198-Opening

Kaya moved with a fluidity and precision that spoke of years of rigorous training. His fists flew in a series of rapid jabs, each one aimed with deadly accuracy.

Renjiro barely had time to react, his arms coming up instinctively to block the onslaught. Even so, the force behind Kaya's strikes was undeniable. With each impact, Renjiro felt the sting in his hands and arms, the power behind the blows seeping into his bones.

'"He's strong!" Renjiro muttered under his breath, shaking his hand as the sting from one particularly hard strike radiated up his arm. The pain was sharp, but pain was not something that Renjiro was new to.

Renjiro decided to counter with a swift kick aimed at Kaya's midsection, hoping to break his rhythm. Kaya, however, was ready. He twisted his body just enough to avoid the full brunt of the attack, then retaliated with a low sweep aimed at Renjiro's legs.

Renjiro leapt back, narrowly avoiding being taken off his feet, and the two combatants circled each other warily.

The fight was drawing attention. A crowd began to gather, the onlookers curious about the unexpected duel. Most of them knew Kaya—he was a regular at the Battlegrounds, a fighter whose skill in taijutsu was well known among the shinobi who frequented the area.

Renjiro, on the other hand, was a fresh face, and the spectators were eager to see how he would fare against someone as seasoned as Kaya.

Seeing the growing crowd, Miwa's eyes lit up. She turned to Osaki with a grin, her voice carrying over the rising murmur of the audience. "Looks like we've got ourselves a good match here. What do you say we make this interesting?"

Osaki raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. "What do you have in mind?" she asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

"Bets," Miwa replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Let's see who's willing to put their money on the line."

Osaki chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Alright, let's do it. But don't be too disappointed when you lose."

The crowd, overhearing their conversation, quickly got in on the action. Bets were placed with most of them favoured Kaya. Meanwhile, Renjiro and Kaya remained focused, unaware of the wagers being made on their behalf.

After a series of exchanges, both fighters leapt back simultaneously, creating a distance between them. Renjiro took a moment to catch his breath, his mind racing as he tried to assess the situation.

'He was probing me,' he thought.

Renjiro realized that Kaya's attacks, though intense, had been calculated—meant to gauge Renjiro's strengths and weaknesses.

Across from him, Kaya was thinking along similar lines. 'He's good,' he mused, feeling a spark of excitement that he hadn't felt in a while. 'I'm going to enjoy this.'

Kaya wasn't just any opponent. At fourteen, he was already a chunin—a rank he had held for a couple of years. He should have been promoted to jounin by now, but there was one thing that held him back, his minimal chakra reserves. Most of it going into his dojutsu.

It was a limitation that had frustrated him for years, preventing him from mastering the more advanced jutsu required for higher ranks. But instead of letting it hinder him, Kaya had adapted.

He had poured his energy into honing his taijutsu, turning his body into a weapon that needed no chakra to be deadly. His skills in genjutsu were basic, and his ninjutsu was almost nonexistent, but when it came to hand-to-hand combat, Kaya was a force to be reckoned with. Coupled with his Sharingan, he was more powerful than regular chunins.

"You're better than I expected," Kaya remarked, his breathing slightly heavier but his eyes still sharp as they locked onto Renjiro.

Renjiro, equally winded but maintaining his composure, replied with a nod. "Thanks," he said, his voice steady despite the strain of the fight.

"You're not so bad yourself."

A slight grin tugged at the corners of Kaya's mouth, a spark of mutual respect flashing in his eyes.

"Let's see how long you can keep up," he said, his tone carrying a hint of challenge.

Renjiro didn't respond, but his resolve hardened. He could tell that Kaya was far from done, and neither was he. He couldn't rely on ninjutsu alone against someone like Kaya—this fight was going to be won with raw skill and determination.

Kaya closed his eyes for a moment, his breathing slowing as he focused inward. Renjiro watched him, confusion knitting his brow.

'What is he doing?' Renjiro wondered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to discern the purpose of Kaya's actions.

He knew that he was preparing something and wanted to stop him since giving time to your opponent never ended well for anyone unless you had overwhelming strength. But Renjiro did not stop Kaya. Not because he had overwhelming strength, but because of curiosity.

From their first exchange, he could tell that Kaya was talented. So for him to do this meant that he had something in store for Renjiro. Renjiro could not wait to see what that was. Renjiro knew that this may cost him later, but he did not care. The thrill of the battle that he was experiencing now was intoxicating.

When Kaya opened his eyes again, he was the same as before—or so it seemed. Renjiro frowned, unable to detect any immediate difference in Kaya's demeanour or fighting style. He was slightly disappointed.

'There's no difference,' he thought, still puzzled. 'I wonder what he was doing by closing his eyes? No, wait… he's way calmer than before.'

From the sidelines, Osaki observed the fight with a knowing smirk. 'It seems Kaya has already gotten into it,' she thought, recognizing the change in her nephew's aura.

Kaya moved first, his body a blur as he launched himself at Renjiro. His speed was as impressive as before, but there was a new level of control to his movements—a fluidity that made him even more dangerous.

Renjiro met him head-on, their fists and feet colliding in a flurry of strikes and counters. Each impact sent shockwaves through their bodies, the force of their blows reverberating in the air.

As they clashed, Renjiro couldn't help but feel that something had shifted in the fight. Kaya's attacks were sharper and more precise, and Renjiro found himself on the defensive, struggling to keep up with the relentless assault.

Suddenly, Kaya delivered an upward kick that caught Renjiro off guard. The force of the blow sent Renjiro hurtling into the air, his body twisting as he tried to regain control. But Kaya was already in motion, leaping after him with astonishing speed. Renjiro barely had time to react before Kaya's arms locked around him in a tight hold, preventing him from escaping or counterattacking.

Panic flared in Renjiro's mind as he realized what was happening.

'Wait, is this he—' His thought was cut off as they reached the peak of the initial kick's arc. In an instant, Kaya began spinning, using the momentum of their ascent to propel them headfirst toward the ground. The world became a dizzying blur as they spiralled downward, the ground rushing up to meet them with terrifying speed.

At the last possible moment, Kaya released Renjiro and retreated to safety, leaving Renjiro to collide with the ground alone.

"Boom!"

The impact was thunderous, a resounding crash that echoed through the Battlegrounds. The crowd erupted in cheers, their excitement reaching a fever pitch as they witnessed Kaya's signature but devastating move.

Osaki turned to Miwa, her tone mocking as she called out, "Looks like your nephew's in trouble, Miwa. Should we start wrapping this up?"

Miwa, though concerned, kept her composure. "Don't count him out just yet," she replied, her voice steady even as she clenched her fists. She believed in Renjiro—she had to.

Renjiro groaned as he pushed himself up from the ground, his vision swimming as he tried to regain his bearings. His body ached all over, his bones feeling as if they had been rattled to the core.

'Was that what I thought it was?' he wondered, wincing as he shifted his weight.

'Did he just open the first gate of opening?'

=====

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