"You flatter me, Kakashi."
Seeing Kakashi's bewildered expression, Shinichi Higashino slowly withdrew the katana he had been holding against Kakashi's throat.
Five years of planning, accomplished in one day.
Shinichi had rehearsed this scene in his mind countless times, imagining the ecstatic feeling he would have after defeating this genius. But now, as it all actually happened and the dust settled, he felt a deep, calm stillness.
Even... a trace of indescribable emptiness.
"I lost."
Kakashi regained his senses and looked at the black-haired boy in front of him.
"This time, you won. However, it doesn't mean my father's swordsmanship was lacking. It's just that I..."
He pursed his lips, not uttering words like insufficient skill or lack of strength.
"Next time, I'll win!"
Shinichi met his gaze, his face still bearing that gentle and sunny smile: "I look forward to our next match, Kakashi."
"Ahem."
Matsumoto stepped forward at the opportune moment, stood between the two, and announced in a loud voice: "This practical assessment is now over. The winner is Shinichi Higashino!"
"Shinichi! Shinichi! Shinichi!!"
Before Matsumoto finished speaking, class 2 erupted like a long-suppressed volcano, and the deafening cheers soared into the sky.
Among them, Takashi Ishizuka's rough and bold voice, like a war drum, led the whole class's emotions: "Well done! Shinichi! You're amazing!! I knew you could do it!"
"He actually won?!"
Shizune's eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open.
Compared to the excitement of class two, class one fell into silence.
"Kakashi..."
Nohara Rin clasped her hands tightly to her chest, her small face filled with worry.
"Kakashi... He actually lost..."
Obito Uchiha was somewhat at a loss. He thought he would be happy to see Kakashi suffer a setback, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, he felt quite uncomfortable.
Among the crowd, Might Guy, who had also witnessed the entire process, remained silent, but his eyes beneath his thick eyebrows burned with an unprecedented flame.
"Now, please, both parties form the seal of reconciliation!"
Matsumoto announced loudly at the opportune moment, drawing everyone's attention back to the etiquette procedure.
Shinichi and Kakashi reached out and formed a reconciliation seal. After Kakashi formed the seal, he didn't say a word and turned back to his class.
Shinichi, however, did not return to class 2's group.
Matsumoto noticed his pause and asked gently.
"Shinichi, is there anything else?"
A look of confusion and apology appeared on Shinichi's face. He bowed slightly and said sincerely, "It's like this, Matsumoto-sensei. Although now may not be the most appropriate time... I have recently encountered something that makes me a little uneasy and confused. Considering that after today's exam, I may not see you again until next semester, I have to take the liberty of asking for your advice here."
"What's the problem? tell me."
Shinichi organized his thoughts and described the situation with a slightly uncertain tone: "Recently, I've been experiencing some strange sensations when I sleep at night. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I hear a strange noise around me, but I can't quite put my finger on where the sound is coming from. Other times, I vaguely sense something nearby, but when I wake up, everything seems normal."
"Moreover... I always felt a bit tired after waking up. After checking, I found that my Chakra seemed to be less than before I fell asleep. It was as if... when I entered deep sleep, my Chakra uncontrollably dissipated a little bit on its own."
He subtly revealed a hint of unease typical of a young kid: "Sensei, could it be... that there's something wrong with my training? Or is there some hidden danger in my body?"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Matsumoto frowned immediately, resting his chin on his hand as he fell into deep thought.
"Sensory talent!"
Inoue, the homeroom teacher of class 1, exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He spoke first, his tone filled with interest: "Shinichi, the phenomena you described sound very much like the initial awakening of sensory talent! You may very well have the potential to become a sensory ninja by nature!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Sensory perception!"
Matsumoto suddenly realized, his doubts vanishing and replaced by a look of delight: "That's right! When a ninja is deeply relaxed, their Chakra is unconsciously released outwards, creating a faint resonance with the external environment or living beings, thus producing a sense of strangeness or even vague information feedback... This is one of the common signs in the early stages of awakening the sensory ninja's talent!"
"Sensory ninja?"
Shinichi appropriately expressed his doubt and curiosity.
Seeing this, Inouei took the initiative to explain to all the students who had pricked up their ears: "Sensory ninjas are special ninjas who are born with or have trained to release their Chakra with high precision, using it to explore their environment, sense vital signs, and especially detect the Chakra of others. They are like the eyes and ears of the team, playing an irreplaceable role in reconnaissance, vigilance, and tracking. For example, the Yamanaka clan in Konoha is skilled in sensory Ninjutsu."
Matsumoto picked up the conversation and gently comforted Shinichi, saying, "So you don't need to worry. This is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it is a sign of your talent! This means that on your path as a ninja, in addition to your outstanding physique and will, you may also possess a precious and rare sensory ability!"
"After you get back, make sure you get some rest. Try to calm your mind and actively try to capture and become familiar with that subtle feeling of externalized perception, but don't try to control it or feel anxious. If you experience similar situations or make any new discoveries after the start of the semester, feel free to come to us."
"Sensory-based ninjas? I see."
Shinichi's face showed a relieved yet slightly enlightened expression. He bowed respectfully to his two teachers: "Thank you for your explanation, teachers. It has put my mind at ease."
Under the varied gazes of the crowd, Shinichi calmly retreated back into the group of class two.
All of what he said was, of course, false.
He didn't have any problem with Chakra leakage during sleep, nor was he a natural-born sensory ninja.
This is still part of his carefully planned public persona management.
Taking advantage of the excellent opportunity of having just defeated Kakashi and become the focus of everyone's attention, he sowed the seeds of his potential sensory talent in public in a gentle way, asking for advice on what troubled him.
The authoritative teacher made a judgment and explanation on the spot that it was suspected sensory talent, which was heard and witnessed by many students.
The seed of impression has already been sown.
Once this understanding is passed down from students back home, or perhaps recorded by teachers, and gradually spreads throughout Konoha... Then the world will believe that Shinichi Higashino possesses a talent for sensory.
At that time, there is a high probability that new talents related to sensory will appear on his system panel.
Shinichi always adheres to a core principle in creating his character: Take steady steps, start with the real and work his way up to the unreal, and accumulate small victories into a big one.
He never dared to dream of, nor would he ever rashly create, those super-powerful character designs that were like castles in the air, thereby directly generating powerful terms such as Wood Style, Sharingan, various Kekkei Genkais, or even Six Paths, and words becoming law.
These are lies that are easily exposed, and the cognitive strength and breadth required to generate them must be terrifying.
Therefore, he always starts with qualities that are consistent with his background, actual performance, or reasonable logic, and that can withstand basic scrutiny and the test of time.
Sensory talent is one of them.