A/N: Special thanks to Midnight Lost for his contributions. Reviews, Feedback, and constructive criticism are always welcome.
Disclaimer: All source material belongs to their respective owners.
In loving memory of Stan Lee. Thank you for the creation of many favorite heroes and stories. Excelsior!
Chapter Three: Training.
"That was probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. That woman that plays Princess Gale; her acting was so on point. She was really committed to the role." Gwen muttered aloud as the credits of the first movie of the Princess Gale series began to roll.
Naruto nodded in agreement since he was a huge fan of the series even before he protected the actress' life. "She used to go by the name 'Yukie Fujikaze' to protect her identity, she now goes by her real name of Koyuki Kazahana. When we first met, she freaking pepper sprayed me, though after a while, we became friends." The whiskered teen explained since that was a pretty memorable mission.
"Ouch. Pepper spray? Not fun. You'll have to tell me the whole story sometime." She said with a big grin, earning a nod of agreement from the Uzumaki.
"You tell me about some of your adventures and I'll share mine." He promised her with a small wink.
"Deal." She replied as she got up off the couch and stretched out her limbs. "I'm cooking tonight. How do you feel about pizza?"
"I like pizza." He responded as the blonde drummer began pulling some dough and flour to begin preparation.
"Cool, anything in particular you want on it? I prefer to do it Supreme style but am open to almost any other mind. I love to add pepperoni, sausage, beef, onions, green peppers, and extra cheese to mine." She spoke with a grin, her stomach roaring in agreement which made the two blondes laugh.
"Almost anything is fine... except pineapple and anchovies." He replied which caused the Spider-Drummer to playfully swoon.
"A man after my own heart. Pineapple has no place on a pizza and anchovies are just downright nasty. What a way to ruin a good pizza." She muttered the last part in a rather bitter manner, having once tried pineapple on pizza... It was not a good experience.
"You make pizza by hand, huh?" He asked out of curiosity since it would be easier and less work to stick a store bought pizza into the oven.
"Hell yeah. Store bought is fine and all, but I prefer making it myself. Tastes way better that way." She replied as if it were the most simple thing in the world.
"Need any help with that?" He asked as he stood up off the couch and walked into the kitchen to help her out, only to be shooed away by the blonde drummer.
"No, no, no. I got this. You cooked breakfast earlier, only fair I make dinner. We can take turns cooking. It's only fair, yeah? Oh, and don't even think of arguing or you're not getting any." She spoke with a saucy grin, which made the Uzumaki chuckle a bit. It would seem he had no room to maneuver on this one.
"If you insist. If you don't mind, I think I'll take a shower." He announced at the end, earning a nod from his new roommate as she promised to inform him when the pizza was ready.
He grabbed a change of clothes from one of the duffle bags along with some body wash and shampoo he had brought with him from his old apartment and made his way into Gwen's bedroom. He briefly glanced at the bed as a mental image of their sexual activities flashed in his mind. He quickly shook it off and entered the bathroom, stripping out of his orange jumpsuit with a sigh, noting that it seemed tighter than usual on him. It seemed like he was starting to grow out of it.
He would need to collect more clothes soon. Fortunately his new Spider-Man outfit would be ready soon. He slipped out of his boxers and then leaned into the shower, turning the faucets to start the water running. Once he got the water to a comfortable temperature, he slipped inside and almost moaned in pleasure as the warm water cascaded down onto his body.
Kami, this felt nice. He almost couldn't remember the good time he had taken a shower with both decent water pressure and hot water. His apartment's plumping? Wasn't exactly in tip-top shape. As he poured some shampoo into his palm and then began to lather it into his hair, he wondered what Tsunade was up to and how she planned on dealing with the Pervy Sage.
Meanwhile, Hokage Office.
Tsunade impatiently tapped her finger against her desk as she took a long sip of sake. She had requested her Summons to get into contact with the Toads to help bring Jiraiya to her. The Toads were very quick to agree when she also mentioned in her request that their Sannin representative had been rather lax with Naruto's training at best, and completely negligent at worst. They wanted answers as much as she did in regards to what the young Uzumaki had told her about his 'training'.
There was a puff of smoke on her desk as the form of one of the Toad Elders, more specifically, Fukasaku, sometimes referred to as 'Pa' appeared before her. "Ah. Greetings Tsunade-sama. My apologies if I kept you waiting." The Toad Elder spoke in a polite tone, with the Slug user gently waving him off, knowing that he had arrived as fast as he could. Besides, she knew that she was gonna need some drinks in her for what came next, and probably a lot of aspirin for the resulting headache afterwards.
"That's okay. Would you kindly proceed and Reverse Summon Jiraiya here? I don't care what he's doing, I need to talk with him now." She asked with a twitching eyebrow, her irritation clearly directed towards her old teammate. The Toad Elder quickly agreed and performed the required Hand-Sign which resulted in a loud pop and puff of smoke as the form of the Toad Sannin himself appeared before him.
"...So what do you say we... Wait, what?" Jiraiya spoke, his tone changing from flirtatious to confused as he looked around a few moments to get his bearings. If the Medic Nin had to guess, her perverse teammate had likely been in the middle of some form of attempted flirting with some beautiful but unfortunate young woman when he had been summoned to her office. She was certain that somewhere out there, said woman was undoubtedly breathing a deep sigh of relief.
The Toad User finally registered exactly where he was and gave the blonde Senju an awkward smile as he spoke "Oh! Tsunade-hime! So wonderful to see you! And Pa! You're here too. Erm... sorry but what is this about? Something happen?" He asked at the end, wondering why he had been so abruptly summoned. Was there some kind of emergency that he wasn't aware of?
The Senju woman and Toad Elder exchanged looks with the former saying "Just wanted to check in on how things were going with Naruto." Her tone was sickly sweet, and it made her fellow Sannin's skin crawl a bit as he immediately began to fidget nervously as he gave Fukasaku a questioning look but the Toad Elder simply gave the Perverted Sannin an apathetic expression.
"You... couldn't have sent a letter, or something?" Jiraiya asked with a clearly puzzled face. She really went through the trouble of summoning him directly to her office just for an update?
"I thought it would be better if we spoke face to face." She answered as she laced her fingers together and leaned over her desk slightly, her eyes boring through her teammate and piercing through his very soul, making the Toad User squirm uncomfortably as she asked "How is Naruto doing? How is his training coming along?"
Jiraiya let out a bellowing laugh that sounded all too fake as he replied "Oh, the gaki? He's doing fine, everything's fine! Training is coming along great! He's learning by leaps and bounds! You've nothing to worry about!" The Slug user obviously remained unconvinced, not just because she had earlier met with the boy herself, but when somebody told her something like 'there is nothing to worry about' then it automatically gave her cause for concern and worry. She also couldn't help but note that her old teammate was being quite vague to say the least.
"What have you been training him in, exactly? I'm gonna need more details." She questioned further as she let some Killing Intent slip through to start applying pressure to the perverted Sannin.
"Oh, you know. This and that. A major focus of mine is getting him to learn how to use the Kyuubi's Chakra." Jiraiya replied, his words were still deliberately vague but also contained a small nugget of truth. Unfortunately for him, his answer was unsatisfactory to the Godaime Hokage.
"Really? What exactly qualifies you to teach him on how to control Bijuu Chakra? Are you secretly a Jinchuuriki? If not, then what can you possibly teach him in that regard?" She questioned with a twitching eyebrow as she found her patience was starting to run out.
"Not that I'm taking sides here Jiraiya-kun, but Tsunade-dono raises a good point. You could try bringing him to Mount Myoboku to learn about Sage Mode. I am certain he could greatly benefit from it." The Toad Elder spoke, adding in his two cents as he gave his clan's Summoner a questioning look.
Jiraiya swallowed nervously as he pulled at his collar, beads of sweat starting to form on his brow as he stammered "I... I... well... How is this your concern?! He's my student! I decide how best to train him!" The perverse Sannin snapped out as he had been backed into a corner.
"It is my concern because I wish to ensure that Naruto is being properly trained. You and I both know that it'd be a kindness to put a noose around his neck than let an unprepared and under-trained Genin out into the world.
Especially given the close call he had with both Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki who are both as infamous as they are powerful. So then, you haven't bothered to teach him Sage Mode... what about other Ninjutsu besides the Rasengan?" She questioned further as her hands balled into fists as she felt a strong urge to punch Jiraiya straight out of Earth's atmosphere.
"Huh? Other Ninjutsu? How many do you expect me to teach him? You and I both know that learning too many Jutsu is more trouble than it's worth!" Jiraiya spit back as he crossed his arms, earning a scoff from his fellow Sannin.
"Do I expect you to teach him hundreds upon hundreds of Ninjutsu? No. Certainly not. However, it wouldn't hurt for him to know at least a small handful of other techniques to better round him out. The last thing any Shinobi wants to be is a One-Trick-Pony.
Utilizing and relying too much on the Kyuubi's Chakra would be too much of a crutch. What happens if he were to encounter an enemy Shinobi that has techniques capable of suppressing a Bijuu? Why do you think Itachi was sent after him? The Sharingan is known to have manipulated and controlled the Kyuubi in the past by Madara himself, and many have hailed Itachi as Madara's second coming. Need I say more?" The Slug Sannin spoke and finished her small rant, watching her teammate with a critical eye.
The Toad User scoffed as he dismissively waved a hand and replied in an annoyed tone "I'm not gonna stand here and be grilled about my teaching style. Oi, Pa, mind sending me back? I have more important things to take care of."
Tsunade raised a hand and then said in a venomous tone "Before you go, I have one more question. When was the last time you saw Naruto Uzumaki and where is he now?"
The perverted Sannin looked down towards Fukasaku, as if asking the Toad Elder to bail him out, instead the aged Toad shook his head and spoke in response to Jiraiya's silent question "If you want me to send you back, you better give Lady Tsunade a satisfactory answer. I'm not getting any younger here. Otherwise? Feel free to walk all the way back."
Jiraiya crossed his arms and huffed, looking almost like a grumpy and pouting child as he finally answered "I saw him just the other day. I left him to train on his own."
"Left him to go hit on women, visit brothels and peep in on bathhouses, no doubt. So you weren't even properly supervising him then." Tsunade mused, not at all surprised by this, and not because she had spoken with Naruto earlier.
"I've heard enough. Jiraiya, I was gonna give you a chance to come clean, seeing as we are old friends and teammates, however it seems that I have no other choice. As of now, I am officially declaring that you are unfit to be Naruto's teacher." She stated with a deep frown.
"What? Who else is gonna teach him then? You? Fat chance of that! I'm the Sensei that he needs!" The Toad Sannin spoke as he puffed out his chest.
"Uh-huh." She muttered in a clearly unconvinced and sarcastic tone before she replied "I have already spoken to Naruto-kun personally. He told me everything I needed to know." Once those words had left her lips, her teammate blinked his eyes a few times, his brain seemingly ceasing to function and restart a few times as he tried to process this information.
"Wait... he has? When? How? Where is he? Who's teaching him if not me?!" He demanded, causing the female Senju to roll her eyes and inspect her fingernails.
"He has. Just a short while ago. Classified and Secret." She bluntly responded to his questions as she slowly rose to her feet, her arms crossed beneath her massive bust as she then asked him "Why does this even matter so much to you anyway? Does it truly matter who teaches him so long as he learns how to defend himself against future threats?"
Before the self-proclaimed Super Pervert could speak, Fukasaku piped in as he spoke in an even tone "I think I know what this is all about. Some years ago, when Jiraiya was a young man, the Grand Toad Elder summoned him to Mount Myoboku and shared a prophecy. One pertaining to a 'Child of Prophecy' that would either revolutionize or destroy the Shinobi World as we know it. It seems that this knowledge has become something of an obsession for Jiraiya."
Something suddenly clicked in the Slug User's mind as she turned back to her former Teammate and pointed an accusatory finger at him as she then spoke in an irritated tone "I get it now. You think that Naruto is this 'Child of Prophecy'.
Is that it? If so, why the hell are you holding him back then? Are you afraid he might destroy the Shinobi Nations as stated in the prophecy? Are you trying to control him and manipulate that damned prophecy? Why are you taking the word of some decrepit old and senile Toad that can barely even remember where he is?!"
Jiraiya turned red in the face, his cheeks reddening with anger as he spit back "Are you saying we should just let that brat continue on his merry way unchecked? I think we both know what that kid could do, what he could become if he were allowed to run wild! If he decides to destroy the Shinobi Nations, he could threaten our way of life and there may not be anyone to stop him!"
Tsunade stared at her former Teammate for a few long moments, her face a mix of anger and disappointment as she stated "I don't care about some half-assed Prophecy. Don't you think that you might be taking it too literally? You're focusing too much on the worst-case scenarios that you aren't thinking about the good Naruto could do and has already done.
The fact that you're trying to control and manipulate him is clear proof that you don't trust him at all. He needs to make his own choices, not be forced down a path that someone else has cherry picked for him. You know, Sensei had high hopes for you. He thought that you perhaps had the most potential out of the three of us.
That you could be better than me, and even better than Orochimaru... and you have thrown it all away over some damned Prophecy. Pretty sure that Sensei would be rolling in his grave if he saw you now."
At her words, Jiraiya snapped and lunged forward, much to her surprise as he grabbed her by her trademark haori and shouted "Shut up! I won't be lectured by someone like you! You wasted years wandering around aimlessly! You're nothing but a drunk and a gambling addict! Now tell me where Naruto is! Now!"
Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the wrists and focused her Chakra into her hands and gripped him tightly with enough force to make a series of crunching noises echo in her office, which was followed by the pained screams of the Toad Sannin after she shattered his wrists.
She then headbutted him on the nose, the sounds of cartilage being crushed echoed as he stumbled back with blood beginning to gush out of his nose. Finally, she delivered an axe kick, hit him on the head, and sent him crashing down to the floor. Blood pooled beneath his face as he was now lying face first on the floor, with the blonde Sannin briefly checking for a pulse and found one, showing that the Toad User still lived.
"Ugh. What a disgrace. It would seem that Jiraiya-boy has lost his way. Such a waste. If it is your wish Lady Tsunade, I can make arrangements for Jiraiya to be struck from the Toad Contract as punishment for his transgressions." The Toad Elder offered while shaking his head since this was a Dark day for the Toad Clan. To think, their Summoner was trying to manipulate that poor Naruto boy just to get a desired outcome from the Prophecy.
"Tempting offer, but if you do that, Jiraiya's limited usefulness as a Shinobi will be diminished further. Also... I have a better idea." Tsunade replied as she fixed her haori and then reached inside one of her sleeves where she kept a storage seal that contained some emergency medical supplies.
"I think it is time that Jiraiya received an operation that should have been performed many years ago. One I should have probably carried out a long time ago. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Jiraiya... Hiruzen-Sensei isn't here to protect him anymore." She spoke as she summoned a pair of latex gloves and began to pull them over her hands before retrieving a scalpel from her storage seal.
The Toad Elder cringed, already having an idea of what she had planned and decided to take his leave and spoke "I believe my business here is concluded then. If you don't mind, please inform young Naruto that he has an open invitation to train on Mount Myoboku at his convenience. Please excuse me." With that said, Fukasaku vanished in a puff of smoke to return home, not wanting to see this next scene play out.
Tsunade had a rather malicious smirk on her face as she knelt down and hooked a finger into the Toad Sannin's pants as she slowly lowered it down, her scalpel hovering over his groin as she spoke to her unconscious teammate "I think it's long past time that you finally paid the price for your transgressions. As compensation, I'll be taking the thing you cherish most... oh, and I expect you to pay for the cleaning bill on the carpet." She then grinned wider, feeling an unexpected but not unwelcome rush as she began her operation.
Naruto and Gwen's Apartment.
The Jinchuuriki sighed as he stepped out of the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes, a large grin on his face and his nostrils flared as he caught the scent of delicious pizza in the air. He stepped into the living room area and saw the Spider-Drummer was already cutting the pizza apart at the table. She took notice of him and the expression on his face as she spoke "Perfect timing. I was just about to call you. You're sporting a pretty big grin there."
He rubbed the back of his head as he replied "I guess I am. I dunno why... but I suddenly got a feeling that something good has just happened." His nostrils flared again as he caught the scent of garlic in the air and noticed that the crust had some kind of glaze on it. Buttery garlic most likely.
"I think you're gonna love this. The marinara sauce is my own special recipe. The perfect blend of spice and flavor. Took me awhile to get the right amount of kick without making the spice too powerful." She proclaimed rather proudly as she used a flat spatula to deposit two slices each on their respective paper plates to start with and pushed the Jinchuuriki's plate towards him.
He picked up a slice and blew on it to cool it off a bit since he didn't want the melted cheese to burn the roof of his mouth. He then took a bite and started chewing, almost immediately a myriad of flavors exploded all over his tongue as he tasted the various toppings and the zesty marinara sauce. The whiskered teen had to suppress the urge from bursting into tears out of pure joy and potentially orgasmic bliss as he let out a moan of delight.
"Looks like we got ourselves a winner." Gwen spoke with a rather haughty smirk as she crossed her arms beneath her bust after pushing a can of soda towards her roommate and opened her own.
The Jinchuuriki swallowed down the food in his mouth and picked up his soda, using the tab to pop it open and then stated "That has to be the best pizza I have ever tasted. Where in the hell did you learn to cook like that?" At his question, his fellow blonde gave him a little wink and sipped at her beverage.
She then sighed contentedly and answered "My neighbor, May Parker taught me. My dad was often busy with work so when he wasn't around, I kinda had to look after myself. When I was younger, May would babysit me and as I got older, she began teaching me to cook so that I wouldn't have to rely on takeout or microwave dinners."
"Sounds like a nice lady." The whiskered teen said, mentally wishing that he had a neighbor like that and that someone could have taught him to cook in his earlier years. Suffice it to say, he largely had to learn through trial, error, and experimentation.
They continued their meal in a comfortable silence, with Gwen carefully observing the Jinchuuriki's reactions as he clearly enjoyed the meal she had prepared. A sense of pride and joy swelled in her as she knew that she was the one that had made him smile. For some reason... it made her feel very happy.
She noticed a small dollop of sauce that was on the corner of his mouth as she said "You got something on your face." She then brought a finger up to his face and swiped up the sauce, the young man froze in his seat and watched her, a faint blush rising to his cheeks and felt a slight stirring in his loins as she brought the finger up to her mouth and licked the sauce clean off her fingertip.
She then blinked her eyes as if registering what she had done and blushed as well. She looked away and stammered shyly "S-sorry. Got carried away there."
"Oh... umm... don't worry about it. That was... I didn't dislike that... Kami, I am bad at this." He muttered the last part as he too felt a little shy. He wasn't used to flirting or affectionate gestures. All of this was practically new territory for him.
"It's okay. This isn't my strong suit either. So... when do you start training tomorrow? I forgot to ask." She spoke, trying to shift the subject away to something more normal. A part of her still processing what she had just done.
"Ah. Right. Miguel-san wants me to meet him at his lab at nine in the morning. Not sure what he's gonna be training me in, but I'm excited for it." The whiskered teen responded as he perked up a bit.
Gwen giggled and nodded in understanding as they finished their meal. Once they were done, only two slices were left which she sealed up in a plastic bag and deposited in the fridge for a snack later on then disposed of the paper plates. "We had best get some sleep then. I have some training of my own to get to tomorrow." She stated with the Uzumaki nodding in agreement.
"Sounds good to me." He muttered before letting out a loud yawn. Now that he thought about it, they didn't get any sleep at all due to their pheromone induced lovemaking which lasted the entire night. Sleep would be most welcome right about now. "Do you have any extra blankets and pillows I can borrow?" The blonde Jinchuuriki asked, prompting his roommate to raise an eyebrow.
"Why do you need... hold up... were you planning on sleeping on the couch or something?" She questioned as she realized why he had asked. Was he seriously planning on sleeping there? Was he trying to be a gentleman or something?
"Well... yes?" He replied hesitantly before he continued "I thought that you'd want to have your bed to yourself and all. This is your place and..." He tried to explain but his worlds fell silent as Gwen looked deep into his eyes and placed a finger against his lips, quietly shushing him.
"It's okay. It is nice of you to offer... but you can sleep with me. I know this is new to both of us but... I don't mind. That aside, it's a bit late for the whole gentleman act, isn't it?" She asked in a slightly teasing tone as she pressed her forehead to his, looping her arms around his waist. His heart fluttered a bit, a warmth spreading in his face and chest as he returned the embrace. She wasn't wrong. They were well beyond the point of no return. In a way, they had already crossed a number of boundaries. Was this her way of showing that she trusted him? An attempt to deepen their connection? Did she not want to be alone? He wasn't certain, but if she gave her consent... then what was the harm?
"Sorry... I just didn't want to make assumptions or get into your personal space and..." He spoke, trying to explain himself but was once again silenced by his fellow blonde who gently shushed him. The attempt at being a gentleman was nice, but in Gwen's opinion, the Uzumaki needed to learn how to take the initiative and be more proactive. Seemed like he was a bit on the dense side, but then again, in the name of fairness, this was a new situation for him and for her.
She gave him a patient smile and cupped his cheek as she whispered "It'll be all right. We won't do anything that we both don't agree to. Okay?" She then gently took him by the hand and guided him to her bedroom. She then slipped out of her bathrobe since she liked to sleep in the nude, the whiskered teen gulped a bit as he found himself drinking in her form. Her frame was slender but still had some nice curves, her ass was firm and supple, and her breasts were nice and perky. What was she? A B-cup? C-cup? He wasn't sure.
He shook his head, mentally chiding himself and tried not to stare too much. He didn't want her to think that he was a creep. His face blushing a dark red as he felt his loins stir. Gwen noticed the looks she was receiving and blushed as well, having forgotten that she wasn't alone. God, he must think she was some kind of pervert since she had basically stripped in front of him. "Sorry! I wasn't thinking! I'm used to sleeping in the nude." She spoke apologetically as she fetched some underwear, a tank top and some shorts to slip into.
It was kind of funny, they had sex upon their first meeting and were now tripping over themselves to avoid any awkwardness or embarrassment. Still, she kind of like it when he looked at her like that, appreciating her body. It gave her a sort of satisfaction. The Jinchuuriki looked away to give her a little privacy to change in spite of already seeing her body after the impromptu strip show. He then saw a picture of her and that Miles Morales boy smiling together, it looked like they were sitting together on a bus or something. Seemed like a nice enough guy.
He then cleared his throat and spoke "Don't worry about it. I guess we'll just have to get used to... this thing we have." He spoke at the end as he slowly sat himself down on the edge of the bed. His words earning a nod from the blonde drummer. The whiskered teen sighed and tried to relax himself, mentally telling himself that he shouldn't be constantly freaking out around Gwen. She obviously wasn't like Sakura who would pummel him for the littlest things.
Technically speaking, he and Gwen had already crossed a number of boundaries, and yet for some reason, he was getting nervous about sharing a bed with her. A part of him kind of wished that he had more experience with girls and relationships. He didn't have the slightest idea about what he was doing and felt like he was tripping around in the dark with no sense of direction.
Suddenly, his hand began to tremble, making him grab his wrist to steady it as he muttered quietly to himself "Not now. Not now. Why now?" In the background, Gwen had finished getting dressed into her chosen sleepwear and noticed that his hand was shaking again. Pursing her lips, she sat down next to him and placed a gentle hand on his back, rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him.
"It's doing it again, huh?" She asked, though her question was more of an observation than anything else as the whiskered teen nodded his head, wishing that he could get his hand to stop trembling like this. She gently placed her hands on both sides of his head and began slowly pulling him down as he asked "Wha... what are you doing?"
"Shh. Just let it happen." She responded as she placed his head into her lap, letting him rest on her thighs as she began to softly stroke his scalp. It felt... surprisingly soothing, relaxing even. Her fingertips massaged his skin, causing him to feel a sense of calm and relief as he slowly felt his melt into her embrace. He felt a sense of comfort, his eyes slowly watering as for perhaps the first time in his life... someone was holding him. No one had ever held him like this before.
Gwen then began to softly sing to him "Rise up this morning, smiled with the rising sun. Three little birds pitch by my doorstep. Singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true. Saying, 'This is my message to you-ou-ou'. Singing, 'Don't worry about a thing' Cause every little thing is gonna be alright". Singing, 'Don't worry about a thing' 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright." (*1)
His trembling stopped and his hand steadied again, as she soothed him and then planted a kiss on his temple. "Feeling better?" She asked him, to which he nodded in response. The feeling of being held and the gentle caresses and singing had eased his mind and relaxed him.
"Better." He muttered quietly, still enjoying the feeling of being held by her. "Thank you. No one has... ever done that for me." he spoke as he slowly lifted himself from her lap and looked at his hand. If it wasn't obvious before, it was getting all the more clear that he had made the right choice of going to Tsunade. If this kept up, his shaking would worsen and who knows what other problems may appear.
"Any time. I mean it." She whispered to him as the Jinchuuriki turned towards her. Her face softly illuminated by the pale moonlight from outside their window. The light gave her skin a beautiful glow, her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. She had a kind smile, full of compassion, her lips soft and inviting. He felt his heart flutter as he was drawn to her and leaned in, planting his lips against her own.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close, returning his kiss. A sense of peace filled them both as their lips parted and noses touched. It wasn't like the heated, frenzied kissing they had engaged in earlier when their minds were lost to lust. This was sweet, full of warmth and tenderness. It was slow, loving, and passionate.
They pulled back, a small strand of saliva briefly connecting their lips. They held each other close as the Uzumaki pulled the sheets over them. Gwen gently turned The whiskered blonde over and cuddled with him, her breasts pressed against his back as she took on the position of the Big Spoon, nuzzling her cheek into the back of his neck.
"Good night." She whispered to him and placed a kiss on the back of his neck as she held him tight, almost refusing to let go. Even if he didn't say anything, she could somehow sense that he was carrying a lot of pain, a lot of hurt, and a lot of anger inside of him, but there was also a deep sadness in him, likely from the years of isolation he had briefly described. It made her feel almost compelled to hold him tight, wrap him a big hug and whisper that everything would be okay.
"Good night Gwen, and… Thank you." He whispered as he felt himself slowly drifting off to sleep. Feeling a sense of safety and comfort that was almost alien to him. He felt warmth in his chest and a sense of contentment. He could almost swear that he could feel their bond had deepened together, and he hoped to somehow repay Gwen for her kindness to him. His eyelids grew heavy and within a few minutes, the two blondes had fallen fast asleep together as they both basked in each other's company and enjoyed a peaceful and dreamless slumber.
The next morning.
Miguel had his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in the training area. Any minute now, his new student would arrive with the assistance of Lyla thanks to the 'Gizmo' that the boy now had on his arm. The Futuristic Spider-man was confident that the boy would quickly adapt and even flourish under his tutelage, especially given the boy's prior history as a ninja. It wouldn't take much for his Spider training to translate into his experience as a Shinobi.
He was actually looking forward to seeing how the young Jinchuuriki develops. Naruto was a Wildcard, but a Wildcard that was eager to prove himself. Furthermore, he and Gwen Stacy had formed a bond together in a very short amount of time. Miguel knew that the young Spider-Woman still longed to see and reconnect with her old friend Miles despite the 'No Contact' order that he had placed. Fortunately, there was the possibility that Naruto could deter her with their new relationship. A bit manipulative on his part, but it was for the greater good.
After all, Miles Morales and his dimension was ground zero for the disruptions across the Spider-Verse, and to prevent further instabilities, it was for the best that contact with Earth 1610 be kept to a minimum if at all possible. His musings came to a close as he sensed his new student approach and turned to greet him "Hello Naruto. Any trouble finding your way here?" The Spider-man of 2099 asked in a neutral tone.
The whiskered teen shook his head as he replied "Nah. Lyla was very helpful and provided me with directions. This Gizmo thing is really helpful. Oh, and thanks for the help Lyla." He spoke the last part towards the 'watch' on his wrist with the AI's hologram appearing and giving him a friendly smile followed by a thumbs-up.
The Futuristic Spider-Man then cleared his throat and spoke in a professional tone "Your Spider-Suit should be finished soon, tonight at the earliest and tomorrow morning at the latest. By now, your Spider powers will have fully manifested. We will begin by starting you off with strength training, that will be very important."
The Jinchuuriki raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion, in response Miguel then began to explain "In case it wasn't thoroughly explained to you upon arrival, Spider-People gain enhanced strength proportionate to that of a spider. On Average, most Spider-people can lift an average of ten tons, though there have been instances where they can surpass that in extreme situations.
On another note, the Spider-person's strength can often vary depending upon their base strength prior to being bitten and by the type of spider that bites them. You will need to undergo special training to learn how to control your strength. If you grab a Civilian to pull them out of harms way, you could easily crush their bones or tear out a limb. If you punch an enemy that you intend to capture alive, you could accidentally kill them."
"Huh. I made breakfast for Gwen after we... never mind. I didn't have much trouble cracking open some eggs." Naruto responded, earning a small sigh from his new teacher. In response, Miguel punched in a few commands on his own Gizmo which caused a pedestal to appear from the floor, carrying a solitary brick.
"Punch this brick." Miguel ordered with an impassive expression, with the whiskered teen shrugging his shoulders as he clenched his fist and punched at the brick. Upon impact, the brick exploded into powder from the force of the Jinchuuriki's blow which made his eyes widen. "Now do you see? Your strength hadn't manifested at that point, now it has. It is important that you learn to control it and use only the amount of strength needed to get the job done."
Naruto could only nod dumbly as he now saw firsthand the point his teacher was trying to make. The Jinchuuriki had vastly underestimated his strength, the full scope and reality of his newly Spider-enhanced body hadn't fully set in yet. He was definitely going to need to take Miguel's teachings to heart lest he accidentally hurt someone.
"Then let's begin." Miguel spoke calmly as he began running his new student through a rather Spartan-like training regimen. The Spider-Society founder made the whiskered teen perform all manner of tasks ranging from lifting and moving heavy objects and handling delicate objects without crushing them, the latter proved to be more difficult in many ways as the Uzumaki accidentally crushed a number of eggs even when trying to gently pick them up with his thumb and index fingers.
It took a number of tries, but eventually he managed to get a basic handle of using the correct amount of strength for various tasks. Once Miguel was satisfied, he instructed the blonde on how to use his webbing and made him perform several attempts at a target practice range which involved the Uzumaki fire his webbing at holographic targets that depicted various villains. This was followed by Miguel making the whiskered teen manipulate his webbing in various ways, ranging from creating shields, snares and so forth.
Naruto quickly took to wall-crawling as he was no stranger to climbing thanks to his old pranking sprees and his Tree-Climbing training from Wave also contributed to this course. His teacher then moved him on to Web-Swinging through various obstacle courses, each one more difficult than the previous. Naruto's new teacher was a real taskmaster, but his instructions were precise, clear, and easy to understand. It helped that Miguel didn't simply explained something, but also helped with a clear firsthand demonstration and then encouraging the boy to learn by doing it for himself.
Hours passed as the Jinchuuriki found himself sweating, his endurance being truly tested for the first time in a long time as his teacher put him through his paces. Still, even when he messed up, Miguel would encourage him to try again and again, no matter how many times it took until the young blonde got it right in the end. Finally, at long last, the Spider-Man of 2099 gave a satisfied look as he spoke to an almost exhausted Naruto "Well done. You have shown a strong aptitude for my training. The rest of the day is yours, we will begin again tomorrow."
The Spider-Society Founder then turned and left the training area, trying his best to hide a small smile on his face as the Uzumaki gave a relieved sigh and fell on his rear end as he panted tiredly. "Damn... this training was way more intense than what the Pervy Sage put me through... but it feels way more rewarding." The whiskered teen spoke to himself, his ears perked up upon hearing a baby cooing and looked upwards as he found the form of Peter B. Parker who was carrying his daughter Mayday in the crook of his arm.
The Spider-Parent extended his free hand towards the boy, who accepted it as Peter lifted the Jinchuuriki to his feet. "How long were you watching?" The whiskered teen asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a sense of accomplishment after being pushed so hard by his new teacher.
"A good while. Gotta say, what Miguel said? That's high praise coming from him. Could have sworn that he was actually smiling too on his way out. Still, I think he forgot the most basic and important lesson about being Spider-Man." Peter replied as he gently bounced his daughter in his hand, who let out a small giggle.
"What's that? Pretty sure he covered a lot." The whiskered teen questioned since he had been seriously put through the meat grinder. What lesson could Miguel have missed?
The veteran Spider-Man bent down slightly to meet the Uzumaki eye to eye, and put his free hand on the boy's shoulder as he spoke "Naruto. Listen to me carefully. Being Spider-Man isn't just about the powers, or about punching out bad guys. It's about what's in here." Peter then placed a lone finger at the blonde's chest, making the Genin realize that he was talking about his heart.
"A long time ago, when I first got my powers, I tried to use them to make a quick buck in the wrestling ring. I could have used my powers to stop a robbery, but I didn't because I didn't think it was my problem. That same robber that I let go? He killed my Uncle Ben. My Uncle Ben paid the price for my mistake, and ever since then, I have resolved to use my powers to help people. As my Uncle told me before he died 'With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility'. That " Peter explained as Naruto absorbed his words.
Naruto looked back on the people of his world who wielded great power, both friends and enemies alike. People like Orochimaru used their power for their own greed and ambitions, Sasuke pursued power for his single-minded mission to kill Itachi. People like Haku used his power to support the person he cared for the most, and Naruto had used his own power to try and save others throughout his career as a Shinobi.
For a long time, he had wanted to become Hokage so that people would acknowledge and respect him, he had never once thought about the power that said position would bring or what he would do with it when he had it. "I think I get it. Power isn't something that cannot simply be enjoyed for the privileges and benefits. The individual who uses it must be responsible both for what they choose to do with it and for what they fail to do with it. Your Uncle Ben sounds like a wise man... it kind of reminds me of the Sandaime. I think that, in his own way, he also tried to impart some wisdom onto me, but I wouldn't listen. Maybe if I had listened, if I was wiser and stronger then... then I wouldn't be such a screw-up."
"We all make mistakes. What matters is that we learn from them. Take it from me, things are probably gonna get harder and harder from here on. Lemme tell you something you probably already know, but I think you need to hear it anyway; The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It can be a mean, nasty, and ugly place, it doesn't matter how strong or tough you are, there will be a lot of people out there that will try to beat you down and bring you to your knees just because they can and will keep on beating you if you let them.
The world is gonna try and hit you as hard as Life itself, but it isn't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward, it's about how much you can TAKE and keep moving forward! No matter what, now matter how many hits you take, just keep on going! If you mess up or someone drags you down, or somebody gets the best of you, just keep going! Don't ever forget the people who care about you, don't let the world bring you down and make you feel worthless or weak, and don't ever let anyone define you You can become a truly great Spider-Man, I know you can!"
After Peter's impassioned speech, Naruto slowly nodded. He now understood that the most important lessons he ever received didn't involve Ninjutsu or gaining strength, the most important lessons he had ever gotten had come from both his friends and even his enemies. Lessons about life, about perseverance, about loyalty, about cherishing and protecting loved ones, about how the bonds of others can make you stronger than you are.
"Thanks for that. If you don't mind... I'm gonna keep training." Naruto stated as he cracked his knuckles, with the father and daughter pair exchanging looks with each other.
"Miguel put you through the ringer and you're still gonna keep on going?" The Spider-Parent asked with his daughter reaching towards the Uzumaki, almost as if she somehow understood that he was pushing himself harder than need be.
"Don't worry about me. This is something I gotta do. For myself." Naruto stated with a determined expression as he held up his palm and began concentrating, trying to create the Rasengan in his hand without the help of his Shadow Clones. He had wasted a year now under the 'training' of Jiraiya, he had also wasted a lot of time feeling sorry for himself and moping on his failure to get Sasuke back to Konoha. No matter what, he needed to create a Rasengan under his own power!
He looked back on their duel at the Valley of the End, remembering how he had fought so hard to try and bring the Uchiha home about how he spoke about the bond between them and how he considered Sasuke a friend, only for the self-proclaimed Avenger to declare that he was severing their 'bond'. He realized that there was likely never even a bond between them, that perhaps he felt that he owed Sasuke for helping save him from Haku's assault bag in Wave. He was so desperate to cling to their 'bond' that he failed to see that it didn't exist in the first place.
There was no room for doubts. No room for hesitation. Sasuke was never truly his friend. In the end, in their previous clash, the Uchiha threw all his many gifts, advantages and privileges away in pursuit of greater power, uncaring of the consequences that came after. 'I made a promise to bring you back Sasuke... maybe it was a bad promise that I shouldn't have made, but I still made it.
To break that promise would make me a liar, and I have no intention of becoming of liar and a cheat. Oh, I'll bring you back Sasuke... alive or dead, whole or in pieces, it's up to you. I made the mistake of hesitating because I thought I could save you. I was wrong. Next time we meet, I'll give you one chance to come home as a former teammate, if you refuse... well... I won't be responsible for what comes after.' Naruto silently promised as a bead of sweat formed on his eyebrow as the faint outline of a sphere appeared in his hands while Peter and Mayday watched in wonder.
Naruto slowly closed his eyes as he began to concentrate on the flow of Chakra to his hand, trying to will a Rasengan into existence. 'To all my friends, who lifted me up and made me into something better. To the Sandaime Hokage, who tried to do his best to teach me about life as a Shinobi. To Haku and Zabuza, for showing me the harsh reality of life as a Shinobi and helping me find my own Ninja way. To Gaara, for showing me what I could have become if I had taken a darker path and for testing my resolve... Thank you' he mentally spoke in gratitude and at long last, a fully formed Rasengan formed in his hands.
He then rushed forward and slammed the sphere of Chakra into a brick wall in the training area, which made it explode on impact. "Not fast enough... I need to be able to make a Rasengan way faster than that on command." The whiskered teen muttered as he focused Chakra in his hand once more.
As Peter and his daughter watched this, the Spider-Parent couldn't help but smile as he whispered "This kid... is gonna be spectacular."
Unknown to them, Miguel was observing this scene from his own Gizmo, having listened in on and observed everything. The Spider-Man of 2099 found himself unable to keep from smiling as he saw his new student was still pushing himself to become stronger to pursue his own ideals and sense of justice. He really and truly was going to become something special.
Later.
Gwen hummed quietly to herself as she prepared dinner, wanting to offer a nice surprise in the form of fried chicken. She had let this chicken soak in some pickle juice brine and was now coating it in a nice layer of flour and her own secret recipe of spices. Of course she had also prepared some crinkle cut french fries for the side. Also it was a good thing she had gotten a keycard made for her roommate before he left for training so he could come and go as he liked. Speaking of which... he had been gone far longer than she expected. He should have been back a while ago.
At long last, she heard her apartment door open and saw the Jinchuuriki enter inside. His clothes were dirty and he was drenched in sweat and grime too. "Whoa. What did Miguel do to you?" She asked out of concern, she knew that the Spider-Man of 2099 had very high expectations but this seemed like far too much. Especially on Naruto's first day of training.
"A lot. I also did my own training on the side afterwards, though maybe I got a bit carried away." The Genin explained with a small chuckle. She noticed that there was something a little different about him, though she couldn't place her finger on it.
"I see. Was worried for a second. Dinner should be ready soon. I'm making fried chicken with french fries." She announced with a wink as she placed the chicken and fries into a fryer, watching as the oil bubbled with the food inside.
Naruto hummed in thought and then asked "Gwen... would you like to go on a date with me? If you want, I can show you around my village." He offered at the end, his words making the Spider-Drummer beam brightly. She had been rather curious about his village, and she kind of wanted to see it for herself.
"I'd like that." She spoke as she accepted his invitation. The whiskered teen did a small fist pump as he whispered 'Yes!' the gesture making Gwen giggle a bit which made the Jinchuuriki realize that she heard his quiet victory celebration. He chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.
He had asked his teammate Sakura on countless occasions, only to be shot down, often violently by her in favor of her crush Sasuke who ejected her at every turn, along with every other girl that practically threw themselves at him. Now, he had asked Gwen out on a date, and she said 'Yes' right off the bat with zero hesitation. He approached the blonde drummer and kissed her on the cheek, which prompted her to loop her arms around his neck and return the kiss by planting her lips against his.
For Naruto Uzumaki, his training at the Spider-Society and his new budding relationship with Gwen Stacy, along with his newfound resolve, was the beginning of a new chapter in his life as he silently promised to live by the creed of Spider-Man, a creed that he strongly resonated with. As Peter said 'With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility.'
End Chapter Three.
Naruto Uzumaki: Age 15.
Gwen Stacy: Age 16.
*(1): 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley and the Wailers.