"Draw!"
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have received a C-rank reward...]
"Tokitsumori!"
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have received a B-rank reward...]
He rewound time four times in succession.
The stabbing pain in his right eye grew increasingly intense, and a trail of bloody tears slid down his cheek.
Xuandou gritted his teeth, knowing he had almost reached the limit of his ocular technique.
At most, he could force himself to use Tokitsumori once more. If he failed to draw an A-rank reward next time, he could only rewind to preserve the draw opportunity and wait for his eye to recover before drawing again.
Again!
The fifth draw.
The wheel stopped.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have received an A-rank reward: A-rank ninjutsu, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.]
A vast flood of memories poured in.
Hand seal gestures, chakra distribution, combat experience, and techniques for controlling countless shadow clones acting simultaneously.
Xuandou let out a long breath.
Finally.
And a top-quality A-rank ninjutsu at that.
After all, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was a forbidden technique kept in the Scroll of Seals!
He opened his eyes and wiped the blood from his face, inwardly delighted.
This was a huge haul.
Mastering the essence of wind-nature chakra had deepened his understanding of the nature of chakra as a form of energy.
And the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was as practical as it got.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Xuandou formed hand seals.
With a soft pop, the white smoke dispersed, revealing two shadow clones identical to him standing before him.
The biggest difference between shadow clones and ordinary clones was that shadow clones were physical.
Anything the original could do, a shadow clone could do too.
And once a shadow clone was dispelled, all its sensations and memories would instantly return to the original.
The drawbacks were obvious too.
Each shadow clone took a large amount of chakra from the original, making the technique impossible for ordinary ninja to afford.
Even with enough chakra, the flood of memories returning when a shadow clone disappeared could overwhelm the mind, causing anything from headaches to mental derangement.
That was also why it was classified as a forbidden technique.
But for Xuandou, who had mastered Yin Release Chakra, that degree of mental impact was nothing at all.
Just then, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Host has triggered a main quest.] [Main quest issued: Nine-Tails' Catastrophe.] [Quest description: Kushina Uzumaki is nearing childbirth. The seal on the Nine-Tails within her will loosen somewhat after her child is born, and Obito Uchiha will seize the opportunity to bring about the Nine-Tails' Catastrophe! Save Kushina during the Nine-Tails' Catastrophe!] [Quest reward: Draw attempts ×1.]
Xuandou's gaze sharpened.
Was the Nine-Tails' Catastrophe finally about to break out?
But on closer thought, Sasuke and Naruto had been born very close together in the original story.
Now that Sasuke had been born, Naruto's birth really was not far off.
As for how to save Kushina...
It was still unrealistic to lay out Obito's conspiracy, or even Madara's and Black Zetsu's, directly to the Konoha High Command.
Finally, after pondering for a long time, Xuandou gradually reached a decision.
The next day, Xuandou stood outside Kushina's home, carrying two bags of fruit.
He knocked on the door.
The door soon opened.
A young man with blond hair appeared in the doorway.
It was Minato Namikaze.
Xuandou froze for a moment.
Minato was actually home today? That was a first.
He quickly collected himself and nodded politely.
"Minato, I came to visit Kushina."
A flicker of surprise crossed Minato's eyes, but he asked no further questions and stepped aside.
"Please come in."
Shortly after they entered the sitting room, Kushina came over too.
She wore loose loungewear, her belly already heavily swollen, and walked with slow steps.
The lines of her face had softened a little, but she was still as cheerful as ever, smiling as soon as she saw Xuandou.
"Oh, what brings you here, Xuandou?"
At the sight of Kushina, the sensual scene of her bathing in the hot spring involuntarily flashed through Xuandou's mind, and he hurriedly averted his gaze.
They exchanged a few pleasantries.
Minato sat to one side, saying little, with a gentle smile on his face.
Kushina, on the other hand, chattered away about how heavy she had been feeling lately, how rarely Minato came home, and the little clothes and shoes they had prepared at home.
Xuandou listened, pondering how to broach the subject.
Finally, he asked:
"If you don't mind me asking, what due date did the hospital give you?"
The room suddenly fell silent.
Minato's smile froze on his face.
His expression instantly darkened.
"Xuandou, don't you think that's an inappropriate question to ask?"