The Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank Ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage. It used Chakra to create tangible clones that could move and fight like the caster, possessing consciousness independent of the original body and a certain degree of resistance to damage. It could be applied to various Ninjutsu. Once properly dispelled, the clones' memories and experiences returned to the original body.
Unlike the ordinary Clone Technique, these clones had physical bodies and could attack enemies.
Originally a Ninjutsu Tobirama Senju had used for espionage, it later became widespread throughout the shinobi world. As a result, ninja from other countries had also mastered it, though most of them still used elemental clones such as Water Clones and Sand Clones.
The difference between Shadow Clones and the Multiple Shadow Clone was that Shadow Clones were limited in number, while the Multiple Shadow Clone could create hundreds or even thousands of clones. In terms of attack power alone, they were completely different concepts.
After an hour, Xing Ran voluntarily dispelled one Shadow Clone. In an instant, all the knowledge the clone had learned during that hour surged into Xing Ran's mind like a flood.
Basic bandaging techniques, common taboos for taking anti-inflammatory medicine internally or applying it externally, and so on.
The knowledge from the two introductory books was neither much nor little, but memorizing it all in a single hour left Xing Ran slightly dizzy.
So there were side effects after all. He just did not know where his limit lay.
Following the same pattern, Xing Ran dispelled Shadow Clones during the second and third hours. After the third Shadow Clone vanished, he felt dizzy and disoriented, with a faint urge to vomit.
It seemed his Spiritual Power could only reach this level.
In truth, although Xing Ran had only created three Shadow Clones and they had not existed for long, one had to remember that the three clones had been tirelessly cramming medical knowledge into their minds. The material itself was obscure and difficult, and there was a huge amount of it. This was completely different from Naruto practicing the Rasengan in the original story. Naruto had not been doing training that consumed enormous mental energy; the principles and methods were simple enough, and the real difficulty was accumulating progress through physical memory.
That was why Naruto could create hundreds or thousands of clones to train, while Xing Ran had only made three and was already struggling after a few hours.
This was also why the more advanced Multiple Shadow Clone was called a forbidden technique. Massive streams of information could easily cause brain damage to the caster.
Because of his underdeveloped Super Brain, Xing Ran's mind was like an old hard drive. Not only did it run slowly, but the more it stored at once, the slower it became, and it was prone to overheating and crashing.
Still, no matter how many flaws it had, a hard drive was a hard drive. What it stored would not be forgotten. That alone gave Xing Ran the ability to catch up to the knowledge of two medical masters among the Three Sannin, putting him far beyond ordinary people.
Nearly another month passed in the blink of an eye, and autumn was approaching. During this time, Xing Ran was practically running around the clock. While his original body slept, his Shadow Clones studied through the night. When he woke the next morning, he would first dispel a clone, and the accumulated knowledge from several hours would instantly make the newly awakened Xing Ran's eyelids heavy again. At times like that, he would practice the Yamanaka Clan's Meditation Secret Technique for a while, and he would quickly regain his energy.
He had discovered this trick a week after beginning his studies with Grandma Qiu. Training and studying did not interfere with each other. The only drawback was that the Spiritual Power gained this way was barely any different from the growth he received by meditating again after exhausting his Mind Body Switch. It was still better than nothing.
Such high-intensity studying was extremely exhausting, but the results were equally gratifying. He had recorded every book in the room to the south. Over the past few days, Xing Ran had moved into the room to the north, which was likewise filled with books. This time, however, the material was more advanced and more practical, consisting of clinical cases and analytical findings. Grandma Qiu said Xing Ran was more or less ready to enter the practical stage, but there were not enough subjects available for him to practice on. She suggested that he either find a way into Konoha Hospital or simply work as a field medic for a while.
Because Konoha Hospital was located deep in the rear, it usually did not receive many patients, but their conditions were complicated and varied, unlike Field Medics, who dealt with almost nothing but external injuries.
However, Konoha Hospital was a proper hospital. It would be easy enough for a back-alley doctor like Xing Ran to get in, but it would take quite a while before he could personally treat patients. A field medic was more suitable for him at the moment.
When Xing Ran arrived at Grandma Qiu's shop, he spotted the old man who had tried to scam him last time.
In the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage's pipe had gone out long ago. In the spacious office sat four people, including the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Konoha's Hokage Advisors.
Nearly two months had passed since the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, had sent Konoha a reply stating that he would remain uninvolved in the repeated attacks by rogue ninja along Konoha's border.
With no longer any need to fear the Land of Earth at the border, Konoha had begun acting freely. After a game of cat and mouse, both sides had suffered casualties. Naturally, Konoha's ninja had gotten the better of it. With supplies nearby, injured ninja could always receive proper treatment, while the rogue ninja suffered heavy losses. They had no medical support, and getting injured meant their lives were at risk.
After so much contact, Konoha had essentially confirmed that these rogue ninja were Cloud Ninja from the Land of Lightning. In truth, confirming the evidence was merely a formality, meant to tell those who wanted to know the details—or those harboring other thoughts—that their enemy was the Land of Lightning and no one else.
By this point in the Third Shinobi World War, the only nations still at war were the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire. Anyone with half a brain could easily guess which two sides were fighting under normal circumstances along Konoha's border.
There was simply too much intrigue and deception in the shinobi world. Countless times, warring nations had been incited by a third party, only for that party to reap the benefits in the end. That was why the higher-ups had only now persuaded one another and united their positions. It had to be said that in wartime, having more than one voice within a power structure was truly tragic. When the leadership took too long to make decisions, the troops on the front lines shed far more blood.
"Everyone has read the Raikage's official letter. If we agree to his conditions, we can cease hostilities and completely end the Third Shinobi World War. Speak your minds." After a long silence, the Third Hokage spoke first and tossed the question to the advisory council.
"A ceasefire is possible, but the Raikage's conditions are absolutely unacceptable. This is not a peace treaty; it is war reparations for the defeated. We are no longer in the position of being besieged from all sides. If we fight the Land of Lightning to the bitter end, they will definitely be the first to collapse." Danzo was the first to jump out and oppose the ceasefire.
The Land of Lightning merely could not bring itself to admit its losses in the war. If it continued fighting Konoha, its long supply lines would drag it down completely. Everyone present understood that perfectly well.
PS: This was also why, in the official history, the Land of Lightning ultimately softened and agreed to a ceasefire.
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