When everyone heard that the complicated shadow clone Jutsu was merely one of the basic principles of projection, they were at a loss for words.
The Sensei had not been wrong; he had indeed overestimated everyone.
Even Rin, who usually excelled in ninjutsu, looked troubled and hesitantly asked:
"Natsuhiko-Sensei, I remember you mentioned that besides shadow clones, the projection Jutsu also requires transformation skills..."
Natsuhiko waved his hand to dismiss all his clones, then smiled and nodded:
"That's right, the principle is actually straightforward. During the process of creating multiple clones, as I mentioned earlier, you use transformation skills to modify the appearance of the clones further."
"As you all know, the hand signs for the shadow clone Jutsu are Ram, Serpent, and Tiger, while for the transformation Jutsu, it's a single Ram sign."
"The Ram sign is commonly used to change the nature of chakra and shape it. Therefore, the function of the Ram sign in both the shadow clone and transformation Jutsus is essentially the same."
"The only difference is that the shadow clone Jutsu releases chakra with the user's image information to form the clones externally, while the transformation Jutsu circulates chakra with the image information of various things within the body."
"Therefore, you can simply think of the projection Jutsu as an incomplete transformation Jutsu that assigns the chakra object information and then releases it externally through the shadow clone Jutsu."
"So, the hand signs for the projection Jutsu are the same as those for the shadow clone Jutsu: Ram, Serpent, and Tiger."
"How about that? The number of hand signs hasn't increased, so isn't it easy?"
Easy? Not at all!
The students all wore the same distressed expression.
Although the number of hand signs hadn't increased, wasn't this just adding a transformation Jutsu to the shadow clone Jutsu? And they called this easy?
As academic underachievers, Obito and Guy huddled together, shivering.
The Three Basic Jutsus already gave them headaches, not to mention this projection Jutsu, which combined transformation and shadow clone Jutsus.
But then, Guy remembered something important.
He hadn't chosen the sealing Jutsus course, so he didn't have to learn this at all.
After trembling for about an hour, Guy suddenly felt relieved.
Beside him, Assistant Instructor Kushina also smiled wryly.
She had been practising with Natsuhiko in the woods near the school and had long envied his projection Jutsu.
She thought that since Natsuhiko was teaching it to the students, it should be easy, but it turned out to be much more complicated than she had imagined.
Seeing everyone's troubled faces, Natsuhiko smiled slightly and said:
"Perhaps your minds still need to adjust. You're still thinking of projection as an ordinary ninjutsu."
"You should know that complexity is never a problem for sealing Jutsus or runic ninjutsu. After all, many of the casting steps can be simplified by pre-drawing corresponding runic patterns on talismans."
"Therefore, even if the hand sign version of the projection Jutsu is a C-rank ninjutsu in terms of learning difficulty, I am confident that most students can master the runic version before graduation."
Everyone slowly nodded in understanding, finally feeling relieved.
Indeed, while creating talismans with runic patterns for the projection Jutsu wasn't easy, it was certainly more straightforward than casting the projection Jutsu directly with hand signs.
Natsuhiko continued:
"Moreover, I intend for most students to master a more straightforward and less extravagant use of the projection Jutsu than what I typically use."
"But even the simplest projection Jutsu, when used properly, can be very effective."
"For example..."
As he spoke, Natsuhiko snapped his fingers, and everyone saw two ninjas fighting in the dense forest behind him.
It was Natsuhiko's signature storytelling teaching method.
Apart from Guy, who was a bit confused, Kushina and the other students were excited.
One reason they enjoyed the sealing Jutsus class was that Natsuhiko would often show stories through projection, deepening their understanding of various concepts.
As the scene around them changed, they knew it was story time.
Unlike the usual fictional stories, they soon recognised a familiar figure.
"Isn't that..."
A white-haired young ninja quickly caught their attention.
That young ninja often appeared in the popular Shinobi card game, so everyone knew him well.
Yes, it was their Sensei, Natsuhiko, in his Genin days.
At that moment, he was fighting an enemy several heads taller than him but was quickly forced into retreat.
Fortunately, he found an opportunity to throw shurikens to force his opponent back a few steps and then hid behind a large tree, panting and looking distressed.
The students held back Guy, who wanted to help and continued watching.
The young Natsuhiko crouched behind the tree, vigilantly watching his enemy from behind the tree while holding a talisman between his fingers and forming complex hand signs.
His opponent, a Jonin from Iwagakure, sneered as he approached step by step.
This real-life scenario gradually made everyone forget it was just a projection, and they began to worry for young Natsuhiko.
Fortunately, young Natsuhiko completed his Jutsu just before his opponent arrived!
With a faint "poof," a figure identical to young Natsuhiko dashed out from behind the tree, running away frantically.
His steps seemed hurried and disordered due to panic, and his face occasionally showed fear when he looked back.
If the students hadn't seen him create the clone, they might have believed it was a natural person.
The Iwagakure ninja, unaware of the deception, leisurely chased after him, amused by the chase.
Meanwhile, the real Natsuhiko lay motionless on the ground. Once his opponent was out of sight, he quickly got up and ran in the opposite direction.
As the projection faded, everyone relaxed, exhaling deeply.
Even though it was a simple encounter, the life-and-death tension made them breathless.
Kushina, who rarely faced danger, patted her chest to calm her racing heart.
Natsuhiko sighed and said, "That was indeed a close call. If my opponent had been serious, you might not have your Sensei, Natsuhiko, here today."
"What? That really happened?" Kurenai asked in surprise.
Everyone else also widened their eyes in shock.
They hadn't expected their seemingly invincible Sensei to have such a complicated past.
This reminded them that Natsuhiko came from a civilian ninja family.
Knowing that he had developed the projection Jutsu under such conditions and later pioneered runic ninjutsu made everyone admire him even more.
Especially Rin, Guy, and Ebisu, who came from ordinary backgrounds, felt greatly inspired, vowing to become ninjas like Natsuhiko.
Feeling embarrassed by their gazes, Natsuhiko waved his hand:
"Alright, stop looking at me like that. My point wasn't to impress you with my past."
"I wanted to show you a real example to demonstrate how even simple projection Jutsus can be practical in combat."
They snapped back to reality, recalling that the projection was meant to illustrate the Jutsu's practical application.
Natsuhiko then explained:
"The projection I used earlier was an early form of the Jutsu, so the casting steps were complex. Just focus on the concept."
"Clearly, the projection Jutsu I used enhanced the basic shadow clone Jutsu, making the clone's actions more complex and realistic, increasing its effectiveness."
"In terms of deception, it's almost as effective as the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Many shadow clone strategies can be directly applied."
"However, the Shadow Clone Jutsu is a B-rank ninjutsu with Jonin-level difficulty and high chakra requirements, not something ordinary Genin can master."
"That's why the Iwagakure ninja didn't anticipate it, giving me a chance to escape."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully, realising the Jutsu's cost-effectiveness.
Natsuhiko then demonstrated several uses of the projection Jutsu, all based on his past combat experiences.
There were scenes of young Natsuhiko creating clones covered in explosive tags, shouting, "Art is an explosion", and escaping.
Another scene showed him creating a clone to fake suicide while he jumped into the water to escape.
Another scene depicted him creating seven clones plus himself, running in eight different directions to confuse the enemy.
Another scene shows him creating a clone that overlaps with his natural body, and he uses an Earth Release Jutsu to escape underground.
As the scenes progressed, young Natsuhiko's projection of Jutsu became more refined, with fewer hand signs and more complex runic patterns on the talismans.
Eventually, even sound effects were added, making the projections increasingly realistic.
However, the students' expressions became more peculiar.
Their Sensei had a lot of experience running away.
Asuma, who was always straightforward, couldn't help but comment:
"Sensei, why are all your examples about running away?"
Natsuhiko laughed and explained:
"You might not know, but even during the most intense phases of the Second Shinobi World War, Genin were usually only involved in logistics, with low danger."
"But if they did encounter danger, it was often a life-or-death situation."
"The most likely threats were enemy ninjas infiltrating to disrupt our supply lines."
"For example, the Iwagakure ninja in the first projection was someone I encountered while maintaining a formation node behind the front lines."
"Against such opponents with at least Chunin-level strength, successfully escaping with your life is the best outcome."
Everyone snapped back to reality upon hearing this, remembering that the Sensei showed them the projection to help them understand how to use simple projection Jutsus in actual combat.
Then, they heard Natsuhiko explain:
"Therefore, learning how to use projection Jutsus to escape in various situations will be a key focus of future lessons."
Considering this, the students felt that the life of a ninja seemed both dull and dangerous, not as glamorous as they had imagined, leaving them somewhat disillusioned.
Seeing their crestfallen faces, Natsuhiko, wanting to boost their enthusiasm, smiled and said, "But projection Jutsus do have other practical combat uses."
As the students' eyes lit up again, Natsuhiko snapped his fingers.
Then, a slightly older version of young Natsuhiko's projection appeared.
This time, he had his hands crossed over his chest, each holding a handful of shurikens.
With a swift motion of his arms, the shurikens flew out.
Immediately after, he formed a quick hand sign, and numerous shuriken projections appeared out of thin air, blending with the real shurikens he had thrown, flying towards five enemies in the distance.
But this time, Natsuhiko mischievously positioned the students between young Natsuhiko and the enemies.
Thus, the swarm of shurikens seemed to fly straight at them.
"Duck!"
Might Guy shouted, pulling Obito down with him.
Caught off guard, Obito fell, yelping in pain as his wounds were jostled.
At this moment, however, no one else noticed.
Although they were accustomed to Natsuhiko's spectacular projection Jutsus, the sight of countless shurikens flying at them still made their scalps tingle.
They couldn't immediately think of a good countermeasure.
Looking back at the enemies, they saw the ninjas, equally bewildered, only managing to protect their vital areas. At the same time, numerous shurikens hit other parts of their bodies, leaving them looking quite unkempt.
But just as the students were eager to see how Natsuhiko would triumph over them, the projection began to fade.
"Ah!"
Asuma, feeling like a reader left hanging at a cliffhanger, anxiously exclaimed, "Sensei, don't! Let us see the end of this battle!"
Natsuhiko, slightly taken aback, then helplessly spread his hands and said, "But that was the end of the battle. You might have missed it while looking at the enemies; I had already used that opportunity to escape."
"Did you think I could handle that many ninjas alone?"
"…"
The students were speechless.
They could only internally remark: Natsuhiko-Sensei always remembers his primary goal.
It was then they noticed Obito lying on the ground with Guy protectively hovering over him in a comical position.
The scene was awkward to behold.
Rin blushed, feeling embarrassed yet curious.
Natsuhiko, recording the scene, sternly said, "What are you two doing? We're in class!"
Obito, barely conscious, weakly replied, "It... It's not my fault..."
Guy, realising the situation, scratched his head in embarrassment.
After much effort to get Obito back in his wheelchair, the lesson resumed.
Natsuhiko first looked at Asuma, saying, "Asuma, didn't you find that scene somewhat familiar?"
"Hmm..."
Asuma thought for a moment, "It's similar to the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu that my dad demonstrated to me."
Natsuhiko nodded with a smile, "That's right. This move was developed based on Hokage's Jutsu, which is hence called the Shuriken Clone Jutsu."
"It should be effective against enemies who can't use the five elemental releases and have no cover around them."
"By the way, the Third Hokage's Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu was developed based on the Second Hokage's Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the Second Hokage's Shadow Clone Jutsu was based on the First Hokage's Wood Clone Jutsu—ah, that's just some trivia, no need to overthink overthinking this, the students decided they definitely needed to think about it deeply.
Soon, they collectively gasped!
After all, the Sensei's Shuriken Clone Jutsu was also inspired by the Third Hokage's Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Following this logic, didn't it mean...
Their Sensei had the potential to become a Hokage!
Facing the students' fervent gazes, Natsuhiko pretended not to notice and continued teaching:
"Of course, besides the Shuriken Clone Jutsu, projection Jutsus can also be used with explosive tags and various traps."
"For example, if you're being pursued while escaping, setting traps but not having time to erase the traces, you can use the projection Jutsu to cover the area with a disguise..."
As Natsuhiko spoke, several young Natsuhiko projections appeared around him, setting traps in various environments and disguising them with projection Jutsus.
The indistinguishable disguises made the students' scalps tingle, realising that without sensory abilities, these traps would be nearly impossible to detect.
But watching the Sensei transition from using projection Jutsus to escape to setting traps during the escape, they felt Natsuhiko's combat style was evolving in an unusual direction.
After explaining the primary uses of prprimaryion Jutsus, Natsuhiko paused to let the students digest the information.
Reflecting on what Natsuhiko had taught, the students began to recognise a pattern.
It was all about staying within the bounds of their abilities.
In the demonstrations, nothing was beyond what they could learn at the ninja academy; even projection jitsu itself was a combination of the Clone and Transformation Jitsus.
Yet, in Natsuhiko's hands, these elements were seamlessly combined through the projection Jutsu, amplifying each other's effects.
They felt that mastering Natsuhiko's projection Jutsu could allow even ordinary students without family secrets to compete with those from ninja clans.
After all...
"In contrast to a wide array of attack methods, a ninja's life is fragile. Even an ordinary kunai, if used correctly, can easily take the life of a Jonin."
Natsuhiko began his concluding remarks.
"Because the margin for error is so small, the importance of intelligence becomes paramount."
"This is why I often say that intelligence is the lifeblood of a ninja."
"And the projection Jutsu, capable of weaving false information, contains countless possibilities. Even as its creator, I dare not claim to have developed all its uses."
"Therefore, in future projection Jutsu lessons, in addition to basic practical projection talismans, I plan to have each student design and develop their unique use of the projection Jutsu, thus continually expanding its applications."
"Naturally, you all will be no exception."
Natsuhiko continued, "In fact, I have even higher expectations for you. Besides learning the rune-based version of the projection Jutsu like other students, you should also gradually master the hand sign-based projection Jutsu by continually drawing projection talismans."
"Especially your self-designed projection, Jutsus, which will evolve as you grow in all aspects..."
"Hmm... To distinguish them, let's call these projection Jutsus your 'signature projection Jutsus.'"
"So, today's first additional assignment is to go home and conceive of a projection Jutsu that best suits your intentions, record it on paper, and submit it in the next study group session."
"Okay!"
Everyone readily agreed, eager to design their signature projection, Jutsu.
Natsuhiko nodded and said, "Now, we shall begin the specific teaching of the projection Jutsu."
"But before that, there's one more thing to do..."
"What is it, Natsuhiko-Sensei?"
Their enthusiasm piqued, and everyone asked quickly.
Natsuhiko slowly said, "Of course... it's calisthenics!"
Everyone felt a sharp twist in their metaphorical backs from Natsuhiko's unexpected turn.
It seemed they were back to square one.
Natsuhiko explained, "After all, you've only been using the part of your body above your neck during class. It's such a waste to leave the rest idle!"
"With the motion-copying device, you don't need to control your actions; just leave your body to Guy."
"Yes, leave it to me!" The guy gave a thumbs up.
Having made a blunder earlier, he was determined to make up for it.
But then he remembered that Obito, whom he had injured the most, couldn't participate in the exercise now...
Uh-oh.
Everyone couldn't argue with Natsuhiko's reasoning, so they stood obediently, letting Guy manipulate their bodies.
As the MP3 card in Guy's ear activated, the students began to dance along with his movements.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko snapped his fingers, and a large blackboard filled with various rune scripts appeared behind him, looking dizzyingly complex.
"Now let's start with the first stage of learning the projection Jutsu: deconstructing the Clone Jutsu and the Transformation Jutsu, completely converting the hand signs into rune scripts."
"Today, we'll cover the first three of the 136 rune script groups from the Tiger Seal. Pay close attention."
"..."
As they exercised, the students listened to Natsuhiko's detailed explanations of various obscure terms.
Individually, they didn't understand the terms; together, they understood even less.
Realising that realising be undergoing this type of lesson for a long time,
The terror they had once felt from callisthenics seemed to resurface.
However, while they used to be physically exhausted, this time, they were mentally drained...
(Chapter End)
Chapters 118 and 119 are up on my Patreon.
Chapter 99 is free on my Patreon.