When Madara saw what was written on the paper he was holding, he muttered to himself.

"As far as I know, this technique allows the user to create clones made of wood, which possess physical properties similar to those of the original user. These wood clones are durable and can perform various tasks, making them valuable assets in battle and reconnaissance missions. And a clone that is created by using chakra (qi) to alter the user's own cells into vegetation. With this ability, I can say that it's useful to me."

After that, he sat down again, crossed his legs, and took some time to comprehend how to perform it. After several hours, he slowly opened his eyes while still in a cross-legged position. In that position, he released his qi and circulated it throughout his body, gradually changing it into the wood element. As he released it from his body, Madara carefully shaped the wood that emerged from his body until it took the form of a person standing in front of him.

Madara couldn't believe what he was witnessing because the figure in front of him was himself. Nevertheless, he noticed something about its appearance and physique; it seemed lifeless, like a wilted vegetable, in its posture. He decided to stand up from his seat to closely examine the clone he had created using his own qi.

He walked around his standing clone and observed it from every perspective he could manage. Afterward, he muttered his assessment of the result of his creation.

"It seems I will also struggle with this technique. There are many flaws, such as its appearance and physique; it looks like it's on the verge of death with its shriveled body. Furthermore, it lacks nostrils and ears, not to mention its uneven eyebrows. In its hands, the left one is missing fingers, while the right one has extra, and the same applies to its feet. The only accurate aspects are its height and the length and style of its hair, which closely resemble mine. Everything else is flawed."

Afterward, Madara returned his clone to his own body. He sighed deeply, realizing that he still had much to consider to perfect the appearance of his clone. Nevertheless, he tried again, but unfortunately, the result remained the same. Exhausted, he leaned against a tree and pondered where he might be going wrong with the technique. After meditating to replenish his lost qi and hours of contemplation, he slowly opened his eyes. During his meditation, he had an idea of how to resolve the flaws in the technique.

"That might work. There's nothing to lose if I try it."

He was about to start training when he noticed that the surroundings were beginning to darken, signaling that the sun was setting. Madara decided to postpone his training and began to gather his belongings near his location. As he picked them up, he glanced up at the waterfall to see if Li Lu was still there, and he wasn't mistaken; she was still there, meditating. So he went to her to persuade her to go home.

As Madara ascended to the top of the waterfall, Li Lu remained in her meditative position, prompting him to glance around for a suitable spot to sit. Finding one, he settled down, quietly observing her. After some time, Li Lu slowly opened her eyes, and she noticed Madara looking at her.

"Madara, have you been here for a while?"

He replied, "Not really; I was waiting for you to finish what you were doing because it's getting late."

With that, Li Lu turned her attention to the setting sun and swiftly rose from her seat to gather her belongings nearby. Once satisfied that she hadn't left anything behind, Li Lu accepted Madara's invitation to head home.

"It's getting dark here," Madara remarked as they descended from the waterfall.

Li Lu simply nodded in response to Madara's comment. As they walked, Li Lu stole glances at Madara's back, quietly smiling to herself and whispering in her mind as she watched his back.

"I wish it could always be like this."

After a few hours of walking through the dense forest, they finally emerged, and before parting ways, Madara suggested they go to the training area together since they were both headed there anyway. Li Lu readily agreed to his suggestion.

By the time Madara returned home, he had eaten the food his sister had left for him before heading straight to his room to rest and sleep. The next morning, after breakfast and getting ready, Madara prepared the things he needed for the day, such as food for lunch, a sack, and his wooden sword. As he opened the door to leave, he saw Li Lu waiting outside, prompting her to ask,

"Have you been waiting outside for a while, Li Lu?"

She happily replied, "No, I just arrived."

When Madara heard this, he invited her to walk towards their training area. Upon arrival, Li Lu headed towards the waterfall, while Madara went to the flat ground. Once Madara reached the training ground, he did some warm-up exercises, then sat cross-legged at his spot and began to meditate.

While meditating with his eyes closed, Madara started contemplating whether his idea would work. In that position, he released his qi and circulated it throughout his body. Once he achieved that, he slowly released it from his body, and as it emerged, it gradually transformed into the wood element.

As this happened, Madara imagined his entire body from head to toe while gathering his qi within himself and directing it towards the wood element that he had previously released throughout his body. After finishing that, he slowly opened his eyes from his meditative position, and after that, he was greeted by his clone standing in front of him, prompting him to quickly stand up from his seated position to check for any changes. After examining his clone from various angles he could think of, he smiled because there were indeed some changes in its clone.

"I didn't expect my theory about this to be correct."

Nevertheless, Madara continued his training in the Wood Clone Technique, and before the day ended, he had successfully mastered the technique. He was sweaty and exhausted from the repetitive trial and error he went through, but despite that, he was satisfied with the result of his training. Afterward, he invited Li Lu to go home again.

The next morning at the training area, Madara focused on how to release the wood clone even with his eyes open, just as he did the previous day, which took him until nightfall to accomplish while maintaining consciousness. Once finished, Madara reintegrated his clone back into his body and lay down on the grassy ground due to exhaustion.

While lying down, Madara gazed at the orange sky and muttered, "Finally, I've created a wood clone that is indistinguishable from the original me. However, I still can't command it or make it release its own qi."

As Madara lay there, a face appeared in front of him. "Li Lu, is that you? Have you finished what you were doing?"

She sat down beside him and answered him, "Yes, Madara, I've finished my training." She noticed that his attention was focused on the setting sun, Li Lu asked him again, "Madara, are you watching the sunset?"

Upon hearing this, Madara promptly responded, "Yes, Li Lu, I am watching the sunset. Would you like to know why?"

Li Lu nodded in response to his question. Seeing this, Madara turned his gaze back to the setting sun. "Sunsets symbolize the fleeting nature of time and the impermanence of life. They remind us that everything has a beginning and an end, urging us to appreciate the present moment and cherish what we have."

When Li Lu heard Madara's words, she was intrigued, so she also looked at the setting sun. After a while, Madara rose from his lying position and noticed that Li Lu was still gazing at the setting sun, so he offered her his hand to help her stand up.

Seeing this gesture from Madara, Li Lu looked at him standing up, and as she gazed at his face, she noticed a slight smile on his face, combined with the atmosphere around them illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. Witnessing this scene, Li Lu couldn't help but smile back as she took Madara's hand. Once she stood up, they began to walk out of the forest together.

The next morning, at the same training area, after Madara finished his warm-up exercises, he retrieved a piece of paper tucked inside his clothing and read the last technique written on it. "The last one is the 'Raiton: Kangekiha' or Lightning Release: Shockwave technique."

"What I remember about this technique is that it allows the user to release a surge of electrical energy from their body, typically through physical contact, to shock or stun their opponents. It can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes, delivering a powerful shock to opponents or disrupting their movements."

After that, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate intently.