The next day, at the same time, Kaito's Shadow Clone still hadn't dispersed. This proved Kaito's theory correct.
Since the Shadow Clone had its own consciousness and could form seals on its own, it was logical that it could also control chakra. While it couldn't completely prevent chakra consumption, it could certainly reduce it, extending the duration of the clone's existence.
This resulted in not only an extended lifespan for the Shadow Clone but also brought many other benefits.
First, a longer duration meant more time for study. Although focusing on controlling chakra might reduce learning efficiency somewhat, the overall amount learned might not necessarily decrease, and at the very least, controlling chakra would get some practice.
In the future, Kaito planned to assign a fixed amount of chakra to his Shadow Clones, and the longer they lasted, the more proficient his chakra control would become.
Lastly, it was also a practice in multitasking—a strategy that benefited him in multiple ways.
The only downside was that the Shadow Clone didn't have enough chakra for practicing nature and shape transformations; these had to be done by Kaito's real body.
He already had a grasp on shape transformation. Kaito figured that the less chakra involved, the easier it was to control its form. Though his chakra reserves weren't low, compared to his mental strength, it was still relatively minor, so practicing shape transformation was manageable.
But nature transformation was different. Kaito thought it was essentially the opposite of shape transformation—using a "flood" of chakra was most effective. In this "flood," if even a small area could change, he could catch hold of that change, understand the transformation, and then slowly spread it to the entire chakra pool.
With his current chakra reserves, learning nature transformation quickly would be challenging. He could only accumulate experience bit by bit.
Master the easier parts first, and slowly feel his way through the more difficult ones. Kaito believed that, given his talent, this challenge wouldn't hold him back for too long.
At this moment, Kaito was examining his class schedule on his desk, calculating whether his Shadow Clone's duration would cover most of the lessons. The result was promising. The class time at the ninja academy wasn't extensive. After all, for ninja, physical training was more important. As for knowledge, even with limited classroom time, six years during peacetime was plenty.
Why then did students need to train physically at school? Simply because not everyone had the discipline to train on their own—most needed someone watching over them to stay motivated.
With this in mind, Kaito decided to let his Shadow Clone attend the classes while he would handle the physical training afterward. That way, the clone wouldn't accumulate too much physical fatigue that would transfer back and overwhelm the original.
Staring at his tightly packed daily schedule, Kaito couldn't help but sigh. When had he become so competitive? Without any special powers or cheats, he had to work hard to carve out a future for himself. As long as he could see a path forward, he refused to give up.
However, today was different. Kaito waited until the Shadow Clone dispelled on its own, then left his room. Today was a special day, so he decided to take a day off—a small break for himself.
With his pocket money in hand, Kaito walked through the familiar streets of Konoha, wondering what to buy as a gift. Today was Sinai's birthday. If it was something too expensive, she'd surely scold him, and besides, he didn't have much pocket money. It needed to be something practical—maybe clothes or a scarf?
However, after looking up at the sun overhead, Kaito reconsidered. The season didn't quite match for a scarf.
So, what should he buy? Maybe he could buy some food that they didn't usually eat and make a meal for his mother himself? But Kaito knew his own cooking skills weren't that great… it was a bit of a headache.
As he was thinking, his peripheral vision caught sight of a flower. He paused and turned to look at the flower shop. Flowers were a good choice—not too expensive, and his mother wouldn't scold him for it. Plus, he remembered that flowers generally had symbolic meanings. There should be flowers that represented mothers.
With this thought in mind, Kaito walked into the flower shop.
"Oh? Little one, are you here to buy some flowers?" The shopkeeper, a kind-looking lady, asked gently when she saw Kaito.
"Hello, Auntie. I was wondering what flowers would be good to give my mother for her birthday?" Kaito asked.
"Hmm? Flowers for your mother? What a thoughtful child." The lady looked surprised, then smiled warmly again. A child like this was definitely a good kid.
"I think I've seen you before!" Suddenly, a young blonde girl standing beside the shopkeeper noticed Kaito. She thought for a moment but couldn't quite place who he was.
"Hello, Yamanaka-san. I'm Kamikatagawa Kaito. We're classmates," Kaito said. He had already noticed Yamanaka Ino but hadn't greeted her. After all, they hadn't interacted much in class and weren't particularly familiar. If Ino weren't one of the "Konoha 12," Kaito probably wouldn't have recognized her either.
"Oh, right, right! Now I remember. You sit near the back, next to that blonde kid, right?" Ino's eyes lit up as she remembered.
"Yes."
"Hmph, see? I knew I wasn't wrong. Anyway, if you're buying flowers for your mother, carnations are the way to go—just avoid the white ones," Ino said confidently.
Kaito looked at Ino, then turned his gaze to Mrs. Yamanaka, hoping for confirmation. After all, Ino was still young—what if she was mistaken?
"It's true," Mrs. Yamanaka said, smiling. "Carnations represent gratitude and sincere love. When given to mothers, they also symbolize wishing her everlasting youth, happiness, and health."
Seeing the confirmation, Kaito nodded. Mrs. Yamanaka, being a mother herself, naturally found Kaito's behavior endearing.
But to Ino, Kaito's double-checking felt like he didn't trust her. Points deducted.
"Alright, Auntie, I'll take one," Kaito said, feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, he was only buying one flower. His pocket money was limited, and he still had to buy a cake later, so he needed to save where he could.
"Alright then, since you're Ino's classmate, I'll give you a discount. Ino, pick out a good one for your classmate." Mrs. Yamanaka said.
"Got it." Although a little annoyed that Kaito didn't trust her, Ino still carefully picked out a flower. To Kaito, they all looked the same, but there were subtle differences. After some time, Ino finally wrapped a carnation and handed it to Kaito.
"Thank you," Kaito said earnestly as he took the flower.
"Uh... you're welcome," Ino said, flustered by Kaito's sincere gratitude. The earlier irritation she had felt instantly disappeared.
Mrs. Yamanaka watched the scene unfold with a smile—it was quite amusing.
"Oh, Auntie, do you know where I can find a cake shop?" Kaito asked. Though he knew Konoha well, he wasn't familiar with the specific stores. He hadn't had much pocket money before, so he never spent time in places like that.
"A cake shop, huh? It's a bit far from here. Since you're Ino's classmate, why not let Ino take you there?" Mrs. Yamanaka suggested.
"No need, Auntie. I know most places in the village. If you just give me directions, I can find it." Kaito wanted to refuse.
"Oh, nonsense. You might still get lost, and Ino's not doing anything useful here anyway. She might as well go out for a bit, and she can keep you company too." Mrs. Yamanaka said firmly, leaving no room for refusal.
Ino didn't seem opposed to the idea. In fact, she looked eager—watching the shop was boring, and she'd wanted an excuse to go out!
"Alright," Kaito relented, seeing that further refusal would be pointless.