บท 209: 208-Power Of Youth
The training ground was still, the sound of the distant forest mingling with the soft whistle of the wind. The figure of Might Duy stood motionless in the center of the clearing. It wasn't every day that he sensed someone spying on him.
His fists were clenched, his body slightly tensed as if preparing for an attack that hadn't yet arrived. His eyes, dark and serious, stared into the distance where he had sensed a presence.
For a moment, there was silence.
Duy, known as the Eternal Genin, had a reputation for being overlooked and underestimated, but his years of tireless training had sharpened his senses to an almost preternatural degree. Though, that was almost ordinary in such an extraordinary place.
He felt the presence of someone watching him—a presence that carried with it a weight that few shinobi had, at least for those that he had met. The thought made him narrow his eyes slightly.
"Are they not going to show themselves?" Duy muttered to himself, his voice a low rumble in the quiet.
Meanwhile, Renjiro watched carefully, his breath steady as he observed the older man. Though he was trying to be subtle, it was clear that Duy had already detected him. A flicker of surprise crossed Renjiro's face, though he quickly masked it with his usual calm demeanour.
'How the hell did he sense me?' Renjiro thought, his brow furrowing slightly.
'I thought he didn't have a lick of chakra in him.'
Renjiro had heard the stories, both in the plot and in the village. Might Duy was regarded by most of the village as a joke, a genin who never advanced beyond his rank despite his age.
And yet, here he was, sensing Renjiro's presence as easily as any seasoned shinobi. Renjiro had subconsciously formed a habit of erasing his chakra signature, so Duy sensing him was a huge deal.
It was a reminder that things weren't always as they seemed, and it made Renjiro all the more cautious.
After a brief pause, Renjiro decided that hiding any longer would be pointless. In a flicker of movement, he appeared suddenly before Duy, his red hair catching the dying light of the sun.
His green flak jacket, emblazoned with the Uchiha clan symbol on his right shoulder, shifted slightly with the movement.
The moment Renjiro appeared, Duy's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he asked,
"Who are you?"
Renjiro straightened up, then bowed slightly in respect. His expression, despite the seriousness of the situation, carried a hint of sheepishness.
"I am Uzumaki Renjiro, and I was hoping you would guide me."
There was a faint awkwardness to his tone, a sign of someone unused to asking for help.
Internally, Renjiro cringed at himself.
'This is a bit cringe,' he thought as he held his bow.
But appearances mattered, and more importantly, he needed Duy's help. He had to play the part of the humble student, even if it made him uncomfortable.
'But I have to do this,' Renjiro reminded himself. 'I don't know him personally, so I have to be careful how I come across. If I want his help, then the whole gesture just fits.'
Duy, meanwhile, studied Renjiro carefully.
'Uzumaki Renjiro? The name sounds familiar.' He noted the Uchiha clan symbol on Renjiro's shoulder and the green flak jacket, a clear indication that the young man before him was part of the village's police force. But something about the situation didn't quite make sense to Duy.
'He's a chunin, right? So why is a chunin like him bowing to me?'
Confusion flickered in Duy's eyes as he responded, his tone cautious.
"Help you with what? I'm just a genin."
Though his voice was steady, Duy's inner thoughts were a whirlwind of uncertainty.
He was unused to situations like this—a younger, higher-ranked shinobi bowing in front of him, asking for his guidance.
It was an awkward position to be in, and Duy wasn't entirely sure how to react. The world saw him as nothing more than a lowly genin, and yet, here was Renjiro, treating him with respect.
Renjiro straightened up from his bow and met Duy's gaze.
"I was advised to come to you because of your taijutsu expertise."
Duy blinked, his mind racing.
'Huh? Who would ever say that?' he wondered.
'Everyone looks down on me…'
Despite his doubts, there was something sincere in Renjiro's voice that caught Duy off guard. He had always been ridiculed for his perseverance, mocked for staying a genin while others around him rose through the ranks. Yet here was this shinobi, recognizing his strength.
For a moment, Duy was silent, his thoughts swirling.
"What exactly do you need help with?" he asked cautiously, still unsure of Renjiro's intentions.
Renjiro glanced around briefly, making sure no one else was around before he responded.
"I'm having trouble with the Eight Gates technique."
The moment the words left Renjiro's lips, Duy's eyes widened in shock.
"The Eight Gates?" he repeated, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. This wasn't something he had expected to hear, especially from someone so young.
What bothered Duy so much was not even the ridicule he got from other shinobi, but the fact that the whole village looked down on the technique that he painstakingly trained.
It seemed that he was the only one seeing the full potential of the technique with many not even bothering to learn it. But with his peculiar situation, it was Duy's last shot at being a shinobi. So he channelled all his efforts to it.
After Duy managed to go through a lot of trouble to get complete details regarding the technique, he recognized the technique's potential and swore to show it to the village and the shinobi world in general.
Renjiro coming to him and asking about the technique flattered him to say the least.
Renjiro nodded, his expression serious.
"I've only managed to open the first gate, the Gate of Opening, but I've hit a wall with the second. The Gate of Healing."
"You've opened the first gate?" Duy asked, his voice steady but laced with curiosity.
"And you're struggling with the second?"
Renjiro nodded again. "I've been trying to locate the tenketsu for the second gate, but I can't seem to find it. I've tried meditating and focusing my chakra on the right hemisphere of my brain, but…" he trailed off, frustration evident in his tone.
Duy crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful.
"The Eight Gates are… difficult to master," he began, choosing his words carefully.
"The first gate is a gateway to power, but it's also the easiest to open. The second gate, the Gate of Healing… requires more than just focus. You need to understand the flow of your chakra on a deeper level. It's not just about strength—it's about balance."
Renjiro listened intently, absorbing every word. Despite his initial doubts, he could tell that Duy knew what he was talking about. His reputation as a master of taijutsu wasn't just for show.
After a moment of silence, Duy unfolded his arms and took a deep breath.
"Before I can help you with the second gate, I need to know just how much you've mastered the first."
He stepped back and dropped into a taijutsu stance, his body low and ready for combat.
His eyes locked onto Renjiro with an intensity that surprised the younger shinobi.
"Come at me," Duy said, his voice firm but calm.
"I need to see your strength for myself. Show me the power of youth!"
Renjiro blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden challenge. But then, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. This was not exactly what he had come here for, but he sure as hell wouldn't let this opportunity go.
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