Shadow Clone Training Method

Absentmindedly rubbing the bandages on his arm, the boy looked puzzled.

Ever since he'd received orders three days ago to come here today and learn a ninjutsu, Shū had been wondering what the catch might be.

How had a low-ranking cannon fodder who even had to queue up for medical treatment ended up with the chance to learn ninjutsu for free?

The boy watched him coldly, his attitude unchanged, even though he did think the Shadow Clone Technique suited him well.

As for the risks of learning ninjutsu, he wasn't afraid of death. Why should he care about a little risk that might not even matter?

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

This was a boy who was deeply wary of the outside world. Sosuke knew full well that sweet talk would be useless with someone like him.

To achieve his goal, all he needed to do was have an open and honest conversation.

"Uchiha Shū, twelve years old. Your parents were brutally killed by the enemy many years ago, and ever since, your greatest wish has been to avenge them."

Looking at Shū's expressionless face, Sosuke continued, "I saw you a few days ago. I admire the resilience in you. Come work for me. Maybe I can give you the power to get your revenge."

Now that he finally knew what the other man wanted, Uchiha Shū wondered if Sosuke had something wrong with his head.

Who was he?

The most diligent trainee in the clan, yet a useless ninja who still hadn't managed to awaken his bloodline power at the age of twelve.

If he couldn't awaken the Sharingan, he would lose all hope of competing within the Uchiha Clan.

As for that so-called resilience, what good was it? Would it just let him last a little longer before dying if the enemy captured him?

Still, even if he had his doubts, Uchiha Shū wasn't about to pass up any chance to grow stronger.

If Sosuke could help him get revenge, what did it matter if he became the man's dog?

He wasn't afraid of dying. Why should he care about that?

"Fine." Uchiha Shū replied firmly. "As long as you help me get revenge, my life is yours from now on."

That was exactly what Sosuke had been waiting to hear.

Even powerhouses like Kaguya, Isshiki, and Uchiha Madara needed to cultivate followers. Of course Sosuke wanted a few subordinates who could help him handle problems.

Uchiha Shū would be his first test subject.

"Learn the Shadow Clone Technique as soon as possible. Your path to becoming stronger will depend on it."

"Okay."

After the boy turned and left, Sosuke stretched and gave it some thought before deciding to see what wartime missions were available.

As the captain of a squad consisting of just himself, Sosuke could take any kind of mission he wanted. He didn't have to worry about what his teammates thought, let alone discuss it with anyone.

"I should prioritize missions with lots of combat. Earning Points is my main goal."

When there was no fighting, the ninjas took turns handling wartime missions. Sometimes they even took commissions from civilians.

That was how most clans survived. Few were as fortunate as the Uchiha, who had a literal gold mine.

Sosuke went to the mission office, showed his Identity Token, and picked up the long mission list to read.

Assassinate Sarutobi Kouta. Mission Rank: S. Reward: 12 million.

Infiltrate the Shimura Clan. Mission Rank: S. Reward: 8 million.

Escort a supply convoy. Mission Rank: A. Reward: 2 million.

Eliminate bandits. Mission Rank: B. Reward: 700,000.

Missions were divided into several ranks according to their difficulty.

S-Rank missions were the hardest, requiring you to face powerful Captain-level figures.

As Sosuke saw it, S-Rank missions meant risking his life against Elite Jonin-level powerhouses.

There were only two S-Rank missions available at the moment. He could browse through them, but he certainly wasn't going to take either one lightly.

The supply convoy escort was an A-Rank mission, which meant the road would be extremely dangerous and a large-scale battle was sure to break out. He just didn't know how strong the enemy would be.

Anyone bold enough to raid a Uchiha convoy had to be formidable. No fool could survive in the Warring States Period.

By comparison, B-Rank missions were a much better fit for Sosuke's needs.

They'd help him build up some experience and earn a little money. Most importantly, he could use them to plunder a large number of Points.

Everyone had chakra in their body, which meant he'd earn Points every time he killed someone.

He wasn't going out of his way to do anything in particular, but if an easy opportunity presented itself, Sosuke had never been one to turn it down.

Eliminating bandits would bring him face-to-face with a considerable number of enemies. If he killed them all, he was sure to earn a substantial number of Points.

After accepting the bandit-clearing mission, Sosuke gathered his things and prepared to set out.

There was no time to waste. It would be a real problem if that group of bandits escaped.

As for the cold boy, he could give him more guidance after he returned.

The Shadow Clone Technique used chakra to create tangible clones.

Each clone had a consciousness independent of the user's original body. When a clone was dispelled, its memories and experience returned to the original.

Taking advantage of this, Kakashi had created the "Shadow Clone Training Method" for Naruto.

By exploiting the way experience accumulated several times faster, a person could quickly build up experience in certain areas and improve their abilities at an accelerated pace.

Naruto could use the Nine-Tails inside him to offset the fatigue and pain caused by his Shadow Clones. Young Shū definitely didn't have that ability, but perhaps he could tough it out through sheer willpower.

As long as he could endure, the useless boy everyone had once looked down on would one day become a powerhouse who amazed countless people.

That was the gift Sosuke had prepared for him.

Thinking that he might not return for a while, Sosuke took out paper and a pen and carefully wrote down the details of the Shadow Clone Training Method.

If Shū couldn't wait, he could start training ahead of time. There were plenty of medical ninjas in the camp, so nothing too serious could happen.

After sending someone to deliver the notes to the cold boy, Sosuke packed his things and prepared to leave.

According to the intelligence, aside from the target he was supposed to eliminate, the Western War Zone was also home to many large bandit strongholds.

Many of them had tangled connections with various clans, so there was no need to worry about the authorities getting involved.

Sosuke wondered if he could find a way to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

I'm just a rookie on the battlefield. It's only natural I don't know about your shady dealings.

At worst, I'll write a few letters of apology afterward.

Full of excitement, Sosuke eagerly headed for his destination.

Back at the camp, Uchiha Shū was gritting his teeth as he gave it a try.

He discovered that Sosuke had been right: the fatigue caused by the Shadow Clone Training Method could break an ordinary person's will in an instant.

Even a well-trained ninja would probably be left with a psychological scar after trying it a few times.

But he was different. Through sheer force of will, Uchiha Shū ignored the pain caused by the Shadow Clones and increased the number he trained with to four.

The Shadow Clones paired off and fought each other without holding back. The boy's understanding of combat and swordsmanship began to grow rapidly.

Before long, it had reached a level that even he found unbelievable.

"This... this is what it feels like to get stronger."

A breathtaking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The next second, Uchiha Shū collapsed onto the ground and passed out.

Only three days had gone by.