Just as Natsuro thought Naruto had understood, he saw him scratching his head again.
"But what's the point of this?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Natsuro sighed after a moment of silence and began explaining the usefulness of Shadow Clones.
"In other words, you can have your Shadow Clones handle learning ninjutsu and theoretical knowledge while your main body continues to train its physical condition, which is something the Shadow Clones can't help with," Natsuro explained. He added, "However, generally speaking, most people can't handle the mental fatigue that Shadow Clones take when they return to the main body. Your physical condition is quite special, so you should be able to endure a lot of the damage, but at first, it's best not to create too many Shadow Clones for learning."
"Oh, so that's why you said the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu is particularly suited for me," Naruto said, his eyes growing brighter with understanding.
"Exactly. So, do you want to try it out now?" Natsuro asked.
"Of course!" Naruto was eager and immediately began making hand seals.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Instantly, Natsuro felt a massive surge of chakra. He remembered that in the original story, Naruto often used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu but only managed to create one or two clones.
Now, it seemed Naruto wasn't mistaken in his jutsu; the chakra he was channeling was likely more than before, with each clone containing substantial chakra.
Soon, Natsuro saw five Narutos standing before him.
"Alright, everyone, go learn! You know where the books are," Naruto cheerfully instructed.
However, the next thing that happened made Natsuro's eyes twitch.
The Shadow Clones began to refuse the task one by one. Eventually, Naruto ended up arguing with them, and all the Shadow Clones disappeared, leaving only the original Naruto.
"Ah…" Natsuro rubbed his head, realizing that getting Naruto to learn might be more challenging than he thought.
"Natsuro, what's going on?" Naruto looked at Natsuro in confusion.
"Naruto, each Shadow Clone is essentially a separate entity once created, and they have their own thoughts and part of your personality, so they have their own will," Natsuro explained.
"This situation just shows that none of them want to study theoretical knowledge," Natsuro added, slightly exasperated. He thought about how, while he also had tasks he didn't want to do, his Shadow Clones didn't act like this—being an adult, he could usually suppress his instincts and act rationally.
Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to struggle with this.
"I see," Naruto said with a look of realization. He admitted that he didn't want to study and was trying to offload the troublesome tasks onto his clones.
After thinking for a moment, Naruto made hand seals again and created four more Shadow Clones. Natsuro watched, curious to see how Naruto would handle the situation.
Soon, Natsuro observed Naruto persuading his clones. Although it was time-consuming, the clones eventually agreed to study.
Natsuro felt that Naruto had a bit of a flair for this. The clones should have known the main body's intentions when they were created, so why did Naruto need to persuade them?
And successfully persuading them?
Natsuro didn't fully understand but shrugged it off, acknowledging that Naruto was indeed a ninja full of surprises. After this experience, those clones likely wouldn't refuse again.
"Yay!" Naruto gave Natsuro a victorious thumbs-up and flashed a big grin.
"Well done," Natsuro said, reaching out to ruffle Naruto's golden hair.
It felt nice to the touch—slightly firmer and a bit prickly, unlike Sasuke's softer hair.
"Hehe," Naruto beamed with happiness at the praise.
"Naruto, there's something important I need to consult with you before making a decision," Natsuro said suddenly, his expression becoming serious.
Although he had received the Third Hokage's approval, the matter's main protagonist was Naruto. If Naruto didn't agree, Natsuro wouldn't proceed.
"Hmm? What's it about?" Naruto asked, seeing Natsuro's serious face and swallowing nervously.
Natsuro organized his thoughts and explained the Nine-Tails situation to Naruto. He detailed that the Nine-Tails' rampage had been controlled and that Naruto's parents had died protecting him from the Nine-Tails.
Natsuro didn't specify who Naruto's parents were, leaving that for Naruto to discover on his own later.
He then shared his plan to open a channel for Naruto to communicate with the Nine-Tails and potentially use its power.
After he finished, he waited in silence for Naruto's response, understanding that this was not an easy decision. Even if the Nine-Tails was controlled at the time, could Naruto easily forgive it?
Natsuro felt he couldn't, but if it were Naruto…
"Natsuro , the Nine-Tails was indeed imprisoned, right?" Naruto asked.
"Yes," Natsuro confirmed with a nod.
"Then it's normal for it to want to break free and regain its freedom, especially since it was controlled at that time," Naruto said, his mood subdued but still thoughtful.
"So, what's your decision?" Natsuro asked.
"Let's go with your plan, Natsuro. I'm not sure if I can forgive it, so I want to meet it. If not, I want it to give up some of its power as rent!" Naruto said with a smile, scratching his head.
Natsuro looked at the smiling Naruto, then nodded in agreement.
Thats right, if Minato and Kushina were still alive, Naruto would likely have had a much happier childhood. The Nine-Tails wouldn't have transferred to Naruto so quickly, and by now, Naruto would have grown up more naturally.
However, Naruto was unaware of this. He had never met Minato and Kushina and longed for parental love, but he probably had no real experience of it.
So, for Naruto, his dissatisfaction with the Nine-Tails was likely more about being treated differently all these years.
Natsuro thought about it for a moment and decided not to dwell further. After all, even the Fourth Hokage had reconciled with the Nine-Tails, so why should he worry about it?
"Now, lie down as you did before and expose your stomach," Natsuro instructed.
"Okay."
Naruto quickly prepared the bed. The bed was no longer in its original position; at least, it couldn't be seen from the outside window, suggesting he had taken Natsuro's advice.
However, Natsuro figured that Naruto probably didn't understand the reason for this.
Soon, he placed his hands on Naruto's stomach. Previously, Natsuro would have needed Naruto to extract a large amount of chakra to reveal the seal, but with his advanced sealing techniques, that step was no longer necessary. The seal on Naruto's body quickly manifested, and Natsuro closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dimly lit space. The ground was covered in murky underground water, and the walls had some protruding sewer pipes.
This was the space sealing the Nine-Tails. Natsuro observed the surroundings, feeling somewhat disdainful of the environment, and then sensed the chakra in the water before walking in a specific direction.
Soon, he reached the end of the sewer and entered a larger room.
The floor here was still covered in ankle-deep water, and the focal point was a large gate with a seal character displayed in the center.
This was the seal containing the Nine-Tails, but the situation behind the gate was shrouded in darkness, obscuring what was inside.
"Hmm? Someone's here. A rare guest. Come forward, kid," a voice came from behind the gate, filled with unmasked hostility. However, Natsuro wasn't frightened. He walked to the center and spoke.
"Though it's our first meeting, isn't it a bit rude of you not to turn on the lights inside, Kurama?"
Immediately, the atmosphere seemed to fall silent. Soon, the lights inside the gate turned on, revealing the full view of the Nine-Tails: its orange fur and its eyes, which were glaring at Natsuro with a murderous intent and veins.
"How do you know that name, brat?" the Kurama roared with anger and confusion.
"Oh, I heard it from other Tailed Beasts," Natsuro replied casually. After all, he couldn't verify this with other Tailed Beasts, so he just said whatever.
"Damned brat, tell me which of those bastards told you. I'll tear them apart!" Kurama roared, its immense voice making Natsuro raise a hand to shield his eyes.
"That's not really important. Kurama, I'm here to discuss something with you," Natsuro said calmly, looking at him.
"Hmph, brat, what makes you think you have the right to talk to me?" Kurama scrutinized Natsuro closely.
Then, as if seeing something incredible, Kurama showed a hint of shock and confusion in its eyes...
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Currently on Chapter 164 - The Eight-Headed Serpent! Orochi Kabuto!