The silence on the floating island was punctuated only by the soft rustle of wind brushing against the sparse greenery. Renjiro sat on a large, rough-surfaced rock, feeling its chill seep through his clothes.
"Ha..."
His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling heavily, and beads of sweat gathered at his forehead, dripping down his temples and onto his cheeks. Each breath felt laborious, as though the weight of his own stamina bore down on him.
"Maybe I should take a soldier pill…" he muttered to himself, his voice a quiet murmur in the vast stillness.
He knew better, of course, but the idea was tempting. He was feeling the strain of his intense training, something that rarely happened. His Uzumaki blood granted him deeper chakra reserves of chakra and more stamina, his very genetics offering resilience that most shinobi would only dream of.
And yet, he had finally found his limit. In his drive to master the Rashomon Gates jutsu, Renjiro had created a lot of Shadow Clones to divide his focus on various aspects of the technique. Every hour passed in a blur of complex hand signs and concentrated chakra control, with only brief breaks in between.
Renjiro sat there, exhausted but exhilarated, savouring the dull ache of his somewhat overused muscles and the rawness of his nearly depleted chakra.
He took a deep breath, feeling the throb of his heartbeat in his chest. Contrary to what most people would think, he found the sensation thrilling.
Testing his body's limits, pushing the boundaries of what he could handle, was an experience he cherished deeply. It was more than just training; it was a way of discovering himself, of feeling alive.
The thought of being able to modify the Rashomon Gates jutsu had driven him to overexert himself in the first place. The idea filled him with an almost childlike excitement.
In his mind's eye, he could already envision the changes he wanted to make, imagining the shock on the faces of his enemies when they encountered his unique take on the defensive technique.
Most shinobi saw Rashomon as a fixed tool, a set wall to be used in battle, an immovable object designed purely for defence. But Renjiro saw possibilities—potential for flexibility, creativity, and versatility. And the potential to push it further, to refine it, was far too tempting to ignore.
A grin broke across his face despite his fatigue, his thoughts racing. He had managed to modify the jutsu to the point where he only needed the Snake hand sign to summon seven reinforced gates—a feat that had required hours of refinement to reduce chakra cost and streamline the hand signs.
The sense of accomplishment gave him renewed energy, and he straightened up on the rock, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"No," he muttered under his breath, brushing aside the idea of the soldier pill. "Forget it. Lady Momo said that it is still too soon to use them. Relying on something like that while I'm still young will affect the growth of my reserves."
Renjiro took another deep breath, feeling his chakra pool settle within him, quieting into a low hum.
Satisfied with his control, he shifted his focus to something he had been eagerly awaiting—a chance to work on the modifications he'd been planning for the Rashomon Gates jutsu.
Renjiro had selected this jutsu for its powerful defensive capabilities, but he had also chosen it because he saw potential where others saw limitations. To him, the rigid way in which most shinobi used it was frustrating.
With a sense of excitement bubbling in his chest, Renjiro leaned forward, his gaze intense as he began to mentally outline the modifications he wanted to make.
"First… I could arrange the gates in a custom formation, something flexible depending on the situation," he murmured, "Not just a single wall but a formation—a circular barrier, a triangular defence, or even a crescent. Each shape has its purpose."
He paused, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. "If I arrange them in a circle, I can create a stronghold around myself or allies. A triangle… hmm, that could work for angling defence on two sides with a stronger point in the middle. And a crescent—perfect for a flanking defence…"
He felt the thrill of his ideas taking shape, each new thought a piece in the larger puzzle of his modified jutsu. The potential for greater versatility, for tailoring the Jutsu's defence to any encounter, was both enticing and empowering.
A second thought struck him, a grin spreading across his face as he pondered it further. "Adding seals… yes, seals that could absorb chakra from incoming attacks." He nodded to himself, his voice dropping to a murmur.
"Absorbing chakra to reinforce the gates, maybe even storing some of it for my own use or to extend the gates' durability. That could be invaluable…"
The practicality of it filled him with satisfaction. An attack meant to break his defence could instead be repurposed to sustain it, turning an enemy's strength against them. Renjiro chuckled softly to himself, the sound tinged with a hint of pride.
By harnessing his own seal work and incorporating it into Rashomon, he could use the gates as more than just a wall—they could become a barrier that fought back.
"Speaking of seals, what if I added elemental seals?" he whispered, his eyes lighting up. "One for each element… Fire Seal, Water Seal…" He could almost see it in his mind, each gate shimmering with a faint glow, imbued with specific elemental resistance or absorption.
"Fire Seal…" he mused, his voice barely audible. "It could absorb fire attacks, minimize damage, or even reflect fire back toward the attacker." The thought brought a wicked grin to his face. Imagining an opponent's fire jutsu being turned against them was both satisfying and powerful. Especially most Konoha shinobi.
If the need arises, that is.
Renjiro ran a hand through his hair, the ideas coming faster now. "Water Seal… that could reinforce the gate against fire attacks, maybe even create a mist effect to obscure my movements." Such tactics could disorient and frustrate an opponent, giving him an edge by merging offence with defence.
As he thought of more ways to enhance the Rashomon Gates, he couldn't help but laugh softly, the sound echoing in the stillness around him. There was something intoxicating about taking an old jutsu, something traditional and rigid, and turning it into something unpredictable and new.
"And what if I embed explosive seals within the gates…" he pondered aloud, tapping his fingers on his knee thoughtfully. "Impact triggers, like explosive tags, that could create shockwaves on contact… It'd be an added deterrent, especially for those who rely on brute force." He could picture it now—an enemy charging his gate with raw power, only to be thrown back by a powerful shockwave.
The potential of this addition thrilled him. He imagined himself timing the detonations, using the explosions to either defend or set up his next move, his enemies unable to predict what came next.
"What if I make it a trap, too?" Renjiro's voice turned sharper with intent, his gaze growing intense as he considered this. "A perimeter defence, using Fūinjutsu to bind or paralyze anyone who tries to breach it…"
The idea had a subtle beauty to it. If an opponent tried to break through, they would be instantly immobilized, caught in the trap of his own design. He envisioned a sensory seal, one capable of detecting specific chakra signatures, a way to pinpoint enemies or recognize attacks before they reached him. His blood rushed at the thought, the thrill of a trap waiting to snap shut.
"Chain-reaction summoning seals…" he muttered, almost to himself, his mind racing faster than his words. "If one gate gets destroyed, it could trigger another to appear in its place, layering the defence."
Renjiro leaned back, taking a deep breath as he savoured the sheer potential of it all. His heart was pounding, his muscles ached, and his chakra reserves felt dangerously low, yet he couldn't contain the grin stretching across his face. The thrill of modifying a jutsu, of transforming it from a mere wall into a weapon and a shield, filled him with excitement.
Renjiro ran a hand over his forehead, swiping away the beads of sweat as he straightened, sitting upright on his rocky seat. A gleam of determination sparked in his eyes as he gazed out over the floating island, his mind buzzing with ideas.
"Where to start?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible above the steady rhythm of his breath. He knew each modification would take time, effort, and meticulous planning. But the reward was worth it—the thought of using the Rashomon Gates in ways no other shinobi had ever imagined.
"The possibilities are endless, after all…"
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