Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
The sound of air being sliced through echoed constantly in the sky above Central Street.
As figures streaked by, both ninjas and civilians noticed something unusual was happening tonight. The villagers, however, did not panic. There was no alarm, and the flashing figures did not indicate any immediate danger. It was clear that whatever was happening didn't concern them, and they were safe.
Izanami sat casually on a single sofa on the balcony, sipping his juice as he admired the starlit sky. The fleeting figures flying past his house didn't capture his attention. The spectacle held little interest for him.
Time passed. The figures flying over the rooftops gradually disappeared, and the once-bustling streets of Central Street grew quieter, with fewer pedestrians around. When the night seemed to have quieted down entirely, Izanami grew tired of watching. He stood and returned inside his house.
Shortly after, the lights in the living room flicked off.
After a refreshing shower, Izanami emerged wearing pajamas, a faint smile playing on his handsome face.
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique... acquired!
What no one knew was that, deep within a man-made cave nestled in a remote waterfall area, several figures—cloaked in Invisibility Technique—were merged with the mountain wall. These figures, using long-range vision that spanned up to eighty kilometers, kept a close eye on Uzumaki Naruto, who was wearing his signature orange jacket and dark green goggles. From the moment he stepped out of the Hokage Building, every movement of his was meticulously tracked.
With their enhanced sight and perspective abilities, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed inside Naruto's body and even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been watching Naruto through the Crystal Ball Technique, were completely unaware of their presence.
When Naruto opened the Book of Sealing, these hidden figures acted swiftly. Blank scrolls were unfurled, and the technique for the Multiple Shadow Clone was carefully transcribed. These figures were Izanami's shadow clones, using the Transformation Technique.
After copying down the entire cultivation method for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, the shadow clones ensured no traces or scents were left behind. They disbanded immediately, erasing all signs of their presence.
Receiving the feedback, Izanami didn't rush to retrieve the scroll containing the technique. There was no need to hurry—the technique had already been obtained. Instead, he laid back on his bed, curious about the team assignments that would take place in two days.
As always, he was confident in his and Hinata's progress. Their battles with Uchiha Sasuke had undoubtedly caught the attention of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Even before graduation, Izanami had already mastered techniques like Tree Climbing and Water Walking, things that weren't taught at the Ninja School. He had even developed basic Wind Release and Fire Release jutsu, as well as the B-rank Shadow Clone Technique. In both Taijutsu and unsanctioned duels, he had easily bested Hinata—the main branch of the Hyuga Clan—and Sasuke, the orphan who had unlocked the Sharingan.
Though Izanami couldn't compare to the legendary Minato Namikaze—who was already a Jiraiya disciple at twelve and defeated the Cloud Ninja—or to Kakashi Hatake, who had become a Jonin and developed the A-rank Lightning Release: Chidori, he was undoubtedly second to them. But unlike them, Izanami was a product of a peaceful era, not one shaped by the ravages of war.
In a time of relative peace, standing out as a genius made him a special case. Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi might hesitate to offend the major Ninja clans, Izanami knew that it would be impossible for him to be placed in the same team as other ordinary students. The idea of him being assigned to a regular team with an average Jonin instructor simply didn't make sense. If that were to happen, it would show Sarutobi's disinterest in him—and his attention to Izanami would likely dwindle. That would open the door for Izanami to operate in the shadows, doing as he pleased.
With that thought in mind, Izanami pushed the team assignment out of his mind and let himself relax, closing his eyes as sleep claimed him.
The next morning, Izanami woke up and noticed that neither Hinata nor Hanabi had come over. He decided to retrieve the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique scroll first.
Knowing that Hiruzen Sarutobi's Crystal Ball Technique allowed him to spy from an almost divine perspective, Izanami decided to read the scroll lying down. In this position, even if Sarutobi tried to peer into his actions, Izanami wouldn't be worried about being detected.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, unlike the basic Shadow Clone, required more hand seals and had a more complex Chakra mobilization. The sheer amount of Chakra needed for this technique was immense, and only those with a vast supply of Chakra could safely perform it. Without it, one risked injury or even death.
It was rumored that Kakashi Hatake had mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique at the age of five or six. Despite the continuous drain on his Chakra caused by the Sharingan, Kakashi was still capable of using the technique at a level many ninjas could never hope to reach.
Izanami thought to himself, "Even with the Sharingan draining his Chakra all the time, Kakashi's reserves are still at the Elite Jonin level. After losing the Sharingan, he recovered quickly, and now he could use Earth Release: Wall to create something as massive as a dog's head around Konoha."
"If he hadn't been burdened by the Sharingan, his Chakra reserves would definitely rival those of Kisame Hoshigaki."
Excluding the few Jinchuriki, only a select few in this era could utilize the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Izanami was one of them.
At this moment, Izanami couldn't help but feel immensely grateful that he hadn't acted impulsively earlier and used his newbie gift package on Uzumaki Naruto. If he had, his only advantage now would be a large amount of Chakra. Even with that, the thought of awakening the Rinnegan—even with Uchiha Sasuke's Immortal Eyes—would be out of reach for several years, if not more than a decade.
Now, looking at the combination of Ōtsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Sage Art - Eye (Red), and Byakugan Prince (Red), Izanami could feel the stirring of something incredible within him—the fetal movement of something extraordinary.
In just five minutes, Izanami had finished reading the scroll and fully learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Without needing to test it, he already knew that with his vast Chakra reserves, he could easily create hundreds, even thousands, of shadow clones with just a simple application of the technique.
To avoid Hanabi accidentally finding the scroll and attempting to cultivate the technique out of curiosity, Izanami didn't bother hiding it—he simply destroyed it. The technique was now fully mastered, and should the need arise, he could easily teach it or create a new copy.
By noon, still seeing no sign of Hinata or Hanabi, Izanami decided to head out and buy some Ninja tools.
On his way, he noticed Uzumaki Naruto being persistently pestered by Konohamaru, with Ebisu, the Special Jonin, tailing them from behind. The Genin forehead protector had replaced the green goggles on Naruto's forehead, a sign that he'd recently had a new ID photo taken.
Naruto, engaged in conversation with Konohamaru, didn't notice Izanami, and Izanami didn't feel the need to approach him. He merely glanced at him briefly, then turned his attention back to the Ninja tool shop.
Upon returning home, Izanami found two extra pairs of shoes at the entrance. Inside the dojo—a room on the first floor that had been converted for training—he heard the distinct sound of something striking, almost like a series of claps or impacts, crisp and sharp.
Walking over to investigate, he opened the door and found Hinata and Hanabi, both dressed in white practice clothes, their Byakugan activated. The veins on their temples were bulging, and they were sparring fiercely. Their movements were a blur of afterimages, their hands creating a symphony of rapid strikes. Blue flames flickered around their fists as each collision of their blows sent small waves of air rippling through the room.
Looking closely, it was clear that Hinata wasn't really fighting seriously. Instead, she was controlling the pace of the spar, feeding moves to Hanabi. If she had been going all out, Hanabi would have been covered in bruises by now.
To Izanami, it was obvious that Hanabi's moves were too easy to predict. Her lower body was especially weak, with glaring openings that were easy to exploit.
A thought crossed his mind: he could start teaching Hanabi Tree Climbing and Water Walking—skills that Hinata had mastered long ago. Despite Hanabi's Byakugan being slightly less refined than Hinata's, she was not lacking in other areas and had the potential to learn more advanced Chakra control, just like Hinata had done in the past.
Just as Izanami was considering this, Hanabi's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Oni-chan, take this—"
With her words, Hanabi dashed toward him, her practice clothes and activated Byakugan making her seem formidable. The sight of veins popping from her temples and blue flames wrapping around her fingertips could have been intimidating to most of her peers.
However, Izanami simply raised the corner of his mouth in a slight smile. Without even putting down the bag of Ninja tools in his hand, he vanished in an afterimage, reappearing next to Hanabi as if he had teleported.
With a swift motion, he placed the instep of his bare foot against Hanabi's stomach. The force of the impact sent her flying into the air toward Hinata, who quickly caught her mid-flight.
"Come on, let's go together," Izanami called out, tossing the bag of tools into the corner. He motioned with his fingers for the two sisters to approach him, a mischievous look on his face.
The Hyuga sisters exchanged a brief glance, their expressions hardening with determination. Without a word, they launched themselves toward him.
"Oni-chan, you're too arrogant! You'll regret this!" Hanabi shouted with fiery conviction.
Hinata remained silent, but her slender fingers flicked through the air, each movement containing an extraordinary amount of finger strength and Chakra, shooting through the air like arrows.
A louder crashing sound rang through the dojo as the two sisters and Izanami clashed. The room echoed with the sounds of rapid strikes, intense impacts, and occasionally, pained grunts or yelps—though the thick walls of the house kept the noise from reaching the outside world.
But after more than half an hour, the fighting sounds were replaced by the sound of laughter and playful banter.
"Wuuuu... it hurts, it hurts so much! Hiss... Oni-chan, I'm going to bite you to death!" Hanabi complained, her voice muffled with frustration.
"Didn't you say you were going to make me regret it? Where's all that confidence now?" Izanami teased, a grin spreading across his face. "Stop biting, your injuries have already healed, and Big Sister's still not treated."
"I'm going to bite you, Big Sister, you bite him too! Let's bite Oni-chan together!" Hanabi giggled.
"Hahaha, the teeth marks will fade on their own later. Stop licking me, it tickles," Izanami laughed.
"Hee hee... we're going to get back at you, Oni-chan!" Hinata said, a playful gleam in her eyes.
"..."
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