[Composure Under Pressure (Green): No matter how dangerous or chaotic the situation, you can maintain exceptional composure, clearly analyze and execute the optimal strategy. Your resistance to abnormal mental interference such as illusions, fear, and pressure is slightly increased.]
It finally upgraded!
Shinichi walked along the path from the field hospital back to his tent. These past days, whenever he didn't have a mission, he would, without exception, head to the field hospital behind the main camp and personally take part in treating the wounded.
Just moments ago, Shinichi had suddenly felt an indescribable clarity surge through his mind—his thoughts seemed to have been washed by a clear spring, becoming more lucid than ever before.
With a slight stir in his heart, he immediately opened the personal panel visible only to himself.
Sure enough, in the talent entry section, the white entry [Calm]—which had long remained stagnant—was now faintly flickering with a pale green glow. Its name and description had quietly changed.
This entry, which he had obtained during his very first draw when he acquired the profession [Swordsmanship Apprentice] at the dojo, had finally broken through the limits of its white quality.
In the blink of an eye, more than five years had passed.
Shinichi's other entries had all upgraded one after another, from white to green, from green to blue, each undergoing transformation in turn. Only this one had remained stuck at white the entire time, unmoving.
Shinichi had once pondered the reason. "Calm" itself was an extremely abstract concept—a mental state internalized within the mind. It was difficult to directly observe from the outside or form a clear perception of.
Even when he made the correct judgment in critical moments, others would usually attribute it to "intelligence" or "decisiveness," rather than "calm" itself.
Now, it was probably because of his time serving as the head of medical logistics on the southwestern battlefield—remaining composed, coordinating everything in an orderly manner—and these recent days leading the Fourth Independent Combat Unit, calmly completing mission after mission, allowing his team members to gain a deeper understanding of his composure.
As well as those wounded soldiers in the field hospital, who had witnessed his unwavering calm and focus at their bedside.
In any case, this abstract concept had finally been recognized and remembered by some people, ultimately upgrading into this entry.
'Still, this entry isn't very useful to me right now…' Shinichi thought to himself.
After all, he now had dual-core processing—most genjutsu in the ninja world were directly ineffective against him.
But then he reconsidered. The resistance to genjutsu was only a secondary benefit. What truly mattered was the ability to steady one's mind and think calmly at critical moments.
With that in mind, Shinichi was about to close the panel. But as if the panel felt that the previous surprise wasn't enough, another soft white glow gently lit up, quietly blooming at the corner of his vision.
[Acting (White): You possess excellent performance skills. Your control over expressions, imitation of demeanor, and emotional expression surpass ordinary people. When you need to hide your true thoughts or play a specific role, your words and actions are natural and fluid, making it difficult for others to detect flaws.]
Huh!?
The moment he saw this entry appear, Shinichi's first reaction wasn't joy, but disbelief!
Who?
Who is slandering me!?
I, Higashino Shinichi—the sincere son of Konoha, an outstanding inheritor of the Will of Fire, a brave warrior who throws himself into battle without hesitation, a compassionate healer who saves lives in the hospital—have always been genuine and friendly in dealing with others, consistent inside and out… how did I suddenly become "skilled in acting"?!
Several suspects flashed through Shinichi's mind in rapid succession, before he immediately locked onto that snake-like figure.
'Looks like Orochimaru has a pretty deep misunderstanding of me. Well… I'll let it slide for the sake of the Kusanagi Sword.'
Shinichi shook his head helplessly, his mood a bit complicated as he closed the panel.
Fine.
At least the effect description is quite practical, right?
In the future, when I need to play a role, it'll probably be more natural and smooth.
He gathered his thoughts and continued toward his tent. Just as he lifted the flap and stepped inside, before he even had time to sit down, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside.
A moment later, a sharp-looking messenger ninja appeared at the entrance.
"Higashino-sama." The messenger gave a slight bow, his tone respectful. "Orochimaru-sama requests your immediate presence at the command center. A new combat mission needs to be conveyed to you."
Higashino-sama?
That form of address made Shinichi's heart stir slightly.
When someone directly addressed him as "sama," it usually meant that, in their mind, they no longer saw him as merely a "promising junior" or a "talented ninja."
Instead, they had begun to place him on the same level as those truly capable of standing on their own.
This subtle, seemingly insignificant change in form of address actually reflected the shift in how others perceived him—one that he had achieved through real battlefield accomplishments.
He was no longer a future star to be nurtured.
He had become a powerful force that could be relied upon—and even respected—right now.
Shinichi understood it clearly—and even felt a bit amused—but none of it showed on his face. He simply nodded calmly, his tone gentle. "Thank you for delivering the message, senpai. I'll head over right away."
The messenger ninja gave another respectful bow before turning and leaving first.
Shinichi adjusted his gear and ninja tools, especially securing the newly acquired Flowing Cloud Blade firmly at his waist. Only then did he step out of the tent. The cold wind brushed past him, carrying a trace of chill—and also sharpening a certain thought in his mind.
I am now a ten-year-old jōnin of Konoha, having broken the record for the youngest promotion in the village's history.
Then, given time… when the day eventually comes and the contest for the position of Hokage truly begins—when the name "Higashino Shinichi" is placed on the list of candidates—won't the people of Konoha already be mentally prepared by then, so it won't feel too abrupt?
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Shinichi's lips before quickly fading back to normal. His steps remained steady as he walked toward the brightly lit command center.
…
Late that night, the sky was ink-black, and the cold wind cut sharply.
Within the borders of the Land of Hot Water, at a remote valley junction.
As a small nation caught between greater powers, this was almost an inescapable fate.
In times of peace, it served as an unspoken buffer zone between the major hidden villages. But once war broke out, it would inevitably be the first to bear the brunt—becoming a place for infiltration, covert operations, and even direct clashes between forces.
A unit of around a hundred shinobi moved like shadows merging with the darkness, advancing in silence. They finally stopped at a slightly elevated, wind-sheltered slope.
Everyone suppressed their chakra fluctuations, holding their breath, leaving only vigilant eyes scanning the surroundings.
At the very front of the formation, Higashino Shinichi stood quietly, his gaze piercing through the heavy night, fixed on the faint outline of a desolate village deep within the valley—one that looked long abandoned.
That was the target of this mission.
Over the past half month, the Fourth Independent Combat Unit under his command had been like a tireless blade, repeatedly cutting into the flanks and rear of the Kumogakure frontlines, carrying out multiple high-risk infiltration and sabotage operations.
Even though Shinichi personally took the lead each time, drawing the bulk of enemy fire, casualties were still unavoidable under Kumogakure's increasingly tightened counter-infiltration efforts and targeted encirclement hunts—and the numbers were not small.
However, whenever losses occurred and manpower gaps appeared, Orochimaru, the overall commander, would always, at the first possible moment, draw experienced and suitable shinobi from other units or reserve forces to replenish the Fourth Independent Unit—ensuring its structural integrity and sustained combat effectiveness.
Moreover, while the Fourth Independent Combat Unit had suffered considerable casualties, most were injuries rather than deaths.
After all, with Shinichi—now arguably a top-tier medical ninja in the shinobi world—personally present, and every member carrying various emergency medicines prepared by him, the foremost pharmacological expert in the shinobi world, most fatal injuries could be effectively contained and treated at the earliest moment.
Shinichi understood this very clearly.
These comrades who had followed him through life-and-death battles time and time again—growing from their initial formation and coordination into a unit capable of executing dangerous missions with seamless cooperation—had, in a sense, already become his earliest core force.
A force with a certain degree of loyalty and combat synergy.
Every life preserved was a piece of reliable capital and a valuable connection for the future. That was why he cherished their lives so much—not only out of responsibility as both a leader and a healer, but also as part of a long-term plan.
Among the unit, there was a middle-aged ninja dressed in the same standard black combat uniform, hidden within the darkness—yet he stood out in an oddly incongruous way, as if something about him simply didn't fit.
Might Duy!
Among the new batch of Konoha reinforcements that had arrived at the front line yesterday, Shinichi had unexpectedly spotted Might Duy. He immediately submitted a request to headquarters to have him assigned to his Fourth Independent Combat Unit.
Speaking of which, the current Might Duy was already very different from the man he had been a few years ago—the "eternal genin" who had been mocked in the village and could only rely on self-torturing training to sustain his dream of being a shinobi.
Ever since the year before last, during the Chūnin Exams held in Sunagakure, when he had astonished everyone by opening the Eight Gates, catching the attention of the Third Hokage, Might Duy had not only successfully advanced to chūnin, but had also, due to the incredible potential and indomitable spirit he displayed, gained the recognition of Konoha's taijutsu master, Old Master Chen.
Over the past year, Old Master Chen had repeatedly provided him with systematic guidance—correcting many of the flawed training habits he had developed in the past due to a lack of proper instruction, and teaching him more refined, structured taijutsu techniques and tactical thinking.
This allowed Might Duy to no longer rely purely on brute force and willpower as he once had, but instead, while retaining his diligence and passion, step onto a more systematic and efficient path of training.
Aside from the Eight Gates, which remained his ultimate trump card, his taijutsu proficiency and chakra control in his normal state were now on an entirely different level compared to before—his strength had undergone a qualitative leap.
Although, due to his age and limited talent, it was impossible for him to eventually reach the same terrifying heights as his son, Might Guy—who could even make god-like opponents tremble—he was still a deeply grounded powerhouse, a trump card capable of turning the tide at critical moments.
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