Chương 208: 207-Guidance
The sky, which had now darkened, provided a quiet backdrop to what Renjiro was doing. He had decided to go back to his home, his basement training room to be specific, to try and open the second gate, the gate of healing.
His body, although slightly fatigued from the day's practice, still thrummed with energy, especially with the first gate—the Gate of Opening—still active. He could feel it in his muscles, in his bones, even in his mind.
The overall enhancement was intoxicating, almost too much to bear at times. But Renjiro had never been one to shy away from a challenge, and tonight was no different.
Renjiro stood eyes closed and his brow furrowed in concentration. His hands rested on his knees as he knelt on the ground, his breathing slow and deliberate as he attempted to locate the tenketsu for the second gate.
The first gate had been relatively simple to unlock, but now, as Renjiro sought out the next gate, he was beginning to realize that the process wasn't as straightforward as he had initially believed.
'The tenketsu for the second gate…'
Renjiro thought to himself, trying to recall the knowledge he had gathered about the Eight Gates.
'The scroll said it's located in the other hemisphere of the brain. Just like the first one.'
He let out a slow breath, diving deeper into his mind, focusing all of his chakra inward. He imagined his brain as a vast network of pathways and nodes, each tenketsu a glowing point of energy.
His attention shifted to the right hemisphere of his brain, where the second gate was supposed to reside. Renjiro concentrated, attempting to locate the specific tenketsu that housed the Gate of Healing.
But there was nothing. No familiar sensation, no flicker of energy that would indicate he had found the correct tenketsu.
Renjiro's eyebrows furrowed further in frustration. His concentration deepened, but despite his efforts, the second gate remained elusive. He reached out with his chakra, feeling the pulse of energy that coursed through his body, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the gate.
Again, nothing. It was as if the tenketsu simply didn't exist.
'Come on…' Renjiro urged himself silently, his hands flexing slightly as he continued his meditation.
He moved his focus across various tenketsu in his brain, examining each one in detail. But each time, the result was the same—none of them seemed to house the Gate of Healing.
Renjiro's frustration grew, and for a moment, his concentration faltered. He opened his eyes, exhaling sharply in irritation as he shook his head.
'What am I doing wrong?' Renjiro wondered, his thoughts swirling with doubt.
'Should I close the Gate of Opening?'
He considered the idea for a moment but quickly dismissed it. No, that wasn't the solution.
The gates had to be opened in a specific order, one after the other. Closing the first gate wouldn't help him open the second. If anything, it would just set him back. He had to keep pushing forward.
'No,' Renjiro thought, 'I am not sure if that is safe, or even possible, to open the gates out of order. The Gate of Opening needs to remain open. But I just can't seem to locate the second gate.'
He closed his eyes again, taking another deep breath as he tried to calm his racing thoughts.
The Eight Gates technique was notoriously difficult to master, which could be seen by the handful of people who managed to master a few of the gates, and now Renjiro was beginning to understand why.
The scroll had only given him the general location of each gate—nothing more. It was up to the user to find the exact tenketsu, a task that required both immense concentration and a deep understanding of one's own chakra network. Something that forced Renjiro to wish he was from the Hyuga clan.
Renjiro's mind wandered for a moment as he reflected on the nature of the technique.
'How did anyone even come up with this jutsu?' he asked himself, his thoughts filled with a mixture of awe and frustration.
'There are about 361 tenketsu in the human body, and I have to locate only eight of them…'
He let out a soft laugh at the absurdity of it.
'That's like looking for a needle in a haystack if you do the math.'
He had already gone through a significant portion of the tenketsu on the right side of his brain, carefully assessing each one. He had hoped that by now, he would have found the Gate of Healing, but so far, his search had yielded nothing. The elusive tenketsu remained hidden, buried somewhere within the intricate network of his chakra system.
Renjiro's frustration began to mount, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of impatience creeping in.
'I thought they were exaggerating when they said it gets harder and harder to open the next gate,' he muttered under his breath.
'But now I get it… This is way more difficult than I expected.'
The night passed in a haze of frustration and weariness. Renjiro had pushed himself long into the evening, meditating relentlessly in the hopes of locating the second gate, but all his efforts had yielded nothing but mental exhaustion.
As time went by, Renjiro finally accepted that he had hit a wall. He reluctantly stood, dusted himself off, and trudged back to his room, his mind still buzzing with the failure of the evening.
The next morning, Renjiro moved swiftly through the winding streets on his way to the base, his mind already set on his new objective.
Last night had taught him that brute forcing his way through the Eight Gates technique wasn't going to work. He needed help—guidance from someone with experience in these matters. And Renjiro knew just who that person might be.
At the base, Renjiro was quite well known, especially since he had just become a squad leader a while ago. It was taxing for someone like him but he decided to use it to his advantage for the next task. When he approached a few of the squad leaders who headed the Genin corps, there was a notable ripple of surprise.
"Renjiro?" One of the squad leaders, a tall man with a scar running down his left cheek, blinked in surprise. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Renjiro offered a curt nod in response. He wasn't one for pleasantries, but he knew he had to keep things civil if he wanted their assistance. "I'm looking for a certain Genin," Renjiro said without wasting time.
The squad leaders exchanged curious glances, but none of them questioned him. Despite Renjiro's reputation for being aloof, they all respected his abilities as a shinobi. If he was asking for information, it had to be for a good reason.
"Who are you looking for?" another squad leader, a woman with sharp eyes and short black hair, asked.
Renjiro provided the details, describing the individual in question. The squad leaders seemed even more puzzled now—why was Renjiro, of all people, interested in a particular Genin?
But they didn't ask too many questions. Within a short amount of time, they had gathered all the necessary information for him.
Renjiro stood in the doorway of the base, reading over the information they had provided. He couldn't help but smirk to himself as he pocketed the details.
"I guess working in the force does have its advantages," Renjiro mused quietly. He rarely relied on others, but perhaps that was something he needed to change, at least when it came to situations like this.
With the information he needed in hand, Renjiro set out to track down his target.
It didn't take him long to reach his destination. He found himself standing on the outskirts of the village, the buildings and bustling streets far behind him.
Ahead lay a secluded training ground, surrounded by dense trees and vegetation. The area was peaceful and quiet—perfect for someone looking to train in solitude.
Renjiro moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of the person he was looking for. Then, he spotted him.
"There he is," Renjiro muttered to himself as he came to a halt, his gaze fixed on the lone figure in the distance.
The man he was watching was unmistakable, even from this distance. He wore a distinctive green one-piece suit that clung to his body like a second skin, accentuating his lean yet powerful physique.
The man was training rigorously, his movements fluid and sharp, each kick and punch landing with a loud noise against the wooden training post he was striking.
As Renjiro observed from a distance, the man continued his training with unwavering intensity.
Suddenly, the man's movements came to an abrupt halt. The sound of his fists striking the post ceased, and the clearing was plunged into an eerie silence. The green-clad shinobi stood perfectly still, his back to Renjiro, his head tilted slightly to one side as if listening for something.
"You can come out," Guy said, his voice carrying easily across the clearing.
"There's no need to spy on me."
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcomed
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực