Time slipped away quietly amidst the sweat-drenched practice of swordsmanship. During this period, Shinichi devoted almost the majority of his energy to training at the kendo hall.
However, beneath the calm surface of Konoha, undercurrents began to surge.
A rumor concerning the White Fang of Konoha spawned quietly from unknown sources, spreading rapidly through the streets and alleys like silent mold.
The core of the rumor was alarming: Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, had abandoned a mission crucial to the village, causing the village to suffer tremendous losses.
The rumors sketched a vague yet heavy outline: this mission seemed to involve a noble from the Fire Nation's capital, perhaps even implicating His Highness the Daimyo.
Precisely because the stakes were so high, the village had dispatched a top-tier ninja like Hatake Sakumo to ensure nothing went wrong.
Yet, at the critical moment, this hero upon whom such high hopes were placed chose to give up.
The villagers had no way of knowing the specific details of the mission, nor the reasons for the White Fang's abandonment.
But amidst the hearsay, they were convinced of one thing: his action had brought immeasurable negative impact to Konoha.
What's more, whispers mentioned that even the Daimyo in the distant capital had conveyed his dissatisfaction to the Third Hokage.
This wind of criticism against a hero blew through the village for over half a month; snippets of it could always be caught during idle chatter.
Until one day, it came to an abrupt halt, as if throttled by an invisible hand.
All public discussion vanished instantly, as if it had never existed, leaving only a disconcerting silence following forceful suppression.
Shinichi knew what this silence meant.
That Konoha White Fang, whose name shook the Ninja World, was likely... no longer of this world.
He sheathed his sword, looking up at the gloomy sky, his heart holding neither joy nor sorrow.
...
Time moved on quietly. Only three days remained before the opening of the Konoha Ninja Academy.
In the east of Konoha Village, inside a plain building named the Yamashita Kendo Hall.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The piercing sounds of cutting air and intense collisions rang out incessantly.
After some time, the dojo abruptly fell silent.
"..."
Yamashita Hideharu stood silently, gripping the remaining half of a sword hilt.
He first looked at the miserably broken blade in his hand, then raised his eyes to look with a complex gaze at the black-haired youth before him—who stood with his sword sheathed, breathing steadily, with hardly a drop of sweat on his forehead.
During the sparring sessions these past few days, every encounter made him marvel at this disciple's almost monstrous constitution.
"You have completed your apprenticeship."
Yamashita Hideharu remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible emotion and relief.
"I have... nothing left to teach you."
From the moment this disciple entered over a year ago, he had noticed the boy's extraordinary talent in kendo and a steady temperament that far exceeded his peers.
But he had still underestimated him.
Especially in this past month or so; ever since this child defeated that village-renowned genius Kakashi at the Ninja Academy, it was as if some invisible shackle had been completely unlocked.
His comprehension and progress in swordsmanship advanced by leaps and bounds. Key points that previously required repeated instruction were now understood instantly, and he could even draw inferences from one instance to another.
Yamashita Hideharu didn't know the cause of this transformation—perhaps it was a confidence breakthrough from that victory? Or perhaps accumulated effort finally bearing fruit?
He had no way to investigate, but he could see the result: the youth before him had indeed reached the boundary of what he could guide in the way of the sword.
Hearing this, Shinichi slowly returned the sword in his hand to its scabbard, his movements meticulous. He faced Yamashita Hideharu and bowed solemnly.
"Thank you, Sensei, for your devoted guidance over this past year."
Yamashita Hideharu waved his hand, a rare gentleness appearing on his face. "It was your own hard work and talent. Remember, the way of the sword is endless; you are only at the beginning. You must walk the future path on your own."
Shinichi straightened up, his gaze calm and determined.
"Yes, Sensei. I will remember."
Shinichi did not leave immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment before asking respectfully again, "Sensei, if your disciple wishes to go further in the way of the sword in the future and delve deeper, where should I seek guidance?"
His question concerned not only his personal training but was also a subtle probe into the future advancement direction of the [Swordsman] profession.
"The swordsmanship system passed down in Konoha is broad and profound enough for you to study for a long time," Yamashita Hideharu said first. He paused, then added, "However, if we speak of the orthodoxy and purity of the way of the sword, the universally recognized sacred ground is still the Land of Iron. That is a nation of samurai. If you ever have the chance to go there and see it for yourself, it will surely benefit your swordsmanship."
The Land of Iron?
Shinichi silently noted this in his heart. If Konoha's swordsmanship system could not satisfy the subsequent advancement needs of the [Swordsman] profession, then his future direction might indeed point toward that neutral nation of samurai.
Of course, that was something for the distant future.
He was currently a Konoha Ninja Academy student, a future ninja, and his actions would inevitably be subject to many restrictions.
Putting this matter aside for now, Shinichi changed the subject, speaking with a sincere expression. "Sensei, to thank you for your devoted guidance over this past year, your disciple wishes to prepare a modest banquet at the Taste of the Artisan restaurant in the village tomorrow afternoon for a gratitude gathering. I wonder if Sensei would do me the honor of attending?"
The gratitude for the teacher's guidance was genuine, but this gratitude gathering clearly carried a deeper purpose.
Shinichi was well aware of the customs of this world—much like in Japan in his previous life, events like completing an apprenticeship leaned more toward simple celebrations with ritualistic and cohesive nature within the master-disciple circle or small groups, where expressing sentiment was enough.
But what he intended to do was completely different.
Drawing on the customs from his past life memories, he intended to turn this gratitude gathering into a rather large-scale "banquet-style" social event.
He wanted to invite not only Sensei Yamashita and his fellow disciples from the kendo hall but also planned to send out invitations—or at least leak the news—to gather people from every circle he knew and had contact with.
The director of the orphanage that raised him and the children he was familiar with; the master and workers at the blacksmith shop who had looked after him; the owner and colleagues at the Taste of the Artisan restaurant where he had worked part-time; his classmates from school...
He wanted to use this lively, distinctive feast to convey a message clearly and unmistakably, embedding it into the perception of every participant present, and even the bystanders who heard about it:
Higashino Shinichi has formally graduated from the Yamashita Kendo Hall and has become a recognized, veritable formal Swordsman.
This would be an efficient seeding of perception. It was a critical step in pushing [Swordsmanship Apprentice] toward [Swordsman], and another precise operation to actively manage his persona and leverage a trait upgrade.
Hosting such a large-scale banquet would naturally not be cheap.
But money was not a major problem for Shinichi at this moment.
As a registered orphan of Konoha, he received a basic monthly living allowance. After entering the Ninja Academy, relying on his top-tier grades, he also steadily received a considerable scholarship.
Of course, that was just pocket change. The truly crucial part was that shortly after enrollment, he had formally submitted a student loan application to the school on the grounds of "needing to purchase more professional training equipment and guarantee personal nutrition to maintain high-intensity training."
The process originally required time for approval, and the amount had limits.
However, when the loan was finally approved and distributed to him a few days ago, Shinichi felt a hint of surprise. The amount far exceeded his expectations; one could even call it lavish.
It could only be said that the effect brought about by defeating Kakashi had exerted its force once again.
...