Shadow Clone Jutsu

Time flew by, and the forty-third year of Konoha passed amid the spring breeze. Eight-year-old Kyohaku Uchiha's life still maintained the monotonous yet resilient rhythm outsiders saw. But changes had quietly begun to take place among the people familiar to him.

The most obvious change was in his cousin, Maiyi Uchiha. At sixteen, she had shed the immaturity of girlhood and grown into a graceful young woman, her features carrying more of a ninja's sharpness and composure. She had successfully passed the brutal Chunin Ninja Exams, becoming a respected Chunin, and naturally joined the Konoha Military Police Force under the Uchiha Clan's control. The brand-new Chunin vest looked especially dashing on her.

Her new position kept her even busier, but she still used holidays to visit Kyohaku's secluded little courtyard whenever she could. She no longer brought only fruit and snacks; more often, she brought the practical experience she had accumulated on missions as a Chunin, along with a deeper understanding of ninjutsu.

"Kyohaku, look. If you angle this shuriken's throw just five degrees higher and make use of the subtle changes in wind resistance, its landing point will become much harder to predict." In the courtyard, Maiyi held a kunai as she carefully demonstrated, sharing every technique she had figured out.

Or, "When you're ambushed, your first reaction shouldn't be to look for the enemy. Immediately find the nearest cover while sensing for chakra fluctuations. Only by staying alive will you have a chance to strike back."

Kyohaku always listened attentively, occasionally asking questions carefully disguised to suit his "level." He could tell that Maiyi sincerely wanted him to grow stronger and travel farther down this difficult path of the ninja. Such wholehearted sharing was especially precious within this cold and indifferent clan, and it brought a faint, almost imperceptible warmth to one corner of Kyohaku's calculating heart.

His uncle, Shota Uchiha, had also visited several times. He still looked like a weathered captain of a Military Police Force squad, his expression tired, but his gaze toward Kyohaku held a little more approval. Seeing that Kyohaku had kept the small house in perfect order and seemed healthier than before, especially after learning that he had persisted in studying Medical Ninjutsu and established himself in the hospital's animal taming class, Shota Uchiha's stern face would even reveal a rare, nearly unnoticeable hint of a smile.

"Looks like making you move out on your own did force you to become more independent," he remarked once, his tone complicated. "If you run into trouble, make sure you come to me. I still have some influence in the Military Police Force." It was an understated promise, implying a certain degree of protection.

Kyohaku answered respectfully, but his mind was rapidly weighing his options. He had long had an idea—a jutsu that could greatly improve his learning efficiency and training progress, yet one he could never acquire on his own. His uncle before him might be the best route.

During one visit when Shota Uchiha seemed to be in a good mood, Kyohaku cautiously made his request.

"Uncle," he said, choosing his words carefully, with just the right amount of longing and hesitation on his face, "I... I saw a ninjutsu in the library. They say it's very helpful for training. It's called... the Shadow Clone Jutsu. But it's a B-rank forbidden technique and requires special permission to learn... I..."

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Shota Uchiha immediately frowned, his tone turning stern. "Why would you want to learn that? That isn't a jutsu you should be exposed to yet! It consumes an enormous amount of chakra. One careless mistake could cause severe backlash, even endanger your life! It's far too dangerous for your body as it is!"

Kyohaku had anticipated the question. He lowered his head, his voice quiet but clear. "I know it's dangerous... but Uncle, because of my foot, I can't keep up with everyone else in taijutsu or a lot of training... I just thought... if I could use shadow clones to help study theory and practice hand seals... wouldn't that save a lot of time and make up some of the gap? I'll be very careful with how much chakra I use. I absolutely won't force myself..."

He raised his head, his eyes shining with a mixture of reluctance and pleading, like a child desperately trying to seize every chance to catch up with his companions.

Shota Uchiha fell silent. He looked at Kyohaku's slightly limping right foot, then at the unyielding flame in his eyes. The sternness on his face gradually softened. He understood that desire, especially in a child with a physical defect whose heart was set on the ninja path. Using the Shadow Clone Jutsu to assist with learning and fine-grained practice was indeed theoretically a feasible shortcut, though the risks were extremely high.

After a long while, he sighed. "Fine. At your age and in your physical condition, you ordinarily would have no chance of coming into contact with this jutsu. But although you look frail, your will is stronger than that of many clan members, and your chakra control far exceeds that of ordinary people... perhaps it can be attempted."

Kyohaku's heart settled, and a deeply grateful expression immediately appeared on his face. "Thank you, Uncle!"

"Don't get happy too soon." Shota Uchiha put on a stern face. "I'll teach you, but you must promise never to use it in front of outsiders. Every practice session must be supervised by either me or your sister Maiyi! The moment you feel your chakra running low, you must immediately release the jutsu! Do you understand?"

"Yes! I promise!" Kyohaku answered without hesitation.

Over the following days, Shota Uchiha used breaks between missions to visit Kyohaku's courtyard and begin teaching him the B-rank ninjutsu, the Shadow Clone Jutsu. His explanations were extraordinarily detailed, covering its immense chakra consumption, the clones' physical nature, the memory feedback mechanism, and, most importantly, the ratio of chakra distribution and methods of maintaining the technique. He even covered every detail of the mental shock and physical exhaustion that could result from a failed attempt.

"The key to this jutsu is 'equal division,'" Shota Uchiha said gravely. "It isn't simply splitting off a portion of your chakra. You must distribute your chakra, and even part of your spiritual energy, completely evenly among each clone. When a clone disperses, the fatigue and memories it accumulated will also return to the original body all at once. So with your current amount of chakra, you can create at most one clone, and it absolutely cannot last long!"

Kyohaku listened with full concentration, committing every key point to memory without missing a word. To him, these complicated principles and risks were far more important than the hand seal itself.

The hand seal sequence was Ram.

He raised his hands, his movements steady and clear.

Under Shota Uchiha's tense gaze, Kyohaku mobilized the chakra within his body. He precisely controlled its flow, carefully separating nearly half of his chakra and spiritual energy according to the principle of "equal division."

Poof!

A faint puff of white smoke flashed by, and another identical "Kyohaku Uchiha" appeared beside him. The clone was also leaning on a crutch, its eyes slightly vacant, but it was undeniably a physical clone!

It worked!

A flicker of surprise and satisfaction flashed through Shota Uchiha's eyes. Success on the first attempt! Although the clone appeared somewhat sluggish, this initial performance had far exceeded his expectations. This child's chakra control was terrifyingly precise.

"Good! Keep it going! Feel the rate at which your chakra is draining!" he instructed in a low voice.

After about a minute, Kyohaku voluntarily released the jutsu. The clone vanished with a poof, and a distinct wave of fatigue along with brief fragments of memory rushed into his mind. He swayed slightly, his face turning somewhat pale.

"How do you feel?" Shota Uchiha hurriedly supported him.

"I-I'm fine." Kyohaku caught his breath and shook his head, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Just a little tired... the memories all came back..."

Though the consumption was tremendous and the experience was hardly pleasant, he had succeeded! That meant that from this day onward, his learning and training efficiency could possibly double!

Shota Uchiha continued warning him for quite some time. Only after leaving behind several Soldier Pills to replenish his strength did he depart, carrying a trace of concern and a measure of pride.

The courtyard returned to silence. Kyohaku felt the nearly half of his chakra that had been consumed, yet an incomparably serious smile slowly appeared on his pale face.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu... was finally his.

In the days to come, he would no longer walk forward alone.