Chapter 122: An Incredibly Powerful Support Ability
In a training ground, Hiroto and Kayo, along with eighteen other test subjects, were gathered. A group of research ninja were standing by, ready to record the data.
On a long table in front of them were a number of flat, spiral-shaped snail shells, about half the size of a palm.
"For now, all the shells are the same," Dana explained. "In the future, there will be different styles. And once you're familiar with them, you can make your own."
He then performed the Summoning Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, a large group of finger-sized slugs appeared on the table.
The sight was a bit unsettling.
But these were not mindless mollusks. They quickly organized themselves into neat rows. All of them had blue stripes on their backs, except for one, which had red stripes. The red-striped slug crawled to the edge of the table, leaped onto Dana's shoulder, and he knew this was the special clone Katsuyu had told him about.
"You can now come and get your Communication Snail shells," he announced.
Kayo was the last to get one. The soft little creature was cool to the touch, not slimy or sticky as she had imagined.
"Good morning!" a voice echoed in her mind.
"Good morning," she replied instinctively.
"These little slugs are clones of a powerful being," Dana's voice came from the front. "You can think of them as Shadow Clones. So, please be polite. You can introduce yourselves."
A chorus of "good mornings" and self-introductions filled the training ground.
Kayo got her snail shell. The little slug expertly crawled inside, turned around, and poked its two antennae out. The shell had a watchband-like strap on either side, and she put it on her slender wrist. It was a bit big.
"First test: communication," Dana announced.
The test subjects spread out around the training ground.
The slug in the snail shell crawled out slightly and touched its two antennae to her wrist.
And then, Dana's voice echoed in everyone's mind.
"Testing, testing... can you hear me?"
Kayo looked at him in surprise. He was dozens of meters away. It was impossible for her to have heard him normally.
He then had everyone talk at once. Her mind was filled with a cacophony of voices, like a crowded market. She couldn't make out a single word.
The slugs could transmit information over a certain range, both sound and sight. But visual sharing required a larger slug, about the size of a small dog, and at this stage, that was unnecessary.
The test had also revealed a problem. In theory, the little slugs could turn their communication function on or off to prevent people from talking over each other. But in practice, it was difficult for them to determine which words to transmit and which not to. So, when a lot of people were talking, it was just a jumble of noise.
He made a mental note to add some kind of switch, like a walkie-talkie, so the slugs would know to only transmit what was said after the switch was pressed.
"Second test: chakra sharing."
The little slugs could, through their mysterious connection, share the chakra of their user with the users of other clones. It was a miraculous ability.
Soon, they all felt a gentle flow of chakra coming from the snail on their wrist. It was a non-elemental chakra, provided by Dana.
The test subjects were of varying skill levels, and their chakra reserves were all different. The three with the most chakra—Dana and the Uzumaki siblings—were now the providers, and the others were the recipients.
This chakra sharing could not exceed a person's maximum chakra capacity; any excess would just dissipate. But it could replenish consumed chakra. The only limitation was that it could only transmit non-elemental chakra. The five elemental natures, sage chakra, and tailed beast chakra could not be transmitted.
In his memories, the slug's communication, visual sharing, and chakra transmission abilities were all incredibly powerful support skills, but they had not been used very often. In his opinion, Tsunade had never fully utilized Katsuyu's potential.
And now, Konoha had forever lost the opportunity to contract with Shikkotsu Forest. The contract scroll was in his hands. From now on, this technology would be exclusive to the Cloud. He could freely develop new abilities and applications, without fear of being copied. This was why he had gone to such lengths to make a deal with Tsunade, to have her bring him the scroll.
The contract with Shikkotsu Forest and the slug's miraculous abilities would now be a monopoly of the Cloud. This would be a strategic technology no less important than the "All-World Material Support System," and it would change every aspect of the village.
"Such an amazing ability," Kayo whispered.
"Thank you," the little slug's antennae twitched.
Finally, Dana explained the little slug's habits and the necessary precautions. He instructed everyone to keep a detailed log of their usage and care, and to report to a specific staff member every day.
"To tell them apart," he said, "you can give your little slug a name. But it's best to consult with them first."
Konoha
In the ANBU headquarters, a test was underway. A golden-haired young man was facing off against an adult Hyuga ninja.
Surprisingly, the younger of the two had the upper hand.
Minato Namikaze was always able to predict his opponent's attacks, his reaction speed was incredible, and his Body Flicker was lightning-fast. The Hyuga's Gentle Fist was a flurry of blows, but he couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes. He was constantly on the defensive, forced back by a combination of kunai and taijutsu.
Outside the training ground, the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake, was watching.
Minato's fighting style was unique. He didn't have any flashy ninjutsu or strange secret jutsu. He mostly used the conventional techniques of a ninja. But with his top-tier combat intelligence and reflexes, he was able to completely overwhelm his opponents.
In the previous rounds, he had already defeated ninja from the Akimichi, Aburame, and Uchiha clans, all of whom were older and more experienced than him. The Uchiha, in particular, who had been on a mission to re-integrate his clan into the village, had been so angry after being defeated by Minato that he had almost awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan on the spot.
This had caught Sakumo's attention, and he had made a special trip to watch him today.
With his own keen eye, he could see that Minato had already figured out the Hyuga's style. He had no chance of winning. This was a common weakness of the clan ninja. They relied too much on their Kekkei Genkai or their clan's secret jutsu. Once they were countered, they had no way to turn the tide.
Sure enough, Minato used a substitution to lure the Hyuga into an opening and then instantly closed the distance.
"RASENGAN!"
The blue, spinning sphere of chakra stopped less than ten centimeters from the Hyuga's face, then slowly dissipated into a gust of wind.
"The match is over," Minato said.
The Hyuga collapsed to the ground, dejected.
Sakumo nodded. The fact that he could stop his attack showed that he still had strength to spare.
"Is that the jutsu he developed himself?" he asked his subordinate.
"Yes," the man replied. "He said he was inspired by the Tailed Beast Ball he saw on the battlefield. It requires no hand seals, and its power is close to A-rank. He said he's only just perfected it since the 'Night of the Purple Moon'."
"A very practical and clever jutsu. I never thought that besides his combat talent, this boy would also have such a talent for developing ninjutsu."
"He was very cooperative when the village asked to register the jutsu," the subordinate said, "but he refused to take credit for it. He said it might be an already existing but obscure jutsu that he just happened to stumble upon."
Minato had been at the top of his class, but because he had graduated during the war, and because the then-Hokage, Hiruzen, had been preoccupied with his own troubles, and then had been defeated, this civilian-born genius had not received much attention.
Sakumo couldn't hide his admiration. His top-tier dynamic vision and reflexes, and the combat intelligence he displayed—it was a fighting style he greatly admired, very similar to his own.
He even had the thought of taking him on as a student.