Having learned all the precautions for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from Kakashi, and mastered details such as how to control the number of shadow clones released, Goku began practicing near Naruto, who had already started training.
"Let's try out how many shadow clones I can create at my limit in normal mode!"
Without forming hand seals, he directly channeled his chakra, following the flow of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, and successfully executed the ninjutsu.
The massive amount of chakra within him was rapidly dispersed, creating countless tiny Goku clones across the open ground.
A closer look revealed no fewer than ten thousand, startling Kakashi and the others.
No wonder Goku dared to replicate Naruto's training method;
His chakra reserves were indeed enormous.
In fact, Goku felt he could create even more clones if he wanted to, but the combat power of those clones would decrease drastically.
His main body would also suffer a decrease in fighting power due to the loss of too much ki.
The good thing is that although the ki is divided, the main body isn't a clone, and it can slowly regenerate ki over time.
If he wanted to waste it, a Senzu Bean would immediately replenish it.
Actively dispelling the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and reclaiming the clones' ki, Goku continued his experiments.
This time, he didn't focus on quantity, but rather on quality.
Ultimately, he discovered that maintaining around ten shadow clones was optimal, ensuring that the strength of both the main body and the clones wouldn't decrease significantly.
In battle, the main body could charge in, while the clones could unleash ki blasts from behind.
This was a decent tactic. Of course, what he cared about most was the effect on training.
So, following Kakashi's guidance, he began experimenting with gradually increasing the number of shadow clones to aid his training.
He checked how many shadow clones he could maintain simultaneously for training at his limit.
The final result was... five hundred!
Five hundred meant that whether he was studying magic, ninjutsu, or creating new techniques, his efficiency was five hundred times greater than before.
His main body could then be used solely for physical training.
Actually, in terms of physical attributes, five hundred wasn't his limit, but mentally, it was already his limit.
If his mental strength could improve in the future, he could create even more shadow clones for training.
"Five hundred, he's definitely not human!"
Seeing that Goku could create five hundred shadow clones for training, Yamato and Kakashi were even more convinced that Goku was a summoning beast.
Naruto, with the Uzumaki bloodline and Nine-Tails chakra, could only withstand two hundred, but Goku could withstand five hundred; this was truly beyond the capabilities of a normal human.
"Gravity Magic!"
Five hundred shadow clones were constantly researching and releasing gravity magic, while the main body, Goku, activated ten times gravity for his daily training.
He didn't finish his training until the sun was almost setting.
In just one day, he discovered that his gravity magic had actually increased from ten times gravity to twelve times.
That's right, although it was only one day, five hundred shadow clones training simultaneously was equivalent to focusing on gravity magic for five hundred days.
The breakthrough from ten times gravity to twelve times gravity in five hundred days didn't seem so difficult to understand.
This also meant that his main body could use twelve times gravity magic to train tomorrow, significantly improving his training efficiency.
"Ah, so tired, so hungry!"
Dispelling the five hundred shadow clones, the five hundred times fatigue instantly overwhelmed his body, and Goku felt a wave of dizziness.
The exhaustion and hunger almost made him want to pop a Senzu Bean into his mouth.
But he resisted.
Because he hadn't reached his limit yet.
Going back to the village, eating more food, getting a good night's sleep, and then tomorrow he could recover and continue training.
There was no need to waste a Senzu Bean.
Besides, compared to instantly recovering with a Senzu Bean, he preferred to eat all sorts of delicious food and sleep soundly to slowly recover.
That was a double enjoyment of mind and body, a pleasure after training.
"Shikamaru, come on, I'll treat you to ramen!"
Naruto had completely finished training his new ninjutsu two hours ago, so he wasn't here anymore.
Now only Goku and Shikamaru were here.
Goku was still training, while Shikamaru was lying on a slope not far away, dozing off with a blade of grass in his mouth.
He would stay by Goku's side until Goku fully adapted to life in Konoha.
This was a task Tsunade had given him.
Hearing Goku call his name, he immediately opened his eyes, preparing to get up.
But then his pupils contracted, for he found he couldn't move.
"How could it be... Shadow Imitation Technique!"
A shadow silently extended down from the tree behind him, connecting perfectly with his own shadow.
And on that tree, many masked ninjas had appeared.
Indeed, they were Danzo's most elite Root ninjas.
Originally, their plan was to silently take Goku away from Nara in the dead of night.
But unexpectedly, the Root members responsible for surveillance discovered that Goku had gone with Shikamaru to the training grounds far from the village.
This made them hesitate.
While striking at night would be quiet and peaceful, it would still take place in the village, specifically at the Nara clan chief's house.
If they failed to strike in one blow, it would inevitably alert the Nara clan, and eventually the entire village.
On the other hand, the training grounds, far from the village, would be open during the day, but as long as the commotion wasn't too great, the village wouldn't be able to react in time.
Therefore, after consulting Danzo, they chose the latter option.
Especially after discovering that they were learning the Shadow Clone Technique and training using Naruto's methods, they felt that striking at the training grounds was a better idea.
Goku was a taijutsu master capable of instantly defeating a ninja of Kakuzu's caliber, and he also possessed space-time ninjutsu.
If he were at his peak, even with a relatively perfect plan, there was still a possibility of turning the tables.
Because no one knew if Goku had any other trump cards up his sleeve.
However, if he trained according to Naruto's method for a day, by the end, their chakra, stamina, and mental strength would all be at their lowest.
Then, with them rested and ready, how could they not succeed?
Even better, the formidable elite Jonin Kakashi and Yamato had already left training two hours earlier.
This left them with no last shred of restraint.
Therefore, seeing Goku finish training and prepare to return to the village with Shikamaru, they acted decisively.
First, they controlled Shikamaru to prevent him from returning to the village to report, then they joined forces to capture Goku.
According to Danzo's orders, capturing him alive was best; if not, kill him on the spot!
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