Chapter 537: The True Shinobi World

Chapter 537: Chapter 537: The True Shinobi World

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof! Poof!

Following two youthful shouts, clouds of white smoke billowed out of thin air. When the smoke dispersed, both Sasuke and Neji had an identical copy of themselves standing beside them.

After briefly examining the shadow clones they had created, Shinichi smiled. "Not bad. There are still a few flaws, but they should be more than enough to fool an ordinary chunin."

Hearing this, the two children immediately beamed with delight.

The Shadow Clone Technique was no ordinary ninjutsu. It was classified as a B-rank technique, and even among B-rank ninjutsu, it was considered particularly difficult to master. Most shinobi only attempted to learn it after reaching the rank of chunin.

Because it consumed enormous amounts of chakra, the Shadow Clone Technique posed certain risks to children whose bodies had not yet fully developed. Its advanced version, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, had even been classified as a forbidden technique by the village and recorded in the Scroll of Seals.

Consequently, neither Sasuke nor Neji had been permitted by their elders to learn this technique, which was why neither of them had been able to perform the Shadow Clone Technique before.

Shinichi, however, had no such reservations.

In his eyes, the shinobi world was a battlefield where the strong prevailed over the weak and only the fittest survived. If one wanted to stay alive, one had to possess the ability to protect oneself.

Still, Shinichi was genuinely surprised.

He hadn’t expected Sasuke and Neji to possess such extraordinary talent. After only a short period of practice, the two children had already grasped the fundamentals of the Shadow Clone Technique.

Looking at the smug expression on Sasuke’s face and the delight on Neji’s, Shinichi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

"Sasuke really is a genius worthy of awakening the Sharingan at just eight years old. If he’s properly trained, awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan shouldn’t be too difficult for him! Neji’s talent is extraordinary too. No wonder the boss accepted him as his disciple..."

"Ahem, ahem..."

After clearing his throat twice to attract the children’s attention, Shinichi put on a stern expression and said seriously, "Learning a ninjutsu is only the first step, and the easiest one at that. Don’t get carried away just because you’ve mastered a particular technique. For a shinobi, the real challenge lies in knowing when to use a ninjutsu and which ninjutsu to use. Remember, the difference between defeating your opponent and wasting your chakra often comes down to a single decision!"

Sasuke smiled proudly. "Brother Shinichi, you’re underestimating us! We’re both shinobi known as ’geniuses.’ We already know all that!"

Neji wasn’t as familiar with Shinichi, so he couldn’t treat him as casually as Sasuke did. Instead, he bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Shinichi-senpai!"

Shinichi waved his hand dismissively. "I only taught you a basic ninjutsu. That hardly counts as guidance."

With that, Shinichi shifted his gaze toward the smug-looking Sasuke and asked with a smile, "Sasuke, what have Shisui and your brother been teaching you?"

"All sorts of things! I’ve already mastered our Uchiha clan’s shurikenjutsu and taijutsu." Grinning, Sasuke added proudly, "Ever since I awakened my Sharingan, my training sessions with my brother and Brother Shisui have all been actual combat sparring!"

"Actual combat sparring!?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Heh, Shisui and your brother really do spoil you. I never imagined they’d still be playing ninja games with you at your age."

Sasuke immediately pouted in displeasure. "They’re not ninja games!"

"Oh? Then let me show you what real combat sparring looks like."

Shinichi beckoned to Sasuke, signaling for him to launch an attack.

Seeing how casually Shinichi was behaving, clearly not taking him seriously at all, Sasuke hurriedly warned him, "Brother Shinichi, you’d better take this seriously! Otherwise, you might get hurt!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke’s dark eyes transformed into a striking crimson, with a single tomoe appearing in each eye.

Immediately afterward, he rapidly formed hand seals and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Boom!

In an instant, an enormous fireball erupted from Sasuke’s mouth, carrying a wave of scorching heat as it hurtled straight toward Shinichi!

Not far away, Neji’s expression tightened, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Hiss! What powerful chakra fluctuations! How has he improved so quickly? The Great Fireball Technique he just used is both faster and stronger than the one he performed against that Oto shinobi earlier!"

Sasuke’s progress was plainly visible. Even Neji, who was hailed as a genius within his own clan, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

The enormous fireball illuminated half the sky in crimson. Accompanied by a roaring sound, it slammed toward Shinichi’s position.

The scorching heat even carved a charred trail across the ground, causing cracks to spread across the earth closest to the fireball.

"Huh...?"

After the Great Fireball roared past, Sasuke immediately furrowed his brows.

Shinichi had vanished without a trace!

It wasn’t just Sasuke. Neji was also startled and immediately activated his Byakugan, searching for Shinichi’s whereabouts.

Whoosh!

Just then, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, a figure suddenly appeared directly in front of Sasuke!

The sudden shadow falling across his vision instinctively made Sasuke sense that something was wrong.

His single-tomoe Sharingan had barely begun to lock onto his opponent when an excruciating pain erupted from his abdomen!

Bam!

Immediately afterward, Sasuke was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut. His body traced an arc through the air before crashing heavily into the ground with a dull thud!

Neji, standing nearby, was completely dumbfounded.

Everything had happened so suddenly that even with his Byakugan, he hadn’t been able to see the entire exchange clearly. He had only vaguely caught sight of a dark figure suddenly appearing in front of Sasuke, and then Sasuke had been sent flying.

When he saw that Shinichi’s eyes were still dark, without even activating his Sharingan, Neji couldn’t help but exclaim, "Is... is this the strength of an Uchiha who possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Just then, a distorted vortex appeared out of thin air, and Obito emerged from it.

Glancing at Sasuke, who was still lying on the ground, unable to recover from what had just happened, Obito chuckled. "Shinichi, don’t take your games too far."

Shinichi smiled. "I just wanted him to see what the real shinobi world is like."

Obito glanced at Neji before casting another look at Shinichi.

He was somewhat curious as to why Shinichi, who had always been so carefree, had suddenly taken such an interest in these two children.

Sasuke was understandable, of course. After all, he was an Uchiha genius who had awakened the Sharingan at just eight years old.

But Neji was merely a boy from the Hyuga branch family. Given Shinichi’s arrogant personality, he should have regarded someone like Neji with disdain.

...

Inside one of Orochimaru’s bases.

Naruto meticulously formed a series of hand seals before shouting, "Clone Technique!"

Poof!

After a puff of white smoke dispersed, a sickly, scrawny, monkey-like version of Naruto appeared beside him.

Seeing this, Naruto immediately burst into delight.

"Hahaha! I finally did it!"

Hinata also clapped enthusiastically beside him, celebrating Naruto’s successful execution of the Clone Technique.

Only Orochimaru wore a gloomy expression, looking as though he had accidentally swallowed a fly...