Flashback
After several more sparring matches, it was finally Shanks' turn to face Sakamoto Mizuki.
Iruka, with a firm voice, announced, "The match starts on my signal. Ready? 3... 2... 1..."
At Iruka's signal, both entered the arena. Shanks appeared calm and carefree, but his eyes were sharp, observing every move Mizuki made.
Mizuki, seemingly eager to end the fight quickly, rushed in with a hasty attack. However, Shanks effortlessly dodged and coolly remarked, "Is that it?"
Mizuki, now slightly irritated by Shanks' remark, launched another attack, this time with a series of more complex moves. But Shanks, without showing any sign of concern, anticipated Mizuki's actions and wore him out with consecutive dodges.
With a small smile, Shanks said, "I think you might need a break. Should I get you a cold drink or something?"
Mizuki, growing frustrated, charged at Shanks with all his might. This time, Shanks blocked the attack, grabbed his leg, and calmly threw off his balance. Before Mizuki could comprehend what had happened, Shanks appeared behind him.
"It's over, my friend," Shanks said, placing a hand gently on Mizuki's neck. Mizuki struggled to free himself, but the soft yet firm pressure from Shanks forced him to surrender.
Iruka announced, "The winner of the match is Shanks!"
Shanks patted Mizuki on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, but next time try not to get so angry. Focus more. Then you might stand a chance of winnig."
Present Day
Shanks was sitting at home, working on extra homework and punishments given by Iruka for his sarcastic comment about Kiba.
Shanks: "Come on, I only made a simple comment. There's no reason to be punished for it. This is ridiculous."
After finishing his extra assignments, Shanks headed to the bathroom and took a quick shower.
While in the shower, Shanks was singing aloud.
"Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did?"
Shanks was strumming an imaginary guitar, completely absorbed in the moment.
"Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid."
Shanks spun around in the shower, almost losing his balance.
"And I'm still standing after all this time, Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind."
Shanks held an imaginary microphone and began shouting with passion.
"I'm still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah!"
When the song ended, Shanks struck a pose, feeling like a rock star. After finishing his shower, he dried off, hung his clothes to dry, and went to bed.
The next morning, Shanks woke up early. After finishing his morning routine (like brushing his teeth, having breakfast, and so on), he began practicing the Clone Jutsu.
Shanks once again reviewed the information he had on the technique.
This technique allows ninjas to create non-substantial, illusory copies of themselves. Essentially, the clones are mere distractions and, unlike Shadow Clones, they don't have a physical body. The technique is ranked E because it's a basic, low-level jutsu used mainly for deception and misdirection. It requires the use of Yin chakra, which is also used in genjutsu. It can be said that Clone Jutsu is the simplest form of genjutsu. This technique is not complex and allows ninjas to create harmless copies of themselves.
The technique is used to mislead the enemy or create distractions, especially in situations where quick direction changes or attention diversion is needed. The amount of chakra required is minimal, making it easy for most ninjas to use.
Shanks: "I have good chakra control, but I don't know why I can't execute this technique the way I should. Logically, if I can create one clone with the amount of chakra I have, I should be able to make over 30 clones, but I just can't do it."
As Shanks practiced this technique, he reflected on his approach. He thought this technique was simple and wouldn't be difficult to learn, which is why, aside from reading the scroll, he hadn't focused much else on it. But now, he was considering the idea of watching some instructional videos.
Shanks muttered "Room" and entered his mental space. He began searching for videos on the Clone Jutsu technique. After watching several videos, Shanks realized his mistake.
Shanks: "I was totally on the wrong track. I was trying to create clones by quickly directing chakra separately, one after the other. Instead, I should have been focusing on dividing a larger amount of chakra at once. What I was doing was like trying to solve 1+1+1+1+1 as an equation, when the problem should have been 5÷5."
With his new understanding, Shanks started practicing the technique again. It was nearing lunchtime when he realized that he could now execute the technique properly and create more than 10 clones with ease.
Shanks: "With proper training, mastering most techniques shouldn't be that hard. If they spent more time focusing on proper training, they could train more ninjas. But... "
Shanks had several theories about why the academy didn't try to train stronger and more ninjas. He suspected that the higher-ups in Konoha were afraid of their ninjas rebelling. They only allowed those loyal to them to receive training, or perhaps clans didn't allow such practices because they didn't want the general populace to become stronger, fearing they'd lose their dominance. It was also possible that they hadn't considered this or preferred only to take in the naturally talented.
Shanks: "If they really care about talent, they're seriously mistaken. Talent is something you need to cultivate yourself. Besides, having more ninjas means more wars and, consequently, more deaths. So, it's probably better for things to stay as they are. Anyway, it's none of my business."
Once again, Shanks entered his mental library. With his newly acquired Clone Jutsu knowledge, he had unlocked C-rank Clone Jutsu techniques. There were three C-rank clones in total: Water Clone, Stone Clone, and Wind Clone.
Shanks wasn't sure which element he was most attuned to, so he decided to wait and determine his affinity before continuing his practice.
Shanks: "Man, I'm starving. I'd better go prepare my meal. I'll continue after lunch. Right now, the only thing on my mind is food."