11: Transformation Jutsu

“Simply put, Transformation Jutsu lets you take on the appearance of another person—or even an object.”

Iruka paced at the front of the room, hands folded behind his back. “It has applications in combat, infiltration, and retreat. Done well, it can fool almost anyone. The only real counter is a sensor-type shinobi.”

The class was quiet. Even the students who’d been nodding off had perked up.

Iruka raised both hands and wove a single seal.

Poof.

White smoke billowed across the front of the room. When it cleared, the man standing at the chalkboard was no longer Iruka—he was an old man in layered Hokage robes, a wide-brimmed hat, a pipe clamped between his teeth.

Half the class leaned forward.

That’s… the Third Hokage. From the stone faces on the mountain.

Shin blinked.

Another poof, and Iruka was back, clearing his throat twice until the noise settled.

“That’s roughly what it looks like. And—” he added, a little stiffly, “—what you just saw stays in this room.”

“Yes, sensei,” the class said in unison, followed immediately by a ripple of barely-suppressed laughter.

Iruka’s eye twitched.

“Sensei, what does it look like when you transform into an object?”

He thought about it for a second. Then he wove the seal again.

Poof.

A chair sat where he’d been standing.

More gasps. Shin watched with genuine curiosity, his eyes tracing the legs, the backrest, every detail.

Iruka reappeared.

“Sensei, can we sit on it?”

The room erupted in agreement.

“…”

Iruka’s jaw tightened. He slapped both palms on his desk.

“Quiet! No disruptions!”

He straightened up. “Now. Principles. Everyone pay attention.”

The room settled.

“Transformation Jutsu works in two ways.” He held up one finger. “First: you wrap your chakra around yourself like a second skin, molding it into whatever shape you want.”

He held up a second finger. “Second: think of your chakra as a container. You become the water inside it—your form flows to match.”

“Next—hand seals.” A third finger. “Transformation Jutsu uses only one seal. The Ram.”

He demonstrated the gesture. “You’ve all practiced this before. It should be second nature by now. The seal redirects your chakra flow and anchors the transformation.”

He scanned the room. “Who wants to come up and try?”

Silence. Students glanced at each other, no one moving.

Even Kiba stayed quiet, which surprised Shin a little.

Iruka sighed. His gaze settled on a particular dark-haired boy near the window.

“Sasuke. Want to give it a go?”

Every head turned. Sasuke’s expression didn’t change. He stood, walked to the front without a word, and took his place at Iruka’s side.

“Alright—first, channel your chakra toward—”

Sasuke had already formed the seal.

Poof.

The smoke cleared. Two Irukas stood at the front of the room—one the real one, one slightly shorter, with a child’s proportions.

Iruka stared.

I wasn’t finished talking.

He pressed a hand to his forehead.

But the class had already exploded.

“Oh my god—”

“Sasuke-kun!”

“He’s so cool—”

Sasuke released the jutsu and stepped off the platform, expression unchanged. On his way back to his seat, his gaze flicked briefly toward Shin.

Shin raised an eyebrow.

Show-off.

“Hmph.” Sasuke dropped into his chair, arms crossed, looking at the wall.

Shin kept his face neutral.

“Sasuke had clearly practiced that before,” Shino said from beside him, voice low and factual. “The movements were too smooth for a first attempt.”

Shin nodded. He glanced over at Shino’s other side. “What about you?”

“No.” Shino shook his head once. “My father hasn’t taught me.”

“Kiba?”

A pause.

“…No.”

Iruka cleared his throat again.

“Sasuke’s transformation was excellent. Nearly flawless.” He straightened. “That said, everyone still needs to keep practicing.”

“Anyone else want to try? It’s not as hard as it looks.” He let the warmth creep back into his voice, coaxing.

“Me!”

The room turned.

Naruto had shot his hand into the air, half out of his seat, bouncing on his heels.

Iruka’s face went through three emotions in quick succession.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this.

“…Alright, Naruto. Come on up.”

Naruto was already moving, practically jogging to the front. He flashed Shin a grin on the way past—confident, wide, unbothered.

Shin watched him go.

“Okay, Naruto, let’s start with the basics—first, you’ll want to—”

“Transformation Jutsu!”

Naruto formed the seal and shouted the name all at once.

Poof.

Iruka closed his eyes.

Slowly, the smoke cleared.

Standing at the front of the room was a version of Iruka—sort of. The face was right. The forehead protector was wrong, replaced with a pair of goggles. The hair was blond. And the body was unmistakably Naruto-sized, a head shorter than the real thing.

Three seconds of absolute silence.

Then the room lost it.

“Oh my god—”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Is that supposed to be Iruka-sensei?!”

“HAHAHAHA—”

Iruka looked at his transformed student. His eye twitched.

Then he walked over and knocked his fist down on top of Naruto’s head, releasing the jutsu in an instant.

“I told you to listen first!”

“Ow—!” Naruto grabbed his head, eyes watering, staring up at Iruka with the most wounded expression imaginable.

“Go sit down.”

Naruto shuffled back to his seat, hands still cradling his head.

“…That said.” Iruka straightened his jacket, composing himself. “For a first attempt, Naruto actually did reasonably well. Some imperfections are expected.”

Naruto looked up from his seat with the expression of a man who had been both punished and praised in the same breath and wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Iruka ignored him.

“Anyone else? I promise it’s not that hard. Naruto managed it.”

Naruto: ???

Iruka’s gaze drifted toward the window row. “Shin—how about you?”

“Sure.” Shin stood.

“Good luck,” Shino said.

Shin walked to the front and turned to face the class. Dozens of eyes looked back at him.

“Alright—” Iruka began, “—first, you’ll want to—”

He paused, studying Shin for a moment. Then he exhaled.

“Actually, you were paying attention. You know what to do.”

Shin smiled slightly and nodded.

“Go ahead, then—” Iruka started.

“Wait!”

Shin had already formed the Ram seal. He turned his head at Iruka’s sudden outburst.

“You don’t have to use me as a model,” Iruka said, a little too quickly. “You can transform into someone else. Anyone you like.”

“…”

Shin looked out at the class. His gaze moved slowly across the rows.

It landed on someone.

The corner of his mouth curved.

Chakra. Ram seal.

“Transformation Jutsu.”

Poof.

The smoke took its time clearing.

When it did, the room went completely silent.

“…That’s…”

“Is that—Sas—Sasuke—?!”

Standing at the front of the room was Sasuke Uchiha—dark hair, pale skin, the Uchiha fan on the back of his collar. Nearly identical in every detail.

Except this version was smiling.

The room detonated.

“SASUKE-KUN—!”

“Oh my god he’s SMILING—”

“I think I’m going to cry—”

“He’s looking at me—he’s looking RIGHT AT ME—”

Ino stared between the Sasuke on stage and the Sasuke in his seat, her face going steadily pink. Shin transformed into… Sasuke. And he’s smiling. The Sasuke on stage is smiling. Her brain made several attempts to process this.

Sakura, beside her, had gone the color of a tomato.

At his desk, the real Sasuke had gone very still. His fists were closed.

Poof.

Shin stood at the front of the room again, his own face, one corner of his mouth still turned up. He felt a pointed stare drilling into the side of his head from across the room and didn’t look.

“QUIET!” Iruka slammed both palms on the desk. The screaming faded by degrees.

He exhaled slowly.

“Shin’s transformation was—very good. Almost no flaws. Keep practicing.”

Talented kids never make my life easier, he thought.

Shin stepped off the platform. The girls in the front rows watched him go.

The transformation wasn’t that difficult, he thought, walking back to his seat. Sasuke and I are about the same build. Mostly just facial features. He filed that away. Transforming into Iruka would’ve been harder.

He passed Sasuke’s desk.

“Hmph.”

Shin glanced over. Sasuke was glaring at him—actually glaring, jaw set, a faint flush across his cheekbones that he was clearly pretending didn’t exist.

Shin smiled at him. Easy and open, eyes curving.

Sasuke’s gaze snapped to the wall.

“…”

Interesting, Shin thought, and kept walking.

---

“Naruto Uzumaki! Kiba Inuzuka!”

Iruka’s voice hit every corner of the classroom and bounced back.

“Sleeping in my class? Both of you—out. Now. Stand in the hall.”

“Tch. He noticed.” Kiba sat up, wiping the corner of his mouth with zero shame, and stood.

Shin watched him go.

Naruto followed, expression painfully unconcerned.

“The rest of you—” Iruka turned back to the class, sweeping his gaze across every drowsy face. A few students jolted upright. “—pay attention. All of you.”

A beat.

“Shikamaru Nara!”

A groan from the back.

“Out.”