Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a silent sigh of relief after hearing Hatani name the three techniques.
Aside from the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, the remaining two—the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu and Wind Style: Gale Net—weren't particularly high-risk.
The danger of the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu generally stemmed from overconfident shinobi attempting to create more clones than their chakra reserves could handle, leading to life-threatening exhaustion. As long as Hiruzen provided proper guidance and supervision, it shouldn't be an issue.
"Very well," he said, mentally ticking off the safety concerns.
"I am quite familiar with these three techniques, so there's no need to waste time fetching the Scroll of Seals. I will personally explain the key principles and the precautions you need to take for each."
As a reward for Hatani being so "sensible" with his choices, Hiruzen decided to offer this extra bit of mentorship.
"Thank you, Lord Third!"
This time, Hatani's bow was filled with genuine gratitude. He felt a surge of smug satisfaction, once again convinced that his desperate efforts to get Jiraiya to take him as a student had been the best decision he'd ever made.
Hatani's decision to learn these three jutsu was the result of careful calculation.
The Wind Style: Gale Net was intended to complement his original "Focus Fire" ability (based on the Windranger's ultimate). He wanted to use its restrictive properties to solve the final flaw in the move.
Previously, he had considered using Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere as the foundation for Focus Fire. However, since the "bullets" spat from the mouth naturally had a very narrow arc of fire, it was difficult to hit high-speed targets—even with wind guidance.
Unless, of course, he had a partner like someone from the Nara clan to pin the enemy down.
But as the villain "Doctor" from the movie High Risk famously said: "A man must rely on himself."
After a long period of contemplation, he chose Gale Net as his primary utility. The technique uses wind-natured shape transformation to create a literal web of air, which can be used to either bind a foe or shred them with the cutting wind that makes up the mesh.
If the net alone could defeat the enemy, great—it saved him the effort.
But if the Gale Net couldn't fully restrain them, he could still use it to force the enemy's "positioning," corralling them into a confined space. From there, his "Focus Fire" could pour out nearly a hundred "bullets" in seconds, all guided by the wind to strike a single point—shattering the enemy's defense like a torrential downpour boring through stone.
As for the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, those were largely preparations for unlocking his second hero: the Phantom Lancer.
He could explain away the Windranger's abilities using Wind Style and a "unique Kekkei Genkai," but the most logical explanation for the Phantom Lancer's kit was undoubtedly various Shadow Clone techniques.
The Phantom Lancer's core identity was built around creating illusions. Out of his four original skills, three revolved around this concept.
The first skill: Spirit Lance. He throws a lance of spirit energy that damages and slows the enemy while simultaneously creating a fragile illusion next to the target. The illusion possesses only a fifth of the original's attack power.
This skill shared some similarities with the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu that Naruto and Sasuke would famously use against Zabuza. The difference was that in the Shadow Shuriken version, a person transforms into a shuriken and hides in a shadow to launch a surprise attack. With Spirit Lance, the illusion is stored within the projectile itself and only manifests upon impact.
The second skill: Doppelganger. The user briefly vanishes from the battlefield, only to reappear a second later with two illusions at nearby, random positions.
The third skill: Phantom Rush. This was the skill least related to illusions; it allowed the user to rapidly dash toward a distant enemy while providing a brief boost to Agility.
The fourth skill—and the Phantom Lancer's ultimate—was Juxtapose. This was the core of the hero's power. It gave the Lancer a chance to "fragment" upon attacking or being hit, creating an illusion. These illusions, in turn, had a chance to fragment further, creating even more illusions.
In Hatani's understanding, this "fragmenting existence" was the key ability he would need to master once the Phantom Lancer was unlocked.
As a master of illusions, he believed that the Phantom Lancer's prowess would provide a significant boost to Shadow Clone-type jutsu. Conversely, having those jutsu in his repertoire would serve as the perfect cover for his true abilities.
This was why he took the opportunity to ask Hiruzen for two specific clone-related techniques.
After bidding farewell to the Third Hokage, the brothers finally headed home.
Though less than a month had passed since they accepted the mission to the Land of Rain, Hatani felt as if a lifetime had gone by as he looked at the familiar streets and neighbors.
The feeling was particularly sharp when he remembered that their commanding Jonin, Shinji Mimura, and their teammate, Kazuha, had left their lives in the Land of Rain. Their names were now nothing more than carvings on the Memorial Stone.
He looked at Minato, who was greeting neighbors with his trademark sunny smile. Hatani thought of the future—of how Minato and Kushina would eventually fall into the trap of an ungrateful student, dying under the claws of the Nine-Tails and leaving behind a poor nephew to endure the village's cold-blooded neglect and hunger.
A fierce, protective desire surged in his chest. In this life, he would ensure the safety of his friends and family.
But just as he was about to call out to Minato, he spotted a shock of vibrant red hair standing in front of their house. It was the radiant, sun-drenched form of his future sister-in-law.
Kushina's face lit up with excitement. She began waving her arms frantically, shouting "Minato!" as she sprinted toward them. Minato immediately abandoned his only brother, his face splitting into a goofy grin as he shouted "Kushina!" and rushed to meet her.
The two collided in a shameless, public embrace, radiating an aura of romance and completely ignoring their surroundings as they served up a massive helping of "dog food."
The noble, protective fire that had just been kindled in Hatani's heart instantly soured.
It smelled like the pungent rot of romance.
"Hmph. Kushina, since when did you and Minato get so close?" Hatani interjected with a deliberate, annoyed huff, deciding to bring up some old dirt. "Weren't you the one always complaining that Minato was too 'girly' and that you'd never like a guy like him?"
Usually, if Hatani dared to talk to her like that, he would have been on the receiving end of a "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" temper tantrum. But this time, faced with the teasing of her future brother-in-law, Kushina actually let out a shy squeak. She pushed Minato away, her face turning as red as her hair as she greeted Hatani.
"Ah, Hatani! Long time no see! You... you finally made it back safely!"
Indeed, Kushina—with eyes only for Minato—hadn't even noticed Hatani was standing there until he spoke.
"You two go ahead and keep whispering sweet nothings," Hatani muttered, his heart feeling even more bitter. He looked like a man defeated as he trudged past them and into the house. "I'm going inside."
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