Chapter 47: Shadow Clone Technique!
Morning in Konoha was soaked in a thin veil of mist, its density shifting gently as it drifted through the streets. The damp, chilly air brushed against the tips of eyebrows, and beads of dew clinging to the grass shattered beneath hurried footsteps, scattering faint bursts of cold.
Izumo gripped the edge of his clothing and quickened his pace. Ahead, the wooden Hokage Office building began to emerge faintly through the haze.
After being stopped by the guards stationed below the building, Izumo explained his purpose. Not long after, one of them escorted him toward the Hokage's office.
From behind the slightly ajar door, a low murmur of conversation from the Third Hokage could be heard, mingling with the faint crackle of a smoking pipe. The sound resembled drops of ink falling onto washi paper—calm, steady, and clear.
Izumo knocked.
When the word "Enter" came from inside, he pushed the door open and stepped in.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was leaning over a spread-out map, his brows tightly knit. One finger pressed against the border line between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. A corner of the map had curled slightly from the lingering smoke of his pipe.
"Izumo, you're here. Have you decided on your Ninjutsu?"
"Lord Hokage, I've given it careful thought." Izumo bowed respectfully, his tone steady. "I choose the Shadow Clone Technique and Basic Fuinjutsu."
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly lifted his gaze. The pipe in his fingers spun in a nimble half-circle. In his aging, clouded eyes, a flicker of doubt surfaced.
"You're not choosing an elemental offensive or defensive Ninjutsu?"
"Lord Hokage, for now these two techniques suit my combat system better. I mainly fight using Taijutsu, while Fuinjutsu can help me handle emergencies," Izumo explained calmly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "I will grant you one additional Ninjutsu—Water Release: Water Encampment Wall—as a personal gift. This is my decree. Take it later to the Ninjutsu library and exchange it."
As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen opened a drawer and took out a golden badge.
"Also, I'm granting you three months of leave to train your new Ninjutsu and improve your strength. Once the three months are over, I'll arrange a Jōnin evaluation mission for you."
Izumo accepted the badge with both hands. "Thank you very much, Lord Hokage!"
"Don't waste these three months." Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe lightly, and ash fell into a green porcelain dish.
Through the drifting smoke, his voice carried a trace of excitement. "If you pass this evaluation mission, you'll become one of the youngest Jōnin in Konoha. That's no small honor!"
"Understood. Izumo will give it his all!" Izumo replied, putting on an earnest front.
The title of Jōnin didn't just represent honor—it represented status and power. Izumo didn't care much about honor. What he cared about were tangible benefits.
Leaving the Hokage Office and returning home, Izumo spread several scrolls across the low table.
The first one he opened was the Shadow Clone Technique scroll.
The essence of the Shadow Clone Technique lay in "evenly dividing one's Chakra to create clones with physical form, independent consciousness, and combat ability." It was an A-rank Ninjutsu.
Its most crucial strategic value was this: when a clone disappeared, all memories, perceptions, and combat experiences accumulated during its existence would be transmitted back to the original body in full.
In other words, it could be used to accelerate proficiency.
Izumo ran his fingertips across the hand seal diagrams on the scroll and took a deep breath, centering his energy.
His hands moved as swiftly as shadows: Snake → Monkey → Rat → Horse → Dog!
Chakra burst forth in an instant. With three soft puffs, four Shadow Clones identical to him appeared out of nowhere. The curve of their bangs, the height of their rolled sleeves, even the sharp glint in their eyes—there wasn't the slightest difference.
[Shadow Clone Technique: Beginner (1/100)]
A pale blue system panel flashed briefly before his eyes.
"Let's test it," Izumo commanded.
The four Shadow Clones immediately sprang into action. Two began practicing Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field, while the other two practiced Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.
Izumo's original body sat cross-legged. While circulating his Chakra extraction technique, he waited for the Shadow Clones to exhaust their Chakra reserves.
After the time it took for a single stick of incense to burn, the four Shadow Clones collapsed and vanished. At that moment, four streams of information flooded into Izumo's mind.
Detailed training memories poured in continuously:
The cool sensation at the fingertips of the left clone as it gathered a layer of water.
The slight soreness in the right clone's ring finger while forming Earth Release hand seals.
The fatigue embedded in muscle memory as the clones repeated the sequences again and again…
The influx strained his mind and drained his spiritual strength.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Izumo leaned back against the tatami and rested for a moment. Only after the throbbing in his brain eased slightly did he look back at the proficiency panel.
Success!
Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field: Expert (901/1000) → Expert (927/1000)
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall: Expert (912/1000) → Expert (935/1000)
The pale blue text lingered before his eyes for three seconds. The tension at the corner of Izumo's mouth finally curved upward into a faint smile.
The Shadow Clone Technique was truly effective.
"It's just that the mental burden is a bit heavy," Izumo thought to himself.
Normally, the limit of the Shadow Clone Technique was dividing oneself into four. For now, using four Shadow Clones for training was already more than sufficient for him—it was even reaching the maximum load he could handle.
He then turned his gaze to the remaining two scrolls. After several rounds of practice, he successfully entered both techniques into the proficiency panel:
[Basic Fuinjutsu: Beginner (1/100)]
[Water Release: Water Encampment Wall: Beginner (1/100)]
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