Five years!
From the day he learned of Kakashi Hatake's birth, that figure became a mountain he had to climb in his plan.
In this battle, his core tactics were extremely clear and ruthless: Hand-to-hand combat, close-quarters combat, suppression, and never giving the opponent any space to use Ninjutsu.
From the very beginning, he dictated the pace of the battle; his unexpectedly fast advance disrupted Kakashi's composure, followed by a series of overwhelmingly powerful blows.
Throughout the entire fight, the opponent is kept firmly pinned in the quagmire of close combat with a barrage of physical attacks, interrupting any possibility of hand seals or retreat.
Not to mention the Five Element Style, Kakashi had not even found the slightest gap to use the most basic Clone Technique or Substitution Technique.
This was not an accident or a fluke, but a premeditated and precise strike that targeted weaknesses and amplified them by leveraging its unique advantages.
The sun was still blazing, and the shock that filled the air was gradually replaced by a complex emotion.
Looking at the calm, black-haired boy in the arena, many people, for the first time, truly separated the name Shinichi Higashino from the category of a hardworking top student and placed it in a position that needed to be re-examined.
"Shinichi! Shinichi! Shinichi!!"
Takashi Ishizuka was the first to snap out of his shock. He clenched his fist and shouted at the top of his lungs. His shout was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the second class's ranks!
"We won! Shinichi won!"
"That's amazing!"
"Shinichi! Shinichi!"
Cheers, shouts, and incredulous gasps erupted from class two's camp, creating a stark contrast to the deathly silence of class one on the opposite side.
Many students in class 2 felt proud, and their faces were filled with excitement, while most of the students in class 1 were still in a state of great cognitive shock, feeling bewildered and confused.
"How is this possible? How could that bastard Kakashi possibly lose..."
Obito Uchiha muttered in bewilderment.
The uproar startled the two homeroom teachers, who were also in shock.
Matsumoto and Inoue from class 1 quickly exchanged a glance.
Then they took a deep breath, stepped forward, and prepared to fulfill their duty as referees and announce the unexpected result.
"Wait a minute, sensei."
Shinichi's clear voice rang out again as he deftly tucked the kunai back into the tool pouch on his side.
He looked at Kakashi, who was slowly getting up, and his face still held that kind and gentle smile that made people feel friendly.
"Kakashi, you haven't used your true strength yet, have you?"
He paused, his tone carrying a guiding certainty: "I've heard that White Fang-sama's swordsmanship is unparalleled in the Shinobi World, a master swordsman who strikes fear into the hearts of countless enemies. As White Fang-sama's son, you must also be very skilled with your swords, right?"
As he spoke, Shinichi walked to the weapon rack on the side and took out a katana.
Victory alone is not enough!
That's far from enough!
He rejected any explanations of luck, chance, or his opponent's carelessness, summarizing his victory as an unexpected one due to his opponent's underestimation of him.
What he wanted was an undisputed, comprehensive victory that crushed his opponent in the very area where he should have been strongest.
Directing attention to swordsmanship was his next carefully planned step.
If the father is a top-tier master swordsman who is renowned throughout the Shinobi World, then the son should naturally inherit his amazing swordsmanship talent. This is the most natural association people would make.
Especially in a world where Kekkei Genkai is paramount.
Although Kakashi has defeated all his opponents in a very casual manner over the past few months, no one has ever seen him actually fight with a sword.
However, this does not prevent people from believing that Kakashi, as the son of White Fang, is in his complete and strongest form when he uses a sword.
Regardless of whether the facts are true or not, once public opinion and impressions are formed, they become the truth.
He wanted to firmly etch the fact that Shinichi Higashino defeated Kakashi Hatake and that he defeated Kakashi Hatake in his strongest state into everyone's mind.
"Then, Kakashi, would you be so kind as to let me witness the splendor of White Fang-sama's swordsmanship?"
Shinichi took a deep breath, slowly drew his katana, and said seriously: "Let me truly experience your full strength."
This sentence was another carefully designed move by Shinichi. He cleverly used this sentence to silently place a heavy choice and expectation on Kakashi's shoulders.
Kakashi's pride as a genius, and his deep-seated respect and protectiveness towards his father, the White Fang of Konoha.
It would be almost impossible for him to use Ninjutsu in the subsequent match after his opponent had so solemnly challenged him with swordsmanship; he would see it as a disrespect for his father's swordsmanship.
Shinichi had calculated this perfectly, and he wanted to continue to pull Kakashi into areas where he had a greater advantage, pure physical skill, and melee weapon clashes.
At the same time, it also avoids the possibility that he might be caught off guard and lose his life due to the opponent using Ninjutsu.
His swordsmanship, learned at the Yamashita kenjutsu Dojo, was naturally inferior to Kakashi's swordsmanship under the tutelage of Konoha's White Fang.
However, in the clash of weapons, the overwhelming power brought by Superhuman Strength (Green), the overall physical qualities improved by Apprentice Swordsman, the extra endurance and stamina provided by Resilient (White, and the flexibility and speed increased by Agile (White), this gives Shinichi a significant advantage in terms of physical attributes.
On the field, everyone's eyes and expectations were focused on the silver-haired genius who had stood up again.
"Okay!"
Kakashi slowly raised his head, and his eyes, which always carried a hint of laziness and indifference, finally sharpened.
He didn't say much, but simply pulled out a short sword from his tool pouch at his waist, a size perfectly suited to his height and arm length.
The two men faced off once again on the field, and World War II was about to begin.
"Shinichi! Hold still!"
"Go for it, Shinichi! You can definitely win!"
Cheers erupted again from class two's ranks, but this time the voices were less unrestrained and more filled with tense anticipation.
Meanwhile, the deathly silence on class one's side was finally broken.
"Kakashi! Go!"
"Let him see White Fang-sama's swordsmanship!"
Among them, Obito Uchiha, who had previously cheered for Shinichi in the opposite direction, was now shouting the loudest and most urgently, his face flushed red: "Damn it, Kakashi! You're a genius! Don't let your guard down! Give it your all, you have to win!"
In the arena, Kakashi seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him. He slightly turned his wrist, changing his grip on the short sword from a regular hold to a reverse grip, which was more suitable for thrusting and unpredictable maneuvers, and leaned his body slightly to the side.
The next moment, he moved, his figure suddenly blurred, as if he had turned into a silver line that skimmed the ground.
With extremely fast speed and irregular zigzag footwork, he moved rapidly around Shinichi, looking for an angle to enter.
Shinichi stood firmly in the center, holding the sword in both hands, his eyes calmly following the silver streak.
He knew perfectly well that although his systematic study of swordsmanship had a solid foundation, it was certainly not as refined and varied as Kakashi's White Fang sword technique, which was rooted in his clan tradition.
His chances of winning lie in dragging the battle into the rhythm he is best at, using force to overcome skill, and simplicity to overcome complexity.