Chapter 26: The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique Acquired

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The sound of rushing air continuously echoed above the central street.

Watching the figures darting past, both ninjas and civilians alike realized that something significant was happening tonight.

However, since no alarms sounded and the speeding figures didn't direct them to shelters, the villagers felt reassured.

The matter had nothing to do with them, and there was no danger.

Izayoi sat on the balcony in a single-person armchair, sipping juice while admiring the night sky.

The figures flying over his rooftop didn't catch his attention.

After some time, when the afterimages of people running across rooftops in the central street disappeared and the number of pedestrians dwindled, Izayoi, seemingly bored, finally got up and went back inside.

Soon after, the lights in the living room went out.

After taking a shower and emerging in his pajamas, a faint smile appeared on Izayoi's handsome face.

The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique... acquired!

No one knew that in a man-made cave near a waterfall, several figures with different appearances, using the Invisibility Technique to blend into the mountain walls, were using their telescopic vision with a range of up to 80 kilometers to keep a close watch on Uzumaki Naruto in his orange jacket.

From the moment he stepped out of the Hokage's building, every move he made was under the gaze of these figures.

Their powerful telescopic and X-ray vision allowed them to observe Naruto without being detected, not even by the Nine-Tails inside him or Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was watching Naruto through the Crystal Ball Gazing Technique.

When Naruto opened the Book of Sealing, these figures also opened blank scrolls, working together to transcribe the training method for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

These figures were none other than Izayoi's Shadow Clones, created using the Transformation Technique.

After copying the training method for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and hiding it, the Shadow Clones erased all traces and scents before dispersing.

Upon receiving the feedback, Izayoi didn't immediately retrieve the scroll containing the training method for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Since he had already obtained the training method, there was no rush.

Lying in bed, Izayoi became curious about the team assignments the day after tomorrow.

As he had said before, he was certain that his training with Hinata and his battles with Uchiha Sasuke had been observed by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Even before graduating, he had mastered tree climbing and water walking—techniques not taught at the academy—as well as low-level Wind Release and Fire Release, and the B-rank Shadow Clone Technique. Whether it was a Taijutsu Duel or an Unrestricted Duel, he had completely outclassed the Main Family Lady of the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha orphan who had awakened the Sharingan.

Such a civilian genius, even if he couldn't compare to Namikaze Minato, who was already taken as a disciple by Jiraiya at the age of twelve and defeated Cloud ninjas, or Kakashi Hatake, who had become a Jonin and developed the A-rank Lightning Release: Chidori, was still second only to them.

After all, they had lived through the war era, while Izayoi was a product of peacetime.

Standing out so prominently in such a unique generation of newcomers, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want to offend the ninja clans, he wouldn't assign Izayoi to a team with ordinary classmates and give him a run-of-the-mill Jonin Instructor, would he? If that really happened, it would mean that Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't willing to invest in him.

After that, the attention on him would drastically decrease, and Izayoi could secretly make some moves.

Thinking this, Izayoi no longer cared about the class assignment results and closed his eyes to sleep.

...

The next day, when Izayoi woke up and didn't see Hinata or Hanabi coming over, he decided to go retrieve the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique first.

Considering Hiruzen Sarutobi's Crystal Ball Gazing Technique, which allowed him to spy from a god-like perspective, Izayoi simply lay down to read the scroll.

This way, even if he couldn't detect the Crystal Ball Gazing Technique, Izayoi wouldn't have to worry about Hiruzen's prying eyes.

Without being able to simplify the hand seals, the hand seals and Chakra manipulation for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique were completely different from the Shadow Clone Technique.

The former required fewer hand seals than the latter, but the amount of Chakra it demanded was astonishing. Anyone without a massive Chakra reserve who attempted to use this technique could end up harming themselves, or even risking their life. Therefore, only those with an immense Chakra reserve could practice this technique.

"They say Kakashi Hatake is the benchmark, but he was able to perform the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique when he was only five or six years old," Izayoi thought to himself. "Even though the Sharingan constantly consumes Chakra, and he's been burdened by it for over a decade, Kakashi's Chakra reserve is still at the level of an Elite Jonin."

"After losing the Sharingan, it only took him a few years for his Chakra reserve to recover to the point where he could create an Earth Release Wall that encircled the entire Leaf Village and even carve dog heads on it."

"If he hadn't been burdened by the Sharingan, his Chakra reserve would definitely be no less than Kisame Hoshigaki's."

Excluding the Jinchuriki, there were only a handful of people in this era capable of performing the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Izayoi was one of them.

At this moment, Izayoi felt extremely grateful that he hadn't impulsively used his beginner's gift package on Uzumaki Naruto back then.

Otherwise, his only advantage now would be his massive Chakra reserve.

Even if he had awakened Sasuke Uchiha's Sage Eye, it would have taken years, if not decades, to awaken the Rinnegan.

In contrast, with the Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red) + Sage Eye (Red) + Prince of Byakugan (Red), he could already feel the fetal movement period approaching. In less than five minutes, Izayoi put away the scroll—he had already mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

There was no need to test it. With his current Chakra reserve, he only needed to follow the Chakra flow described in the scroll to create hundreds, if not thousands, of Shadow Clones.

To prevent Hanabi from accidentally seeing this scroll and getting the urge to try practicing it, Izayoi didn't hide the scroll but instead destroyed it.

He had already learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

If needed, he could easily write it out again or teach it hands-on.

By noon, seeing that neither Hinata nor Hanabi had come over, Izayoi assumed they probably wouldn't be coming today and decided to go out to buy some ninja tools.

After all, before starting missions, there would still be a real assessment.

On the way, Izayoi also saw Uzumaki Naruto being pestered by Konohamaru, with the Special Jonin Ebisu secretly following them from behind.

The dark green goggles on Naruto's forehead had been replaced by a Genin forehead protector, indicating that he had just recently taken his official profile photo.

Naruto, who was talking to Konohamaru with his head down, didn't notice Izayoi.

Izayoi didn't greet him either, merely glancing at him before continuing on his way to the ninja tool shop.

The latest novel is first published on 69shu!

When Izayoi returned home, he noticed two extra pairs of shoes at the entrance.

From a room on the first floor that had been converted into a dojo, a series of sounds echoed—some resembling clapping, others like collisions, crisp yet carrying a sense of weight.

Walking over and opening the door, he saw Hinata and Hanabi, both dressed in white training uniforms, their Byakugan activated, and veins bulging at their temples, engaged in a spar.

Their hands moved so fast they became afterimages, surrounded by a blue aura. Each collision of these afterimages stirred up significant gusts of air.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Hinata wasn't going all out; she was merely guiding Hanabi through the moves.

If she had been serious, Hanabi would already be covered in injuries.

After all, in the eyes of Izayoi and Hinata, Hanabi, who currently only knew the Pressure Point Strike, had attack patterns that were far too predictable.

Moreover, her lower body stability was poor, leaving her full of openings.

Thinking this, Izayoi felt it might be time to teach Hanabi tree climbing and water walking sooner rather than later.

After all, aside from the purity of her Byakugan being slightly inferior to Hinata's, Hanabi was not weaker in any other aspect. She could definitely learn higher-level Chakra Control early, just like Hinata had in her time.

"Oniichan, take this—"

Just as Izayoi was pondering this, Hanabi's spirited shout snapped him back to reality.

Dressed in her training uniform, Hanabi was already charging toward him.

The sight of her bulging veins and fingertips wrapped in a blue aura would have been intimidating to someone her age.

However, Izayoi merely smirked slightly. Without even putting down the bag he was holding, he turned into an afterimage, appearing beside Hanabi as if he had teleported.

The bare instep of his foot pressed against Hanabi's stomach.

A powerful yet gentle force sent her body soaring into the air, flying toward Hinata.

Hinata reached out and caught her flying sister.

"Come on, both of you at once."

Izayoi tossed the bag of equipment into a corner, then beckoned to the two girls with a finger, his expression full of provocation.

The Hyuga sisters exchanged a glance, their faces immediately turning serious as they nodded and charged at Izayoi.

"Oniichan, you're too arrogant! You're going to regret this!" Hanabi shouted loudly.

Hinata remained silent, but her slender, jade-like fingers carried astonishing strength and Chakra, slicing through the air like arrows.

Soon after, louder collision sounds than before erupted on the first floor of Izayoi's house.

Occasionally, cries of pain and yelps could be heard. If not for the good soundproofing, passersby might have gotten the wrong idea.

However, after about half an hour, the sounds of combat were replaced by playful noises.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch… Oniichan, I hate you! I'm going to bite you to death!"

"Weren't you going to make me regret it? Where's that determination now? Stop biting—your injuries are already healed, but your sister still needs treatment."

"I'm going to bite! Sister, bite him on the other side. Let's make Oniichan cry together!"

"Hahaha… The bite marks will disappear soon. Stop licking, it's so ticklish!"

"Hehe… We're going to get back at you, Oniichan!"

"…"

(End of Chapter)