Chapter 12: The Gift

The next day, at the same time, Natsuro's Shadow Clone had not yet dissipated. This confirmed his theory. Since the Shadow Clone had its own consciousness and could form hand seals, it should also be able to manage its chakra, though not entirely without consumption. However, this management could still reduce chakra consumption and prolong the clone's duration.

This extended duration brought several benefits.

Firstly, a longer duration meant more time for learning. Although the need to manage chakra might slightly reduce the efficiency of learning, the overall amount of learning might not increase significantly. However, chakra control would definitely improve.

He planned to create Shadow Clones with a fixed amount of chakra in the future. The longer the clone lasted, the more proficient he would become in chakra control.

Moreover, this method allowed for dual-tasking—efficiently tackling multiple objectives at once.

However, there were limitations. The amount of chakra the clone had was limited, which meant that changes in chakra form and nature had to be refined by the main body.

He had a general understanding of form transformation. He believed that with less chakra, controlling its form became easier. Although his chakra wasn't particularly abundant, it was still manageable given his mental strength.

In contrast, nature transformation seemed the opposite. The most effective method was to immerse oneself in a vast amount of chakra, identify a change, understand it, and then gradually spread that understanding to the whole. Therefore, mastering nature transformation with his current chakra amount was not easy, requiring gradual accumulation.

Natsuro firstly planned to master the easier aspects first and then tackle the more challenging ones. He was confident that his talent would not let him be stuck for too long.

Looking at his daily schedule filled with activities, he couldn't help but marvel at how diligent he had become. Without a special talent or advantage, he had to rely on hard work to carve out his future. As long as he could see the direction forward, he could not afford to give up.

However, today was an exception. After waiting for his Shadow Clone to dissolve, he left his room. Today was a special day, so he decided to take a break and give himself a day off.

With his pocket money in hand, Natsuro walked through the familiar streets of Konoha, pondering what gift to buy. Today was his mother's birthday. While he wanted to avoid buying something too expensive, his budget was limited. He needed to consider practicality—maybe clothes or a scarf?

But as he looked up at the bright sun, he realized it wasn't the right season for such gifts.

So, what should he buy? Perhaps some food that they didn't usually have and then cook a meal for his mother? However, his cooking skills weren't the best… it was a bit of a headache.

As he pondered, he noticed a flower shop out of the corner of his eye. He paused, then turned to look at the shop. Flowers seemed like a suitable gift—affordable and unlikely to be criticized by his mom. Plus, flowers often had meanings, and there should be some that represented mothers.

With this in mind, Natsuro entered the flower shop.

"Hello, young man. Are you looking for something specific?" The shopkeeper, an elderly woman, greeted him warmly.

"Hello, Auntie. I want to buy a flower for my mother's birthday. Do you have any suggestions?" he asked.

"Oh? You're buying a flower for your mother? That's very thoughtful of you" the shopkeeper said with surprise, then smiled warmly. A child who thought of such things was definitely a good one.

"I think I've seen you before!" Suddenly, a young girl with long yellow hair next to the shopkeeper recognized Natsuro. After a moment of thought, she still couldn't place him.

"Hello, Yamanaka-san. I'm Shindōkawa Natsuro, and we're classmates" Natsuro said. He had noticed Yamanaka Ino before but hadn't initiated a conversation, as they didn't interact much in class. If she weren't one of the Konoha's 12, he might not have known her.

"Oh, right! You're the one who sits towards the back of the class with the blonde-haired kid, right?" Ino's eyes lit up as she remembered.

"Yes."

"Hmph, I knew I wasn't mistaken. If you're buying a flower for your mother, then a carnation would be perfect—just avoid the white ones" Ino said confidently.

Natsuro looked at Ino and then at the shopkeeper, seeking confirmation. After all, Ino was still young and might have made a mistake.

"It's true. Carnations represent gratitude and sincere love. For a mother, it also symbolizes a wish for her to stay forever young, happy, and healthy" the shopkeeper said, smiling at him. As a mother herself, she appreciated his thoughtful gesture.

However, Ino felt a bit slighted by his lack of trust, taking it as a slight.

"Really? Well, Auntie, I'll take a carnation then" Natsuro said, feeling a bit embarrassed for buying only one flower. His pocket money was limited, and he still needed to buy a cake, so he wanted to save as much as possible.

"Alright. Since you're Ino's classmate, I'll give you a discount. Ino, pick a flower for your classmate" the shopkeeper said.

"Sure." Although Ino was a bit annoyed by Natsuro's lack of trust, she still took her task seriously. Although he thought all the flowers looked similar, there were subtle differences. After a while, Ino picked a carnation and wrapped it for him.

"Thank you" he said sincerely as he received the carnation.

"Ah, um, you're welcome" Ino said, caught off guard by his sincere thanks. Her earlier annoyance quickly dissipated.

The shopkeeper smiled at the exchange, finding it quite amusing.

"By the way, Auntie, do you know where I can find a cake shop?" Natsuro asked. Although he was familiar with the village, he didn't know much about various shops and had never had much need for them before.

"A cake shop? That's quite a distance from here. Since you're Ino's classmate, let Ino show you the way. She's been idle in the shop and could use a break" the shopkeeper said.

"No need. I know most places in the village. Just tell me the location, and I'll find it" he said, wanting to decline.

"Oh, but you might get lost. Besides, Ino has nothing to do here anyway. It's better for her to accompany you and show you around" the shopkeeper insisted.

Ino didn't mind either; she was eager to get out of the shop and explore.

"Alright" he agreed, seeing no reason to refuse further.