Chapter 6: Secrets of Infinity
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Naruto watched the familiar interface appear before accepting it. At that moment, he noticed the triangular reactor emit a faint glow before returning to normal.
Almost immediately, without him realizing it, the reactor began glowing once again, just as it had before, as if nothing had happened.
With the process complete, he decided to test his new item.
He pressed it against his chest. Even before a magnetic click could be heard, he felt the device firmly anchor itself to his shirt.
Driven by curiosity and pure instinct, Naruto tapped the Arc Reactor twice, unconsciously repeating the exact same sequence he had performed earlier.
A thin layer of nanobots emerged from the reactor, slowly spreading over his body. The reactor's blue light flared brightly as the armor took on the same form it had once had with Tony, now perfectly adapted to Naruto's smaller frame.
As the nanobots spread, the red mark on his back gradually disappeared.
The suit molded itself to his body as though it were alive, instinctively recognizing him as its new wearer.
Naruto could clearly feel the power flowing through this new armor, which he found incredibly beautiful.
At that moment, holographic displays lit up inside the helmet. Then, a familiar voice echoed from within the suit itself.
[Hello, Naruto.]
"Aetheria?"
Hearing Aetheria's voice, Naruto watched as the inside of the helmet illuminated with a blue HUD. Floating displays showed the nanotech suit's status, its energy reserves, and a three-dimensional map before his eyes.
The HUD also analyzed everything in front of him—the building, the cars, and even the bodies he could see. But then he noticed something else. The straps securing the shield to his forearm had snapped, and the shield fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
He also noticed that the Space Stone, which had remained in his pocket the entire time, had somehow settled onto the back of his hand, just below his middle finger. Though confused, his first priority was figuring out how to fix the shield.
"First of all, Aetheria... do you have a solution for this?" Naruto asked as he commanded the suit to retract into the Arc Reactor, allowing his cloak to fall back into place. "And... how are you inside the Mark Armor?"
He also noticed that where the blue gem had been, a fingerless reddish gauntlet with golden accents had formed, further piquing his curiosity.
[Naruto, I managed to transfer a portion of my consciousness into the suit at the very moment I succeeded in making you its master.]
A swarm of nanobots emerged from the Arc Reactor and moved toward his back.
[Process complete. Now all you have to do is place the shield on your back. The rest will happen automatically.]
Naruto followed Aetheria's instructions. He picked up the shield and pressed it against his back.
Immediately, the nanobots latched onto the shield, reshaping it before a magnetic click rang out, locking it securely into place.
Now that everything had been resolved so quickly, Naruto finally had the chance to ask the question that had been on his mind.
"So... you already knew about the Space Stone? Enough to know exactly where it would go?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
[Affirmative, Naruto. My knowledge encompasses many things, including the Infinity Stones. So yes, I am familiar with the Space Stone.]
Naruto listened to the explanation in silence before giving a slight nod. However, one part of her answer immediately caught his full attention.
"The Infinity Stones?"
[Yes, Naruto. In addition to the one you possess, there are five other Infinity Stones.]
"What... there are more?" he asked, his curiosity intensifying. He needed to understand what he was carrying.
[According to the information available in this world, at the beginning of the universe there was a single singularity. It collapsed, giving birth to the Big Bang. From that explosion emerged six primordial crystals, each connected to a fundamental aspect of existence. These are the Infinity Stones.]
At that moment, the gauntlet opened with a faint mechanical hum, forming a small recess from which a holographic projection emerged, similar to the one Wong had once displayed when Bruce Banner arrived on Earth.
At first, there was only absolute emptiness.
Dark.
Silent.
Endless.
Then, a flash.
And after that... a colossal explosion.
Light surged in every direction—violent, yet magnificent—giving birth to creation itself. From that primordial blast, six fragments slowly took shape, drifting through the void.
Six stones.
Six colors.
Six concepts.
Space, blue.
Reality, red.
Power, purple.
Soul, orange.
Mind, yellow.
Time, green.
As the projection slowly rotated, Aetheria continued her analysis with flawless precision.
[Each Stone not only represents but also governs a conceptual principle of the universe. When used together, they possess the capability to alter reality on an almost limitless scale.]
Naruto nodded, beginning to grasp, if only slightly, what the gem embedded in his gauntlet truly represented.
[However, if you wish to better understand the Infinity Stones, I have a video stored in my database that should help.]
A new projection replaced the previous one.
Titan.
An orange sky stretched overhead. The ruins of a forgotten age covered the planet once inhabited by the Titan race.
At the center of the battlefield, Tony Stark unleashed the full potential of his nanotech armor, constantly adapting, rebuilding, and evolving in real time. Every movement was more refined, more efficient, more deadly.
Naruto watched in fascination, his excitement growing with every passing second.
The armor's versatility.
Its creativity in combat.
All while Tony, alongside a group of allies, confronted Thanos.
Yet what captivated Naruto just as much was the purple giant's mastery over the power of the Stones.
That excitement, however, was soon replaced by confusion.
Why did this being possess the same Stone that he did?
[Naruto, the reason both you and Thanos—the purple being on the screen—possess the Space Stone is because yours does not originate from this universe, but from another.]
Naruto slowly nodded. He didn't fully understand, but he decided it was better not to think too deeply about it for now. Otherwise, his head would start to hurt.
"Then, Aetheria..." he murmured, never taking his eyes off the gauntlet. "How can I obtain the other Infinity Stones?"
Silence lingered for a few seconds before Aetheria finally answered.
[Naruto... you already possess the other Infinity Stones.]
Naruto froze.
He blinked.
Once.
Then again.
His mind needed a moment to process what he had just heard.
"What?"
The word barely escaped his lips, no more than a whisper filled with disbelief.
He already had them?
Then... where were the other Infinity Stones if they were already in his possession?
He had no time to dwell on the question.
A web shot toward him, forcing him to dodge.
As he moved aside, he spotted another armored figure rapidly closing the distance, swinging through the air using webs of his own.
The newcomer wore a red-and-blue nanotech suit.
His mask featured white lenses. The design blended red across the abdomen with a large blue spider outlined in gold across the chest and another red spider on the back. The sides, back, and legs were blue, while the outfit was completed with red boots.
The suit fit its wearer perfectly, clinging to the body like a second skin.
[The individual in sight is Peter B. Parker, Tony Stark's protégé. He is also the same young man seen fighting on Titan.]
[Several years ago, Peter was bitten by a radioactive spider, granting him spider-like abilities: enhanced strength and durability, heightened senses, and the ability to cling to walls.]
Naruto listened carefully as Aetheria explained, watching Peter rapidly swing between the buildings as he closed in on his position.
Peter didn't hesitate.
His body tensed midair, and with a sudden burst of speed, he lunged straight at Naruto, fist extended, aiming directly for his face.
There was something unnatural about his speed—about the way his body moved without the slightest hesitation, driven by an almost mechanical ferocity.
Naruto reacted purely on instinct.
He sidestepped at the very last second, feeling the rush of air graze his face.
The impact behind him thundered through the street.
When he turned around, he couldn't help widening his eyes in surprise.
The spot where he had been standing only moments earlier had been reduced to a small crater. The ground had cracked apart and caved in from the sheer force of the blow.
There was no time to process it.
Peter was already moving again.
He launched himself into a relentless barrage of attacks, alternating between punches and web shots, trying to pin Naruto down.
Naruto retreated, dodging by mere inches, bending, jumping, and twisting his body to avoid being ensnared.
Every movement was precise, yet the pressure never eased.
If anything, it only intensified.
Naruto counterattacked.
With a sharp pivot, he drove a punch straight into Peter's torso, immediately following it with a downward swing of Mjolnir.
The air whistled under the force of the strike, but Peter twisted his body at the last instant with unnatural flexibility.
Even so, the hammer grazed his arm, forcing him to stumble back several steps.
Peter retaliated immediately.
Extending both hands, he fired webs that Naruto barely avoided by leaping backward.
The moment he landed, Naruto charged again, this time putting even more force behind his attack in search of a clean hit.
Peter intercepted him, grabbing Naruto's arm with both hands.
His muscles trembled, as though restraining that strength demanded more than his body could endure, yet he refused to let go.
For a brief moment, the two struggled against one another, each testing the other's strength.
Naruto gritted his teeth, feeling the crushing pressure tighten around his arm as Peter held him with inhuman force.
There was something deeply unsettling about Peter's expression.
Empty.
Rigid.
Yet filled with relentless aggression.
Without warning, Naruto spun on his heel and wrenched his arm free with a violent pull, using the momentum to deliver a powerful side kick.
The strike connected.
Peter was launched backward, skidding several meters before stabilizing himself by firing a web onto a nearby building.
The instant he stopped, he hurled himself forward again, as though the impact had meant absolutely nothing.
His body moved without hesitation.
Without pain.
Guided only by that ravenous instinct.
Naruto let out a sigh.
"He's definitely more of a pain than Stark..." Naruto muttered, tightening his grip on Mjolnir.
As Peter swung back within range, Naruto met him with a powerful upward swing.
This time, the blow landed cleanly.
A metallic clang echoed as Mjolnir slammed into the armor, sending Peter soaring into the air.
Even then, while airborne, Peter twisted his body and fired multiple webs at Naruto.
Two of them connected.
Naruto yanked hard, trying to tear himself free, but Peter seized the opening and dove straight at him.
His hands tightened, ready to bring all of his weight crashing down.
Naruto reacted instantly.
Channeling his strength, he swung Mjolnir, snapping the tension in the webs just in time before rolling to the side.
Peter's impact carved another crater into the ground.
The battle was escalating.
Naruto sprang back to his feet without hesitation and surged forward, unleashing a relentless flurry of strikes that combined overwhelming power with blinding speed.
Peter answered in kind, blocking some blows, dodging others, and even catching one of Naruto's punches in the middle of its swing.
For a brief moment, their strength collided head-on once again.
The ground beneath their feet groaned under the strain.
Peter tilted his head at an unnatural angle, as though he were studying Naruto, before opening his mouth in a strange motion—almost like an attempt to growl.
Then, without warning, Peter froze in midair.
Completely motionless.
His body slowly descended toward the ground, as though every impulse driving it had suddenly been cut off.
[Naruto, I have successfully taken control of the suit Peter Parker was wearing. It is the Iron Spider. Now is the time to attack.]
As Naruto watched, the armor's systems responded, and part of Peter's face was revealed.
His brown hair hung loosely over his forehead.
His skin was pale, with bulging veins running beneath it.
His irises were completely white, devoid of even the slightest trace of humanity.
The sight was horrifying.
The body was still Peter Parker's...
But whatever soul had once inhabited it had been replaced by something dark.
Naruto didn't hesitate for even a second.
With a swift motion, he raised Mjolnir and lunged forward, aiming directly for Peter's head.
The force of his charge, combined with the weight of the hammer, sent a deafening metallic crash echoing through the air as it struck.
Peter's head absorbed the full impact, snapping violently from the overwhelming force.
The ground trembled beneath them.
Naruto remained standing, staring at Peter's shattered head.
He knew they were no longer human.
[Target Eliminated!]
[You have eliminated the infected Peter B. Parker, also known as Spider-Man. The biological abilities of the eliminated target have been extracted and purified.]
[Rewards: (Enhanced Arachnid Physiology), (+200 SP)]
Naruto stared curiously at the reward that had appeared after defeating Peter.
Even if it was similar to what had happened with Thor or Tony, this one especially caught his attention because Aetheria had mentioned it earlier.
"Aetheria... what is this?" he asked, looking at the screen.
[Naruto, what you have just obtained is the very same power possessed by Peter Parker.]
"The same powers...?" Naruto repeated, recalling the abilities Peter had used during their recent encounter.
[Exactly.]
[They are the very same abilities you witnessed. You may now use them.]
Naruto lowered his gaze to his wrists, remembering how Peter had fired his webs.
He mimicked the same gesture, folding his middle and ring fingers into his palm while keeping the others extended.
Instantly, a strand of white webbing shot from his wrist at incredible speed, attaching itself to a boulder several meters away.
With a powerful tug, the rock was yanked straight toward him, still tightly wrapped in the incredibly durable web.
Naruto caught it effortlessly before crushing the boulder in his hand with ease.
"Wow," Naruto said, staring at the web that still remained attached. "That's... an interesting ability."
Then he remembered something.
His gaze shifted toward Peter's headless body, which was still encased in the Iron Spider armor.
"Let's see... how about this..."
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