After giving Sarutobi Hiruzen a little reminder, Kaito Fujiwara walked home feeling quite pleased with himself.
Ever since the passing of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, he had been having a rather enjoyable time.
Although it might sound callous, Kaito couldn't deny his true feelings. He had just one thing to say: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was an eternal godsend!
In his opinion, using the technique for combat and reconnaissance was a complete waste of Lord Tobirama's brilliant invention.
Why not use it to make money?
Why not use it to study other ninjutsu?
Why not use it to practice skills that one is too lazy to train otherwise?
This jutsu was a dream come true for lazy people and an absolute boon for time travelers.
Thinking of this, Kaito sighed with some regret.
Despite its benefits, the reality of his chakra reserves hit him hard—he could only manage to create three clones at a time. Compared to Naruto Uzumaki, who could summon hundreds or even thousands, Kaito was far behind.
This limitation also led him to a troubling realization: the biggest drawback of his immortal body was the stagnation of his chakra pool. No matter how much he trained, the total amount of chakra he could produce remained the same, as if his body had reached its absolute limit.
His chakra reserves were barely at the level of an average Chūnin.
It made sense. Chakra was a combination of spiritual and physical energy in a precise ratio. Those with strong wills possessed greater spiritual energy, while those with physically powerful bodies had more physical energy.
This was where the problem lay. Despite his intense training and weight-bearing exercises that constantly improved his muscle and bone strength, the physical energy extracted from his cells remained unchanged.
This made him suspect that even in the original story, Hidan—who also had immortality—probably had chakra levels no higher than a Genin's. After all, that guy didn't seem to use his brain much.
The lack of chakra severely limited his potential. Any grand ninjutsu, like Wood Style: Tree World Advent, was simply out of the question. However, he still had just enough chakra to practice the Flying Thunder God Technique.
At that thought, Kaito sighed again.
Perhaps due to his lack of spatial awareness, mastering the technique proved to be excruciatingly difficult. Despite deploying seventy or eighty shadow clones outside the village to train nonstop for 24 hours, they could only teleport a few meters.
Worse still, there was a high probability of failure—his clones often ended up splitting in half. One part would teleport while the other stayed behind. Every failure meant the immediate destruction of a clone, and the pain from absorbing all their memories was unbearable. Even someone like Kaito, who was used to losing body parts in battle, found it difficult to endure.
Realizing the immense difficulty of mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique, he couldn't help but admire the sheer genius of Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato.
Especially Minato. He had taken the technique to an entirely different level, capable of teleporting across the entire Land of Fire instantly. The further the teleportation distance, the more complex the jutsu and the greater the chakra consumption. And yet, Minato executed it flawlessly.
Kaito was envious.
Even so, his progress—though slow as a snail—was still progress. He believed that in the future, he would be able to travel wherever he pleased with ease.
With that comforting thought, his mood brightened again.
As the last rays of the setting sun faded, he approached his home, ready to rest. But just as he was about to step inside, an unsettling sensation washed over him.
His eyes narrowed.
What was going on?
All of his Flying Thunder God training clones had just been wiped out.
Trying to process the sudden loss, Kaito recalled the last memories from his clones. The sensation they sent back before dispersing suggested an attack using either Earth Style or Wind Style.
To have eliminated nearly seventy of his clones at once, the attack must have had an enormous range.
Who in the world would go out of their way to target his shadow clones?
Feeling a mix of curiosity and annoyance, Kaito decided to investigate.
Without hesitation, he performed a series of hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
A single clone appeared with a puff of smoke, and Kaito pointed at his house.
"You, go inside and sleep."
With that, he tapped his foot on the ground and vanished in an instant.
Determined to prevent whoever was responsible from escaping, Kaito quickened his pace, dashing out of the village like a shadow.
Within minutes, he arrived at the site where his clones had been training. The place was a mess—trees were splintered, and the ground was uneven, as if a massive beast had rampaged through.
Kaito examined the destruction closely when a faint, familiar scent drifted into his nostrils.
Milk?
Who was still breastfeeding at this age?
Then, it hit him.
No, this scent belonged to Tsunade!
His expression turned serious. Something was definitely wrong.
At this point in time, Tsunade hadn't yet developed her monstrous strength, meaning she couldn't have single-handedly destroyed his clones.
More importantly, as the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, there was no reason for her to be outside the village so late at night.
Unless… she had been kidnapped.
And if that were the case, then the person responsible was at least a Jōnin-level ninja.
There was no question about it—he had to rescue her.
Not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because if she weren't brought back safely, he would be the first suspect. He had just managed to slip out of Anbu's surveillance, and now the princess of Konoha was missing. It would be impossible to explain himself.
Realizing this, Kaito's heart pounded as he pushed his speed even further.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a series of soft pops, three more clones appeared.
"Stay hidden and be ready for a surprise attack," Kaito ordered.
The clones nodded and disappeared into the trees.
Meanwhile, Kaito's body tensed as he summoned his iron sand, forming a massive sword longer than he was tall.
As his muscles relaxed, he felt a rush of energy. The toxins in his body were expelled, and his entire form felt lighter.
With his body freed, his basic sprint speed now rivaled the Body Flicker Technique.
Up ahead, three masked figures dressed as rogue ninjas were moving swiftly through the forest. One of them carried a little girl with a high ponytail—Tsunade.
They were heading northwest toward the border, likely intending to sell her to a buyer in the Land of Rivers.
As they advanced, the ninja carrying Tsunade suddenly frowned.
"Brothers, we have a pursuer."
"How many?" another asked.
"Just one."
Hearing this, Tsunade—who had been feigning unconsciousness—felt a jolt of hope.
Someone was coming to rescue her!
But her excitement quickly turned into dread. Just one person?
Her mind raced. Could it be Uncle Hiruzen?
No, that was impossible. The new Hokage wouldn't come alone—he would bring an entire squad of Anbu.
Despair gripped her heart.
Get away, idiot! You're going to die!
But before she could think further, the ground trembled. Trees splintered. A shadow loomed overhead.
With a thunderous crash, Kaito Fujiwara landed before them, a massive sword resting on his shoulders.
He grinned.
"Hey there~ Where do you think you're taking our precious little washboard princess?"
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