On this point,
Naruto had absolute confidence in himself.
Whether it was memorizing hand seals or grasping the core principles of a technique, he believed that with time, he could gradually master these forbidden and secret jutsu. That was why today, he had to commit as many techniques from the Scroll of Seals to memory as possible. Of course, his primary focus was still the three he had mentioned before: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Especially the first two—without exaggeration—they were the cornerstones of his future plan: one to strengthen himself, the other to guarantee survival. Anyone familiar with the plot of Naruto knew that for someone like him, blessed with a torrent of chakra that already surpassed Kakashi—a jonin—despite only being a newly minted genin, the Shadow Clone was practically a built-in cheat code.
And beyond that, Naruto carried the blood of the Uzumaki clan.
Even if he didn't inherit their signature red hair and instead bore his father's golden locks (a testament to Minato's strong genes—by all rights, as Kushina's son, Naruto should have been red-haired, given that his mother had been like a princess of the Uzumaki clan), the fact of his Uzumaki heritage was undeniable.
The Uzumaki, distant relatives of the Senju, also possessed traits of the Sage's Body. Among the shinobi world, their physical strength and recovery ability were second to none. Because of this, the usual drawbacks of using Shadow Clones for training could be reduced to the bare minimum for Naruto.
Thus!
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—
was the key to whether Naruto could rapidly grow stronger in the days ahead.
The Flying Thunder God Technique—
was a talisman that could save his life.
As for the other secret and forbidden arts, Naruto simply wanted to see whether they could give him more tools and variety in combat. For a ninja, relying on a single type of attack meant inevitable defeat once the enemy found an opening.
In the original story, the real Naruto could get by against 99% of opponents with just Shadow Clones and the Rasengan (and its derivatives). That was practically a colossal bug in the system. But even though he was Naruto now, the circumstances of this life, and the goals he set for himself, were vastly different from the original. He had no intention of walking the same path again. Even if the final conclusion of the story turned out the same, that wasn't the ending he wanted.
Hot-blooded dreams? Eternal peace?
Don't make him laugh.
As long as this was a world of humans, such simplistic answers were impossible. With emotions, desires, and flaws, humans could be both lovable and detestable, admirable and loathsome.
In this lifetime, Naruto would only believe in the path he chose.
That was the only "justice" that mattered.
As for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Naruto didn't want to learn it in order to use it. Just thinking about the fact that casting it meant dying together with the enemy gave him chills. His interest lay elsewhere—like he'd said before, he was curious: did the "Shinigami" truly exist in this world?
A god.
That single word was profoundly stirring.
If the Shinigami was real,
then what about Hidan's so-called Evil God in the Akatsuki?
What, in truth, did "god" mean in the Naruto world?
Was it what Naruto understood as a deity?
Or was it something closer to the tailed beasts—just an extraordinary form of existence?
If such theories held true, this world would only become more fascinating. But all that was for later—when Naruto had the strength to seek those answers.
"Mm, just as I thought—the very first Technique recorded here is the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."
Leaning against the trunk of a tree, Naruto unrolled the Scroll of Seals. As expected, the very first technique inscribed within was the Multiple Shadow Clone. It listed the hand-seal sequence and essential principles, along with annotations that explained its risks, almost like teaching notes.
The handwriting was clearly from decades past.
The Scroll of Seals was one of Konoha's greatest secrets, containing countless advanced, secret, and forbidden jutsu. Most of its entries had been recorded by the Second and Third Hokage. Especially the Third—Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." That title wasn't limited to Konoha; it applied to the entire shinobi world. Horizontally or vertically, no one could match his breadth. He might not have been the strongest Kage, but he was without question the most knowledgeable, with mastery over the greatest number of jutsu.
He had command over all five chakra natures, and was proficient in nearly every forbidden and secret technique.
To put it bluntly—
other than Techniques requiring kekkei genkai, kekkei tōta, or other hereditary abilities, there was nothing the old man couldn't use. And not just use—master.
That was why he had been hailed as the "Strongest Hokage." Though, in truth, this was also because almost no one alive had seen the First Hokage's overwhelming power.
Comparing the Third and the First was the perfect illustration of the proverb: "Jack of all trades, master of none." The First's mastery of a single overwhelming power far surpassed the Third's vast but shallower repertoire. Still, the two weren't truly comparable.
"Looks like thisTechniquesisn't all that hard. The key is controlling chakra, right? And keeping an eye on how many clones you make?"
Naruto carefully memorized the hand-seal sequence, lips curling into a faint smile as he muttered to himself.
"Well then, time to give it a try!"
With that thought, he leapt to his feet, took a deep breath, and rapidly wove the sequence of seals that played in his mind.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof!
Maybe some things in this world really could only be described as a bug. After struggling with the Clone Technique for five whole years, failing again and again, Naruto had just mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique for an instant.
For this test, he had deliberately restrained his chakra, producing only a single clone.
It was important to note—
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Shadow CloneTechniqueswere, at their core, the same technique.
The hand seals were the same. The chakra flow was the same.
The difference lay solely in the user's chakra reserves.
Without massive chakra, one simply couldn't perform the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Even most jonin could only manage the regular version.