A/N: Special thanks to Midnight Lost for his contributions. Reviews, Feedback, and constructive criticism are always welcome.
WARNING: If you are a fan of Miles Morales, this is your chance to turn around and leave NOW. (I am probably gonna get some flak for this, but I do NOT like Miles' 'Spider-Verse' iteration.) Consider yourselves warned. (In case you missed this warning in the last chapter.)
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 Eight: All for One or One for All?
In the office of the Hokage, Tsunade sighed in contentment since today's paperwork had been rather light for once. She smirked a little and decided to take the chance to indulge in some booze in her free time.
Now that she thought about it, the village had been rather quiet after her altercation with her 'teammate' Jiraiya. The perverted Sannin in question was currently enjoying a nice stay at the Konoha General Hospital, being fed nutrients through a tube since he had entered a catatonic state after she had removed his genitals. All that was left was just a little hole to urinate from now.
Ah. That was an operation she should have done many years ago. She had to say... she received a certain pleasure in personally removing his junk from his body.
Since his castration, the atmosphere around Konoha seemed to brighten significantly of late. To her knowledge, and not that she was involved, someone apparently let slip the Toad Summoner's current condition which caused women across village to loudly rejoice since they could now finally bathe in peace at long last or not be sexually harassed by the so-called 'Toad Sage'
Word spread around very quickly about the man's castration. The rumors even reached the ears of the all Kunoichi village of Nadeshiko who were offering a very heft sum of money in exchange for the Toad User's genitals. Apparently and unsurprisingly, they also had grievances with him and wanted to claim his manhood as a trophy and a potential warning against other male invaders.
As for the aforementioned manhood... she kept the genitalia preserved in a jar. She kind of wanted to keep it as a memento for finally giving her old teammate exactly what he deserved, but the sum that Nadeshiko was offering was no joke to say the least.
She shook her head and pulled out a file from her desk, sighing as she looked it over. A certain patient of hers in Special Care was stuck in a coma with severe trauma to the spine. The doctors of the ward were requesting the Godaime's permission to pull the plug on the patient, but she refused them.
As a Medic nin she took an oath to care for the sick and injured; until she was absolutely certain that her charge was truly beyond saving, she would not allow such a thing. As the Hokage however, she had to do all she could for the patient in question because of they could be of potential value.
As she read over the file, she didn't notice a spider slowly descending from a thin line of webbing, as it gently landed on her shoulder and began to climb down towards her massive bust. As it crawled against the generously exposed flesh of her cleavage, the Godaime felt a tickling sensation.
She looked down and spotted the arachnid on her right breast, but before she could fully register what had happened the spider bit down hard against her sensitive flesh. Burning white hot pain coursed through her body as she swatted at the offending arachnid out of reflex, her open palm slapping hard against her own flesh.
She inspected her hand to see if she got her target, but there were no traces of it. Had it managed to leap away just in time? "Damned little eight legged fucking bastard. That fucking hurt!" The Sannin growled out in pain.
She needed to quickly determine if the Spider bite was venomous. Unfortunately, she began to suddenly feel woozy, as her heart began to beat rapidly. "Fuck..." She muttered... she had never heard of spider venom taking hold this fast before... no... it couldn't be... could it?
There was no time to think about that as she tried to call out to Shizune for help, but she felt as if her throat was swelling shut... then the world faded to black.
At the Spider-Compound.
The atmosphere was tense as Gwen glared daggers at the Spider-Artist, with said Artist's eyes glancing between the forms of Miguel and the two blondes. "Huh. Wasn't expecting him to come here in person." Naruto mused aloud, not yet having a full grasp of the situation as he was currently unaware that Miles was the reason why his girlfriend had been late to return to him.
"He wasn't invited." The blonde drummer hissed venomously, the sting from her old friends breach of trust obviously being still fresh, not to mention she was still upset about what had happened to her boyfriend while she had been away. As one may suspect, she was currently in a very bitter mood and did not wish to see Miles, much less talk to him at this very moment.
Miles raised up his hands in a placating manner as he said "Look, can't we talk about what happened back there?" She grimaced at his question, no doubt he was referring to when he messed with her Gizmo. How dare he show his face here after what he did? He even followed them through a portal, knowing that it was hazardous to him, did he not ever think things through?
"Back there? Ohhhh, you mean when your parents kept on grilling me and prying away at me? You mean when you tampered with my Gizmo without my permission? Do you have any idea what you did?! Because of what you did, I wasn't there for Naruto when he needed me! He was having a panic attack and I wasn't there for him!" She shouted angrily, her hackles raised as she looked almost ready to pounce on her old friend and tear him apart.
"I didn't know! Okay? If I had known, I wouldn't have done it!" Miles replied defensively, which made the Spider-Drummer shake her head and give a dismissive scoff.
"I. Don't. Care. It doesn't matter whether you did or didn't know. You messed with my timer just to keep me around. Did you not think that it was for something important?" She questioned angrily as she held tightly to her whiskered lover.
"That wasn't all he did. He put a block on your Gizmo to prevent incoming calls. I tried to call you before making direct contact but nothing was getting through." Miguel added, his words making the blonde Spider-Woman give the Brooklyn Spider-Man a death glare that would freeze hell over.
"Come again?" She spoke darkly, her blue eyes piercing through him as her rage was reaching new heights.
"I... well I..." Miles started, but Gwen was having none of it. She was livid and not interested in excuses.
"What were you thinking?! What if there was an emergency?! Oh... wait... THERE WAS!" She screeched out the last part as tears once again threatened to fall from her eyes, though these were not tears brought about by anguish, but sheer rage.
"Look. I'm sorry, okay? I hadn't seen you in so long that I just wanted to spend more time with you. My parents talking to you that way, I didn't mean for that to happen. Really!" Miles spoke apologetically, trying to appease the young Spider-Woman.
"You're sorry? Really? I don't believe you! I think you're just telling me what you think I want to hear! Oh, and let's not forget how you lashed out when you learned I had a boyfriend!" She pointed out with her eyes narrowing.
"I was caught off guard and upset. I really liked you Gwen. Can you blame me?" He asked, his question causing the blonde drummer to think for a moment before she formulated a proper response.
"Can I blame you for being upset? I guess not. It was my fault for not telling you sooner. Even if I had told you, would you have respected my choice? That I had found somebody else?" She questioned at the end with a raised eyebrow, wondering how her old friend would respond this time.
Before the graffiti artist could respond, the conversation was interrupted by a low rumbling which seemed to cut through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. Everyone looked towards the source of the noise and noticed that a certain whiskered teen was blushing in embarrassment.
Gwen mentally kicked herself, forgetting that her boyfriend hadn't eaten yet, especially with the recent incident. "We can continue this later. Hopefully tempers will have cooled off by then." Miguel piped in, deciding that it would be best to keep the peace... at least for now.
Gwen nodded as she began to lead her boyfriend away, helping support him as they walked as he was still a bit weak from exhaustion. Hopefully some food would help perk him up. As they walked away, Miguel quietly mused to himself as he glanced at the Brooklyn Spider-Man.
He had done his research on Miles, he definitely had talent and capability, even possessing exceptionally rare abilities such as the Venom Blast and Camouflage. He went toe-to-toe with Kingpin without any formal training, which was quite impressive, and he was definitely intelligent to say the least. However, the question remained... was he simply wearing the mask of Spider-Man or was he truly Spider-Man? After all, anyone could wear the mask, but it was another to actually embrace and live up to the role.
Given what transpired, his trustworthiness could be called into question. He also seemed prone to impulsiveness though that was to be expected of a teenager.
Miguel had to suppress a sigh as he reminded himself to remain objective during this time despite his already pre-existing reservations about the young Spider-Man of Brooklyn. However, if Miles proved to be more trouble than he was worth, then he would allow Gwen to personally boot him back to Earth 1610.
"You hungry? We have a commissary." The Futuristic Spider-man offered in an even tone, slightly hoping that the promise of food might help lighten the mood if only a little.
"Not hungry." The Brooklyn Spider-Man responded, which was true since he had already eaten at his father's promotion party... even if he hadn't already eaten he doubted he could keep any solid food down.
The Spider-man of 2099 said nothing as he slipped an armband around Miles' wrist that glowed a bright red and blue color. "Keep that on. It'll keep you from glitching." Miguel spoke in a warning tone as he mentally thanked himself for always keeping a Trans-Dimensional Stabilizer on hand in case Peter B. brought his infant daughter... which was extremely often.
The Spider-Artist nod his head in understanding since he didn't want to glitch out until he croaked. Having his cells breaking down until he was dead? Not a good way to go.
Both Miguel and Miles followed after the Spider-Couple, with the latter keeping his eyes locked onto the back of the whiskered teen. So that was 'Naruto'? He didn't look all that impressive to him. It looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over right now. What was with those marks on his face? Why did he even paint those on? Was he supposed to be an anime character or something?
He kind of wondered... how long had they been together? How and when did they meet? Also... was she serious about when she said that she loved him? He was having a hard time wrapping his head around the concept of Gwen falling in love with a guy like that.
What did she even see in him? What was his story anyway? 'This isn't fair. I never got a fair chance to go out with Gwen since we lived entire dimensions apart, then this 'Naruto' has his hooks into her?' Miles thought bitterly as he saw how the Spider-Drummer doted on the whiskered teen.
"I'll make you anything you want. What're you hungry for?" She asked the Jinchuuriki as she gave him a sweet smile, causing the Uzumaki to blush and scratch his cheek as he thought about what to ask for.
"Cheeseburgers. Extra bacon." The blonde Uzumaki responded, earning a nod from his girlfriend as she happily agreed to the request and gave him a peck on the cheek. The group entered an elevator with Miguel pushing the appropriate button, the slight jolt of movement causing the whiskered teen to become slightly unbalanced but was kept steady by the blonde drummer.
"Your wish is my command." She whispered to him, making Naruto shake his head slightly as he replied "Gwen, you don't need to fuss over me. I'll be okay."
"You just had a major panic attack. I'm not about to let you out of my sight again. Now shut up and let me 'fuss' over you."She retorted with a reassuring grin, refusing to release the whiskered teen, not that he really minded or made any resistance. It actually felt kind of nice that she was so worried for him.
Behind them, Miles quietly simmered as he watched the interaction between the two blondes, meanwhile Miguel was observing the Spider-Man of Brooklyn who was now humming thoughtfully as he saw some red flags already appearing. A jealous and covetous person could easily cause drama and division. If he held a grudge against Naruto for being with Gwen then it may inevitably lead to trouble.
Once they exited the elevator, Miles' eyes widened upon seeing the interior of the massive Spider-Complex, and everywhere he looked there were Spider-People. Hundreds of them, maybe even thousands. "You call this a 'small and elite strike force'?" The Spider-Artist questioned since that description Gwen had given was now obviously a lie.
"Don't start with me Miles." She spit back with a scoff, not even bothering to look back at her old friend. The Brooklyn Spider-Man could only sigh as he followed after them. As they walked on, many Spider-People turned in their direction and gave friendly waves as they began calling out to the group.
"Hey Naruto! You get better now, you hear?" A random Spider-man yelled out from across the way.
"Sending you good vibes little buddy!" Another one shouted.
"We got your back pal!" A third one shouted as more and more Spider-People began shouting and calling out words of encouragement and support to the blonde Spider-Shinobi who could only blink his eyes at the display. Since when has he become so popular?
His question was answered when a gigantic hologram of Lyla appeared in the middle of the complex with a picture of him in the medical bay as she spoke out "Attention all Spider-People, our latest recruit Naruto Uzumaki is going through a difficult time. Please lend him your support in these trying times. Thank you. Also, to my favorite Spider-buddy... don't let what happened get you down, okay? You've got the support of your super-mega-awesome AI gal-pal! You aren't allowed to be sad!"
Naruto couldn't help but blink his eyes at this, he hadn't expected to receive such support so quickly, especially since he was still the 'new kid on the block'. Still, it was really touching that Lyla did that for him and the Spider-People were quite open and vocal as they kept on showering him with words of kindness and encouragement.
"Out of the way! Out of the way! Coming through! Move it!" Shouted another voice as a red and blue blur zipped through the air before landing directly in front of the blonde Spider-Couple. The blur now being identified as the Spider-Man known as Pavi.
After he had been recruited into the Spider-Society, Pavi had become a fast friend of the Jinchuuriki and a frequent training partner as Miguel employed the Chai enthusiast to race against Naruto on various obstacle courses. A fun but challenging exercise given how almost unnaturally fast and agile Pavi was, plus it greatly helped him get used to web-swinging.
"Bro! Bro! I just heard about what happened! Lyla messaged me and I came as quick as I could." Pavi exclaimed as he quickly wrapped the Uzumaki in a huge 'Bro Hug' which made the whiskered teen chuckle a bit in appreciation.
The Chai lover then separated from the Uzumaki as he held up a bag that had a delicious aroma emanating from it as he exclaimed "I brought you some goodies! A Spider-Bro like you needs to keep up their strength and their spirit! This is some Gulab Jamun! Made fresh just for you!"
"I don't know what a 'Gulab Jamun' is but it smells delicious." The Spider-Shinobi responded as he accepted the gift, he had been curious about the cuisine from Pavi's home. It would be nice to try it out.
They then heard the strumming of a guitar as the form of Hobie approached as he struck a few chords, a small smirk on his face. "Top O' mornin' to ya mate. Got some nice Fish and Chips for ya. Cheers." The Spider-Punk stated as he reached behind his back and, as if by magic, produced a bag filled with fried food and handed it to the Uzumaki, whose stomach began to rumble.
He accepted it with a broad grin. Over the course of his training with his teacher Miguel,the Spider-Punk was often employed to help the whiskered teen hone his Venom Blast abilities and often sparred with the young Genin.
He didn't always understand Hobie's speeches about 'fighting the power' and activism but it was still very interesting to listen to. "Appreciate it. You guys are awesome." The blonde Shinobi spoke, feeling touched by the generous gifts of food.
"Where is he? Where is he? Where's... Oh! There he is!" Shouted the voice of a certain Spider-Parent followed by the delighted squeal of an infant as Peter B. dropped in from above, carrying a takeout bag.
"Hey there Champ! I got ya some... whoa. Seems like I'm not the only one bringing you some grub. Ah, to heck with it! I got ya some Cheeseburgers! Nice greasy Cheeseburgers with gooey melted cheese and plenty of bacon!" Peter B. stated as he offered the meal towards the Uzumaki who accepted it, finding it becoming a little difficult to carry all of the delicious treats.
It would seem that Lyla had directly contacted his closest friends and associates in the Spider-Society, which in turn encouraged them to bring gifts of food to help lift his spirits. Now that he thought about it... he didn't think that anyone had ever done such a thing for him.
"Dude. I think you just read my mind. I'm probably gonna need a shovel to scarf down all this..." The Whiskered teen spoke with a broad grin and was interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle engine that was rapidly approaching.
"There you are! Finally!" Yelled the form of Jessica as she stopped a few short feet away and dismounted her vehicle and collected some sort of container from a hidden compartment on her motorcycle... and from the smell of it, it was even more food, not that the Jinchuuriki was complaining.
"Ohhhh. You poor thing. Lyla told me you were in rough shape. I made you a little something. Some nice lasagna. Bon Appétit!" The expecting Heroine spoke with a little smirk... then paused as she noted the Genin's arms were already loaded with an abundance of food.
"Heh. Spoiled much?" Jessica asked with a teasing tone, earning a good-natured laugh and shrug from the blonde Uzumaki. Yeah. She wasn't wrong on that point. Still, it was quite... uplifting to know that he had friends like these ready to support him.
"I'll take that." Gwen chimed in as she took the container of lasagna and the bag of Cheeseburgers to take some of the load off of her boyfriend, making him nod in gratitude since it would have been an awful waste of he had dropped anything.
From the baby carrier on Peter B's chest, his daughter made some babbling noises and waved her little hand in the direction of the Brooklyn Spider-Man, which caught the attention of her father and made him take notice of Miles' presence. "Miles! You're here! It is so awesome to see ya again buddy!" The Spider-Parent happily exclaimed.
"You have a baby!" Miles responded in surprise as his eyes shifted up and down between the Father/Daughter pair.
"Yep! I have a baby! Isn't she amazing?! Miles, meet Mayday Parker. Mayday Parker meet Miles Morales." The Veteran Spider-Man spoke as he introduced the two to each other as his child clapped her hands and giggled happily.
"So that's Miles Morales?" Pavi questioned, having heard a lot about the Brooklyn Spider-Man, primarily from his friend Gwen. The Chai lover glanced towards the Spider-Drummer who was giving a nasty look towards her old friend, making the Spider-Man of India come to a realization.
"I am sensing some hostility here. Am I missing something? I think Lyla left out some details about the whole situation." Pavi pointed out since he and the others had been told that Naruto had experienced a panic attack caused by his PTSD when he tried to apprehend and accidentally killed the Spot, though the AI left out the part about Miles' involvement.
In truth, the AI wanted to publicly release this information to the Spider-Society, however, she refrained from doing so for due to that fact that that Miles was considered a potential recruit and was, at this very moment, being assessed by Miguel which meant that if she released the aforementioned info then it could turn the rest of the Society against him and kill any chances of adding him to their ranks.
While she had her own misgivings, she was still Miguel's Number two and assistant, so there were rules and protocols that she had to follow. However, if the Brooklyn Spider-Man got any funny ideas, she wouldn't hesitate to ruin him for messing with her buddy. As Miles would learn if he were to step out of line: Beware the AI that bears a grudge.
Gwen looked as if she wanted to explain the situation and was about to open her mouth but an almost exaggerated clearing of the throat from the Spider-Man of 2099 stopped her. She glared at Miguel but only received a look from him that said 'Don't say anything... YET.'
She grudgingly complied with a subtle nod and then responded to Pavi's inquiry "I don't want to talk about it right now." The gathered Spider-People glanced between Gwen and Miles. They then looked towards Naruto questioningly, but he only gave a shake of the head as he too refused to elaborate for the time being.
"Mind if we put the questions and explanations on hold until later? I'm really freaking hungry here and I can almost hear all this yummy food screaming at me. 'Eat me! Eat me Naruto!'" The Jinchuuriki requested, and as if on cue, his stomach rumbled very loudly to emphasize his point.
"Come on. Let's go." Gwen whispered to her fellow blonde as she escorted him away to their apartment so that he may enjoy his meal(s) in peace. Also, she kind of wanted to get away from everyone, at least for a few minutes.
"Meet up at my lab in thirty minutes. I'll debrief Miles there. Your presence will be mandatory." Miguel stated, earning a nod of understanding from the Spider-Couple. As things stood now, Gwen was undoubtedly still angry at Miles for breaking her trust, though in the case of Naruto... he wasn't yet sure about his feelings on the situation. Normally, the whiskered teen was pretty open with his emotions as he was the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve, though at this time... it was difficult to tell what he was thinking.
Was Naruto also angry? Was he giving the benefit of the doubt? Or was he unsure of what to feel? At the very least, Miguel was grateful that his student hadn't escalated the already tense situation. "Ah. Look at them go. I swear, those two were made for each other." Jessica stated as she crossed her arms with a smirk, watching as the two blonde's walked away.
"Where the heck are they going?" Miles questioned as he noticed that the two blondes weren't heading in the direction of the commissary area that was just a short walking distance away.
"Most likely going to their little love nest." Pavi spoke in a half-joking tone, his words making the Brooklyn Spider-Man's eyebrows almost shoot up to his hairline. 'Love nest'? As in, they actually lived together?
"Wait, are you serious? They stay together? How long have they been a thing?" The graffiti artist asked, curiosity and a sense of jealousy burning in him as he wondered about the circumstances behind this relationship between his old friend and this 'Naruto' person.
The Spider-Man of India nodded excitedly and began to ramble on innocently "Oh, yeah. Naruto showed up here about two weeks ago after he got his spider bite; give or take. First moment they laid eyes on each other, they were immediately taken with one another. Some weird thing happened with their pheromones and they ended up doing the deed. Since then, Naruto's been staying with her in her apartment and they have been practically inseparable. Oh! You should have heard about their date, Gwen wouldn't stop going on about how sweet and attentive he was and how..."
Miles stopped paying attention to the Chai lover as he glanced back at the diminishing forms of the blonde Spider-Couple. Anger and jealousy burning deep within him. Two weeks? Naruto had only been bitten two weeks ago and had not already been recruited into the Spider-Society but moved into Gwen's apartment, had sex with her, and now had her wrapped around his little finger? She was even saying earlier that she loved him. Why?
Wait... the PHEROMONES. That was it! The pheromones were influencing her and her emotions. In which case, this meant that whatever Gwen was feeling towards the Uzumaki was only due to these pheromones that were manipulating her. If this was the case, then her feelings were invalid, and Naruto was using her. Worse, this meant he had sex with her, without her consent! There was no way he was gonna let that slide!
A righteous fury began to build up within him. He needed to find a way to separate the two and return her to her senses. If he could save her from that whiskered asshole's influence, then he could be with Gwen instead, they would make up and everything would be as it should be. He wasn't sure what 'Naruto's' game was, but he wasn't about to let him take advantage of his old friend like that. She was his. She was perhaps the only person that could truly understand the Spider-Artist and empathize with him. From the first moment they met, there was definitely a bond and connection.
He wasn't about to let Naruto take that from him. Not a chance. As Miles mused to himself, Miguel observed the young artist's expressions and it didn't take a telepath to know what that boy was thinking. There was no doubt in the Futuristic Spider-Man's mind that a potential scenario involving both Naruto and Miles coming to blows wasn't just increasing in likelihood but also becoming an inevitability. Though if he were to bet money on who would come out on top, the Uzumaki would win, hands down, no question. He could only hope that it could be avoided before it was too late.
Now might be a good time to give Miles a tour around the Spider-Complex, if only to continue his assessment of the Brooklyn Spider-Man if nothing else.
With Tsunade.
The Godaime groaned as she stirred awake, slowly peeling herself off of her desk as she felt a pounding headache. She groaned as she felt someone had tried to hammer a giant ass spike through her skull then took a red hot poker to stir her brain matter around inside until it melted into a soup. No hang-over she had ever experienced felt as bad as the headache she was experiencing at this very moment. The Slug Sannin winced as she rubbed her temples, trying to soothe the pounding in her head.
There was a knock at her door, which caused her to shudder in agony as the noise seemed to aggravate the throbbing inside her skull. "Unless the Village is being invaded, go away!" Tsunade yelled out as she was not in the mood to entertain visitors for any reason. Just what in the hell kind of spider had bitten her? Whatever species it was, its bite was no joke. The venom it had was some seriously potent stuff to lay her out flat like that.
The door to her office opened, revealing the forms of the two Elders, Homura and Koharu, the teammates of her late Sensei, the Sandaime. Kami, what did those old geezers want? Shizune quickly followed behind them as she spoke to the Senju woman "I'm so sorry Tsunade-sama! They just barged past and..." The black haired woman tried to explain herself but was cut off by one of the Elders.
"What a shame it is to see our current Hokage being so sloven." Homura stated, noting a line of drool that was still dribbling down the Godaime's face and a fresh ink stamp had become imprinted against her cheek due to her prior unconscious state. Tsunade felt a flash of anger and wanted to go off on the old man for talking down to her, but she refrained from doing so only because of the fact that she didn't wish to worsen her already horrible headache.
"Just tell me why you're here, then leave." The Sannin muttered in clear irritation as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She honestly questioned what purpose those two old bags served. Mostly they are meant to serve as advisors to the Hokage, but in reality, they don't offer any real contributions. She supposed that her late Sensei perhaps kept them around for sentimental reasons. In truth, she found their presence both annoying and unnecessary. Should she terminate their roles and positions? While not exactly a priority, it was definitely something to consider.
"We wish to have a word with you about a certain Shinobi." Koharu said in an even tone. The Godaime gave a look of irritation and placed her hand flat against the desk to help support herself as she stood up.
"Well? Don't keep me in suspense." The Slug user spoke with a twitching eyebrow. Kami, were these two just going to waste her time or were they going to get to the point?!
"We wish to know who is currently in charge of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's training and where he is now. This is obviously a concern since his teacher Jiraiya is currently... unavailable and the fact that he was seen accompanied by an unknown woman only identified by the name of 'Gwen'." Homura spoke as he adjusted his glasses. His words making the Sannin narrow her eyes. How was any of that their concern? Also, how did they know about Naruto's date? She had a sneaking suspicion but needed confirmation.
She suspected that Sakura might have started blabbing to the wrong people… but the strange thing was, why would the Haruno go to the Elders? That part didn't make any sense to her. She would have expected the pinkette to come crying to her or perhaps Kakashi. The Elders though? She couldn't think of a single reason why Sakura would approach them of all people.
"Really? Who told you about this 'Gwen'? Why is it any of your business what Naruto is up to?" She asked with a deep frown, wondering if her student Sakura had squawked and told about her altercation with the Uzumaki when he finally stood up to her. About damned time in Tsunade's opinion.
"It raises certain questions of security." Was all the female elder said, refusing to give any real answers to the Godaime who was giving a nasty scowl. Security? Really? It felt more like they had 'concerns' that Naruto was becoming more independent and therefore more difficult to control. It was extremely common, perhaps too common, for a Jinchuuriki to be kept on a short leash and even closely monitored. In the Slug user's personal and professional opinion, while a Bijuu container did need some measure of oversight, tightening the leash too much was a surefire way to make them turn on you. This was but one of several reasons she gave Naruto so much leeway.
Not to mention she felt a certain sense of affection for him, not that she wished to get between him and his girlfriend. Tsunade cleared her throat as she slowly spoke "I'm afraid I cannot tell you anything that pertains to Naruto at this time. It... raises certain questions of security." She parroted the last part, throwing the Elders' own words back at them out of spite.
"Don't take that tone with us. If you lose control of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki then..." The spectacled Elder spoke but was interrupted by the famed Medic Nin as she growled out "Naruto."
"Excuse me?" Homura asked, clearly confused by her sudden interjection. Tsunade gave a nasty glare towards the two elders.
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki. Not 'Kyuubi Jinchuuriki'. He is NOT a weapon. He is not a thing. He is a human being that is capable of making his own choices." The Sannin hissed out and then raised her hand to point towards the Elders in an accusing manner and was about to verbally tear into them... only to find her desk lifted off the floor as she found that it was somehow stuck to her palm.
"Wha...?! Tsunade! Put that down! Do you seriously intend to use violence just to make your point?" Koharu asked as she and her teammate backed away in fear, believing that the Godaime was about to use the desk as a weapon to crush them. The Sannin in question could only blink in confusion at this sudden display. Lifting a desk? Child's play for her given her unnatural strength, but for some reason her hand had somehow glued itself to the desk's surface, she wasn't even using Chakra to make it do that!
"Get off! Get off!" She whispered as she started waving her hand about, shaking the desk making the various drawers slide in and out and dump all their contents. The gesture making the Elder's back away further as they translated the Hokage's confused actions as a threat. In the background, Shizune could only stare as she observed her teacher shaking the desk about as if it were a toy... just what in the world was she doing? She couldn't help but notice that whatever was going on, it didn't seem wholly intentional.
"What's going on here?" A new voice interjected as the form of the third member of the Elder Council stepped inside the office. Tsunade paused and recognized the newcomer as one Danzo Shimura, the long-time rival of her sensei, and a man that was infamously known for his callous and scheming nature. For some reason, the Godaime's headache worsened further as she felt a powerful tingling coursing through her head as she now felt a sense of... danger?
She glanced at the bandaged side of Danzo's face and towards his bad arm... whatever that tingling sensation was, it just kept on screaming 'DANGER' louder and louder as she observed the grizzled Warhawk. Just how long had that old creep been waiting to walk in? There had always been something unsettling about him, but she could never put her finger on it. There were all kinds of nasty rumors about him though nothing had ever been proven. Now then… WHY WON'T THIS DESK COME OFF?!
"Tsunade is clearly threatening us!" Homura blurted out fearfully, pointing towards the Medic nin who was still trying to pry her stuck hand off the desk's surface while growling in frustration, which to the Elders sounded like it was directed towards them.
The Hokage then stopped as she finally registered what was happening now. A spider bite? Potential new abilities? Whatever happened to Naruto was now happening to her! She was becoming a Spider-Person! If so… then wow. It would seem that lightning had indeed struck twice in this instance.
"Uhh, this is not what it looks like?" The Hokage spoke in her own defense as she slowly placed the desk back down on the floor, trying to remain calm even as she felt frustrated by the Elder's presence and her utter shock at the prospect of her new powers. Now that she thought about it... if her strength was enhanced even further by the Spider Bite, then just how powerful would her Chakra enhanced attacks would be? It was both a scary yet exhilarating idea.
She then cleared her throat and stated while using her free hand to point at the Elders "I mean, never mind! I want all of you out of here! Except you Shizune! Get out now! As Hokage I order you to leave!"
"You're commanding us to leave?" Danzo questioned, feeling slightly irritated at being ordered around by what he considered to be an upstart of a Kage, mentally cursing his cohorts for their lack of spine. His lone visible eye narrowing slightly as the current status of the Kyuubi container was largely unknown and it would be rather troublesome if he were to grow too powerful too quickly. Though perhaps even more worrisome is the probability of the Jinchuuriki could be influenced by external forces that were not affiliated with Konoha. A truly worrying prospect.
"Yes. I am. Got a problem with that?" She asked as she slowly lifted her desk back up, this time genuinely threatening to beat the Elder's into a bloody pulp if they dared to backtalk her this time. She guessed that Danzo had sent his cohorts out ahead to try and distance himself from the conversation, but the commotion drew his curiosity thus his current presence. She was aware of his past connections to the supposedly defunct Anbu sect known as 'ROOT'.
Rumors still circulated that ROOT was still operational to this day, though said rumors have obviously not been proven to be fact. Even so, she wouldn't trust the man or the other Elders, not if her life or even if the existence of the village depended on it. The aged Warhawk thought about standing his ground... however now was not the time to make his move. That aside, if the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki did indeed get any ideas, then he had a means to subdue the boy. Without a word, the grizzled Elder departed with his colleagues following close behind him.
Tsunade sighed as she once again questioned why her Sensei and predecessor Minato kept those old fossils around. What use were they? Again, what purpose did they serve?! "Erm... Tsunade-sama... is everything okay? You can let go of the desk now." Her loyal aide muttered, wondering why her teacher hadn't yet released it yet.
"I can't... I'm stuck." The Godaime whispered to her student in case the Elders were still within earshot. At this, the black haired Kunoichi gave a dumbfounded expression as she repeated in a confused tone "Stuck?"
The Senju nodded as she placed her foot atop the desk for leverage and began to pull as hard as she could, trying to peel her hand off the surface. There was a creaking noise followed by a loud crunch as her hand finally lifted free... along with a large chunk of wood that remained stuck to her palm. "Oh... that's just great." She muttered in bitter annoyance.
"Sensei... what is happening?" Shizune questioned and it was in that moment she saw a spot on her teacher's breast that was swollen with two puncture markings... a spider bite?
"No way." She whispered as her eyes widened in shock, with the Godaime nodding slowly, confirming it to be true. She had indeed been bitten by a spider, and as the evidence suggested, had begun manifesting abilities of her own just as Naruto did when he got his bite. There was also something else that the blackette noticed... she couldn't put her finger on it, but did her teacher seem... healthier? Her skin seemed much smoother and more shiny somehow.
"How do you feel Sensei? There's a certain... a certain glow about you." She asked her teacher, who hummed in thought as her headache finally seemed to clear up at long last and that tingling sensation stopped. What was that about anyway? Her gut told her to trust her instincts and perhaps keep an eye on the old Warhawk just to be on the safe side.
"Glow, huh?" The Sannin questioned as she ran a hand through her hair, which felt much more silky and glossy... she also felt positively bursting with energy and also felt much more limber than usual. She performed a few quick stretches and found that she was feeling good. Way better than she had in years! She felt as she did back when she was in her prime. Suddenly... an idea crossed her mind... the bite couldn't have... no... could it? Did it? She had to be sure!
"Sensei? What are you doing?" Shizune asked, wondering what her teacher was about to do. She was starting to act a little strangely. The Senju woman stood in front of the office windows and looked at her faint reflection in the glass. She mentally braced herself and undid the Genjutsu that hid her true appearance, watching as it melted away.
The Godaime's eyes in shock as she witnessed the transformation... or rather the lack thereof as she retained her beautiful appearance. The bite hadn't just given her new powers, but somehow turned back the clock and restored much of her youth and vigor. How was that even possible? Yet here she was. Tsunade grinned broadly to herself, feeling fresh and revitalized by the transformation. "Naruto Uzumaki... eat your heart out. Just try and call me 'Granny' now!" She whispered to herself, very eager to reveal her new and improved self during her next session with her favorite blonde.
Speaking of which... how was he doing anyway?
With Naruto. Miguel's laboratory.
"Damn... that food was so good. I'm stuffed. Gonna have to work out the twenty extra pounds I gained." Naruto spoke jokingly as he patted his fully belly, letting out a loud belch which made Gwen chuckle in amusement as he muttered 'Excuse me' for the belch. They entered the darkened laboratory where they saw the sight of the Uzumaki's teacher explaining the nature of the Spider-Verse, no doubt having already explained the parts about the displaced Villains and showing off the Go-Home System in the prison level.
They leaned against a wall, with the blonde drummer resting her head affectionately against the Uzumaki's shoulder as he whispered to her "So... how did it go with Miles? I got the gist earlier and well... sounds like things went sideways."
"Yeah. Everything was going fine at first. Me and Miles were swinging around, talking, reconnecting... then he invited me to his dad's promotion party and... things just started going downhill. His parents kept on pestering me with questions, giving me these nasty judgmental looks... then Miles tampered with my Gizmo and... FUCK. Just thinking about it makes me mad." She summarized for her whiskered boyfriend, making him slowly nod in understanding.
"What about you? How do you feel? You didn't really say much." She questioned, hoping to hear what he thought from his perspective. The Jinchuuriki was silent for a moment as he thought about his answer while observing the presence of other Spider-People who were gathering in the lab, slowly surrounding an unaware Miles, including Peter B. and Mayday, Hobie, Pavi, Jessica, Peni Parker was also there in her special Spider-Mech suit, and a lot of others he didn't recognize.
"I feel kinda miffed that Miles delayed you like that, though I sort of understand why he'd want to keep someone as incredible as you around." Naruto whispered back in a somewhat teasing manner, making his girlfriend playfully slap at his arm, as he then continued to speak, this time, in a much more serious voice "Mostly though... I feel angry at him because his actions made you cry." He finished, making her look at him, and while his expression was calm, she could tell that the blonde was upset on her behalf.
Yet another reason she had fallen for him so quickly... he was more concerned for her than for himself. She smiled warmly and planted a chaste kiss against his lips, allowing him to get a little taste of her favored watermelon lip balm. They shared a small laugh then turned their attention back to Miguel and Miles with the blonde Spider-Couple taking notice of the Spider-Artist's expressions, consisting of confusion mostly and another emotion they couldn't identify. It would seem that a major bomb had just been dropped on the Brooklyn resident.
"My dad is about to be Captain." Miles muttered to himself, upon realizing that his father could become a victim of one of the reoccurring events in the history of the Spider-People: The loss of a Loved one and/or a close ally. The Brooklyn Spider-Man bit his lip as he asked "When does it happen?"
"Difficult to say. Could be the day your dad is sworn in, it could be a week, a month, a year. There are usually variations on the event, but the themes are almost always the same." Miguel replied honestly, in truth, there was a model of the Spider-Verse that he and Lyla employed to help predict what they had labeled 'Canon Events' however... said model was now largely obsolete with the information Naruto had provided after his meeting with the creator of the Spider-Verse itself.
"What am I supposed to do? Just let him die? Let the event play out?" Miles questioned angrily, which earned a deep sigh from the Spider-Society's founder.
"I didn't say that. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to save your father. I'm saying that it may be out of your hands." Miguel tried to explain in a calm manner, trying to help the potential recruit reach an understanding of how things worked and that there were other factors and forces at play that couldn't be altered.
Miles turned towards the form of Gwen, feeling his cheeks heat up in anger as he saw that Naruto was getting cozy with her again. He then pointed towards the Spider-Drummer and stated "Your dad is a police captain!" his words made her sigh as she gave a reluctant nod since that was true, though she mostly felt annoyed that he was trying to drag her into the conversation.
"So that's it? You aren't going to do anything about it? You're just going to let it happen?" The graffiti artist asked her, but she refused to acknowledge him or dignify his question with an answer. Would she save her dad if she could? YES, that went without saying. She would put her life on the line to protect him... but she also had to accept the reality that even with all her gifts, abilities and her protection, his time may come one day, regardless.
Miles then turned towards the form of the Spider-Parent and asked him "What about you? What about Uncle Ben? Would you have saved him if you knew he was going to die?"
Peter B. held his infant daughter close to his chest and sighed as he answered "I would have. No question. Though... it's far too late for that. Still, if not for Uncle Ben, I wouldn't have become the Spider-Man that I am. Many of us wouldn't have. Uncle Ben taught many of us, including me, 'With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility'. His death, as tragic as it was... made us all better people."
The Spider-Man of Brooklyn sputtered as he felt anger well up in him and then gestured to the holographic form of Lyla who was hovering over her creator's shoulder "So we're just supposed to let people die because some algorithm says that's what's supposed to happen? You realize how messed up that sounds, right?"
"Whoa. Whoa. Ex-squeeze me? 'Some Algorithm'? Now that's just RUDE! Also, I think you're taking this out of context, you little cretin. You wanna save your daddy? You're free to try. We aren't stopping you." The AI responded as she adjusted her signature glasses, feeling quite insulted at being called an 'algorithm'.
"Miles, think about this. Bad things happen. That's it. If you save your father's life, that's all well and good but you should also consider the state of the Multi-Verse. We aren't just working to save one life, we're trying to save everyone! As many people as we can! There are worlds out there that are lost! They have to be saved too! Think, Miles, Think! We all have people we want to save! We all have people we want to protect with our very lives! No matter how much we want to... we can't have it all. I'm sorry Miles, but that's just how it is." Miguel spoke honestly, trying to make him see sense.
The Spider-Man of 2099 then sighed and questioned in a deeply grave tone "Tell me Miles Morales. What does being Spider-Man mean to you? What is 'Spider-Man'? What makes a person 'Spider-Man'? The mask? The powers? Or is it something more? A philosophy? An ideal? What is it that makes a person 'Spider-Man'?"
The Spider-Artist didn't answer as he glanced around and noticed the presence of the various Spider-People that were now gathered and encircling him. This quickly put him on guard as he asked in a defensive tone "What is this? An intervention?" His questions making the Futuristic Spider-Man scoff a bit as he shook his head.
"No. We're trying to help you understand. Now you're just being plain stubborn. This is your last chance Miles. Are you really Spider-Man? What's it gonna be? All for One or One for All?" Miguel questioned as he found himself losing patience with the potential recruit, who's chances of joining the Society were quickly diminishing by the second as he refused to accept reality.
"Seriously? You're asking me that? Am I 'really Spider-Man'? Why don't you direct that question at HIM!" Miles spoke and then pointed directly at the form of Naruto who now had a confused expression on his face since he had been suddenly singled out.
"Me? What did I ever do to you?" The blonde Uzumaki questioned, though from the sound of it... it was as if he was being accused of something.
"He killed a man! He killed the Spot! Now he's using his pheromones to take advantage of Gwen! If there is anyone here that isn't Spider-Man, then it's him!" The Spider-Artist shouted as he began to stalk towards the whiskered teen who was no taking a defensive stance with Gwen doing the same as she prepared to punch out her old friend.
"What? Are you crazy Miles? I am NOT being taken advantage of! Where did you even get that idea from?" The Spider-Drummer asked as she wondered if Miles had just lost his damned mind.
"Okay, I'm pulling the plug." Miguel interjected as he entered a command on his Gizmo, summoning a barrier of crimson energy to contain the graffiti artist to prevent him from attacking his student.
Hobie chuckled bitterly as he spoke while circling around the barrier "You know Miles, I was considering taking your side on this, I really was. I hate rules and big organizations... but I hate people that mess with my mates even more. Naruto's a bloody good bloke. You though? Can't help but question you and your principles."
It was at this moment, Naruto hummed in thought as he approached the barrier and spoke "I don't get you Miles. What are you trying to prove? That you can do what no other Spider-Man has been able to do? Why? Who are you trying to prove it to? Hmm?" The whiskered teen questioned as he leaned forward towards the energy field, his face now being but a few inches from the trapped Spider-Man's who was looking at the blonde as though he wanted to punch him square in the face.
"Trying to prove yourself to the Society? To yourself? To Gwen? Your parents?" Naruto asked as he tried to understand Miles' motivations... then he remembered something from the Brooklyn resident's file as he snapped his fingers and then stated "I got it. Is it your Uncle Aaron?"
"Don't say his name!" Miles shouted angrily as he punched at the barrier, his reaction suggesting that the Uzumaki had hit the nail on the head.
"Ah. So that's how it is. You lost your uncle and don't want to lose anyone else, I can understand that. Maybe you feel guilty for not being able to save your Uncle, that maybe you can make up for it by saving your father. I don't blame you for wanting to protect your family, but what are you gonna do? Be his guardian angel 24/7? I know you don't want your dad to die, and I can't imagine how it must feel to..." The Jincuuriki tried to speak and reach an understanding with the Spider-Man of Brooklyn.
However, he was interrupted when Miles yelled out "Stop trying to psychoanalyze me! What do you know anyway?!" He then pressed his palms against the barrier and pushed as hard as he could, activating his Venom Blast to overload the energy field. There was a crackling of energy which caused the Uzumaki to tense up as he felt his hair stand on end and his body began to shake.
"Not again..." He whispered as he tried to keep from panicking as he recalled the signature sounds of the Chidori technique. The barrier shattered and there was an explosion of energy that caused all of the Spider-People to be knocked off their feet. It took the Spider-Artist a moment to realize that he was free and then promptly bolted out the door to make his escape.
"MILES! GET BACK HERE! STOP HIM!" Miguel roared as he and the various Spider-People chased after the now rogue Miles. The form of Naruto could be seen, lying on the floor as he clutched at his chest while breathing heavily.
"Naruto!" Gwen shouted as she quickly ran to her lover's side and took his hand, quietly shushing him to keep him calm and gently stroking his face and then whispered gently to him "Look at me, Naruto. Just look at me. I'm here for you. I'm here this time. I won't leave you alone again."
There were heavy and metallic footsteps as Peni approached in her mech-suit and opened the hatch, allowing her to step out and cradle his head into her lap. The Spider-Drummer was surprised by this, but was grateful for the extra support for Naruto. The Jinchuuriki took slow deep breaths to try and calm himself and his pounding heart which began to slow down thanks to the presence of the two girls. "You okay, Naruto?" The mech pilot asked him, earning a nod of confirmation.
"I'll be okay. I'm fine. It wasn't as bad as the last one. You... you two go on. Go get him. I'll catch up in a minute. Just need to get my second wind." He spoke to them reassuringly, they seemed reluctant to leave his side but accepted his words.
"I'll be back." Gwen promised him and kissed him on the cheek before donning her mask and cracking her knuckles. It was about time that somebody had taught Miles Morales a lesson, and she was going to teach him a few lessons.
Peni climbed back into her suit as the hatch closed behind her as she and her friend departed to join in the chase after the rogue Spider-Man. Naruto pushed himself off the floor, his hand shaking as he grabbed his wrist to steady it and put a stop to the trembling while still taking slow and deep breaths to keep calm.
"You okay there buddy? What was that punk's deal anyway? I can't believe that he accused you of taking advantage of Gwen! Where does he get off on that?!" Lyla spoke as her hologram appeared next to her favorite Spider-person.
"I'll be fine. I just need a minute." He responded slowly as he clenched his shaking fist and closed his eyes before he continued to speak, although this time it seemed to be directed to himself "Miguel still has faith in me. Gwen and the others believe in me. There are people counting on me. I can't keep freezing up. I can beat this. I can beat this. I can't, I won't be scared anymore."
He took one last breath as his hand stopped trembling and he clenched his fist once more. It would be a long road to recovery from his trauma... but he didn't want to live in fear or be afraid. "Okay Miles... I think it's time we settle things. I won't let anyone get away with making my Gwen cry." With that said, Naruto quickly ran out of the lab to find and track down Miles, eager to confront him and stop him before he did something he'd seriously regret.
It was time to prove himself for real this time, and live up to the name of 'Spider-Man'.
End Chapter Eight.
Naruto Uzumaki: Age 15.
Gwen Stacy: Age 16.