Invitation

As Kushina sank into despair, Namikaze Minato descended from the sky—not using any ninjutsu, no Flying Thunder God, Wind Release, or kunai. None of that. Just a single kick for each Anbu, knocking them down upon impact, their fates unknown…

Of course, the real truth remains a mystery. This current theory is merely Shimizu's deduction based on the anime's storyline. Perhaps reality was entirely different from his assumptions?

But at the very least, this explanation seems reasonable for now. There's no way Konoha's upper echelons would allow a "nuclear weapon" to associate with just anyone freely.

Mikoto could interact with Kushina because she was the wife of the Uchiha clan leader—a gesture of goodwill toward the Uchiha.

At this stage, the Uchiha and Konoha had yet to reach a breaking point. While there were constant frictions, they were still in the "honeymoon period."

Keeping the Uchiha stable was crucial.

As for Obito and Shimizu, their ability to interact with Kushina likely stemmed from Sarutobi Hiruzen's desire to cultivate them.

The former was kind-hearted, doing good deeds daily to earn the villagers' affection, while the latter bore a resemblance to the late Uchiha Kagami.

"Contract Seal…"

Shimizu flipped through the scroll.

When it came to sealing techniques, his talent was, at best, mediocre.

A quick glance through the scroll revealed that this sealing jutsu had an unknown rank but was undoubtedly complex.

"During the Nine-Tails' Rampage, Namikaze Minato used the Contract Seal, which he learned from Kushina, to sever Obito's control over the Nine-Tails."

Silently, Shimizu closed the scroll.

It would be best to take the time to master the Contract Seal. This jutsu could sever the bond between an enemy and their summoned beast, preventing them from summoning it again or maintaining control over it.

He was particularly curious—if Madara or Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, could this technique sever their connection?

If that were possible… Shimizu could already imagine the looks on their faces.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

A cloud of smoke filled the room as dozens of shadow clones materialized, filling Shimizu's home.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu—arguably the greatest secret to accelerated training in the world of shinobi.

Shimizu issued orders to his clones, instructing them to begin studying the Contract Seal.

He wasn't like Naruto, who could create thousands of clones and amplify his learning ability a thousandfold.

But summoning one or two hundred? That was no issue at all.

Lightning Release: Regenerative Body Refinement allowed his physique to grow stronger by the second, and his chakra reserves far surpassed those of others.

The immense chakra required for shadow clones and the physical strain they imposed were well within his limits. Even without the Nine-Tails or the Uzumaki clan's recovery ability, he could use this method to accelerate his ninjutsu training.

Soon, many shadow clones began copying the sealing scroll to ensure that more of them could study it.

Shimizu's home quickly became a noisy mess.

"Coo… coo…"

A white pigeon perched on the table, watching the chaos unfold before locking onto a specific target—Shimizu's real body.

All the clones were busy, while the real Shimizu sat silently, arms crossed, simply observing.

"Senju Tobirama truly was a rare genius."

Shimizu sighed in admiration.

He had no concerns about his clones betraying him.

A shadow clone was, at its core, a mass of chakra. Once the chakra dispersed, the clone ceased to exist.

Only Tailed Beasts, which were also chakra entities, could persist indefinitely by absorbing natural energy to replenish themselves. The Ten-Tails itself was a manifestation of natural energy.

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto sensed the Ten-Tails using Sage Mode and detected a massive concentration of natural energy.

Shimizu's clones, of course, had none of those abilities. Even if they wanted to rebel, they couldn't.

Being cautious by nature, Shimizu had even modified the Shadow Clone Jutsu before using it for the first time.

He enhanced his control over the clones, restricted part of their memories, and made them more fragile. As a trade-off, their strength was only a third of his own, and they would vanish with a slightly heavier blow.

This didn't bother Shimizu in the slightest. He never intended to use shadow clones for combat—only as tools for slacking off.

His modified version of the jutsu might not be as powerful as the original, but it was much safer.

He had even used his Sharingan to hypnotize a shadow clone, questioning whether it had access to the simulator.

The final answer? It did not. The simulator existed only within his main body. His clones didn't even retain memories related to the simulator or the storyline—he had completely blocked that information.

Who knew if some strange jutsu existed that could extract memories from shadow clones? After all, the Yamanaka clan had techniques that allowed them to probe minds.

These secrets were Shimizu's greatest assets, ones he would take to his grave.

With that, he stepped into his secret chamber to continue researching the power of the Mōryō.

A Few Days Later

Shimizu received an invitation.

The sender? Sarutobi Asuma, inviting him to a gathering at Yakiniku Q.

"Don't forget to come tonight, Shimizu."

After delivering the message, Asuma hurried off to inform the others.

"A gathering, huh…"

The simulator hadn't mentioned this event, which meant it was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

With war on the horizon, it wasn't their turn to head to the frontlines just yet.

"Looks like Sarutobi Asuma has matured—he's learning how to win people over."

Shimizu could easily guess Asuma's reasons for hosting this gathering.

As the son of the Hokage, Asuma was always in the spotlight, with countless eyes filled with expectation watching him.

Yet he had always been somewhat rebellious, constantly at odds with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Because of Shimizu, those around him had graduated early.

This must have pressured Asuma, making him even more eager to earn his father's recognition.

Some people rebel against their parents not because they are inherently bad, but because they lack parental attention. They crave love and, in their frustration, act out in hopes of being noticed.

Asuma was clearly one of those people. Despite his father's leisurely habit of smoking and strolling through the village, the truth was that a leader's workload was immense.

Naturally, this left little time for Asuma, making him desperate to prove himself and gain his father's attention. Gathering everyone together was likely his way of stabilizing morale.

At the same time, he was forming his own circle of influence—useful when war broke out. Being the Hokage's son meant he would always have a few loyal followers.

"Kurenai will probably be there too."

Shimizu thought of Kurenai. After the Chūnin Exams, they hadn't interacted much.

This time, it was time to get some information from her.

Nightfall

As darkness spread across the sky, the moon rose high, casting its glow over Konoha's bustling streets.

Right on time, Shimizu arrived at Yakiniku Q.

Several familiar faces were already present—Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, Uchiha Obito…

Even Inuzuka Akita and Inuzuka Tsume had shown up.

It seemed Asuma's social reach was quite broad.

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