Though spacious, the front yard of the Namikaze residence suddenly seemed crowded as Kushina's dozens of shadow clones filled the space.
Naruto and Chiharu stared in amazement, their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.
With another hand seal from Kushina, the shadow clones disappeared in a series of soft pops, returning the yard to its normal state.
"This is the Shadow Clone Jutsu—a more advanced version of the Clone Jutsu you learn at the Academy," Kushina explained. "The key difference is that these clones have physical form, unlike the basic illusions you've been practicing."
"Wow!" Naruto listened with rapt attention, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Kushina had just promised that he could learn this technique quickly—a prospect that filled him with excitement.
"Physical clones?" Chiharu stepped forward, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Wouldn't that be more difficult to master than the basic Clone Technique?"
Seeing the hesitation flicker across Naruto's face, Kushina smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Your father taught me this Shadow Clone Technique. It was actually the first ninjutsu I ever learned, even before I attempted the ordinary Clone Technique."
"Really?" Chiharu couldn't hide her surprise. In her understanding, the Shadow Clone Technique must be more advanced than the basic Clone Technique. Why would her father have taught her mother the more difficult one first?
As if reading her thoughts, Kushina explained, "Because your father knew that the Shadow Clone Technique was perfectly suited to my abilities."
"Though it's classified as a B-rank jutsu and considered advanced ninjutsu, the practitioner's innate qualities matter more than the technique's inherent difficulty," she continued.
"The most important requirement is a substantial chakra reserve."
Kushina gazed proudly at her children. "You both inherited my bloodline, so learning this technique shouldn't pose any problem for you."
"Yes!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Mom, please teach us now!"
He was well aware of his own abundant chakra reserves.
Kushina nodded and began her instruction. "The key to this technique is distributing your chakra evenly among each clone, like this."
She extended her hands and formed the cross seal again, effortlessly creating four shadow clones.
Naruto observed her movements intently, committing every detail to memory.
After Kushina completed her demonstration, he immediately formed the cross seal with his own hands and began marshaling the chakra within his body.
Though only nine years old, Naruto's chakra capacity already exceeded that of most Konoha ninjas.
Pop!
After concentrating his chakra for more than ten seconds, a single shadow clone finally materialized beside him.
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement at his success.
However, as his concentration wavered slightly, the shadow clone promptly disappeared.
"Whew..."
After completing his first attempt at the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto showed visible signs of fatigue, his breathing quickened.
"With your chakra reserves, you should be able to create at least a dozen shadow clones," Kushina observed. "But your chakra control is too unrefined. You haven't achieved truly even distribution, which is why the clone lasted only briefly and you could create just one."
She explained that while this was only his first training session, it revealed his greatest weakness.
Yet Naruto showed no sign of disappointment. On the contrary, he appeared even more motivated.
After a short rest, he resumed his practice with renewed enthusiasm.
Kushina turned to Chiharu, who remained standing beside her. "Aren't you going to practice too, Chiharu?"
Chiharu smiled softly. "I've memorized the technique, but I don't think I'm ready for such advanced ninjutsu just yet."
Kushina understood her daughter's consideration for Naruto's feelings. With Chiharu's natural talent, she would undoubtedly master the Shadow Clone Technique much faster.
Though only seven years old, Chiharu already possessed sufficient chakra capacity to perform shadow clones.
Naruto continued training until bedtime. Exhausted from the intense practice, he fell asleep almost immediately after his head touched the pillow.
"Good night, Mom," Chiharu said, retiring to her own room.
With both children asleep, Minato returned home about half an hour later.
Though the Chunin Exams were essentially complete, this period remained one of his busiest as Hokage.
Kushina reheated the dinner she had set aside for him, and the couple sat at the dining table, conversing quietly.
"I taught Naruto the Shadow Clone Technique today," Kushina reported. "He was absolutely thrilled."
She mentioned that it had been Minato who suggested teaching Naruto this particular jutsu.
"Given Naruto's unique circumstances, the Shadow Clone Technique will serve him better than the basic ninjutsu taught at the Academy," Minato nodded, smiling. "Thank you for handling this."
His recent responsibilities had prevented him from personally overseeing Naruto's training, leaving everything to Kushina.
"I only demonstrated the technique. I'm certainly not as skilled an instructor as you, but I am Naruto's mother after all," Kushina replied with a playful wink, her eyes sparkling with the same vivacity she had always possessed.
"However, with his current level of chakra control, he won't master the Shadow Clone Technique properly anytime soon."
Unlike Kushina, who had created ten clones after just a few hours of practice, Naruto's entire evening of training had yielded only a single shadow clone that lasted less than a minute.
"I expected as much," Minato acknowledged. "When he was younger, I couldn't adequately address the complications caused by the Nine-Tails' chakra interfering with his own."
"But practicing the Shadow Clone Technique should significantly improve his chakra control in a relatively short time."
Minato explained that the monotonous process of refining chakra control was inherently slow. Developing specific techniques to practice made the process considerably more efficient.
The tree-climbing and water-walking exercises functioned on this same principle.
"You're only teaching him the Shadow Clone Technique now because you were concerned he might over-consume chakra and lose control of the Nine-Tails' power?" Kushina asked, understanding her husband's thinking better than anyone.
"Yes. He'll take the graduation exam in a year, and knowing his personality, if the gap between him and Sasuke becomes too pronounced, he'll struggle to accept it."
"I see."
A gentle smile spread across Kushina's face. "So, during this final year, the training plan you've designed for Naruto extends beyond simply mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, doesn't it?"
Minato nodded. Though typically humble and gentle, a rare glimmer of pride shone in his deep blue eyes.
"Of course. I'm the Hokage and Naruto's father—how could I stand by and watch my son be outshone by others?"