The moment countless Naruto Uzumakis popped into existence, even Momochi Zabuza froze.
There were a lot of clones.
"This dead last has that much chakra?"
Sasuke knew more than most civilians. Plenty of Uchiha could use the Shadow Clone Technique, so he understood the basics. Normal people didn't make many clones because shadow clones were fragile. One hit and they vanished, and every clone drained a chunk of your chakra.
Shadow clones weren't forbidden, but the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique was. Anyone without an absurd chakra pool would collapse the moment they used it.
Kakashi stared at the screen, stunned and jealous all at once.
Judging by the number of clones… Naruto's chakra had to be at least a hundred times his own. It was ridiculous.
He thought about how he had to carefully ration his chakra just to carve a dog's head with Earth Release.
And Naruto was twelve. His chakra was already leagues beyond Kakashi's. What would it look like when he was an adult?
Kakashi's first thought was that some of the Nine-Tails' chakra was leaking out. There was no other explanation for that absurd quantity.
Even if it wasn't at Nine-Tails level, it was definitely at "chakra by the ton" level.
"So… the Uzumaki bloodline really is that insane?"
Kakashi couldn't believe it.
The only explanation he could think of was his teacher's wife and her clan's monstrous chakra reserves.
The Uzumaki were famous for massive chakra pools. It was only because Uzushiogakure had been wiped out decades ago that most people had forgotten.
No wonder the Uzumaki clan had once founded an entire village on their own. Even if it wasn't on par with the Five Great Nations, for a medium-sized village made of a single clan, it was incredible.
But while Kakashi was still trying to digest Naruto's terrifying chakra output, the Naruto in the video sent his clones charging without a hint of running out of stamina.
Against someone like Zabuza, though, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique didn't do much. The clones were wiped out in a blink.
Even then, in the instant he was knocked back, Naruto reached into his pack, grabbed a giant Fuma shuriken, and hurled it at Sasuke.
The moment Sasuke caught it, he understood Naruto's plan perfectly.
It was their first real combo attack, but the coordination was shockingly smooth.
Sasuke threw the Fuma shuriken straight at the real Zabuza, taking everyone by surprise.
"So that's it. You're actually aiming for my real body this time. Still naive, though."
Zabuza caught the spinning shuriken casually. But then he saw it: hidden in the shadow underneath was a second Fuma shuriken.
"A shuriken hidden inside a shuriken?"
He was startled for a moment, then leapt aside with ease to dodge the strike.
"Still too naive."
But before anyone could react, the first Fuma shuriken dissolved into Naruto. It hadn't been a weapon at all. It had been Naruto using Transformation Jutsu.
That was his real plan.
Layer after layer, all chained together.
And because he had to dodge the airborne Naruto's attack, Zabuza was forced to pull his hand back, avoiding what would have been a fatal blow. Even then, the passing shuriken carved a cut across his cheek.
"That dead last… he actually thought up something like this in such a short time!"
Outside the screen, Sasuke couldn't believe it. What shocked him even more was that his future self understood Naruto's plan instantly.
There had been no time to talk. No chance to coordinate anything.
He had realized everything from the weight of the shuriken the moment he caught it.
"Unexpected… in a good way."
Kakashi, sitting in the Hatake household, looked speechless but impressed.
In the short time Kakashi had been trapped, Naruto had come up with such a layered, advanced tactic. He'd assumed Naruto relied only on reckless charges, more like Kushina.
But this? This was pure Minato.
That kind of battlefield instinct and tactical flexibility really did force him to reevaluate the kid.
Naruto had been ready to collapse under Zabuza's killing intent minutes earlier, but the moment he regained his footing, he'd immediately put together a strategy this sharp.
Kakashi was starting to believe Kaede Kitahara's claim that Naruto would one day become one of the two greatest pillars of the shinobi world.
On the screen, Zabuza, furious that his setup had been cracked, hurled a Fuma shuriken at Naruto midair, ready to slice him in half.
A sharp clang rang out.
Someone blocked the blow with the armor plate on the back of their glove.
It was Kakashi, finally free from the Water Prison Technique.
Naruto's plan had worked perfectly.
"Naruto, that was brilliant. You've all improved."
Kakashi didn't hesitate to praise them.
"I'll say it one more time. Using the same jutsu on me twice won't work. So what's your move now?" He turned toward Zabuza.
[The same move never works twice on a Saint!]
Kaede Kitahara's commentary floated across the screen.
"Saint? What's that supposed to be?" Kakashi muttered.
On-screen, Kakashi flicked the shuriken aside. He and Zabuza separated on the water, both forming hand signs.
Everyone watching was stunned. Their hand signs were identical. Their timing was identical. Their movements were so synchronized it was impossible to tell who was copying whom.
[People still seriously forming hand signs these days? And all eighty-eight of them? Truly an honest man.]
Sasuke completely ignored Kaede Kitahara's floating commentary. His eyes were wide.
The Sharingan. The Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai. He had no idea why Kakashi had one, but this was the first time in his life seeing a complete three-tomoe Sharingan at work.
When the Uchiha clan was massacred, he'd been too young to witness it. He'd never seen someone with three tomoe copying another person's ninjutsu.
This was his first time.