Training Methods on the IQ Line (Part 2)

"Ninjutsu should be learned systematically, so the next one... let's go with the upgraded version of the Shadow Clone Technique: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique." Teacher Kushina scratched her hair before racking her brains to come up with the next ninjutsu to teach Hagoromo.

"The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique may be A-rank, but it's only an enhanced version of the Shadow Clone Technique, so it shouldn't be too difficult to learn."

Hagoromo silently glanced at Teacher Kushina. The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique isn't that hard to learn, but it's a forbidden technique. It consumes tons of Chakra, okay? Besides, with a constitution like mine, the Shadow Clone Technique is basically more than enough. My fighting style doesn't have any use for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, either.

Still, since Teacher Kushina wanted to teach him, he would obediently learn it. As long as he controlled the amount of Chakra properly, he should be able to avoid the dangers brought by this technique.

Because the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique required a large amount of Chakra to be distributed all at once, poor control could injure the caster. However, Hagoromo did not think that his level of control would lead to such a problem.

Still, he added, "Um, Teacher Kushina, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique counts as a forbidden technique, right? Is it really okay to teach it to me?"

"The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is indeed a forbidden technique, but if I want to teach it to you, do you think the Third Hokage would object?"

Hagoromo very much wanted to say, Teacher Kushina, you misunderstand me. I'm not asking whether the Hokage permits it. I mean, won't this technique get me killed? We're worried about entirely different things, okay?

Fortunately, Kushina continued explaining. "Although this technique is forbidden, the restriction only applies to ninja below Jonin level. To a Jonin-level ninja, it's nothing much. Based on my sensing, your Chakra reserves are passable enough, so it should be fine. Probably."

Hey, hey, what did that "probably" at the end mean? Was there still a risk after all?

The difference between the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique lay in the amount of Chakra flowing through the chakra pathways. If the Shadow Clone Technique required 1 unit of Chakra, then splitting off three clones simultaneously required 3 units of Chakra to pass through those pathways while forming the hand seals. This was easy to understand. If the number of clones created at once was only in the single digits, it was neither particularly difficult nor dangerous.

Conversely, if one wanted to create more than ten clones, the difficulty was obvious. If one wanted to create hundreds or thousands of clones... only freaks like the Uzumaki or Senju could do that. Hagoromo could not hope for such a thing. His Chakra reserves were decent compared to ordinary people, but if the comparison was changed to an Uzumaki, all he could do was suffer in silence.

"Watch carefully..." Kushina demonstrated it for Hagoromo once again.

Hagoromo was someone who understood how to weigh his options. When practicing the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, he never created more than five clones at once. Under that limit, he could be said to have mastered the technique.

"Very good. You're quite composed," Kushina praised, patting Hagoromo on the shoulder. "How about this? I'll teach you one more ninjutsu today. Of course, this will be the last one for today. It's also part of the clone technique family, and it's called the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique."

This technique should have belonged exclusively to the Third Hokage. Was it really okay to teach it so freely? Hagoromo could not help but feel doubtful.

In fact, there was a problem—but only if it were someone ordinary. When it came to Kushina, there was no problem at all.

Actually, Kushina was feeling a little guilty right now. What made her feel guilty was not infringing on the Third Hokage's rights, but Hagoromo's speed in learning ninjutsu. If she did not limit him, the techniques she had mastered might soon all be learned by her disciple. When that happened, with nothing left to teach, how tragic would that be?

With a student like this, Kushina was no longer merely thankful—she was also feeling a little miserable.

But then she remembered Kakashi, whom Minato was always praising. Hmph. Gritting her teeth, she still had to keep teaching Hagoromo.

In truth, Hagoromo was already very satisfied. Other than Kushina, what teacher would teach him three advanced ninjutsu every day?

Of course, with his current Chakra reserves, he was nowhere near capable of freely unleashing so many advanced ninjutsu in battle. But his curiosity made it difficult for him to give up his pursuit of advanced ninjutsu.

The more advanced the ninjutsu, the more mysterious it was—and the greater its attraction to Hagoromo.

And so, Kushina guided Hagoromo's training while completing her own work. At times, out of consideration for the Hokage's reputation and after repeated persuasion, she would also take Hagoromo along to do low-level missions like catching cats and dogs.

Time flew by. Before he knew it, three months had passed since Hagoromo graduated from the Ninja Academy. The graduates from his class had long since followed their team leaders to the battlefield. Hagoromo even felt that many among them had already died, yet he himself had not even stepped beyond Konoha's gates.

In that sense, without realizing it, he had perfectly fulfilled his duty as a "toy."

"Eh, Teacher Kushina, you seem especially happy today. You don't look as gloomy as before at all," Hagoromo said to Kushina in front of him. In truth, because progress on the ninjutsu's development had not been going smoothly, Kushina had been irritable for several days. Yet today, her mood had suddenly cleared up. It really was rather strange.

After all, after spending three months together, Hagoromo had come to understand Kushina's personality quite well.

"Could it be that there's been some new progress in the development of the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique?"

That was right. Over these past three months, Hagoromo had gone from an absolute beginner to a professional assistant capable of helping Kushina develop an S-rank forbidden technique.

Kushina was responsible for designing the sealing technique, while Hagoromo handled the calculations involved. The two worked quite well together.

The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique could be called an extreme variation of the Four Symbols Sealing Technique. It was an S-rank mission issued by Konoha's sealing research department. The original requirement was for the technique to be used to perish together with one's enemies. When a ninja was on the verge of death, they could activate this technique to seal away the enemies around them as well.

But Hagoromo had offered a different viewpoint. He believed that this greatly limited the technique's range of application. If it could be used on a scroll rather than on a human body, it could become an extremely offensive sealing technique.

Kushina found her disciple's idea very interesting, and she also felt that the requirements of this S-rank mission underestimated her abilities. So, she began improving the ninjutsu according to Hagoromo's proposal.

However, once they truly began working on it, the technique's difficulty became apparent.

As a result, Hagoromo often had to face a frantic Kushina.