Half a month later.
Konoha.
Toji walked into the Hokage Office.
Tobirama had already adapted to his role as acting Hokage. Sitting in the Hokage's seat, he lowered his head as he reviewed documents.
"Acting Hokage, you summoned me."
"Alright, just call me Tobirama like before." Tobirama waved a hand casually. "Did you give the Yin Seal to Uchiha Chiri?"
Toji sternly refused to answer. "I don't like discussing such private matters in the Hokage Building."
"Tch, forget it if you don't want to say." After a brief silence, Tobirama slowly asked, "Toji, what did my brother tell you before he left?"
Toji had no intention of hiding it and stated the commission directly. "Lord Hokage entrusted me with keeping an eye on you, not letting you make mistake after mistake."
"So that was it." Tobirama sighed, then asked the taboo question. "Toji, are you still... unwilling to help me?"
"Tobirama, I answered that question long ago."
Toji's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable resolve. "I will never permit matters that toy with life and desecrate souls."
As he spoke, he met Tobirama's red eyes without yielding in the slightest.
Tobirama Senju was the first to rein in his aura and slowly said:
"Toji, don't you want to see your dead clansmen again? Even if it isn't a true resurrection, just seeing them once more and telling them that you're doing well now."
He played the emotional card.
But this was the most useless tactic against Toji.
Clansmen?
He had none at all.
Toji deliberately showed a moment of hesitation before firmly shaking his head. "I don't want to. Don't try that again. Shinobi must never cross the boundary between life and death."
With that, Toji turned to leave.
"Wait..." Tobirama Senju called after him.
"What else is it?"
"I have a technique here that you might find useful."
Toji looked suspicious. "A technique? You didn't conduct another human experiment, did you?"
Tobirama's face darkened as he pulled a scroll from a drawer and tossed it to Toji. "Not every technique I create involves human experimentation. You don't need to be so wary of me."
"This is...?"
Before Tobirama, Toji opened the scroll. When he saw its contents, he was somewhat surprised.
What Tobirama had given him was actually the—Shadow Clone Jutsu!
The Shadow Clone Jutsu was a B-rank ninjutsu. It created physical clones by evenly dividing the user's chakra. The clones possessed independent consciousness and could carry out physical attacks; even the Byakugan could not distinguish a clone from the original.
Its most outrageous feature was that when a shadow clone vanished, it sent its memories and experience back to the original.
Training alongside shadow clones could truly achieve twice the results with half the effort.
That cunning white-haired old bastard was actually using this to bribe an executive.
Toji narrowed his eyes and asked, "An amazing ninjutsu, but... why are you giving it to me?"
"Gospel Hospital is busy enough to take up nearly all your time." Tobirama spoke with certainty. "You should need a technique that can free you from that heavy workload."
"My brother and sister-in-law gave you the Yin Seal, so I'll give you the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Once you learn this technique, you'll have a little more personal time. Whether you walk the streets of Konoha and enjoy a peaceful life, or go spend time with Uchiha Chiri, either would be good."
Toji held the Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll in his hand but still shook his head. "I do need a technique like this, but Tobirama, I won't loosen my restrictions on you because of it."
"It's only a gift."
Tobirama said indifferently, "Take it if you need it. Toji, I only hope you understand my intentions. We're both working for Konoha. Our goals are the same."
"Thank you for the gift. I'll accept the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"But... human experimentation is still out of the question."
Taking the Shadow Clone Jutsu with him, Toji turned and left.
This time, Tobirama did not stop him. He interlaced his fingers beneath his chin, Toji's departing figure reflected in his eyes as he murmured:
"Just as I thought, even you have something you desire deep down."
"For that brief instant, you revealed a flaw, Toji!"
"Your most vulnerable point is your clansmen, isn't it? Whether it's seeing your dead clansmen again or staying with Uchiha Chiri, the woman who might become your family..."
"As long as you reveal a flaw, you aren't invulnerable."
"One day, you'll understand."
Tobirama leaned back in his chair, let out a long breath, and sank into thought.
His brother had issued a ban, and Toji stood firmly on his brother's side.
No matter how unwilling he was, there was nothing he could do for now. Without experimental materials, he could only engage in "armchair theorizing" for the time being, conducting pure theoretical deductions without crossing the line into human experimentation.
He could only hope that one day, his brother would lift the ban on human experimentation, or that Toji's stance would waver under his bribes.
"My brother is too softhearted."
"If I were Hokage..."
For the first time, Toji took leave from Gospel Hospital.
He also put all the research projects in his hands aside and focused on learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Shadow Clone was the prerequisite ninjutsu for Multiple Shadow Clone.
The more clones there were, the weaker both the original and the clones became as their chakra was excessively diluted.
Once the clones were dispelled, all their memories and experiences flowed back into the brain, while the pain and exhaustion all rushed toward the heart, the source of the chakra.
Summoning too many at once could even cause fatal consequences such as cardiac arrest and mental breakdown.
But such hidden dangers did not apply to Toji at all.
His willpower far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he had five whole hearts inside him.
Worked to death? Sudden death?
Replacing a heart would be enough.
During his training, Toji also unexpectedly discovered that perhaps because he was born with the power of two souls, he learned a technique like Shadow Clone—one that temporarily recreated another self—at an astonishing pace.
In only three days, he mastered its basic use.
At the Zenin Clan's ninjutsu training grounds.
Toji pressed his index and middle fingers together, forming a cross seal with his hands. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang!
A cloud of white smoke burst at his feet. When it dispersed, a clone identical to him in both appearance and build stood quietly before him.
At the same time, the weakness of having half his chakra drained instantly washed over his body.
Toji looked at the shadow clone before him and smiled faintly.
"Heh... so this is another me."
Even Earth Grudge Fear and the five hearts had been cloned along with him.
That was hardly surprising.
After all, even shuriken could be cloned with Shadow Clone...
Toji quickly adapted to the weakness and used what little chakra remained to activate Shadow Clone once more.
One Toji became three Tojis.
"Shadow Clone One, revise the Yin Seal. Shadow Clone Two, develop Impure World Reincarnation."
"As for the original..."
"Carry on with daily activities as usual."
Before you continue