After reporting the ambush by Kumogakure to Orochimaru, Shinichi returned to his own tent.
Whether he had heard about the speech Shinichi gave to the Fourth Battalion earlier, or had already intended to do so from the start, after listening to the report, Orochimaru said little. He merely praised him for handling things well, stated that he would later petition for merit on Shinichi's behalf, and then told him to go rest.
By now, Shinichi more or less understood Orochimaru's attitude toward him. It was practically identical to how he would later treat Uchiha Sasuke—completely unconcealed interest, paired with equally unconcealed admiration and generosity. That actually made things easier.
Take the sugar coating, throw the cannonball back.
At the same time, Shinichi had also learned two important pieces of information from Orochimaru.
On Kumogakure's side, a fresh batch of reinforcements would be arriving at the front within the next few days. Their numbers were considerable, and rumor had it that the Two-Tails jinchūriki—whose arrival had been circulating in whispers for some time—would be among them.
Shinichi had no idea how Orochimaru managed to obtain intelligence this precise, but it also meant the pressure on the battlefield was about to surge dramatically.
Meanwhile, on Konoha's side, Kirigakure had recently been making frequent moves along the southeastern coast, seemingly intending to take advantage of the chaos and launch an invasion.
In order to stabilize the southeastern situation, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had no choice but to dispatch his two longtime partners—Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura—to oversee the region as a precaution.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura...
In his previous life, Shinichi had seen scattered discussions mentioning that the two advisors were described in official databooks and supplementary materials as extremely powerful shinobi. Mitokado Homura in particular supposedly had claims surrounding him that, at his peak, his strength rivaled that of the Third Hokage himself.
Of course, the authenticity of such statements was questionable. After all, their portrayal in the story leaned far more toward conservative, stubborn politicians, with virtually no direct combat feats shown.
Still, the fact that the Third Hokage trusted them to independently guard a region that could erupt into conflict at any moment meant that, even if they were not truly on the same level as Hiruzen, they were unquestionably among the genuine powerhouses of the ninja world—at the very least Kage-level, or close to it.
And precisely because those two heavyweight figures had to be sent southeast, the Third Hokage's original plan to personally travel to the northeastern front within the next few days and take command had no choice but to be canceled. Instead, he would remain in Konoha to coordinate the overall situation.
After all, during the last Great Ninja War, with the village's main forces deployed and the rear left vulnerable, the opportunistic nuisance known as the Land of Sky had seized the chance to invade, causing Konoha devastating losses. That lesson remained painfully vivid even now.
Shinichi understood the Third Hokage's caution. As the leader of a hidden village—especially in a multi-front war—ensuring the absolute safety of the home base always came first.
But this unexpected development had undeniably shifted the balance of power on the northeastern front.
Kumogakure was reinforcing its forces, while Konoha had lost not only the morale boost of the Hokage's personal presence, but also a top-tier combat force.
The pressure naturally fell upon Orochimaru, the current supreme commander of the northeastern front, as well as every frontline unit under his command—including Shinichi himself.
"In a few days, Kumogakure will definitely launch another major offensive to break the stalemate."
Sitting inside the tent, Shinichi put away the scroll in his hand and silently thought to himself.
"I need to—"
Right at that moment, a sudden stir rose within his heart, interrupting his train of thought.
His expression shifted slightly. Opening his personal panel, he saw that the green Entry [Spirit Sense] had suddenly erupted with dazzling light. In the next instant, it shattered apart, bursting into an even purer, deeper azure radiance.
The flowing glow gathered together, forming a brand-new line of faintly shimmering text:
[Clear Insight (Blue): Your perception can now easily discern the flow of energy and the aura of life. Even without your eyes, you can "see" the form, strength, and attributes of life and energy, and can precisely lock onto disguised or concealed targets.]
It upgraded?
Shinichi raised an eyebrow, then slowly closed his eyes, carefully sensing the changes within himself.
The next moment, chakra spread outward from his body, expanding into an invisible, intangible ripple.
A formless web woven entirely from perception.
Or rather—
An entirely new field of vision.
Within the range covered by that "web," everything appeared clearly inside his mind.
In the corner of the tent, a tiny insect—nearly impossible to notice with the naked eye—was crawling along the wall. The faint sensation of its tiny legs scraping against the ground felt as though it were happening right at his fingertips.
Near the tent, Konoha shinobi on patrol or changing shifts moved past at quick or measured paces. Under the perception of [Clear Insight], the weight of their footsteps, the rhythm of their breathing, and even the flow of chakra within their bodies were all perfectly clear.
Farther away, on the branch of a cedar tree at the edge of the camp, a bird perched there was preening its feathers. Even the faint currents stirred by the flutter of its wings could be captured.
This web could continue expanding outward. Shinichi could sense that its limit extended far beyond this, but he immediately steadied his mind and gradually drew back the dispersed chakra.
"My perception range and precision have both risen by an entire level!"
Shinichi opened his eyes again. Then another thought crossed his mind as he attempted to combine this brand-new sensory ability with one of his existing Entry talents.
A glass-like shimmer seemed to flash through his black-and-white eyes.
The next instant, the world in his vision changed once more.
Despite being inside a sealed tent, with thick curtains blocking ordinary sight—
to Shinichi's current vision, the tent's obstruction was practically nonexistent.
Not only could he see the humanoid masses of chakra moving outside, he could even see through the curtains of nearby tents, making out the outlines of ninja either sitting or lying inside. He could even perceive items carrying special chakra signatures, such as the explosive tags they carried on their bodies.
"So it really can combine with Flash Step?"
Seeing this, the corners of Shinichi's lips curled upward slightly. In a sense, he now possessed a unique "Byakugan" of his own—one capable of seeing through obstacles and observing chakra from long distances.
And unlike the Byakugan, it required no continuous chakra consumption to maintain. It merely demanded mental focus to perceive, calculate, and process the information being gathered.
That really was a good thing, though...
Shinichi withdrew his gaze and closed the panel.
Which generous top supporter gave me this assist this time?
Heh...
…
At the same time, inside Kumogakure's main camp command center—Blue B knelt on one knee, head lowered.
"Uncle, I failed in my duty. Not only did I fail to keep that Konoha shinobi, Higashino Shinichi, from escaping, I even allowed him to detect our deployment ahead of time."
The Third Raikage remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"This is not your fault, B. No one could have expected that Konoha brat's perception would be this sharp."
Then, almost as if speaking to himself, the Third Raikage continued: "It seems those useless fools from Sunagakure were telling the truth. Higashino Shinichi really does possess extremely powerful sensory abilities."
Not long after Kumogakure and Konoha entered open war, Sunagakure had secretly passed some intelligence on Konoha over to Kumogakure through special channels. Among that intelligence, the name "Higashino Shinichi" had been specifically highlighted.
The report mentioned his formidable Fire Release and swordsmanship, his composure and command ability far beyond his age, as well as his uncanny tendency to react to danger as though he could foresee it during critical moments.
Sunagakure had especially emphasized one point there—
Suspected to possess extraordinarily powerful sensory abilities or danger-predicting intuition.
"Dodai."
After muttering to himself, the Third Raikage turned toward his trusted subordinate and asked: "Don't you think this brat looks more and more like someone?"
Dodai remained silent for a while before replying: "The Second Hokage."
"Yes... the Second Hokage."
The Third Raikage nodded, his tone complicated.
Top-tier talent in ninjutsu development and application. Powerful sensory and danger-detection abilities. There were even rumors that before this war had broken out, the brat had already made astonishingly accurate predictions regarding the course of the conflict. After entering the battlefield, his squad tactics and local command decisions had repeatedly displayed ideas far beyond the norm.
In other words, the brat also possessed exceptional strategic vision and command ability.
With all those factors combined, the more they looked at him, the more he resembled the Second Hokage.
In fact, from a certain perspective, this Higashino Shinichi might be even more terrifying than Senju Tobirama.
After all, Senju Tobirama had displayed nothing close to this level at the same age.
Neither had the First Hokage nor Uchiha Madara.
And Tobirama had been born into the Senju Clan—a young heir carrying the bloodline of a top-tier ninja clan. From birth, he had already been extraordinary, receiving the best resources, the most systematic training, and the deepest foundation imaginable.
There was an inevitability behind his strength rooted in both bloodline and background.
But this Higashino Shinichi...
The intelligence had repeatedly confirmed it.
A complete commoner orphan.
Someone without Senju blood, yet who might grow into a second Senju Tobirama—
or perhaps something even more troublesome.
If things continued this way, he might become a terrifying existence combining the First Hokage's overwhelming power and strength with the Second Hokage's intellect and versatility.
Perhaps even possessing the Third Hokage's...
The Third Raikage suddenly recalled the Adamantine Staff the brat frequently used and fell silent.
He remained silent for a long time before finally withdrawing his gaze and looking back down at the map before him.
"Pass down the order. The moment Troy and Yugito arrive, we immediately begin preparations for the full-scale offensive."
"Yes, sir."
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---