Naruto : The Bloodied Spider

Renkai's progress in the Academy had reached a point where he was no longer just another student. His precision with kunai was unmatched, his chakra control surpassed most peers, and his tactical awareness made him a nightmare to face in sparring matches.

But even with all of this, he was painfully aware of his own weaknesses.

His ninjutsu remained unreliable.

His body, despite improving, was still not as naturally strong as others.

And most importantly—his techniques were incomplete.

His training had to evolve.

Every evening, after his time in the library and Academy sessions ended, Renkai dedicated himself to refining every aspect of his fighting style.

Kunai throwing had already become second nature. Calculating angles, adjusting for wind, and shifting trajectories—these were easy. But now, he was incorporating chakra threads more seamlessly, attaching them mid-flight to alter direction.

The idea had come to him after thinking about guided magic in his previous life. There was no reason the same principle wouldn't work with chakra threads. And to his surprise, it worked fairly quickly—after just a few tries, he could steer a kunai after throwing it.

He smirked to himself.

Even after reincarnation, his talent remained. The assassins who killed him had taken his life, but they hadn't stolen what mattered most—his mind and skill. That thought alone almost made him laugh.

Still, there was a problem.

Speed.

Even if he could adjust the angle midair, the delay made it predictable.

Renkai stood in the training ground. Two kunai hovered before him, connected by thin chakra threads. He moved them carefully, trying to make the transition smoother.

Faster.

More precise.

The kunai moved—but not quickly enough.

Renkai clicked his tongue. Too slow. I need to react faster. I need better control.

Then, he remembered Takeda Genji's words.

"Your chakra nature is lightning. That means speed and precision should be your focus."

Lightning Release.

He had barely scratched the surface of what it could do.

He grabbed a kunai, channeling chakra into it. A faint crackle of electricity flickered along the metal. Then—suddenly—it snapped forward faster than before.

Renkai's eyes widened.

This… this was it.

The speed boost wasn't overwhelming, but it was noticeable. It allowed the kunai to close the distance quicker, making it harder to react to. This wasn't just about power—it was about outpacing his opponent's reactions.

And if he could apply it to his threads…

He grabbed another kunai, connected it to a chakra thread, and pushed his Lightning Release through both.

This time, the reaction was different.

Instead of the kunai moving in a slow, fluid arc, it jerked forward, propelled by the charge. The movement was still rough and unrefined, but it was undeniably faster.

He grinned.

This was the missing piece.

A fusion of chakra threads and Lightning Release.

Takeda Genji had been watching him for a while now.

At first, he hadn't thought much of the quiet, calculating student. But now?

Now, he wasn't sure what to make of Renkai.

He had trained clan prodigies, heirs of great shinobi families who had years of training behind them. Yet, Renkai wasn't a clan heir. He was an orphan.

A child with no bloodline, no inheritance—just raw skill and an unsettling level of discipline.

Genji knew what the higher-ups would think if they learned of Renkai's potential.

They would want to control him.

Which meant Renkai had two choices—become a tool of the village or become a threat to it.

Genji didn't know which path the boy would take.

But as he watched Renkai's kunai infused with lightning, his chakra threads controlling weapons with an unnatural precision…

He knew one thing.

This boy would rewrite the rules of battle.

Renkai's ability to wield Lightning Release was still weak, but his instructor's advice had been invaluable:

Refinement over brute strength.

He didn't need raw power—he needed control.

His kunai moved faster.

His chakra threads reacted quicker.

And something else had changed.

His instincts.

He wasn't just calculating movements anymore. His body was adapting, anticipating attacks, feeling the flow of battle rather than just predicting it.

At first, the other students hadn't known how to deal with him.

But now?

They feared him.

Sarutobi Shigeru had always seen himself as one of the strongest in their class.

He wasn't arrogant. He had earned his skill through hard work and the pressure of living up to his clan's reputation.

But Renkai?

Renkai was different.

He didn't fight like the others. He wasn't fast like the Inuzuka, or strong like the Akimichi, or naturally gifted at ninjutsu like the Nara.

And yet—he won.

Over and over.

Shigeru had been watching him closely. And he had realized something.

Renkai didn't rely on his body's natural gifts.

He relied on intelligence.

And that made him dangerous.

One afternoon, Takeda Genji called them for another sparring match.

Shigeru smirked. "We're doing this again, huh?"

Renkai gave a small nod. "Looks like it."

Shigeru took his stance.

This time, he wasn't going to let Renkai control the flow of battle.

The match began.

Shigeru moved first, closing the distance instantly.

Renkai expected it.

He had fought Shigeru before. He knew the Sarutobi liked to fight up close.

But this time—he was ready.

Shigeru threw a punch.

Renkai dodged, but not completely. Instead of avoiding it entirely, he let the strike graze his shoulder.

Why?

Because it let him stay close.

Before Shigeru could react, Renkai's kunai was already moving.

Guided by a chakra thread—fast, sharp, perfectly aimed.

Shigeru twisted away just in time—but Renkai wasn't done.

A flick of his fingers—

The kunai jerked midair, changing direction toward Shigeru's exposed side.

A direct hit.

Or it would have been—

If Shigeru hadn't caught the kunai midair with his bare hand.

For a split second, their eyes locked.

Then—

Shigeru yanked the kunai forward, dragging Renkai with it.

Renkai felt the resistance—

No.

He released the thread instantly, cutting his loss.

But it was too late.

A knee slammed into his stomach.

Renkai staggered back, exhaling sharply.

That was close.

But not close enough.

He adjusted his grip on the chakra threads.

The real fight had just begun.

The match lasted minutes, both fighters adapting with every move.

By the end, neither won.

Genji called it before either could land a decisive blow.

But something had shifted.

A silent acknowledgment.

A rivalry.

And more than that—

Respect.

Shigeru smirked. "Next time, I win."

Renkai wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We'll see."

Because this wasn't just training.

This was evolution.