The third Kazekage had very likely encountered trouble; he was missing.
The mountain rain is about to come, and the wind fills the tower.
The dark clouds of the Third Shinobi World War had grown too heavy to ignore and could unleash thunder at any moment.
And now, during this precious pre-war window, Shinichi had already, through his carefully planned stage, elevated his talents to an entirely new height.
After this round of qualitative change, his overall combat power had undergone a comprehensive and significant enhancement.
Earlier today, he had privately conducted a simple test: Without any chakra defense, holding a sharp kunai and using force enough to pierce refined iron, he slashed at the skin of his arm. The result was only a faint white mark that quickly faded, unable even to break the epidermis.
After applying greater force, he barely managed to pierce slightly, but the resistance he felt far exceeded that of ordinary flesh, like cutting into hardened, repeatedly forged steel. Moreover, the wound stopped bleeding and recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
This meant that on the future battlefield, facing ordinary stray arrows, kunai, shuriken, or even accidentally flying debris fragments, he could almost ignore them.
Even if directly hit by Explosive Tags, without any prior defensive preparation, and at the core blast point of multiple Explosive Tags detonating simultaneously, relying on the astonishing defense and damage reduction brought by [Bronze Skin and Iron Bones], along with the enhanced physical qualities from talents such as [Genius], [Master Swordsman], and [Splitting Rocks and Cleaving Gold], plus the powerful recovery abilities of [Endless Vitality] and [Gourmet], he would most likely be injured but not killed, very possibly only lightly injured rather than severely.
His current physical condition was terrifyingly strong, and even more terrifying was its all-around balance and excellence.
He was not like pure descendants of Asura, whose bodies emphasized surging vitality and astonishing recovery, but had shortcomings in pure defense.
For example, Naruto, as a reincarnation of Asura's chakra and the nine-tails Jinchuriki, would bleed from even a light cut by a kunai during the Land of Waves mission.
And Nawaki, the grandson of the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, died instantly after stepping on an Explosive Tag.
If defense is insufficient, damage can kill you instantly, no matter how strong your vitality or how fast your recovery is, it's useless.
Most ninjas, when unprepared, are extremely fragile compared to the destructive power they can unleash.
Now, Shinichi's body could be said to perfectly integrate the essence of multiple bloodline systems.
On one hand, he possessed vitality and recovery comparable to descendants of Asura, ensuring sustained combat endurance and rapid healing of injuries. On the other hand, he also had the extremely tough physical defense and pure strength similar to the Adamantine Monkey Clan.
In addition, he had specialized talents that enhanced his speed and agility.
He did not need to worry about being caught in traps, ambushed, or instantly killed due to weak defense; nor did he need to worry about lacking power to break defenses; nor about insufficient speed preventing him from hitting opponents; nor fear of being dragged down by attrition battles.
Perhaps, he was only lacking a reaction-type talent that specifically enhanced neural reflex speed and dynamic vision?
If he had another reaction-type talent, then in terms of physical attributes, he could be considered a perfectly balanced and outstanding hexagonal warrior.
Although there were still shortcomings in the mental aspect, this shortcoming was only relative to his body.
Moreover, for Shinichi, who possessed dual-core processing, most Genjutsu in the Shinobi World were already ineffective against him.
Looking at the deep night sky outside the window, Shinichi fell into thought.
Ten years!
He knew that this grand performance, which shook the entire village and whose news would inevitably spread rapidly to the intelligence departments of major countries and ninja villages, could be said to have drawn an extremely brilliant, perhaps even beyond expectations, exclamation mark on his ten-year plan to build his genius persona.
Konoha's most dazzling rising star!
The strongest genius recognized by powerful foreign samurai!
A genius who pioneered a new path in Fire Style!
A youth with a terrifying physique!
And countless other dazzling halos and labels, these were built over ten years, from nothing, transforming himself from an ordinary, unknown child in a Konoha orphanage into a universally acknowledged peerless genius, capable of dominating the younger generation and even forcing the older generation of powerhouses to treat him with seriousness.
However, the title of genius is a double-edged sword.
It brings fame, resource allocation, attention, and expectations within the village, and broader recognition, but it also inevitably attracts gaze from the darkness and deadly killing intent.
In times of peace, genius may mean more protection and attention.
But in the current era, with war clouds gathering and constant friction between great nations, genius, especially a genius in the eyes of enemy nations, often equates to a potential threat that must be eliminated with priority.
Now, the grand stage belonging to this genius, Shinichi Higashino, had already been built through his own strength and planning, shining with starlight.
And the crucible of war would be the final place where he sheds the outer layer of Genius, which still carries a trace of immaturity and protection, and truly tempers the sharp edge of a strong ninja that makes enemies tremble.
"Then let the upcoming Third Shinobi World War become the whetstone for me, this so-called genius, the trial ground where the name Shinichi Higashino will resound throughout the Shinobi World, completing the transformation from a genius who is expected to a strong man who is feared!"
Shinichi gently closed the window, shutting out the slightly cool night breeze and the brilliant galaxy outside.
He was no longer satisfied with playing the role of a genius on the village's stage.
He wanted to go to a broader and more brutal world, to build an even greater and more dazzling stage for himself, to prove himself and seize everything he desired.
He set out under the name of a genius.
He will return with the reality of a strong man!
....
Konoha Year 46, late November.
Shinichi Higashino walked along the familiar main road of Konoha, heading toward the small training ground where Team 10 usually gathered.
Today, an oppressive and restless atmosphere different from usual filled the streets and alleys.
Villagers gathered in small groups of twos and threes, standing close to each other, lowering their voices as they exchanged information, fragments of discussion rising in murmurs.
"Have you heard? Over in the Village Hidden in the Sand…"
"The third Kazekage hasn't been seen for three months…"
"I heard the Village Hidden in the Sand has been searching everywhere these past few months, something's not right…"
"They say he's missing, and now his life or death is unknown…"
"His life or death is unknown? Good, then that means he's dead!"
The third Kazekage had gone missing.
This news, like a heavy bombshell, had not yet received any official confirmation, yet it had already spread like wildfire among the great nations of the Shinobi World.
For three months, the man known as the strongest Kazekage in history had not appeared in any public setting.
The Village Hidden in the Sand initially explained that the third Kazekage had gone into seclusion for training, but later their statements became vague, even contradictory.
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