When it comes to clones, you either need to learn a proper clone jutsu yourself…
Or you have to rely on the Great Sage to calculate and generate the technique.
Finding a suitable scroll for such a jutsu was probably more troublesome than just letting the Great Sage handle it.
But if one wanted to truly master physical cloning, then Shadow Clone was a prerequisite.
"Looks like I'll have to go find Gekkō Hayate and give it a shot."
The problem? No one knew exactly where Hayate was right now.
Still, it couldn't be that hard to track him down.
Shigure first headed to Hayate's residence and looked around, but no one was home. Fortunately, an older neighbor mentioned that Hayate had likely gone out on a date.
"A date, huh…"
Now that he thought about it, Hayate did have a girlfriend—though Shigure couldn't recall her name off the top of his head.
But if it was a date, there were only a few places in Konoha that couples typically went to.
The biggest and most obvious? Konoha Park.
It was spacious, with a scenic lake and lush surroundings—perfect for couples seeking peace and quiet away from the hustle of the village. Being far from the market area, it was rarely crowded.
Really, who in Konoha would visit a park daily unless they were in love?
The park was so large it could probably accommodate every couple in the village while still offering privacy.
Sure enough, as soon as Shigure entered, he spotted Gekkō Hayate and his girlfriend lounging on a patch of grass.
They had spread out a cloth and were lying in the sun, completely relaxed.
A smile crept onto Shigure's face as he silently approached.
"Yugao, when do you think we'll finally get married?"
Hayate's girlfriend paused at the question and replied playfully, "Only after you've saved enough money."
The couple, caught up in a tender moment, were visibly startled when Shigure suddenly appeared beside them.
"Brother Hayate!"
He bent down and peered directly at the relaxed Hayate.
Startled, Hayate sat up immediately.
"Shigure? What are you doing here?"
Yugao, slightly flustered by the interruption, shifted awkwardly. She wasn't exactly comfortable having a kid witness her being so affectionate with her boyfriend.
But when she heard Hayate say the name Shigure, she lit up with curiosity.
"So you're the genius kid Hayate always talks about!"
"You're adorable—and definitely going to be a heartbreaker someday."
Shigure hadn't expected Uzuki Yugao to be this beautiful in person.
No wonder Hayate was so lucky.
"Hello! I'm Uzuki Yugao. You must be Gekkō Shigure! Hayate's told me so much about you."
Shigure politely shook her outstretched hand, then turned back to Hayate with a more serious expression.
"Sorry to interrupt your date, but I need a favor."
For a second, Hayate felt… strange. It was almost like being pressured by a senior family member.
He's just a kid, Hayate reminded himself. Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?
"It's fine! Go on, talk with your big brother Hayate," Yugao said, smiling warmly.
Hayate glanced at Shigure and asked, "What's wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Not really. I just want you to teach me the Shadow Clone Technique."
That got a reaction out of both of them.
Even Yugao blinked in surprise.
At Shigure's age, he wasn't even a Genin yet.
Learning Shadow Clone before graduation? That was absurd.
Sure, kids were often curious about ninjutsu, but Shadow Clone wasn't a toy. It was dangerous and chakra-intensive.
Hayate didn't hesitate.
"No way. You're not even a registered ninja. I can't teach you that."
"Once you graduate from the Academy and become a Chūnin, then you can learn that kind of technique."
As expected—rejected.
It wasn't realistic to think someone would just hand over a forbidden technique because you asked nicely.
But Shigure wasn't out of options.
He leaned in close to Hayate and whispered into his ear.
"Brother Hayate… If you don't help me, I might just tell Sister Yugao about the time you used Transparent Escape to spy on her. I wonder how she'll react to that…"
Hayate instantly shot to his feet, glaring at Shigure.
"You little brat—are you threatening me!?"
"Threaten?" Yugao was confused now. Did that kid just say what I think he did?
"Hayate? What did he just whisper to you? Was that a threat?"
Hayate forced a smile through gritted teeth.
"No, no! Just messing around. He's joking!"
"Watch out, Shigure!"
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
[Great Sage: Analyzing.]
Bang!
As the Shadow Clone erupted in a puff of white smoke, Shigure watched carefully as two identical Hayates stood before him.
To the untrained eye, it was like watching magic—an illusion beyond understanding.
But not for Shigure.
[Analysis complete.]
[Congratulations. New skill acquired: Shadow Clone Technique.]
"Perfect. I got it."
"Want me to show it again?" Hayate offered. "You barely got a glimpse—"
"No need!" Shigure cut him off.
"Thank you, Brother Hayate. That was enough."
"…Huh?"
Hayate blinked. That was it?
Why was this kid acting like he'd already mastered it?
Before he could ask, Shigure pulled a small pouch from his belt.
"Here—take this. I can't use it right now anyway, so I figured it'd be better off with you."
"What?"
Hayate took the pouch curiously. When he opened it—
It was filled with money.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"This is…"
...
TN:
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