Senju Haruto wasn't belittling the Shadow Clone Technique — he was simply stating a basic fact.
While Shadow Clones also split chakra evenly to create tangible copies, those clones were far less durable than Wood Clones.
In most cases, a direct hit was enough to make a Shadow Clone vanish instantly.
And if the opponent was a skilled Sharingan user, they could tell which was the original and which was the clone with a single glance.
Wood Clones, on the other hand, were a different story — even Uchiha Madara couldn't spot the flaws in one.
For all those reasons, Haruto had never wasted his time on the Shadow Clone Technique.
Even in the unlikely case that he did learn it, he doubted he'd ever have a real use for it.
Jiraiya and Fukasaku, after a moment's thought, could easily see his point.
"True enough…" Jiraiya nodded. Wood Clones surpassed Shadow Clones in every respect.
The only problem was, Wood Clones couldn't be learned — you had to inherit the Wood Release bloodline limit from Senju Hashirama to use them.
Even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama himself, couldn't perform Wood Clones, which was why he settled for creating the Shadow Clone Technique as a second-best option.
"Then I wanna learn Wood Release too!"
Naruto, listening to Haruto and Jiraiya's conversation, instantly grew excited at the thought.
If he could master Wood Release, he could go back to the Ninja Academy and crush Sasuke!
"Wood Release can't be learned," Jiraiya explained. "It's a unique kekkei genkai — a hereditary bloodline limit."
He went on to explain to Naruto what Wood Release and bloodline limits were, leaving Naruto visibly disappointed.
"Still," Jiraiya added with a smile, "even the Shadow Clone Technique is an incredibly practical and powerful jutsu."
He glanced at Haruto, showing that he had no issue teaching Naruto the jutsu.
"But why have Naruto learn the Shadow Clone Technique first?" Fukasaku asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
"Obviously… to farm experience," Haruto replied with a confident smile.
While it was true that Haruto had orchestrated Naruto's early arrival at Mount Myōboku to study Sage Arts, he had no intention of staying here for years.
Back in the Hidden Leaf, war with the Hidden Cloud could erupt at any moment — Haruto had no plans to linger in Myōboku alongside Naruto indefinitely.
Besides, if there was a more time-efficient training method available, why not use it?
The real reason Haruto wanted Jiraiya to teach Naruto the Shadow Clone Technique was so he could quickly move on to mastering a more advanced jutsu:
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Once upon a time, even the First Hokage had classified it as a forbidden jutsu.
And it wasn't just because of its high chakra demands.
The greatest trait of a Shadow Clone was that it could relay everything it saw and sensed back to the original body the moment the technique was dispelled.
That made it perfect for reconnaissance — as long as the clones didn't take fatal damage, they could complete missions without endangering the user.
However…
Not only the benefits were transferred back — the drawbacks were as well.
Any injuries or exhaustion the Shadow Clones suffered would also be returned instantly to the original body.
Naruto could freely use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique not only because of his enormous chakra reserves, but also because his recovery rate was astonishing — thanks to the Nine-Tails.
In a way, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was practically tailor-made for him.
"I get it now," Fukasaku said, eyes lighting with realization.
If Naruto took thirty minutes to learn a Sage Arts skill, then by using a single Shadow Clone, he could cut that time in half to fifteen minutes.
With two clones, it would drop to ten minutes.
"So you can even do it like that…" Naruto stood frozen in shock. He had never even dreamed of a training method like this.
If he could make ten clones, his training speed would multiply by ten!
"That's right," Haruto confirmed with a nod. "That's what I mean by farming experience."
"Indeed…" Jiraiya agreed. "The principle is simple enough, but to think of applying it this way…"
Once again, he and Fukasaku found themselves marveling at Haruto's way of thinking.
"But if we do it like that," Fukasaku said, looking at Naruto, "the injuries and fatigue he suffers will also multiply."
After all, if Naruto absorbed too much natural energy, Fukasaku would have to strike him with the black rod.
And there was a world of difference between getting hit once… and getting hit ten times.
"That's true," Haruto acknowledged. "But that's exactly why I said this is a training method only Naruto can handle."
"Only me?" Naruto blinked. To him, those words were the highest form of praise.
The person he admired most had just given him a direct compliment — the sense of accomplishment was indescribable.
Jiraiya also understood now. "The Nine-Tails…"
As the host of the Nine-Tails, Naruto's life was directly tied to the beast's. If Naruto died, the Nine-Tails would die with him.
Naturally, tailed beasts didn't want their jinchūriki to die, so they often granted them astonishing regenerative abilities.
Even life-threatening injuries could heal at a speed unheard of for ordinary shinobi.
But that wasn't the whole story.
Yes, the Nine-Tails was a factor — but so was Naruto's lineage.
Not only was he the son of Namikaze Minato, he was also the son of Uzumaki Kushina. The blood of the Uzumaki clan flowed in his veins.
This clan was famous for their massive chakra reserves and incredible vitality.
Sometimes, Haruto even wondered…
If he bit Naruto, would it work like biting Karin — instantly restoring all health and chakra?
If so…
When the time came to form Team 7, maybe he could have Sasuke be the one to bite—
Haruto quickly shook his head. Even if Uchiha Itachi hadn't slaughtered the clan, Sasuke's personality meant he'd almost certainly refuse.
Either way, the decision was made: Naruto would learn the Shadow Clone Technique first.
"My worst jutsu…" Naruto muttered. Now that it was time to actually begin, he felt nervous.
Back in the Academy, any time there was a Clone Technique exam, he always scored zero.
"But…" Naruto looked at Jiraiya, an idea suddenly sparking in his mind.
If he could learn the Shadow Clone Technique, and combine it with the Transformation Technique… maybe he could make that move even stronger…
With that thought, Naruto became even more determined to master the Shadow Clone Technique no matter what.
Haruto quietly observed all this.
Once Naruto learned Sage Mode, Haruto would be able to enter his inner world… and take control of the Nine-Tails' chakra.