Dawn broke again over Konoha, painting the sky in washes of soft pink and grey. For Team 12, however, the tranquil beauty was merely the backdrop for the impending crucible. Ren arrived at Training Ground 3 at 05:45 this time, finding Akari and Kenji already there, looking marginally less anxious than the previous day, replaced by a weary, hardened sort of resignation. They bore the physical signs of yesterday's ordeal – stiff muscles evident in Kenji's warm-up stretches, faint shadows under Akari's eyes – but they were present, punctual. A silent testament to their shared determination not to break under Genma's demanding regime.
Ren used the waiting minutes for focused chakra cycling, maximizing his regeneration before the inevitable drain began. CP: 160/160. The small boost from leveling Basic Chakra Control was welcome. He also reviewed the fragments of Fuinjutsu theory he'd deciphered the night before, trying to cement the abstract concepts in his mind.
Genma appeared at 0600 on the dot, again materializing seemingly from nowhere. No greeting, just immediate instruction. "Endurance run. Weighted packs today." He produced three standard Konoha training packs, seemingly from thin air (likely stored in a sealing scroll). "Standard 10kg weight. Sumire, Ito – your focus is maintaining pace longer than yesterday. Ren – your focus is maintaining efficiency under load and extending your previously stated limit. Go."
The run was instantly harder. The added weight pressed down, shifting Ren's center of gravity, demanding more core strength and careful foot placement to avoid stumbling. Gamer's Body mitigated the direct physical strain into manageable data ([Load: Moderate (+15% Stamina Drain)], [Core Muscle Strain: Low - Counteracting Load]), but the increased effort was undeniable. Akari struggled significantly, her lighter frame unused to the burden, her breathing becoming ragged much faster than yesterday. Kenji, surprisingly, seemed to handle the weight better, his stockier build providing a more stable base, though the effort was still etched on his grimacing face.
Ren fell into an efficient rhythm, controlling his breathing, using Observe intermittently on his teammates (Akari - Stamina Depleting: Critical, Kenji - Form Degrading due to Fatigue) and on Genma, who ran alongside effortlessly (Genma - Status: Unaffected. Monitoring Team Closely). Ren focused on maintaining perfect form, minimizing wasted motion despite the pack.
[Running Proficiency Increased: +0.8% (Weighted)]
[Stamina Management Proficiency Increased: +1.1% (Load Management)]
This time, Genma pushed them further, running them until Akari physically stumbled and collapsed, unable to take another step. Kenji wasn't far behind, stopping moments later, bent over double, gasping. Ren halted smoothly, breathing hard but still functional, the System reporting [Stamina: 45% Remaining]. He had outlasted his prior estimate under load.
Genma observed Akari trying to push herself up, failing, then Kenji offering a begrudging hand. "Endurance requires mental fortitude as much as physical," Genma commented dryly. "Your body will scream to stop long before its true limit. Learn the difference. Sumire, targeted stamina drills start tomorrow. Ito, work on controlled breathing during exertion. Ren..." He gave Ren an appraising look. "Better than expected under load. We'll find your real limit soon." Observe: Genma. Thought: Impressive adaptation to weight. Recovery rate still unusually high. Possible Uzumaki C6ontent in ancestry? Or something else...? File report notes. The direct mention of finding his limit felt like both a challenge and a threat.
Next was chakra control, back at the stream. "Ito, Sumire – stand on the water," Genma commanded. "No running yet. Just stand. Focus. Feel the surface tension, match your output." For Ren: "Run back and forth as before. However," Genma added, pulling out a handful of smooth river stones, "dodge these."
Without warning, he began flicking stones across the water surface with deceptive speed and accuracy. They skipped across the water, aimed not to injure, but to force Ren to evade while maintaining Surface Walking Lv. 1. The drain (3 CP/sec) was constant, but now he needed explosive bursts of movement, sharp turns, and predictive dodging, all while keeping his footing on the unstable liquid surface.
Splash! He mistimed a dodge, his foot slipping, soaking his leg before he recovered his balance.
[Surface Walking Interrupted! Minor Stability Failure.]
"Too slow!" Genma critiqued instantly, flicking another stone that forced Ren into a sharp turn.
This was intense multitasking – maintaining the constant chakra flow for the skill, calculating dodge vectors, and watching Akari and Kenji out of the corner of his eye (both were falling in repeatedly, shivering but getting back up stubbornly). His CP pool began draining at an alarming rate due to the constant maneuvering and the base cost of the skill.
[[Surface Walking] Proficiency Increased: +5.2% (Combat Evasion Application)]
[[Agility] Stat EXP +10] (System recognizing evasion practice)
[[Basic Chakra Control] Proficiency Increased: +1.1% (Dynamic Output Modulation)]
He lasted nearly twenty minutes before his CP dipped dangerously low (CP: 160 -> 45), forcing him to signal Genma. "Stopping. Low chakra," Ren stated breathlessly, hopping back onto solid ground.
Genma nodded slightly. "Know your limits. Better than collapsing mid-stream." He turned his attention back to the struggling Akari and Kenji, offering terse, technical advice on chakra pulsing versus constant flow.
The afternoon session shifted focus back to stealth and awareness, but with added complexity. Genma introduced auditory illusions – sudden (false) kunai impacts nearby, whispers seeming to come from empty bushes (Genma Skill: [Minor Auditory Genjutsu - Distraction Type]? Observe cannot fully analyze signature yet). The goal was to train them to differentiate real threats from fabricated ones, relying on multiple senses. Ren's Observe skill helped cut through the basic illusions (System Alert: [Auditory Illusion Detected - Source: Genma Shiranui]), giving him an advantage, but Genma seemed to anticipate this, sometimes using purely physical tricks (a thrown clod of dirt hitting leaves) to keep him guessing.
[New Skill Seed Detected: [Genjutsu Resistance (Basic)] - Develops through exposure and identification of illusory effects.]
[[Environmental Awareness] Proficiency Increased: +4.5%]
Then came the sparring. Not Genin vs. Genin, but Genin vs. Genma. "Objective is not to win," Genma stated flatly, holding only a single senbon. "Objective is to survive for sixty seconds without receiving a 'disabling' strike." (He tapped his shoulder, indicating the nerve strike he'd used on Kenji). "And, ideally, learn something about defense and evasion against a superior opponent. Ito, you first."
What followed was brutal efficiency. Kenji charged with determination, using basic Academy Taijutsu. Genma moved like smoke, evading effortlessly, using only the senbon to parry, redirect, and occasionally deliver light, stinging taps that disrupted Kenji's balance or breathing (Observe: Minor muscle spasms induced). Kenji lasted barely thirty seconds before a precise tap behind his knee sent him sprawling. "Too predictable. Zero adaptation," was Genma's only comment.
Akari fared slightly better, surprisingly. She didn't charge blindly, instead using kunai throws from a distance to try and create openings while staying mobile. Her agility was decent, but Genma closed the distance instantly whenever she paused, forcing her into desperate dodges. She lasted forty seconds before a swift move disarmed her and a light tap to her wrist rendered her hand numb. "Better evasion instincts, poor close-combat defense," Genma assessed.
Then, Ren. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves via Gamer's Mind. Charging was suicide. Defense and evasion were key. He activated Observe fully, focusing solely on Genma.
Observe: Genma Shiranui. Stance: Relaxed but Ready (High Reaction Potential). Chakra Flow: Controlled, Minimal Output (Ready to Surge). Detectable Intent: Assess Ren's Combat Adaptability, Exploit Openings, Test Defensive Capabilities. Potential First Move: High-speed probe (Senbon flick or body flicker jab).
As expected, Genma moved first – a blur of speed, appearing directly in front of Ren, senbon aimed in a precise jab towards Ren's shoulder. Ren reacted instinctively, using Substitution Jutsu Lv. 4 with a nearby rock, appearing several meters away.
Genma didn't pursue immediately. He smirked faintly. "Substitution. Fast, but costly. And predictable after the first time." He blurred again, this time slower, feinting high with the senbon before striking low towards Ren's knee.
Ren relied on his Academy Taijutsu Lv. 4 evasive forms and slightly boosted DEX, twisting away barely in time, the senbon whispering past his leg. He immediately tried to create distance, backpedaling while throwing a spread of shuriken. Genma deflected them casually with his one senbon, advancing steadily.
Ren activated Surface Walking, not to run away, but for maneuverability, sticking briefly to a tree trunk to launch a kunai from an odd angle. Genma anticipated it, parrying easily. The fight became a deadly dance – Ren using every Academy skill, every trick he could think of (Clone Jutsu for a brief distraction - instantly dispelled, Trap Setting knowledge to kick debris into Genma's path - ignored), relying heavily on Observe to predict milliseconds ahead, while Genma flowed around him, parrying, testing, occasionally landing light, non-disabling taps to gauge reactions. Ren's CP drained rapidly from Surface Walking, Substitution, and constant Observe.
[[Observe] used under High Combat Stress! Proficiency Increased +1.8%!]
[[Academy Taijutsu] Evasion Drills Proficiency +2.1%!]
[[Substitution Jutsu] reaction time slightly improved!]
Fifty seconds in. Ren was breathing heavily, CP dipping below 30%. Genma hadn't even broken a sweat. The Jonin suddenly increased his speed, appearing inside Ren's guard, the senbon a blur aimed directly at Ren's primary nerve cluster in the neck – a clear 'disabling' strike. No time for Substitution. Ren's Gamer's Mind analyzed options in microseconds: attempt a risky parry (likely fail), rely on Gamer's Body to mitigate (still fails objective). Then, a flash of inspiration from his Fuinjutsu studies – not a seal, but the concept of disruption. He flared his chakra defensively outwards in a crude, uncontrolled burst just as the senbon was about to connect.
It wasn't a Jutsu, just raw energy expulsion (Basic Chakra Control Lv. 11 allowing for a forceful enough pulse). It achieved almost nothing offensively, but the faint pulse of unexpected energy caused Genma's senbon, guided by precise chakra control, to deviate by a hair's breadth. It grazed Ren's neck, drawing a thin line of red (HP: 125 -> 118), but missed the nerve point.
System Alert: Objective Failed (Hit Received). Minor Damage Sustained.
System Alert: Novel Application Detected! Crude Chakra Burst used defensively. Potential Seed: [Chakra Pulse (Defensive)]? Requirements: Further successful replication & understanding.
Genma stopped instantly, lowering the senbon, his expression unreadable but intensely focused on Ren. The sixty seconds were up anyway.
"Interesting," Genma said softly, his eyes boring into Ren. "Crude. Wasteful. But… unexpected. You felt the killing intent and reacted defensively beyond standard evasion." He paused. "You failed the objective. You got hit. But you lasted the minute, and you adapted, however clumsily." Observe: Genma. Emotion: Intense Curiosity (+), Reassessment (Ren's potential higher than predicted). Thought: Not standard Academy technique. Where did he learn that impulse? Instinct? Or hidden training? Must probe further.
He stepped back, addressing all three. "End of session two. Marginally less pathetic than yesterday. Still leagues away from competent. Tomorrow, we introduce elemental affinity exercises for Ito and Sumire. Ren," his gaze sharpened again, "we'll be working on your 'unexpected' reactions and finding your actual breaking point."
Without further ceremony, he vanished. Leaving Team 12 utterly spent, nursing new bruises (both physical and mental), but alive. And for Ren, the unsettling certainty that Genma's focus on him was only going to intensify.