[Multiple Shadow Clones] X We Are Different

Sarutobi Hiruzen and said to Namikaze Minato beside him, "Minato, you saw that, didn't you... I told you, nothing can hide from this kid's eyes."

The "barrier" and "seal" are usually invisible; only when activated will a faint wisp of Chakra emanate from them... This Chakra is so faint as to be almost negligible, and the more powerful the "barrier" or "seal," the less noticeable it becomes.

Roy was able to stop precisely at the edge of the "barrier," which clearly demonstrated that the Sun-Earring Boy's perception of "Chakra" was exceptionally high, on par with some high-ranking ninjas with exceptional perception, such as those from Hyuga clans like the Inuzuka and Inuzuka.

"He's Jin, Fugaku's son," Namikaze Minato chuckled, waving at Roy through the window.

Roy nodded slightly to him, then glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said casually, "Never mind."

The person followed, and before Sarutobi Hiruzen could remove the [barrier] by forming hand seals, he summoned the [Swamp Space] with a wave of his hand. Right under Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato's noses, he slowly sank into the ground. When he reappeared, he floated up from the ground like a ghost from the wooden floor of the study between the two of them.

This attitude of treating [barriers] and [space] as nothing, so casually, left people staring at each other, unable to look away.

Earth Release? And not just any Earth Release... but Earth Release combined with "Space-Time Ninjutsu"... A glint of light flashed in Namikaze Minato's future Fourth Hokage's lake-blue eyes as he turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and smiled, "It seems nothing can stop this Sun-Earring Boy's progress."

Sarutobi Hiruzen his head and gave a wry smile, then pointed at Roy, reluctantly giving up on forming hand seals...

"Hmph~ You all act so recklessly just because you have a little talent. I'm no match for you, so I won't waste my breath on you..." Sarutobi Hiruzen the spit in his face, feigning a cold snort, forcibly finding a way to save face. He slowly strolled to a bookcase against the south wall, reached in and grabbed two scrolls, handing one to Namikaze Minato and tossing the other to Roy: "Read them here, don't take them away."

Namikaze Minato nodded, but before he could even open his own scroll, Roy beside him frowned, glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, and said, "Why is there only one ninjutsu?"

Roy held the scroll in his hand. The scroll unfolded, clearly displaying the words "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu Technique." After that... there was nothing else, not even the "Edo Tensei" he wanted. He immediately questioned Sarutobi Hiruzen with dissatisfaction.

Sarutobi Hiruzen removed his Hokage Haori, revealing a loose and comfortable set of loungewear. At this moment, he didn't look like Hokage, but rather a retired old man who had completed his military service. He skillfully pulled out his pipe, took a puff, and said, "Kid, I think Fugaku taught you the lesson of not being able to bite off more than you can chew."

The old man exhaled a smoke ring and looked at Roy earnestly, saying, "Since you insist on reading the [Scroll of Sealing], you must already know that every ninjutsu recorded in it is extraordinary, not only incredibly powerful but also exceptionally difficult to learn... I'm not trying to deceive you; Minato is here too, he can vouch for me."

Namikaze Minato, his blond hair flowing down his back and simply tied back with a headband, immediately spotted the [Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu] and said gently to Roy, "I've learned this technique. Indeed, as the Hokage said, it's not as simple as it seems."

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"First, it's an extension and expansion of the [Clone Technique], requiring... an extremely high level of proficiency in the [Clone Technique], and also... a significant test of the user's Chakra reserves,"

"If your Chakra level is insufficient, and you don't control it properly, there's even a risk of death. You continue."

"There are annotations from the Second Generation Lord on it,"

Namikaze Minato pointed to the end of the scroll, and sure enough... a line of small characters could be vaguely seen, written in a red pen dipped in vermilion, "[Those who are not confident in their own Chakra reserves should not learn this]!"

[Senju Clan and Uzumaki Clan are not included...]

Roy remained silent, glancing intently at the surnames "Senju Clan" and "Uzumaki Clan." Just then, he heard Sarutobi Hiruzen take a puff of his pipe and add, "Those two clans are naturally blessed with abundant Chakra. The Senju Clan, needless to say, are renowned from the first and second generations; I don't need to emphasize it further."

"It's the Uzumaki Clan," Sarutobi Hiruzen solemnly, looking intently at Roy. "I'm not afraid to let you know that from the departed Mito to the current Kushina, their clan has always been the village's pillar of support, secretly contributing indelible strength to Konoha."

With a single sentence, he addressed both Roy and Namikaze Minato.

Sarutobi Hiruzen speaking, Namikaze Minato darkened. He seemed to be thinking of his fiancée, who was imprisoned in the sealing chamber day and night. The emotion that naturally escaped from his heart turned into a somber gray, which was quietly noticed by Roy.

In this era, Tailed Beast are akin to nuclear bombs. Used well, they can be weapons to destroy enemies; used poorly, they can become weapons of self-destruction... Generation after generation of Jinchuriki have passed down the lineage, but who are they truly imprisoning, and who is the real reliance...? Roy understands, Namikaze Minato understands, Sarutobi Hiruzen understands even more...

The Sun-Earring Boy, with his long black hair flowing down his back and the Uchiha Clan crest on his back, shouldn't have been here. But after a brief silence, he stuck to his opinion and said expressionlessly to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "I understand the logic, but you are you, and I am me. We are different."

Just as "Professor of Ninjutsu" was to Sarutobi Hiruzen, and "The Yellow Flash" to Namikaze Minato, Roy naturally had his own reliance... The Sun-Earring Boy looked directly into Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, pretending not to see the old man's furrowed brows, and simply said, "If I learn it, will you give me the next ninjutsu?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato exchanged a glance, slowly put down their pipes, remained silent for a long while, and then nodded solemnly. "Of course."

"The prerequisite is that you must be able to learn it!"

The second generation had already explained the difficulty of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu Technique, so there was no need for him to specifically emphasize it to the Sun-Earring Boy...

Sarutobi Hiruzen back in his chair. "I'll allow you to copy one and take it with you. Come back when you've learned it."

Based on his experience, and the experience of several Jonin who had studied the [Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu Technique], even if the Sun-Earring Boy was exceptionally talented, it would take him at least several months to learn it, and... whether he could even learn it at all was still a question.

In this regard, consider Namikaze Minato. He couldn't master the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which is why he switched to the Flying Raijin Technique. This proves that Minato's talent wasn't in Clone, but rather in Space-Time Ninjutsu.

superior...

"Need not,"

"You can prepare your next ninjutsu now,"

Roy instantly converted the key points recorded on the scroll, along with the hand seals and Senju Tobirama's annotations, into "spiritual text" and memorized them. He then tossed the scroll back to Sarutobi Hiruzen without hesitation, immersing himself in the [Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu] in his mind. As a forbidden technique developed by the Second Hokage, the [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique] indeed had many "potential prerequisites" for learning, as Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato had stated. For example... one needed a sufficient understanding of the [Clone Technique], and a large enough Chakra reserve to simultaneously create hundreds or even thousands of corpse Chakra Clone. However...

Roy knew perfectly well that he truly possessed both of these qualities. Not to mention, he had previously learned the [Swamp Clone Technique] from the [Swamp Clone Swamp Ghost] through the [Monster Compendium], and even with his current Chakra reserves of nearly 0.8 times that of Shukaku, without Super Kage-level level, almost no one could match his chakra endurance, except for Jinchuriki...

A faint, almost imperceptible Nen Qi emanated from the Sun-Earring Boy.

After instructing Sarutobi Hiruzen to retrieve the new ninjutsu, Roy simply closed his eyes and, right in front of the two of them, practiced the [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique] on the spot.

They completely ignored Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood there stunned for two seconds, exchanged a glance, and stared at each other blankly...

"This kid's holding a grudge," Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment, then quietly gave Namikaze Minato a look.

Minato remained silent, but he rested his chin on his hand and stared at Roy. He suddenly glanced back and said, "Maybe he really can do it..."

For some reason, Sarutobi Hiruzen Sarutobi's old heart suddenly skipped a beat. He recalled the time when the Sun-Earring Boy had strolled with him in the Southern Forest, displaying a glimpse of his [Wood Release]... The old man took another puff of his pipe, then smacked his lips. He felt that the taste of this tobacco was bitter and astringent... not enjoyable at all...

Can he really do it?

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt a little unsure...

"Whoosh~" A gust of wind rose, blowing away the noise in the study.

In the silence, Roy slowly digested and absorbed the key points recorded on the scroll. Referring to the [Swamp Clone] technique, he continued his usual path of [learning] - [imitating] - [reproducing], attempting to manipulate the Nen Qi within his body, subdividing it exponentially... At a certain moment, as his clear, bright eyes opened, his hands formed hand seals, and he softly uttered, "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, activate!"

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..."

Ten wisps of Nen Qi rose up in succession, revealing ten Roy lined up in a row.

"Done?" Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned forward, Namikaze Minato peered in. They both looked into the smoke... Ten Roy, their feet barely touching the ground, five of them collapsed like noodles. Even if it wasn't a perfect success, in Namikaze Minato's eyes, this was far better than him managing to create only two Clone after exhausting all his strength...

"Clap clap clap..." A series of applause rang out...

Namikaze Minato's eyes gleamed, just as he had when he first tested Roy and saw him display [Light Release]. He praised him generously, saying, "To be able to create ten Clone on your first attempt, even if only five successfully survive," is still quite remarkable...

"Yes... he really did it..." Sarutobi Hiruzen had lost count of how many Sun-Earring Boy it had been since he'd seen anyone successfully execute the [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique]. The last time... seemed to be back in his Sun-Earring Boy, when he first saw his teacher, Senju Tobirama 100 clones, Danzo -handedly holding off the entire Ninja Forces, buying precious escape time for himself, Koharu, Mitokado Homura.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Roy in a daze, and in a moment of reverie, he seemed to recall his teacher saying to them, "I am your teacher, so of course, only I can hold off the enemy."

Looking back, those glorious years are gone...

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..." Five Roy collapsed, and the remaining four Clone were also annihilated into Nen Qi with a wave of Roy's hand and absorbed into his body. The Sun-Earring Boy's black hair swayed in the wind as he frowned and said, "This doesn't count as a success."

His eyes snapped open and closed, but unlike Namikaze Minato's praise, he wasn't immersed in joy. Instead, he continued to concentrate, carefully dividing his Nen Qi to refine and perfect the technique. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes again and said in a deep voice, "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

This time, "Pfft... pfft... pfft..." Twenty Shadow Clone appeared in succession, two of which collapsed. The success rate was much higher than last time, but collapsing meant failure!

Roy wasn't a perfectionist, but since he'd started, he wanted to do his best within his capabilities. And clearly... with his experience with [Clone] and ample Nen, twenty knockdowns and two collapses were far from the limit. "Again!" The Sun-Earring Boy's brows furrowed. Without even glancing at Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato, he closed his eyes again, and then... fifty knockdowns and three collapses... one hundred knockdowns and four collapses... two hundred knockdowns and five collapses... five hundred knockdowns and Six Paths collapses...

"Puff... puff... puff..." Wisps of spiritual Nen Qi appeared and disappeared, disappeared and appeared again, like flowers blooming and withering, endlessly blossoming and decaying with the passing years... In the blink of an eye, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato, who had been quietly watching this scene, fell silent...

What an incredible rate of progress!

So, ninjutsu is something that can be learned so easily?

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..." Another six hundred Roy appeared. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato were filled with Roy's appearances, their pupils so crowded that they couldn't see clearly how many had collapsed this time.

But Roy knew that the moment the Nen Qi separated from his body and landed, he already knew the answer was four. Six hundred, four collapsed, and they had to continue!

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..." The five hundred and ninety-nine Clone were once again mercilessly retracted into Roy's body. The Sun-Earring Boy continued to close his eyes and form hand seals. Behind the desk, by the window, only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato, the current Hokage and the future Hokage, remained, silently facing each other, their expressions becoming increasingly disorganized and insecure.

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..."

"Pfft... pfft... pfft..."

In the morning, sunlight streamed through the window into the study, bringing a touch of light to the quiet space. About ten minutes passed, and after what seemed like countless attempts, finally...

A thousand Clone, none collapsed, the first time...

In Konoha, the mansion belonging to Sarutobi Hiruzen was instantly filled with a dense crowd of Roy. Just then, Sarutobi Asuma returned with gifts and opened the gate. Suddenly, a whole yard full of Roy slowly looked at him, and the cigarette dangling from the Sun-Earring Boy's mouth "plop~" fell to the ground.