"Why do you ask?" Renjiro finally broke the silence and asked Duy, his tone calm but curious. His eyes were still sharp, the flicker of his Sharingan dimming slightly as he returned to his regular state.
Duy, who had been stretching out his arms after the battle, stopped and turned toward Renjiro with a thoughtful expression on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his chin lightly with one hand.
"I'm no expert in fancy bloodlines or special abilities," Duy began, his tone casual yet analytical.
"But during our fight, there were a few things that stood out to me."
Renjiro raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Duy's insight.
Renjiro knew that he had been careful enough to keep his regeneration ability under wraps, but it wasn't something he could cover up entirely considering it would show itself wherever he got into battle. So, Renjiro channelled most of his efforts to hide its other details such as his poison and genjutsu immunity.
"Go on," Renjiro urged.
Duy took a deep breath before explaining.
"At first, I thought it was your youth and stamina keeping you going. Your movements were quick and precise, and even after taking those hits, you didn't slow down as much as I expected." He paused, scratching his head.
"But then I noticed something odd. Every time I landed a solid blow, you recovered faster than normal, faster than any person I have ever fought. I could see the way your body reacted to the damage—it wasn't just resilience or toughness. It was like your body was healing itself in real time."
Renjiro smirked, impressed by Duy's perceptiveness. "So, you figured it out during our fight?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Duy nodded. "Yes," he said simply. "I didn't catch on right away, but after a few exchanges, it became clear. Most shinobi would have shown signs of fatigue or pain after taking some of those hits, but you kept fighting back like nothing had happened."
Renjiro chuckled softly, shaking his head in admiration. "You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for, Duy-sama," he admitted, his tone sincere.
"Not many people would have noticed something like that so quickly."
Duy smiled at the compliment but remained focused. "So, it's true then? You have some kind of regeneration ability?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Renjiro hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. While he trusted Duy's integrity, he knew that it wasn't wise to reveal too much about his abilities to someone he didn't fully know.
Still, he couldn't deny that Duy had earned a bit of truth after their battle. Plus he was also going to help him, so it would be better if Renjiro revealed this information, albeit in a controlled manner, as a sign of goodwill.
"Yes," Renjiro admitted cautiously. "I do have an enhanced regenerative ability. It's something I was born with, part of my Uzumaki heritage." He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"It's not invincibility, though. It has its limits, but it does help me recover faster from injuries than most people."
Duy nodded, his expression thoughtful as he processed the information. "I see," he said slowly. "That explains a lot. Your body's ability to heal itself must make you incredibly difficult to take down in a fight, once you master it that is,"
'What does he mean by that?'
Renjiro wondered but remained quiet.
"It has its advantages," he replied, keeping his tone neutral.
"But like I said, it's not without its limits. I can still be injured, and if I take too much damage too quickly, my body might not be able to keep up." He offered Duy a small smile, hoping to steer the conversation away from the specifics of his abilities.
"Besides, I'm not here to talk about my regeneration. I came to you for help with the Eight Gates."
Duy's eyes lit up with understanding, and he nodded in agreement. "Right," he said, refocusing on the task at hand.
"But your regeneration might actually be connected to your problem."
Renjiro blinked in surprise. "Connected? What do you mean?" he asked, his curiosity piqued once more.
Duy uncrossed his arms and began pacing slowly, his mind working through the puzzle.
"It makes sense now," he murmured to himself before turning back to Renjiro.
"Let me explain. The Eight Gates technique is all about pushing the body beyond its natural limits. Each gate forces your body to tap into reserves of power and energy that are normally restricted. But your regeneration… it's like your body is constantly trying to maintain balance and heal itself."
Renjiro frowned slightly, trying to follow Duy's logic. "Go on," he said, encouraging Duy to continue.
Duy stopped pacing and faced Renjiro directly. "The second gate, the Gate of Healing, is all about accelerating the body's natural healing processes and increasing stamina," Duy explained.
"But your body is already doing that on its own, without the need for the gate. Your regeneration is essentially acting as a substitute for what the second gate would normally provide."
Renjiro's eyes widened in realization. "So you're saying that because my body is already healing itself at an accelerated rate, it's interfering with my ability to open the Gate of Healing?"
Duy nodded. "Exactly. Your body doesn't see the need to open the second gate because it's already doing the job. It's like trying to force a door open when it's already unlocked—the mechanisms just don't align. And from what you said, it will most likely be overtaxing your body."
Renjiro let out a low whistle, impressed by Duy's insight. "I never thought of it that way," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I knew my regeneration had some unique effects, but I didn't realize it could actually be a hindrance in mastering the Eight Gates."
Duy smiled sympathetically. "It's a double-edged sword," he said. "On one hand, your regeneration makes you incredibly resilient. But on the other hand, it's holding you back from progressing with the opening of gates."
Renjiro frowned in thought, considering Duy's words carefully.
"So what do I do?" he asked after a moment.
"How do I get past this?"
Duy stroked his chin thoughtfully before responding.
"Well, that's our biggest problem," he said."You need to find a way to override your body's natural healing process, at least temporarily. You have to convince your body that it needs to open the Gate of Healing, even though it already thinks it's doing just fine."
Renjiro nodded slowly, understanding the challenge ahead of him. "So, I have to force my body into a state where it needs the second gate," he mused aloud.
"But that's easier said than done."
Duy chuckled softly, his tone lightening. "It won't be easy," he agreed.
"But I believe you can do it, Renjiro! You've already come this far, and you've got the strength and determination to push through any obstacle."
Not knowing how to respond to that, Renjiro decided to ask "Do you have the complete technique for the Eight Gates? The one I got only has information up to the third gate."
Duy blinked at the question, a brief flicker of surprise crossing his face before he composed himself. He paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, as if weighing the decision of whether to share more with Renjiro.
His brows furrowed slightly, and he scratched the back of his head in his usual, unassuming way.
"Do you still want to pursue this?" Duy echoed, his voice soft but thoughtful.
"Yes, I do," Renjiro said firmly.
'His persistence might take him along a dark path in the future,' Duy thought.
Duy exhaled slowly, "Alright,"
With a quick nod, he turned and reached into his pack, pulling out a worn weathered scroll. It was tightly rolled, bound by a faded ribbon, but its importance was evident.
"This scroll contains the technique for the Eight Gates up to the Sixth Gate," Duy explained, "I haven't mastered the Seventh or Eighth Gate myself, so I can't give you the complete technique. But this…" He tapped the scroll lightly with his fingers.
"This will get you far."
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