The morning light penetrated just through the mist while Ren observed his completed laboratory. The shelves had been strategically ordered, work counters positioned to optimize space. Some specific equipment were still missing, but the basic structure was ready.
'Now only the protection seal is needed,' he thought, the roll with his latest project tight in his hand. 'But before applying it here, better to test it elsewhere.'
After an hour of exploration, he found the perfect place: an old abandoned fishing hut, perched on a cliff beaten by the wind. The isolation made it ideal for the test.
With precise movements, he began to trace the seal on the external wall. Each stretch followed the principles learned by Tatsumi and the intuitions had observing Takeshi - not forcing the chakra, but creating natural paths through which he could flow. The ink shone weakly while the pattern was completed.
'It seems to work,' he observed, noting how the seal had almost melted with the surface of the hut. 'Now, the practical test.'
He approached the door, extending a hand to open it. It was at that moment that the seal reacted.
There was no explosion or a flash of light - just a sudden sensation, as if the air itself was rejecting it. Ren found himself unbalanced backwards, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. His training allowed him to recover the balance at the last second, but his heart beat him strong in his chest.
"I didn't expect this," he murmured, taking breath. It was then that the thin cuts on his arms and on the torso noticed - nothing deep, but definitely unexpected.
'The seal ... did he react like a chakra scalpel?'
He examined himself carefully, connecting the pieces. 'I was thinking about the medical chakra when I created it, not the usual defensive barriers. The pattern must have followed that view. '
After carefully removing the seal, Ren walked towards Takeshi's forge. His mind already developed the implications of the discovery.
'The Bunshin No Jutsu is almost master,' reflected while walking. 'The transition to Mizukage Bunshin should be natural - the theoretical base is similar, only with the addition of the water element. But first ... '
His thoughts were interrupted when he reached the courtyard of the forge. The show in front of him stopped him: Kurara was performing a series of kata with his Kusarigama, the chain that danced in the air as if he had his own life. Each movement flowed in the next with a lethal grace that had not shown during the exams.
"Oh, Ren!" He noticed it, stopping in the middle of a sequence. "Would you like a fast sparring? I'm working on the control of moving objects."
Ren hesitated a moment, but curiosity had the best.
"Agree."
The exchange that followed was illuminating. With the twenty kilos of weight that burned on his movements, Ren immediately found himself on the defensive. The Kusarigama of Kurara danced in the air creating complex and unpredictable patterns - the chain threw by tracing circles and spirals, while the blade at its end shone in the morning light.
"Too slow!" Kurara caused him while the chain melted towards his feet. Ren jumped backwards, but the movement was heavier than he had calculated. Before it could completely recover the balance, the chain had already changed direction, forcing it to an uncomfortable twist to avoid it.
Each movement of Kurara seemed random, but Ren began to see the wider design. The chain did not aim both to hit and limit its movement of movement, creating areas where it could not move freely. It was a constantly evolving trap, any oscillation of the Kusarigama that added a new layer of complexity.
'It is much faster than she showed at the Academy', he realized while lowering to avoid the blade that missed his neck for a whisker. His reflex were as good as always, but the weights made every movement a fight against gravity.
'And with these weights, I can't even take advantage of the openings I see.'
A fake to the right, immediately followed by a change of direction - the chain wrapped around the support pole behind him, further limiting his movement options. Ren found himself having to calculate not only the trajectory of the blade, but also the various segments of the chain that created an increasingly complex network around him.
'Her control is impressive,' he observed as he slipped between two sections of the chain. 'Any apparently defensive movement is actually the preparation for the next attack. If I didn't have these weights, I could ... '
But he didn't have time to finish his thought.
Kurara had used the tension of the chain on the pole to suddenly shift her stance, accelerating in a move he had never seen her do during the exams. The blade of the kusarigama was already traveling toward her left side, while the chain was preparing to block his escape route on the right.
It was then that a sudden roar from the forge interrupted the sparring. Thick, black smoke rose from the chimney, accompanied by what sounded like a theatrical wail.