Chapter 3: "The Talk (No, Not That One—The One with Superpowers and Tears)"
—In which Peter drops the "I have powers" bomb and Uncle Ben considers investing in yoga classes.
Let's get one thing straight:
Peter Parker did not wake up that morning expecting to meet a blond ninja demi with motivational poster energy and a chakra-powered personal gym inside his brain.
And yet, here he was.
Standing in a dimension that felt like a fantasy novel written by someone who'd read way too much manga, staring at a guy named Naruto who had just handed him the greatest plot twist of his life.
"What should I call you?" Peter asked, trying to sound casual.
It was hard to sound casual when your brain was still rebooting from a magical vision quest, a glowing spider bite, and seeing your own tragic future like it was a movie trailer narrated by doom.
"Just call me Naruto," the man said, voice calm but firm—like a sensei and a life coach rolled into one. "We're friends. I'll help you when you need it. But I don't give out freebies."
Peter blinked. "So… not exactly a fairy godmother."
"More like a cosmic drill sergeant who's nice if you pass your tests," Naruto said with a wink.
Ah. Of course. Because nothing in Peter's life could ever be normal.
"I don't like people becoming dependent," Naruto added. "I'll help you train, give advice, and set up tests. Earn your growth. Got it?"
Peter nodded, feeling a flicker of something he hadn't felt in a while: hope.
This wasn't charity. This was a challenge.
And he was ready.
Well… mostly ready.
'Did you give something to my sister?'
The question slipped into his brain before he could stop it.
Naruto tilted his head like an amused owl. "Do you want me to?"
Peter's stomach tightened.
"She'll be targeted, won't she?" he asked. "Because of our parents… and me?"
"She'll be in danger regardless," Naruto said gently. "S.H.I.E.L.D. will recruit her eventually. If you want happiness, cover all your bases. And don't try doing everything alone."
Peter nodded slowly.
It wasn't just about being Spider-Man anymore.
He needed a network. A safe house. Allies. A plan.
He needed to stop acting like some loner in a hoodie and start building like Tony Stark—if Tony had rent to pay and a weird ninja ghost in his head.
"What kind of rewards can I expect?" Peter asked.
Naruto smirked, like a video game NPC about to drop a treasure chest.
"Medical items. Magical items. Tech. Whatever you can imagine. But the harder the test, the better the reward."
Peter's eyes lit up.
This wasn't just power…
This was a customizable Spider-Man upgrade menu.
"When do we start?"
"Tomorrow," Naruto said. "One month of training here. Only one night will pass in the real world."
Peter blinked. "Wait. You're telling me… this is like a hyperbolic time chamber?"
Naruto grinned. "Exactly. But with better scenery."
Then a mirror appeared. Out of nowhere.
Because of course it did.
Peter turned to look—and froze.
The reflection staring back at him was… him.
But not him.
He was taller. Broader. Muscular in a way that said "can bench press a school bus" but still lean enough to pass for a nerd. His jawline could cut glass. His posture radiated confidence.
Basically, he looked like Peter Parker if Peter Parker had been bitten by a radioactive action figure.
"Whoa," Peter muttered. "I look—"
"Damn good?" Naruto finished with a grin.
Peter laughed. He actually laughed.
The sound felt strange coming out of him, like his body wasn't used to joy just yet.
He turned serious again. "How is training here any different?"
"You'll remember everything," Naruto said. "Every move, every lesson, every punch. When you leave, your body and mind will keep what you earned."
Peter felt his mind racing.
This wasn't just training.
It was evolution.
Every night could make him stronger.
"This isn't just about being Spider-Man," he whispered.
"No," Naruto said softly. "This is about becoming Spider-Man—the best version. The one who doesn't just survive… but wins."
Peter nodded slowly.
"Relax," Naruto added, stepping closer. "Don't let negativity weigh you down. Keep searching for answers. Make this fun. Because when you enjoy something, you become it."
Peter's breath slowed.
"Enjoy it," Naruto repeated. "Even the hard parts."
And then—
Just like that—
The world began to blur.
The forest, the mirror, the warmth of Naruto's presence—all melted like watercolor in the rain.
-----------------------------
Peter Parker had never felt amazing before.
Sure, he'd felt "kinda good" after acing a chemistry test, or "not bad" after surviving another school year without being publicly humiliated by Flash in front of Liz. But amazing?
That was new.
And terrifying.
He sat up in the alley where he'd collapsed earlier—expecting, at the very least, to find his shoes missing and some kind of mysterious alley rat chewing on his jeans.
But no.
Everything was untouched.
Even the garbage can beside him looked like it had politely scooted away to give him breathing room.
"Okay," Peter muttered to himself. "Either New York's crime rate finally dipped below the Mariana Trench, or Naruto really did add some kind of magical anti-mugging field around me."
Both explanations were equally weird.
But given the last few hours of his life?
He was learning to just roll with it.
He checked his watch.
"One minute," he whispered.
One single minute had passed since he blacked out.
He had met a dimension-hopping chakra wizard with parenting issues and motivational poster wisdom.
So… that happened.
Peter stood up and nearly staggered from how light he felt.
No, scratch that—how ridiculously powerful he felt.
His vision was sharp.
His muscles hummed like well-tuned machinery.
His posture was less "stressed-out science goblin" and more "unbothered demi on casual stroll."
"I don't need glasses," Peter whispered, touching his face like a Victorian maiden in a miracle play. "I… I can see clearly. And my back doesn't hurt from carrying ten textbooks anymore."
If he didn't know better, he'd think he'd been bitten by a radioactive gym membership.
But no.
This wasn't just spider powers.
This was Naruto's spider.
Which apparently came with bonus content.
Super Strength: He could probably lift a bus. Or a tank. Or the emotional weight of being Peter Parker.
Super Speed: Flash Thompson would literally eat his dust.
Wall-Crawling: He could finally sneak snacks off the top shelf without a stool.
Healing Factor: Say goodbye to scraped knees and hello to instant regeneration.
Spider-Sense: Also known as the "Peter, duck or die" alarm.
Chakra Webs: Yeah. Chakra. Webs. It was like having your own personal WiFi signal made of silk and destiny.
It was… a lot.
And yet, Naruto had left him with a message: Don't go wild with it yet, genius. Chakra runs out. You don't want to be stuck mid-swing with an empty bar.
Peter nodded to himself as he dusted off his hoodie.
"Got it. Great power, great responsibility, and great need for chakra management."
He started walking home, thankful that despite all the inner changes, Naruto had slapped a neat little illusion genjutsu on him so nobody would question why Peter Parker suddenly looked like he could arm-wrestle a car.
Over the next few months, the changes would be gradual.
"Man thinks of everything," Peter muttered, impressed.
Honestly, Naruto could've just dropped the spider and dipped. Let Peter stumble through the upgrades and life-altering realizations like a bad software patch. But no—he stayed. Talked. Hugged him. Gave him perspective. Gave him a plan.
"He's… actually kind," Peter said to himself, blinking at the realization. "Kind of like if Mr. Miyagi and Goku had a baby."
As he walked through the streets, the city was overwhelming.
His senses—now ten times sharper—picked up every honk, every angry shout, every questionable street vendor scent, every distant pigeon argument (seriously, why were they so loud?).
"Too much, too much—turn it down, turn it down," he muttered, fumbling until—click—his instincts dialed everything to 'barely tolerable.'
Okay. Better.
It was like having a remote control for reality now.
Everything was louder, brighter, more intense—but he could control it.
And that was the key difference.
Peter Parker was no longer just reacting.
He was in control.
He thought of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, of the bills they worked so hard to pay, of the lives they sacrificed so much to protect.
He thought of Teresa—his sister. A sister he barely knew but would now fight to keep safe.
This power wasn't just a gift.
It was a promise.
To protect his family.
To take care of the people who raised him.
To make sure no one ever had to cry over a broken home or a lost loved one the way he had.
"Yeah," Peter said softly as the sun dipped low behind the buildings. "I'm ready."
He paused.
Then grinned.
"Also, I really want to swing through the city. Like right now. But—responsibility first. Cool flips later."
He tucked his hands into his pockets, feeling the chakra pulse gently under his skin.
Tomorrow would be the start of a new chapter.
Training. Tests. Rewards.
New allies. New enemies.
New purpose.
But for tonight?
Peter Parker—formerly the shy nerd with bad posture and bad luck—walked home with the weight of destiny on his shoulders…
…and for once, it didn't feel heavy at all.
---------------------------
Peter Parker expected a lot of reactions when he walked through the front door.
A warm welcome.
Some teasing.
Maybe even a "Where were you, young man?" if Aunt May was feeling dramatic.
What he didn't expect was to be sniffed out like a bloodhound by Uncle Ben before he even got past the foyer.
"Peter, were you drinking?"
Cue record scratch.
Peter froze mid-step, holding his shoe in one hand and his dignity in the other.
"Huh? Why would you think so?"
He tried to play it off, slipping into his worn-out indoor slippers like a good, innocent teenager who definitely didn't nearly black out in an alley after being bitten by a glowing spider from another dimension.
Ben just chuckled, standing up from the couch, where he and May had been watching Casablanca for the hundredth time. (Because according to May, "Rick Blaine had more charm in one eyebrow than modern actors do in their whole bodies.")
"We were students once too, you know," Ben said, stretching a little. "Going drinking is normal. Just hope you didn't do anything irresponsible."
Peter hesitated.
And then… smirked.
"I did go drinking. But I didn't do anything irresponsible."
Well… unless you count mentally accepting a chakra-powered spider bite and unlocking enough strength to lift a city bus.
Ben tilted his head, his "dad senses" tingling like a budget version of Peter's new spider-sense. Something in Peter's tone didn't sit right.
"Peter," he said, gentling his voice. "Is there something you want to share with me?"
Peter's heart stuttered. The old man always knew. Maybe not everything, but enough to know when something had cracked under the surface.
Before Peter could stop himself, the words tumbled out like a tidal wave finally breaking free.
"I'm very happy today, Father. Mother."
Ben and May froze mid-breath.
Peter walked forward and hugged Ben. Not one of those awkward teen one-arm deals, but a full, heart-clutching, soul-melting hug.
May stepped forward, her eyes huge.
"F-Father?" Ben blinked.
"M-Mother?" May whispered, her voice wobbling like jelly on a subway ride.
Peter smiled.
"You've been my parents for so long. I think it's only right to call you that."
He looked them in the eyes—gently, sincerely.
"Unless… you don't want me to?"
Cue waterworks.
May burst into tears, pulling him into a hug that could rival any WWE chokehold in strength and emotional devastation.
"No, no, of course we want that!" she said, sobbing. "You have no idea how much… how much that means to me."
Ben rubbed his eyes and pretended he totally wasn't tearing up too.
"What happened out there?" he asked after a long pause. "Did you fall in love? Did you… y'know… do it?"
He waggled his eyebrows in a way that made Peter instantly regret being born.
"What exactly made you change so much?"
Peter chuckled, shaking his head.
"I just… realized how important you both are to me," he said.
And then, casually—because Peter Parker had zero chill—
"Also, I almost died."
Silence.
Like, "Aunt May dropped her teacup" silence.
Ben's tone dropped several octaves into serious dad territory.
"I must be hearing things, because I thought I just heard you say 'die' and 'I' in the same sentence."
Peter held up his hands like he was talking down a bomb squad.
"Okay! Chill! Let's all sit down before anyone passes out."
He guided them toward the couch, and for the first time in his young life, Peter wanted to tell the truth. He needed to. Not the whole world—not yet—but the people who raised him?
They deserved everything.
So he started.
Not with the spider bite.
Not with the chakra.
But with the feeling.
That moment in the alley. The fear. The powerlessness. The realization that he needed to become more.
He told them about the vision. The warning. Naruto. The spider. The training. The changes.
Not everything—Naruto's secrets weren't his to tell—but enough for Ben and May to understand.
He watched their faces shift—shock, concern, disbelief, fear… and then pride.
Ben leaned forward, hands clasped.
"You… you really have powers now?"
Peter nodded.
"But I'm going to train. I'm not rushing into anything. I just wanted to be honest with you both."
May looked pale, but her hand found his.
"Are you… going to be like those other heroes?"
Peter took a deep breath.
"Better," he said. "Smarter. More prepared. I won't let it consume me. I won't let it break me. I'll do it… for us."
Ben let out a long, shaky exhale.
"Son," he said, voice deep and thick with emotion, "you've always made us proud. But now… I think you're becoming someone the whole city might be proud of."
Peter smiled.
"Let's not go that far yet. I still scream when I see centipedes."
They all laughed. The kind of laugh that shakes the room and pulls all the fear away.
And in that moment—right there on the couch, with Aunt May holding his hand and Uncle Ben ruffling his hair like he used to when Peter was eight—
Peter felt it.
This was his real beginning.