The wild frenzy faded from Shinichi's face like a receding tide, replaced once again by his usual calm. He turned his focus back to his personal interface.
> [Name: Shinichi Higashino]
> [Class: Academy Student / Kenjutsu Apprentice]
> [Traits: Genius (Blue), Innate Godly Strength (Green), Diligence Makes Up for Weakness (Green), Quick-Witted (Green), Kenjutsu Adept (Green), Perception (White)...]
Compared to a week ago, the changes to his panel were nothing short of staggering.
The [Genius (Blue)] trait was, without a doubt, the crown jewel of his entire scheme—the ultimate prize that signified a fundamental, qualitative leap in his existence.
As for trait upgrades:
[Clever (White)] had upgraded to [Quick-Witted (Green)], and [Basic Kenjutsu (White)] had upgraded to [Kenjutsu Adept (Green)].
> [Quick-Witted (Green): Your thoughts flow like lightning, and inspiration strikes frequently. You can rapidly grasp the core of any issue and generate new ideas and solutions.]
This change was entirely logical. In the eyes of the public, anyone capable of defeating a recognized genius like Kakashi head-on had to be a genius themselves. And genius is inherently linked to exceptional intelligence.
> [Kenjutsu Adept (Green): You have surpassed the basics and stepped into the true halls of kenjutsu. Not only do you learn and master sword techniques faster, but you can also more effectively create and exploit decisive openings in actual combat.]
This was another direct reward from defeating Kakashi. The reputation of the White Fang and his mastery of the blade was simply too overwhelming. For Shinichi to cleanly and decisively triumph over that legacy with a sword in broad daylight... the psychological impact on the onlookers had been monumental.
To defeat the Hatake Kenjutsu—even if it was wielded by the son—implied that Shinichi's own swordsmanship had reached an incredibly high level.
In contrast, his [Basic Taijutsu] trait hadn't upgraded. Perhaps it was precisely because his kenjutsu upgrade had so masterfully used the golden "White Fang" brand as a stepping stone.
And finally, there was the newly generated trait:
> [Perception (White): Your five senses are sharper than those of ordinary people. You can notice sounds from further away, fainter scents, faster movement trajectories, and other easily overlooked environmental information.]
This was proof that his carefully planted "sensory talent" persona had taken root. The generation of the [Perception] trait meant the outside world had begun to recognize and accept his special aptitude in this area.
Although it was currently only White-tier and merely enhanced his baseline five senses—allowing him to hear further, smell better, and track faster movements—the boost was still significant. More importantly, it laid the perfect foundation for him to eventually acquire true chakra-sensory abilities.
A single victory had yielded a massive, multi-faceted haul.
A new core Blue trait established a supreme ceiling for his potential and growth efficiency. Upgraded Green traits bolstered his advantages in crucial combat and cognitive areas. And a brand-new White trait opened up an entirely new avenue for auxiliary abilities.
All of these changes revolved entirely around the ripple effect caused by the singular event of "defeating Kakashi." It was an absolute jackpot.
Shinichi's gaze focused once more on the brand-new Blue trait: [Genius].
The exact moment he acquired it, he felt as though his mind had undergone an invisible, profound upgrade.
Concepts that previously required repetitive studying now revealed their core truths with just a moment's thought. Flaws in his training that he had long grown accustomed to suddenly became glaringly obvious, presenting him with optimized, far superior methods. Even as he replayed fragments of his fight with Kakashi, his mind effortlessly generated numerous brilliant tactical solutions he hadn't even considered at the time.
And it wasn't just his mind. Shinichi realized his overall physical constitution and his chakra had also received a significant boost.
Only now did he truly understand what the "all fields" description in the [Genius] trait actually meant.
To use terminology from his past life: this trait didn't just boost his comprehension stat; it permanently upgraded his baseline "aptitude" and "bone structure."
"Still, the generation conditions for a Blue-tier trait are far stricter than I anticipated..."
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, was the universally recognized hero of the village, possessing strength and prestige that arguably surpassed even the Legendary Sannin.
His son, the already-famous genius Kakashi, had lived under the spotlight from an incredibly young age.
Furthermore, Shinichi had secretly crowned Kakashi with the dazzling halo of "Hokage Potential," ensuring that practically everyone in Konoha knew his name.
The explosive impact of defeating a target like that was undeniable. Yet, even with all of those factors, it had still taken a full week of societal fermentation for the trait to finally generate.
What did this mean?
It meant that for a Blue trait to be born, the scale of the event had to engulf the entire Hidden Leaf Village, sparking widespread discussion. Furthermore, it required immense depth and intensity—the event had to be genuinely shocking.
It also highly likely required a certain degree of acknowledgment or attention from the true pillars of the village: individuals with immense strength, supreme status, and core influence, such as the Hokage, his advisors, the Sannin, the White Fang, the Jonin Commander, or the Clan Heads.
Mere awareness wasn't enough; they had to be firmly convinced and deeply impressed.
If that was what a Blue trait demanded, what about the tiers above it?
Would they require the conviction of the entire Land of Fire? Or perhaps shaking the consensus of the entire shinobi world?
He didn't dwell on it. Those levels were still far out of his reach. The appearance of the Blue [Genius] trait had already obliterated the biggest obstacle to his current growth, paving a high-speed expressway for his future.
Shinichi closed the interface, relishing the sensation of the larger, more active pool of chakra flowing within him and the sharp, agile clarity of his thoughts.
He walked to the window and looked out at the vibrant morning scenery of Konoha.
Summer vacation had officially begun. With the unbreakable perseverance guaranteed by [Diligence Makes Up for Weakness] and the terrifying efficiency granted by [Genius] and [Quick-Witted], an absolutely perfect training period lay before him.
He needed to plan carefully to forge this brand-new talent into concrete, undeniable power.
First on the agenda: Kenjutsu Apprentice!
Shinichi planned to use this month-long vacation to officially complete his apprenticeship at Master Yamashita's dojo, crossing the threshold to become a recognized, formal swordsman.
But that wasn't enough. He also needed to figure out a way to quietly broadcast the news that "Shinichi Higashino has completed his apprenticeship and is now a formal swordsman" to the masses. This would trigger his class trait to upgrade from Apprentice to Swordsman.
> [Kenjutsu Apprentice: You are an entry-level apprentice who has mastered basic sword postures and kinetic linking. Your control over a blade exceeds that of ordinary people. You receive a minor boost to your overall physical constitution and your introductory learning speed for kenjutsu.]
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The Apprentice class trait inherently boosted his physical stats and kenjutsu comprehension. Upgrading to a formal Swordsman would inevitably amplify those benefits, solidifying the foundation of his power.
Finally, there was the matter of the draws. When he first generated the [Kenjutsu Apprentice] and [Academy Student] class traits, each had rewarded him with a free, direct draw for a White-tier talent trait, completely bypassing the need for public perception.
Logically, an obvious, recognized class advancement from "Apprentice" to "Formal Swordsman" was almost guaranteed to trigger a response from the interface, granting him another draw opportunity.
And this time, the tier of the draw likely wouldn't be White. It would be... Green.
A brand-new Green trait—acquired instantly without the need for a grueling PR campaign—would be enough to provide a massive enhancement or breakthrough in whatever field it landed on.
His thoughts converged like merging streams, clearly illuminating the path ahead.
Shinichi's gaze settled, growing focused and razor-sharp.