The Third Hokage pondered for a long time before finally speaking.
"Let's prepare for both scenarios. As Danzo suggested, each clan will gather some elites, tentatively around twenty to thirty people. Danzo, you will be in charge of this matter."
"Additionally, notify the Ninja Academy that this year's graduation exam will be moved up. This year's graduates will rotate with some frontline units, and the relieved units will gather in Konoha to await orders at the border of the Land of Whirlpools."
After settling the matter, everyone in the room let out a collective, inward sigh of relief.
"How are the two Uzumaki clan members doing now?" Danzo asked, his tone unchanging.
"They have entered the Academy, and Lady Mito is personally teaching them," the Third Hokage replied.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki only requires one person. Can the other be handed over to the Anbu for training?" Danzo looked directly at the Third Hokage. Danzo and Hiruzen had a long and complicated history, often seeing each other as rivals, with Danzo leading the clandestine "Root" division of the Anbu.[2][5]
The Third Hokage frowned. "Lady Mito has not yet decided on a candidate." He recalled the young boy he had seen effortlessly defeat a genin, a striking image still vivid in his mind. The feeling was even more profound than the one Orochimaru had given him years ago. *What a pity,* he thought. Remembering that Tsunade had returned, he considered a roundabout approach and fell into contemplation.
***
Although Mito had asked Tsunade to show the children around, Tsunade had abandoned them as soon as they left the gate. Fortunately, Nawaki was very familiar with Konoha, and since the three of them were roughly the same age, they had no trouble getting along. At Nawaki's strong recommendation, their first stop was atop the Hokage Rock, the highest point in Konoha, offering a panoramic view of the entire village.
It was spring, and the village was a scene of vibrant life. Even Kushina, who had been immersed in training for days, allowed herself to relax, squinting her eyes and basking in the sun.
"It was here that my grandfather first conceived the idea of establishing a village..." Nawaki chattered beside them, recounting the great deeds of the First Hokage. "I heard you also want to become Hokage?" he asked, looking at Kushina.
"Mhm." Kushina's face flushed. She couldn't very well admit that she hadn't really thought it through when she'd said it.
"Then we'll be rivals from now on!" Nawaki declared, excited by the prospect of another rival.
"Hokage, huh..."
"Kushina, Kyuushin, are you two here as well?"
Kyuushin looked back to see a head of golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. It could only be Minato.
"Another person who wants to be Hokage has arrived," Kyuushin chuckled. Minato came here almost every holiday, and seeing them now was an unexpected delight. While Kyuushin hadn't deliberately tried to befriend the future Fourth Hokage, he hadn't distanced himself either. Compared to their other classmates, Minato, with his more mature mindset, was more comfortable to be around.
Minato and Nawaki didn't know each other, but both had friendly personalities and quickly became acquainted. When Minato learned that Nawaki was a descendant of the First Hokage, they found even more common ground. Kyuushin couldn't be bothered to join their conversation. He took out the ninjutsu scroll Mito had given him and began to read.
*"The Clone Jutsu is only E-rank and has no physical form, making its practical use in combat minimal. I hope to create a physical clone jutsu."*
This was the first sentence of the scroll's main text. *Huh?* Kyuushin had thought it was just a simple ninjutsu scroll, but it seemed more like someone's research notes. He curiously read on.
The creator had tried many methods to create a physical clone. Since it was a physical clone, there had to be a medium to form its body. He experimented with the most common elements, earth and water, and found that he had to use earth and water made from his own chakra; using natural elements resulted in poor control. This meant the user needed a high level of nature transformation, setting a high bar for the jutsu.
*"Since even natural objects can serve as a vessel, can air also work?"* the creator proposed. Compared to earth and water, the density of air is almost negligible, ensuring better control. Furthermore, it wouldn't require any nature transformation, greatly lowering the requirements for the user. Below that were records of repeated experiments, finally achieving success on the twenty-sixth try.
*"I will call this physical clone jutsu the Shadow Clone Jutsu."*
Kyuushin let out a long breath after finishing. He had to admit, Mito had given him a huge surprise. Compared to a regular ninjutsu scroll, which simply taught how to perform a jutsu, this scroll detailed the entire creation process. He could follow the creator's thought process, step-by-step, deepening his own understanding. The former teaches you to apply a formula; the latter shows you how the formula was proven. The scroll was filled with valuable insights into chakra principles and the creator's thought process.
The author was undoubtedly the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, known for creating many forbidden jutsu that had a profound impact on later generations. Kyuushin felt as if he were following this legendary figure, experiencing the concrete process of creating a ninjutsu. The Shadow Clone Jutsu now held no mysteries for him.
He instinctively wanted to try it out, but the Hokage Rock wasn't the most convenient place. Impatient, he interrupted the two who were chatting happily. "Nawaki, take me to a training ground. I want to try this ninjutsu."
There were training grounds scattered throughout the village. Soon, the group of four arrived at the nearest one, Training Ground Three.
"Kyuushin, are you sure? You just got this scroll," Nawaki said, worried. "It took me several days to learn this jutsu."
"No problem," Kyuushin nodded confidently.
After adjusting his state, Kyuushin began to refine his chakra. Once he felt it was right, he formed the "Ram" hand seal. The chakra within his body was instantly mobilized. Following the steps in the scroll, he diligently formed the dispersed chakra into a spherical shape, enclosing air within it.
Instantly, another Kyuushin appeared before him. The two stared at each other. Unlike the standard Clone Jutsu, which creates a mindless illusion, the Shadow Clone possessed a physical body and the thoughts from the moment of its creation. After that, the main body had no idea what the clone was thinking.
"Wow, it really worked!" Kushina exclaimed, curiously poking the clone with her hand.