Three days later.
Shinichi walked along the main road of the camp as the morning sunlight filtered through gaps in the clouds, casting a faint glow across the accumulated snow.
"Shinichi."
"Shinichi-kun."
"Captain Shinichi."
Along the way, people constantly greeted him. He responded to each one with a nod and a smile, occasionally stopping to exchange a few words, though his pace never slowed much.
From his upright posture and steady steps, there was no sign whatsoever of the traces left behind by the shocking battle three days ago. The right arm that had once been twisted and shattered to the point of near ruin now looked completely normal.
"Shinichi-kun's medical ninjutsu is really incredible. It's only been three days, and he's already fully recovered."
One patrolling chūnin looked toward Shinichi's departing figure and lowered his voice toward the companion beside him.
"As expected of the man who single-handedly neutralized Chiyo's poison on the southwestern battlefield."
"It's not just that his medical ninjutsu is exceptional," another ninja added. "Didn't you notice? Shinichi-kun's own physical condition and recovery ability are already absurdly strong. For him to recover this quickly probably has a lot to do with his abnormal constitution as well. I heard the First Hokage himself was once—"
In the distance, Shinichi silently listened to their conversation.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Only heaven knew how many high-calorie, nutrient-rich meals he had personally cooked and devoured over these past three days just to recover as quickly as possible.
The effects of the Gourmet entry had been pushed to their absolute limit on his body.
All for the sake of strengthening the outside world's recognition of his astonishing recovery ability.
He understood very clearly that these scattered fragments of recognition were still far from enough to evolve the blue-quality Unceasing Vitality into a purple-quality entry.
But that didn't matter.
Every piece of recognition was another brick.
What he needed to do now was steadily cement the idea that "Higashino Shinichi possesses overwhelming recovery ability" into the collective consciousness of others, preparing for the future expansion of that recognition across multiple nations—or even the entire shinobi world.
It was just like in his previous life. Even if some traffic celebrity played a boxing champion or martial arts grandmaster, no matter how brainless the fans' praise became, people would only treat it as a joke. Even the fans themselves would lack confidence in their claims.
But what if it were someone like Mike Tyson instead?
The moment he—or even a character portrayed by him—appeared on screen, people wouldn't question whether he could fight. They would only marvel at how terrifying he had once been. Even those unfamiliar with Tyson would only need to ask someone nearby to receive the same answer:
"Of course he could fight! He was the heavyweight champion! A legend of his era!"
Because countless victories and championship belts had already forged an unshakable foundation for his strength.
And that was exactly what Shinichi intended to build for himself.
In the future, when books recorded the stories and feats of his monstrous recovery ability—or when scenes of him regenerating severed limbs appeared upon the screen—the world would not see them as exaggerated fiction.
They would simply nod in understanding and sigh:
"Yeah, that really is how he was."
"After all… that's Higashino Shinichi."
Shinichi withdrew his thoughts and continued forward.
Before long, he arrived at the gathering point of the "Shinichi Battalion."
Three hundred people had already assembled in orderly ranks, standing there in silence beneath the morning light, which illuminated faces both young and weathered alike.
Shinichi slowly swept his gaze across the formation.
There were familiar old faces within the ranks.
There were also new faces that had only joined during the last few days.
And there were some faces that would never be seen again.
The battle three days ago had simply been too brutal.
Even though he had personally charged into the enemy formation first and thrown Kumogakure's ranks into chaos, and even though Namikaze Minato had followed afterward to harvest large numbers of elite enemies, casualties had ultimately been unavoidable against the main Kumogakure force personally led by the Third Raikage.
Shinichi remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Everyone worked hard in the battle three days ago."
"In that battle, we completed our mission. We successfully delayed Kumogakure's assault force and reduced the pressure on the main defensive line. Some among us earned merit. Some were injured. And some… never returned."
"But their sacrifices were not meaningless. It was because they stood their ground—because all of you stood your ground—that Kumogakure failed to break through our defenses."
After a brief pause, Shinichi continued: "But Kumogakure will not simply let this go. Soon enough, they will return, and their next offensive may be even fiercer than the one three days ago."
"So during this period of recuperation…"
"I plan to properly train all of you."
Within the ranks of three hundred, some people nodded slightly, while others' eyes lit up even more.
"Some of our comrades specialize in clan secret techniques, and in those areas, I don't really have much I can teach," Shinichi said frankly as his gaze swept across figures like Aburame Shibi and Inuzuka Ryō. "But when it comes to foundational training, I'd say I understand it reasonably well. Perhaps I can offer everyone here a different kind of inspiration."
The moment those words fell, someone within the formation could no longer hold back.
"Captain, you're being way too modest!"
The speaker was Haruno Kizashi, who shouted loudly: "You're the man who seriously wounded even the Third Raikage! Being able to receive your guidance is our good fortune!"
"Exactly!" someone beside him immediately chimed in. "Captain, we all saw that move of yours! What was it called again?"
"Orochinagi," someone quietly reminded him.
"Right! Orochinagi! Even the so-called 'Strongest Shield,' the Third Raikage himself, couldn't withstand it! And you're saying you can only teach basic training? That's way too humble!"
"Captain, stop being modest already! You're Crimson Flame Shinichi! The master who created Fire Release nin-taijutsu from nothing!"
Voices rose one after another throughout the formation. Some laughed, some joked around, and the atmosphere became far livelier than before.
At some point, the title "Crimson Flame Shinichi" had begun spreading throughout Konoha's side of the battlefield.
As had the title of "Master."
Yes.
More and more people had already begun viewing Shinichi as a true "master," rather than merely a "genius" with limitless potential.
Shinichi raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"Alright, then the matter of training is settled. I'll inform each squad captain of the detailed arrangements later."
"Yes, sir!"
The voices of three hundred people merged into one, resounding especially loudly beneath the morning light.
After giving a few more instructions, Shinichi dismissed everyone.
A master, huh?
Perhaps the next stage after the Genius entry was truly "Master."
He just wondered what kind of sight that would become.
Shinichi looked toward the Genius entry displayed on his personal panel—that entry which had appeared from the very beginning as a blue-quality trait—and silently thought to himself.
…
While Shinichi was busy planning training regimens for his Shinichi Battalion, news of the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure three days earlier—especially the fact that Shinichi had shattered the Strongest Shield and injured the Third Raikage—also began spreading across the various nations and hidden villages.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
"What!?"
The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki abruptly rose from his seat.
"That old bastard was really injured? By some brat from Konoha!?"
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
The intelligence officer knelt on one knee and spoke in a deep voice: "The information has already been confirmed through multiple sources. Three days ago, Konoha's Higashino Shinichi broke through the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Armor in direct combat and inflicted a penetrating wound through his right chest. Afterward, Kumogakure conducted an emergency withdrawal and reorganization."
"So it's actually true…"
The Third Tsuchikage slumped back into his chair in a daze and muttered to himself.
Then suddenly, he slammed the desk.
"Go! Bring me everything on this Higashino Shinichi brat! Everything!"
A short while later, heavy stacks of dossiers filled the Tsuchikage's desk.
Among them was even the manga Number One Chef!.
Ōnoki flipped through the documents page after page, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.
"Crimson Flame Shinichi…"
The Third Tsuchikage softly repeated those three words as his fingertips lightly tapped against the tabletop.
After a long silence, he looked up toward Kitsuchi, who stood waiting nearby.
Kitsuchi frowned deeply, yet still respectfully asked: "Father, then what should we do next…?"
"Wait a little longer."
Ōnoki interrupted him, his voice regaining its usual calmness.
"That old bastard, the Third Raikage, won't let this matter rest. Let him clash with Konoha again first… then we'll observe the situation."
...
Land of Water, Kirigakure.
The Third Mizukage sat quietly within the shadows.
Before him lay an unfolded intelligence scroll.
The intelligence officer knelt on one knee below him, reporting every detail of the newly delivered information without omission before lowering his head in silence.
Only after a long while did the Third Mizukage slowly speak, his voice so calm that no emotion could be heard within it.
"Temporarily suspend operations."
"Yes, sir."
The intelligence officer acknowledged the order before rising and withdrawing.
The office once again fell into silence.
The Third Mizukage remained seated there without moving at all, as though the command he had just issued had merely been some casual remark.
...
Sunagakure, the Kazekage's office.
Rasa sat behind his desk, holding the newly delivered intelligence report in his hand.
He had already reread it many times.
Only after a long while did he finally speak.
"Pass down the order. Strengthen surveillance toward Konoha, especially all movements concerning the northeastern front and Higashino Shinichi. I want to know everything immediately."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
He rose to his feet and gazed out toward the endless desert beyond the window.
The sands still blew.
The blazing sun still hung overhead.
Everything looked exactly the same as before.
But Rasa knew that something had already changed.
...
Land of Fire, the Daimyō's palace.
"Crimson Flame Shinichi? What a splendid name!"
The Fire Daimyō unfolded his hinoki fan and covered his lips with it, his eyes brimming with delight.
He reread the intelligence report once more, his gaze repeatedly lingering over phrases such as "Third Raikage seriously injured" and "Strongest Shield shattered."
The more he read, the more satisfied he became.
"Sōsei."
He closed the fan and lightly tapped the desk.
"This old servant is here," the steward bowed respectfully.
"This is wonderful news. Our Konoha ninja severely wounded Kumogakure's Raikage on the battlefield. Once this news spreads, it will greatly raise the morale of the people."
"Pass down the order. Have the people below properly publicize this matter. Let the citizens know that a remarkable genius has emerged from Konoha of the Land of Fire."
"Let them know that the ninja of the Land of Fire are still just as capable as before—capable of defeating any enemy."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Sōsei accepted the order and withdrew.
The Daimyō reopened his hinoki fan and slowly waved it as he gazed toward the courtyard outside.
The sunlight was perfect.
The pond water shimmered brilliantly.
Several koi lazily swayed their tails beneath the water's surface.
And the news of the Third Raikage's injury had not reached only the Fire Daimyō's palace.
It had also reached the palaces of the daimyōs of the Land of Wind, Land of Lightning, Land of Earth, and Land of Water.
Even the leaders of smaller nations such as the Land of Grass and Land of Rain, along with the leaders of their hidden villages, had almost simultaneously received this same report upon their desks.
But unlike the Fire Daimyō, whose mood was exceptionally good, the emotions of the others were obviously far more complicated.
Especially those of the Lands of Wind and Lightning.
Rumor had it that the Wind Daimyō remained silent for a very, very long time after reading the report.
Meanwhile, the Lightning Daimyō reportedly smashed quite a few cups that very same day before hurriedly dispatching people to visit and console the injured Third Raikage.
As for what exactly they were thinking, outsiders had no way of knowing.
...
Land of Grass, somewhere within an underground cavern.
Uchiha Madara leaned against the roots of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, quietly listening as White Zetsu slowly recounted everything that had happened on the northeastern battlefield of the Land of Fire.
Only after White Zetsu finally finished his animated storytelling, waving his arms and gesturing wildly the entire time, did Madara remain silent for a very long while.
So long, in fact, that White Zetsu thought he was about to be chased away again.
Only then did Madara slowly speak: "Interesting."
Just one word.
Then he closed his eyes once more and said nothing further.
Crimson Flame Shinichi… Fire Release nin-taijutsu, huh?
It seemed that this brat from Konoha truly did possess the potential to become the strongest shinobi of this era.
…
One month later.
March 16th, Konoha Year 47.
The harsh cold of winter had finally begun to show signs of loosening its grip. The accumulated snow had started to melt, and along the distant mountain ridges, faint patches of green could already be seen.
Throughout this past month, Kumogakure had restrained its offensives. Occasionally, small scattered units would come to harass and probe the defenses, but the patrol squads stationed along the front lines easily repelled them every time.
Not a single large-scale frontal clash occurred.
Both sides were recuperating.
Both sides were gathering strength.
Both sides were waiting for the arrival of the next storm.
For Shinichi, however, this rare month of peace had been filled in an entirely different way.
That evening, after finishing a full day of training and instruction, Shinichi walked back toward his tent. With a slight movement of thought, his personal panel quietly appeared within his consciousness.
[Name: Higashino Shinichi]
[Occupation: Jōnin / Sword Master]
[Talents: Gifted Teacher (Green), Wind Release Proficiency (Green)…]
Compared to one month earlier, there were now two new changes displayed upon the panel.
The first was that the white entry Guidance had transformed into a gentle shade of emerald green.
[Gifted Teacher (Green): You excel at teaching and can adjust your methods according to the characteristics of different individuals. Those who train under your guidance experience greatly improved learning efficiency and find it easier to grasp the core essence of skills.]
This upgrade had not come as much of a surprise.
Over the past month, Shinichi had devoted most of his energy to training the Shinichi Battalion.
Three hundred people.
Their aptitudes varied wildly.
Their foundations ranged from weak to strong.
He had practically tailored individual training plans for every single one of them.
All three hundred people had received his personal guidance in one form or another.
He had even personally cooked meals for them, using the effects of the Gourmet entry to prepare all kinds of highly nutritious food.
And the results were visible to the naked eye.
After only a month, every single member of the Shinichi Battalion had improved noticeably in strength.
Though it had not yet reached the level of a qualitative transformation, everyone understood that if they continued training at this pace, it would not take long before the overall combat power of the battalion rose to an entirely new level.
And so, Shinichi's reputation for being exceptionally skilled at teaching spread rapidly without any deliberate promotion.
It spread from the Shinichi Battalion to other units.
From squad members to squad captains.
It even reached the ears of Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō.
And thus, Guidance evolved into Gifted Teacher.
Shinichi's gaze continued downward.
The other change was that the white entry Wind Release Basics had evolved into the green entry Wind Release Proficiency.
[Wind Release Proficiency (Green): You have initially mastered the nature transformation of Wind Release chakra. Your speed in learning and utilizing Wind Release ninjutsu is greatly enhanced, allowing you to skillfully apply Wind Release chakra in both training and combat, granting Wind Release attacks greater speed, sharper cutting power, and stronger impact force.]
In truth, Shinichi had already known Wind Release for quite some time.
With his talent, combined with the various boosts granted by his entries, learning Wind Release had never been difficult for him.
It was just that he had never truly used it in real combat before.
Fire Release alone had been more than enough.
Lightning Release was occasionally used as support.
As for Wind Release, it had simply been left sitting there, practically no different from not having it at all.
But during this recuperation period, Shinichi figured…
It was about time to finally show it off a little.
"But the fact that I injured the Third Raikage with Orochinagi happened more than a month ago already, and it still hasn't generated a purple-quality entry?"
Shinichi frowned inwardly.
Just as he was about to close the panel, the words Fire Release Specialization within the talent section suddenly began trembling violently, their azure glow flickering unstably.
In the next instant, the blue light collapsed inward before shattering explosively, transforming into a deep and noble violet radiance.
[Fire Release Mastery LV1 (Purple): Your understanding and application of Fire Release chakra have stepped into the ranks of this world's true representatives in the field. You have grasped the essence and soul of flame itself. In your hands, fire has become an extension of life and will, allowing you to wield it freely and effortlessly in both battle and training!]
Hm!?
Perfect timing!
Seeing this, Shinichi's heart stirred.
In an instant, countless crimson sparks of flame appeared out of thin air around his body.
These flames seemed to possess lives and wills of their own. They circled and intertwined around him, rapidly rearranging themselves according to the changes in his thoughts.
Long spears.
Sharp swords.
Senbon needles.
All kinds of bladed weapons continuously formed within the flames, each radiating deadly sharpness while remaining as obedient as extensions of his own limbs.
"Not bad."
With another shift of thought, the weapons suddenly scattered apart, transforming into a surging sea of flames before rapidly condensing once more around his body.
A crimson suit of flaming armor formed from head to toe, completely enveloping him.
Dark red patterns flowed across the surface of the armor, resembling magma slowly coursing beneath molten metal.
"It should still be possible to go one step further…"
Shinichi took a deep breath.
The crimson flame armor covering his body slowly began to melt apart, transforming into countless microscopic sparks that fused directly into his body.
Into his joints.
Into his muscles.
Into his bones.
Even into every chakra pathway and every single cell.
In that instant, a faint crimson glow emerged across the surface of Shinichi's body.
Fire Release Chakra Mode!
Shinichi carefully sensed the changes within himself.
Strength.
Speed.
Defense.
Especially explosive power.
The moment he entered Fire Release Chakra Mode, all of those direct physical attributes rose sharply to an entirely new level.
He could feel flames surging through his chakra pathways like an engine that would never stop running.
"However…"
Shinichi frowned.
The temperature inside his body was climbing at an astonishing rate, and white steam began escaping from his pores.
With a thought, the crimson glow covering his body receded like a withdrawing tide, rapidly returning back into his body as his temperature gradually dropped back to normal.
"It's still missing something… but it's not far from being fully complete now!"
At that thought, a small sense of pride inevitably rose within Shinichi's heart.
The Kumogakure lineage had spent nearly a hundred years refining the Lightning Release Chakra Mode since the Warring States era.
Several generations of masters had worked together before finally perfecting it.
And yet for him, even counting everything, it had been less than two years.
Shinichi withdrew his thoughts and walked toward his tent.
"Higashino-sama, Orochimaru-sama requests your presence."
The moment he returned, a messenger ninja hurried over.
Shinichi nodded and turned toward the command headquarters.
"Shinichi-kun, I have a difficult mission here that requires you to accompany me personally."
Inside the command center, Orochimaru's gaze rested upon Shinichi as the corners of his lips slowly curved upward.
"The Eight-Tails jinchūriki—"
"Blue B."
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