A/N: I apologize for the long delay. My job has been keeping me busy to the point it has been difficult getting any motivation to write, plus I made the mistake of falling into a lazy slump after going on a video game binge. Hope you enjoy all the same, feedback and reviews are always welcome, and I also have other projects in the works so look forward to it, mkay?

Big thanks to Beta Reader Kenchi Narukami.

Chapter one: The Underground.

Long, long ago, in a more ancient time when Elves, Dwarves and Orcs walked the earth, great wars were fought over the possession and control of Rings of immense power, the most Powerful ring of all, the One Ring, containing the life essence of the Dark Lord himself, was destroyed, putting an end to these conflicts once and for all.

The Orcs were hunted to extinction, the Dwarven kingdoms faded through the passage of time, Elves left the lands until finally only mankind remained. Most if not all history of these ancient times were lost, but there is still one entity that remains with a perfect recollection of these events.

Her name was Shelob, a primordial creature in the form of a great Spider. Long had she waited and hunted in the creeping Darkness of the world, silently watching the happenings of the world. As time dragged on, she grew discontented with the cramped caverns of her old home and sought a new place… the ruins of the greatest Dwarven Kingdom, Erebor, became her new home.

The kingdom under the mountain provided plentiful room for her to wander and intricately weave her webs. And the great treasure resting in Erebor provided her with greedy prey seeking to plunder this hoard. And all it took was to allow the occasional rumor to leave these halls, her human form did have some benefits after all, allowing her to walk seen yet unseen amongst mortals.

As the ages passed, Shelob became… something of a collector. Waiting in the darkness for prey was a long and often boring existence, to better spread her eyes and ears into the world, she created countless spiders to serve as her minions, all of which went out into the far corners of the world, collecting artifacts, lore, secrets, and so much more for their mistress.

And Shelob reveled in her growing collection. As the Centuries passed, less and less people came to the Lonely Mountain, either no longer believing in the fabled treasure hoard, or perhaps were too cowardly or too caring for their lives to waste them in seeking gold. And the Lonely mountain was slowly swallowed into the earth thanks to the passage of time, but the Dwarven city of Erebor and its dark mistress still remained.

In time, Mankind returned to the lands above Shelob's kingdom of darkness, her minions telling her that man had gained new powers after a woman known as the Rabbit Goddess was corrupted by her own power, and her offspring, the Rikudou Sennin in a foolish attempt for peace, shared his vast powers with the world.

Now humans had the powers to bend the elements to their will, to shatter mountains bare handed, and other tremendous feats that humankind should not possess. In the passing days, warriors known as Ninjas fought at the behest of many nobles and lords, trading the lives of their kin and children for gold or over petty rivalries between clans, until a ceasefire was formed by a man called Hashirama Senju who became a bastion of peace and developed the first official Shinobi Nation of Konoha, in the land of Fire.

The peace he had created was short-lived, for he had foolishly armed the other Nations with the Jinchuuriki, humans containing great beasts of power. His attempt to create a balance of power only fanned the flames of war, and the Nations fought for land, for the great beasts themselves, and for abilities known as Bloodlines.

Shelob saw the false bravado and wickedness of this corrupt realm, and quietly watched in sadistic amusement at seeing both the vain and idiotic attempts for lasting peace, and the greed and desire for power, and the festering hatred that continued the wars. Sensing the deepening darkness within the hearts of mankind, Shelob knew it was time for a new Dark Lord to rise, and for good or ill, to conquer the Elemental Nations.

The Queen of all Arachnids waited patiently as her invisible empire continued to feed her secrets. Unlike mankind, words and letters need not be exchanged between spiders, which made the gathering of information as simple as breathing. The Great Spider heard tales of a survivor of a village that had been destroyed.

This Village, Uzu, was brought to ruin by a coalition of rival villages, and only fell because aid did not come from their longtime ally, Konoha. The survivor, Kushina Uzumaki, bore a deep and unsettling hatred for the people that abandoned Uzu and swore she would find all that were responsible and deliver righteous vengeance upon them.

The primordial being watched Kushina grow through the eyes of her minions for years, seeing her become a fearsome warrior that was so brutal, so violent, and so full of fury that she was dubbed 'The Evil Uzumaki', a fine candidate for Dark Lord indeed… until that fateful night of October the Tenth when the man in the mask came and unleashed the Kyuubi, resulting in Kushina's untimely death.

Shelob cursed herself for her inaction, for having become too accustomed to patiently waiting in the dark crevices of the world, wishing she had taken some initiative in making contact with Kushina and offering her more power to enact her revenge… but there came a new opportunity, in the form of her son, whom Kushina loved with all of her heart. Naruto Uzumaki. She knew of the Toad's prophecy, and knew that it most certainly referred to Naruto himself.

Children of Prophecy were exceedingly rare, blessed by the heavens themselves, almost completely unbound by the laws of destiny and nature, which in some ways, put such individuals on a higher tier than gods. For gods cannot interfere with the mortal realm, nor can they take the free will of mortal beings. For the former case, that is why Children of Prophecy exist, to change the world on their own terms, for better or for worse.

However, there were others who were also privy to the prophecy, and would undoubtedly seek to manipulate the boy for their own selfish ends. Bah! To manipulate a prophecy, or the subject of it is sacrilege and could only end in certain doom. Shelob observed Naruto and his situation very closely, now knowing she must take a more active role with this new candidate, lest he slips out of her reach.

The Sandaime Hokage seemed to be making the best of a bad situation, trying to keep the boy's heritage a secret to keep him safe from the enemies of his parents, but it seems other people had different ideas. Hiruzen's student, the Toad Sannin made several suggestions on keeping Naruto as isolated as possible to keep him from forming unneeded attachment, and to put certain seals on him to hinder his growth, most especially his mind.

Hiruzen seemed mortified and angrily refused his student, threatening banishment or even execution should Jiraiya ever bring it up again. Though the Toad Sannin didn't seem deterred at all. It was likely he'd wait for his chance to make his move against the child when his teacher wasn't looking or paying attention. No matter the case… the Great Spider was looking forward to the return of a new Dark Lord, one that would once again set the world asunder.

Even as an infant, and even through the perception of her minions, she could easily sense the raw, almost primal strength coming from the boy, as though he himself were a primordial being. The strength of his spirit was like that of the Sun, shining bright upon all. And she knew that there would be many, jealous of his power, or would treat him as a leper because of the burden he carried. Soon… it would be time to give him a choice, a choice only he could decide for himself.

Would he bend the knee to serve others that would seek to take advantage of his good will and power? Or would he stand tall, ready to embrace the title of the new Dark Lord? Would he be willing to fight evil with evil? Only time could tell, but Shelob could wait patiently, a few short years meant nothing to her.

Five years later.

Time inevitably passed like the changes of the seasons, and a relative peace had returned to Konoha, though there were still many that felt the bitter sting of their lost loved ones during the Kyuubi attack. Many of them wished to do harm unto the Kyuubi brat Naruto, but the Sandaime expressly forbade it, promising to execute any who would dare harm the boy.

As for Naruto himself, Hiruzen had no choice but to place him in the care of a certain orphanage since the boy had no family to raise him… that is, no 'other' family that cared enough to raise him to be more precise since Jiraiya was quick to abandon his duties as the boy's named godfather. Now the Sandaime understood why Kushina refused her husband's recommendation so vehemently.

For the time being, Naruto seemed content in the orphanage, the caretaker Nono Yakushi was a kind and caring woman, she paid no mind to where her charges came from or their circumstances, she just took them in and raised them to the best of her ability until came the time for them to leave.

Naruto also developed well, befriending a number of the other children, including some foreigners such as a girl with blue hair from a hunting tribe, a girl with horns on her head, and a crimson haired girl with a fierce love for strawberry cheesecake. He even received frequent visits from some of his late mother's closest friends and disciples, including Mikoto Uchiha, Anko Mitarashi, Tsume and Hana Inuzuka to name but a few.

In the deep darkness of the city known as Erebor, Shelob remained ever vigilant and continued to observe. In the realm of Ninjas, knowledge and information was often a priceless commodity that could make or break the futures of not just men, but entire nations. And Shelob had knowledge aplenty thanks to her invisible empire composed of countless arachnids spread all across the world.

If knowledge was considered power, then Shelob could be considered a god. If her minions whispered the correct information to the right person, she could easily tear the Nations asunder for her own amusement, but she chose not to, for even if she did so, blood would be spilt, tyrants would be lynched, heroes would rise, and the war would end. And the cycle would continue anew, which would be boring and repetitive.

Most recently, she heard that the man called Jiraiya was planning to visit young Naruto, not to take responsibility as the lad's godfather… but to place upon him certain seals to make him more docile and prevent the boy from growing too powerful. Shelob felt pure disgust, for even she was not cruel enough to sabotage the growth and development of a child. The potential that all children possessed should be a thing to be nurtured, not hindered or squandered, and Naruto was no ordinary child to say the least.

From what had been observed by her countless spies, Jiraiya would reach his destination within the hour, she had but one chance to get to the boy first. Fortunately, she had a means of bringing him to her, without needing to leave her dark realm.

Meanwhile, aboveground.

In a certain orphanage, a lone figure could be seen in his bedroom sitting on his bed, reading from a book about a sea captain with an all-consuming vendetta against a great whale. As he flipped though yet another page, he felt a presence in his room. He looked about but found no one inside, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was indeed someone in the room with him. "Hello?" He called out, hoping to receive an answer. A part of him suspecting that he was about to get pranked by one of his friends.

However, the reply he received came from an unknown voice "Hello little one." The voice was feminine in nature, with a gentle and alluring tone that made him swallow a lump in his throat since her voice sent chills through his body. He looked up and saw a lone spider slowly descend on a thread "Greetings to you, Naruto Uzumaki. I have been watching you for some time." He heard the spider speak with that same soft voice.

The blonde set down his book and slowly extended out his hand, allowing the spider to descend into his open palm. "What's your name? Are you some kind of Summons?" He asked, having heard of talking creatures that fought alongside Ninjas they considered worthy enough to summon them.

"I am called Shelob, and I predate the creatures you call 'Summons'. I wish to warn you that a certain man is coming for you with malicious intent. He wishes to manipulate you and turn you into an unwitting and ignorant slave with the use of special seals. He could arrive at any moment." Shelob warned him, making the boy's body stiffen, his eyes widening in terror.

He once remembered the matron warning him that there would be people that would want to hurt him or take advantage of the powers sleeping within him. For the most part, Nono was completely capable of fending such people off, but from the tone of the spider, this seemed to be a different case. "So long as you're weak and unable to protect yourself, your enemies will pursue you relentlessly. If it is your wish, I can give you the secrets to true power." She promised him, and for a brief moment, Naruto thought he could see the spider's mandibles curl into a wicked smile, putting him on edge.

"What's the catch? What's in it for you?" He asked warily, earning a soft giggle from the arachnid who responded in amusement "Let's just say that I have grown tired of skulking in darkness, and I wish to take part in the dawn of a new age. Now be quick, before you become a mindless tool."

At her urging, Naruto sighed and quickly climbed out his bedroom window to avoid any unfortunate encounters within the halls of the orphanage and quickly ran into the woods, following the spider's directions. Just moments after he had exited his bedroom, the door creaked open and a man with white hair peeked inside, only to find that his target wasn't in the room, the open window suggesting he had slipped out. The Sannin quietly cursed to himself, believing that the Jinchuuriki should have been asleep. He wanted to take care of this quickly and quietly, now he had to track the little brat down and place the seals on him before anyone had the chance to take notice.

Meanwhile, Shelob warned Naruto that his pursuer was now hot on his trail and would soon catch up to him, prompting him to run as fast as his legs would carry him as he continued to follow her directions… until he was forced to stop when the sight of a certain abyss was in front of him. A deep and dark chasm that was infamous for the number of people who would jump down to their depths, never to be seen again since their remains would be beyond recovery.

"Go on Naruto. Jump. It is your only chance." The spider spoke, urging him to take a leap of faith. He remained rooted in place, clearly hesitant to jump down into the seemingly endless abyss. "It's… it's a long way down. And I'm kinda scared of the dark." He muttered as he took a step back from the chasm.

"Many children are afraid of the darkness. A deep black and obscuring veil that potentially hides their greatest fears. But fret not, for the darkness isn't something to be feared, but embraced. For it is within the dark, that one has the potential of becoming the nightmares of others. Such as those who wish to hunt you." Shelob spoke encouragingly, her soft voice helping put the boy's mind at ease while he straightened up, mentally preparing himself to jump.

He planted one foot ahead and the other behind as he prepared himself for a running start, the spider in his hand chittering excitedly. However, he was interrupted when he heard the sounds of leaves rustling and turned behind him, and saw a man with white hair and a scroll tied to his back leap from the bushes. "Naruto! Be careful there. It's dangerous to be wandering so close to that chasm." The man warned him, but the blonde slowly stepped back, putting himself ever closer to the cliff's edge.

"Who are you? Don't come any closer!" Naruto shouted, inching closer and closer to the seemingly bottomless chasm. The white haired man raised up his hands in a placating manner, trying to calm the boy down as he answered "Listen kid. My name's Jiraiya. And I'm here to take good care of you from here on. So… don't do anything stupid, 'kay?"

Naruto stared at the now identified Jiraiya, glaring at him suspiciously. He could see there was something odd in how the man was looking at him, almost like he was waiting for a chance to pounce and was looking for an opening. What's more is… Naruto could immediately see that this man had a foul and untrustworthy air about him. Even if Shelob hadn't warned him, it was easy to sense that this man wasn't to be trusted.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Naruto screamed and hopped off the edge of the cliff, much to the Toad Sannin's horror as he dived forward to catch the Jinchuuriki, but it was too late. And all Jiraiya could do was watch Naruto's small frame fall into the dark chasm below. The Toad Sage felt his heart plummet into his bowels while beating a hundred miles a minute, believing that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had committed suicide.

Without Naruto, Kyuubi would be free. It may be months or years before it fully reformed, but the Kyuubi would be free all the same. And without an Uzumaki to contain the beast, there was no viable means to keep it safely locked away, much less kept in Konoha's custody. Jiraiya needed to find another Uzumaki, but first, he had to leave Konoha with all haste before someone could put him at the scene of this Tragedy.

All the while, Jiraiya continued wondering about the damned prophecy, believing that Naruto couldn't have been the subject given what had just happened. So… who IS the Child of Prophecy that had been foretold by the Toad Elder? He had no answers at the moment, his first and only priority would be finding an Uzumaki, pronto!

Ten minutes later.

Naruto sighed as he continued to fall down the seemingly endless abyss, his arms crossed over his chest as he yawned in boredom. The initial adrenaline from his leap having long since worn off, though he had to admit, it was oddly relaxing to feel the wind rushing past his body as he plummeted down into the depths. "How much longer?" He asked impatiently, a small part of him wishing to plant his feet on solid ground once more.

The spider chittered as it clung to his clothes and answered "Shouldn't be too much longer now, my dear. You made the right choice, even if it was your only real choice." At that, the boy scratched the back of his head with a scowl as he stared upwards and pictured in his mind, the now non-existent opening that had long since faded from view.

"That Jiraiya guy… was he telling the truth? Is he really my godfather?" Naruto asked, probing for more information on the suspicious man he had just fled from.

"He is… or was supposed to be at least. The man called Jiraiya is known as the Toad Sannin, one of your Sandaime Hokage's students. He also received news of a prophecy from the Toad Elder foretelling of a Child of Prophecy, meant to revolutionize or destroy the Shinobi world. Since then, he has been obsessed with this prophecy and has been seeking to manipulate it, and said child, that being yourself." Shelob explained, causing the boy to scowl even further.

"I don't really get it. Revolutionize how? Destroy how? That's pretty vague." He grumbled thoughtfully since that didn't really make much sense to him.

"Most, if not all prophecies are quite vague. While it is unwise to put too much stock into them, it is perhaps more so to ignore them altogether. But the absolute worst thing one can do, is try to control a prophecy, regardless of intent. If he continues on this path, he'll only find eternal damnation." Shelob spoke in a sage-like manner.

Naruto gently rubbed his chin and crossed one leg over the other as he continued falling and spoke "You seem to know an awful lot. Do you know who my parents are? Why the hell would they pick someone as sketchy as that Frog man?"

"Toad. Not Frog. And I do know, though I don't think it would be wise to tell you your parents names. But I will say this, your parents were both great warriors and had and still have many enemies who would seek your death if they knew your true lineage. Most likely a few of them are already moving against you in some small measure. As for why… it was your father who picked Jiraiya to be your godfather, and your mother refused, knowing of the man's true nature, full of darkness and perversion." She answered him, though a slight hint of disgust could be heard in her voice at the end of her explanation.

"Toads. Frogs. I don't care. They both eat flies for a living, and Toads are a type of Frog anyway. In either case, I deliberately said 'frog' to insult the bastard." Naruto cursed, earning some amused giggles from the Spider Queen. It seemed that despite being only five years of age, he already displayed keen instincts, quick learning skills, and a colorful vocabulary.

After their exchange, Naruto felt himself land in something soft and sticky and felt the substance stretch beneath him as his fall came to a slow stop… until he felt himself launched upward and down again. He quickly realized he had landed in a gigantic spider web… and he wasn't alone. There were a multitude of human sized cocoons that were stuck to the wall, some of them half-torn showing the remains of the occupants. He couldn't help but let out a scream of terror for seeing dead bodies for the first time in his life, his screams echoing across the chambers.

He stopped when he felt movement along the webbing and jerked his head up, seeing a gigantic spider walking towards him, its large mandibles clicking as if it were laughing. "My apologiessss. I don't ussssually clean. Now you sssssee the fate of thossse who leapt off the cliff to end their own livessss. They jussst didn't expect thissss type of ending." The giant spider hissed in a guttural voice and then its form became wreathed in shadows, the large creature seemingly shrank down until it changed shape into that of a human woman.

Her hair was dark as night, her skin a pale white as though she never set foot in the sunshine. Her emerald eyes quickly put the boy at ease as she walked towards him with long slow strides, showing off her long and smooth legs with each step. She walked along the webbing with the grace of a ballerina, showing no difficulty in traversing the sticky webbing. "It is nice to finally meet you in person. Naruto Uzumaki." She greeted him by name, her voice being instantly recognizable to him. The boy quickly guessed that she had been speaking through the smaller spider like a mouthpiece.

The little spider in question leaped off of him and quickly crawled away into the dark crevices nearby. "You… killed all these people?" He asked out of shock, unsure of what else he could possibly say.

"And if I did? They came here to die all the same. If they had really desired to live, they wouldn't have bothered throwing themselves down here to begin with. That aside… all things must eat, regardless if they're predators or prey." She spoke in a half-mocking and half-serious tone as she made a small gesture with her hand, causing Naruto to be lifted up by an invisible force, pulling him free of the webbing.

"Come now, there's much to see, to do, and to speak of." She spoke and made a 'come here' motion with her finger, causing Naruto to slowly float behind her as she continued to gracefully walk along the webbing like a master tight-rope walker one would see at the circus.

"You never really said what you wanted with me. You just mentioned about giving me the secrets to power." Naruto pointed out, trying to take his mind off the dead bodies from before. The sight of it still made his skin crawl and he had a strong urge to vomit as well.

"That's true. What I want from you, is for you to make a choice. But first tell me, are you aware of your true significance to this village?" She asked him with a knowing smile, having a strong feeling that he actually was.

"Kinda sorta. It has to do with Kyuubi, right?" He spoke, more in the form of a statement. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots and figure out his date of birth and the Kyuubi attack all happened on the same night.

"Correct. You are a Jinchuuriki. A Bijuu container. To the various villages, you are little more than a weapon to be used. Many of your conflicts have revolved around ownership of the great beasts. To the people of your village, you are a constant reminder of those they lost, and because of your burden, they would treat you as the devil.

You have but two choices. You can work and toil to gain the respect and approval of those who look down upon you, with no guarantee that they'll ever acknowledge you or treat you as the hero you were originally meant to be and fight for the selfish desires of others. Or, you can embrace your reputation as a demon and trample over those who would abuse you and fight for yourself on your own terms, disregarding the selfish whims of others. In essence, will you submit, or will you rebel?" She asked him, her words leaving him in silence.

He thought about it for a long moment and spoke "I'm not quite sure yet." Was the only response he could give at the moment. He didn't wish to be viewed as a bad person, thus in a way, prove the villagers right about him being a demon. But at the same time… he also didn't want to cater to people that took advantage of others for selfish reasons.

"Tis of no matter if you decide now or later. You're still young and have yet to find your proper place in the world. Let us focus on preparing you for when you make your final decision." Shelob spoke and with a wave of her hand, Naruto found himself lowered down to solid ground at long last.

He looked about and saw a gateway, sitting adjacent to a broad tunnel. Next to the gate, was a pair of statues resembling a three headed vulture, and from them he could sense malevolent intent, almost as though he could feel the statues gaze upon them. "I see you have taken notice of the Watchers. They were once the guardians of a certain fortress until they were shattered. My minions found the pieces and I remade them. They are quite useful for keeping out anyone that may escape the large web you fell into at the entrance." Shelob explained and gestured for the boy to continue following her.

"If you say so. What do these Watchers do that makes them so useful? And what about that tunnel to the side?" Naruto asked out of curiosity, making the Primordial spider chuckle darkly beneath her breath.

"The Watchers can create a barrier to ward off intruders. And even if someone can slip through, the statues will sound an alarm. And that tunnel is but a trap. It is a whole mile of sharp and jagged rocks littered with webbing and leads to a dead end with some of my minions waiting for anyone that makes the mistake of attempting entry down that way." She explained with a sadistic smile.

"Minions eh? How many do you have?" He asked as he clasped his hands behind his head as they walked past the Watchers. The boy tried to suppress a chill since he could almost feel their gaze piercing into his back. It was almost as if they were trying to glare daggers into him.

"My minions, much like the stars, are far beyond counting. But they serve me well in gathering information and artifacts. There is extremely little that I do not know that has happened, or is happening in the world. Humans often say that knowledge is power, correct?" She asked at the end in a rhetorical manner. Knowing full well that her vast knowledge and ability to almost instantly gather information made her both powerful and dangerous across the world.

The whiskered boy hummed thoughtfully as he tried his best to follow his host, but it was rather difficult to see in the dark. Though it became gradually easier as his eyes quickly adjusted. He supposed that Shelob liked the dark and didn't really need any kind of light source since she didn't have any torches or candlelight to brighten the place up.

He then took notice that they were in some kind of large chamber, with numerous bridges of stone. It actually looked like… some kind of a city. "What the hell is this place?" He asked as he stared in wonder of his new surroundings.

"This city was once called Erebor. The kingdom under the mountain. Many centuries ago, it was a dwarven kingdom that amassed an exorbitant amount of treasure that was once captured by a dragon named Smaug. The treasure and Kingdom were eventually regained, but the dwarves have long since died off over the ages. And the lonely mountain was swallowed into the earth. It is now my domain and where I keep my collection." She explained making the boy gape in awe.

"Dragons? Dwarves? Were Elves real too?" Naruto asked since this almost seemed to be something out of a fantasy novel. His amazement amusing the great Spider.

"They were all very real. Though the Elves have long since departed from the realms of mortals, sometimes, if you know where to look, you can find traces of their culture and treasures. And Elven artifacts are amongst my most prized pieces in my collection." She spoke as they went down a flight of stairs until they came to a vast chamber filled to the brim with treasure as far as the eye could see.

Even in the darkened chamber, Naruto could see a veritable ocean of gold coins stretching out like a vast ocean with glittering gemstones dotting the golden landscape. "Holy crap. With all of that gold, you could buy your own country and not still not even make a dent in this treasure trove." He muttered as he stared out towards the glittering sea of treasure.

"Several countries. And then some. Help yourself to it all." The emerald eyed woman spoke with a small smile, earning a shocked look from the boy who was now staring at her as if she'd grown a third head. "You're just gonna give it all to me? Just like that?" He asked, his legs almost turning to jelly at the thought of instantly striking it rich.

"But of course. I have no use for material wealth such as gold or jewels. And it seems rather wasteful to let it sit there and continue to gather dust." She answered him with a small smile as he made his way down the stairs towards the sea of gold and plucked out a sword in a golden scabbard, the hilt covered in sparkling jewels.

As he inspected the decorative sword, she gently took it from his hands and spoke "Before you can hope to learn to use a blade. You must first learn how to use these." She then gestured to his forehead and his chest, showing that he first needed to learn to use his mind and his heart before he could ever learn to fight. He bit his lip for a moment, but knew she was right. The last thing he wanted was to become an idiot that was in way over his head that constantly screamed about being Hokage.

"By the way… it may interest you to know your orphanage matron has a shady past…" Shelob spoke with a slightly sadistic smile causing the boy to raise an eyebrow and wonder what she meant by that. It seemed as though Shelob had a great many things to tell him.

A few days later.

In Nono's orphanage, the nun herself could be seen slumped over her desk, weeping as she clutched a photograph of Naruto in her hands. She could not for the life of her understand what would cause him to run away, but she suspected someone may have tried to sneak in who wanted to hurt him. The only thing she could do was report his disappearance to the Hokage. The Sandaime was very quick to respond and dispatched his own personal guard to comb the surrounding area for the boy.

In fact, when word spread of Naruto's disappearance, a shocking number of volunteers came to help look for him. Mikoto and Itachi Uchiha, Tsume and Hana Inuzuka, Anko, Kurenai, the Ichirakus who aren't even ninjas, and all of Naruto's friends in the orphanage also joined in the search.

The Hokage himself sat off to the side on a nearby couch, trying to use his crystal ball to locate the boy, or find any kind of clue of his whereabouts. However, no matter what he tried, the orb would only change into a pitch black color. Which either meant that he was in a place so dark that the crystal ball couldn't properly show the image, or some kind of barrier technique or seal was blinding the orb. In either case, it didn't look good and it was only adding to Nono's anxiety.

The Sandaime himself was quite worried as well. He had even taken the liberty of sending one of his Summons to seek out and find Jiraiya to make him take responsibility as the boy's godfather, but the Toad Sannin was nowhere to be found. Which meant it was most likely he didn't want to be found. Not a good omen to say the least since the Hokage recalled Jiraiya's suggestion to seal the boy's mind.

The tense silence was interrupted when the ground around them started to violently rumble, and outside came the sounds of an explosion, a shower of dirt and rocks could be seen outside Nono's window. In alarm, they both looked outside and saw the form of Naruto riding on the back of a giant spider. "Ohayo! I'm back!" The boy shouted as he hopped off the spider before it retreated back into the hole it had just emerged from.

Without even a split second of hesitation, Nono leapt through her office window, shattering the glass, and pounced upon the whiskered boy, raining numerous kisses on his dirt covered cheeks. She sobbed loudly and babbled incoherently, though it was safe to guess she said something like 'I am so happy you're back. I was so worried about you!'

"Naruto! Thank Kami you're safe and sound. Everyone has been worried sick about you. Hell, Anko and Erza have been tearing apart the woods looking for you." The Hokage spoke as he carefully hopped through the shattered window.

"Yeah. Sorry for the wait. The Spiders had to tunnel through miles of dirt and bedrock before we finally got topside. Apparently they never really needed an exit." Naruto replied and then jabbed a thumb in the direction of the newly dug hole to emphasize his statement.

Once Nono had returned to her senses and calmed down, Naruto began to explain what had happened. How Shelob warned him of Jiraiya's plans, his escape from the Sannin and the great Spider's wish to train him, though she was still obscure about her own motivations, she didn't seem to be deceiving him. When he had finished, both the Nun and Hokage stared at him in disbelief, though they had no reason to refute his words. It was still difficult to swallow.

Hiruzen cleared his throat and spoke "That explains why my Summons haven't been able to find him. He's deliberately avoiding them. I promise you Naruto-kun, as soon as he shows his treacherous face in Konoha again I'll have him arrested so you can decide whatever punishment you deem appropriate." The whiskered boy nodded, accepting the aging Hokage's promise.

"I appreciate that. Shelob says I'll begin my training and studies starting tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to it. I just wanted to drop by and tell everyone that I was okay. Oh, and don't worry. I'll be sure to visit everyone every now and again… gotta say though, I'm now a bit worried that Anko and Erza will try to beat the crap out of me, and Esdeath might try to leash me to keep me close at all times." Naruto stated with a slightly worried expression at the end, though he supposed he'd have to face the music sometime or other… maybe if he invited his friends to train with him that would help soften the blow a bit?

"I'm not so sure about entrusting your training to a creature we know nothing about. Though I suppose if this Shelob warned you, and you are willing to trust her, then I shall give the benefit of the doubt. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call on me." The Sandaime spoke, earning a nod of understanding from the whiskered boy. A short while later, the search parties returned and found Naruto safe and sound.

Angry voices rang out, some blows were landed, death threats were made, and some blood was spilt, but in the end Naruto survived the divine feminine fury of his various female friends. He certainly couldn't blame them for being worried. After explaining exactly what had happened to them well… let's just say that if and when the Toad Sannin returned, there would be a very long line of people waiting to take their pound of flesh from him.

The blonde invited Erza, Kaede and Esdeath to join in his training, but they respectfully refused him since they wished to go on their own individual journeys when they felt ready but they all promised to return when he needed them. Additionally, he also received offers of special training from his Shinobi friends and a promise of an 'all-you-can-eat' meal from the Ichiraku's. After sharing their respective good-byes and gladness of Naruto's safe return, everyone decided to go home… and keep a watchful eye out for a certain Sannin. They would all sorely miss him during his training, but he promised to occasionally visit them.

Once everyone had departed, Naruto decided that now was the time to pack any personal belongings. Also, he had something he needed to discuss with Nono. A short while later, the Jinchuuriki could be found in his room, packing his clothes and other items of interest into a large duffel bag, he was interrupted by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door, prompting him to invite the visitor inside.

The door opened revealing Nono who had a small smile on her face as she spoke "Hello Naruto-kun. I just wanted to say goodbye to you one last time… before I too go on a journey of my own." Naruto stared at her silently, the room swiftly falling into an awkward silence.

Believing her charge to be confused she continued to speak in order to clarify the situation "Some years ago, there was another child here by the name of Kabuto who… has been lost to me. I must leave soon in order to bring him home. Don't worry, the orphanage will be in good hands while I'm away."

She was expecting the whiskered boy to start throwing some kind of fit of anger or sadness at her leaving but instead he seemed to look at her with pity, almost like she were a helpless animal in a cage… his gaze seemed to pierce through her, making her feel a tight knot form in her stomach since she couldn't tell what he was thinking at the moment, and that intense stare was unsettling to say the least.

"Don't go to Iwa. You know you can't trust 'that guy'." Naruto spoke in a warning tone. His words making the matron blink dumbly a few times. "Bwah?" Was the only intelligent response she could come up with as she wondered if she had heard him correctly.

"You know what I'm talking about. I don't care about your past. Please… don't go. Otherwise you'll never come home again, and a lot of children will be sad to hear that you've 'gone missing' or had an 'accident." Naruto cautioned her further. She wanted to ask how he knew so much, but the only sound she could make was some blubbering noises.

Even in spite of her confusion… She knew he was absolutely right. Danzo was an extremely devious man who hated loose ends. The only reason she hadn't been killed yet was because he had Kabuto as collateral against her… who's to say that Kabuto wasn't already dead? Sure, Danzo provided her with photographs of Kabuto growing up… but she had never actually met him in person since he was taken. It could be possible the pictures were somehow manipulated, or a fake Kabuto had been placed in the pictures.

"Stay strong Nono-san. I understand you'd want to help one of your lost children, but there are many more that need you here and now to keep them all safe from 'him'. You don't want this orphanage to fall under 'his' influence like the others. Do you?" Naruto questioned, which caused the nun to pale as white as a sheet, even her hair seemed to change into a silver color as she realized the horrific implications.

She knew full well that Danzo would either buy or kidnap children from various orphanages in order to induct them into Root. The only reasons she hadn't reported him was because of his hold over Kabuto, and the chances he'd take the rest of her children as well… now she realized that it didn't matter. If she did his bidding or not, she would still lose something… she knew she'd need to make a sacrifice.

"You don't need to say anything. I promise you, Danzo will get his just desserts. When I get stronger, I'll kick his ass myself and hang him from the village gates for all the world to see." The Jinchuuriki promised. He knew full well that Shelob's extensive and almost worldwide web of spies already had plenty of dirt on Danzo… and he was concerned that the man's own network might help him slip away.

Even if evidence of even a portion of his crimes were cast into the light, it was still a possibility that he could somehow weasel his way out of jail time or execution. Naruto wanted to be certain he could take out Danzo with a single shot rather than risk him escaping and coming back more dangerous than before. Fortunately… that same evidence could be used to keep him in check until he was ready to give the death blow to the old man.

Once that was done Naruto planted a soft kiss of affection on the Nun's cheek and spoke "Thanks for everything Nono-san. Keep an eye on the other's for me till I'm ready to fully rejoin the real world. Be seeing you around." With that said, the blonde quickly departed, leaving the matron in silence as she considered his words… she knew that it was almost guaranteed she lost one child… she would be damned before she lost them all.

Later on. Erebor.

"Here we go again." Naruto muttered as he free-falled into the large spider web which he came to call 'The Front door' The long fall into the chasm being oddly relaxing for some reason. Plus it beat having to trek through miles of tunnels. He would need to find some kind of transportation solution for traveling to and from the surface world.

After pulling himself free from the webbing he quickly marched towards the gates and spoke to the Watchers "Keep up the good work gents." He could almost hear a pleased groan from the twin statues as he walked by and entered the halls of Erebor which were now lit with torches to help him see better, though there were still numerous places deeper inside that were pitch black.

Sitting on the throne was Shelob herself, smiling as she waited for the boy to approach. As he slowly approached he could hear her singing

"Take a look round lively old London

Buzzing crowds we sweat and we revel

Red-cheeked shouts and songs

In the flicker of the gaslight

Eager Blighty bursts from the cobblestones

Racing, climbing blooming fertility

Born from secret seeds

That were scattered in the nighttime

London is fed upon the meat of the dead

They're one shallow inch below the town

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground

Them that whispered dreams that only poisoned us

Them that told us lies of their bravery

Them that preached of progress, and put us in the poorhouse

Them done horrid murder on bloody stages

Them that loudly crowed their humility

Lords and dames that sung in the chapels on a Sunday

All quiet now.

Their mouths are stopped up by mud.

They lie flung in rags and make no sound.

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground

Those who fought for something better

Those who taught by how they lived

Loved ones taken long before their work was done

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground.

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground.

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground.

Underground

Underground

Leave them underground."

Once she had finished speaking she spoke in a sly manner "You delivered your warning to your caretaker?" though it didn't seem like she was asking him, more like she was making a statement. The boy nodded in confirmation causing the great spider to reply "Very well then. Your friends will be under my protection, I promise you that. Now you can focus on your training and studies unhindered and free of worry."

"Thanks. So what're we gonna do first? Am I gonna get to study some awesome jutsu and stuff?" Naruto asked excitedly since he was eager to know where his training would begin. A cruel smirk formed on the Spider Queen's face as she clapped her hands twice and then a loud thud was heard behind the boy. He turned around and saw a massive pile of books had been dumped on the ground.

"Books? You mean I have to study? I hate studying." Naruto grumbled in complaint as he crossed his arms… only to feel the sharp stinging sensation on his back as the distinctive sound of a whip cracking could be heard, the feeling of the whip cutting into his flesh making him yelp in pain.

Shelob rose from the throne, carrying a whip made from webbing in her hands as she spoke "I care not for what you do or do not like. Do not expect me to coddle you as the teachers of your village's Academy do to their students. I expect attentiveness, obedience, and above all, results. If you wish to protect that which you cherish, and destroy that which seeks to do harm unto you and your loved ones, I suggest you do as I command. We will begin your studies on the morrow."

Once she had finished speaking, Naruto groaned while nursing his injury and grumbled "Okay already. But is the whipping necessary? That really hurt."

"Pain is an excellent motivator and teacher, and an even better deterrent towards unruly behavior." She answered, and then she began to speak words in another language, the words of this foreign language sounded almost vile and put a bitter taste in Naruto's mouth just from hearing them. "You shall learn the ancient languages of old… beginning with Black Speech. I suggest you brace yourself Naruto Uzumaki… I am a very strict teacher, and I do not forgive laziness."

At that, Shelob cracked the whip once more to emphasize her point, showing that she would indeed use it if she felt the need to. All the while, Naruto couldn't help but wonder exactly what he had gotten into. Still, he supposed it would be better to be under Shelob's strict tutelage than to become a brainwashed monkey.

He sighed and picked up one of the various books and read the title 'Beginner's guide to sealing' and then another that had strange scrawlings he had never seen before. The books ranged from a wide variety of subjects such as mathematics, politics, law, and many other subjects. It seemed like he was going to be in for a loooong study session. Still, he had no room to complain. He had heard from Itachi that it wasn't always the strongest Ninja that wins, but the smarter one.

In any case, he supposed it was time to take that advice to heart. Unknown to Naruto though, up on the surface… dark forces were lurking. Forces that bore the faces of men, but whose hearts were uglier and perhaps blacker than the orcs of the old world. Shelob knew this very well indeed, and she knew that she must prepare him to fight these evils… no matter the cost.

End chapter one.

Projects in the works:

Naruto (All For One) Quirk user fic.

Yakuza Naruto fic.

Gamer Naruto fic.

Keys to the Kingdom.

Family is Forever.

Sin of Wrath.