Chapter 15
But just a small change in how the technique was used could give Bunshin no Jutsu some real combat value.
For instance, what if the clone and the real body moved as one during close combat?
Normally, once the opponent figures out which is the clone, they can just ignore the illusions. But if the clone overlaps perfectly with the real body, it becomes impossible to disregard.
Let's say I throw a punch—how would the opponent know if it's a real hit or just a clone's illusion?
If they don't block or dodge and it turns out to be real, they get hit. But if they do dodge or block and it turns out to be a fake, they've wasted time—and opened themselves up.
It's not a particularly sophisticated move, but it could be quite effective early on... especially against rookies.
Natsuki even gave it a name: Bunshin Gattai no Jutsu – Clone Integration Technique.
He summoned a few wooden puppets again, formed hand seals, and layered a clone perfectly on top of himself. Then he began sparring with the puppets.
Naturally, he got distracted—and once again got smacked in the head by a puppet.
"Tch! Dammit—get outta here, get outta here!" Natsuki scowled. "Ugh, I really must be losing it. Puppets can't react to illusions. I need an actual person to test this on."
He realized he'd gotten too absorbed in his research again. Two whacks to the head from his own puppets in one night.
Still, this second project was more or less complete. He could test it later on a real opponent, maybe even during the next combat training class. It shouldn't raise too many eyebrows.