The pain in Renjiro's shoulder was intense, but he gritted his teeth and popped it back into place with a sharp jerk.
"Pop!"
Renjiro had managed to move his head just in time, hitting the ground with his right shoulder. His chest throbbed where the impact had bruised his ribs, but even as he felt the pain, he also felt something else—a warmth spreading through his body as his enhanced regeneration kicked in, mending the damage faster than any normal person could.
He was grateful for it now more than ever. Without it, Kaya's move might have ended the fight then and there.
'He knows the eight gates, I just hope he is not experienced with the technique. If he has mastered more than the five gates, then this might go from hard to dangerous.' Renjiro thought.
Kaya stood a short distance away, panting slightly but wearing a smirk of satisfaction. He knew the effectiveness of his attack, and he had expected it to do significant damage. But when Renjiro stood up, still ready to fight, Kaya's smirk deepened.
"You're tougher than you look," he said, respect evident in his tone.
Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he assessed his opponent. Kaya's smirk was confident, but there was no arrogance in it—just the acknowledgement of a worthy adversary. Renjiro couldn't afford to underestimate him.
'I can't win this with just taijutsu,' Renjiro realized, 'but that's not what this fight is about.'
This was just a spar, so Renjiro was having a hard time between staying his hand or going all out. Doing the former would be better, but that would be an anti-climactic end to a spar that Renjiro enjoyed.
So he decided to go with the latter option and continue with the spar. Now he had to choose how he was going to approach it, because there were things he could not reveal yet, especially with the countless pair of eyes on the two chunins.
'I can't use my chains, so that's off the table.' Renjiro thought. This ability of his was already known but by a limited number of people in the village who were either close to him or his superiors. And Renjiro was not planning on increasing that number of people any time soon.
'Even without it, I can still manage to win this.'
With renewed determination, Renjiro lunged at Kaya, and the battle resumed. The two fighters moved with a speed and intensity that made it difficult for the spectators to keep up. Each strike was a calculated effort to find an opening, each counter a testament to their skill and experience.
As they exchanged blows, Kaya could feel the strain of the fight starting to take its toll. The frontal lotus had already taken a lot from him but his opponent was no pushover as he could still go on.
His breathing grew heavier, his muscles aching from the continuous exertion. But he was far from done. He had trained for years to push his body to its limits and beyond, and he wasn't about to let up now.
Finally, Kaya made his move. He took a deep breath and focused, summoning the strength from deep within his body. His chakra reserves were limited, but they were just enough for what he needed to do.
He pushed past another barrier that held his power in check, feeling the surge of energy as he opened the second gate—the Gate of Healing.
Renjiro saw the change immediately. Kaya's eyes blazed with intensity, his movements becoming almost too fast to follow. He launched himself at Renjiro with renewed ferocity, his strikes hitting with even greater force than before. Each punch and kick was a blur of motion, and Renjiro found himself barely able to keep up.
'He's opened the second gate,' Renjiro realized with a mix of awe and dread. The increased speed and power were overwhelming, and Renjiro knew he was in serious trouble.
The crowd watched in awe as the fight reached its climax. The intensity of the battle was unlike anything they had seen before from such young shinobi. The spectators were riveted by the display of skill and determination on both sides.
Kaya's eyes narrowed as he sized up Renjiro. Despite the exhaustion creeping into his limbs, his mind remained sharp, calculating his next move.
"You're a strong one," Kaya remarked. But even as he spoke, he had something else in mind.
Without warning, Kaya lunged at Renjiro, closing the distance between them in an instant.
He launched a few more blows towards Renjiro and as the latter blocked them, Kaya grabbed Renjiro's wrist with a grip that was both firm and deliberate, manipulating his opponent's fingers into the precise hand signs needed for a jutsu. Renjiro's eyes widened in surprise, realizing too late what Kaya was doing.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Kaya shouted, channelling his chakra.
In rapid succession, four massive fireballs erupted from Kaya's mouth, roaring toward Renjiro with blistering speed. Each fireball was a blazing inferno, the heat from them searing the air around them.
Renjiro reacted quickly, his body moving on instinct as he dodged the first fireball by rolling to the side. The second one followed closely behind, forcing him to leap backwards to avoid being engulfed in flames.
The third and fourth fireballs came in quick succession, but Renjiro was already on the move, using his agility and quick reflexes to stay just ahead of the fiery barrage.
The flames roared past him, exploding into the ground where he had stood just moments before. The impact sent shockwaves through the earth, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.
Renjiro landed in a crouch, his mind racing as he formulated a plan to counter Kaya's relentless assault.
He slammed his hands onto the ground, channelling his chakra into the earth beneath him.
"Doton: Doryuuheki!" Renjiro called out.
In response, a series of massive earth walls erupted from the ground, forming a protective barrier between him and Kaya. The walls were thick and sturdy, each one reinforced with Renjiro's chakra to withstand the destructive force of the fireballs.
Kaya, undeterred, continued to launch fireball after fireball at Renjiro. The first few collided with the earth's walls, smashing into them with a thunderous roar and sending cracks spider-webbing across their surfaces.
The heat from the flames caused the earth to glow red-hot, but Renjiro's chakra-infused walls held strong, absorbing most of the impact.
But Kaya's fireballs were relentless, and as they continued to strike the walls, they began to wear them down. One by one, the earth walls crumbled under the pressure, chunks of rock and soil being blasted away by the sheer force of the attacks.
However, Renjiro had created numerous walls, each one designed to buy him just enough time to execute his next move.
As the final earth wall was reduced to rubble, Kaya saw his opportunity. He prepared to move in, aiming to catch Renjiro off guard. But just as he was about to make his move, Renjiro emerged from the ground directly behind him, his hands crackling with lightning.
"Chidori!" Renjiro called out.
The sight of the Chidori caused the crowd to gasp in surprise. It was the first time they were seeing a jutsu like this. The air around Renjiro hummed with the intensity of the lightning, the sound of it sharp and crackling like a thousand birds chirping at once.
But Renjiro knew the dangers of using such a technique in a spar, especially against an opponent like Kaya. He had toned down the intensity of the Chidori, focusing its power into his hands rather than letting it run wild.
And instead of aiming for Kaya's vital organs, Renjiro directed the attack at Kaya's hand—a place where, if injured, Kaya could get it healed without any lasting damage.
Kaya's Sharingan flashed, and in that split second, he saw the attack coming. His body moved on instinct, twisting just enough to avoid the full brunt of the Chidori.
Renjiro's hand grazed Kaya's wrist, the lightning chakra searing the skin but not causing any serious harm. Kaya leapt backwards, putting distance between himself and Renjiro, his heart pounding in his chest from the close call.
"That was close," Kaya muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the next exchange.
The fight continued, each strike more desperate and precise than the last. Renjiro's stamina was impressive, his movements still sharp and controlled despite the gruelling battle.
Kaya, on the other hand, was beginning to feel the effects of his opened gates. His chakra reserves were nearly depleted, and his muscles burned with fatigue, but he pushed on, refusing to back down.
The crowd roared with excitement as the two combatants traded blows, their admiration for the skill and determination of the fighters growing with each passing moment.
Every punch, kick, and jutsu was met with cheers and gasps, the spectators on the edge of their seats as they watched the intense battle unfold.
But it was becoming clear that Kaya was reaching his limit. Finally, in the middle of one of their exchanges, Kaya's legs buckled beneath him. He stumbled, his vision blurring as exhaustion took hold. Renjiro, seeing the opening, moved to strike, but stopped himself just in time as he realized what was happening.
Kaya collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as his body refused to continue. He looked up at Renjiro, who stood over him, breathing heavily but still ready to fight. Kaya knew he had nothing left to give, his chakra was nearly gone, and his body was on the verge of collapse.
With a sigh of resignation, Kaya raised his hand in surrender. "I concede," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Renjiro lowered his fists, relief flooding through him as the tension of the fight finally began to ebb away. He couldn't help but reflect on the fight.
'It seems that he hasn't fully mastered the technique,' Renjiro thought to himself, relieved that the battle hadn't escalated to an even more dangerous level. 'Because if he did, I would have been facing a Sharingan on steroids.'
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