Although I've made plenty of use of the Chakra Sensing Technique in recent weeks, I have really tried to sharpen it any. I know my range with it has increased, but I think it's time to test the other areas.
At the training grounds, I can see a few genin joking with each other and coming to a stop in the middle of the first field. I smile, remembering the times with my old team, and walk past them into the woods. My spot is empty, and the fallen branches are still in place from my practice with the shark water spout jutsu(I need a better name for it…). I sit down in one of the dimples made by my jutsu, and cross my legs and calm my breath. I remember the breathing exercises I did with Naruto when he first told me about sage mode, and go through them to still myself. Once my mind has emptied and settled, I start the Chakra Sensing Technique, and reach out with it. There- I can sense three ninja who must be the genin team I saw earlier. They're moving about quickly, probably sparring. I'm not used to tracking movement at this speed, and it's hard to keep up.
While trying to keep a sense of the other two, I focus on one. The genin I'm focused on is taking the lead on offense; they have a warm and intense feeling to their chakra signature. It's nice to see Konoha's young genin are so strong. I try to focus further in on them, and the other two on their team fade to a fuzzy blur. Though the genin's signature is sharper, I don't quite know what to look for. I decide to look smaller, and try to sense tiny, natural changes. With this finer focus, I sense the uncontrolled bursts that come from hard effort. I pull back after a minute, realizing that I lost my focus on the other members of their team.
How do I put all of that together though? A larger range of technique, yet with a small focus? Well, maybe- it should be more like my Creeping Mist jutsu, something small and precise by design rather than pulling focus to one place. Okay… working up the Chakra Sensing Technique again, I slowly push it out, letting it roll forwards like mist. Before long the genin team is back in range, their chakra signatures sharper but not quite as much as when I focused on just the one. Expanding past them, I sense a few other ninja on the training grounds, but soon after I have to stop. Being so open and sensitive, I feel as if a group of evil eyes have opened up and watch me from the shadows, knowing I don't have anywhere to run. I let go of the Chakra Sensing Technique, but the watched feeling stays, breathing down my neck and unfolding over me. I hear ghostly whispers as I stay frozen in place, and my breath gets shallower and faster. After what feels like an eternity but was probably just a few moments, I realize the watched feeling has receded, though I still feel a little shaky.
Well, I think a small positive from today is that I've learned a bit more about the Chakra Sensing Technique. I just hope this sort of thing doesn't happen again...