Hokage!
Hokage!
Still Hokage!
No matter whether Shinichi wanted to implement compulsory education in the future or push forward any other grand vision, the foremost prerequisite was ascending to that position at the very peak of Konohagakure's power structure.
Only by holding the title of Hokage and wielding real authority could he turn those ideals into reality.
Moreover, once he sat in the Hokage's seat and gained control over Konohagakure's — and even the entire Land of Fire's — vast and highly efficient propaganda and intelligence apparatus, the difficulty of acquiring and upgrading Entries would plummet while the efficiency would skyrocket exponentially.
Earth Release, Water Release, and the other elemental attributes among the Five Releases he had yet to touch. Even more abstract concepts like Yin Release and Yang Release.
Hearing, smell, taste, touch — the remaining four senses among the six senses that he had yet to obtain specialized enhancements for — and even more mysterious forms of higher perception such as spatial awareness and temporal awareness.
Genjutsu, barrier techniques, Fūinjutsu, archery, forging, and countless other skills that were either still low-level or things he had never touched before.
All of them could rapidly generate corresponding foundational Entries through the carefully crafted official image of "Hokage-sama as an exceptionally gifted genius, learned and proficient in countless arts," then quickly rise to blue quality through the continuous spread of related achievements and stories.
One had to understand — every single blue-quality Entry he currently possessed had required enormous amounts of time, meticulous planning, and even risking his own life to obtain.
But once he became Hokage, obtaining a blue Entry would become incredibly easy under the push of that colossal propaganda machine. All he would need to do was give an order and have his subordinates — or even the official institutions of the Land of Fire — cooperate in carrying out a series of highly targeted public opinion campaigns.
That would be a true qualitative transformation.
Afterward, with certain key battle achievements, breakthrough research results, or world-shaking events serving as catalysts, those blue Entries built through propaganda could gradually be pushed toward an even higher tier — purple quality.
Purple...
For the moment, Shinichi suppressed the desire for the Hokage position burning in his heart and lowered his gaze toward the personal panel displaying Fire Release Mastery LV1.
Purple LV1...
Merely reaching LV1 — a level representing "a publicly acknowledged representative figure within a certain field" — already had such absurdly harsh requirements.
Then what kind of terrifying conditions would be needed for LV2, the level he believed represented "the undisputed pinnacle of that field in the entire world"?
Shinichi fell into thought. A moment later, a clear answer surfaced in his mind.
Most likely...
His Fire Release nintaijutsu system would need to be fully perfected and renowned throughout the shinobi world. Its influence, breadth, and depth of recognition would need to stand shoulder to shoulder with — or even surpass — the legendary nintaijutsu that had dominated the world for decades.
Kumogakure's Lightning Release nintaijutsu system.
And to achieve that goal, the fastest and most effective method would naturally be...
At that thought, Shinichi's gaze unconsciously drifted northeast once again, toward the Land of Lightning.
He needed a stepping stone with enough weight behind it.
The Third Raikage — along with the Lightning Release nintaijutsu system he had forged and used to shake the shinobi world for decades — was undoubtedly the perfect choice.
The logic was exactly the same as back when he had been in the ninja academy. The fastest way to prove yourself a genius was to defeat another publicly acknowledged genius head-on.
Back then, he had rapidly established the image of a "genius" in everyone's minds by defeating the prodigy who had drawn the attention of all of Konoha — Hatake Kakashi.
Now, if he wanted the Fire Release nintaijutsu system he created to truly enter the ranks of the shinobi world's top inheritances and be publicly recognized as something capable of rivaling — or even surpassing — Kumogakure's legendary system...
Then the best method would be, one day in the future, on the most official and indisputable stage possible—
To crush Lightning Release head-on with Fire Release.
To use the name "Crimson Flame Shinichi" to step over the prestige of the "Strongest Spear" and the "Strongest Shield," ascending to an even higher peak of nintaijutsu.
Looking back at that previous battle, although Shinichi had successfully shattered the "Strongest Shield," pierced a wound clean through the Raikage's chest, and delivered the bold declaration of "Today I shatter the shield — tomorrow I break the spear," creating a legendary tale of "the weak overcoming the strong"...
Precisely because it had been seen as "the weak overcoming the strong," the public believed there had been an element of luck involved, that the Third Raikage had been careless, and that all sorts of coincidences had played a role.
Especially in the eyes of many powerful figures, that battle had not been viewed as Higashino Shinichi single-handedly challenging the Third Raikage.
Rather, it had been seen as the Monkey King Enma plus Higashino Shinichi versus the Third Raikage.
Shinichi had relied on the power of the strongest summon beast, the Monkey King Enma, to engage the Raikage in a brutal life-and-death struggle, ultimately exchanging his own severed arm for the chance to wound the Raikage.
But only Shinichi himself knew the truth.
That battle had actually been the Monkey King Enma + Higashino Shinichi + Isshin versus the Third Raikage.
And only by paying the price of Isshin being gravely wounded had they managed to seize that fleeting opening from the Third Raikage.
Because of that, the recognition and benefits he gained from that battle had fallen far short of Shinichi's expectations. It had established the reputation of "Crimson Flame Shinichi," but it had failed to completely cement his personal status as an absolute powerhouse capable of standing above the Third Raikage.
In the future, Shinichi would still need a completely overwhelming and utterly indisputable victory — just like the crushing defeat he had once dealt Kakashi on the ninja academy training grounds years ago.
And once he achieved that goal, what Shinichi gained at that time would likely be far more than merely having Fire Release Mastery advance to LV2.
Strength and defense — and perhaps even speed — those core physical foundation Entries might all undergo a qualitative leap as well, advancing together toward the pinnacle realm of Purple LV2.
Thinking that, Shinichi suddenly found himself hoping that the Third Raikage would not meet the same fate as in the original timeline — dying after battling Iwagakure's army of ten thousand alone for three days and three nights.
Instead, he hoped that someday in the future, the Third Raikage would die by his own hand, becoming the sacrifice and stepping stone that would elevate him onto the divine pedestal of shinobi world legend.
'Please don't end up killing each other off.'
Shinichi slowly withdrew the gaze he had cast toward the northeast and lowered it toward his own body, which had already grown much taller and sturdier.
After turning ten, his height had shot up rapidly. In barely a year, he had gone from looking like a child to standing around one meter seventy tall.
Though not as exaggerated as some naturally monstrous talents, among people his age he already stood out like a crane among chickens, his figure gradually becoming lean and well-built.
Then the time had come.
Shinichi thought silently to himself. As it happened, not only did he possess Entries such as Genius, Clear Comprehension and Thorough Insight, Gourmet, and Taijutsu Specialization — all of which directly or indirectly increased the efficiency of his physical training — but his body was also currently in the fastest-growing stage of adolescence.
Without a doubt, this was the golden age for laying down his foundation and tempering his physique to the absolute limit.
Not to mention that his Fire Release chakra mode had already begun taking shape, dramatically increasing the efficiency of his physical training.
Using Entries as an analogy, the Third Raikage's astonishing strength and defense might already have reached the level of Purple LV2.
But Shinichi speculated that the Third Raikage's raw physical body might not actually be stronger than the Monkey King Enma.
Rather, it was because once the Third Raikage entered Lightning Release chakra mode, he received comprehensive enhancement — especially a massive leap in strength and defense.
If Shinichi's body, without any numerical-type Entries enhancing it at all, could already reach a level comparable to the Monkey King Enma, then that would be 1!
Stacking Entries on top of that would make it 2!
At that point, even in his "normal state," his strength and defense would steadily reach the same level as the Third Raikage after activating Lightning Release chakra mode.
And by then, his Fire Release chakra mode would presumably have fully matured as well. If his "normal state" could already rival the Raikage's strongest state, then once he entered the fully amplified Fire Release chakra mode, his overall power would completely surpass the other man's.
When that time came, the overwhelming victory he envisioned in his mind would become an inevitable conclusion!
And once he achieved that goal, Shinichi's strength would undoubtedly undergo an epic surge in growth.
'So hurry up and settle already!'
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