Trying Their Luck

Kushina Uzumaki pushed aside the bushes and, sure enough, saw her two Shadow Clone Jutsu clones tied up tightly, their mouths stuffed with handkerchiefs. They had not been dispelled.

Had they considered that dispelling the clones would send their memories back to the original, ruining the encirclement plan?

"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!" Kushina Uzumaki released control of all her Shadow Clone Jutsu clones, and their memories came flooding back.

So that was how it was.

Through the information returned by the clones, Kushina Uzumaki could clearly see the process by which the two clones had been subdued.

The instant they entered the bushes, ropes tripped them, and then Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina rushed in and subdued them.

Quick and precise.

Kushina Uzumaki could not help nodding.

At the same time, she saw the entire process of Uchiha Hirohiko and Chiba creating Shadow Clone Jutsu clones together, then having those clones transform into her.

It was not just Hyuga Yukina. When Chiba created his clones, Uchiha Hirohiko's face had changed in shock as well. She could feel that her own clones had been stunned too! Then Chiba leaped out, with the two clones following close behind.

Kushina Uzumaki nodded silently, though doubt rose within her.

Chiba was still a Ninja Academy student. Where had he learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu and Earth Style Jutsu? As Kushina Uzumaki dispelled her clones, Chiba and the other two gathered together and sat down to rest.

"We won... Teacher Kushina?" Hyuga Yukina's tone carried disbelief, though her face remained almost entirely expressionless. This girl had always looked blank-faced at most she merely became stern. It was rare to see any other expression on her face.

Uchiha Hirohiko nodded as well, affirming it while sharing her surprise. He was a standard poker face and a man of few words.

As for Chiba, he always seemed deep in thought. That was also related to his long years of solitary life. At any time, in any place, under any circumstances, he could almost instantly enter a state of absolute self, casting aside others' gazes and influence and fully settling into his own rhythm.

Did they really win? Chiba shook his head.

No. Kushina had not used her full strength at all. She had not even attacked, aside from the initial ambush. If she had intended to attack us, we would probably already be lying on the ground.

Chiba understood that clearly.

At that moment, Kushina Uzumaki walked over, sat down in front of the three of them, and asked, "How did you find my original body?"

At that, Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina both looked at Chiba.

"Actually, we didn't find the original body..." Chiba gave an embarrassed smile. "We were just guessing."

Shadow Clone Jutsu clones were impossible to distinguish in the first place. Even the Byakugan and Sharingan could not tell them apart. How was I supposed to know...

Kushina Uzumaki looked at Chiba for a while, then said, "Then what would you have done next if the one you encountered had not been my original body?"

"We could only keep trying our luck," Chiba said. The moment he finished speaking, Kushina Uzumaki's red hair began to float.

Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina immediately retreated a considerable distance.

Trying their luck... After setting up such a trap for me...

At that thought, Kushina Uzumaki unconsciously raised her fist, veins throbbing on the back of her hand.

Did he take me for an idiot?!

"Thud!"

Chiba clutched his head. A large red bump swelled up there, hurting like hell.

In truth, Chiba really did not know where the original body was. He had merely inferred from Kushina Uzumaki's formation that she was probably either in the innermost corner or among the squad in the center.

After all, among the ten squads of clones, only the central squad had been attacked. Every clone squad could provide support at once, making that the point most likely to contain the original body.

As for the innermost point, dense forest and bushes lay behind it, but the trees grew crisscrossed there, making it impossible to circle around. Chiba had discovered that while moving through the bushes earlier. Moreover, from above, one would notice that although all the squads centered around the middle point, the innermost point was actually the tightest position. The gaps between squads there were extremely small.

Both points were highly possible, and he was not entirely certain, so he had devised this plan. Besides, Chiba had never expected Hirohiko and Yukina to coordinate with him so smoothly.

He had only told them to attack the squads on both sides and draw the attention of all the clones, while his and Hirohiko's clones took advantage of the chaos to attack every clone at those two points and locate the original body.

The situation had been urgent, and he had only had time to say that much.

Yet their subsequent coordination had not faltered in the slightest, smoothly achieving the result he wanted.

Even Chiba found that level of tacit understanding astonishing.

And if the plan had failed—if the original body had been at neither the central point nor the innermost point—then it would have been among the twelve clones surrounding them. After that, it truly would have come down to luck.

Before their stamina ran out, they would see how many clones they could touch. Whether one of them was the original body would be entirely up to luck.

Chiba had not been talking nonsense when he answered Kushina. In his mind, anything that could not be confirmed with absolute certainty depended on luck, whether it succeeded or failed. He had only spoken the truth.

Ow, that punch hurt... Why am I always the one getting beaten up? I was only telling the truth!

Chiba sighed inwardly.

Then he felt Hyuga Yukina's gaze turn toward him, her eyes filled with doubt.

Uh... I forgot this girl has the Byakugan. Did she see it when I activated Gate of Life Mode to create the clones? Chiba's mouth twitched. He did not know whether it was good for Eight Gates Mode to be exposed to others, so he had instinctively kept it hidden. But in that battle just now, he had had no choice but to activate Gate of Life Mode.

Otherwise, with the chakra reserves of a near-Genin, he probably could not even create a Shadow Clone Jutsu clone. Even if he did, it would have little combat ability. He had to activate Gate of Life Mode and use the chakra reserves of a near-Chunin to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

During his earlier practice, Chiba had also discovered that if he created a Shadow Clone Jutsu clone while in Gate of Life Mode, the clone possessed fifty percent of his chakra in that state, but it did not enter Gate of Life Mode itself.

Neither the Eight Gates nor Eight Gates Mode could affect Shadow Clone Jutsu clones. That was also something that troubled Chiba a little, since the Sharingan and Byakugan could tell the difference between the two at a glance.

Moreover, after creating a clone in Gate of Life Mode, not only was half his chakra split off, but his physical exertion in Gate of Life Mode also increased by nearly fifty percent. Fortunately, he could now maintain Gate of Life Mode for around an hour, so the impact was not too severe.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu did not suit me, but sometimes it could produce unexpected results.

Chiba analyzed the matter while holding his head.

As for where Chiba had learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, naturally, it was just like Earth Spear. During his battle with Hirohiko, he had seen Hirohiko's hand seals and learned it naturally.

Of course, he had also learned the Great Fireball Technique. For some reason, however, he simply could not perform it.

"Rest for ten minutes, then the real training begins." After punching Chiba, Kushina Uzumaki looked at him clutching his head and could not help smiling faintly. This kid is kind of cute after all.

Then she announced the news that made all three of their faces fall.

Wasn't it over? Why was there still real training? Chiba and the other two looked at one another, each of them clearly showing a faintly miserable expression.

Kushina Uzumaki saw it and smiled. "All right, you won the 'after-dinner exercise.' I'll treat you to barbecue for dinner."

"Barbecue!" Chiba's ears perked up first. Ever since tasting meat again, the carnivorous soul inside him had been blazing fiercely. Hearing that, he felt all his exhaustion vanish without a trace.

Hyuga Yukina and Uchiha Hirohiko also quietly clenched their fists. Their poses clearly showed that they, too, had been inspired by the word "barbecue."

This gloomy trio...

Kushina Uzumaki smiled warmly.

Ten minutes later...

Chiba and the other two silently swallowed as they looked at the three Shadow Clone Jutsu clones of Kushina Uzumaki before them, with Kushina's original body standing behind the three clones.

Kushina Uzumaki said, "Come on. The next part of the training is combat. Fight my clones. I'll use at least eighty percent of my strength, so you had better stay sharp. One careless mistake, and you might really be killed!"

Kushina Uzumaki spoke sternly, and Chiba and the other two did not sense even the slightest hint that she was trying to scare them.

She was serious! Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina instinctively looked at Chiba. Noticing their gazes, Chiba gave a wry smile. "Teacher Kushina wants to train our actual combat... One-on-one! I have no choice..."

At his words, the two quickly separated and each faced one of the clones.

"Then... let the real training begin!"

Kushina Uzumaki declared.

Chiba, Uchiha Hirohiko, and Hyuga Yukina narrowed their eyes at the same time and charged toward Kushina's Shadow Clone Jutsu clones.