The moment Ren’s shadow clone appeared, it looked around at the other students and caught the envy in their eyes.
A crooked grin spread across its face.
“You’ve got some nerve, Original.
You get to stand there looking cool while I do all the dirty work.” “Quit whining.
You’re a shadow clone.” Ren pointed at Ebisu.
“See the kid in the sunglasses?
Beat him and prove he isn’t even strong enough to handle one of my clones.” Ebisu stared nervously at Ren.
If he lost to a shadow clone, he would never hear the end of it!
“The kid in the shades?” The clone tilted its head.
“Yeah, those are definitely a creep’s sunglasses.
He could stare at anyone he wanted, and nobody would ever know where his eyes were pointing.” It turned back toward Ren.
“You should get yourself a pair.
You’re too young to care now, but once you’re older, you’ll be able to stare all day without getting caught.” “Could you talk less and fight more?” “Fight?” The clone grinned.
“You can’t boss me around anymore!” “I took half your chakra when you created me.
If you dispel me and make another clone, the new one will only get a quarter of your original chakra.
There’s no way a clone that weak can beat Ebisu, and then your big dramatic entrance will look pathetic.” It folded its arms smugly.
“So go on.
Beg me.” The entire class stared in disbelief.
Ren had somehow managed to create a clone that bullied him!
That took a special kind of commitment.
The boy was so vicious that even another version of himself was not safe!
Ren’s eyelid twitched.
A shadow clone possessed the original’s memories, skills, and personality at the instant it was created.
In almost every sense, the thing standing before him was another Ren.
“Shut up!
Where did your common sense go?
A quarter of my chakra would still be more than enough to beat Ebisu.
Don’t make me slap you myself.” “Then dispel me,” the clone challenged.
“Go ahead.
Make another one.” “Don’t push your luck…” Ebisu could not endure being treated like some irrelevant side character any longer.
He charged straight at Ren.
The clone immediately stepped in front of its creator.
“Your opponent is me, Sunglasses Creep!” “I have never spied on anyone!” “Maybe not, but you certainly dressed for the job.
What normal six-year-old wears sunglasses indoors?
Even my original has more dignity than that.
When he grows up and starts staring at people, at least he’ll do it openly!” Asuma watched Ebisu anxiously from the sidelines.
Ebisu was taking Ren’s attention away from him, so Asuma desperately wanted him to win.
Ebisu threw a textbook-perfect straight punch.
His rear leg drove against the ground, his hips turned correctly, and he stopped at exactly the right distance.
Smack!
The shadow clone caught the punch in one steady hand.
Anything Ren could do, the clone could do as well—including the White Fang–Style Taijutsu Ren had spent so much time practicing.
The technique was extremely adaptable.
If used correctly, the chakra stored in his tenketsu gave him five explosive bursts of speed or strength, making it more than good enough to serve as the foundation of his close-combat style.
The clone squeezed Ebisu’s fist.
“That was a punch?
I’ve been hit harder by bread.” Ebisu had secretly hoped that Ren had disguised an ordinary illusionary clone as a shadow clone.
The solid resistance against his fist crushed that hope completely.
Ren really was a five-year-old capable of using the Shadow Clone Technique.
For the first time, Ebisu began to resent his father.
It was bad enough that Eishirō constantly tried to win favor with the Sarutobi clan.
Why did Ebisu have to suffer for it too?
Was he really expected to keep challenging this lunatic?
Ebisu pulled his fist back and launched a full-powered side kick.
Chakra exploded through the tenketsu in the clone’s leg.
It drove its knee upward and slammed it against the bottom of Ebisu’s foot.
The impact sent a jolt through Ebisu’s entire body.
He was knocked backward and landed hard on his rear.
The clone shook its head in disappointment.
“He’s terrible.
Original, are you sure this kid’s fundamentals are supposed to be good?” Ebisu’s face turned bright red.
It was humiliating!
He had spent years privately drilling the basics under his father, yet he still could not match Ren in taijutsu.
Embarrassed and furious, Ebisu scrambled back to his feet and charged the shadow clone again.
The clone reached into its ninja tool pouch and pulled out two shuriken.
Instructor Yamano tensed when he saw the sharpened weapons and prepared to intervene, but then he noticed the steel wires attached to them.
The Uchiha’s Manipulated Shuriken Technique.
There was no need to panic.
The two shuriken shot forward, trailing nearly invisible wire behind them.
By the time Ebisu reached the clone, the wires had already wrapped around his arms and legs.
His limbs were pulled together, and he crashed face-first into the dirt at the clone’s feet.
Ebisu raised his head in despair.
The sun hung directly behind the shadow clone’s shoulder, forcing Ebisu to squint into the glare.
Against that blinding light, the clone seemed impossibly tall and menacing.
The clone burst out laughing.
“Original, this idiot got scammed by his own fundamentals!” “Punches, kicks, and proper footwork are important, sure.
They’re so important that they’ll let you beat up ordinary civilians really efficiently!” It tugged on the wire.
“But the second I used one slightly advanced ninja technique, he had no idea what to do.
The poor guy has spent years convincing himself that doing the basics perfectly will somehow make up for learning nothing else.” The clone planted one foot on Ebisu’s shoulder and continued mocking him.
“From this day forward, I, Uchiha Ren’s shadow clone, officially name you Fundamentals-for-Brains!” “Keep practicing, Fundamentals-for-Brains.
One day, you might become the greatest civilian-beater in Konoha.
Fighting actual shinobi clearly isn’t for you—” [A nearby shinobi has suffered severe emotional damage.
The Emotional Damage System is now activating…] Ren had been about to stop his clone.
Even by his standards, it was going too far!
The moment he heard the system notification, however, his concern vanished and was replaced with anticipation.
[Ebisu has suffered emotional damage.
Extracting abilities associated with Ebisu.
The host may select one of the following three rewards.] [Option One: Basic power-generation technique for a straight punch.] [Option Two: Chakra reserves equal to 0.1 Kakashi.] [Option Three: Basic hip-rotation technique.] The first and third options were both methods of generating power in taijutsu.
They might help Ren refine a few movements, but neither would make a major difference.
He selected the second option.
His chakra reserves immediately rose from 0.3 Kakashi to 0.4.
The shadow clone suddenly stiffened.
Sensing danger, it turned toward Ren.
“Hold on!
What are you doing?
You’re not about to dispel me, are you?
I fought the match, and now you’re going to steal all the credit?
At least let me insult him two more times.
Just two!
You—” Poof!
The shadow clone, the shuriken, and the steel wires all vanished in a cloud of white smoke.
Ren walked over and stopped beside Ebisu.
“Ebisu, I’ll admit my shadow clone went a little too far.
His intentions were good, though.” Ebisu stared at him from the ground.
“Fundamentals are useful, but you can’t use them to lie to yourself.
A shinobi still needs to learn powerful and sophisticated techniques.” “I heard Lord Orochimaru has studied nearly every jutsu in Konoha.
That’s what someone who truly wants to become strong should aim for.” Ren sighed as though he genuinely pitied him.
“Your path doesn’t lead anywhere, Ebisu.
Perfecting the basics might get you to the second floor, but the shinobi world is a hundred-story tower.” He leaned closer.
“So, Fundamentals-for-Brains, did any of that sink in?” Ebisu slowly stood.
Dirt covered his face, and it was impossible to tell whether the wet streaks running through it came from tears, saliva, or both.
The last of Asuma’s hope quietly died.
Ebisu had done his best.
Asuma walked over and placed an arm around his shoulders.
“Ebisu, you did well.
You forced Ren to reveal the Manipulated Shuriken Technique.
In a real battle, uncovering an enemy’s hidden technique would be valuable intelligence.” From a second-floor window of the Academy, Eishirō watched his son standing shoulder to shoulder with Asuma.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.