Chapter Eleven: Training (Part 2)

"Jutsu should be learned as a comprehensive system, so for the next technique, let's go with an advanced version of Shadow Clone Jutsu, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu," Kushina scratched her head and then pondered to come up with the next jutsu she should teach to Kenji.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, although it's an A-rank jutsu, is essentially an enhanced version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Its training difficulty shouldn't be too hard."

Kenji cast a silent glance at Kushina, thinking that while the training difficulty might not be hard, it was still a Forbidden Jutsu. It consumed chakra in tons. Furthermore, for someone like Kenji, the regular Shadow Clone Jutsu was more than sufficient, and his combat style didn't really call for the use of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

However, since Kushina wanted to teach him, Kenji decided to learn it diligently. As long as he controlled the chakra well, he should be able to avoid the risks associated with this technique.

The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu required distributing a large amount of chakra at once. If not controlled properly, it could cause injuries to the user. However, Kenji didn't think he would have a problem with his chakra control skills.

Still, he added a question, "Um, Kushina-sensei, teaching me a Forbidden Jutsu like the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, is that alright?"

"Indeed, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is classified as a Forbidden Jutsu, but I'm teaching you. Do you think the Third Hokage would object?" Kushina replied.

Kenji really wanted to say, 'Kushina-sensei, you're misunderstanding me. I'm not asking for the Hokage's permission or not. What I mean is, will this jutsu end up causing me harm?'

Kushina continued, "This jutsu is forbidden only for lower-ranked ninja. For upper-ranked ninja, like jōnin, it's not considered such a big deal. Based on my perception, your chakra capacity seems decent enough, so it shouldn't be a problem, probably."

Kenji thought, 'Hey, you were saying all this so confidently, and then you end with 'probably'? Does that mean there's still a chance of danger?'

The difference between the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and the regular Shadow Clone Jutsu was the amount of chakra flowing through the chakra pathways. If the regular Shadow Clone Jutsu required 1 unit of chakra, then creating three clones simultaneously using the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu would require 3 units of chakra for forming the seals and channeling chakra through the pathways. It was easy to understand; creating a small number of clones wasn't too difficult or dangerous.

But, on the other hand, if one wanted to create more than ten clones, the difficulty was evident. Creating hundreds or thousands of clones would likely require the skills of someone like Naruto or Hashirama. Kenji didn't even dare to think about it; while his chakra capacity was decent compared to normal people, it was nothing compared to the likes of Naruto. If he attempted to create a large number of clones, he'd probably end up injured.

"Watch closely," Kushina demonstrated again.

Kenji, being pragmatic, limited himself to creating no more than five clones while practicing the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. With this constraint, he managed to grasp the technique.

"Very good, you handled it quite calmly," Kushina patted Kenji's shoulder and praised, "Let's do this: I'll teach you one more jutsu today. Of course, this will be the last technique for today, and it's still part of the Clone Jutsu system. It's called Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."

This jutsu was created by the Third Hokage. Was it really okay learning it with out asking? Kenji couldn't help but doubt.

Actually, there was an issue, but that was for most people. When it came to Kushina, there was absolutely no problem.

Kushina was somewhat anxious in reality. It wasn't about teaching a jutsu that the Third Hokage created; it was more about the speed at which Kenji was learning ninjutsu. If she didn't place some limits, her repertoire of jutsu could be depleted by her disciple pretty soon. Teaching would become impossible then, which was somewhat tragic.

Dealing with a student like Kenji, Kushina had shifted from feeling relieved to being a little tragic.

However, she recalled how Kakashi was always being praised by Minato. With a gritted-teeth determination, she still had to continue teaching Kenji.

Kenji was satisfied with Kushina as a sensei, teaching him three high-level jutsu in a single day, he couldn't complain.

Of course, given his current chakra capacity, he couldn't fully utilize many high-level jutsu in battle. But because of his curiosity, he found it difficult to abandon the pursuit of higher-level jutsu.

The higher the rank of the jutsu, the more mysterious and alluring it became for Kenji.

Thus, while Kushina continued to guide Kenji's training, both of them managed to complete their respective tasks. Occasionally, due to the Hokage's insistence or persuasion, they would undertake some low-level missions together, like capturing cats or dogs.

Time passed swiftly. Without realizing it, three months had elapsed since Kenji graduated from the Ninja Academy. Many of his fellow graduates had already joined their assigned teams and ventured onto the battlefield. Kenji even suspected that some of them might have lost their lives. Yet, he hadn't even stepped beyond the village gates.

In this sense, he had unwittingly executed his role perfectly as a distraction for Kushina by keeping her out of trouble.

"Hey, Kushina-sensei, you seem quite happy today. You're not wearing that worried expression you usually have," Kenji said to the cheerful Kushina before him. In truth, because of the lack of progress in developing the new jutsu that she has been working on, Kushina had been irritable for the past few days. But her mood seemed to have brightened today. This was indeed a bit strange.

After all, having spent three months together, Kenji had come to know Kushina quite well.

"Could it be that there's some progress in the development of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal?" he asked.

Yes, over the past three months, Kenji had transitioned from being a novice to becoming a professional assistant in the development of S-rank forbidden jutsu. While Kushina was responsible for the design of the sealing technique, Kenji took care of data calculations, and their cooperation was quite effective.

The Reverse Four Symbols Seal could be considered an extreme variation of the Four Symbols Seal. It was assigned as an S-rank mission by Konoha's sealing research institution. Originally, the technique was meant for a ninja to use when they were about to die, sealing the surrounding enemies in the process.

However, Kenji had a different perspective. He believed that the technique's current application severely restricted its potential. If it could be modified to be used on scrolls rather than on a person's body, it could become an offensive sealing technique.

Kushina found her disciple's viewpoint intriguing, and the initial requirements for this S-rank mission seemed to underestimate her abilities. Thus, she decided to refine the jutsu as per Kenji's suggestions.

However, when they began the actual process, the true difficulty of the technique became evident. This led Kenji to frequently witness Kushina's exasperated moments.