"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, with the sound of "puff puff" smoke, more than seventy shadow clones surrounded Kairen.
Some stood on the trees, some circled around him, and some even stood on the tents…
Nara Yūji suddenly stood up.
"A forbidden jutsu? Impossible! How could a genin possibly master a forbidden jutsu?"
Yūhi Shinku stood as well, straining his eyes.
"This isn't a genjutsu, it's real shadow clones. So many shadow clones… how could he split them like this? At his age, how could he possibly have such chakra?"
The green-skinned chunin, who had been charging forward, stopped in disbelief, staring at the massive group of shadow clones encircling Kairen.
Asuma, his mouth full of dirt, still caught sight of the huge number of clones.
"Kairen!!"
Just that one look was enough to show the gulf between them.
Kairen gave the order.
"Let these servants of the ninja clans taste the iron fist of the proletariat!"
(T/N: working-class people regarded collectively)
Without opening the Gate of Opening, Kairen's limit was fifty clones. But once he opened the gate and burned his physical energy, he could reach around seventy.
If the gate remained open longer, the number of shadow clones would only grow further.
"Urahhh—!"
The clones surged forward in waves, attacking from all sides. The green-skinned chunin was caught completely off guard, unable to defend against them, with no chance to even weave a jutsu.
It didn't take long before he was beaten down into a limp heap.
Asuma remained sprawled on the ground. Though he still had the ability to move, he had no will to stand.
It was too humiliating!
Kairen slowly walked forward. A figure stepped in front of Asuma—Yūhi Shinku, a jōnin.
"Kairen, that's enough!"
Kairen turned and left. He could defeat a chunin, but that didn't mean he could defeat a jōnin.
And besides, Yūhi Shinku had once saved him. Today, Kairen would give this elite jōnin some face.
Nara Yūji spoke regretfully.
"He really is a fine seedling. But unfortunately, he's offended the son of the Sarutobi clan. His life ends here."
Kairen walked back toward the tent. Shizune hurried up to him, her face full of worry.
"Kairen, you've offended the Sarutobi clan. From now on, life definitely won't be easy."
Kairen shook his head.
"Then it won't be easy. So what? I just can't stand these ninja clan brats. Always looking so arrogant, treating us like household servants!"
He glanced at Yūhi Kurenai, who remained silent. He said nothing, and instead walked into the tent with Shizune, gradually moving out of Kurenai's line of sight.
"Kai—"
Kurenai stretched out her hand, as if trying to hold onto something, but grasped nothing. Kairen had become unfamiliar to her. That persistent, clinging feeling she once felt toward him was gone.
Inside the tent, Kairen's fellow patients quickly dispersed. The way they looked at him was as if they were staring at a plague god.
He had offended the Hokage's son. If he didn't dig his own grave soon, when would he?
Kairen chuckled softly, unconcerned with the gazes of these mediocrities.
No wonder Konoha's civilian ninjas had always been suppressed by the ninja clans. If only they could unite a little, would the clans still keep them under their heel?
Even if they had to raise hoes in their hands, they should rise up and sing their own song—just like Kirigakure, tossing those high-and-mighty clans into the trash heap.
Kairen returned to his bed. Under his sidelong gaze, Yamashita Shige silently lifted his one remaining arm and gave a thumbs up.
Kairen smiled.
...
At the very center tent of the Konoha camp, Asuma furiously pounded a wooden training post.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! That bastard Kairen actually stepped on my head. I… I, I…"
His fists were covered in blood, but he stubbornly kept punching.
Beside him stood the same green-skinned chunin, his face still swollen. He kept his head bowed, not daring to look at Asuma.
Suddenly, a tall figure brushed aside the tent flap and slowly walked inside.
"Elder Heisaku!" The green-skinned chunin immediately dropped to one knee.
Sarutobi Heisaku looked at the helplessly furious Asuma.
"To be one-shotted by a civilian genin really is disgraceful."
The news had already spread throughout the Konoha camp. Asuma had become a laughingstock.
"Bang, bang, bang—"
Asuma struck even harder, his eyes practically spitting fire.
Sarutobi Heisaku suddenly smiled, then turned and left the tent with the green-skinned chunin.
The chunin, noticing the smile at the corner of Heisaku's mouth, was puzzled.
Without even glancing at him, Heisaku lowered his eyes toward the thousands of tents standing neatly below.
"Asuma's just too relaxed. A bit of hardship will do him good—it'll stir his fighting spirit."
The chunin asked, "Elder Heisaku, should we eliminate that kid?"
Heisaku gave a short laugh.
"As a ninja, can you really not endure even this much?"
The chunin lowered his head again, following Heisaku as they walked slowly toward the command center.
On the way, the chunin couldn't suppress his murderous intent toward Kairen.
"Elder Heisaku, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is a forbidden technique sealed in the Scroll of Seals. Shouldn't we investigate the forbidden jutsu on Kairen's body?"
Heisaku strolled along, lightly shaking his head.
"In a few days, he'll be sent to Zone A. Let's wait until he comes back to talk about it."
The chunin lifted his head.
Zone A—the very front lines of the Land of Rivers battlefield, a place so bloody it made even jōnin's legs go weak.
In other words, once Kairen was sent there, he would never return.
Heisaku's back radiated a terrifying gloom.
"A mere civilian dared step on the head of a noble. That cannot be tolerated. Absolutely cannot be tolerated! The graves in Zone A will suit him perfectly."
Sometimes ninjas must endure—but the dignity of the clans must never be trampled by civilians.
...
That day, Kairen was training in the forest at the edge of the Konoha camp.
He had been here for over a month, yet he had never truly trained before.
"Detecting that host is training. System activating Training Progress Template."
Kairen froze, immediately leaping down from the tree he had been handstanding on.
He opened the system interface and saw a brand-new template.
It was completely empty at first. Kairen quickly jumped back onto the tree, channeling chakra to stick to it.
The panel shifted, suddenly showing [Chakra Control Training Progress 20%].
Kairen's chunin-level template listed Chakra Control at exactly 20% proficiency.
He jumped down and immediately opened the Gate of Opening of the Eight Inner Gates.
Another entry appeared on the panel: [Eight Gates – Gate of Opening Training Progress 40%].
"Interesting. I can directly see my training progress."
Kairen smiled and kept the Gate of Opening active, letting his body burn as it produced more chakra.
After a minute of burning, his entire body was hot, his fluids nearly evaporated dry. He quickly formed hand seals.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The sound of smoke explosions rang out—"puff puff!"—and in an instant, 120 shadow clones appeared.
Kairen collapsed weakly on the ground. Only he would dare train by burning his life force like this. It was pure madness.
Might Guy, Lee, and even Naruto wouldn't dare to even dream of this.
Two shadow clones helped lift him up. Kairen pointed to his clones.
"Twenty of you, go practice the Fireball Jutsu. Twenty, go practice the Dragon Flame Release Song Technique. Twenty, focus on refining taijutsu techniques… The rest, practice the Body Flicker Technique!"
"Yes, boss!"
The shadow clones scattered, each group heading off to train in their assigned tasks.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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