Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
"Shinki, d-did you figure this out on your own?!"
Iruka's eyes widened.
"Yeah."
Shinki looked bewildered.
"And I found that if I put more Chakra into this Clone Technique while making the Hand Seals, I could create a lot of physical clones."
As he spoke, Shinki made the Hand Seals again.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
In an instant, Shinki's clones filled the entire classroom!
At a rough estimate,
There were hundreds of them!!
The whole class: Dead silence!!
Iruka: (°Д°≡°Д°)!!
So many clones!
Th-this...
Could this be the Konoha forbidden technique developed by the Second?!
An A-rank Ninjutsu that was extremely difficult to learn and use!
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!
The legendary forbidden technique!
Shinki had learned it just by figuring it out himself?!
More importantly, he actually had enough Chakra to create so many clones!!
A bead of sweat dripped down Iruka's forehead.
What he had seen today overturned all his experience teaching Ninjutsu over the past few decades!
He had taught for years, and it wasn't as if he had never seen students with exceptional comprehension.
But even the best had merely followed the textbook and learned quickly.
Someone who could teach himself the Shadow Clone Technique was one in ten million!
And someone who could build on the Shadow Clone Technique and use an immense supply of Chakra to perform the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was someone he had never seen in his life!
Iruka now realized that Shinki was a genius!
A monstrous genius!
A future pillar of Konoha!
Its hope!
"Sensei, is this still not good enough?"
Shinki carefully studied Iruka's expression.
Judging by his teacher's stunned look, he apparently still wasn't satisfied with his Shadow Clone Technique.
Shinki sighed.
Sure enough, becoming a ninja was hard.
Even this didn't meet the standard.
Shinki ventured, "Sensei, actually, last night I tried making adaptations like you said, and I found that with different Chakra attributes and Hand Seals, I could use other mediums to create clones..."
"W-what?"
Iruka stammered.
"How about... you show me?"
Iruka's pupils suddenly widened, but he forced himself to calm down.
He wanted to see just what else Shinki had figured out.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique had already come out.
Could an elementary-school kid at the Ninja Academy really use Chakra attributes to create corresponding clones?
Come on.
How could that be...
The next moment,
Iruka's expression froze completely!
The expressions of the entire class froze at that moment too!
Shinki seemed to have just done something incredible!
Shikamaru rubbed his eyes, afraid he had seen wrong.
Shinki had just... seemingly used a Water Release Clone!
Wait, he had used an Earth Release Clone too!
And Lightning Release?!
┏(゜ロ゜;)┛
Had they ever taught this stuff at the Ninja Academy?!
Hey, where had this guy been secretly practicing?!
That was cheating!
We still couldn't even get the hang of Shadow Clones,
And this guy could already use Multiple Nature Clones!
Sasuke did the same thing as Shikamaru.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
∑(O_O;)
Sasuke Uchiha was the last member of Konoha's Uchiha Clan, with the Sharingan and an extraordinary talent for learning.
Ever since he had enrolled, his classmates had envied him.
And today, for the first time, he had met a genius more gifted than himself!
This guy's comprehension was just plain cheating!
Iruka, standing nearby: (º Д º*)
It was real!
He had really done it!
Shinki had just made Hand Seals
And used Water Release, Earth Release, and Lightning Release Clones in turn...
This was insane!
It was terrifying for a child to suddenly catch on like this!
Th-this...
Genius couldn't even begin to describe him!
A sage!
A true sage!
Iruka pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to calm himself down.
Seeing this, Shinki thought Iruka still wasn't satisfied with his performance. "Sensei, I also discovered that I could combine the Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique..."
Iruka waved a hand.
He wore the world-weary expression of a man battered by life: _(:D)∠)_
"Shinki, you don't need to show me. I need some time to process this."
"All right." Shinki was a little dejected.
Was it still not good enough?
When he had figured out Shadow Clones and these Multiple Nature Clones last night, he had been a little excited.
He had thought his classmates and teacher would see him in a new light.
But judging by Iruka-sensei's expression now, he was afraid he hadn't even achieved a passing grade...
Sigh~
Sure enough, learning Ninjutsu was hard for an amateur.
In the end, the class Shinki was in was canceled on short notice.
Iruka-sensei gave no further explanation, only saying he had something to do.
And Shinki noticed
That Iruka-sensei had given him a long look before leaving.
It was an extremely complicated look.
There seemed to be some disappointment mixed in.
Could it be that Iruka-sensei thought I wasn't cut out to practice Ninjutsu, so he planned to report it to the Hokage and have me expelled?!
As Shinki's imagination ran wild, Naruto patted him on the shoulder.
"Shinki, that whole string of clones you just made was amazing."
Naruto spoke from the heart.
"But Iruka-sensei didn't seem satisfied."
Shinki answered listlessly.
Shinki's knowledge of Naruto was limited to a few of its famous characters.
As for how Ninjutsu worked, he knew very little.
So he simply assumed Naruto was deliberately comforting him as a friend.
"It's okay, Shinki. If Iruka-sensei isn't satisfied, just keep working hard until he is." Naruto comforted Shinki like a little sun.
"Okay!"
Shinki clenched his fists and gave Naruto a grateful look. "Thank you, Naruto."
He had learned the Clone Technique in one night, which meant he had made up for the years he had fallen behind.
That meant he wasn't beyond saving yet.
As long as he kept working hard, one day he would earn his teacher's approval and graduate!
Meanwhile,
"Achoo!"
Iruka, standing in the Hokage's office, sneezed.
"Iruka, have you caught a cold?"
The Third Hokage asked casually.
Iruka waved a hand. "It's nothing. My nose just tickled. Lord Hokage, I have something very important to report to you!"
"Is it about that boy Shinki?"
The Third Hokage leafed through the documents in his hands, seemingly unconcerned.
The Anbu had just reported that Shinki had figured out the Multiple Shadow Clone and the Multi-Attribute Clone Technique.
"So you already knew. As expected, nothing in Konoha escapes your notice."
Having recovered from the shock Shinki had given him, Iruka spoke with a sigh.
The Third Hokage looked up and fixed his gaze on Iruka, appreciation in his eyes. "Iruka, you're a fine teacher. You've taught a genius."
"It was all thanks to Shinki's own efforts. I didn't help much."
Iruka spoke modestly.
Then the Third Hokage asked, seemingly in passing, "As Shinki's teacher, what do you think of what he has done?"
Iruka explained at length, "Shinki has been a very hardworking child ever since he enrolled. Now that he's shown such godlike talent, I'm shocked, but I'm also happy for the boy..."
The Third Hokage put down the documents in his hands and gave his assessment. "To be honest, I've studied Ninjutsu for many years, and I'm skeptical of someone suddenly catching on overnight."
"Rather than saying he figured it out overnight, I'd say it's what Shinki has learned over the years but never revealed."
"And today, he showed it all to everyone at once."
"Of course, learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Multi-Attribute Clone Technique in four or five years still makes him a genius among geniuses!"
Iruka nodded at that. "In that case, Shinki isn't just exceptionally gifted; he has a good temperament too, keeping himself hidden for all these years..."
The Third Hokage rose from his seat, stood before the window of the Hokage's office, and looked toward the Ninja Academy. "Yes, that boy really gives us something to look forward to."
After exchanging their views on Shinki, the Third Hokage and Iruka-sensei began discussing how to teach him going forward.
"Iruka, what do you think is most important for a genius?"
The Third asked solemnly.