Shinichi and Kakashi stood facing each other on the playground.
"Shinichi, do your best!"
Takashi Ishizuka's gruff voice was the first to break the silence.
"Come on, Shinichi!"
"Let him see what we're made of!"
"Come on!"
As Takashi started, the entire class 2 erupted in cheers for Shinichi, showing that Shinichi was quite popular in the class.
Faced with the sudden surge of support from class two, class one was silent for a moment, then, as if stirred by some collective consciousness, they too began to shout: "Kakashi, defeat him!"
"Let them see the strength of class one!"
"Come on!"
Although Kakashi has a cold and aloof personality and rarely has playmates, his talent that surpasses his peers, his calm and precocious temperament, and the title that he has the potential to become the Hokage are all remarkable.
He still managed to build up considerable popularity among his peers.
Among them, the girl with short brown hair and two purple patterns on her face had a particularly clear and forceful voice.
"Go for it, Kakashi!"
Rin Nohara cupped her hands around her mouth, her face flushed with excitement, her bright eyes fixed on the back of the silver-haired boy in the arena.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Obito Uchiha also shouted loudly, "Hey! You! In the next class! Give it your all, make sure you beat that arrogant Kakashi to a pulp!"
"In the first practical assessment, Shinichi Higashino and Kakashi Hatake formed the opposing seals!"
In the arena, Shinichi and Kakashi simultaneously raised their right hands, placing them in front of their chests, completing a simple opening ceremony.
The difference is that Shinichi's gaze remained steadily fixed on his opponent, while Kakashi's eyes remained calm, even casual.
"Then, please take good care of me, Kakashi."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shinichi, like a tiger that had been gathering its strength for a long time, tore through the air and pounced on Kakashi in an instant, covering several meters with a chilling whistling sound!
So fast!
Kakashi's pupils suddenly contracted, and his previous nonchalant attitude vanished. He didn't even have time to dodge, and could only cross his arms and block in front of him with lightning speed.
"Boom!"
The moment the fist and leg collided, a muffled sound rang out.
Kakashi felt as if he had been hit hard on the arm with a heavy hammer. His arms went numb, and the bones felt like they were about to be cracked.
He was forced to slide backward, sliding back more than ten meters before he managed to steady himself by plowing the ground with his heels.
Before the smoke and dust had cleared, a strong wind arrived again!
Kakashi had barely managed to regain his footing when another attack came.
A black figure appeared in front of him, its right leg straight like a steel whip, sweeping out with immense force.
The air was torn apart by the leg wind, like a giant axe cleaving down heavily, and the shockwave even made the white hair on his forehead flutter backward.
"Is that Leaf Splitting Wind?"
Takashi Ishizuka, standing on the sidelines, gaped in astonishment. He was very familiar with this move; it was the technique that Master Chen had taught him.
Unexpectedly, Shinichi learned this move from the battle after only a few exchanges with him.
On the field, Kakashi's expression changed, but he was, after all, a true genius, having received guidance from Konoha's White Fang since childhood, possessing excellent fighting instincts.
At the critical moment, with amazing flexibility and reaction speed, his body suddenly rolled to the side and backward.
At the same time, his wrist slammed into the ground as he rolled, his Chakra exploding instantly.
Using this momentum, his body sprang up like a spring, his right leg drawing a sharp arc as he kicked straight at Shinichi's chin!
However, Shinichi seemed to have anticipated his counterattack, and with a light and precise step to the left, he managed to let the dangerous upper kick graze his nose.
At the same time, his left hand formed a palm, his fingers taut like iron, and with a whistling force, he swept his palm upwards towards Kakashi's chin.
"Bang!"
A dull thud rang out, and Kakashi's vision went black as stars appeared in his vision. The violent shock left him momentarily blank, and his body fell backward completely out of control.
Shinichi gave him no chance to catch his breath. The moment Kakashi lost his balance, he delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen!
Kakashi was thrown back at an even faster speed than before, like a sandbag being hit at full speed, and crashed into the trunk of a large tree at the edge of the training field.
The thick tree trunk trembled violently, and withered yellow leaves fell in a flurry, covering him completely.
"Cough!"
Kakashi slumped to the ground, clutching his aching abdomen and coughing violently, his mind just beginning to regain some consciousness.
He gritted his teeth and tried to get up to fight again, but a cold touch quietly pressed against his neck.
Shinichi had already approached him again like a ghost, and a kunai was held to his neck.
He lost!
The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence.
All the cheers, discussions, and whispers seemed to be abruptly cut off by an invisible hand.
Whether it was the students in class 1, the students in class 2, or the two teachers, everyone stared in disbelief at the incredible scene unfolding before them.
Even students in other grades who were conducting practical assessments from a distance noticed this scene.
Kakashi Hatake, the super genius who bears the reputation of having the potential to become the Hokage and shines like a star, was utterly defeated in this head-on confrontation.
The sunlight was still intense, but it couldn't dispel the almost frozen shock and bewilderment that permeated the entire venue.
How is that possible?!
This question exploded in the minds of almost everyone. They looked at Shinichi Higashino, a commoner orphan with no illustrious family background, no inherited Kekkei Genkai, and who was even said to have only mastered the most basic three body techniques in terms of Ninjutsu.
Although he had excellent grades and was a model student, this was just average in the Ninja Academy.
What they didn't know was that Shinichi possessed a unique advantage.
That is the power of the talents derived from the Persona that has been carefully constructed over the years.
Strong (White), Resilient (White), Agile (White)... These white talents are not just empty words; they genuinely and continuously optimize and enhance his physical attributes.
In particular, the talent Strong (White) made him realize that he possessed pure strength that surpassed many adult blacksmith masters when he was working as a helper in the blacksmith shop.
It should be noted that the blacksmith profession itself is known for its great strength.
When the Strong (White) transformed into Superhuman Strength (Green), his strength experienced an explosive increase, multiplying several times over.
Kakashi is indeed a once-in-a-century genius, but he has an insurmountable objective limitation: Age.
He was only five years old. No matter how outstanding his talent was, there were limits to his physical development, bone strength, and muscle capacity.
Without the aid of Chakra, his strength was always far inferior to Shinichi's.
What Shinichi possesses is a monstrous physique far exceeding that of someone his age, honed through years of training and the accumulation of various talents.
His strength and physical attributes are far superior to those of his peers.
More importantly, it's about mindset and preparation.
Kakashi may not have underestimated Shinichi, but his unparalleled status among his peers over the long term has given him an air of composure.
He may have imagined that Shinichi, the opponent he met at their first meeting, who carried a huge rock to school, might have some strength or some special techniques.
But he would never imagine that Shinichi's strength was so great that it was beyond his imagination. His first attack was a devastating, overwhelming force that completely exceeded his limits.
Shinichi had been planning for this moment for five years!
"Have you heard? Sakumo-sama's child has been born..."
"I heard that the child's name is... Kakashi?"
No one knew that five years ago, at the entrance of the orphanage in the west of the village, a child who was only one year old sat on the stairs, staring blankly at the sky.
When he heard passersby chatting, something seemed to ignite in his eyes.