Chapter 123: The Wonders of Shadow Clone Jutsu (5k)
Chapter 123: The Wonders of Shadow Clone Jutsu (5k)
"Teacher Mu Yue, I think I've got it!" Deidara suddenly exclaimed with a delighted expression during their evening training session.
"Try a taijutsu move and attack me," Mu Yue instructed, glancing at him.
Although the primary effect of the Fire Breath is to enhance fire-style jutsu, it can also, to a certain extent, improve physical abilities. This is a common feature of all breathing techniques, and it was the first trait to emerge. Deidara wasn't yet at the stage where he could enhance his fire-style jutsu.
"Haa," Deidara adjusted his breathing rhythm, recalling the sensation he had just experienced. He inhaled a large amount of oxygen, strengthening his body, and then lunged at Mu Yue in a swift motion.
Mu Yue effortlessly caught Deidara's punch, sensing that his speed had increased slightly. He quickly threw Deidara off, only for Deidara to deliver a swift spinning kick.
Grabbing Deidara's leg and tossing him aside, Mu Yue had already made his assessment.
"Indeed, you've made a breakthrough. Keep practicing the breathing techniques until school starts, and we can move on to the next stage of cultivation," Mu Yue said.
Once they progressed to the next stage, Deidara would gradually begin to manifest the characteristics of the Fire Breath, rather than just enhancing his physical abilities.
"I still have five more days of practice," Deidara said, recalling the date. He had thought that he could immediately start the same type of training as Might Guy.
Tap!
Mu Yue tapped Deidara's head with two fingers and said, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Guy sensei had a much higher level of mastery over his breathing technique when he first started to understand its attributes."
Currently, Deidara had only reached a proficiency level of twelve. In comparison, Guy sensei had already attained a level of nineteen when he began to comprehend the attributes of his breathing technique. However, Guy's situation was also somewhat unique. Mu Yue estimated that after five more days, Deidara's proficiency in the Fire Breath should be at least fifteen, at which point he could proceed to the next stage of cultivation.
Mu Yue used his Appraisal technique to check on Itachi, who was still getting accustomed to various breathing postures. Itachi's progress with the Fire Breath was slightly behind Deidara's, but not by much—only by two proficiency points.
"I thought I just needed to be able to enhance my abilities using the breathing technique," Deidara said, rubbing his head.
Leaving a shadow clone to watch over the two, Mu Yue's main body went to check on Guy's training.
Guy's training was, well, rather abstract. Here, one could see the bizarre sight of a stone with arms and legs standing on a large stone, its hands holding another stone.
"Guy, did you notice anything special today?" Mu Yue asked.
"Yes," Guy replied.
Mu Yue used Appraisal on Guy and found that he was still at nineteen proficiency. He was puzzled, as Guy wouldn't lie about his progress.
"Stones that have been heated by the sun are really hot," Guy shared his insight.
It was bearable in the evening, but in the afternoon, when the sun was at its peak, the stones were scorching to the touch.
Mu Yue was at a loss for words for a moment. He felt that Deidara had led Guy astray.
"When the sun is intense, find a shady spot and sit on the stones," Mu Yue suggested after a moment's thought. He hadn't come to this side in the afternoon or morning, so Guy must have been training on his own.
Mu Yue made a rough estimate. At this rate, Guy would be able to enter the Rock Breath at some point during his school year if he was fast. If he was slower, it might take him around ten months.
Initially, they had expected it to take a year, but Guy had experienced a period of rapid progress, which had saved him about two months' worth of time.
With successful entry into the Rock Breath and the improvement in his physical condition during its cultivation, along with the other taijutsu he had learned, Mu Yue felt that Guy might be able to attempt Kakashi's training regimen.
"I wonder if the reward for a training regimen with a nearly one-year gap will be better," Mu Yue thought to himself.
The Ninja Academy was about to start a new school year, and there would be an exam one month after the start of the term. At that time, Deidara's training regimen would be assessed, and Mu Yue would also need to consider how to guide Deidara toward triggering a new training task.
If Deidara lost to Guy again and came in second, it would be simple—they would just redo the training task for coming in first place.
However, if Deidara managed to secure first place, Mu Yue planned to guide him toward challenging Kakashi.
This was currently the best option, a result of Mu Yue's analysis of Deidara's character, goals, dreams, interpersonal relationships, and other influencing factors.
Deidara aspired to become the Hokage, and it seemed that he couldn't currently trigger a task that was too far in the future. For example, Guy couldn't trigger a task to become the strongest, and Itachi couldn't trigger a task to change the Uchiha clan.
For something closer, challenging Kakashi was the most suitable option. Firstly, as a potential target for the challenge, Kakashi's strength was more than sufficient, which would affect the task's reward. Secondly, Kakashi also had a somewhat unique relationship with Deidara, making it easier to trigger the task.
Deidara might have other ideas, like pursuing a relationship with Yoshino Hara, but Mu Yue felt that the system probably wouldn't generate a task for Deidara to learn how to date. Could something like that even be considered a training task?
"I wonder if any of my disciples will be able to reach Trust Level 4 by the end of this year," Mu Yue thought, recalling that it had been a long time since any of his disciples had increased their trust levels.
While trust levels didn't have a high level of presence, Mu Yue believed that trust was one of the core aspects of the Master-Disciple System.
When he was at Trust Level 2, no matter how much he tried to manipulate his emotions, he hadn't been able to trigger a reward for mastery. It was only at Trust Level 3 that he had unlocked rewards like Mastery of Nature Transformation and Proficiency in Taijutsu, and the training tasks had also been triggered after reaching this level.
Aside from other benefits, the one-fold increase in chakra that came with each trust level increase made Mu Yue eager to maximize the trust levels of all his disciples.
Even though Deidara and the others were still young, the threefold increase from their trust levels could provide him with a significant amount of chakra in a month.
And the difference would become even more pronounced as his disciples grew older and their chakra reserves increased.
Imagine if Mu Yue had cultivated a disciple from scratch, and they ended up with over 100,000 chakra. Each trust level would then equate to a difference of 100,000 chakra.
Despite the nearly two-month-long break, it felt as though only a few days had passed.
"I guess it's because we've been so busy. Training during the day and then cultivating with Teacher Mu Yue at night," Yoshino Hara said softly.
This vacation had been particularly short for all the fourth-grade students, as they had also undergone five weeks of special training.
"I feel like it would be better to continue the special training instead of going back to school. Our strength improves so much faster that way," Obito said, feeling nostalgic for the rigorous regimen.
"Obito, you're not trying to skip out on academic studies, are you?" Yoshino asked, raising an eyebrow.
She remembered all too well the pained expressions on Obito's face whenever he had to take a written test, back when he was training with Might Guy to improve his speed.
"Of course not! I just think practical combat is more important than theory," Obito quickly denied.
"Actually, you could use a shadow clone," Kakashi suggested.
"The clone can go to school, and the main body can continue cultivating."
Kakashi hadn't attended classes since the first exam of their freshman year; he'd been sending shadow clones ever since, only appearing in person for exams.
"Can shadow clones last that long? They seem so fragile and easy to dispel," Obito asked, doubtful.
"Not regular clones, but shadow clones," Kakashi clarified, shaking his head.
"Shadow clones have physical bodies and the same consciousness as the original. When you dispel them, their memories return to you, so it's as good as going to class yourself." Kakashi explained the technique.
"I can't believe I never realized how useful this technique is!" Obito exclaimed, astonished. Although he saw Mu Yue use shadow clones every day, he had never considered using them to attend classes in his stead.
"Kakashi, you're so familiar with this... Did you...?" Obito trailed off, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked at Kakashi.
"I only went to class with my real body before the first exam. After that, I've been using shadow clones, and my main body cultivates here," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.
Obito grabbed Kakashi's shoulder excitedly. "Kakashi, you truly are a genius! You thought of such a great idea!"
Obito had always found it strange that despite his relentless training, he hadn't been able to close the gap between their strengths, and now he knew why—Kakashi had been undergoing intense cultivation himself.
Setting aside the matter of strength growth, the key benefit was that he wouldn't have to attend the Ninja School in person, and he would still retain the knowledge learned by the shadow clone.
"I want to call the person who invented the Shadow Clone Jutsu a 'Clone Immortal.' They must have been a super genius!" Obito couldn't help but praise.
In just a moment, Obito thought of using shadow clones for things other than school, like having them do his homework. That way, he wouldn't have to do the assignments himself, and he would still gain the experience of having done them.
"This jutsu was developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, I think. There should be some information about it in the Konoha History textbook," Yoshino said thoughtfully.
"So it was the Second Hokage. No wonder he was able to create such a jutsu," Obito remarked, making a mental note of Tobirama Senju's name.
With a single solution, his two biggest headaches—theoretical studies and homework—were solved. Obito found himself respecting the Second Hokage.
Seeing Obito's excited expression, Kakashi felt that his friend might have misunderstood something.
If he merely disliked academic studies and used a shadow clone to attend classes, it would be pointless because the moment the clone disappeared, Obito would gain all the same feelings and experiences as if he had gone to class himself.
"Mu Yue-sensei taught me about this," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
"Teacher Mu Yue, you're playing favorites! Why didn't you tell me about this?" Obito pouted, shooting a reproachful glance at Mu Yue.
Smack!
Mu Yue rapped Obito on the head and explained, "Kakashi can use shadow clones to attend classes because he's already learned everything he can at school, and he no longer has any worthy opponents there. Was that the case with you back then?"
There were some other reasons as well, one of them being that Obito wasn't as dedicated to cultivation back then as he is now.
Obito thought about it and conceded that he probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off. During that race with Guy, he hadn't even made it to the top two. Both he and Guy had been outdone by that Hinata Hyuga.
"Hehe, Teacher Mu Yue, I should be fine now, right? I want to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu, too," Obito said, his plaintive expression transforming into one of eager anticipation.
"Me too, Teacher! I want to learn it as well," Might Guy chimed in, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of being able to send a clone to school.
While he was slow at learning jutsu, it didn't mean he couldn't learn them at all.
"I'll teach you both tomorrow morning. From tomorrow until the day before school starts, we'll cultivate all day," Mu Yue said after a moment's thought.
Although he had his duties at the Ninja School, most of the work there was already done, and a shadow clone would suffice for the remaining tasks. There weren't any courses left for him to teach anyway, so he wouldn't be missing out on any rewards.
As for why he chose to cultivate for four days instead of five, it was because using shadow clones for the entire semester would significantly increase their training volume. That extra day would serve as a break before their rigorous cultivation regimen.
...
The next morning, Obito eagerly made his way to the Southern Border Forest to learn what he considered a god-tier jutsu—the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Mu Yue had planned out their cultivation schedule: from 8 AM to 12 PM, half the time would be spent learning jutsu, and the other half would be spent cultivating the breathing technique. For those like Kakashi, who had already mastered the technique, they could use that time to cultivate other jutsu.
From 12 PM to 2 PM was their break time, during which they could go home for lunch and a nap. If they chose to stay, Mu Yue would prepare lunch for them. Then, from 2 PM to 6 PM, they were required to go home for dinner.
Mu Yue was an exceptional cook, and Tobirama often lingered to enjoy his meals before returning home to see his grandmother and rest.
"Could Teacher Mu Yue be a culinary master as well?" Haruno Lynn wondered curiously.
"It's not a matter of whether he can cook or not. He's just... very special in that regard," Tobirama tried to describe, struggling for words.
"All I can say is that I've never tasted anything better than Teacher Mu Yue's cooking," Tobirama concluded.
Haruno Lynn, who had originally planned to go home for lunch, nodded. Tobirama's description was so exaggerated that it piqued her curiosity; she wondered how delicious the food must be for Tobirama to praise it so highly.
As the training session drew to a close, Haruno Lynn pushed her curiosity aside and focused on her cultivation, following Mu Yue's instructions intently.
"When using the Shadow Clone Jutsu, you must be mindful of your limits. For now, it's best if both of you create only one shadow clone," Mu Yue warned Obito and Might Guy about the dangers of the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu may seem like an ordinary ninja technique, but it also possesses a certain level of danger.
To prevent someone from overestimating their abilities and creating an excessive number of clones, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which allows for the creation of numerous clones, has been classified as a forbidden technique.
After explaining the potential risks, Mu Yue began the lesson.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu had a learning difficulty of B, but among B-rank ninjutsu, it was considered relatively easy to master, not too challenging.
After two hours of learning, Obito began forming the hand seals to release his shadow clone.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A puff of white smoke appeared, and a clone of Obito lying on the ground emerged.
"Oops, let me try again!" Obito dismissed the clone and attempted the technique once more.
The white smoke flashed, and this time, an obese version of Obito appeared.
Obito quickly dismissed the clone, fearing that Haruno Lynn would see it, and said with a serious expression:
"As expected of a jutsu invented by the Second Hokage, the difficulty is extraordinary. It's much harder than the Clone Jutsu."
"Hahaha, Guy, what are you doing?" Obito couldn't hold back his laughter when he saw Might Guy's shadow clone.
Next to Might Guy stood a stone with arms and legs, continuously training.
"Umm, I've been thinking about stones a lot these days, and it just happened," Might Guy couldn't help but laugh at his own creation.
"Haha, this is too funny. I have to call Kakashi to come and see this," Obito said, unable to contain his laughter at the bizarre expression on the stone's face.
Leaf Whirlwind!
The stone shadow clone delivered a heavy blow with its leg, sending a spinning kick that knocked Obito, who was laughing uncontrollably, flying. Then, it continued to stand in place, performing the motion of lifting something.
"Guy, why did you kick me?" Obito asked Might Guy after spitting out the grass from his mouth.
"It was the shadow clone, not me. You should be asking it," Might Guy denied kicking Obito.
"Guy's shadow clone, why did you kick me?" Obito thought it made sense, so he asked the shadow clone.
However, the stone shadow clone didn't respond.
Obito suddenly realized something. This shadow clone didn't have a mouth, so how could it speak?
Before Obito could continue his interrogation, Might Guy dismissed the shadow clone, leaving him without an answer.
Mu Yue watched this abstract scene with a twitching lip. In terms of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Obito and Might Guy could indeed be considered geniuses.
"It's time to practice the breathing techniques," Mu Yue reminded the two that it was time to cultivate their breathing techniques.
As the time for breathing technique cultivation arrived, the group changed their training locations. Obito and Itachi practiced the Flame Breath together, while Might Guy cultivated the Rock Breath on his own.
"Itachi, you wouldn't believe how hilarious something that happened earlier was," Obito said, eager to share the joy he had experienced.
"Oh?" Itachi was intrigued. He knew that Might Guy and Obito had been practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but he couldn't fathom what could have been so amusing during their training.
"Guy created a shadow clone that looked like a stone with arms and legs..." Obito still found it amusing even as he recalled the incident.
To help Itachi understand better, Obito used the Clone Jutsu to create a clone that resembled Might Guy, and then he used the Transformation Jutsu to turn himself into the same bizarre stone-faced clone that Might Guy had created earlier.
The clone that resembled Might Guy scratched its head in confusion, while Obito's body stood beside it, imitating the stone-faced clone's motion of lifting something.
"Your shadow clones are certainly unique," Itachi admitted that Obito and Might Guy had a knack for creating interesting clones.
As the pleasant training session came to an end, it was soon time for the moment all the disciples eagerly anticipated—mealtime.
"Wow, is that Magical Mapo Tofu? You're in for a treat, Haruno Lynn," Tobirama exclaimed as he opened the lunch box, his finger twitching in anticipation.
Mu Yue was an excellent cook, and while all his dishes were delicious, some stood out more than others. Magical Mapo Tofu was one of Tobirama's personal favorites.
Upon opening her lunch box, Haruno Lynn's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the bright red dish. It looked incredibly spicy.
"I must not waste food and must appreciate Teacher Mu Yue's kindness," she thought to herself. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and scooped a spoonful of the tofu into her mouth.
"It's spicy, but so delicious!" From the very first bite, Haruno Lynn fell in love with the dish.
Contrary to her expectations of overwhelming spiciness, the Magical Mapo Tofu wasn't just about the heat. It had a complex blend of flavors that complemented the spice.
She finally understood why Tobirama praised Mu Yue's culinary skills so highly. Haruno Lynn wanted to learn how to cook from Mu Yue so that she could enjoy such delicious meals every day without troubling him.
(End of Chapter)
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