I'm Not a Proper Uchiha!

Kakashi heard Yao's request and immediately turned around, his tone unusually stern as he warned him:

"Hey, hey, don't do anything reckless!"

"The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is an A-rank Forbidden Jutsu developed by the Second Hokage. It's extremely dangerous!"

"Once an ordinary ninja makes more than twenty Shadow Clones, they could drain their chakra and die!"

"So the prerequisite for learning this technique is having an extraordinarily vast supply of chakra to support it!"

"So... this isn't a technique you can just try on a whim!"

Sasuke frowned, looking a little unconvinced.

"By that logic, why can Naruto, the dead-last, learn and use this Forbidden Jutsu?"

In Sasuke's eyes, there was no ninja more pathetic than Naruto.

And yet this dead-last could produce an absurd number of Shadow Clones. It made no sense!

Kakashi scratched his silver hair and explained, "Well, that's because Naruto's constitution... is rather special!"

"He has an abnormal amount of chakra, so he can support it!"

Naruto's mother was Kushina Uzumaki, and he was also the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. His chakra was beyond what an ordinary person could match.

An abnormal constitution?

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. Aside from having way too much energy, there didn't seem to be anything special about the guy.

"It's fine!"

Yao smiled. "I'll just give it a try. If I can't learn it, no big deal!"

With that, he turned to Naruto. "So, what are the hand signs?"

"It's easy! Watch closely!"

Naruto didn't hold anything back. He immediately formed the Ram hand seal.

"Just like this! Then you bring out your chakra!"

"That's all?"

Sasuke was a little taken aback. An A-rank Forbidden Jutsu only had one hand seal?

"That's all!"

Naruto nodded firmly.

Yao gave it some thought, quickly working through the principles of chakra flow and distribution in his mind.

He soon understood the technique's essence: the technique itself was incredibly simple!

But the demands it placed on chakra reserves and control were downright insane.

"I see!"

Yao took a deep breath and swiftly formed the Ram hand seal.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!!!

Explosions rang out one after another.

In an instant, centered on Yao, thick white smoke billowed outward like a surging tide.

When the smoke quickly cleared, Kakashi was left gaping in shock.

Even Naruto's mouth fell open, wide enough to fit an egg.

As far as the eye could see, countless black-haired, black-eyed... Uchiha Yaos stood packed together!

Not dozens. Not a hundred. But... over a thousand!

The Shadow Clones stood quietly in place, like exact copies.

The sheer visual impact and oppressive feeling were overwhelming!

"Y-you've got to be kidding, right?" Sasuke instinctively took half a step back, his voice dry.

That was an absurd number—even more than that idiot Naruto could make. Just how much chakra did Yao have?

Was he even an Uchiha?

Kakashi's face had gone completely stiff. His one visible, half-lidded eye was full of shock and disbelief.

A Shadow Clone formation on this scale... Yao had really done it?

Just how vast were his chakra reserves?

From his earlier fight with Yao, Kakashi had realized that Yao's chakra reserves were quite substantial too.

But that was substantial for a fresh Academy graduate who'd just become a Genin.

Not like this!

How much chakra did it take to make this many Shadow Clones all at once?

Was he on the level of a Tailed Beast?

Naruto let out a huge cheer. "Whoa!! Yao! You're amazing! You made even more than I did!!"

Yao checked the chakra still coursing through him and nodded with satisfaction. As expected of the Sage Body!

From now on, he could use Shadow Clones to cheat at training, too.

"Teacher Kakashi, this technique wasn't that hard!"

Yao looked at Kakashi and gave him an innocent, harmless smile.

Kakashi: "..."

He was now absolutely sure.

The Team 7 he'd been assigned was the most outrageous, monstrous team in Konoha's history.

The three brats...

Not one of them was easy to handle!

Sasuke was a fiercely competitive person.

Naruto, that dead-last, could make hundreds or even thousands of Shadow Clones. Fine. But Yao could do it too?

"Hmph... They're only Shadow Clones... I can do it too!"

Sasuke snorted, forcing down his shock as he quickly formed the same Ram hand seal.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Sasuke cried out and poured all his strength into drawing on his chakra.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Clouds of white smoke burst out one after another.

Sasuke could clearly feel his chakra pouring out of him like a floodgate had opened.

By the time the number of Shadow Clones had barely passed the fifty mark,

a powerful wave of dizziness swept over him. His body felt completely drained, and his chakra was nearly depleted.

Sasuke's face was deathly pale. He braced one hand on his knee and panted heavily, cold sweat beading across his forehead.

He looked at Yao's thousand-plus clones, then at his own fifty Shadow Clones, and a powerful sense of defeat welled up inside him.

Why?

Why could I only manage this much, even after giving it everything I had?

Is this... really the full extent of my potential?

Seeing Sasuke like this, Kakashi felt a little sorry for him.

Having a brother who was a monster like this must be a lot of pressure, right?

Kakashi knew how proud Sasuke was. This must have been a serious blow.

He was just about to offer a few words of comfort when Naruto beside him scratched his head and laughed without a care in the world.

"Hahaha! You big show-off, Sasuke! You really can't do it, huh? You're already out of gas after making just a few Shadow Clones!"

Those words were like rubbing salt into Sasuke's wound.

Sasuke snapped his head up and glared viciously at Naruto.

But his weakened body left him without even the strength to argue.

He could only grit his teeth and swallow the humiliation and resentment.

Yao glanced at his thoroughly discouraged little brother and shook his head slightly.

Without a Sage Body, it was only to be expected that he'd struggle to imitate a technique that recklessly burned through chakra.

But Yao didn't comfort his foolish little brother. His little brother had always been mentally tough.

After all, he'd awakened one tomoe in a fit of rage on the night of the clan massacre. That hadn't been a joke, had it?

Yao walked over to Sasuke and patted his little brother on the shoulder.

"Don't take it too hard, little brother. This technique isn't a good fit for you!"

"Our Uchiha Clan's talent lies in the Sharingan!"

"You awakened yours at seven!"

"Your talent with the Sharingan is clearly better than mine!"

"So don't get hung up on this. Learn to play to your strengths and make up for your weaknesses. Learn to develop and use your Sharingan!"

"As long as you develop your Sharingan to the Three Tomoe, your strength can steadily reach the level of an elite Jōnin!"

Sasuke was still resentful, but he felt a little better.

The only thing he currently had over Yao was the Sharingan.

After all, he'd awakened his at seven, while Yao still hadn't awakened his.

It was at least some consolation!

"We're twins. Why is your chakra so vast?" Sasuke still wasn't satisfied.

Hearing this, Kakashi couldn't help looking at Uchiha Yao as well.

"Maybe..."

Yao smiled. "I'm not a proper Uchiha?"

Uchiha were all crazy, and Yao considered himself perfectly normal.

By comparison, he really wasn't a proper Uchiha!

"..."