How intelligent are elemental clones?


While Shadow Clones replicate the user's body completely and are thus just as
smart (or moronic) as the user, other clones based on elements are simply
models constructed out of a particular material animated by chakra.

In the early stages of the story, Zabuza delegates fighting Naruto and Sasuke
to a Water Clone. Is there any indication whether it was acting independently,
or just executing simple commands from Zabuza himself? Are there examples of
other elemental clones functioning without the original present?




Water clones and other elemental clones are only given the intelligence that
the user provides, this is proven when Zabuza gives his own clones orders. The
clones act not as their own will but controlled like puppets. This could be
googled but I don't trust sources such as those.

Sources: [Shadow clone Jitsu and other clone
technuiqes](https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/Clone_Techniques)

