AN: Sorry about how long the update took. I can now unfortunately say through fist hand experience that getting hit in the face with an airbag SUCKS.

AN2: this is gonna be the last chapter before the graduation test BTW.

An Overheard Conversation

Chapter 8

-Naruto-

"Is this really necessary?" Naruto sulked as he sat in his seat at the academy, Lucas happily sitting on his head like a hat while a rope around Naruto's waist tied him to his friends.

"Yes." Kimmimaro and Yakumo commented in tandem, even Hinata not coming to Naruto's defense.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" the shrill scream from the doorway cut off Naruto's attempt to respond as Sakura and Ino saw the large spider on Naruto's head, "Kill it!" Chains burst from Naruto's back at that, restraining the charging pinkette in a vice like grip.

"Nobody," Naruto's voice was a cold hiss, "hurts my friends."

"Naruto, release her." Iruka sighed, having been informed of Naruto's acquisition of a summoning contract and that Lucas would be a frequent sight, "Sakura, don't try to attack Naruto's summon partner again."

"Summons?!" Sakura and Ino were gaping at that declaration.

"Yes, which ties in to the guest lecture that your class is getting today about Summon Contracts, how they're acquired, and what methods are dangerous to use." Iruka commented as Itachi and a still pale Kisame entered. From what he'd been told, Ayame had been angry at Itachi and Kisame for what he'd done and had threatened to use Kisame as an ingredient for soup. From what Yakumo had told him she'd been quite detailed in her tirade. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Sasuke go rigid, glaring angrily at Itachi who was doing his best to not react to the awkward atmosphere that added to the classroom.

"Hi Mr. Bird Man! Hi Mr. Shark Man!" Lucas, completely oblivious to the tension, waved happily to Naruto's two senseis that he'd met after Naruto left the spider realm.

"Hello Lucas." The two nodded, knowing not returning the greeting would just make the young spider sad.

"Alright runts." Kisame decided to take point, likely hoping to avoid Itachi speaking resulting in Sasuke starting an argument and derailing class, "Today we're going over summon contracts. Now, who here knows how many ways there are to get a contract?"

"Two sir!" Sakura raised her hand, not even bothering to wait to be called on, "Either someone with the existing contract offers it to you or you reverse summon yourself to the contract that's the best fit."

"Incorrect, you missed one." Kisame looked around, "Anyone else?"

Shino raised his hand and, after getting the nod to speak, answered "At rare times, a summon will enter our world themselves to seek out someone to sign their contract, although such instances are rare."

"Correct." Kisame nodded happily, "Now, an important part that few people seem to grasp with the first two methods is that the most important part is the summons themselves. They have to agree to your signing. Let's use my summons, the sharks, as an example. If I picked someone, let's use Nara there as an example, and offered him the contract that doesn't mean the summons themselves would agree to it. They have the final say in the matter and if they refuse to let you sign, even if you reverse summoned yourself there because they were the best match for you, then you can't summon them." Naruto saw several of his classmates paying close attention to this, many of them likely hoping to have their own summon contracts eventually.

"Next, the risks. Naruto over there used the reverse summon technique which is the reason why we're having this lecture." Kisame glanced at Naruto who sunk into his seat awkwardly.

"Um…why would that be an issue?" Kiba looked confused, "If they're the best fit and they let him sign then what's the big deal that would need a whole new lecture? We were already told about how the technique worked before."

"Because, many who use that method don't survive." Kisame's blunt answer had the students who'd been planning suddenly go rigid.

"T-the summons kill them?" Sakura was pale and shaking.

"Sometimes." Kisame nodded, "Other times the environment is just inhospitable. The technique takes you to the summons that works the best for you technique wise first and foremost. I'm sure you all remember Naruto's pranks? That's the basis for training an important Ninja discipline of stealth, trapping, and infiltration. All areas the spiders would excel in. That said, not every summon likes humans or even wants a summoner. And if you do this technique, then you can't leave their realm until they let you so if they want to kill you then you're not getting out. Then there's summon worlds that just aren't safe for people to be in. I've heard of some contracts from Mist that had animals that couldn't work outside water but that meant their entire summon world was under the water. So, if you reverse summoned yourself there with no way to get oxygen, you'd just drown whether or not the summon were open to you signing any contract."

"I got really lucky." Naruto admitted, his senseis and Jiji having made sure he understood just how risky what he had done was, "And even though they agreed to let me sign they made it clear if I break their trust or prove myself unworthy, then they'd kill me." Not that he intended to ever give them a reason to.

"Then there are summons such as the snakes." Kisame scowled, "There are two summoners for that contract currently. One is Anko Mitarashi, a Konoha Kunoichi who works in the Torture and Interrogation department. The other is her old sensei, the missing nin Orochimaru. They have to use the contracts in vastly different ways due to how those summons act."

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru was sitting up for once, seemingly having his attention grabbed by new information that he didn't already know like most of the classes went over.

"The boss summon for the Snakes, as well as most of his stronger subordinates, demand human sacrifices whenever they're summoned. Manda, I believe tends to ask for at least a hundred every time." Kisame explained as most of those in the class paled at the barbarity, "Orochimaru isn't one to even bat an eye at throwing away that much life and does it whenever he feels like it. Anko on the other hand is disgusted by such a thing, and only summons the snakes that she knows personally and that don't demand such things, albeit ones not strong enough to overthrow Manda."

"Other contracts do tend to follow family lines." Itachi decided to finally speak up, "My Crow contract is one of two contracts frequently used by the Uchiha, the other being the cats." Judging by the look in Sasuke's eyes, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if the Teme was going to try and find that contract, likely thinking that it would let him beat Itachi for the sole reasoning of 'cats eat birds'.

"The point is, getting a summon is a risky endeavor not even remotely guaranteed to succeed." Kisame spoke back up, "And one that shouldn't be attempted until you're strong enough to protect yourself and old enough to take the risks. Assuming someone with an existing contract doesn't approve of you first at any rate." The rest of the period was spent going over the history of summons, their summoners, and the various known contracts throughout the elemental nations.

As they spoke, Naruto kept thinking back to his chains. He'd used them as part of his 'sales pitch' to Arachne, about how he could make web-like things with them. But spider webs were supposed to be thin, almost invisible, to catch their prey. His were massive, thick, glowing, and easy to spot. Glancing up at the board, he saw Itachi Sensei going over the summons from Suna, the name of the desert nation bringing a memory to the surface.

Whenever they trained, Itachi and Kisame would often share stories from their careers with Naruto and the others. One such story involved their old 'colleague' from the group Itachi had infiltrated, a Suna shinobi who was a master of the puppet technique. One who used 'chakra threads' to control puppets. Sometimes those threads were easily visible to others but those who trained could make them thing enough to go unseen. Just like a spider's web.

-Itachi-

"The Chakra thread technique from Suna?" Itachi blinked in surprise at the question Naruto asked him as the group all walked back to the compound to do more training, "Yes, I'm familiar with how to use them, why?"

"I…was hoping you could teach me." Naruto admitted shyly, Lucas currently a snoozing lump in the blond boy's pocket, "I want to fit with my summons better and I thought if I could get used to the chakra threads, then I could use those as a base to make my Uzumaki chains thinner, harder to see."

"I see." He blinked intrigued, "That's not out of the realm of possibility." At the very least it would provide an excellent chakra control exercise for Naruto. And given the way his young student's mind worked he wouldn't be surprised if he turned the technique into something new altogether." Meeting Kisame's eyes, the two nodded, having a rapid silent conversation, each knowing the other well enough to read the small expressions and gestures correctly.

"Alright kids, here's the deal." Kisame cracked his knuckles eagerly "Today we're going to go to the Uchiha jutsu library. Naruto just made his jutsu request and stated how he plans to make it his own. How he plans to use it in his combat style. I want you two to each find one jutsu as well. We'll help you learn how to use it and then I want you three to keep training it, make it your own as best you can, and demonstrate it during your upcoming graduation exam."

The three students met each other's gazes at that, all three showing extreme determination before they turned towards him and Kisame "Bring it on." They declared as one, Itachi nodding proudly.

"Then let's get going."

AN: I already have plenty of plans on how Naruto can use Chakra threads as a base and how to improve the use of his chains. Thinking of more for Kimmimaro and Yakumo, as well as what 'base technique' they'll use is gonna be fun.