This Isn't Scientific

How could he possibly perform this kind of ninjutsu?

Sasuke even doubted for a moment if he were dreaming.

Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain the scene before his eyes.

This was unscientific.

It completely contradicted the entire understanding of Naruto he had built up in his mind over the past four years.

But the lingering burning sensation in his throat and the tears stung into his eyes by the smoke were all clearly telling him that this was no dream—it was real.

"Teacher Qiushui, I... did I succeed?"

He looked down at his own hands, then looked up at the dozen or so versions of himself surrounding him, his face filled with profound confusion and disbelief.

"Is this... is this really a ninjutsu I cast?"

Qiushui stood to the side and said with certainty, "It was cast by you."

He couldn't help but sigh.

It really is true that comparing oneself to others only leads to frustration.

Back then, it had taken him two months to learn it successfully, and he could only create a single clone.

Naruto's face lit up with curiosity as he began to converse with the clones; for a moment, the voices of a dozen Narutos gave Qiushui a headache.

He began to teach Naruto how to perform the hand seal to dispel the Shadow Clone Technique.

Although he knew that two years later, Naruto would be able to use the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique to summon hundreds of clones for battle without batting an eye, the current Naruto was still a novice who had only just touched upon the technique.

Qiushui dared not take it lightly; the moment a shadow clone is dispelled, all fatigue and memories flood back into the original body at once. If left unchecked for too long, it could cause him harm.

Naruto was somewhat reluctant, but he obeyed obediently. He found that these clones had their own independent consciousnesses, and they were quite pleasant to talk to.

The moment he dispelled them, his body swayed violently, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue surged through his limbs like a tide, accompanied by the fragmented memories of those clones.

His footsteps staggered, his knees went weak, and he looked as if he were about to collapse to the ground.

Qiushui was quick-witted and caught him. "Sit down first and take a moment to recover." He placed Naruto on a nearby chair.

Qiushui cast a glance out of the corner of his eye toward Uchiha Sasuke not far away; he had seen all of Sasuke's reactions just now.

He had intentionally let Sasuke see this scene.

As the saying goes, those who are too proactive rarely get good results. So, even though he coveted the rewards from binding Sasuke, he had to hold back; this was for the sake of his long-term plan.

Even if Sasuke didn't come over to ask today, as the days went by, watching Naruto's strength grow visibly day by day and seeing him surpass him time and again in class combat drills, Sasuke would naturally come knocking on his own.

For the next two hours, Qiushui did not let Naruto try anything new, only having him practice repeatedly to consolidate the Shadow Clone Technique.

Since the Shadow Clone Technique was only a B-rank ninjutsu, its structure did not allow for the hundreds or thousands of clones possible with the A-rank Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.

Qiushui also gradually figured out the limit of Naruto's current use of the Shadow Clone Technique: he could summon a maximum of twenty clones at once. However, this was not Naruto's limit, but the limit of the technique itself.

To avoid Naruto collapsing like he did today every time he dispelled them, Qiushui instructed him not to summon too many at once during practice; three or four would be enough.

"Progress step by step, understand?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, looking at Qiushui with a face full of worship.

For the previous four full years, he hadn't even been able to learn the most basic Three Basic Techniques, yet just now, he had actually performed a higher-level Shadow Clone Technique.

Naruto felt that Teacher Qiushui was truly amazing.

A message popped up in front of Qiushui.

[SSS-rank high-quality talent Naruto Uzumaki's favorability toward you has increased; current cultivation relationship upgraded to Level 2]

[New feature unlocked: Gift Critical Hit, Cultivation Return]

[Gift Critical Hit explanation: When the player gifts any item to a bound talent, the system will randomly return a corresponding reward. The higher the cultivation level, the higher the quality of the reward.]

[Note: Limited to once per day]

[Cultivation Return explanation: After a bound high-quality talent completes their daily cultivation, a corresponding percentage of the cultivation results will be returned based on the cultivation relationship level. For the currently bound Naruto Uzumaki, with a cultivation relationship level of Level 2, 20% of the total gains from this cultivation session will be returned after each session.]

[Note: The higher the cultivation level, the higher the return percentage.]

Qiushui's eyes lit up slightly; these two new features were a pleasant surprise.

Although he currently had several ways to obtain rewards, the more the better; no one would refuse such a thing.

Moreover, the goal Qiushui had now was different from his initial desire to just survive; he wanted to live more brilliantly. He didn't have much time left—only a short eight years. When the time came, he would be facing figures at the Six Paths level. If his strength didn't reach the Six Paths level or beyond, he would likely have to keep playing it safe.

Although the system didn't specify what to give or how valuable it should be, based on Qiushui's understanding of such mechanisms, the more thought put into the gift, the higher the probability of triggering something good. Besides, for the first gift, there had to be a sense of ceremony.

He lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, his gaze falling on the scroll on the table that he had just used to teach Naruto.

It was the cultivation scroll for the Shadow Clone Technique, which detailed the hand seal sequence, chakra circulation methods, and some basic taboos.

Qiushui picked up a pen from the side and began to add notes, word by word, in the blank space at the end of the scroll.

"After the shadow clone is dispelled, fatigue and memories return to the original body simultaneously. Avoid summoning too many clones at once to prevent the original body from being unable to bear it."

"Everything experienced by the clones can be perceived by the original body; this can be used for reconnaissance, probing, and transmitting information."

Qiushui finished writing the last word earnestly, set down the pen, rolled the scroll back up, turned to look at Naruto, and said solemnly, "These are some insights I've summarized regarding the Shadow Clone Technique, combined with your current situation. It is also the first ninjutsu you have ever learned, so it has some commemorative value. I'm giving this to you."

Naruto froze for a moment, then immediately accepted it as if he had received a priceless treasure.

"Practice it well after you go back; I will conduct spot checks from time to time." Qiushui's gaze landed on Naruto's face as he said earnestly, "Remember, learning a technique doesn't mean anything. Don't start getting arrogant over a small matter like this, don't use it casually in daily life, and certainly don't go around showing it off."

"Teacher Qiushui, thank you." Naruto looked up and said, "I will definitely do as you say and won't let you down."

He had originally intended to shock all those guys in class who looked down on him during the next practical exam, but now, he suppressed that thought.

Teacher Qiushui said not to show off, so he wouldn't show off; he didn't want to disappoint Teacher Qiushui.