Although the Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms had split Shiraishi into three distinct individuals, their thoughts were supposed to be shared. Logically, the sudden impulse to guide Uchiha Itachi should not have happened.
However, the unexpected had occurred. This signified that the side effects of the Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms were beginning to manifest: Uchiha Kaede's consciousness was starting to drift out of alignment with the original body.
Inside the vast mental dimension, Kaede, the perpetrator, was equally troubled. "I don't understand it either. My emotions just flared up, and I spoke words that contradicted our initial designs."
Uchiha Itachi was the key figure in the future extinction of the Uchiha clan. Kaede should have maintained a professional distance, but those words had clearly crossed a line.
Shiraishi remained silent for a moment, feeling a sense of helplessness toward his split self. "The memories and the residual Uchiha soul in that body are influencing you."
Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms, which achieved a high degree of harmony between body and soul, possessed a flaw: the original owner's emotions and thought patterns could leak into and affect the current controller.
Though not the original entity, as Kaede grew, the divergence from the main Shiraishi would only increase. A similar situation existed with Hozuki Haigetsu, though because the original Haigetsu had been a cold and indifferent person, no significant "accidents" had occurred over the past year.
"But this was the original purpose of researching the Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms," Haigetsu interjected within the mental network. "Five different life experiences and hardships will produce immense power upon the final fusion."
Seeing Shiraishi's silence, Haigetsu mocked, "Did you really think we would maintain a perfectly identical thought process with you forever?"
"I just didn't expect the deviation to arrive so quickly."
"It is precisely because of these probabilistic events that this mental space exists."
Haigetsu's reasoning allowed Shiraishi to accept the situation for now, but he quickly shifted focus. "How is the investigation in the Hidden Mist?"
"The background of that woman, Retsu, is too mysterious," Haigetsu reported. "We can't find anything—not her graduation date, nor when she joined the Anbu. Even Suikazan Fuguki is completely in the dark."
"I suspect the Mist is involved in the Land of Vegetables incident."
"For now, it's just a hypothesis."
During the Five Kage Summit, Retsu's performance had been flawless, yet Shiraishi had sensed a flow of pure Sand-style chakra within her.
He was certain she originated from the Hidden Sand. He had a strong hunch about her true identity, but out of respect for the late Yamaji Ryoko and Arashi's feelings, he decided to watch and wait.
"Arashi has gone to control the situation, but I have an uneasy premonition."
"Are the simulated worst-case scenarios frequent?"
The unease in his consciousness stemmed from the numerous negative outcomes generated by the Supercomputing System. If the problem wasn't resolved within three days, Shiraishi decided he would personally travel to the Land of Vegetables.
The Education of an Uzumaki
Exiting the mental space, Shiraishi turned his attention to Uzumaki Tomoki. "Today, we begin your training."
As Shiraishi's only official disciple, Tomoki had drawn much attention upon returning to the village.
Ebizo and Chiyo had initially expressed dissatisfaction with Shiraishi taking an outsider as a pupil, but they eventually accepted the boy after Shiraishi's explanation.
Tomoki was now enrolled in the Sand Academy, but Shiraishi provided specialized guidance outside of school hours.
"Is... is all of this what I have to learn, Master?" Tomoki stared at the mountain of books and the dense curriculum on the table, shrinking his neck in intimidation.
He wasn't lazy, but Shiraishi's requirements were grueling. Beyond standard ninja subjects, the courses ranged from history and culture to poetry. To Tomoki, Shiraishi felt less like a ninja and more like an old academic from the Land of Whirlpools.
"You cannot learn all of this alone, so you need a supplementary ninjutsu." Shiraishi handed him a scroll. "This records the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The Shadow Clone, developed by the Second Hokage, divides chakra equally among clones and transfers all experiences back to the original upon dispersal. Shiraishi had specifically traded with Orochimaru for both the standard and Multi-Shadow Clone versions.
As an Uzumaki, Tomoki didn't have the Nine-Tails' chakra, but his natural reserves were enough to handle several clones without life-threatening strain.
Shiraishi's plan was high-tech and efficient: the clones would handle the academic and cultural studies, while Tomoki's physical body underwent rigorous Taijutsu training.
It took Tomoki only an hour to master the seal and create his first clone.
"Let us begin."
Shiraishi formed a seal, creating several clones of his own to act as tutors for Tomoki's clones. Meanwhile, the real Shiraishi had Tomoki equip a specialized weighted suit.
Unlike the crude weights Shiraishi had used in his youth, these were scientific instruments. They monitored Tomoki's vitals in real-time, adjusting the resistance based on his physiological state.
Shiraishi's private training hall was filled with environmental simulators, mental pressure testers, and Psychic expansion devices—a suite of high-tech equipment.
"One clone isn't enough. You must create more," Shiraishi commanded. The Uzumaki's powerful life force was meant to endure the side effects of such a brutal regimen. Tomoki did not complain; having lost his home once, he understood the value of strength better than anyone.
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