133- No Small Inconvenience

"Excuse me, did you say Natural energy?" Renjiro could not help but ask.

Momo nodded her head slightly, "Yes, that is an advantage of living so high in the sky, the chakra is denser and purer until you reach this mountain where you can have access to Natural energy."

'So they do have access to natural energy.'

Renjiro conclude. Senjutsu was something that he had always wanted to learn. However, there were limited avenues of learning it as only a selected few had access to that knowledge.

His only best shot was to get a summon who had access to it and it seemed like that was the case. The only issue was to determine whether he would be able to learn it or not.

'Let me first focus on getting their trust through the trials, I haven't even made a summoning contract with them.'

"Then, what is the next trial?" Renjiro asked, his voice steady but filled with curiosity.

Lady Momo's gaze remained steady on Renjiro as she continued, "Your next and final trial will be combat."

'Good. It is hard to complicate that. And it is also the last trial.'

"I'm glad to hear that this will be my last trial," he said, "Who will I be facing?"

Momo's eyes gleamed with a mix of pride and seriousness. "You will face my young eaglet, Uno. She is destined to be the next head of our clan."

As she spoke, the sound of powerful wings beating the air, grew louder.

"Whump! Whump!",

Another eagle, slightly larger and with the same distinctive silver beak as Momo, descended and landed gracefully beside them. Renjiro felt the rush of wind from the massive wings, causing him to brace himself against the force.

'I suppose this is Uno. But if she is still an eaglet and she is this big, then what will happen when she fully matures?' Renjiro thought.

The sheer size and presence of Uno were intimidating. She was larger than the other eagles except for Tenjin, her plumage a stunning mix of silver and grey.

Uno's eyes, sharp and intelligent, locked onto Renjiro. "So, this is the thing who seeks to form a relationship with us," she said.

She wasn't being rude it was just that she had never come across any other being who wasn't an eagle all her life since her clan was secluded from the rest of the world.

Renjiro nodded, ignoring the Eagle's demeaning remarks. "Yes, I am Uzumaki Renjiro."

Uno spread her wings, the sound of her feathers rustling filling the air.

"Swish!"

"Then prove it," she challenged. "Show me that you are worthy of our clan's trust."

'I am not at my best, But I think I can take her. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.'

Renjiro took a deep breath, centering himself. His body was still recovering, but he had faced and overcome worse.

Momo stepped back, giving them space. "The trial begins now," she declared.

The other eagles, including Tenjin and Momo, moved back, giving the battlefield a wide berth. The eagles took to the skies, flying a significant distance away, creating a spacious arena for them to fight in.

Uno wasted no time. She unleashed a high-pitched screech,

"Screeee!"

The soundwave hit Renjiro like a physical force, causing him to clutch his ears in pain.

He was already weakened from previously, so he found himself momentarily disoriented despite his efforts to counter it.

Taking advantage of his disorientation, Uno summoned a lightning bolt,

"Crackle! Boom!"

The bolt split the air, heading straight for Renjiro.

Despite his compromised state, Renjiro's instincts screamed at him to move. He attempted to flicker away to evade the incoming strike.

However, to his shock and horror, he found himself rooted to the spot, his chakra seemingly unresponsive.

'What's happening?' he thought frantically. 'Why can't I move?'

'I can't access my chakra, what the hell is going on?'

Renjiro's mind raced with confusion. The Body Flicker Technique was a jutsu he could perform in his sleep, yet now, in this critical moment, it had failed him. His thoughts spiralled as he tried to understand why.

'Was I poisoned? Did the Eagles use some sort of seal on me?'

Renjiro tried all of his basic ninjutsu, but the result was still the same. The only way he could use his chakra was through his eyes and that was also accompanied by some pain.

With the bolt approaching, Renjiro decided to rely on his raw speed to avoid the incoming lightning bolt. However, even with his Sharingan, he was too slow.

The lightning struck him with a searing flash, sending pain coursing through his body. He staggered, the shock temporarily paralyzing his movements.

At the edge of the grounds where Renjiro and Uno were fighting, Tenjin, one of the most perceptive eagles, turned to Lady Momo and gave her a knowing glance. He had realized what was happening with Renjiro.

Seeing Lady Momo ignoring him, Tenjin asked, "Is this your doing?"

Momo turned to him, her expression calm.

"No, it is his body's reaction. He was exposed to Natural Energy. While he survived, he was still in a bad condition. Despite him healing himself, it seems he did not get rid of the aftereffect of losing control and access to his chakra, but do not worry, it is only temporary."

Tenjin frowned, "You knew all this and still let him fight Uno?"

Momo nodded, "Yes."

Tenjin's concern deepened. "Why? Do you want our first visitor after a long time to die?"

Momo tried to assure her subordinate, who was also her mate. "Tenjin, don't worry. It will not come to that."

'Not being able to use my ninjutsu is no small inconvenience. It is a massive handicap.' Renjiro thought.

Uno watched him closely, her sharp eyes missing nothing. She could see his struggle, but she did not relent. Instead, with a powerful thrust of her wings, she launched herself at Renjiro, her talons outstretched and aimed with precision.

Fortunately, Renjiro was tracking her movements with his Sharingan. He could see the patterns, the slight shifts in her wings indicating her next move. So he had already begun moving, intending to dodge the attack when Uno moved.

Unfortunately, Uno was agile and adapted quickly, using her wings to stabilize herself and dive again with even more force.

'The only thing I can do is dodge, it is like fighting with my arms tied behind my back.'

Renjiro barely had time to react. He jumped back and landed on a rocky outcrop. Without the body flicker technique, he was slower and had to depend on his stamina to move around.

While it quickly reduced, his regeneration managed to form a balance between his expenditure and regeneration.

'I need to use my physical skills and tactical thinking.'

Renjiro narrowed his eyes, focusing on Uno's movements. He had always been a quick learner, and now was the time to put that to the test.

With him being intentional, a thought flashed across Renjiro's mind, causing a smirk to spread across his face.

'I could use that instead,'

Renjiro realized, a plan forming in his mind.

Meanwhile, Uno was growing increasingly frustrated. She had been promised a challenging fight against this tiny thing her mother called human, who had intruded into her home, but so far, he had done nothing but dodge her attacks.

'Why can't he stay put?'

She had managed to hit him once with one of her jutsus, but since then, he had been evading her strikes with an almost infuriating consistency. Her patience was wearing thin, and her irritation was palpable.

"Why won't you fight me properly?" she screeched, her voice echoing across the mountain range. But Renjiro gave no response, continuing to dodge her attacks with a focused determination.

Then, without warning, Renjiro stopped. He stood still, a calm smile playing on his lips. Uno narrowed her eyes, sensing something off. She began to prepare for another attack, but just as she did, she felt a strange sensation in her body, followed by a large explosion.

"Boom!"

=====

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