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