Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu

"Draw!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a C-rank reward...]

"Time-Guard!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a B-rank reward...]

Four consecutive rewinds.

The stinging pain in his right eye grew increasingly intense, and a trail of bloody tears slid down his cheek.

Xuandou gritted his teeth, knowing that his use of ocular jutsu was nearing its limit.

He could force one more use of Time-Guard at most; if he didn't pull an A-rank reward next, he would have to rewind, save the draw opportunity, and wait for his eyes to recover before trying again.

Again!

The fifth draw.

The wheel stopped.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining an A-rank reward: A-rank ninjutsu, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.]

A massive surge of memories flooded in.

Hand seals, chakra distribution, combat experience, and the control techniques for operating countless shadow clones simultaneously.

Xuandou let out a long breath.

It finally appeared.

And it was a high-quality A-rank ninjutsu at that.

One had to know, the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique was a forbidden jutsu kept within the Scroll of Seals!

He opened his eyes, wiped the bloodstains from his face, and felt joy in his heart.

The harvest this time was huge.

Mastering the essence of wind-style chakra had given him a deeper understanding of the nature of chakra as an energy source.

And the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique was maxed out in terms of practicality.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Technique!"

Xuandou formed the hand seals.

With a soft "poof," the white smoke cleared, and two shadow clones identical to him stood before him.

The biggest difference between a shadow clone and a regular clone was that the shadow clone was a physical entity.

Anything the original body could do, the shadow clones could do as well.

Furthermore, once a shadow clone was dispelled, all sensations and memories would instantly return to the original body.

The drawbacks were also obvious.

Each shadow clone would drain a massive amount of the original body's chakra, something an ordinary ninja simply couldn't afford.

Even if one had enough chakra, the massive influx of memories when the shadow clones vanished could overwhelm the mind, causing anything from a headache to mental derangement.

This was the reason it was classified as a forbidden jutsu.

However, for Xuandou, who had mastered yin-style chakra, this bit of mental shock was nothing at all.

Just then, a system notification rang in his mind.

[Ding! The host has triggered a main quest.]

[Main Quest Issued: Nine-Tails Incident]

[Quest Description: Uzumaki Kushina is nearing labor, and the seal on the Nine-Tails within her will loosen after the child is born. Obito will take the opportunity to incite the Nine-Tails Incident! Please save Uzumaki Kushina during the Nine-Tails Incident!]

[Quest Reward: Draw Opportunity ×1]

Xuandou's gaze sharpened.

Was the Nine-Tails Incident finally about to erupt?

But thinking about it carefully, in the original story, the birth times of Sasuke and Naruto were very close.

Now that Sasuke had already been born, Naruto was indeed not far off.

As for how to save Uzumaki Kushina...

Directly exposing the conspiracy of Obito, or even Madara and Black Zetsu, to the Konoha higher-ups was still impractical.

In the end, after long deliberation, Xuandou gradually made his decision.

The next day, Xuandou carried two bags of fruit and stood at the door of Uzumaki Kushina's house.

He knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly.

A young man with golden hair appeared at the entrance.

It was none other than Namikaze Minato.

Xuandou froze for a moment.

Was Minato actually home today of all days?

He quickly regained his composure and nodded politely:

"Minato, I've come to visit Kushina."

A flicker of surprise crossed Minato's eyes, but he didn't press for details, stepping aside to let him in:

"Please, come in."

Once they were in the living room, Kushina arrived shortly after.

She was wearing loose loungewear, her belly already heavily distended, and she walked with slow, measured steps.

The lines of her face were softer than before, yet she still possessed that same bright, cheerful demeanor, smiling the moment she saw Xuandou:

"Yo, Xuandou, what brings you here?"

Seeing Kushina, Xuandou couldn't help but have the sultry scene of her bathing in the hot springs flash through his mind, so he quickly averted his gaze.

The two exchanged a few words of small talk.

Minato sat to the side, saying little, a gentle smile on his face.

Kushina, however, chattered on incessantly, talking about how heavy she felt lately, how rare it was for Minato to be home, and the tiny clothes and shoes they had prepared.

Xuandou listened, pondering how to bring up his purpose.

In the end, he asked:

"Forgive my intrusion, but when did the hospital say the due date was?"

The room fell suddenly silent.

Minato's smile stiffened on his face.

His expression darkened in an instant:

"Xuandou, I'm afraid asking a question like that is highly inappropriate, isn't it?"