Multiple Shadow Clone Technique

Amamiya Maki hugged the scrolls tightly to his chest.

Orochimaru had written every scroll himself, his handwriting as neat as print, with hand-drawn diagrams of chakra circulation routes beside the text.

Selling even one of them on the Black Market would earn an ordinary ninja enough to buy a mansion in Konoha.

For a moment, as Orochimaru looked at Amamiya Maki, he seemed to see his younger self.

He had only been Hiruzen Sarutobi's student for a few years then, spending his days buried in piles of forbidden technique scrolls.

He often worked until he forgot to eat, only to find the Third standing behind him with a bowl of rice, gently urging him to eat before the food went cold.

His eyes had been just as clear and earnest back then.

He had not been single-mindedly pursuing strength, nor had he wanted to prove himself to anyone.

There had been only one thought in his heart: I want to uncover the truth behind every ninjutsu in the world.

"If you wish to learn every ninjutsu, the first prerequisite is a lifespan long enough to see you through that journey."

Orochimaru silently watched the boy for a long time over the towering stack of scrolls.

At this point, he had yet to truly experience the sorrow of life's fleeting nature.

He had not yet witnessed Nawaki die in battle, nor seen his own disciple blown apart by explosive tags on the battlefield.

Most of those cruel forbidden techniques that harmed living beings were still only ideas.

Living Corpse Reincarnation was merely a vague theory with a question mark beside it at the end of his notes.

He had seen far too many gifted prodigies.

Tsunade was one, and Jiraiya was another, but the three of them had entirely different motivations and outlooks.

Tsunade harbored an obsession with proving herself.

She wanted to preserve the Senju Clan's glory and make everyone acknowledge that medical ninjas were every bit as valuable on the battlefield as frontline combat ninjas.

At his core, Jiraiya wanted to protect.

To protect Konoha, uphold the will of fire passed down by the Third, and persist in searching for the child of prophecy who could change the world.

But Amamiya Maki was different.

His eyes held only a pure thirst for knowledge.

Not to prove himself, nor to protect anyone.

An endless, irrepressible curiosity deep in his bones was all that drove him to master every ninjutsu.

That familiar look, that thirst for knowledge, was exactly like his own when he first met the Third.

That year, he had stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, clutching the Shadow Clone Scroll he had secretly taken from the forbidden technique archive.

With a pipe between his lips, the Third had studied him quietly for a while, then merely said, "Remember to return it when you're finished."

There had been no scolding, no punishment, only tacit permission before he turned and left.

The warmth in that gentle, accepting figure's retreating back was the same warmth Orochimaru felt now as he watched Amamiya Maki struggle to steady himself with his arms full of scrolls.

"You've heard of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, I assume."

Orochimaru's voice was low and drawn out, with a faint quality reminiscent of a snake's hiss.

He walked over to the Rock Wall Scroll Display again and took down a brand-new scroll.

This one stood out clearly from the older scrolls. Its cover was clean and unadorned, with only the word "Forbidden" written in tiny script in the lower right corner.

"A forbidden technique developed by the Second Hokage himself. It uses vast amounts of chakra to create physical clones."

"The moment the clones are dispelled, all their accumulated training experience, observations, and insights return to the original in full."

"In theory, it is the most efficient training method in the world."

"One person's learning speed is limited. But if you create dozens of copies of yourself, you effectively multiply your available training time dozens of times over."

Amamiya Maki stared at the technique diagrams drawn on the scroll, his heartbeat quickening.

Of course he knew what the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was.

It was Naruto's exclusive training cheat in the future.

Thousands of clones could practice the Rasengan simultaneously, allowing him to master in just three days the Chakra Nature Transformation that took others three years.

Perfecting Wind Release: Rasenshuriken from scratch in a mere month was a genuine protagonist-exclusive privilege.

But this technique was brutally unforgiving to ordinary people.

Experience was not the only thing that returned when the clones were dispelled. All their accumulated fatigue came back as well.

If one clone trained for an hour, the original had to endure an hour's worth of fatigue.

If ten clones trained simultaneously, the original had to bear the strain of ten uninterrupted hours of overexertion all at once.

Most ninjas needed a full day of bed rest after dispelling just two or three clones.

Creating five meant serious injury and a trip to the hospital.

To date, no ordinary ninja had ever created more than ten clones and remained steadily on his feet afterward.

"Konoha classified it as a forbidden technique not because its destructive power was excessive, but because its risks were simply too difficult to control."

Orochimaru's golden slit pupils narrowed slightly, and the tip of his tongue brushed the corner of his mouth.

"Danger and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. I'm sure you understand that, Maki."

"Distributing chakra evenly is the most difficult core principle of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."

Orochimaru placed his fingertip at the center of the scroll's technique diagram and slowly traced the full chakra circulation route, breaking down each key point in detail.

"Only when you can reliably divide your chakra into ten or more equal portions can you be considered to have crossed the threshold of this technique.

But I suggest you progress gradually. Start by practicing with two portions.

The basic Shadow Clone and the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique share exactly the same underlying formula. The only difference is the number of clones created.

Dividing your chakra into two equal portions and creating a single clone gives you an ordinary Shadow Clone.

Dividing it into ten portions and creating nine clones gives you the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Establish a solid foundation first. Don't rush ahead or get greedy."

"I understand. Bite off more than you can chew, and you'll choke."

A rare, faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's face. "You're calmer and more levelheaded than I expected."

He had seen far too many ninjas lose their heads at the sight of an advanced forbidden technique.

The moment they saw the scroll, they could not wait to exhaust all their chakra, forcing themselves to create dozens of clones.

In the end, the overwhelming fatigue that flowed back knocked them straight to the ground.

He knew this so well because he often used scrolls as bait in the shinobi world.

He would deliberately leave advanced forbidden techniques somewhere conspicuous in his laboratory, pretend to go out, then return to check whether anyone had touched the scrolls.

Anyone who touched them was either a spy infiltrating the place to gather intelligence or a reckless fool who did not know his own limits.

Even if someone managed to understand the surface-level formulas, daring to take them out of his laboratory without permission would not end well.

The scene shifted to the Hokage's Office.

"Hiruzen! The situation is already critical! That Hanzō boasts he could hold up and control the Land of Rain with one hand and still be invincible!"

"If we don't take decisive action now, Konoha will be surrounded again once they're ready!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi held the complete intelligence report Jiraiya had submitted between his fingers, reading it over and over.

How he wished this intelligence were false.

The speed of Hanzō's expansion far exceeded his earlier estimates.

He had originally expected at least another six months to deploy troops, organize defenses, and stockpile explosive tags along the border.

Now, even a three-month grace period seemed far from certain.

"Enough, Danzo! I am the Hokage! The decision is mine to make!"

Shimura Danzō's face was livid, his tone unyielding. "Konoha has the immense strength accumulated over generations. We should send troops to intimidate them and show Hanzō and those small nations the power of a great nation!"

"Sending troops first would be unwise." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and laid out his reasoning clearly.

"Several small ninja villages are already secretly backing Hanzō."

"Kusagakure, Takigakure, and Hoshigakure are nothing to fear individually."

"But once they enter a mutual defense agreement with Amegakure, we won't be dealing with scattered border clashes anymore. We'll be facing an established regional military alliance."

Danzo flew into a rage at those words!

"I absolutely disagree! At the end of the day, aren't Hanzō and Amegakure just the circus's Shuke and Beita?!"

"He's a songstress! How dare he put on airs in front of Konoha? It's time to hit him hard, Hiruzen!"

Jiraiya's brows knitted tightly as he objected, "Hanzō's title as the Demigod of the Ninja World isn't an empty boast. He won't be that easy to deal with."

"His Chain Sickle can hold off three jonin at once, and the poison mist released by his summon, Ibuse, can engulf an entire ninja squad."

"When I infiltrated the Land of Rain, I personally saw him slaughter and tear apart a squad of rogue ninjas along with their summons."

Shimura Danzō snorted, his voice full of contempt. "My kunai is no less sharp!"

"Or has a mere title like Demigod scared you out of your wits?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand to stop their endless argument, then turned to the two senior advisers beside him.

"What do you two think?"

"The situation in the Land of Rain is shrouded in uncertainty. Recklessly sending troops would only give others grounds to criticize us and hand Hanzō and those small nations an excuse to join forces against us. We must not act rashly."

Tsunade was the first to state her position.

"I agree with Jiraiya's assessment."

Once war broke out, the number of wounded would surge within a short time.

The medical ninjas currently under her command were nowhere near enough to cope.

"That possibility is indeed very likely. Konoha's overall strength surpasses that of the other Five Great Nations, which naturally makes the other ninja villages wary enough to unite against us.

Look back at the past wars of the shinobi world, and Konoha has always been the first to come under attack from multiple factions," Mitokado Homura said, his gaze calm and measured.

Utatane Koharu gave a slight nod as well, signaling her agreement with Homura.

Hiruzen Sarutobi settled on a plan in a grave voice. "In that case, Konoha will hold its position for now and begin full preparations for war.

All registered ninjas will have their leave canceled. Supplies will be stockpiled in quantities sufficient for wartime requirements, border patrols will be doubled, and the village's entire intelligence network will operate at full capacity."

"To be safe, we can send personnel to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

There's no need for a large-scale garrison. Focus on reconnaissance. Find out which ninja villages Hanzō has brought over to his side, what agreements they've signed, and when they plan to mobilize."

Tsunade added her suggestion at the right moment.

"I'll handle the reconnaissance!" Jiraiya immediately raised his hand high.

"I'm very familiar with the terrain in the Land of Rain."

"No! We must strike first!"

"Hiruzen, even if you don't trust me, don't you trust your own student's intelligence?"

Shimura Danzō slammed his palm onto the desk, making even the ashes in the ashtray jump.

"The Land of Rain's vicious ambitions are already plain for all to see! Now is the time to hit them hard!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer immediately. He merely picked up his pipe and took a puff.

He let the smoke form a thin barrier between them.

Danzo had been the same when they were young: spot a threat, retaliate immediately, and leave no room for compromise.

Back then, he had admired that decisiveness.

But now he was the Hokage. He had to consider not only whether to fight, but what would happen afterward.

Who else was behind the Land of Rain?

Hanzō dared to provoke all Five Great Nations at once.

Had he truly gone mad, or was someone putting a weapon in his hand?

"Enough! Danzo, surely you shouldn't be speaking about another nation's leader like that."