Chapter 43 – Shadow Clone Death
Naruto stayed in Sage Mode and jumped down from the Treehouse.
He came to the horizontal bar he hadn't used in ages.
Without using any Chakra, relying solely on his natural spring, he vaulted upward.
The wind howled.
Naruto actually soared to a height of thirty or forty metres.
At this rate, if I step on my own left foot with my right, I might really ascend to heaven.
That would be truly epic.
He landed, pulled a shuriken from his pouch, and stabbed it into the back of his left hand; the resistance was obvious.
His defence had increased way too much.
Chakra flared in his right hand and the shurikenfinally pierced the skin.
Pain arrived, followed by blood.
Yet only two or three seconds later the wound had already closed.
Naruto suddenly realised: from now on, if Hinatawants to bite Sage Mode me, she'll probably break her teeth.
He stowed the shuriken and whirling blue Chakraappeared in his palm.
A moment later he hurled the Rasengan away.
The distant forest exploded.
A thunderous roar rolled out.
When the smoke cleared, Naruto stared at the ten-metre crater and fell silent.
Looks like I can dig a fishpond.
After roughly gauging his increased strength, he hopped onto a peach tree and waited for Sage Mode to fade on its own.
In the original story Sage Mode from Mount Myōboku lasts about five minutes.
Without the Nine-Tailed sage-power supply, you have to keep a Shadow Clone dedicated to absorbing Natural Energy.
"Huh? Big Fox."
Thinking of this, Naruto immediately entered the Sealing Space.
"Hey, Big Fox, you have sage-power, right?"
"This old one is not called 'hey', nor 'Big Fox'."
The Nine-Tails opened its eyes and said irritably, "My name is Kurama."
"But don't you think Big Fox sounds friendlier?"
Naruto tilted his head. "Besides, you keep calling me brat; one big, one small—perfect match, right?"
That actually sounded reasonable.
Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey.
The Nine-Tails fumed. "Brat, are you picking a fight on purpose? Are you calling me or not?"
"Call? Of course I'll call—but only if you call me Naruto."
Naruto leaned in, smiling. "How about it, Kurama?"
"Hmph, since you address this old one by name, I can consider granting your request."
Kurama had wanted to lose its temper.
After all, you can't just tell me to call and I'll call—where would my dignity go?
But falling out with this brat brought it no benefit either.
If no one played with it or brought it food, it would feel very uncomfortable.
This is purely a transaction, no emotional factor involved, Kurama told itself.
"You still haven't answered my earlier question, Kurama."
"Sage-power? Naturally I possess it."
Kurama lifted its chin proudly. "I know you want sage-power; beg me and I might gift you a bit."
Honestly, this fox really deserves a beating.
Looking at that "beg me" face, Naruto smiled. "I've thought up a new game: gwent."
"Don't change the subject—think I can't see through your little trick?"
Wisdom gleamed in Kurama's eyes, though its mind was wondering what gwent was.
I wonder if it's as fun as fight the landlord or yu-gi-oh!
"Seems you're not interested. Forget it, I'm not too familiar with it anyway; losing all the time would be embarrassing."
Naruto shrugged.
"Wait!"
Kurama stopped him almost by instinct.
Setting aside whether gwent was fun, beating this brat would make any game enjoyable.
After all, it had nearly lost its last tail at yu-gi-oh!
Even though it had no pants and was technically running bare.
"What's up?"
Naruto's small eyes held big confusion.
"…This old one has suddenly become somewhat interested in gwent. Entertain me and I'll consider lending you the power."
"Deal!"
Without the slightest hesitation Naruto agreed to Kurama's terms.
So quick that Kurama wondered if it had been tricked.
But Naruto gave it no time to react: he left a Shadow Clone to teach Kurama the rules and make the cards, while he himself exited the Sealing Space.
Teasing the fox is fun, but only looking without touching is torture too.
Naruto continued testing the limits of Sage Mode.
Six Ears, swinging idly in the peach tree, noticed him motionless and curiously hopped over.
Originally it couldn't speak, but after two months of study it could manage simple words.
"Naruto, what are you doing?"
Six Ears addressed him directly.
Not that it refused to call him master—Naruto was the one who wouldn't allow it.
You're not a maid, not an animal-eared girl, not an elf, not a female spirit—calling me master? Forget it.
Besides, Six Ears was male; he couldn't accept that either.
"Training. Go play by yourself."
Naruto waved.
This guy's like a monkey—can't sit still for a second.
Oh, wait—he really is a monkey.
Six Ears nodded and resumed swinging through the peach trees.
Naruto suddenly recalled a line from a song: I'm Tarzan from next door, grabbing love's vine.
He still hadn't dropped Sage Mode by nightfall.
Naruto now understood why.
He exhausted all his Sage Chakra in the crater he'd made that day, and only then did Sage Modedisengage.
So my Sage Mode is pretty perfect.
He didn't have to worry about his cheat disappearing mid-battle.
The next day.
He dug a channel from a distant stream and diverted water into the pit.
"Naruto-kun, what happened here?"
Hinata, bento box in hand, saw the huge crater the moment she arrived. "Was there an attack yesterday?"
"Nope."
Naruto naturally took the bento.
As a rule, breakfast after sleeping in the Treehousewas Hinata's responsibility.
The little loli had fought hard for that right.
Because Naruto found it troublesome.
"I'm planning to make a fishpond."
Walking side by side, Naruto suddenly remembered a meme. "I want everyone to know: this fishpond is contracted by you!"
Hinata blinked.
Though the line felt odd, her heart still fluttered sweetly.
"Let's go."
Naruto sat on a bench in the training ground and opened the bento.
Rice, yellow pickled radish, egg, tamagoyaki.
"Thanks for the food!"
He lifted his chopsticks and began his breakfast.
Just then the system's notification rang.
[Congratulations, host, on achieving the milestone 'Heaven's Will is Watching You', earning one targeted card draw.]
Naruto paused mid-chew.
A Shadow Clone achievement?
But why drag Heaven's Will into it again?
You Shadow Clones sure know how to make trouble.
Based on last time, a targeted draw meant nothing simple.
As he grumbled, his body shuddered.
Searing pain surged as a flood of memories poured in.
The second Shadow Clone had died.
Thanks to the generous donor "A bag of chili peppersi". What follows is the Shadow Clone's story—feel free to skip or skim chapters 44-48 (five chapters). Detailed Shadow Clone segments won't appear again; I'll finish them within a day.]