Time slipped away quietly amidst the sweat-drenched swordsmanship training. During this period, Shinichi devoted almost all his energy to practicing swordsmanship at the Yamashita Kenjutsu Dojo.
However, beneath the calm surface of Konoha, undercurrents began to surge.
A rumor about Konoha's White Fang quietly sprouted from nowhere, spreading rapidly through the streets and alleys like a silent mold.
The core of the rumor is chilling: Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, abandoned a mission crucial to the village, causing it immense losses.
Rumors sketched a vague yet weighty outline: This mission seemed to involve a nobleman in the Land of Fire's capital, and even implicated his highness the Daimyo.
Because of the importance of the matter, the village dispatched a top-tier ninja like Sakumo Hatake to ensure that nothing went wrong.
But at the crucial moment, this hero, on whom so much hope was placed, chose to give up.
The villagers had no idea what the specifics of the mission were, nor did they know why White Fang had given up.
But what they believed without a doubt, passed down by word of mouth, was that his actions had brought immeasurable negative impact to Konoha.
Even more surprisingly, whispers have surfaced that the Daimyo, far away in the capital, has already expressed his dissatisfaction to the third Hokage.
This wave of criticism against the hero raged through the village for more than half a month, and snippets of conversation about it could always be caught during casual conversations.
Until one day, it came to an abrupt end, as if suddenly choked by an invisible hand.
All public discussion vanished instantly, as if it had never existed, leaving only an unsettling silence, a silence forcibly suppressed.
Shinichi knew what this silence meant.
The legendary White Fang of Konoha, who was renowned throughout the Shinobi World, is probably... No longer with them.
He sheathed his sword, gazed at the gloomy sky, feeling neither joy nor sorrow.
... ...
Time passed quietly, and there were only three days left until the start of school.
Inside a simple building called Yamashita Kendo Hall, east of Konoha.
Clang! Clang!Clang!
The sharp, piercing sounds and the intense collisions were incessant.
After a while, the dojo suddenly fell silent.
Yamashita Hideji stood silently, gripping the remaining half of the sword hilt.
He first looked at the mangled, broken sword in his hand, then raised his eyes and looked at the black-haired boy in front of him with a complicated expression.
The boy stood there with his sword sheathed, his breathing steady, and there was hardly any sweat on his forehead.
These past few days of sparring have left him in awe of his disciple's almost monstrous physique with each encounter.
"You're ready to graduate."
Yamashita Hideji remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible emotion and relief.
"I... Have nothing more to teach you."
From the time this disciple first entered the school more than a year ago, he could see his extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, and his calm temperament was far superior to that of his peers.
But he still underestimated it.
Especially in the last month or so, ever since this child defeated Kakashi, the genius who was famous throughout the village, at the Ninja Academy, it seems as if some invisible shackles have been completely broken.
His understanding and progress in swordsmanship were incredibly rapid, progressing by leaps and bounds. Techniques that previously required repeated instruction were now grasped instantly, and he could even apply them to other situations.
Yamashita Hideji didn't know what caused this transformative change.
Perhaps it was the breakthrough in confidence brought about by that victory? Or perhaps it was the culmination of years of hard work and preparation?
He had no way of knowing, but he could see the result; the young man before him had indeed reached the limit of what he could guide him in the way of the sword.
Upon hearing this, Shinichi slowly sheathed his sword with meticulous precision. He faced Yamashita Hideji and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you so much for your careful guidance over the past year."
Yamashita Hideji waved his hand, a rare gentleness appearing on his face: "It's your own hard work and talent. Remember, there's no end to the way of the sword; you're just beginning now. The path ahead is yours to walk."
Shinichi stood up, her gaze calm and resolute.
"Yes, sensei. I understand."
Shinichi did not leave immediately, but pondered for a moment before respectfully asking again, "Sensei, if I wish to further my studies in swordsmanship and delve deeper into its intricacies in the future, where should I seek guidance?"
His question not only concerned personal cultivation, but also subtly explored the future advancement direction of the swordsman profession.
"The swordsmanship system inherited by Konoha is profound enough to keep you studying for a long time."
Yamashita Hideji said first. He paused and then added, "However, if we talk about the orthodoxy and purity of swordsmanship, the universally recognized holy land is still the Land of Iron. It is the land of samurai. If you have the opportunity to go there in the future and see it for yourself, it will definitely benefit your swordsmanship."
The Land of Iron?
Shinichi silently thought to himself, if Konoha's swordsmanship system cannot meet the further advancement needs of the swordsman occupation, then the future direction may really point to that neutral samurai country.
Of course, that's a long way off.
He is currently a student at the Konoha Ninja Academy and a future ninja, so his actions will inevitably be subject to many restrictions.
Making a note of this matter for the time being, Shinichi changed the subject and said sincerely, "Sensei, to express my gratitude for your careful guidance over the past year, I would like to hold a small thanksgiving banquet at the Aji No Takumi restaurant in the village tomorrow afternoon. I wonder if you would do me the honor of attending?"
The gratitude towards the teacher is genuine, but this thanksgiving banquet clearly carries a deeper purpose.
Shinichi was well aware of the customs of this world, just like in Japan, events like completing an apprenticeship tended to be simple celebrations with a sense of ritual and cohesion between master and apprentice or within a small circle, simply to express their feelings.
But what he's going to do is completely different.
Drawing inspiration from the customs of his past life, he planned to turn this gratitude gathering into a large-scale banquet-style social event.
He not only wanted to invite Yamashita and his fellow students at the Yamashita Kenjutsu Dojo, but also planned to send out invitations or at least spread the word to gather people from all walks of life he knew and had contact with.
The director of the orphanage who raised him and the children he knew; the blacksmith's master and apprentice who had taken care of him; the owner and colleagues at the restaurant where he used to work, Aji No Takumi; his classmates from school...
He wanted to use this lively and unique banquet to clearly and unambiguously convey a message, embedding it into the understanding of every participant and even bystanders who heard about it: Shinichi Higashino has officially graduated from the Yamashita Kendo Dojo and become a fully-fledged and officially recognized swordsman.
This will be an efficient seeding of persona, a crucial step in his transformation from Apprentice Swordsman to Swordsman, and another precise operation in the proactive management of his persona and leveraging the upgrade of his talents.
Hosting such a large-scale banquet would naturally cost a considerable amount of money.
But money wasn't really a big problem for him at the moment.
As a registered orphan in Konoha, he receives a basic living allowance every month. After entering the Ninja Academy, he also consistently receives a substantial scholarship based on his top grades.
Of course, these are all minor issues. The real key point is that not long after he enrolled, he formally submitted a student loan application to the school, citing the need to purchase more professional training equipment and ensure his nutrition to maintain high-intensity training.
The process originally required time for approval and had limits on the amount involved.
However, when the loan was finally approved and disbursed to him a few days ago, Shinichi was somewhat surprised. The amount far exceeded his expectations and could even be described as quite extravagant.
It can only be said that the effects of defeating Kakashi have taken hold again.