I reappear in the exact spot I left. Only this time I'm alone. No Sasuke, no Orochimaru and no Sound Four.
"That's strange, I wasn't gone that long. Only a few hours. Where did everyone go?" I say out loud to myself.
I start to wander around the base, every other time I've been here someone has escorted me. Now that I think about it, I've only been alone while in my room here. As I am exploring I notice a new phenomenon.
Spiders are scurrying around. They aren't worried about being seen by me, they are boldly exploring everything. Climbing up the walls, slinking into cracks, scurrying across the floor. I never knew there were this many spiders around. It isn't innumerable like when I was at the Nest, but there are around ten spiders in this hallway alone.
An idea occurs to me. I kneel down and gently place my hand in one of the spider's path. It crawls on my hand and I raise it up to my face.
"Hello little one. I have a task for you, if you are willing." The tiny spider bobs its whole body, I assume that means yes. "I want you and the others to spy on everyone here. I want you to tell me what they do, things they say and anything that is unusual or noteworthy. Can you and the others do that?" The spider bobs again. "Thank you little one." I gently lay it back to the ground, closer to a wall so it has a place to go and it won't be stepped on by someone else.
That will make spying on Orochimaru much easier. I need to get in touch with Tsunade, I wonder if the spiders can do that for me too? I'll have to ask them later, I can hear footsteps.
"Alvarcus?" None other than Orochimaru asks. "So you did survive! You've been gone for a long time, we thought you died."
"It will take more than that to kill me. I didn't even have to fight anyone!" I proudly say. "All we did was talk and I showed some of what I can do."
Orochimaru raises an eyebrow. "How unusual. When I got the Snake Contract, I had to beat a few of them into submission. What animal did you get?"
"Spiders." I proudly say.
He eyes me up and down. I feel a chill run down my spine, I hate it when he does that. I feel like a piece of meat, like he is analyzing me like one of his experiments.
"How did I not see it before?" He quietly says to himself. "It could have been no other. You're more spider like than Kidomaru, he holds a minor contract with them. Tell me, did you sign the species scroll or just a minor contract?"
I arrogantly smirk, channeling my inner Sasuke. "The whole species. The Major Contract."
"They let you sign the Major Contract? Consider me impressed! Kidomaru was much older than you when he tried. What did you offer them? What did you use to sway their allegiance?" Orochimaru presses me for more information.
"I know Sasuke very well, I figure I can have him ask the Snakes to stop hunting the Spiders." I sum up for him.
Orochimaru brims with pride. How disgusting. "Smart! Using others to further yourself!"
"No, not that. I'm asking a friend for help." I will not have that mindset. At least not with Sasuke.
"Same thing." Orochimaru dismisses my logic. I don't need to convince him. "You must be hungry. Come, dinner is soon. The others will be glad to know you are back. Sasuke will be happy you won him the bet."
"That's right, those assholes bet on whether I would live or die!" I rage. "What did they even bet?"
"I have no idea." Orochimaru tells me. "You'll have to ask them yourself." He walks away from me, presumably towards Sasuke and the Sound Four.
...
Orochimaru stops in front of a closed door. "They are inside. Go, I have matters that I have to attend to."
While trying to repress the knowledge that Orochimaru is going to go ruin someone's life by experimentation I walk through the door and into a surprisingly luxurious room. There are many plush chairs and couches, a few well kept beds, full bookcases of storybooks and jutsu scrolls and nice paintings of nature on the walls. There is even a refrigerator that is well stocked and a stove and microwave.
"Aw shit. We lost the bet." Tayuya says upon seeing me. She's lounging on one of the beds, she's curled up with a book on musical theory. I didn't expect something so intellectual from her.
Sasuke's head snaps upwards at her words and his face flushes with relief when he finally spots me.
"I knew you'd be back. So, what animal?" He asks from a very comfy looking chair. He's idly sipping on a warm beverage, tea most likely.
Everyone present leans forwards in anticipation. I clear my throat. "Spiders. My summons are the Spiders."
"Lame, I already have a spider summon." Kidomaru says in disappointment from near the fridge. All of the Sound Four look disappointed, it isn't just Kidomaru. Only Sasuke seems pleased with me. "What is its name?"
I grin as I plop down in one of the chairs. I was right it is very comfortable. This will be a wake up call to them. "I hold the Main Contract. I am not a Spider Summoner, I am the Spider Summoner."
Kidomaru whistles at that. "No kidding? What did they test you on? Can't be the same as me."
"Only a few things." I say in a disinterested tone. "They had me prove that I am like them, using some form of web or string. Then I had to display extra limbs or more eyes. Then they asked me what I offer in return."
Kidomaru raises an eyebrow. "That is exactly what they had me do. What did you offer?"
Everyone looks at me expectantly. "I told them I'll speak with the next Snake Summoner on their behalf for an alliance." I turn to Sasuke. "What do you say? Will you ask the Snakes to not hunt Spiders in return for an alliance?"
Sasuke shrugs in indifference. "I don't see why not. Do I have to convince them if they say no?"
"It couldn't hurt. The Spiders were happy to have the chance. I told them that I could only ask you, not that I could guarantee it." I snuggle deeper into the fluffy chair cushions. "As long as you ask I've held up my end of the agreement."
Sasuke sips his tea. "Consider it done, I'll ask when I summon next."
A loud ring sounds throughout the room. Sasuke and I reflexively tense, unknown noises mean bad things. "Sound Four, come down to my lab." Orochimaru's voice echos in the room. That was an intercom system. I haven't seen or heard one of those in a very long time. Konoha had sirens that would sound different noises depending on the situation, but nothing like this. Orochimaru must have the whole base wired.
Jirobo sighs and gets off his couch. "Must be time for the monthly data gathering session."
Tayuya snaps her book shut. "Kami I hate these. I swear he draws a liter of blood."
The Sound Four all leave. Sasuke and I are alone in this luxurious room. I get up from my chair and throw myself onto one of the clean beds.
"Oh sweet bed, how I have missed you. It has been months since I've felt your glory."
"Alvarcus you were sleeping in one not even ten hours ago." Sasuke says.
I wiggle under the covers and cocoon myself in the blankets. "Months I tell you."
Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Spiders. What do you plan to use them for? Their combat ability can't be that high."
"You're not wrong." I agree with Sasuke. "The Spiders have few fighters, they like to trap their prey then kill them. It is okay, I don't plan on using them in combat, even if I do it will be as a support role. They'll help me, I don't want them to fight on their own."
"What do you plan to do with them then?" Sasuke sounds intrigued. "Most summons are revered for their battle prowess."
I smile evilly from my blanket cocoon. I must look like an odd sight. "Information. I'm going to use them as informants."
Sasuke gives me a questioning glance. "Information. How? The chakra drain for keeping a summon here is no joke, even for you." He's right, even with my Jiongu enhanced reserves I wouldn't be able to keep a summon here indefinitely.
"I don't need to summon them. Sasuke, spiders are everywhere. All I need to do is ask." I smirk at his surprised face. Suddenly the Spiders are cool in his eyes where before they were mediocre.
"Prove it." He demands of me. "I want proof that you can gather information from them."
I level a look at him. "How would I do that?"
"Spiders are everywhere?" I nod in agreement. "Then tell me what kind of tea I am drinking. Let's see how knowledgeable your spiders really are."
With a shrug I untangle myself from my cocoon of blankets and walk towards one of the corners of the room. I have a feeling I'll find a spider there, I can't explain how. Maybe an effect from signing the contract?
Sure enough, a small spider is there. I kneel down and gently lay my hand next to its web.
"Come here little one, I have a question for you." The tiny spider crawls out of its web and onto my lowered hand. I bring it to the counter and pull out one kind of each tea present in the room. "Can you show me what my friend over there is drinking?" The spider bobs its body, I'll take that as a yes. I lay my hand on the counter and it scampers straight past the tea leaves and makes a bee – spider in this case – line right to the coffee pot.
Once there the tiny spider bobs in victory. I turn to Sasuke. "Trick question. You're not drinking tea, you're drinking coffee."
"I am impressed. I never considered using summons that way. How do you convey more complex concepts? For instance if you were to ask about someone's location." Sasuke asks while sipping on his identified coffee.
...
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