Chapter 134 – Naruto: I Also Know the Shadow Clone Technique
Uchiha Mikoto wasn't too surprised when she saw Itachi standing at the doorway. At twelve years old, it was about time for her eldest son to shoulder greater responsibility.
She and the clan elder went forward to greet him.
"Elder, how did it go? There shouldn't be any problems, right?" Mikoto asked. She was referring to Nara Shikaku, who had gone to Ryūchi Cave to negotiate with Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
The elder's expression was bright with excitement. "Mikoto, there's good news! Fugaku has slain the Fourth Raikage and is now leading our forces toward the Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning!"
The weight pressing on Mikoto's heart eased—only for a new worry to rise immediately. "Why go to the Hidden Cloud Village? Haven't we already defeated them?"
The elder shook his head. "Fugaku says that with the Fourth Raikage gone, this is the perfect chance to strike at Cloud's heart. But leave that aside—the most urgent matter now is dealing with Orochimaru."
Mikoto's brows furrowed. "Did something happen in the negotiations? Why suddenly turn on him?"
"Nothing went wrong," the elder replied gravely. "But Shikaku never trusted Orochimaru. He suspected it was all a stalling tactic. Now that Hokage-sama's victory has reached us, we have no reason to delay further. Orochimaru must be dealt with immediately."
At his signal, masked Uchiha ANBU emerged from the shadows one after another, assembling quickly.
Kakashi landed silently from the rooftop, his single visible eye calm as he observed the scene. He didn't complain—after all, most of these ANBU were Uchiha clansmen. With the elder serving as both clan advisor and Hokage's counselor, it was natural for him to command them.
"Advisor," Kakashi asked evenly, "what's going on?"
The elder's reply was curt. "We move. I'll explain on the way."
His tone toward Kakashi was noticeably colder than when speaking to Mikoto. To her, he had answered patiently; to Kakashi, only a brusque dismissal. Turning away, he ordered the ANBU to prepare for departure.
Before leaving, he gave Mikoto a stern look. "Mikoto, take the children to the underground shelter. If Orochimaru slips away, this will be the first place he comes for revenge."
To ensure their safety, he left behind five elite jōnin while taking the other twenty-five toward Asakusa Old Street to rendezvous with Shikaku.
"Mother, I'll stay and protect you, Sasuke, and Naruto," Itachi said firmly.
His reasoning was clear: the elder already had overwhelming numbers of jōnin at his side, along with Shikaku's forces. One more would hardly make a difference there. Here, however, with only five guards, the defense was thin. Against someone like Orochimaru, who always had life-saving techniques hidden away, the greater risk lay at home.
Mikoto considered quickly, then nodded. "All right. Wake your brothers. I'll gather the other clansmen and lead them into the shelter."
She issued instructions to the remaining jōnin before leaving.
Itachi formed a Shadow Clone, sending it to the rooftop to alert Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, and a few of the Hyūga stationed nearby. His real body hurried upstairs. Without hesitation, he entered Naruto's room and shook the boy awake. Still groggy, Naruto rubbed his eyes, only for Itachi to scoop him up in a swift carry. Then Itachi moved to Sasuke's room, lifting his younger brother into his other arm.
When he returned to the courtyard, Kisame, Deidara, and the Hyūga had already arrived, standing ready. His Shadow Clone stepped forward and took the children from his arms.
Sasuke remained asleep, but Naruto blinked at the sight of two Itachis. "Whoa! There are two Itachi-aniki!"
A moment later his eyes widened in recognition. "Wait… is that the Clone Technique?"
The real Itachi had already turned to leave the compound. The Shadow Clone holding Naruto and Sasuke smiled faintly. "Half right. This is the Shadow Clone Technique."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "I can use that too!" he exclaimed proudly.
The clone's eyebrow lifted in surprise. "Oh? You've already learned it?"
Naruto beamed. "Yeah! Aunt Mikoto taught me two days ago. I finally got it tonight after practicing for two nights straight!" He scratched his head sheepishly. "Then I dragged Sasuke out to celebrate with some snacks… and when we got back, you were here."
The clone chuckled softly. "Is that so? Impressive. Naruto, you're amazing."
For a child who had been at the Academy less than a year, mastering a B-rank ninjutsu was no small feat. The Shadow Clone Technique split chakra evenly among the duplicates—something only those with abundant reserves could manage. Normally, one needed to reach chūnin level before even attempting it.
But Naruto wasn't ordinary. As the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki, he had both natural talent and the immense chakra of the Uzumaki bloodline. In hindsight, it was no wonder.
Still, the discovery brought warmth to the clone's chest. His mother had been right to nurture Naruto's potential.
Soon, the real Itachi returned with Mikoto and the five remaining Uchiha jōnin.
"Let's go," Mikoto said firmly. "Into the shelter."
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