I, Shinnō

Shadow Clone Jutsu was a B-rank ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It was also the technique most commonly used by all shinobi. The clones it created were no different from the real person, making it essential for traveling, killing, and looting.

The incredible thing about this technique was that the clones possessed independent consciousness and could act on their own. They were not only flexible, but could also be dispelled by either the original or the clone itself, with all the clone's experiences automatically returning to the original when it was dispelled.

When Uchiha Itachi was attending the Ninja Academy, he would simply send a Shadow Clone to school while the original trained alone in the wilderness, letting him enjoy the best of both worlds.

As for Uzumaki Naruto, there was no need to explain. Before Retsuo crossed over and went to college, he had famously said, "I won't play the Naruto mobile game if Naruto can't split into a thousand Shadow Clones."

At this moment, Retsuo was following Ukyo in special training. Shadow Clone Jutsu was the fruit of yesterday's training. After practicing continuously for several days, it had finally come fresh from the oven. Today was the maiden flight of Unit One.

The Shadow Clone dispelled itself, and a stream of information instantly carried Gen's movements back to the original, making Retsuo pause.

Yulong's Chakra Scalpel was precisely pressed against Retsuo's throat.

"What's wrong with you? Why were you distracted during the fight?" Yulong asked unhappily. Ukyo, however, understood immediately. "Ha, did your Shadow Clone get beaten to death? Was it because of your foul mouth?"

"Actually, no!" After receiving the information sent back by the Shadow Clone, Retsuo began calculating in his mind.

Gen's appearance in Konoha was rather delicate. The main problem was that he still had not gone to Hokage Rock to remove the remaining Explosive Tags.

That time, he had taken two hundred of them in his Ninja Tool Pouch. The Explosive Tag array had used up a hundred, leaving more than two thousand still stuck to the wall.

Gen definitely had his own way of sensing those Explosive Tags. With more than ten percent missing, going inside to take a look would very likely expose him.

What a miscalculation! Retsuo thought. The matter was rather awkward. Abandoning those Explosive Tags had already pained him, but the more troublesome part was that Gen only had to ask around about what had happened recently to know, without even using his abs to think, that Retsuo had removed them.

That wouldn't do! He wasn't afraid of Gen finding out, but he was afraid of being exposed. If this matter became public, he would probably have to rely on Talk no Jutsu to argue his way out—after discovering something so dangerous, he had neither reported it to the village nor immediately removed it. What exactly was he trying to do?

His persona could collapse in any way, but not this!

Unfortunately, if he had removed everything in advance, he wouldn't have had to worry about exposure. Not only would he not have needed to worry, but he would also have earned great credit for Konoha.

A few days ago, the atmosphere had been tense. ANBU and Root operatives had often been wandering around Hokage Rock, making it difficult to act. These past two days, the Konoha Ninja Clans had begun a mass migration, and the atmosphere had finally relaxed. Then Gen had chosen this moment to show up...

Though it was also possible that Gen had appeared precisely because the atmosphere had relaxed. Sigh!

There was no other choice. He would just have to make the trip. Retsuo swiftly returned to his room, took out his treasured Sealing Scroll, and stuffed it into his Ninja Tool Pouch.

Although a Sealing Scroll looked like an ordinary, unimpressive commodity, it was actually a strategic resource. A single Sealing Scroll could carry a large amount of supplies, and possession of one was strictly controlled in Konoha. Its source had to be clear, and it had to be registered and reported. If anyone could possess Sealing Scrolls, causing trouble in Konoha would be far too easy.

Over the past few days, he had pestered Fugaku relentlessly until he managed to wring a Sealing Scroll out of him as a gift for graduating early. Even though he had not actually graduated yet.

Seeing Retsuo's movements, Ukyo and Yulong said nothing and quickly organized their equipment. Retsuo waved a hand when he saw them. "Hokage Rock. I'll go by myself."

"No!" ×2

"This is something I have to do alone, but... Ukyo, can you change your height when you transform?"

Ukyo understood instantly. "You mean... transform into you?"

"Yes!"

Yulong chuckled, formed the "Boar" hand seal, and Bang! transformed into Retsuo. "How is it?"

You're a sixteen-year-old girl the same height as me, a nine-year-old kid. What am I supposed to say? Retsuo thought. I'll transform too!

Before long, a "Shinnō" walked out of the new Uchiha clan compound with a kind and amiable expression. The instant he stepped out of the compound gate, he looked up at the woods opposite them. There were definitely ANBU in the trees, and perhaps even Root operatives.

However, Shinnō coming to look for Uchiha Retsuo was no longer anything unusual. Because of Orochimaru, the village had already tacitly accepted this "scientific research."

Soon, Retsuo arrived at Hokage Rock. Sure enough, no one was around. He passed smoothly through the arched passageway, stepped onto the wooden floorboards, and deliberately made his footsteps go "click-clack, click-clack."

Then he entered with his head held high.

The timing was just right. Gen was indeed scrambling to cover things up.

The man whirled around. When he saw that it was not a Konoha ANBU operative, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately became deeply puzzled.

"I'm an inspector from the civil engineering division. I've been ordered to inspect the brickwork inside Hokage Rock. Who are you?"

"No, you're not." Retsuo stared at Gen, his expression solemn and his voice cold. "You're a shinobi from the Land of Mountains. I remember you. Your name is Gen."

Gen calmly assumed a fighting stance. He was also a Taijutsu expert. Especially here, the abundant Explosive Tags gave him immense confidence. He possessed a special seal that allowed him to detonate these unusual Explosive Tags from a distance.

However, one Explosive Tag suddenly exploded!

His opponent sneered. "Were you counting on this? Didn't you notice that I've already taken three hundred of them?"

"Y-you! Who are you? Aren't you afraid I'll detonate every Explosive Tag? We'll die together!"

Gen shouted harshly, though in reality sweat poured from him like rain.

Of course he had noticed. That was precisely why he was so restless.

Just moments ago, the feeling that his conspiracy had been exposed and disaster was imminent had filled his heart. Now, that restlessness was gone, replaced by the sensation that he had walked straight into a trap.

Gen did not expect the other party to answer, but the other party actually did. He heard the man chuckle. "I'm not afraid. If you were willing to detonate them, you would have done so already. The Konoha shinobi haven't gathered in the village yet, so you won't detonate them. What you want is Konoha's destruction, not to blow up this mountain."

Gen looked up in shock, unable to believe it. "Y-you... who are you, exactly?"

Retsuo replied calmly, "You're a Yangyan Remnant, and I'm a Sky Ninja Remnant. My name is Shinnō. Like you, I'm an enemy of Konoha."

"Shinnō? Sky Ninja... is that the shinobi village that can make Genin fly?" Gen's eyes widened abruptly, filling with hope.

"That's right. With the Sky Ninja Village's Chakra-powered vehicles, every shinobi can fly. What is it? Do you want to join the Sky Ninja Village? It's not impossible to consider."

"No..." Gen's expression dimmed. "Yangyan Hidden Village wasn't destroyed. I can't betray my village."

"It's merely alive in name." Retsuo spoke with the air of an old man. "Your Land of Mountains is too far from Konoha, so you weren't annexed. They merely put a puppet in power. Unlike our Sky Ninja Village, which was too close to the Land of Fire and has now become part of it. In practice, what's the difference?"

"Don't say another word!" Gen growled painfully. "If you only intend to recruit me, then please leave!"