One month later.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In the courtyard, Naruto formed the cross seal with his hands and called out the technique's name.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
A succession of soft sounds accompanied the appearance of ten shadow clones surrounding him.
As the jutsu completed, Naruto looked at Minato and Kushina with eager eyes, clearly seeking approval from his parents.
"That's pretty good. You can create so many clones now..." Minato said with a warm smile.
Naruto's face instantly lit up with joy.
Kushina reached out and affectionately ruffled Naruto's hair, sharing in his happiness.
In truth, given Naruto's chakra reserves, he could potentially create many more clones. However, his chakra control still needed refinement. Creating too many clones would significantly reduce how long he could maintain them.
"Brother is awesome," Chiharu said, genuinely happy for Naruto's progress.
"It's just that..." she continued, turning to look at her parents, "my brother is learning the Shadow Clone Technique, but it probably won't count toward his assessment at the Academy."
After mastering the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto's abilities had undoubtedly strengthened. However, the training they needed to focus on now was preparation for the graduation exams less than a year away.
Throughout the past month, Naruto had devoted himself to practicing the Shadow Clone Technique, hardly spending any time on his Academy subjects. Chiharu worried this might affect his grades.
"That's true..." Minato acknowledged. Then he smiled, turning to Naruto. "First, dispel your shadow clones, and then try the regular Clone Technique."
"Um..."
Naruto hesitated momentarily before nodding and releasing the Shadow Clone Technique.
Then he formed several hand seals in sequence—the signs for the basic Clone Technique.
Poof! Poof!
Three identical clones suddenly materialized beside Naruto.
"Three clones? When did brother practice this? They're much better than before!" Chiharu exclaimed in surprise.
Just a month ago, Naruto could barely create a single clone, and even that would quickly dissipate without careful concentration.
"I... I don't know either!"
Even Naruto himself appeared bewildered. He stared at his hands in disbelief.
Kushina glanced at Minato, who wore a broad smile but showed no surprise whatsoever. Naruto's progress had fallen precisely within the scope of his plan.
"Although each ninjutsu has its unique execution, all techniques share the same foundation," Minato explained. "That foundation is chakra control."
He elaborated that for someone with Naruto's innate bloodline advantages, the Shadow Clone Technique wasn't particularly difficult to master. During his practice with Shadow Clones, Naruto's chakra control had improved exponentially compared to conventional training methods.
Therefore, even without specifically practicing the basic Clone Technique, Naruto's enhanced chakra control made performing it significantly easier.
"I don't really understand what Dad's saying, but it's great to be able to learn the Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
Creating three clones was already considered excellent performance for their class. This development had substantially narrowed the gap between Naruto and Sasuke.
Chiharu listened carefully to Minato's explanation, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes as she processed the implications.
Looking at their children with their distinctly different approaches, Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting shared joy.
"With your current chakra level, you should maintain around a dozen clones for optimal results," Minato advised Naruto. "In your next training session, focus on increasing the strength of each individual clone."
"Strength?" Naruto asked, slightly confused.
"The Shadow Clone Technique distributes your chakra evenly," Minato explained. "Though this doesn't mean each clone is as strong as your original body, if the clones are too fragile, they serve little purpose."
"Fragile? No way!" Naruto shook his head confidently.
"Very sure of yourself, aren't you?" Minato said with a knowing smile. "Then use your shadow clones to try and catch Chiharu."
"Dad?!"
Chiharu shot her father a surprised look, caught off guard by his sudden suggestion.
"Minato..." Kushina's eyes held a questioning expression.
"It's just simple sparring," Minato assured them. "I'm only asking you to catch Chiharu because I don't want either of you getting hurt."
He gave Chiharu a reassuring glance, silently communicating that she shouldn't worry.
"Okay." Naruto didn't overthink the challenge. He knew Chiharu's abilities were only slightly below Sasuke's. Defeating her might prove difficult, but catching her shouldn't be too challenging.
Chiharu, understanding Minato's intention, nodded and walked toward an open space to face Naruto.
Naruto and Chiharu stood opposite each other, and Naruto's expression gradually shifted to one of serious concentration.
Swish!
Suddenly, Naruto's speed increased as he lunged directly at Chiharu.
Naruto's taijutsu, taught by Minato himself, made him remarkably fast for his age.
However, Chiharu moved even faster. Before Naruto could make contact, she retreated with fluid grace.
Naruto missed his target.
Undeterred, he continued his pursuit, his movements becoming increasingly aggressive.
After several attempts, circling the yard multiple times, he still couldn't touch Chiharu or catch her.
Naruto paused, then formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
He created five shadow clones. After a moment of silent coordination, they dispersed in different directions, attempting to trap Chiharu between them.
"Though you may not fully grasp the concept I explained, you're applying it effectively in combat," Minato observed with approval.
He had previously explained to Naruto that the more clones he created, the weaker each individual would become. By using only five clones, Naruto maintained a balance where each clone retained significant power while still allowing him to block all of Chiharu's potential escape routes.
Chiharu appeared slightly surprised as Naruto and his shadow clones surrounded her. His real body charged directly toward her.
Observing this, she frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, determination shone in her eyes.
Minato, watching from the sidelines, noticed every subtle detail and smiled knowingly.
Facing Naruto's frontal approach, Chiharu didn't dodge as expected but instead moved to meet him head-on.
Naruto grinned, glancing at his remaining clones.
As Minato had noted, Naruto's battlefield judgment was impressively quick.
Chiharu's direct confrontation created the scenario with the highest probability of success for him.
The four clones sprang into action, closing in from different angles and further restricting Chiharu's escape options.
Her space for maneuver grew increasingly limited, yet a confident smile appeared on Chiharu's face.
"This is..."
When that smile formed, both Kushina and Minato sensed what was coming. Chiharu instantly concentrated a significant amount of chakra in her legs.