C685 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
Peter stood at the edge of the carnage, the night air thick with the acrid scent of burnt flesh and the eerie silence of a battle concluded. Danzo’s lifeless body lay in two halves, a grotesque reminder of the dark deeds that had finally caught up with him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood beside Peter, his face a mask of sorrow and disbelief. The old man’s shoulders sagged under the weight of his grief, his eyes locked on the fallen body of his friend. He was torn between the duty to his village and the personal loss of a lifelong companion.
Peter noticed Hiruzen’s clenched fists and the barely restrained fury in his eyes. He could almost hear the internal struggle within the Hokage, the urge to attack, to seek vengeance for Danzo’s death. But just as Hiruzen seemed on the verge of acting, a small, fiery presence appeared at Peter’s side.
Kurama, the tiny nine-tailed fox, smirked up at Hiruzen with a look that was both challenging and mocking. “Go ahead, old man,” the spirit seemed to say. “Try it.”
Hiruzen took a deep breath, his body trembling with the effort to control his emotions. He knew that confronting Peter would be futile. The young man standing beside him was far more powerful than anyone in the village, perhaps more powerful than any shinobi alive. Fighting him would only lead to more destruction, and the village had already suffered enough tonight.
As Hiruzen struggled to regain his composure, Fugaku Uchiha and the other clan members approached. The Uchiha leader’s eyes flickered with a mix of gratitude and calculation as he assessed Peter. He had seen the Third Hokage’s fear and hesitation, and it only reinforced the importance of keeping Peter as an ally.
Fugaku bowed deeply before Peter, and his family members followed suit, their respect palpable. “Thank you for your assistance. You’ve allowed us to avenge our fallen family members, and for that, we are deeply grateful. We would be honored if you would spend the night as our guest in the Uchiha Clan District...”
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at this, recognizing the Uchiha’s strategic move. They were attempting to secure a powerful ally, someone who could deter any future threats against their clan, both physical and political. He opened his mouth to extend a counter-offer, hoping to keep Peter in a more neutral position, but Peter spoke first.
“Sure, I could use a bed for the night,” Peter said, nodding to Fugaku. “But give me a second to do something first.”
Ignoring the curious stares from the Uchiha and the wary gaze of Hiruzen, Peter walked over to the remains of the battle. He raised his hand, and a black fire began to fill the area. The bodies of the fallen Root Anbu began to dissolve into the flames, their forms shifting and warping.
Seconds later, out of the dust and fire, emerged shadowy figures with glowing green eyes. Each shadow resembled the person they used to be, even Danzo’s form twisted into a dark, spectral version of himself.
Hiruzen’s heart clenched at the sight, a look of hope and horror crossing his face as he muttered, “D-Danzo?” But his hopes of his friends revival were dashed when the shadows all bowed to Peter, acknowledging him as their new master.
The realization hit Hiruzen like a physical blow. Peter had turned the fallen Root Anbu into undead shadow slaves, defiling their bodies and souls. “?!” He only knew one technique that could accomplish anything like this, the summoning technique: Impure World Reincarnation.
Yet, this seemed to be something slightly different. Possibly even darker…
The Uchiha seemed stunned yet unperturbed by their resurrection, understanding that Danzo and his followers were evil and deserved zero sympathy. They didn’t seem to care one bit if they were turned into undead slaves or not.
But for Hiruzen, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Danzo had been his friend, and now even his death had been corrupted.
Before anyone could ask any questions or complain, Peter turned his gaze toward the newly resurrected shadow of Danzo. "Do you still remember everything?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
Danzo's shadowy form nodded, the glowing green eyes flickering. "Yes, master," he replied, his voice carrying an eerie echo.
"Good," Peter said. "I have some tasks for you. First, clean up the rest of Root. I want nothing of the organization to remain. Kill all active members and release any innocents to the Hokage. Gather all information and assets you have and deliver them to the Hokage as well."
Danzo nodded again, the light in his eyes unwavering. "Yes, master."
"And one more thing," Peter continued. "I want you to write a list of every crime you’ve ever committed or had others commit in your name or the village’s name. Deliver that list to the Hokage, too. Make sure it's thorough."
Hiruzen, listening to this exchange, began to sweat. His mind raced with memories of the times he had been complicit in Danzo’s schemes, all for the greater good of the village. Now, it seemed, his own misdeeds might come to light.
Fugaku, standing nearby, looked on in shock. He had never expected Peter to resurrect Danzo and his soldiers just to turn them against their own organization and expose their crimes. "Can I have a copy of that list as well?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Peter shrugged. "Sure," he said, turning back to Danzo. "Make a few copies while you're at it."
Danzo nodded once more. "Yes, master," he said.
"Go and get to work," Peter ordered, shooing them off.
With a final nod, Danzo and his shadowy ninja melted into the night, their forms blending seamlessly with the darkness as they disappeared to carry out their tasks.
With everything handled, Peter turned to Fugaku, his expression softening slightly. "Lead the way to where I'll be spending the night," he said.
As they began to walk away, the tiny, shrunken Kurama at Peter’s side began to grumble loudly. "I’m not going anywhere near these red-eyed bastards' land!" Kurama spat, his voice filled with disdain.
Peter sighed, clearly used to Kurama’s antics. He bent down and picked up the tiny fox by the scruff of his neck, lifting him effortlessly. Despite Kurama’s screams and protests, he couldn’t overpower Peter and was forced to tag along, dangling helplessly in Peter’s grasp.
Fugaku smiled awkwardly at the sight, quickly collecting himself. He gestured for Peter to follow. "This way," he said, leading the group toward the Uchiha district.
As they walked, Peter suddenly paused and turned back, a thought crossing his mind. "Hiruzen," he called out, "have Minato and Obito finished their fight yet?"
Fugaku and several Uchiha nearby raised their brows at the mention of Obito’s name, finding it oddly familiar.
Hiruzen, broken from his thoughts as he tried to figure out how to handle the current situation, responded with a nod. "Yes, Obito has been beaten, knocked out, and captured. Minato is just waiting for the barrier to disappear."
Peter nodded and snapped his fingers. Across the village, near the outskirts, the barrier that held Minato and Obito vanished.
"The barrier is gone," Peter informed Hiruzen. "Tell Minato to bring Obito to me before he wakes up. He has a very powerful space-time ability, so we need to make sure he can’t escape easily. Though, he and Kushina can try to seal him instead, if they want." He shrugged uncaringly, “Whatever Minato wants to do. Just don’t come crying to me if he gets away…”
Hiruzen nodded, his mind racing with the implications of Peter’s actions. He opened his mouth to say something, possibly to ask about his shadow undead, or perhaps to complain about what happened to Danzo, but Peter cut him off with a yawn.
"Fugaku, lead the way to the guest house. I need a nap," Peter said, his tone indicating the conversation was over. “All this action and drama really takes it out of you, you know?”
As Hiruzen stood there dumbly, watching Peter leave, he could still hear Kurama yelling his complaints and cursing every Uchiha that caught his eye.
————
Zetsu slithered through the rocky crevices of the hidden cave, merging seamlessly with the shadows. His mission was urgent, and the news he carried was dire. The elderly Madara, sustained by the Gedo Mazo, awaited him in the deepest chamber.
As Zetsu entered the chamber, Madara's eyes, dulled by age but still burning with fierce determination, looked up. "What news do you bring, Zetsu?" he asked, his voice a low, gravelly whisper.
The elderly Madara Uchiha sat on a throne-like seat within the dimly lit chamber, his presence commanding despite his advanced age. Portions of his long, once-jet-black hair had turned a stark white, cascading down his back in wild, untamed waves.
His face was lined with deep wrinkles, evidence of the many years and countless battles he had endured. His eyes, though dulled by age, still held a fierce intensity, the Sharingan gleaming with a red, malevolent glow.
Madara’s body, frail and thin, was draped in a tattered, dark cloak that hung loosely around his gaunt frame. The cloak, frayed at the edges, seemed to absorb the shadows of the cave, adding to his ominous aura. His hands, skeletal and veined, clutched the armrests of his throne, the knuckles white with strain.
[Insert picture of Madara here]
Despite his weakened state, there was an undeniable aura of power and authority about him. His connection to the Gedo Mazo, the giant, demonic statue, provided him with a semblance of vitality, its chakra sustaining him just enough to keep him alive. Tubes and wires connected his body to the statue, snaking from his back and shoulders, pulsing with a dark, eerie energy.
[Insert picture of Gedo Mazo here]
The black half of Zetsu spoke first, his tone ominous. "Madara-sama, the plan to release the Nine-Tails into the Leaf Village has failed."
The white half continued, his voice lighter but filled with concern. "An unknown variable appeared, someone we did not foresee."
Madara's eyes narrowed. "Explain," he demanded.
The black half took over. "There was a mysterious young man. He defeated the Nine-Tails with ease and then turned it into a tiny fox. He seems to have tamed it through sheer strength alone."
The white half added, "Obito has been outed and captured after losing a fight to his old master. A barrier was used that blocked our ability to extract him."
Madara's expression darkened, his hands clenching into fists. "This mysterious man... who is he? How could someone like him have escaped my notice?" he seethed, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.
The black half replied, "We do not know. He is a complete unknown, and his power is unlike anything we've encountered before."
Madara's fury grew, his aging body trembling with the intensity of his anger. "Years of planning, all for nothing!" he spat. "Obito was crucial to my plans. I went through all the trouble to break him, to mold him into the perfect tool, and now he’s been captured like a fool!"
He slammed his fist onto the armrest of his throne, the sound echoing through the cave. "We cannot afford setbacks like this," he growled. "Obito must be retrieved, and this Peter must be dealt with. I will not let my plans be derailed by an unknown variable."
The white half of Zetsu nodded, his expression unreadable. "What are your orders, Lord Madara?"
Madara took a deep breath, calming himself. "First, we need more information about this Peter. Find out everything you can about him—his origins, his abilities, his weaknesses. And prepare a plan to retrieve Obito. We will need him if we are to proceed."
The black half added, "Yes, Lord Madara. We will begin immediately."
As Zetsu departed, Madara leaned back in his throne, his mind racing. The unexpected appearance of Peter was a significant setback, but he was not a man easily defeated. He had faced greater challenges before and had always found a way to overcome them.
"I will not be stopped," he muttered to himself, his eyes burning with renewed determination. "Not now, not ever."
A/N: 2051 words :)