RedX43
patreon
[Konoha] Chapter 94: Crow Clone!
🕑 Added 2024-09-05 12:30:01 +0000 UTCShūichi rushed home as quickly as he could, pulling out a blank scroll to transcribe the incomplete technique he had seen earlier.
He then pored over it repeatedly.
"Hmm... I can understand a bit, just the part related to Fire Release."
"Natural Energy is a completely unfamiliar field to me, so I'll need to take it slow."
Shūichi wasn’t discouraged.
If he couldn’t figure it out now, he would aim to acquire the Sealing Master Tag. Or perhaps rely on the annual "Flash of Insight"—he was confident that he would eventually decipher it.
After putting away the scroll, he thought for a moment and decided to head to Orochimaru's lab.
Time flew by, and the vacation ended.
Shūichi returned to his team, resuming the fast-paced life of the Anbu.
However, while the Anbu’s pace was intense, there was still ample time for rest, allowing Shūichi to train on his own or visit Orochimaru's lab.
After obtaining the Swordsmanship Master Tag, Shūichi began shifting his focus.
The priority of the Body Flicker Expert Tag was now at the top.
Tag: Body Flicker Expert
Condition to Obtain: Master at least five different types of Body Flicker techniques.
Effect: 100% increase in Body Flicker technique talent, 100% cell activation boost, and the ability to perform any Body Flicker technique without hand seals.
The battle with the A-B Combo made Shūichi realize that fast reaction speed alone wasn't enough—he also needed faster attack speed.
Or more precisely, he needed to improve the reaction speed of his muscles and other motor functions.
This could either be a natural talent or something developed through rigorous training, like Guy’s muscle memory, achieved through years of relentless practice to enable quick reactions.
Another method was the Cloud Ninja’s Lightning Release Cell Activation.
Kakashi's Chidori Stream could also activate cells, but it was far inferior to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still one Space-Time Ninjutsu short, Shūichi would have fully focused on mastering the Space-Time Envoy Tag.
But if he couldn’t find a suitable Space-Time Ninjutsu, he would rely on stacking talents to master the Flying Thunder God technique.
With the 50% talent boost from Konoha Genius, the 100% Ninjutsu talent boost from Ninjutsu Professor, the 100% Body Flicker talent boost from Body Flicker Expert, and the 10 minutes of "Flash of Insight"—Shūichi was confident he could master the Flying Thunder God.
And once he had the Flying Thunder God, as long as he didn’t do anything reckless, the vast ninja world would be his to explore!
...
Time flew by, and it was now November of Konoha Year 42.
The Akimichi Clan’s Big Eater Contest, which had been in preparation for over three months, had become a massive hit after a few days of warm-up events. It was the talk of the entire Konoha Village.
Even as Shūichi strolled through the village with Shizune during his holiday, he could hear people discussing it.
Not only that, but even outside Konoha, many "big eaters" from the Land of Fire had heard about the contest and planned to participate.
As they walked to the new udon shop opened by the Akimichi Clan, Shūichi and Shizune found the area packed with people.
"Incredible! So many people signed up!"
Even though she knew the contest had become popular, Shizune couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of so many people.
Shūichi smiled and said, "It looks like this will be a very successful event."
Shizune nodded, smiling as well. "If they hold it annually, it could become a festival!"
Shūichi stroked his chin thoughtfully and then laughed, "I think it could be a Big Eater Contest held in alliance with Konoha’s allied ninja villages."
"Hmm, maybe each village could have a preliminary contest, and the top ten from each village could all come to Konoha for the finals to compete for the title."
Shizune was stunned, "Wouldn't that be a bit too much?"
Shūichi couldn’t help but laugh as well, "Haha, it is a bit over the top."
"But if there are profits to be made, I think people would still participate."
Shizune wondered, "But wouldn’t organizing the contest also be profitable?"
As she spoke, she noticed a familiar figure and said, "Shūichi, I think that’s Jiraiya-sama!"
Jiraiya?
Following Shizune's gaze, Shūichi indeed saw the familiar white hair and muttered to himself, "He’s back... but what’s he doing here instead of gathering material at the hot springs?"
"Is he planning to participate too?"
Shūichi felt he might have gained a formidable opponent.
At that moment, Jiraiya pushed his way through the crowd, spotted Shūichi and Shizune, and walked over with a smile, "Are you two here to sign up too?"
"Jiraiya-sama!"
Shūichi and Shizune greeted him politely, and then Shūichi responded, "Yes, we came to sign up together. I didn’t expect to see you here, Jiraiya-sama."
Shizune quickly added, "This contest was Shūichi's idea!"
"Oh?"
Jiraiya looked at Shūichi, gave a thumbs up, and smiled, "It's a great idea. But during the contest, I won’t go easy on you."
Shūichi immediately replied without backing down, "Jiraiya-sama, I won’t go easy on you either, even if you are one of the legendary Sannin."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, "You seem pretty confident!"
"Hmm..."
Jiraiya stroked his chin, then smiled, "Shūichi, if you can beat me, I'll teach you an interesting jutsu. How about that?"
An interesting jutsu?
Shūichi blinked in surprise.
Does Jiraiya have any interesting jutsu?
Not really, right?
But since there’s a jutsu on the line, Shūichi naturally wouldn’t refuse. He nodded in agreement and smiled, "Jiraiya-sama, if you win, I'll also give you a very interesting jutsu."
After thinking for a moment, Shūichi added, "Hmm... Jiraiya-sama, I’m sure you’ll really like it."
Seeing Shūichi’s mysterious expression, Jiraiya became intrigued but managed to hold back his curiosity, waving goodbye with a smile. "Well then, I’ll be looking forward to your jutsu, Shūichi!"
As Jiraiya left, Shizune couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Shūichi, what interesting jutsu are you planning to give Jiraiya-sama if you lose?"
"I remember all the jutsu you've developed are highly practical, right?"
Shūichi quickly cleared his throat. "It’s just an idea for now, I haven’t developed it yet!"
Shizune nodded, not pressing the matter further.
Shūichi silently breathed a sigh of relief, making up his mind.
If he really lost, he’d have to make Jiraiya keep it a secret.
Before long, it was their turn to sign up.
After Shūichi wrote down his name, he glanced over and was surprised, "Huh? Lady Tsunade is signing up too?"
Shizune, who had just finished writing Tsunade's name, nodded and smiled, "Yes, Lady Tsunade also thought it seemed like a lot of fun."
Great, yet another formidable opponent!
Tsunade, when she's hungry, might even consider eating her own pets.
After signing up, Shūichi and Shizune headed towards Konoha Hospital.
The Big Eater Contest would officially start in three days, but it wouldn’t be just a one or two-day event; it would last until the last day of the year, so there was plenty of time.
After spending two hours at Konoha Hospital, Shūichi returned home to feed his crows.
The once-young birds had now grown up, and just like with White Tiger(Shiro), Shūichi fed them medicinal herbs and injected chakra into their bodies.
In addition, Shūichi had created a summoning scroll specifically for these crows, so they could be summoned as needed.
He was also experimenting with developing a Crow Clone Jutsu based on this.
"The chakra I’ve stored in these crows has become familiar to them. Their spirit and synchronization with me have developed nicely."
Watching the dozen or so crows circling in the air, Shūichi felt they were ready.
Although these crows didn’t have much combat power and couldn’t speak, they could easily understand his commands through chakra, having developed a deep bond with him.
This was not only due to the continuous feeding of some herbs but also because the crows had his chakra within them.
From raising Shiro to these crows, Shūichi had realized how difficult it was to train a qualified summoning beast.
It wasn’t just the financial cost, but also the time, effort, and uncertainties involved.
Now!
With a focused gaze, Shūichi activated the chakra stored in the crows.
The crows, sensing his command, immediately gathered together, merging into a single figure.
Watching another version of himself floating in the air, Shūichi smiled.
Crow Clone Jutsu—complete!
Clap, clap, clap...
The clone in the air dispersed, reverting back into individual crows, which flapped their wings and then regrouped into another clone on the other side.
Shūichi then tested the clone’s ability to use Fire Release, Wind Release, and Genjutsu while airborne.
Once the chakra was almost depleted, he dispelled the clone jutsu.
"The strength of the Crow Clone depends on the amount of chakra stored in the crows. If combat power isn’t a concern, it consumes far less chakra to perform than Shadow Clones or even Fire Clones."
"However, there’s a limit to how much chakra the crows can store, but since this is a support-type clone, this isn’t really a drawback."
Shūichi evaluated, "Another major advantage is air superiority!"
Even though he had mastered the Fiery Lotus Steps technique, it was still quite chakra-intensive.
For a clone, the Crow Clone was much more efficient.
"Additionally, the crows or Crow Clones can be used for long-distance reconnaissance."
"Though the Listening Technique is powerful, it’s also quite chakra-consuming and is limited to detecting chakra."
As he watched the crows perched on the wooden stand, Shūichi thought to himself, "The only downside is that these crows aren’t true summoning beasts. They can’t refine chakra, and they can’t speak or have intelligence, so the chakra I store in them will gradually dissipate over time."
"Although I can replenish their chakra as needed, it would be much more convenient if they could store it for longer periods."
"Hmm, I could try using a sealing technique to slow down the chakra loss."
"It doesn’t have to be too advanced."
Having decided on the next step, Shūichi focused his thoughts, and the crows on the wooden stand flapped their wings and took off, flying in formation towards the Uchiha Clan.
He wanted to give Shisui Uchiha a little surprise.
This clone technique would be particularly useful for someone like Shisui, who was proficient in Genjutsu, especially with his Sharingan.
(End of Chapter)
