213-Terrifying Young Man
Duy barely had time to react, his instincts kicking in at the last possible second. He sidestepped the attack, feeling the rush of air as Renjiro's fist grazed past him.
The sheer force behind the punch was enough to create a shockwave that rippled through the training ground, sending dust and debris flying into the air.
'He's stronger than before,' Duy thought, his gaze narrowing as he watched Renjiro close in on him.
'Much stronger.'
Renjiro wasn't giving him any time to think. He followed up his initial attack with a barrage of punches and kicks, each one faster and stronger than the last.
Duy was forced to stay on the defensive, dodging and blocking as best as he could. But even with his years of experience and training, he was barely keeping up.
'I underestimated him,'
Duy thought, gritting his teeth as he felt the strain in his muscles from the relentless onslaught.
Realizing he needed to match Renjiro's strength, Duy made a quick decision. He gathered his chakra, focusing it inward as he tapped into the power of the Eight Gates.
Without hesitation, he immediately opened both the first and second gates. His body now thrummed with power.
With both gates open, Duy met Renjiro's attacks head-on. The ground shook beneath their feet as their fists and feet collided, each strike sending shockwaves through the air.
The intensity of the battle was almost overwhelming, the air thick with the smell of sweat and the sound of their grunts and heavy breathing.
But even with the first two gates open, Duy found himself struggling to keep up with Renjiro. The Chunins's power was something else entirely—his speed, his strength, and most of all, his Sharingan.
Those crimson eyes seemed to see everything, predicting Duy's moves before he even made them. It was as if Renjiro was always one step ahead, countering every attack with ease.
'I thought two gates would be enough,' Duy thought, his determination hardening.
'But if I have to open the third gate to keep up, then so be it.'
With a deep breath, Duy pushed himself further. The third gate, the Gate of Life, burst open with a roar, sending a surge of energy through his body.
His skin reddened as he tapped into the full potential of the Eight Gates. The air around him crackled with energy, the sheer force of his power causing the ground beneath him to crack and crumble.
Renjiro's eyes widened slightly as he felt the shift in Duy's power. The older man's speed and strength had increased exponentially, and for a moment, it seemed like they were evenly matched.
But that moment didn't last long.
As they clashed again, Duy realized something was wrong. Even with the third gate open, he was still struggling to keep up.
Renjiro's Sharingan had evolved, and now it was more than just a tool for reading movements. It was as if Renjiro could see into the future, predicting Duy's moves before he even made them. Every punch and kick was countered with precision and speed, which left Duy reeling.
'Damn it!' Duy cursed internally as he felt himself being pushed back.
'Even with the third gate, he's still overpowering me. That Sharingan... it's too much!'
Even as he fought back, Duy could feel himself losing ground. Renjiro was relentless, his attacks coming faster and harder with each passing second. And no matter how hard Duy tried, he couldn't break through Renjiro's defences.
'If I keep this up, I'm going to lose,' Duy realized, his mind racing as he searched for a solution.
'I need to do something... something that will turn the tide.'
In a last-ditch effort, Duy made a decision that he knew could be dangerous.
He pushed himself even further, tapping into the power of the fourth gate, the Gate of Pain.
As the gate burst open, a wave of excruciating pain shot through his body, but with it came a surge of power, unlike anything he had ever felt before.
His speed and strength reached new heights as he forced his body to its limits.
Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he saw Duy's transformation.
'Is that... the fourth gate?' he wondered, a hint of concern creeping into his mind.
He had never fought someone who had opened the fourth gate before. He knew it was a dangerous move—one that could easily turn the tide of battle.
But it was also dangerous for the User since it was literally called the gate of Pain. It all depended if the user could handle the pain that accompanied the power increase.
Unfortunately for Renjiro, Duy had long ago gotten used to this pain. This was even far from his limit which was the gate of Wonder.
But Renjiro wasn't about to back down. If anything, the challenge only fueled his determination.
'If he's going to push himself that far... then I'll just have to push myself even further.'
With a burst of chakra, Renjiro channelled his energy into his body, enhancing his physical capabilities even more.
His muscles tightened, his movements becoming faster and stronger as he prepared to meet Duy's challenge head-on.
The two shinobi clashed again, their fists and feet colliding with a force that sent shockwaves through the air. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered under the sheer intensity of their battle, dust and debris flying everywhere as they fought with everything they had.
For a moment, it seemed like they were evenly matched. Which was alarming since one of them had opened more gates.
Duy's speed and strength had increased dramatically, and he was now able to keep up with Renjiro's enhanced abilities. Their movements were a blur, almost too fast for the naked eye to follow.
But just as Renjiro was about to press his advantage, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. It was sudden and unexpected, and it caused him to stagger back, clutching his chest as the pain intensified.
'What is happening?' Renjiro wondered as he struggled through the pain.
Duy noticed the change immediately.
"Renjiro!" he called out, concern in his voice as he saw the younger man stumble.
"What's wrong?"
Renjiro didn't answer. The pain was too much, too sudden. He could feel his body protesting, the backlash from opening the gates finally catching up to him.
His vision blurred, his muscles screaming in agony as the effects of the third gate began to take their toll.
'Damn it...' Renjiro thought, gritting his teeth as he fought to stay on his feet. 'I pushed too hard...'
Seeing Renjiro in pain, Duy immediately backed off, his concern outweighing any desire to continue the spar.
"Renjiro, stop!" he shouted, rushing to the younger man's side. "You need to close the gates, now!"
With great effort, Renjiro nodded, his vision swimming as he concentrated on closing the gates. One by one, the gates began to close, the pain slowly receding as his body returned to its normal state.
But even as the pain subsided, Renjiro could feel the exhaustion setting in, his body trembling from the strain.
Finally, the last gate closed, and Renjiro slumped forward, his breathing heavy as he leaned on Duy for support.
"That was close," he muttered, his voice weak but laced with relief.
Duy let out a sigh of relief, his grip on Renjiro's shoulders loosening as he helped the younger man sit down on the ground.
"You pushed yourself too hard, Renjiro," he said.
'At least I forced him to open four gates'
Renjiro thought as he nodded weakly, his eyes half-closed as he tried to catch his breath.
"Yeah... I know," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I just... I wanted to see how far I could go."
'What a terrifying young man, even with four gates open I barely managed to handle him. And that was only with Taijutsu. If he could have used his ninjutsu or genjutsu would I have survived?' The genin wondered.
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