Naruto : The Bloodied Spider

Renkai sat in the dimly lit Academy library, his fingers tracing the inked symbols of an old scroll. At this point, the librarian was practically family—he spent more time here than anywhere else. His sharp eyes scanned the text, absorbing every detail with unwavering focus.

Sensory techniques.

The ability to detect, interpret, and track chakra. The ability to feel a battle before it even began.

In his previous life, mana sense had been an integral part of a mage's combat ability. Spells moved too fast to rely on just sight, and elite mages manipulated mana subtly, weaving unseen environmental advantages that could tip a battle at the most critical moment.

Renkai had been forced to master mana sense in his old world—adjusting, adapting, and predicting the flow of battle through instinct alone.

And now, he would do the same here.

He had already memorized the theory. Now, it was time for application.

All living beings have a chakra signature. To sense chakra is to listen—not with your ears, but with your own energy. To expand awareness, one must attune themselves to the natural flow of chakra in their surroundings.

Listening. That was the key.

Renkai closed his eyes, slowing his breathing. He placed his hands on the wooden floor, letting the world quiet around him.

The scroll described it as expanding one's own chakra outward, like a web, spreading thin threads of awareness into the environment.

It was, in many ways, similar to how he controlled his chakra threads.

But this time, instead of controlling, he was feeling.

At first, nothing.

His own chakra remained contained, silent, still.

But as he pushed further—

A flicker.

A presence.

He couldn't see them, but he could feel them.

Across the room, two students sat quietly, unaware of his experiment. And yet, their chakra signatures pulsed faintly in his awareness—subtle, distinct.

Renkai's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding.

It had worked.

Barely.

But it was a start.

A New Challenge

Over the next few days, he refined the skill.

Sensory abilities weren't like his other training. He couldn't force it. It required patience—a connection to the world around him.

At first, his range was small, unstable, fading the moment his concentration wavered.

But in battle?

Even a half-second advantage in perception could be the difference between life and death.

And soon, he would have the chance to test it.

A Fight in the Forest

One morning, Takeda Genji led the class out of the usual dojo and into the training forest just outside Konoha's walls.

A rare outdoor session.

Genji stood before them, arms crossed.

"Shinobi do not always fight on familiar terrain. Today, you will spar in unpredictable conditions."

A ripple of anticipation ran through the students.

Most of their battles had been in controlled settings—flat surfaces, clear visibility.

The forest?

An entirely different battlefield.

Genji's gaze swept over the students before settling on two.

"Renkai. Kurogane Rika."

Rika grinned, rolling her shoulders in excitement.

Renkai's mind sharpened.

This was perfect.

Unlike Sarutobi Shigeru, who relied on structured, disciplined combat, Rika thrived in chaos.

Unpredictable, fast, tricky. A fighter who attacked from angles no one expected, using deception and speed over brute force.

The ideal opponent to test his sensory awareness.

Genji smirked. "No time limit. The match ends when I say."

Renkai stood still, his breath calm, his muscles relaxed.

Across from him, Kurogane Rika shifted her weight from foot to foot, her usual cocky smirk in place.

Takeda Genji's voice rang out.

"Begin."

Rika vanished.

Her foot barely touched the ground before she flickered sideways, using the dense trees as cover.

Most shinobi would rely on their eyes to track her.

But Renkai was already closing his eyes.

He wasn't hunting her with sight.

He was listening.

To the subtle rustle of disturbed leaves. The faint shift in chakra energy as it moved through the air.

There—right flank.

He tilted his head, just as a kunai tore past where his eye had been moments ago.

Too predictable.

He shifted his stance, keeping his movements minimal. She would expect a dodge—but not stillness.

Silence.

Then—another shift.

This time from above.

She was using the trees, keeping him pinned down. Trying to force a reaction.

Not yet.

Rika was fast, but speed was useless if she didn't know where to strike.

Another faint movement. Behind.

He turned, kunai already in hand.

A blur of movement exploded from the shadows—Rika, mid-air, kunai flashing toward his ribs.

A feint.

He dodged to the side, but her real attack came from below.

Her second kunai lashed out, aiming for his blind spot.

Renkai had already anticipated it.

Instead of dodging backward—he stepped forward.

A tight quarter-inch dodge, the blade barely grazing past his side.

Too close for her to adjust—

His knee shot up—aiming for her abdomen.

Rika twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the hit.

She kicked off the nearest tree, flipping back to create distance.

But Renkai wasn't letting her escape.

With a flick of his fingers, a kunai whipped forward—not at her, but at the tree beside her.

Then—at the last second—

A flick of his chakra thread.

The kunai curved mid-flight, changing directions toward her blind spot.

Rika's eyes widened in shock.

She barely twisted her body at the last moment, yet she couldn't completely dodge what she couldn't fully see—

A sharp sting blossomed across her arm.

A shallow cut.

First blood.

She gritted her teeth, eyes flashing in frustration.

"That's a cheap trick," she muttered, rolling her injured shoulder.

Renkai didn't answer.

Instead, his kunai was already moving again.

Guided. Precise. Relentless.

Rika disappeared again, weaving through the trees.

But now—he wasn't tracking her movements.

He was tracking her chakra signature.

A slight flicker.

She was moving left—then suddenly right.

A feint?

No.

She was baiting him.

A small grin tugged at Renkai's lips.

This was getting interesting.

A kunai flew toward him—too slow, too obvious.

A distraction.

The real attack came from behind.

This time, she was coming low—aiming for his legs.

A calculated risk. Force a fall, finish the fight.

He reacted instantly.

Instead of dodging, he twisted his upper body, shifting his weight just enough to let her kunai graze past.

In that instant—

He dropped.

A counter-sweep, too sudden for her to react.

Her foot barely touched the ground before his leg slammed into hers, knocking her off-balance.

Rika's instincts kicked in—she flipped mid-air, twisting to recover.

But—

The moment she landed, Renkai was already there.

His kunai pressed lightly against her throat.

"…Match over," Takeda Genji announced.

Silence.

Then—

A chuckle.

Rika exhaled, shaking her head. "Damn."

She grinned, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"I really thought I had you."

Renkai lowered his kunai. "Almost."

Her grin widened.

"You're weird, you know that?"

Renkai said nothing, simply meeting her gaze.

Takeda Genji walked over, studying him with narrowed eyes.

"…You sensed her, didn't you?"

Renkai remained quiet.

But that was all the confirmation Genji needed.

His instructor sighed.

"This is just the beginning, Renkai. Sensory abilities are rare—and difficult to refine. What you're doing now? That's only the surface."

Renkai understood.

If he wanted to truly master it, he needed to push further.

Expand his range. Increase his awareness.

Learn how to sense not just movement—but intent.

Still—this was proof.

Proof that as in his previous life, sensory abilities could be incorporated into his fighting style.

That night, Renkai trained harder than ever.

To the point where it cut into his sleep, making his body ache even more.

But he didn't stop.

Because this was just the beginning.

And if he could master this?

Then one day, when someone thought they had him—

They'd find a kunai already at their throat.