Chapter 58 (Patreon)

But then again... if there were three Kushinas...

Roy immediately forced the thought out of his mind.

If he kept imagining things like that, there was no chance he would get any training done today.

The Ninja Academy taught every student the Three Basic Techniques: the Transformation Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu.

Mastering those techniques was one of the basic requirements for graduating from the Academy and becoming a genin.

However, the Clone Jutsu taught at the Academy merely created illusory copies intended to confuse an opponent.

Those clones had no physical substance, possessed no offensive ability, and certainly couldn't act independently of the caster.

Beyond that basic technique, however, there were several far more advanced clone jutsu.

The B-rank Shadow Clone Jutsu was one of them.

Created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, the technique divided the user's chakra evenly to create physically real clones.

Each shadow clone possessed an independent consciousness and could move and act on its own.

More importantly, once a clone disappeared, everything it had experienced—including its memories—would return to the original.

From that technique came the A-rank forbidden jutsu known as the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

By dividing the user's chakra repeatedly, it could create an enormous number of physical clones at once.

There was a reason it had been classified as forbidden.

An ordinary shinobi simply didn't possess enough chakra to use it safely.

And chakra exhaustion wasn't the only danger.

When a large number of shadow clones vanished at once, the user's mind would suddenly receive all of their accumulated memories and experiences. Even the pain they suffered after being struck could be transferred back.

For an ordinary person, that mental burden alone could be overwhelming.

But Kushina Uzumaki was hardly an ordinary shinobi.

With the absurd chakra reserves of an Uzumaki—and as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—the chakra requirement of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was far less threatening to her.

If anything, the technique's ability to return memories and experience was exactly what she needed.

Several clones training simultaneously meant several sets of experience returning to one person.

Her training speed could increase dramatically.

After listening to Roy's explanation, Kushina suddenly felt almost embarrassed that she had never considered it herself.

She took a moment to regain her composure before asking quietly,

"Then... should I go to the Third Hokage now and ask him for the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"Go ahead," Roy replied. "Taking a little time to prepare properly will save you far more time later. Once you have the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, your training will become much more efficient."

After Kushina left the courtyard, Yugito Nii, who was inside the house, finally glanced toward Karui.

"Does she always talk to herself like that?"

Karui nodded.

Yugito fell silent for a moment.

"The Fourth Hokage's death must have affected her more deeply than I thought."

Her expression remained composed.

"I suppose shinobi really shouldn't allow themselves to become too emotionally attached before leaving active duty."

Karui opened her mouth.

For a moment, she wanted to explain that Kushina wasn't imagining conversations with the late Fourth Hokage.

Nor was there anything wrong with her mind.

But after thinking about it, Karui decided against saying anything.

Yugito was still a shinobi from an enemy village, after all.

There was no reason to reveal something so sensitive to her.

When Kushina arrived and asked for the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, Hiruzen was somewhat surprised, but he didn't question her request.

Considering Kushina's position and everything she had done for Konoha, granting her access to a single forbidden technique was hardly unreasonable.

Even if she had asked to examine the Scroll of Seals itself, Hiruzen likely would have allowed it.

After handing the scroll over, Hiruzen was about to ask how things were going with their hostage.

Before he could speak, however, Kushina had already turned around and left.

"..."

Hiruzen could only watch her disappear through the doorway.

Once Kushina returned home, learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu didn't take her long.

She already understood the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so the foundation was there.

Afterward, she took out the copy of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode obtained from Kumogakure and began carefully studying its contents.

The technique itself was only classified as B-rank.

Learning its basic principles wasn't especially difficult.

Mastering it was another matter entirely.

Doing that required both the proper conditions and a body capable of enduring the technique.

First, the user needed an environment suited to prolonged Lightning Release training, allowing them to continually sharpen their body's affinity and tolerance toward lightning-natured chakra.

Second, the practitioner's physical constitution had to be compatible with the technique.

And that didn't simply mean possessing a Lightning Release affinity or having exceptional vitality.

The Lightning Release Chakra Mode might not have been one of Kumogakure's most tightly guarded secrets, but throughout the village's history, very few shinobi had ever succeeded in mastering it to an exceptional level.

That was precisely why the Raikage had agreed so readily to include the technique among Kumogakure's compensation.

He was confident that even if he handed the training method to Konoha, no one there would be able to reach his level with it.

From his perspective, exchanging a technique the enemy was unlikely to master was far better than paying additional compensation in resources or concessions.

But Kushina had never intended to copy the Lightning Release Chakra Mode exactly.

What interested her was the principle behind it.

The Lightning Release version simply wasn't suitable for her.

Once she had memorized the technique's contents, the real work could begin.

She would use its underlying principles as the foundation for creating something better suited to herself.

"Start with ten clones," Roy suggested. "This is your first time using shadow clones for accelerated training. Don't create too many before you know how well your mind and body can handle the feedback."

Kushina could tell that he was genuinely concerned about her.

So, for once, she didn't stubbornly insist that she could handle far more.

"Fine."

She formed the hand seal.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Ten identical Kushinas appeared around her.

Each clone quickly found somewhere to sit.

Using the principles behind the Lightning Release Chakra Mode as their starting point, they began working toward an entirely different technique.

A Water Release Chakra Mode.

Of course, modifying an existing jutsu—or creating an entirely new one—was far easier to describe than actually accomplish.

Lightning-natured chakra and water-natured chakra behaved completely differently.

There was no possibility of simply replacing one element with the other and expecting the technique to function.

Including the original, eleven Kushinas began experimenting with different approaches.

Some focused on chakra circulation.

Others considered how Water Release could reinforce or protect the body.

Several experimented with how the chakra should move across the skin and muscles.

Each approached the same problem from a different direction.

Seeing Kushina completely engrossed in the process, Roy didn't remain idle either.

He sat cross-legged beside the original Kushina and laid his Zanpakutō, Kyoen, horizontally across his lap.

Communicating with one's Zanpakutō and deepening one's understanding of its spirit were necessary steps toward achieving Bankai.

Since Roy currently had no quick method of dramatically increasing his spiritual pressure, pursuing Bankai was the most obvious path toward increasing his strength.

He closed his eyes.

Before long, his consciousness sank inward.

When Roy opened his eyes again, he found himself standing inside a strange world filled entirely with mirrors.

Mirrors stretched in every direction.

Yet something about them was deeply unnatural.

Aside from Roy himself, only one mirror contained an image.

Kushina Uzumaki.

She appeared clearly within its surface.

Every other mirror was completely blank.

They didn't reflect Kushina.

They didn't reflect the surrounding world.

They didn't even reflect Roy himself.

"So this is Kyoen's inner world..."

Roy slowly looked around.

"But where is its spirit?"

A Zanpakutō was born from the soul of its Shinigami.

Its form and abilities were closely connected to that soul.

At the same time, every Zanpakutō possessed its own true name and spirit.

This place certainly resembled the inner world of a Zanpakutō.

Yet Roy couldn't find Kyoen's manifested spirit anywhere.

His gaze shifted toward the surrounding mirrors.

"Could the mirrors themselves be Kyoen?"

Roy walked toward one of the empty mirrors and pressed his palm against its surface.

Nothing happened.

He couldn't sense anything from it.

After a moment, Roy withdrew his hand and approached the only mirror containing an image.

Kushina's mirror.

The instant he touched it, he felt something different.

A connection.

He could clearly sense the power of his Shikai through the mirror.

Roy narrowed his eyes.

"Kyoen."

He called his Zanpakutō's name.

Nothing appeared.

There was no manifestation of Kyoen's spirit.

No figure emerged for him to confront or subjugate.

Roy frowned slightly.

"Is my connection with Kyoen still too weak?"

Perhaps he simply hadn't reached the stage required to pursue Bankai.

Or...

"There could be another reason."

Roy spent some time exploring the mirror-filled world, but eventually returned to the mirror containing Kushina's reflection.

He studied it carefully.

"Kushina appears here because my Shikai was drawn from her chest."

If that was the reason...

Roy's gaze slowly moved toward the countless blank mirrors surrounding him.

"Then do these empty mirrors represent other Shikai abilities that haven't been awakened yet?"

The thought immediately caught his attention.

A moment later, Roy's consciousness withdrew from Kyoen's inner world.

He opened his eyes.

Kushina and her clones were still completely absorbed in their work.

Roy turned his attention toward Karui.

He remembered exactly what had happened when his Shikai changed before.

At the time, his only thought had been figuring out how to repair his broken blade.

Then Kushina's consciousness had come into contact with the damaged Zanpakutō.

Not only had the blade been restored, but Kyoen had awakened a Shikai ability different from the one Roy had possessed before.

If that interaction had been the key...

Then perhaps getting Karui's image to appear within one of those blank mirrors required the same condition.

Her consciousness needed to come into direct contact with Kyoen.

Which meant there were only two obvious possibilities.

Either Karui's soul had to leave her body...

Or Roy had to enter her consciousness.

The first option immediately reminded him of a technique that had once existed in Konoha.

The Spirit Transformation Technique.

Dan Katō had been famous for it.

The technique allowed the user's spirit to leave their body and travel independently, even entering another person's body.

Unfortunately, it was an extremely advanced technique.

And after Dan's death, Roy wasn't even certain whether anyone in Konoha still knew how to use it.

That made the first option impractical.

Which left the second.

Roy entering Karui's consciousness directly.

In simpler terms...

Possession.

Roy was capable of possessing her.

But doing something like that without permission would be more than a little inappropriate.

Roy glanced toward Kushina.

"Maybe I should have Kushina ask her first."

He looked at Karui again.

"The only question is whether she'd agree to let a complete stranger possess her."