On the training ground, the two stood facing each other.
"Shinichi, you can do it!"
Ishizuka Takashi's rough voice was the first to break the silence.
"Go, Shinichi!"
"Let him see how good we are!"
"Go!"
Following Takashi's lead, the entire Class Two erupted in cheers for Shinichi, showing that Shinichi was quite popular in the class.
Facing the sudden wave of support from Class Two, Class One fell silent for a moment, then, as if a collective consciousness had been roused, shouts also rang out:
"Kakashi, defeat him!"
"Let them see the strength of a Genius!"
"Go!"
Although Kakashi had a cold and distant personality and few playmates, his talent that crushed his peers, his calm and precocious demeanor, and the halo of being a "The potential of the Hokage."
still accumulated considerable popularity among peers who admired strength.
Among them, the voice of a girl with short brown hair and two purple markings on her face was especially clear and forceful.
"You can do it, Kakashi!"
Nohara Rin cupped her hands around her mouth, her small face flushed red with excitement, her bright eyes fixed intensely on the back of the silver-haired boy in the arena.
"Hmph!" Seeing this, Uchiha Obito also shouted loudly, "Hey! You, from the class next door! Put some effort into it and make sure you beat that arrogant Kakashi guy down!"
"First practical assessment match: Shinichi Higashino versus Kakashi Hatake. Both parties, form the Confrontation Seal!"
In the arena, Shinichi and Kakashi simultaneously raised their right hands, holding them vertically in front of their chests, completing the simple opening ritual.
The difference was that Shinichi's gaze remained steady on his opponent, while Kakashi's eyes maintained a calm, one might even say casual, look.
"Well then, please take care of me, Kakashi-dono."
As soon as the words fell, Shinichi himself was like a ferocious tiger that had been storing power for a long time, tearing through the air, carrying a chilling whistling wind, instantly covering several tens of feet, and pouncing fiercely in front of Kakashi!
So fast!
Kakashi's pupils suddenly constricted, the previous casualness vanishing from his face. He didn't have time to dodge and could only cross his arms, blocking in front of him like lightning.
"Boom!" The moment the fist and leg collided, a muffled sound rang out. Kakashi felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed violently onto his arms, instantly leaving his arms numb and his bones feeling as if they were about to crack.
His entire body uncontrollably stumbled backward, sliding back more than ten meters before he barely managed to stabilize himself by digging his heels into the ground.
Before the dust settled, the fierce wind arrived again!
Kakashi had just barely managed to steady himself when the next attack came.
A black figure appeared before him, the right leg straightened like a steel whip, sweeping out horizontally with immense force.
The air was torn apart by the leg's momentum, like a giant axe cleaving down heavily. The resulting shockwave even blew his white hair back from his forehead.
"Is that Konoha Wind Cleave?" Ishizuka Takashi on the sidelines gasped, his mouth wide open. This move was incredibly familiar to him; it was a Strong Fist Style Taijutsu technique that Chen-sensei had taught him.
He hadn't expected Shinichi to learn this move just from sparring with him a few times.
In the arena, Kakashi's expression changed, but he was, after all, a true Genius. Having been trained by Konohas White Fang since childhood, he possessed excellent combat instincts.
In the nick of time!
Relying on his astonishing flexibility and reaction speed, his body suddenly rolled backward and to the side.
At the same time, his wrist suddenly pushed against the ground during the roll. Chakra instantly erupted, and using this point of support, his body sprang up like a coiled spring, his right leg drawing a fierce arc, kicking straight toward Shinichi's chin!
However, Shinichi seemed to have anticipated this counterattack. His foot shifted lightly and precisely to the side and left, allowing the dangerous high kick to graze past his nose.
Simultaneously, his left hand formed a palm strike, his finger roots tightened like fine iron, and a Sweeping Palm strike, moving from bottom to top with whistling force, fiercely brushed against Kakashi's chin.
"Bang!"
A dull sound of impact rang out. Kakashi's vision suddenly went black, golden stars exploded everywhere, and the intense shock caused his mind to go blank for an instant. His body tilted backward completely out of control.
Shinichi gave him no chance to breathe. The moment Kakashi lost his balance, a heavy kick savagely slammed into his abdomen!
Kakashi was sent flying backward faster than before, curled up like a sandbag hit at full speed, crashing into the trunk of a large tree at the edge of the training ground.
The thick trunk shook violently, and withered yellow leaves rustled down, covering him.
"Cough!"
Kakashi slid to the ground, hunched over, coughing violently while clutching his aching lower abdomen. His mind had only just regained a sliver of consciousness.
He gritted his teeth and pushed off the ground, trying to get up and fight again, but a cold sensation silently pressed against his neck.
Shinichi, like a phantom, had closed the distance again, and a Kunai was held against his throat.
He lost!
The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence.
All the cheers, discussions, and the sound of the wind seemed to be abruptly choked off by an invisible hand.
Whether they were students from Class One, students from Class Two, or the two teachers, everyone watched the unbelievable scene in the arena with stunned eyes.
Even in other classes and grades conducting practical assessments far away, people noticed this scene.
Kakashi Hatake, the super Genius who carried the famous title of "The potential of the Hokage" and shone like a dazzling star.
was crushingly defeated in this head-on confrontation.
The sunlight was still blazing, but it couldn't disperse the shock and bewilderment that permeated the entire field, which was almost solidified.
How is this possible!?
This question exploded in almost everyone's minds. They looked at Shinichi Higashino standing there—a civilian orphan with no prominent family background, no inherited Bloodline Limit, and who was even rumored to have only mastered the most basic Three Basic Ninja Techniques in terms of Ninjutsu.
Although his grades were excellent and he was a Model Student, this was as ordinary as it could get in the Ninja Academy.
What they didn't know was that Shinichi possessed an advantage unique to him.
That was the Character Trait Power derived from the meticulously constructed "persona" maintained year after year.
[Sturdy], [Swordsmanship Apprentice], [Toughness]... these White Character Traits were not just empty titles; they were genuinely and continuously optimizing and enhancing his physical abilities.
Especially the [Sturdy] Character Trait. As early as when he was working as an apprentice in the Blacksmith Shop, he discovered he possessed pure strength that surpassed many adult Blacksmith Masters. It should be noted that the blacksmith profession itself is known for great strength.
And when the White Character Trait [Sturdy] qualitatively transformed into the Green Character Trait [Innate Divine Strength], Shinichi's power experienced explosive growth, multiplying several times over.
As for Kakashi, he was indeed a Genius rarely seen in a century, but he had an objective limitation that he could not overcome—age.
He was only five years old. No matter how outstanding his talent, there were physiological limits to his physical development, bone strength, and muscle capacity.
Without the aid of Chakra, his strength was consistently far inferior to Shinichi's.
What Shinichi possessed was a monster-level physique, far exceeding this age group, achieved through years of training combined with the Character Trait System.
His values in strength and physical constitution were simply too high compared to his peers.
More importantly, it was the mindset and preparation.
Kakashi might not have looked down on Shinichi, but the long-standing reality of being unmatched among his peers unconsciously gave him a composed attitude.
He might have imagined that Shinichi, the opponent he first saw carrying a huge stone to school, had some strength or some special Taijutsu moves.
But he absolutely did not anticipate that Shinichi's strength was so immense, far beyond his imagination. The first strike was a fierce assault, like a landslide and a tsunami, completely exceeding the limit of his strength tolerance.
And Shinichi, for this moment, had been planning for five years!
"Did you hear? Lord White Fang's child was born..."
"I heard. The child's name seems to be... Kakashi?"
No one knew that five years ago, at the entrance of the Village West Orphanage, the one-year-old child sitting on the steps staring blankly at the sky, upon hearing the casual chat of passersby, had something ignite in his eyes.