Kuroichi was deep in contemplation as he sat on a tree branch, overlooking the forest skyline. He took this moment just for himself, contemplating anything that came to mind.
He had made good progress until now, but he was itching for more.
When he started training he told himself that because he didn't have a teacher to teach him everything about chakra and being a shinobi in general, he needed to be more careful than others, especially when trying new things. It certainly was not a wrong or bad way to approach things.
By now he had pretty much mastered the tree walking exercise, so he set his sights on actually learning a jutsu. The tree walking exercise had become a pure concentration and strength exercise instead of one focused on improving chakra control.
His small body was gaining muscles and strength in new places, so while it was still strenuous for him to slowly walk up a tree, it wasn't an impossible task anymore. With time, as he grew older and stronger, that would fix itself.
His current dilemma remained the same, however. He could either make the responsible choice and keep practicing his chakra control with the water walking exercise, or perhaps try one of the academy three.
As he kept mulling over things in his head, he came to a decision. 'If the anime/manga is accurate in this world, then academy students only learn the leaf concentration exercise, after which they go straight to the academy three. I, however, have already mastered the tree walking exercise, so my control technically should be good enough to figure those jutsu out.
I obviously won't try any elemental jutsu until I have mastered at least water walking so I'll still be careful, keeping my original intentions.'
As Kuroichi made up his mind, he climbed down the tree he was sitting on and went through all his stuff in his shelter looking for his most priced possessions, his sealing scroll.
As he found and opened it, he spread it across the ground, and on a specific location on the scroll injected some of his chakra. With a Puff, smoke billowed out, until he could see a good amount of other scrolls in front of him.
As he was skimming over each and every one of them, he was looking for the scroll that contained descriptions of jutsu and how exactly they work.
"Aha! Finally found it!" Kuroichi exclaimed as he found the scroll he was looking for.
Clone Technique
The Clone Transformation Technique is a fundamental shinobi skill that combines elements of both the clone jutsu and the transformation jutsu, allowing the user to create an illusionary copy of themselves that seamlessly mimics another form. This technique is especially useful for deception, infiltration, and misdirection in battle.
Mechanics:
By molding chakra through the Ram → Tiger → Snake hand seals, and releasing it in a controlled burst like fashion through a particular tenketsu (see diagram), the user creates a non-physical clone that takes on the appearance of a chosen target. Unlike a standard transformation jutsu, which affects only the user's body, this technique allows for multiple false bodies, confusing enemies with shifting identities. However, these clones lack physical mass and will dissipate upon direct impact.
Usage and Limitations:
-The user must maintain steady control to keep the illusion intact.
-The transformation aspect of the clone is only as convincing as the user's ability to control details such as contouring, voice, posture, and mannerisms etc.
-The clone is easily seen through by leaving no footprints, not bending grass when stepping on it etc.
-A skilled shinobi can integrate this jutsu into feints, attacking from blind spots created by shifting clones.
-While more advanced users can transform clones into complex appearances, beginners may struggle with stability, leading to flickering illusions or partial transformations.
Kuroichi went over this particular jutsu again, this time not just skimming and reading over it haphazardly, but actually focusing on understanding everything that could be learned from these words.
He realized, as he read the text again and again, that as long as he was not being stupid and experimenting with things he shouldn't, there weren't many things he could do wrong with this jutsu. 'Makes sense, if it's being taught to children. I'll just do things by the book. Well at least for now..' he thought as he went over the text one last time, only to then roll up the scroll and seal it up with the rest of the scrolls again.
Kuroichi had memorized every word of the scroll, not finding great difficulty in such things anymore. He had noticed before that his thought processes, his memory and his overall state of mental being had improved visibly ever since he had unlocked chakra in this new body.
Where before he would have struggled to remember things in great detail or things he thought to be unimportant, now, he could remember even the smallest memory without much difficulty. His thoughts were not as jumbled anymore, making everything seem a bit lighter and not so dense and heavy.
He mulled over his improved mental state as he came to a stop and went through the process of actually using the clone jutsu again.
As Kuroichi stood with his posture straight but relaxed, he inhaled deeply, and with great precision, formed the hand seals for the transformation jutsu. Chakra swirled and molded itself within him and with a burst of effort he pushed it outward. A faint Puff of smoke appeared, but when his sight cleared, what stood before him was… a lumpy, misshapen blur. The form flickered for a moment before collapsing into nothing.
He had followed the instructions exactly, hadn't he?
'I'll definitely need to practice more', he thought as he tried again. Another surge of chakra, another burst of smoke, however this time an unstable, vague human shape emerged, but its proportions were all wrong. One arm was way longer than the other and its face was an unrecognizable smear. It flickered and vanished once more.
'At least there's progress. What exactly do I need to improve for the jutsu to actually work though?'
Then, he remembered something written in one of the scrolls: "Imagine the result clearly before executing the jutsu. Without a firm image in mind, the technique will falter."
Concentrating, he closed his eyes. He pictured himself, not just his shape, but the way he stood, the way his clothes draped over his frame, the way his dark hair framed his face. He envisioned his reflection in the river, the details he had seen through the rippling water's surface. His imagination became a real thing for him, not just something children would use when they play something. Holding onto that image, he performed the seals one last time.
"Bunshin no Jutsu!"
As the mist cleared, he stared at the figure before him. It wasn't perfect, the clone was faded at the edges, the colors off, but at least now it actually looked recognizable to him. If someone saw it from a distance, they could easily mistake it for a normal person.
A slow grin spread across his face. It wasn't mastery, not even proficiency. Not yet. But this was definitely a start.
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