KONOHAMARU SHIPPUDEN

Chapter 14

The early morning light spilled over the Sarutobi compound, painting the training grounds in soft gold. Konohamaru stood in the middle of the field, his hands on his hips and a determined grin on his face. A small pile of objects lay before him: stones, sticks, leaves, and even a handful of kunai.

"Alright," he muttered, cracking his knuckles, "time to push this transformation thing to the next level."

Experiment 1: Animated Stone Army

Konohamaru picked up a handful of stones, their cool weight resting in his palm. Closing his eyes, he focused his chakra, envisioning each stone morphing into a miniature version of himself. Slowly, he felt the energy flow into the stones, reshaping them.

A puff of smoke later, a squad of tiny stone Konohamarus stood before him. Each one was barely six inches tall, their features eerily identical to his own.

"Alright, troops," Konohamaru declared, pointing dramatically at a wooden training dummy nearby. "Attack!"

The miniature army charged, their tiny legs pumping furiously as they approached the dummy. The first few leapt up, delivering comically small punches and kicks. One even tried to headbutt the dummy, bouncing off with a soft clink.

Konohamaru burst out laughing. "Okay, not bad for a first attempt. But you guys need some serious upgrades."

Experiment 2: Armored Clone

This time, Konohamaru decided to focus on creating a stronger, more durable version of his standard clone. He grabbed a kunai and a few rocks, channeling his chakra into them while visualizing a version of himself clad in stone armor.

The result was… mixed.

The armored clone stood tall, its body encased in jagged rock plates. But as soon as it tried to move, the armor cracked and fell apart, leaving the clone standing awkwardly in the rubble.

"Note to self," Konohamaru muttered, rubbing his chin, "stone armor needs flexibility."

Experiment 3: Transformation Chain

For his next trick, Konohamaru wanted to see if he could transform one object into another… and then another. He picked up a stick, concentrating as he infused it with his chakra. The stick morphed into a kunai, its edges sharp and gleaming.

"Alright, now let's take it further," he said, narrowing his eyes. He focused again, imagining the kunai transforming into a small wooden doll. The kunai shimmered, its shape shifting until a simple doll sat in his hand.

"Yes!" Konohamaru cheered, holding up the doll triumphantly. But as he did, the doll let out a small pop and reverted back into the original stick.

"Okay, so the chain transformations don't last long," he noted. "Still, progress is progress."

Experiment 4: Living Object Clone

Emboldened by his earlier success with the animated stone figure, Konohamaru grabbed a leaf and focused on transforming it into a living, breathing clone. He imagined the leaf not just taking on his appearance but also gaining independent movement and thought.

The chakra swirled around the leaf, and with a puff of smoke, a miniature Konohamaru appeared. But something was… off.

The leaf clone was jittery, its movements erratic. It spun in circles, occasionally bumping into rocks or tripping over its own feet.

Konohamaru crouched down, watching it with a mix of amusement and concern. "Hey, buddy, you okay?"

The clone stopped spinning and looked up at him, its tiny eyes wide and slightly unfocused. "I'm… I'm fine!" it squeaked, its voice high-pitched and shaky. "Just… uh… processing all this chakra stuff!"

Konohamaru sighed, picking up the clone and setting it on a nearby rock. "Okay, so maybe living clones are a bit too advanced for now."

Experiment 5: Large-Scale Transformation

For his final experiment of the morning, Konohamaru decided to go big—literally. He dragged a large boulder to the center of the training grounds, its surface rough and uneven.

"Let's see if I can turn this bad boy into a giant version of me," he said, rolling up his sleeves.

He placed both hands on the boulder, channeling his chakra with all his focus. The boulder shimmered, its edges softening as it began to take shape. Slowly but surely, the rough surface smoothed out, and a massive version of Konohamaru's face emerged.

"Ha! Nailed it!" he exclaimed, stepping back to admire his work. But as he did, the giant stone head wobbled precariously.

"Uh-oh."

The head toppled over, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. Dust flew everywhere, and Konohamaru coughed, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Okay, so maybe 'giant me' isn't the best idea," he admitted, brushing dirt off his clothes.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Konohamaru sat cross-legged in the shade of a tree, surrounded by the remnants of his experiments. The tiny stone army stood at attention, the armored clone lay in pieces, and the jittery leaf clone was still spinning in circles.

"Not bad for a morning's work," he said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.