บท 197: 196-Battleground
Renjiro looked at Miwa, his curiosity piqued as he tried to read her expression.
"What do you want to show me?" he asked. His tone had a mix of curiosity and caution.
Miwa merely smiled, turning away and beginning to walk ahead "Don't worry about that, just follow me,"
Renjiro hesitated for a moment, watching her as she disappeared around a corner. With a shrug, he decided to follow, his footsteps echoing slightly in the narrow, dimly lit corridor.
'Where is she taking me?' he wondered, his thoughts swirling as they continued down the hallway.
The corridor they were in seemed to stretch on forever, the faint sound of their footsteps the only noise in the otherwise silent space.
Renjiro noted how the walls, once smooth and well-maintained, began to show signs of age and wear, the stone cracked in places, with moss creeping along the seams.
Finally, they reached the end of the hallway, where a narrow stairwell descended further down. Without pausing, Miwa started down the stairs, her movements smooth and deliberate.
Renjiro followed closely behind, his curiosity growing with each step they took. The stairwell was narrow, the walls closing in around them as they descended, the air thickening with the scent of damp stone and earth.
At the bottom of the stairwell stood a massive, dingy double door, its surface marred with scratches and dents that spoke of years of use. It was clear this door had seen better days.
'I didn't even know this place existed,' Renjiro thought, his brow furrowing as he took in the sight before him. The door was massive, easily twice his height, and looked like it belonged to an ancient fortress rather than a base hidden beneath the Police force.
Out of curiosity, Renjiro activated his chakra field. He wanted to see whether he would be able to get an inkling as to what Miwa wanted to show him.
Immediately he did, Miwa shot him a knowing glance. But her catching on to what he was trying to do was not what concerned Renjiro. Renjiro could sense the chakra signatures of every being or object around, except for what was behind the door. It was like someone had cut off a section of his chakra field.
'Hmm... that is strange, are they using a seal to block out sensing? No, that can't be. I have experimented with how my chakra field works every stealth seal I know of.' Renjiro thought.
While Renjiro had not mastered as many seals as he'd like to, he was aware of most and how they reacted with his surroundings. So this particular situation piqued his interest.
He was aware that even if he had a thousand years to practise Fuinjutsu, he would never know of all the seals under the sun as Fuinjutsu was very broad, with countless ways to achieve it. It was kinda like programming with how various programming languages popped up every now and then.
Miwa paused for a moment in front of the door, her hand resting on the rough wood. Without a word, she pushed it open
"Creeeaaak!"
The door groaned in protest as it swung inward, revealing a sight that took Renjiro completely by surprise.
Beyond the door was a vast open space. It was enormous, much larger than he had expected, with various demarcated areas spread out across the floor.
Each area was marked by thick lines of chalk or paint, separating them from one another. Some spaces were small, likely meant for one-on-one combat, while others were large enough to accommodate several fighters at once.
Weapons of all kinds were scattered around the edges of the room, some leaning against the walls, others laid out on makeshift racks. Swords, kunai, shuriken, and even more exotic weapons like scythes and chains were all there, glinting faintly in the low light.
The air was thick with the scent of sweat and steel, a combination that Renjiro recognized from countless training sessions, though this was somehow different—more intense.
Renjiro's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. He could see groups of shinobi sparring in the various spaces, their movements quick and precise, their faces set in expressions of intense focus. Some of the larger spaces had drawn crowds, and groups of onlookers gathered around to watch the action unfold.
The noise was overwhelming, the clash of metal on metal, and the dull thud of fists and feet striking flesh. But what stood out most was the crowd's reaction.
They weren't just watching—they were cheering, shouting encouragement or jeers at the fighters, their voices blending into a chaotic roar.
"Yeah! Get him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
"Finish him!"
The voices rang out from all sides, rising and falling like waves crashing against a shore. It was clear that this wasn't just a friendly sparring session; the fighters were out for blood, their movements fueled by something far more primal than simple training.
"Where is this?"
Renjiro aksed, his thoughts a jumble of confusion and disbelief as he continued to take in his surroundings. This place was unlike anything he had ever seen in the Uchiha compound, or anywhere else, for that matter.
Miwa turned to face him, a small, satisfied smile on her face as she saw the look on his face.
"This," she began, taking a few steps forward before turning back to him with a grin,
"is the Battlegrounds."
Renjiro blinked, the name taking a moment to sink in. "The what now?"*he asked.
'Does she mean a training ground?' he wondered, though the atmosphere here felt far too intense for simple training.
Miwa chuckled softly at his reaction, "The Battlegrounds," she repeated. "Is a place where most of the force's shinobi come to relax, train, earn some extra money, or even, in some cases, settle disputes." Her tone was casual as if she were describing a normal, everyday place, but there was a hint of pride in her voice.
Renjiro frowned, "How come I've never heard of it? I've been in the force for more than half a year now," he questioned, genuinely puzzled.
He prided himself on being aware of everything that went on in the compound, and the timeline to some extent, but this was completely new to him.
Miwa's smile turned smug, "That's because it's invite-only," she explained, crossing her arms over her chest.
"If you had friends who were members, then you would have heard about it. Fortunately for you, you have me."
Renjiro's mind raced with questions as he looked around again, his gaze flicking over the fighters and the spectators.
'How do the clan elders even let this place be?' he wondered, though the thought was quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd as another fight reached its climax.
He glanced over at the source of the noise, his eyes widening as he saw one of the fighters land a devastating blow that sent his opponent crashing to the ground.
"I know what you are thinking about," Miwa said as Renjiro focused on her, "You are probably wondering why this is allowed by the clan leaders allow this right?"
Renjiro arched a brow, which was enough for Miwa to know that she was on point.
"It's simple," she began, "They view this as an avenue where the clan members can come and relieve their stress."
'Really?'
Renjiro thought as he spared a glance to a shinobi who had just lost in the previous fight and his body was riddled with wounds.
'I am not sure that this can be considered as relieving stress.'
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