuses, the hope that carries the name of future Hokage.