Unlike the regular clone jutsu which can only create a mere illusion of its user, the Shadow Clone jutsu enabled its user to create a true clone of themselves. That means the clone is not only similar in physical traits and attributes, but it also possesses the chakra and most of the abilities of the original body. Furthermore, the clones also have a mental link to the original body that allows them to transfer every newly acquired knowledge and experience to the user.
Unfortunately, this jutsu forced the users to divide their chakra evenly to the clones. So the more clones that they create, the smaller the amount of chakra that each of them possess, thus the weaker they become. That is why most shinobi simply use the Shadow Clone jutsu on recon missions or briefly use them to fool or distract their opponents. But that is not the case at all with Naruto. He manages to find unique ways to use this technique to help him overcome various situations. Here are some of them.
Accelerate Training
As mentioned earlier, every clone created through the Shadow Clone jutsu shares every newly acquired information and experience both to their fellow clones and the original body as well. So in theory, a shinobi can create multiple shadow clones to accelerate their training. Think of it like this, by creating multiple shadow clones and having them read different books, the user can effectively read multiple books at the same time. The more the clones created, the faster the training would be. So by using this method, a training that should take months to complete can be done in just a couple of hours.
That being said, the clones not only share the newly acquired information and experience, but also the physical and mental fatigue as well. So if a regular shinobi uses this training method and forces themselves to create multiple shadow clones, they will pass out in a matter of minutes. That’s why for most shinobi, the burden that the original body has to bear in terms of fatigue and chakra consumption is not worth the accelerated training time.
However, that is not the case at all for Naruto. After all, Naruto possesses about four times more chakra than regular shinobi. And if he decides to tap into the Nine-Tailed Chakra, then he will have about 100 times more. That is why Naruto is the only shinobi that can use the Shadow Clone jutsu to accelerate his training. As a matter of fact, he’s been using it numerous times throughout the series. Most notably to train the Rasenshuriken jutsu.
Executing Complex Technique
Speaking of Rasenshuriken, it is actually an original jutsu created by Naruto himself. It is a technique that combines Rasengan, an A-rank jutsu, with Naruto’s wind chakra. Rasengan itself is actually a technique that manipulates and condensed a huge amount of chakra into the form of a sphere that rotates at high speed. Combining that to a user’s chakra nature is a nearly impossible thing to do. Not even the fourth Hokage, the creator of Rasengan, can achieve that feat. That is why Rasenshuriken is considered to be an extremely complex S-rank jutsu.
So how can Naruto manage to achieve something that his father and his mentors are unable to do? Once again, the reason is because of the Shadow Clone jutsu. As mentioned earlier, each Shadow Clones have a portion of the user’s chakra and abilities. Since creating Rasengan, embedding the wind chakra, and then keeping the whole thing stable requires an absurd amount of focus and computational power that no one person can do, Naruto decided to just share the burden with his Shadow Clone instead.
So in order to create the Rasenshuriken, Naruto summoned two Shadow Clones. The first one is responsible for creating the form of the rasengan, the second one is responsible for embedding the wind chakra into it, and the original body emits the chakra and stabilizes it. By dividing the responsibility into three different bodies, Naruto manages to execute the S-rank Rasenshuriken.
Storing Senjutsu Chakra
Unlike ninjutsu that comes from the innate chakra that exist within every living being, senjutsu comes from the chakra gathered through nature itself. Since there’s an abundant and nearly limitless amount of chakra flowing around freely in nature, a senjutsu user can gather this chakra whenever and wherever they want, and store it within their body. By harnessing and manipulating the senjutsu, one can achieve the sage mode, and enhance their physical and ninjutsu abilities exponentially.
That being said, gathering senjutsu requires its user to be completely still. Any kind of movements during the storing process can cause them their life. That is why the user will either stay still and store the chakra and then fight until they exhaust the senjutsu, or get some help from summoned creatures to stay still and store the chakra for them while they fight, like Jiraiya’s sage mode.
Naruto, however, uses an entirely different approach. Rather than relying on summoned creatures, he uses his shadow clones instead. So before he heads out to the battlefield, he would prepare several shadow clones and have them store the Senjutsu chakra inside them.
So whenever the real Naruto exhausts his senjutsu, he can simply cancel one of the shadow clones, and the senjutsu that is stored inside it will instantly flow into Naruto. This method allows him to stay in the sage mode way longer. As a matter of fact, this is precisely the technique that he used to fight Pain during the Konoha Assault arc. Thanks to this technique, Naruto managed to stay in sage mode for the majority of that fight.
All of these unique ways of utilizing the Shadow Clone jutsu is possible not only because Naruto has a huge reserve of chakra, but also due to his unique way of approaching problems. Naruto can always find a unique solution that nobody would’ve ever thought of before. That is how he managed to elevate this seemingly regular technique into a highly versatile jutsu.