Naruto : The Bloodied Spider

Renkai sat in the dimly lit Academy library as usual, eyes scanning over the scrolls regarding the subject of sensory abilities. At this point, the librarian barely bothered acknowledging his presence anymore. It was as if he had become a part of the library. The shelves, lined with scrolls, tactical manuscripts, and chakra theory, had become more familiar to him than the streets of Konoha.

And tonight, he was focusing, as he had been doing for months now, on sensory perception and fūinjutsu.

The ability to detect, interpret, and track chakra. The ability to feel a battle before it even began and place traps in the most optimal locations.

He stayed there, completely focused for a few hours before deciding to leave and prepare a special gift for his next opponent.

Later that day Renkai crouched low against the tree branch, his breath steady and his focus sharp. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Academy's outdoor training field. Tonight, he wasn't training his kunai accuracy or refining his chakra threads.

Tonight, he was testing his improvements in sensory perception and seals to take down an enemy with minimal complications. A sly smile appeared on his face thinking about his next spar.

He had spent weeks refining his ability to work with fūinjutsu seals and his sensory abilities. His chakra sensing range had increased, and with it, his awareness. It was slow, frustrating work, but the results were undeniable. He could now sense faint chakra signatures within a limited range, picking up disturbances in the natural flow of energy. It wasn't perfect. He couldn't pinpoint exact movements, and stronger shinobi would easily suppress their chakra to evade detection. But against most Academy students?

With his advances in simple fūinjutsu traps, it gave him an edge.

The next day, in the Academy's outside training field, Renkai was ready for a unique spar.

Renkai stood in the open training field, his eyes calmly observing the two figures across from him.

Sarutobi Shigeru, sturdy and disciplined, was already rolling his shoulders in preparation. His stance was solid, refined—a perfect balance between offense and defense.

Kurogane Rika, on the other hand, was looser, more unpredictable. A smirk tugged at her lips as she bounced slightly on her feet, already prepared to dart in and out like a phantom.

It wasn't just another spar.

It was an open challenge—a three-way battle.

Takeda Genji stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed. His sharp gaze moved between the three students as he spoke.

"I've seen each of you improve individually. But combat isn't always one-on-one. Sometimes, you'll face multiple enemies. Today, you'll fight each other—at the same time."

A murmur passed through the surrounding students, all eager to watch the Academy's most unpredictable fighter go against two of its strongest.

Genji's voice cut through the noise.

"No restrictions. The match ends when two fighters are defeated or unable to continue." His eyes lingered on Renkai for a brief moment. "Use everything you've been training on."

Renkai understood the hint. His sensory ability. His growing fūinjutsu skills. His evolving use of chakra threads.

This was his moment to test everything.

Genji's hand raised.

"Begin."

Rika vanished.

Shigeru charged.

Renkai didn't move.

For a single breath, he focused—not on sight, not on sound, but on chakra.

His perception expanded outward.

Rika was fast, her presence flickering as she wove through the trees, closing the distance without revealing her exact position.

Shigeru, on the other hand, was direct. His chakra flared as he rushed forward, already preparing a high-speed strike.

Renkai reacted.

He twisted his body at the last second, letting Shigeru's powerful punch graze past his ribs instead of taking a direct hit. As he spun, his fingers flicked—a kunai whipped through the air, connected by a nearly invisible chakra thread.

The kunai didn't aim for Shigeru.

It flew past him—toward an empty space between the trees.

A flicker of movement—Rika.

Her eyes widened as the kunai's trajectory suddenly changed midair, the chakra thread jerking it toward her. She barely twisted her body in time, avoiding a direct hit, but the unexpected attack forced her momentum to break.

For a second, she was off-balance.

Renkai moved.

His kunai was already returning to his hand, guided by the thread, but before he could capitalize—

Shigeru was back.

A sudden burst of pressure forced Renkai into a full dodge as Shigeru's elbow struck downward, sending a small shockwave through the dirt where he had just stood.

Renkai's mind adjusted instantly.

Shigeru had raw power and patience—he didn't rush in recklessly. He would pressure him into a corner before going for a decisive blow.

Rika, however, was adaptable. Her misdirection had failed once, but she wouldn't try the same trick again.

Which meant—

something was already coming.

Renkai sharpened his sensory focus just in time to feel Rika's presence flicker behind him.

He moved before she struck.

His foot dug into the ground, chakra surging into his leg, and with a burst of movement, he flipped forward.

Her kunai sliced through empty air.

He landed gracefully, already calculating.

Rika's movement had been too direct. She had attacked knowing he could sense her, forcing him into a reaction.

A feint.

Which meant the real attack—

Shigeru.

The Sarutobi was already there, his fist rushing forward in a brutal, earth-shaking punch.

Renkai twisted his torso, dodging by a hair's breadth. The sheer force of the blow sent a small shockwave behind him.

But Renkai had already planned his counterattack.

His hand flicked.

A kunai materialized in his grip instantly, summoned from the storage seal on his wrist.

Shigeru's eyes widened. He had expected Renkai to dodge—not to immediately counter.

The kunai lashed forward.

Shigeru blocked with his forearm, but that was fine.

Because the kunai wasn't meant to cut him.

It was bait.

Rika saw the opening and lunged at Shigeru's exposed side.

Renkai let go of the kunai mid-strike, his chakra thread still attached to the handle.

Shigeru realized too late.

As Rika closed in, Renkai jerked the kunai back—the weapon reversing its trajectory midair.

It sliced toward Rika instead.

She barely managed to twist her body, avoiding a deep cut—but not completely dodging it. A thin red line formed across her sleeve.

She clicked her tongue. "You really are annoying."

Shigeru exhaled sharply. "He keeps shifting the fight."

Renkai didn't respond.

His fingers curled slightly.

The kunai returned to his grip, the chakra thread retracting like a spider pulling its web.

But this was far from over.

Rika and Shigeru had already adapted.

The battlefield had changed.

Which meant it was time for Renkai to shift it again.

They didn't know one thing.

He had been preparing a trap from the beginning.

Near the base of a nearby tree, carved subtly into the dirt, was a simple fūinjutsu mark.

A minor chakra restriction seal with a paralyze effect.

Not a full paralysis technique—not yet. He was still experimenting with fūinjutsu. But it was enough to paralyze someone for a moment.

And that was all he needed.

Renkai took a slow step backward—placing himself in front of the mark.

A bait.

Shigeru moved first.

Rika saw it and followed, both of them closing in from different angles.

Just before they reached him, Renkai sidestepped.

Shigeru's foot landed on the seal.

For a fraction of a second—his chakra flow was disrupted, and he was paralyzed.

His movement stopped.

Renkai moved. A lightning-infused kunai launched toward Rika. When she blocked it, a flash of bright light blinded her momentarily.

In a blur of motion, he was behind her.

She felt the kunai press lightly against her back.

Shigeru barely recovered before realizing—Rika was already defeated, and a kunai attached to a chakra thread was in front of his eyes.

"…Match over," Genji called.