200-Eternal Genin

Renjiro extended a hand to Kaya, pulling him up from the ground. Despite the fatigue weighing down his muscles, Kaya offered a genuine smile.

"You fought well," Renjiro said, respect evident in his tone.

"So did you," Kaya replied. "But at some point, I realized I couldn't keep up with you forever. Your stamina is something else." His voice carried a note of resignation, but also admiration.

Around them, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. The spectators, who had been enthralled by the intense battle, were now buzzing with excitement as they discussed the match.

Bets were quickly settled, with some grumbling and others cheering in victory. The fight had been a display of skill, endurance, and sheer willpower, qualities that both Renjiro and Kaya had in abundance.

"That technique you were using... it's unique," Renjiro said. He wanted to know how the chunin came across it.

Kaya chuckled softly, "It's the thing that ignited my hope of becoming a shinobi," he said.

Renjiro raised an eyebrow, this was not what he was expecting, "What do you mean?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Kaya sighed, "For the longest time, my chakra reserves haven't been enough," Kaya began, "It's even a miracle that I awakened my dojutsu. However, that meant that I fell behind in ninjutsu training because most of my chakra went to maintaining my eyes. It was disheartening, knowing that I couldn't match my peers in ninjutsu no matter how hard I tried."

'Ooh, so he is just like Guy, at least to some extent.'

Renjiro listened intently, understanding the struggle of feeling inadequate, especially in a world where chakra was everything.

Kaya continued, "That's why I was so glad when I stumbled upon the Eight Gates technique. I found it in the clan's private library."

'The Eight Gates... it makes sense that the Uchiha clan could have copied it. But I thought that only Guy and his dad stuck to the technique. Even after Duy used it to destroy the Mist Swordsmen, no one seemed to take it seriously.' Renjiro thought, his mind racing as he considered the implications of Kaya's words.

"I'm sure if you were able to open the other gates, the fight would have ended differently," Renjiro remarked.

He knew the potential power of the Eight Gates, and he knew that if Kaya mastered it, he would be a formidable opponent. Just thinking of an Uchiha mastering caused shivers to run down his spine.

Kaya's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about the technique?" he asked, clearly taken aback. The Eight Gates were not widely known, even those who knew about it never failed to recognize its potential.

Renjiro nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I've heard about it from the Eternal Genin, Might Duy. He's one of the few who fully embraced the technique. You guys are actually the same."

Kaya's surprise deepened. "There's another person in the village practising the same technique?" he asked, astonishment clear in his voice.

Renjiro couldn't help but smile at Kaya's reaction. 'Makes sense,' he thought.

'As far as I know, Duy should still be alive now, so the village is still underestimating him. But anyone who knows the truth would never make that mistake.'

"You should get in touch with him," Renjiro suggested, his tone serious. "He might be able to help you with the technique, especially if you've reached a point where you can't open the other gates."

Kaya considered Renjiro's words, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "You're right," he finally said, nodding. "I've been stuck for a while now, unable to push past the limitations of the first few gates. Maybe he could help me take it further."

Just as the conversation seemed to be winding down, a thought occurred to Renjiro.

"Wait," he began, a note of confusion creeping into his voice. "How did you access the private library if you're not a squad leader?"

Kaya looked at Renjiro, his expression one of mild surprise. "What do you mean? The private library is free for all clan members as long as you have the required contribution points."

Renjiro's confusion deepened. "What?" he said, more to himself than to Kaya.

'Did Fujioka play me? I thought it was open only to squad leaders and above.'

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he couldn't help but feel a bit cheated.

Before Renjiro could dwell too long on the implications of this new information, Osaki and Miwa approached them, their expressions a mixture of approval and pride.

"You two did well," Osaki said, her voice carrying a note of reluctant admiration as she addressed Kaya. "You fought with everything you had, Kaya, and that's all I could ask for."

Miwa, never one to miss an opportunity, grinned broadly as she extended her hand to Osaki. "And don't forget, you owe me," Miwa said.

Osaki sighed, clearly not thrilled about losing the bet but too honourable to renege it. With a slight grimace, she handed over a small pouch of coins to Miwa, who accepted it with a triumphant smile.

"A deal's a deal," Osaki muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice despite her loss.

'Aah, she's getting paid? I need to sort out my meals for the next few weeks.'

Renjiro suddenly smirked as an idea formed in his mind. "Since you're in such a good mood, Miwa," he began, his voice teasing, "how about treating us all to a meal? After all, I did just win you that bet."

"What?" Miwa's eye couldn't help but twitch.

"You're really going to take advantage of this, aren't you?" she said, but there was no real annoyance in her tone.

'Taking advantage? Between Me and Her who is taking advantage of the other?' Renjiro thought.

"Of course," Renjiro replied with a grin. "We fought hard, and I think we deserve a little reward. Besides, you can afford it now, right?"

Osaki chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "I think that's a fair request, Miwa. After all, it's not every day you get to watch a fight like that and come out richer for it."

Miwa rolled her eyes "Fine, fine," she relented. "But don't expect anything too fancy. I'm not made of money, you know."

'You just got paid for winning a bet!' Renjiro thought. Frankly, he was appaled and a bit impressed by Miwa's shamelessness.

As the group began to make their way out of the training grounds, the atmosphere was one of camaraderie and mutual respect. The tension of the fight had faded, replaced by the easy banter that comes with shared experiences and hard-earned victories.

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