Konoha: Comparison of Naruto

Chapter 18: Success in shuriken shadow clone

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Naruto's sudden, abnormal appearance shocked the Konoha Village ninja, leaving them in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, they had seen a similar transformation during Naruto's fight against Mizuki.

Otherwise, some might have genuinely suffered a heart attack.

Haruno Sakura: "This... I remember when Mizuki was trying to kill Iruka-sensei, the lines on Naruto's face thickened significantly."

Yamanaka Ino: "But Naruto didn't have red eyes back then. So, what's going on now?"

Even Naruto himself shuddered in fright.

He had never seen himself look so hideous.

Haku: "I've seen Naruto like this before. His power suddenly becomes incredibly strong, and an eerie chakra leaks from his body, glowing orange or even red."

Zabuza: "That's the Nine Tails' chakra in the kid. Haku, no wonder you lost back then."

Uzumaki Naruto: "So that's what I looked like when I beat you on the bridge?"

Haku: "Not exactly. At that time, you were completely enveloped in red chakra. It happened because you exploded with rage, thinking Sasuke had died."

Uchiha Sasuke: "Hmph! I've seen him like this too. It was also out of anger, during our fight with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death."

Orochimaru: "However, at that time, Naruto-kun didn't have Nine Tails' chakra enveloping his body. His transformation was purely physical, like the one we're seeing on the screen."

- Anger!

From everyone's accounts, the audience pieced it together.

Each time Naruto underwent such a transformation, it was driven by anger—whether it was Mizuki's actions or other provocations.

This change was a result of the Nine Tails' chakra influencing Naruto.

Most importantly, after Naruto entered this state, his abilities experienced a dramatic boost.

For example, he was suddenly able to perform the Shadow Clone Technique with thousands of clones—something far beyond his previous capabilities.

This transformation seemed to mark a watershed moment in Naruto's development.

After crossing this threshold, every aspect of his ninjutsu practice saw an earth-shattering improvement.

Namikaze Minato: "I can explain this to everyone. When Naruto is influenced by the Nine Tails' chakra, it means that the chakra is leaking through the seal."

Uzumaki Kushina: "To put it simply, the Eight Trigrams Seal is loosening. As Naruto uses the Nine Tails' chakra more often, the seal's ability weakens. The upside is that Naruto gains access to more of the Nine Tails' chakra, while also improving his control over his own chakra."

As the Eight Trigrams Seal's strength diminishes, Naruto's need to suppress the Nine Tails will decrease.

This, in turn, allows him to use more of his own chakra for his ninjutsu and combat.

Nine Tails (Kurama): "Hahaha, Kushina, so what? Do you really think this brat can control my power?

The truth is, as the seal weakens, it will eventually fail completely, and I'll regain my freedom.

I'm already thrilled that my chakra has coalesced into a fox form five years ahead of schedule.

Looking at what that kid has in mind, I'm confident he'll happily use my power."

- Freedom!

Kurama was overjoyed at the thought.

He could hardly wait to see himself free once more.

Naruto's transformation caused everyone's expressions to grow increasingly grave.

As the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki, Naruto held significant influence not just within Konoha Village, but also in other ninja villages.

If Kurama's words were true, and Naruto's darker counterpart harbored resentment toward Konoha Village, the potential consequences were dire.

There was even a possibility that a blackened Naruto wouldn't stop at targeting Konoha Village.

He might extend his wrath to other ninja villages as well.

This scenario wasn't impossible, and the thought alone sent chills down the spines of all who watched...

The second possibility is that Naruto, due to excessive reliance on the Nine Tails' power, causes the Nine Tails to completely regain its freedom.

It's unlikely that the other ninja villages would sit idly by. After all, the Nine Tails is the most powerful of the tailed beasts, and no village would pass up the opportunity to gain another Jinchūriki.

From this moment, the trajectory of the world in that dimension seems to have shifted dramatically. The balance of the ninja world could very well be disrupted by Naruto's choices.

[Naruto stood silently for a long time.]

[Memories of the past flooded his mind.]

[Perhaps even Naruto himself didn't fully understand why he was so angry today.]

[Pulling up the hood of his jacket to hide his frustration and rage, Naruto walked toward the back hill of Konoha Village, his head hung low.]

[He knew deep down that if he didn't vent his anger soon, he might end up confronting the group of villagers from earlier.]

[The urge to tear them apart on the spot was nearly overwhelming.]

["Grandpa Third Hokage, do you know who my parents are?"]

[As he walked, Naruto recalled the conversation he'd once had with the Third Hokage when they first met.]

[He had long accepted that he was an orphan, but even orphans deserve to know who their parents were. If they were no longer in this world, he thought, at the very least, he could visit their graves to pay his respects.]

[But Hiruzen's answer had only deepened his anger.]

["It's all in the past, so there's no need to dwell on it."]

["Some things are better left unknown—you'll be happier that way."]

- Happiness?

How can a child who doesn't know their parents' identity ever feel truly happy?

[Reflecting on Hiruzen's evasive answer, Naruto clenched his fists tightly, his frustration mounting.]

- Did my parents abandon me?

- Or is Hiruzen hiding the truth from me?

[At this moment, Naruto couldn't shake the thought that everyone around him was hiding something. To him, it felt like no one could be trusted.]

[Whoosh!]

[A shuriken cut through the air.]

[Naruto quickly formed hand seals, clapping his hands together with a resounding snap!]

[The single thrown shuriken seemed to explode mid-air.]

[In an instant, the lone shuriken multiplied into countless black shadows.]

[Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!]

[The sound of cutting air intensified as the shuriken barrage descended.]

[Branches of trees more than ten meters away splintered and fell, and the ground was left in complete disarray.]

["Hah..."]

[Naruto panted heavily, feeling the strain in his body. He hadn't expected to feel so exhausted after using the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique.]

[As his emotions began to stabilize, Naruto looked up and surveyed the scene before him. His eyes widened in disbelief.]

["Eh!?"]

["Did I cause all of this?"]

["The Shuriken Shadow Clone technique... actually worked?"]

[It hadn't just worked—it had been a resounding success.]

[On a nearby branch behind Naruto, a purple-haired Anbu ninja froze in shock.]

[Uzuki Yugao couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.]

- What kind of terrifying Shuriken Shadow Clone technique is this?

[Moments earlier, Yugao had been following Naruto as part of her usual routine.]

[To her, everything seemed normal. Naruto had been ridiculed by the villagers, left in frustration, and made his way to the back hill to practice the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique.]

[But the technique he just used was anything but normal.]

["How many shuriken was that? And such destructive power..."]

["No, this must be reported to the Third Hokage immediately."]

[...]