This technique is known as the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
As Naruto watched with a look of pure bewilderment, Minato released the mass of clones, causing them to vanish in a series of coordinated pops.
The fundamental principle of this technique is that it intentionally removes the safety valves usually placed on chakra consumption for the standard Shadow Clone Jutsu. It allows the user to release a massive amount of clones all at once, but that is precisely where the danger lies. If you do not possess the necessary control or a massive pool of energy, you could easily die from overdrawing your chakra.
Multiple Shadow Clones?
Hidden away in the nearby shadows, Kakashi felt his brow furrow with concern.
Is it truly wise for him to be teaching Naruto a forbidden level of ninjutsu at such an early stage in his development?
He was not particularly worried about the issue of chakra depletion. For a Jinchuriki, the very concept of running out of chakra was almost nonexistent given the fox's presence. What actually concerned him was the state of the Nine-Tailed Fox's seal.
However, when he took a moment to reflect on the situation, he remembered how Minato had just bumped fists with Naruto. Since then, the boy had been able to move his energy with a freedom he never possessed before. It seemed highly likely that Minato had performed some kind of adjustment to the seal or reached an understanding with the Nine-Tailed Fox itself.
I suppose that is exactly what I should expect from someone like Minato Sensei.
Kakashi could not help but feel a wave of deep emotion, but he quickly pushed those feelings aside. Regardless of his personal admiration, he still held a duty to report these developments to the higher authorities.
At the same time, within the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk and stared into his crystal ball. He watched the image of Minato patiently teaching Naruto how to cultivate his skills, and his expression became increasingly complex.
Someone come here. Send an urgent message to Jiraiya and tell him he needs to return to the village for a short while.
Yes, Lord Hokage!
Just as the Anbu ninja vanished to carry out the order, a sharp knock sounded at the office door.
The door swung open, and two village advisors walked into the room with stern and unyielding faces. They were followed closely by a somber looking old man who leaned heavily on a wooden cane.
The old man was none other than Danzo Shimura.
Hiruzen, we have heard the rumors regarding the newcomer. That man, Namikaze Minato, what exactly is happening here?
Utatane Koharu spoke with a clear sense of impatience the moment she stepped into the room.
He is a counterpart from a parallel dimension. Is that a concept you can understand?
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not look up, as if he had already predicted their arrival. He immediately began his explanation. That child is in possession of the Hiraishin and the Rasengan. I have personally confirmed his mastery of these techniques.
Is it possible that the ninjutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals was somehow leaked to the outside world? Homura Mitokado asked as his brow furrowed slightly.
It is not an impossible theory, but the taijutsu that child utilizes is the Konoha Strong Fist Style. Furthermore, he is capable of using the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique. He managed to defeat an elite shinobi like Kakashi with almost no effort at all. He has proven himself to be even more outstanding than the Minato who belonged to our world.
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his fingertip lightly against the wood of his desk. If you look at it from a different perspective, would you ever allow a subordinate with that much talent to risk their life doing something so completely meaningless?
The two advisors fell into a sudden silence.
They knew that what he said was the logical truth.
With that level of talent and raw strength, no leader would be willing to send such a person out on a whim.
What hidden family or organization would use the potential successor to the Hokage position for such trivial infiltration tasks?
So, Hiruzen, are you simply going to stand by and let him have unrestricted contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?
Standing behind the advisors, Danzo Shimura finally spoke up.
Well, regardless of where he comes from, that man is still Minato. Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a slow nod.
He is a Minato from an entirely different world!
Danzo Shimura was quick to correct him. What if his ultimate goal is to kidnap the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and take him back to his own world? What would we be able to do then?
Then you should tell me exactly how we are supposed to deal with a man who has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his gaze toward Danzo Shimura. If his intention was truly to steal the boy, why would he choose to appear before us with such fanfare and public display?
Danzo Shimura let out a cold snort. Perhaps he requires some very specific conditions to be met first?
That is certainly not an impossible scenario.
Homura Mitokado nodded his head in agreement. He rubbed his chin while he watched the live scene unfolding within the crystal ball. However, we are talking about Namikaze Minato. He is the man who was hailed as the most perfect ninja in our history. And this version from a parallel world seems even more gifted than the one we knew. Rationally speaking, I do not wish to speculate about him with such dark thoughts.
I have already dispatched a messenger to bring Jiraiya back to the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, signaling his agreement with the words of Homura Mitokado.
Since he was Minato's original teacher, Jiraiya should be much better equipped to negotiate with him than any of us. We might be able to gather more vital information once he arrives.
It seems that the way we have treated the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki over the years has made this Minato very dissatisfied.
Utatane Koharu let out a small sigh. Very well. We shall do as you suggest.
There is one more matter to discuss.
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples as if a headache was forming. Regarding the true identity of Uzumaki Naruto, I am considering whether or not we should finally make it public. Judging by the attitude this Minato has displayed so far, he has absolutely no intention of hiding who the boy really is.
If we do that, I am afraid that once the news spreads, it will severely damage the public credibility of the village higher ups.
No, Hiruzen!
Danzo Shimura spoke up quickly to interrupt. No matter what his face looks like, this guy is an outsider at the end of the day. He is not the true father of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in this world. He has no legal or moral right to interfere in the affairs of our Jinchuriki.
And have you actually considered the consequences if the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki masters the Flying Thunder God Technique? We will completely lose every ounce of control we have over the weapon!
That is indeed a very serious problem.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado shared a brief look before they both nodded their heads in agreement.
Naruto is Minato's son after all. Although his talent has been lacking up until now, none of them were willing to bet the village's safety on that small sliver of possibility.
Hiruzen, you should leave the handling of this matter to me.
Danzo Shimura spoke with an indifferent tone. Regardless of the circumstances, the Nine-Tails is the property of Konoha. How can we sit back and let a complete outsider interfere with our assets?
Are you truly certain that you can deal with someone using the Flying Thunder God? Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed in doubt.
It is merely a form of Space-Time Ninjutsu. While it is certainly a bit troublesome to counter, it is far from being invincible.
Danzo Shimura's tone was filled with a deep sense of arrogance. Before the massacre of the Uchiha Clan, he really did not have many reliable options for such a target. However, he now possessed an arm covered in sharingan that acted as revival coins, plus he held the power of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami. He had long since become so arrogant that he no longer understood his own limitations.
To him, a mere Namikaze Minato was nothing more than another person offering his head for sale.
The simplest method would be to use the Kotoamatsukami to place the opponent under his total control from the start.
Although there would be a significant cooldown period after using the eye, wasting it on someone as powerful as Namikaze Minato would not be a loss at all.
If he could force Namikaze Minato to serve his interests, and then use that influence over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the position of Hokage would finally be within his easy reach.
Since Danzo feels so confident in his abilities, why not let him attempt it?
Utatane Koharu spent a moment pondering the situation. However, this must be considered a personal action taken by Danzo alone. It must not involve Hiruzen or the official office of the Hokage. Even if the attempt is not successful, we must at least leave some room to reconcile any potential conflict.
Humph, that is entirely unnecessary.
Danzo snorted coldly. He was somewhat dissatisfied with her caution, but he did not voice an objection.
He was well aware that if there were no room for reconciliation, these two advisors would never allow him to act so recklessly in the first place.
Then I will leave the resolution of this matter in your hands.
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about it for a long time. Although he felt in his heart that this was somewhat wrong, he knew that a Minato from a parallel world was an inherently unstable factor for the village.
Even though a sense of guilt lingered in his mind, since Danzo was so willing to step forward and take the blame for any fallout, he naturally had no logical reason to object.
Even if the plan failed, he was still Jiraiya's teacher. With that connection to Jiraiya, there would always be some room for diplomatic maneuver.
But still.
Even I, the sitting Hokage, cannot personally guarantee that I could take down a man like Minato. Where exactly does Danzo get this level of confidence from?
For some reason, the old man felt that this Minato was far from being as simple as he appeared on the surface.
For example, that Body Flicker technique from earlier was not the Flying Thunder God, yet it was so fast that even he could hardly react to it.
Ultimately, Danzo being willing to step into this mess was a good thing for his own position.
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