Tobirama's Generous Gift (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Half a month later.

Konoha.

Toji walked into the Hokage Office.

Tobirama had already adapted to his role as acting Hokage and was sitting at the desk, head bowed as he reviewed documents.

"Acting Hokage, you summoned me."

"Enough, just call me Tobirama like you used to." Tobirama waved a hand, his tone casual. "Have you handed the Yin Seal over to Uchiha Chirori yet?"

Toji refused to answer, his expression stern. "I don't like discussing such private matters in the Hokage Building."

"Tch, fine, keep it to yourself then." Tobirama fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Toji, before my brother left, what exactly did he say to you?"

Toji had no intention of hiding it and stated the commission directly. "The Hokage commissioned me to supervise you, to ensure you don't keep making the same mistakes."

"So that's how it is." Tobirama sighed, then asked the question that touched upon a taboo. "Toji, are you still... unwilling to assist me?"

"Tobirama, I already gave you my answer to that."

Toji's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable firmness. "I will never allow the manipulation of life or the desecration of souls."

As he spoke, he stared directly into Tobirama's red eyes, not yielding in the slightest.

Senju Tobirama was the first to retract his imposing aura, speaking slowly:

"Toji, don't you want to see your deceased clansmen one last time? Even if it's not a true resurrection, just to see them again, to tell them that you are doing well now."

He was playing the emotional card.

But this tactic was the most useless of all against Toji.

Clansmen?

He didn't have any to begin with.

Toji deliberately feigned a moment of hesitation, then shook his head resolutely. "I don't. Stop trying to pull this kind of stunt; a ninja must never cross the boundary between life and death."

With that, Toji turned to leave.

"Wait..." Senju Tobirama called out to him.

"Is there something else?"

"I have a technique here that you might find useful."

Toji looked suspicious. "A technique? You haven't been doing human experiments again, have you?"

Tobirama's face darkened as he pulled a scroll from his drawer and tossed it to Toji. "Not all of my techniques involve human experimentation; there's no need to be so guarded against me."

"This is..."

Toji opened the scroll right in front of him. Upon seeing the contents, he felt a surge of surprise.

What Tobirama had given him was actually the Shadow Clone Technique!

The Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank ninjutsu. By evenly distributing the user's chakra to create physical clones, these clones possessed independent consciousness and could execute physical attacks; even the Byakugan could not distinguish the clones from the original.

The most exaggerated aspect was that when a shadow clone dissipated, it would transmit its memories and experiences back to the original body.

Using shadow clones to train alongside the original body could truly achieve twice the result with half the effort.

The cunning old white-haired ghost was actually using this to bribe an official.

Toji narrowed his eyes and asked, "A miraculous ninjutsu, but... why are you giving it to me?"

"The Gospel Hospital is busy, taking up almost all of your time." Tobirama's tone was certain. "You should be in need of a technique to free yourself from such heavy labor."

"My brother and sister-in-law gave you the Yin Seal, so I shall give you the Shadow Clone Technique."

"Once you master this technique, it should give you a bit more personal time. Whether it's walking the streets of Konoha to enjoy a peaceful life, or spending time with Uchiha Chirori, it would be quite beneficial."

Toji gripped the scroll for the Shadow Clone Technique, but still shook his head. "I do need a technique like this, but Tobirama, I will not relax my restrictions on you because of it."

"It's just a gift."

Tobirama said dismissively, "If you need it, just take it. Toji, I only want you to understand my intentions. We are both working for Konoha. Our goals are the same."

"Thank you for the gift; I will accept the Shadow Clone Technique."

"But... the matter of human experimentation is still out of the question."

Toji turned and left with the Shadow Clone Technique in hand.

This time, Tobirama did not stop him. He crossed his hands under his chin, his eyes reflecting Toji's retreating back as he muttered to himself:

"As expected, even someone like you has desires deep within your heart."

"In that moment just now, you showed a crack, Toji!"

"Your most vulnerable point is your clansmen, isn't it? Whether it's seeing your dead kin one more time, or accompanying Uchiha Chirori, a woman who might become your family..."

"As long as you show a crack, you are not impenetrable."

"Sooner or later, you will understand."

Tobirama leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long breath as he fell into deep thought.

His eldest brother had issued a ban, and Toji stood firmly on his brother's side.

Even though he was unwilling, he was temporarily helpless. Unable to obtain experimental subjects, he could only "engage in armchair strategy" for the time being, conducting purely theoretical deductions without crossing the bottom line of human experimentation.

He could only hope that one day, his brother would lift the ban on human experimentation, or that Toji would waver in his stance under the influence of his bribes.

Big brother is too soft.

If I were Hokage...

For the first time, Toji took leave from Gospel Hospital.

At the same time, he set aside all the research projects in his hands and focused on learning the Shadow Clone Technique.

The Shadow Clone Technique was the prerequisite for the Multi Shadow Clone.

The greater the number of clones, the weaker the original body and the clones would become due to the excessive dilution of chakra.

Once the clones were dispelled, all memories and experiences would flow back to the brain, while the pain and exhaustion would surge entirely toward the heart, the source of chakra.

Summoning too many at once could even lead to fatal consequences such as cardiac arrest or schizophrenia.

However, these hidden dangers did not apply to Toji at all.

His determined will far exceeded that of an ordinary person, and he possessed a full five hearts within his body.

Worked to death? Sudden death?

Replacing a heart would be enough.

During the process of cultivation, Toji also unexpectedly discovered that, perhaps due to his innate dual soul power, he made rapid progress in learning the Shadow Clone Technique, a jutsu that "temporarily recreates another self."

In just three days, he mastered the basic usage.

At the Zenin Clan Ninjutsu Training Ground.

Toji pressed his index and middle fingers together and formed a cross seal with both hands: "Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

A puff of white smoke exploded at his feet. As the smoke cleared, a clone with the exact same appearance and build as him stood quietly before him.

At the same time, a sense of weakness from having half his chakra drained surged through his entire body.

Toji looked at the shadow clone before him and chuckled softly:

"Heh... so this is another me."

Even the Earth Grudge Fear and the five hearts had been replicated along with the clone.

This was not surprising.

After all, even shuriken could be shadow-cloned...

Toji quickly adapted to this weakness and, using the remaining chakra, activated the Shadow Clone Technique once more.

One Toji became three.

"Shadow Clone Number One, you are responsible for rewriting the Yin Seal; Shadow Clone Number Two, you are responsible for developing the Reanimation."

"As for the original body..."

"Daily activities continue as usual."