Waking up the next morning, the first thought that came to my mind was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I remembered Daiken saying he would have to get approval from The Hokage since it was a forbidden jutsu. Still, given the look on Daiken's face when I had flared my chakra, I felt confident. I had proven my reserves were more than enough, and after everything, they seemed to trust me. Still, doubt always found a way into my heart, and worrying about it now would only shake my already unstable mental state even more. Shaking off those thoughts, I stood up slowly and began my morning routine.
With no Academy today since we were officially in summer vacation, I had time on my hands. Deciding to spend it wisely, I settled in the middle of my flat, breathing slowly, meditating quietly, trying to calm the relentless storm inside my head.
The morning sun gently filtered through my windows, warming my skin and highlighting my messy hair and slightly dark complexion from exposure while working out. For a moment, everything felt peaceful. But that peace was short-lived. A firm knock on my door pulled me back to reality. I opened my eyes, got up, and walked over to answer.
Standing in my doorway was a towering figure, broad enough to block nearly the entire frame.
"Daiken-sensei," I greeted, quickly stepping aside. "Please, come in."
Daiken nodded silently, stepping into my flat and glancing briefly around. It occurred to me that this was only his second visit here, the first being the tense encounter involving Root. This time felt less intense but equally significant.
Daiken turned toward me, holding out a sealed scroll. "Hokage-sama approved your request for the Shadow Clone Jutsu," he announced calmly.
I extended my hand to take the scroll, but Daiken didn't release it right away. His expression grew serious, his voice carrying the weight of responsibility.
"Noa," he started gravely, "the Shadow Clone Jutsu isn't like your usual illusions. This jutsu evenly splits your chakra to create solid, living copies of yourself. Each clone can think, fight, and use jutsu independently. They're not shadows. They're tangible, physical beings."
He paused briefly, ensuring I understood the gravity of his words.
"When these clones are dispersed, whether intentionally or from damage, their memories and experiences flow back to you immediately. Every injury, every moment of exhaustion, every painful lesson, your mind and body will not feel the pain, but it will feel the strain. One or two clones is manageable. More than that, and you risk overwhelming yourself."
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"I've seen shinobi fall apart after pushing this technique too far, Noa. Strong, disciplined shinobi. Some collapsed physically, others never fully recovered mentally. This jutsu is a powerful tool, but it demands absolute respect and restraint. Always remember, your clones are reflections of yourself. If they suffer, you will carry their burden."
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his words deeply. My expression must have reassured him, because he finally handed the scroll to me fully.
"That goes without saying," Daiken added, "after you've learned this jutsu, return the scroll directly to me. And never teach it to anyone else. It's forbidden for a good reason. Even with your chakra reserves, limit yourself strictly to no more than two clones."
I nodded again in understanding. My rigorous training in fuinjutsu had shown Daiken and the Hokage that I was capable of keeping my word. They trusted me now, and I would not betray that trust.
Daiken's eyes softened as he gave me a faint, genuine smile. "You know, I'm proud to have a student like you, Noa. Your strength and resolve make this kind of investment worth it. But promise me one thing. Take care of yourself, for your own sake first, and then for the village."
There was sincerity in his voice that went beyond the usual teacher-student talk. Before I could respond or even thank him properly, he vanished, flickering out of sight in an instant.
With Daiken gone, the scroll felt heavier in my hand. Carefully, I opened it and began reading. Surprisingly, the Shadow Clone Jutsu itself was simple. It required only a single hand sign, the Tiger seal. But simplicity was deceptive. The chakra-shaping portion was detailed, explaining exactly how to mold and divide chakra to form stable clones. Even as I read, I fully understood why this jutsu was considered forbidden.
Creating one clone instantly meant halving my chakra reserves. Two clones split my chakra into thirds. Each additional clone would weaken me significantly, leaving me vulnerable. The scroll also mentioned advanced methods where users could fine-tune chakra distribution, but such mastery required extraordinary chakra control and practice.
Thankfully, both my reserves and chakra control were already exceptional. Still, I didn't want to be reckless. I decided not to rush into the final step yet. Instead, I spent the entire day practicing chakra molding, carefully studying every instruction and step detailed on the scroll. I trained relentlessly, refusing even to create a single clone until I felt completely confident in my ability to control the technique.
By sunset, exhaustion had sunk deep into my bones. I hadn't eaten, hadn't rested, and hadn't let myself think about anything except mastering the jutsu. It felt less like training and more like running. Like I was avoiding the chaos in my head by losing myself in the steps and seal. Under normal circumstances, given my physical and mental state, I knew better than to continue. But something deep down pushed me to try the technique at least once before I went to sleep. Reckless? Definitely. But facing the chaos in my head felt worse.
My gaze drifted upward, catching sight of the mural above me. It had always been a comforting presence, but tonight, it brought memories I had long buried. I found myself thinking about the life I left behind. A life that ended in darkness and was swallowed by it. I remembered clearly the image of myself strapped to that chair, surrounded by families of my victims, their angry eyes piercing into my soul. My reflection in the window glass had seemed so faint back then, as though I was already disappearing even before death claimed me. That faded reflection haunted my thoughts and took over my focus. My eyes stayed locked on an image that wasn't really there, yet it felt more real than anything else at that moment.
Lost in those troubling memories and haunted by the image, my fingers moved on their own, forming the Tiger seal without thinking. Subconsciously, I molded my chakra into shape. Before I even realized it, the chakra surged out of me and took form. A puff of smoke filled the flat as the jutsu activated.
When the smoke cleared, my heart stopped cold.
Standing before me wasn't the version of myself I expected to see. Instead, a haunting image stared back at me. A figure I hadn't seen since my execution on Earth. Thin, pale, battered by life and violence. Deep scars marred his body, and his eyes held a hollow look, filled with exhaustion and resignation. His head was shaved clean, and beneath the pale skin, those familiar yellow eyes held nothing but deep darkness.
My entire body shook, and my legs gave way beneath me, sending me collapsing to the floor. I scrambled backward, heart racing in terror as I stared up at the silent apparition in front of me.
It was him.
It was me.
It was everything I had fought to forget. Every fear and regret I had buried deep within my heart made real. Standing before me was a grim reminder of a past I could never fully escape.
A reflection of my true self.
AdvertisementReportA note from AndithegiantMO (cool short name, I like it), thank you for supporting me. I'm immensely grateful for it. Enjoy the awesome advanced chapter :)
If you're feeling generous or just can't wait to read ahead, please check my profile. You'll find a link to the Discord server if you feel like chatting, and a link there to support me as well. Cheers!
My first shout out swap. How awesome is that lol
Azoth1, thank you for the review. I'm really glad you liked the novel enough to take the time and effort to write one. I was this close to getting the full 5 stars, but hey, that's just my greed talking hahaha
If we reach the Top 500 ranking (we are currently ranked 676 btw), I'll post an extra chapter as a reward and a thank you for all your efforts rating, reviewing and supporting the novel.
I swear I didn't mean to leave it on such a cliffhanger. You people are just that unlucky, hahaha. Well, it's time for my one‑day weekly off, so I'll see you all on Thursday. Until then, stay awesome, my dudes and dudettes.
ReportAbout the authorAndithegiant 24/06/2025, 19:30 https://andreathegiant.carrd.co Bio: Have you ever had a dream that
That you, um, you had, you'll, you would
You could, you do, you would you want you
You could do some, you...
You'll do, you could you, you want
You want him to do you so much
You could do anything.
AchievementsComments(47)Log in to comment
Xeroa 5 months agoThanks so much for the chapter! Oof Noa is really facing himself now.
Andithegiant5 months agoSelf reflection
R. Ortus Aurora5 months agowoah cool
Andithegiant5 months agoThank you hehe
Llist5 months agotftc!
Andithegiant5 months agoThank you for the comment
Sage Holycoast 5 months agoThanks for the chapter!
Wow, what a cliff, well played. Also, Noa needs some gods damned therapy. Also, if I'm getting it right, the balancing on the KB is tuning the mental backlash to 11? Makes sense. Takes a strange mind to throw themselves to death repeatedly.
Andithegiant5 months agoThat among other things
Moldath5 months agoTherapy? I don't think it exist in the world of Naruto unfortunately.
Andithegiant5 months agoIt doesn't 😔 look at kakashi's father or itachi
Sage Holycoast5 months agoYou'd think the Inoichi or Tsunade would've cracked that one already, but no...
Btw, at what age did Noa die? It's very unclear. It's implied that his sister died while he was still a kid or a pre-teen, but Noa himself...
Andithegiant5 months agoSpoiler
Sage Holycoast5 months agoSpoiler
Andithegiant5 months ago
Spoiler
RedHarlequin 5 months agoSakura canonically invents the field after the events of the main Naruto series.
Fullmetaljacket335 months agoThanks for the chapter. 🍍
Andithegiant5 months agoThank you as well for commenting
Chaospat5 months agoO(∩_∩)O
Andithegiant5 months ago
Moldath5 months agoI've seen shinobi fall apart after pushing this technique too far, Noa. Strong, disciplined shinobi. Some collapsed physically, others never fully recovered mentally. This jutsu is a powerful tool, but it demands absolute respect and restraint.
Look at Naruto... Right...
Surprisingly, the Shadow Clone Jutsu itself was simple.
Given that Naruto learnt it in a few hours before his graduation from the academy with his shoddy control, not surprising, really.
What a nice surprise, he can make the clone look like his past self. I guess he hasn't fully accepted his new life. We haven't seen any clones with a different natural form in canon, so I assume it's either very uncommon or unique. That open a lot of doors for some good old skullduggery. And the limitation is pretty similar to the one in orochimama I guess, with more emphasis on the backlash of having too many clones instead of their memories wearing you down over time. I suppose that since it was precised that they could think independently, not everyone can make clones without them freaking out too. Or thinking stuff like "I could kill the original right now" with the original inheriting the memory later. You know, fun stuff. Let's see what happen with the current clone. He was in a nice and healthy mindset when he created it.
And the new cover look better than the previous, it didn't really fit the tone of the story. The bear look like he want to have words with Noah about his destructive habits during his solo training in the forest.