Kushina curiously poked Kyuushin's shadow clone. It felt just like a real person.
"Come, let's test its strength," the shadow clone said. Hearing this, Kushina threw a punch at the clone's chest.
*Bang.*
The clone only swayed and didn't dissipate.
"Use the same force, but add some chakra this time," it instructed. This time, Kushina's punch made direct contact and the clone dispersed in a puff of smoke. Simultaneously, a surge of memories flooded Kyuushin's mind—the memories of the shadow clone.
He quickly summarized his findings. The shadow clone had a certain degree of physical strength and wasn't easily shattered by simple force. However, it was vulnerable to attacks infused with chakra and to sharp weapons. This made sense; since shadow clones were formed by chakra enveloping air, any attack containing chakra would disrupt the clone's form, causing the air to leak and the clone to dissipate. Sharp weapons and significant blunt force would have the same effect.[4]
Coming back to his senses, Kyuushin saw Nawaki looking at him with eager eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Nawaki stammered, a little embarrassed. "Can you teach me the trick to this jutsu? When I try to use it, it's always hit or miss."
"Did you follow the scroll exactly?" Kyuushin pondered.
"Yes, yes, I did," Nawaki nodded, then scratched his head. "But sometimes my chakra doesn't completely listen to me."
Kyuushin understood immediately. It was a clear sign of insufficient chakra control, a problem that was relatively simple to train. He called all three of them over and began to explain how to improve it.
"Tree climbing? Water walking?" Kushina looked puzzled.
"Can I learn this too?" Minato asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"Of course," Kyuushin said casually. "This isn't some secret jutsu. When you graduate, your instructors will teach you."
"Let me demonstrate." Perhaps due to the fusion of two souls and the benefits from unlocking his genetic lock, Kyuushin's own chakra control had greatly improved. He had already practiced this and could perform both tree climbing and water walking with ease. He effortlessly walked up the side of a large tree, moving sideways and even upside down with incredible agility.
"The trick is to condense your chakra and attach it to the soles of your feet," he explained. "You have to be careful: too much chakra will damage the tree; too little, and the adhesion won't be strong enough to hold you. The soles of the feet are the furthest from the body's center. If you can walk around on a tree as freely as I just did, your chakra control will see a significant increase."
Kushina looked eager to try. "It doesn't look too hard." She immediately walked towards a large tree. Nawaki and Minato exchanged glances and, not wanting to be left behind, each found their own tree.
"Don't climb too high when you first practice, or it will hurt a lot when you fall," Kyuushin reminded them. "If you feel like you're going to fall, remember to use chakra as a cushion."
Before he had even finished speaking, Kushina, who was the first to try, fell after only two steps. "Ouch!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Kyuushin shrugged. "Who told you to go before I finished speaking?"
"Hmph!" Competitive as ever, Kushina immediately got up and tried again. Seeing her sorry state, Nawaki and Minato became more cautious. Nawaki used too much force on his first try, crushing the bark of the tree. He reduced his chakra, but then it was too little, and he fell. Minato, on the other hand, was doing much better. Though every step was wobbly, he didn't fall. Kyuushin noticed that Minato carefully controlled his chakra with each step, only moving after he was fully stabilized.
*As expected of the future Fourth Hokage,* Kyuushin thought. *His learning ability is simply unmatched.* In comparison, the other two were a mess, falling several more times in the short period he had observed Minato. However, both were tough and used chakra to soften their falls, so they avoided serious injury.
After observing for a while, Kyuushin returned to his own practice. Though he had learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he was not yet proficient. He planned to practice it more, as the technique had many creative applications for the future.
As the sun rose higher, the morning quickly passed. The four of them gradually stopped their training. Among the three practicing tree climbing, Minato had made the most progress. He could almost walk around the entire tree, and though still unskillful, he had gotten the hang of it. Nawaki and Kushina were a bit behind but had also made great progress. They would likely master it with another half-day of practice.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" After making significant progress in his chakra control, Nawaki successfully performed the jutsu several times in a row and couldn't help but laugh out loud. In high spirits, he waved his hand. "Come on, I'm treating you guys to barbecue."
The four of them marched grandly to a barbecue restaurant. Minato was initially embarrassed. As an orphan, the stipend Konoha provided was barely enough to keep him fed. He had never been to a relatively expensive place like a barbecue restaurant. He was already self-conscious about learning a new technique from a classmate, but Kyuushin's words dispelled his worries.
"Minato, friends don't need to be so precise about things," Kyuushin said, patting him on the shoulder. "Besides, with your talent, you'll definitely become an excellent ninja. When you have money, you can treat us then."
Minato was finally convinced. Though he seemed shy, he wasn't a squeamish person.
But... "Ah! I think I forgot to bring money!" Nawaki exclaimed, smacking his forehead. Kyuushin knew he was unreliable, but he hadn't expected this. Helpless, the four of them prepared to leave, dejected.
"Put their tab on my bill," a slightly hoarse voice came from nearby.
"Big Brother Orochimaru!" Nawaki's surprised voice rang out.
Kyuushin looked back and saw Orochimaru, dressed in Japanese-style loungewear, with fair skin, long black hair, purple eyeshadow, and his signature snake-like eyes. The young Orochimaru wasn't as gloomy and terrifying as he would later become; he looked quite normal.
"Come with me," Orochimaru beckoned to them.