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A Shinobi Among Monsters by euphoric image
 Naruto & Percy Jackson and the Olympians Xover Rated: T, English, Adventure & Humor, Naruto U., Artemis, Apollo, Words: 208k+, Favs: 8k+, Follows: 9k+, Published: Mar 21, 2020 Updated: Jan 15 3,237Chapter 3: A Goddess Captured
" - then I beat Apollo twenty times in a row with Pikachu! I am the very best, like no one ever was!" Naruto's victorious grin morphed into a scowl. "He went sulking for hours afterwards, though, and then cursed me to talk in rhyme for a whole week."
Artemis raised an eyebrow. "That does sound like my brother."
"And they weren't even good rhymes! They sucked!"
Naruto looked down at the deer meat he was eating. It was good; perfectly seasoned, with a hint of smoke. Combined with an apple and a freshly baked loaf of bread, it was the ideal meal for a growing shinobi.
It was also the very first meal his mother had cooked for him.
Naruto had never eaten something so delicious before.
They were inside Naruto's room. It was bare. The walls were a soft orange. There was a bed and a desk. And that was it. Apollo had tried to give Naruto posters of his own grinning godly face once, but Naruto had refused. Vehemently.
"Okay, but for real though? Apollo might be annoying sometimes, but he's a great uncle. Probably the best uncle I could ask for," Naruto grinned. "I'm glad you left me with him and not with your dad."
Artemis tried to imagine Naruto living with Zeus. She couldn't help it. She let out a laugh. "Now that would be hilarious."
Naruto was so bright and cheerful, and Zeus was. . . Zeus. Not a great combination.
Naruto suddenly focused intently on Artemis, who gazed at him curiously. "I almost forgot. You didn't introduce yourself yet."
Artemis frowned. "I did. I am Artemis, the goddess of the wilderness, the Hunt, the moon, the forests - "
"No, not like that," For a second, Naruto's eyes glazed over, lost in memories. "I'm talking about your name, your likes, your dislikes, your hobbies, and your dream for the future. Y'know, a classic introduction."
Artemis blinked. "Oh. In which case, my name is Artemis. My likes are hunting and being with my Hunters. My dislikes are Apollo when he's annoying, men who act like idiots, and people who taint the forests. My hobby is archery, and my dream for the future. . . I haven't really thought about it."
Naruto tilted his head. "You haven't really thought about it?"
Artemis shrugged. "What dream would a goddess have?"
Naruto opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated. What dream would a goddess have? "Huh. Fair enough."
"Indeed," Artemis's eyes gained a slightly amused glint. "I must say, I'm rather impressed by what you did to Apollo during that one Council Meeting."
Naruto gave a foxy smirk. "Is that so? And were the other gods also impressed?"
"Hermes wishes to shake your hand," Artemis confided. "Although I am curious. How did you manage to prank Apollo?"
"A combination of trickery, deceit, and planning," Naruto said. "He never expected it."
"And how did you make it so that the dye and glitter and marker would stay on Apollo's being?" Artemis asked. "He could've just changed forms or vanished the. . . color."
"Did I mention the planning part?" And suddenly, Naruto looked downright devious. "We had a tournament a few months before, and the winner was allowed to give the loser one command. I won, and I kept the command in reserve until the perfect opportunity presented itself."
Artemis frowned. "I can't imagine Apollo holding up his end of the agreement - "
"It was enforced by the Styx."
Artemis paused. "You're good."
"I know," Naruto grinned.
They chewed contentedly, falling into a comfortable silence.
"I'm amazed, Naruto," Artemis said after a while.
Naruto glanced over, confused. "Huh? Amazed at what?"
Artemis smiled at him. "Your capacity to forgive others. I had not expected this when I came here today."
Naruto looked away, slightly embarrassed at the praise. "Oh, umm, thanks."
Artemis nodded. "Indeed."
"I mean, it's not that amazing or anything," Naruto said modestly, rubbing the back of his head. "And besides, I wanted to forgive you, y'know?"
"You did?" Artemis looked genuinely confused.
Naruto stared at her. "Of course! We're family. You're my mother."
Artemis regarded Naruto for a few moments. "I can see why Hestia likes you."
"You've spoken to Hestia about me?" Naruto asked in shock.
"She was the one that convinced me to come today," Artemis admitted.
Naruto's eyes widened. Then he smiled. "Hestia is awesome."
"She is."
XxX
The day passed by quickly, with Naruto filling Artemis in everything that's happened so far in his life. Soon, the sun began to set and the moon began to rise into the night sky.
Artemis stared out the window, waiting patiently for the sun to finish setting.
Unfortunately, she was the only patient being in the room.
"Can we go yet?" Naruto whined.
"No."
"Is it time yet?"
"No."
"Now?"
"No."
"How about - "
"Naruto. Shut up."
Naruto obeyed - although he didn't stop the incessant tapping of his foot.
Artemis sighed. Perhaps motherhood would be slightly more difficult than she had thought.
Although, looking down at Naruto, who could barely contain his excitement at finally being able to leave the mansion, reunite with the forest, hunt under the moon, and, above all, spend time with her. . .
Artemis smiled. Motherhood may be difficult, but then again, nothing good in life comes easy.
XxX
"When you said that you would conceal my presence. . ." Naruto's eyes twitched. "I thought that you would pull out some ancient, arcane magic."
Artemis tilted her head. "Technically, this is ancient magic. The particular spell I used is several thousand years old."
"That's not the point!" Naruto snapped.
Artemis frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah!" Naruto gestured at himself. Auburn hair, silver eyes, whisker marks on the cheek. Perfectly normal. What wasn't normal, however, was the length of his hair or the feminine features he had. There was also something missing between his legs. "Why am I a girl?!"
"Isn't it obvious? While we are in the mansion, you are completely shielded from detection. However, I cannot replicate the mansion's effect out in the wilderness without expending an immense amount of energy that the gods will notice," Artemis explained. "I'd rather not actively draw attention to us."
"Huh? "
Artemis tapped her fingers against her thigh. "Think of it like this. The problem here isn't that the gods will somehow magically sense your presence the moment you step outside the doors. Otherwise, Thalia Grace would've been discovered the day she ran away. No, the problem is that you look so similar to me, any god that happens to glance down at us will instantly know you are my son."
"That still doesn't explain why I'm a girl."
"The best way to prevent discovery is to hide in plain sight. Which is going to look more suspicious: a young boy shrouded in Mist and magic or a young girl that is most likely one of my Hunters? We just need to get you some colored contact lenses, and you'll look just like one of my Hunters."
Naruto nodded slowly. That. . . actually made perfect sense.
It wasn't that Naruto was opposed to looking like a girl. He used the Sexy no Jutsu all the time and he felt no shame in doing so. He was opposed to genuinely being a girl though. He could dispel the Sexy no Jutsu; he couldn't with this. He was a man, damn it!
"Of course, I'll still mask your demigod 'smell.'"Then Artemis smiled amusedly. "Besides, I think I prefer it when you're a girl."
"NO!" Naruto shouted. "I'm a guy! You. . . you're going to change me back into a boy after this, right?"
Artemis smirked. "We'll see."
"Mom!" Naruto cried in protest.
Artemis froze.
Naruto looked at her confusedly. What was the matter -
Oh.
That was the first time that Naruto had called Artemis "mom."
"Umm. . . " Naruto began hesitantly, "Am I allowed to call you 'mom?' Is it too casual for a goddess? I mean, if you don't like it, I can always call you 'mother' or even 'Lady Artem - '"
"No," Artemis said softly. "'Mom is fine.'"
"Alright," Naruto smiled, unconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
They stood there in silence for a second looking at each other, both still new to the situation -
Wait. Naruto's head whipped to stare at his hand, mystified. Had he just tucked a strand of hair behind his ear? "Did. . . did I just perform an entirely 'girl' action?"
"I believe you did," Artemis confirmed.
"I'm already being affected," Naruto breathed in horror. He quickly brought the strand of hair back to where it was, then ran his hand through his hair to make it messy for good measure.
"Come along now, child. It's time for the Hunt," Artemis turned around and began walking through the halls. "You shall remain a girl for now. It would be impossible for me to allow you to venture outside otherwise."
"B-but you can't - y'know what, fine." Naruto quickly caught up to her, falling into step. This was the same as the Sexy no Jutsu, he chanted. This was the same as the Sexy no Jutsu.
(Except that, unlike the Sexy no Jutsu, Naruto was actually a girl.)
"Don't blink," Artemis instructed.
"Huh - GAH!" Naruto brought his hand up to rub at his eyes, but Artemis grabbed his wrist.
"Don't rub at it either," Artemis warned. "I just materialized colored contact lenses in your eyes, and you don't want them to end up in the back of your skull."
Naruto stilled immediately. "Can that happen?!"
Artemis shrugged. "Probably. I don't see why not. I''ve never used these before. They're one of Apollo's creations."
"Say no more," Naruto gingerly lowered his hand.
Artemis reached the mansion door. She turned around, facing Naruto. "Are you prepared?"
"I was born prepared," Naruto grinned. Technically, he was. After all, he was reborn with all of his memories and shinobi skills intact. And there's not much more prepared you can get.
"That's the spirit," Artemis opened the door and stepped out, beckoning Naruto to come after her.
Naruto hesitantly took a step forward. And another step. And another. And finally, for the first time in a year and a half, he was outside again.
He breathed in fresh air, basking under the moonlight.
Artemis was watching him with a small smile on her face. "How does it feel to be out at last?"
"It feels. . . awesome," Naruto whispered. But at the same time, he felt a small pang of guilt and regret.
Naruto had been confined for a year and a half indoors. Kurama had been confined for nearly a century, from Mito to Kushina and finally to Naruto. Was this how it had felt for Kurama? For all the Bijuu? To be trapped inside their Jinchuuriki, never breathing in any fresh air, wishing desperately to get out and be free?
And not only that, Kurama had willingly stayed inside Naruto. Kurama had given up all of this to remain by Naruto's side and be Naruto's partner.
Naruto's appreciation for Kurama suddenly grew tenfold. Naruto resolved to hug Kurama the moment he woke up, whether Kurama wanted to or not.
"Then let's go." With that, Artemis blurred, sprinting away and melting into the shadows.
She's fast!
Chakra pumped through Naruto's body as he sprinted behind Artemis. She stuck to the shadows, and half the times Naruto could barely see her, instead relying on his other senses.
Which was probably the point, Naruto realized. She's keeping to the shadows to minimize the chances of discovery. Good idea.
Naruto retraced Artemis's path, copying all of her movements. Where she stepped, he stepped. Where she jumped, he jumped. She was showing him the optimal route for maximum stealth, and Naruto was going to follow it.
Within a minute, they were in the forest.
Naruto gasped, feeling a sudden rush of energy. He focused within himself. Ever since he was reborn, he could sense two energies inside of him.
One was chakra. The other was whatever he had received from Artemis.
Up until this moment, the energy had lay dormant within him - almost as if it hadn't met the prerequisites of awakening. But now, it was thrumming with power, vibrating happily. Under the moon, in the forest, out in the wilderness. . . Naruto felt alive.
Experimentally, Naruto tried to manipulate the energy. It still didn't feel fully awakened. He tried to channel and direct the flow like he did with chakra, drawing it out from the source and circulating it through his body -
His perception of the world exploded.
Naruto's senses sharpened exponentially. Sight, hearing, smell. It felt like the first time Naruto had entered Sage Mode - only better. Naruto looked around in wonder, suddenly hyper-aware of everything in the forest, from the tiny spider that was lazily weaving a web to the gurgling of the rushing stream.
Everything in the forest, every cracked twig, every indentation, every small detail that Naruto would've ignored before now told Naruto a story of what had been there, where they had been, and where they had gone.
"How is it?" Artemis had turned around and was now casually leaping backwards.
"I can sense everything!" Naruto grinned in exuberation. "I can see everything!"
"Then tell me: what does that tell you?" Artemis pointed down at a small depression in the ground. A partial print. Virtually invisible. To Naruto, however, the information it held was as clear as day.
"Rabbit. Fully mature, though a little bit on the light side. Traveled forward to that bush, then shifted directions and headed about 24 degrees to the left for about 12 meters. Stood still next to that raspberry bush before heading north."
Naruto didn't know how he knew these things. It just popped into his mind instinctively. Observation, analysis, and conclusion all took place in a split second without any conscious thought.
Intuition, taken to the next level. Was this what it meant to be half-god?
"Not bad," Artemis halted abruptly, dropping down and landing without a sound. Naruto jumped down next to her.
"How does this work?" Naruto asked excitedly.
Artemis smiled. "I am the goddess of the wilderness, the forests, and the Hunt. As my child, you may not have as flashy powers as a child of Zeus, but make no mistake: heightened senses and an intuition that approaches divination can be as powerful as any lightning bolt."
"I'd take this over lightning bolts any day," Especially since lightning bolts were Sasuke's thing.
"They are rather overrated," Artemis agreed.
Naruto opened his mouth - but then shut it in wonder when he noticed something. "I can see a feather stuck to a branch 30 feet ahead of us, and at the same time, I somehow know of the owl that just took flight about 180 feet behind us without looking at it. I didn't hear it, I didn't see it, I just somehow knew."
Artemis nodded. "As I said: you possess an intuition that approaches the level of divination. It is what mortals would call a 'sixth sense.'"
"Can you punch me real quick?"
Artemis blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"Oh, uhh, I wanna test something out. Please? I'll dodge it, promise," Naruto eagerly stood there, awaiting to be hit.
". . . very well, then." Artemis's hand whipped out to strike Naruto's head - but Naruto was already out of the way, having started moving before the attack even happened.
"I sensed your attack before it even started," Naruto looked amazed.
"Yup. That would be the intuition at work," Artemis affirmed.
Naruto could draw many parallels between this and Sage Mode. They weren't the same - Sage Mode was powered by nature chakra whereas this was powered internally by the divinity within Naruto - but they were still scarily similar.
"I must say, I was rather surprised that you kept up with me during our journey here. Your speed and agility was exceptional," Artemis complimented. "As expected of my child - "
"Please don't say that," Naruto hurriedly interrupted.
"Why?"
"It makes you sound like an Uchiha."
Artemis frowned. "What is an 'Uchiha?'"
"It's. . . a thing in a video game. Just. . . please don't ever say 'as expected of my child' or 'Hn.'" Naruto begged.
"Very well," Artemis gave him a confused look but didn't push further. "Where is your bow?"
Naruto didn't respond.
"Naruto?"
Naruto turned to Artemis with a sheepish grin. "I may have, umm. . . I forgot to bring my bow."
Artemis stared. "You forgot."
"Hey, in my defense, I was really excited, okay?" Bringing equipment had completely slipped his mind.
Artemis sighed. Then she flicked her hand and another silver bow appeared. "Here, you can use this."
Naruto took the bow, weighing it in his hand. He tested the string before nodding in satisfaction. It was a good bow. "Thanks. Umm, I need arrows too."
"The bow is magical. Just pull back on the string."
Naruto pulled back the bowstring, and a silver arrow automatically appeared. "Okay, now that's cool. Alright, so what are we hunting?"
"There is a - "
"Hold on a second," Naruto held up his hand. "I have to do something first."
XxX
In the history of the Elemental Nations, there was hatred. Rivalries and enmity between nations have been around since almost the beginning.
One such enmity existed between Konoha and Iwa, stemming from decades of hostility and outright hatred.
Even in times of relative peace, the hatred did not fade away, instead simmering with a cold rage. However, Konoha and Iwa couldn't display their hatred for each other with normal methods, namely killing, torturing, burning, looting, and pillaging. Those were generally frowned upon during peacetime.
But name calling? That was fair game.
Konoha shinobi referred to Iwa shinobi as "Rockheads" to suggest that, instead of brains, they had rocks for head. An insult to their intelligence and wisdom.
Iwa shinobi, on the other hand, referred to Konoha shinobi as "Tree Huggers" to suggest that Konoha shinobi were weak and, instead of spending their spare time honing their skills, they hugged trees.
And tonight, for possibly the first time in shinobi history, "Tree Hugger" stopped being an insult and instead became a fact.
Artemis watched on confusedly as Naruto walked up to a tree, gazed reverently up at it, then gave it a crushing hug.
I've missed you, Holy Log.
XxX
"The target is a deer. Your objective is to strike her down before dawn."
"My objective? Aren't you also hunting tonight?" Naruto frowned.
Artemis shook her head. "For now, I'll simply observe. I wish to see your skills and abilities."
"Got it," Naruto closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses. "So, which deer is it? Is it the one about 240 meters to the left?"
"Negative."
"The one standing next to the. . . I don't even know that plant's name. The one with the sharp, spiky leaves?"
"Negative."
"Is it the one drinking from the stream about 80 feet ahead of us?"
"Affirmative."
Naruto opened his eyes, grinning. "This will be easy. Forget about striking her down before dawn; I'll do it in less than an hour."
Artemis's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"
"Definitely. It's a deer. It can't fight back. What is it supposed to do?" Naruto focused intently on the deer. Slowly, the world around him became muted until only Naruto, Artemis, and the deer existed. Everything else became inconsequential, insignificant.
Let the Hunt begin!
In less than a second, Naruto crossed the distance, an arrow already nocked and aimed to fire. He let it loose, watching in satisfaction as it streaked towards the deer's head - and then the deer blurred out of existence, leaving behind distinct afterimages.
What the hell just happened?
Naruto turned his head to see the deer already a solid hundred feet away. It seemed to be glaring at him.
"It will be easy, hmm?" Artemis stood next to Naruto, observing his reaction.
"That. . . is not an ordinary deer," The deer in question had already stopped glaring at Naruto and was instead bending down and nibbling at something on the ground. Naruto's hands twitched. Was the deer ignoring him?
"No, it most certainly is not," Artemis tilted her head. "So, what shall you do now?"
Naruto's answer came in the form of him jumping straight up and onto the branch of the tree. It trembled under his weight but didn't crack. He shot several more silver arrows at the deer, eyes narrowing when the deer dodged them all effortlessly.
This may actually be difficult.
Time to mix up his strategy. Naruto shot three arrows directly up before shooting another three arrows in rapid succession.
The first arrow reached the deer, who sidestepped to the left - straight into the path of the second arrow. It couldn't dodge to the right again because Naruto's third arrow would hit it. It couldn't go backwards, and going forwards was out of the question. The only option was to dodge to the left again - where it will then be trapped by the 3 arrows Naruto had shot directly upwards and was now making its way down in a triangle formation.
Naruto smiled victoriously. He had won. Now all he had to do was to wait for the deer to dodge to the left, and then -
The deer dashed forward, bending its legs and sliding on the ground, the second arrow passing harmlessly over its head. Then it instantly stood up again and cocked its head at Naruto, as if asking him: Is that all you've got?
Was the deer. . . taunting him?!
"Not bad," Artemis sat in the branch in the tree besides his. "You tried to predict where the deer would dodge."
"But the deer can read the trajectories of my arrows. It knows where the arrow will end up, and it's fast enough so it will be able to dodge every time," Naruto tapped his fingers against the bow, deep in thought. "Which means. . ."
Naruto shot 3 arrows at the deer once more, who faced Naruto defiantly. Naruto could see the deer tense up in preparation to dodge - then relax when it became clear that all 3 arrows wouldn't even come close to hitting it.
The deer glanced at Naruto skeptically, as if saying: Dude, seriously?
Naruto smirked. He could never have done this back in his old body, but now, Naruto was able to pull off some Itachi-level projectile attacks.
The first arrow flew upwards in an arc - where the second arrow intercepted it, knocking the first arrow downwards right into the third arrow, skewing its path sideways to ricochet off of a rock on the ground and upwards to the deer's underbelly.
The arrow neared the deer, getting closer and closer - and then the deer vanished again in a burst of speed, the arrow hitting nothing but air.
"What?! That's actually dumb!"
"Ricocheting arrows to mask both their trajectories and final targets. . . I must say, I'm impressed," Artemis commented.
"The deer is still fast enough to react in time and dodge the arrows though," Naruto gritted his teeth. He sent several more arrows ricocheting off of trees and rocks, hoping to strike the deer. They all missed.
Even Itachi would have difficulty hitting this thing!
The deer stood tall and proud, staring down Naruto with its intelligent eyes. Its antlers - wait.
Antlers?!
Naruto had been focused more on its smug expression. His eyes hadn't moved upwards to look at the top of the deer's head at all this entire night, almost as if there was an invisible force stopping him. Even now, he could barely see what was on top of the deer's head.
Genjutsu! Or something equivalent to it!
The moment he realized that, the illusion lifted, revealing large golden antlers sitting on top of the deer's head. Its hooves were bronze. That was probably the most expensive deer in the world.
Naruto blinked. Dispelling that illusion was infinitely easier than dispelling a Genjutsu. He didn't even need to stab himself.
"That's not just a deer. That's a hind - the Ceryneian Hind!" Naruto whirled around to stare incredulously at Artemis. "You sent me to hunt the Ceryneian Hind on my first Hunt?!"
Artemis inclined her head. "What better way to gain an understanding of your skills and personality than watching you hunt an unhuntable prey?"
"Unhuntable?" Naruto frowned. "Didn't Heracles capture her once?"
"Heracles?" Naruto edged away slowly from Artemis as she began to literally radiate danger. "I was under orders from Father to temporarily lift my blessings and allow that scum to capture her."
"Oh. That, uhh, wasn't in the myths."
"I would think not. There are many important things missing from Heracles's myth," Artemis took a deep breath. When she exhaled, she was calm again. "Do me a favor, Naruto, and never ever end up like Heracles."
"I won't," Naruto assured. Heracles had a terrible madness, having beaten his own teacher to death over the head with a lyre. Even Naruto didn't kill anyone when he was in Hatred Kyuubi form.
He turned to the deer, who was watching him smugly, every so often turning her head so that Naruto could admire her antlers from all directions. "Unhuntable, huh? So I was never meant to capture her or kill her?"
Artemis nodded. "Indeed. I apologize for the deception, but it was the best way for me to see the full extent of your skills. If you knew it was an impossible task from the beginning, I do not think you would have tried as hard."
"Yeah, it's fine. At least you didn't TOSS ME OFF A CLIFF or anything," Naruto coughed lightly.
"Right. . ." Artemis gave him a confused look but didn't ask. "In any case, let us begin the Hunt for real. I have stockpiled some - "
"No," Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"No. I said that I would take down the Hind in less than an hour. I gave you my word, and I never go back on my word." Unquenching flames of determination roared to life.
"Naruto. Do you know what 'unhuntable' means? It means it cannot be hunted," Artemis explained dryly.
"I don't care," Naruto brought his hands together in a familiar cross-shaped seal. "I don't quit. I don't run. And I never give up!"
Artemis sighed. "Well, that's good and all, but I'm afraid it's futile to - "
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Artemis's eyes widened in shock.
It was like the night he had fought against Mizuki. Clones appeared on every available surface. On the branches, standing parallel to the ground on trees, on the ground. Countless numbers of clones, each with a bow in their hands and an arrow drawn.
The Ceryneian Hind drew back, startled at the sudden multiples of Naruto. It quickly turned around, only to be met with another wall of clones. The Hind was completely surrounded on all sides.
"Alright, listen up, you stupidly-fast Hind! I'm going to say this once, and only once!" Naruto strolled forward, a veritable army of clones behind him. "You have one chance to surrender unconditionally! If you do so, I give you my word that you shall not be harmed. If you do not, then. . . we'll see if you can outrun all of these arrows."
To accentuate his point, all of his clones nocked another 5 arrows into their bows, bringing the grand total to 6.
The Hind nervously stepped back, head twitching wildly side-to-side, as if scanning for a way to get out.
"You are surrounded on all sides! And, in case you're thinking of simply charging and bulldozing past us with your overwhelming speed. . ." Naruto's eyes took on a dangerous glint. "I assure you, in terms of close-combat, you won't even stand a chance."
The Hind tilted its head at Naruto challengingly.
Naruto simply smiled. "By all means, go ahead and try it. You think you're fast? You haven't seen speed yet."
The Hind turned to look at Artemis for help, who was still staring at all the clones in astonishment and disbelief.
"She can't help you here," Naruto smiled dangerously. "Besides, she's already allowed you to be captured once. Who's to say that she won't let it happen again? Are you willing to take that gamble?"
Naruto clapped his hands together in triumph. "Surrender now, and you shall be spared. You have three seconds. Three."
The Hind stared at Naruto.
"Two."
The Hind looked unsure.
"One." Naruto raised his hand and the clones prepared to fire -
The Hind dropped down to the ground, reluctantly bowing its head. A clear sign of surrender.
Naruto smiled. "Success."
"What are those?" Artemis spoke up, shock and confusion evident in her voice.
"They're my clones," Naruto said. "Duh."
He winced internally. Duh? Watching those movies had been a mistake.
"Clones?" Artemis repeated. "Okay. How did you form these clones?"
"Umm, I have this energy within me, y'know? So I just kinda shaped it, and my clones appeared." Technically, that was the truth.
"It must've come from your father's side," Artemis muttered. "Naruto. Answer me truthfully. Have you been in contact with your father at all?"
"No," Naruto answered. He refused to acknowledge Kurama as his dad. His father was Minato Namikaze, and Naruto hasn't seen him since Kaguya was defeated and Naruto died.
"I see," Artemis stared intently at Naruto for a second before relaxing. "Well then. That's an interesting power. Clones of yourself. . ."
Naruto grinned. "They're awesome, right? Oh, that reminds me."
The clones dispelled all at once, releasing a fog of chakra smoke.
"So, did I do good, or did I do good?" Naruto crossed his arms, pleased with himself.
"You did surprisingly good," Artemis looked at the Hind still on the ground, who stared mournfully back up at her. "Your strategy was. . . unexpected."
"I know, right? See, I knew that I couldn't outright hunt the deer. That would never work, since it's protected by your divine blessing. Negotiating its surrender, on the other hand, wouldn't negate the blessing. A surrender - coerced or otherwise - isn't covered by the blessing's power," Naruto explained.
"Impressive," Artemis walked forward, bending down next to the Hind. "Instead of trying to fight my blessing head-on and failing miserably like so many others had, you circumvented it entirely by creating a new plan that didn't require any violence at all - aside from verbal threats."
"Yup! Umm. . . you're not mad, right?" Naruto asked worriedly. Gods and goddesses tended to get offended easily, Naruto remembered belatedly, and it would suck if Artemis became mad at him.
"Mad? Of course not," Artemis tapped the deer on the top of its head. It nodded before disappearing once more in a burst of speed. Naruto's senses could barely keep up with it. "You displayed human ingenuity and creativity to take down your foe. Why would I be mad?"
"Umm. . ." Naruto wasn't entirely sure how to answer.
Artemis understood. "Ah. I'm not like the other gods, Naruto. As long as you don't outright disrespect me, then we're good."
Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "Understood."
"Although, out of curiosity, if you did reach zero, would you have shot at her?" Artemis awaited Naruto's answer, intrigued.
Naruto smirked. "Nope! It was just a bluff, a con, and a negotiation. If the Hind didn't surrender, then I would've just let her go."
Artemis stared at Naruto incredulously. Then she laughed. "I can see how you managed to prank Apollo. Well played, Naruto. Well played."
XxX
After that, hunting the monsters Artemis had stockpiled was a little too easy.
So easy, in fact, that after watching Naruto make a clean kill while yawning, Artemis created a new rule. "Naruto. From now on, you're only allowed to shoot at my arrows to kill the prey."
"Wait, what?"
And so, Artemis would fire randomly in all directions, and it was up to Naruto to shoot arrows at her arrows to alter the trajectory so that it would hit the moving target.
Slightly more difficult.
"Hey, who's better at archery, you or Apollo?" Naruto asked while firing two arrows in quick succession. The first arrow bounced off of a tree and struck Artemis's arrow, knocking it straight into Naruto's second arrow which sent Artemis's arrow right into the skull of the small bird that had a sharp iron beak. It disintegrated into dust.
Naruto smiled in satisfaction. That was definitely Itachi-level projectile mastery.
"I am, of course," Artemis said dismissively. "Just because he's the god of archery, everyone automatically assumes he's the better one. They're all wrong."
"That's what I thought."
XxX
The moment Naruto stepped out of the forest, he stumbled as his state of perfect awareness faded away.
"I feel. . . blind," Naruto mourned, looking down at the ground. Information no longer instinctively sprang to life in his mind. He was completely cut off. "How do you get used to this?"
Artemis hummed. "Give it some time."
XxX
"So, how was it - Naruto why are you a girl?" Apollo's welcoming grin shifted into a perplexed expression.
"To hide in plain sight," Naruto grumbled. "Speaking of which," Naruto turned to Artemis. "Now that we're back in the mansion, can you turn me back please?"
Artemis hesitated. "Are you sure? I really like the girl you."
"YEAH I'M SURE!" Naruto was a man, damn it!
"Very well," Artemis sighed. She waved her hand, and Naruto glowed silver for a moment. Then it died down, revealing Naruto as a boy once more.
"Thank you," Naruto plucked out the contact lenses, which promptly dematerialized.
"To be honest, I kinda preferred it when you were a girl as well," Apollo chimed in. "You seemed. . . softer and more demure - "
"Apollo, continue speaking and I'll tell Artemis about what happened on The Night."
Apollo shut up immediately. "You swore you would never speak of it ever again."
"Try me."
Apollo shot Naruto a scathing glare but still shut up.
Artemis watched them both inquisitively. "In any case, does Apollo know about your cloning skills?"
"Cloning skills?" Apollo asked. "Do elaborate."
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A Kage Bunshin popped into existence next to Naruto.
Apollo immediately stepped forward and bent down, examining the clone. "How did you do this?"
"I have this energy within me that I personally call chakra. I can mold and shape it into a clone of myself, although it will dispel after a single punch," Naruto delivered this pre-rehearsed line without blinking an eye.
"Chakra? Like the Indian thing?" Apollo scrutinized the clone before punching it in the head. It dispelled, releasing a puff of chakra smoke.
"No, not the Indian thing. I just named it that," Naruto shrugged. "I have no idea what it is."
"What else can you do with this 'chakra?'" Apollo gazed at Naruto with a clinical expression.
Naruto shifted. "I can, uhh. . . create a ball of destruction."
Apollo blinked. "You can do what now?"
Naruto opened his hand and a spiraling blue ball formed. "I call it the Rasengan. I condense my chakra and spin it around, and, depending on the power input, it can either blow someone back or tear right through their body."
"Hit me with it," Apollo offered. "I wanna test it out."
Naruto grinned. "It's a deal."
Then, before Apollo could take it back, Naruto slammed the Rasengan into Apollo's gut. There may have been some repressed anger contained in the Rasengan.
(Because banning ramen for a week was pure blasphemy.)
Apollo grunted from the blow, exhaling sharply. "Oh man. That actually hurts."
The Rasengan fizzled out of existence, leaving Apollo with a hole in his shirt and light scratches on his eight-pack.
Whoa. Naruto had put enough chakra into that Rasengan to blow a hole through concrete. Apollo was definitely a god.
"How powerful was it?" Artemis stepped forward and examined the wound - if it can even be called that - on Apollo's stomach.
"It's around the level of one of Ares's angry punches reinforced with his flaming brass knuckles," Apollo estimated. "If I hadn't been bracing my stomach with healing magic, it probably would've made me bleed a little."
"What else do you have?" Artemis had now taken Naruto's hand and was inspecting it, as if looking for an aftertrace or residue. She poked the center of his palm, then sniffed it.
. . . okay then.
"Those two are the only techniques I've discovered so far," Naruto didn't want to reveal anything else yet.
Apollo snapped his fingers in revelation. "This 'chakra' must also be the thing that renders you immune to diseases."
"Probably, yeah."
"Just keep safe, Naruto. If using it ever harms you, inform either Apollo or me immediately. We're dealing with the unknown here," Artemis cautioned.
Apollo nodded. "If you ever deteriorate physically or mentally with no reason, do not keep it a secret. Come to me right away."
Naruto felt slightly guilty about causing them to worry, but not enough to tell them the truth. His reincarnation is a secret he'll take to his grave. "Got it. Don't worry, though. It feels fine whenever I use it."
"That is good," Artemis looked out the window, where the first rays of sunshine were appearing. "My Hunters will be wondering where I am. I'm afraid I have to take my leave."
Naruto looked down. "Oh. You're leaving already?"
"Yes," Artemis hesitated for a moment. "I confess I do not know the norms of a mother saying goodbye to her child - "
"A hug would work," Naruto suggested hopefully.
"A hug would be nice," Artemis agreed.
Naruto stepped up and hugged Artemis once more. A pleasant warmth surrounded him.
Hugs, Naruto decided, were even better than ramen.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After a while, Artemis gently pulled away from Naruto. "Farewell, Naruto."
Naruto grinned. "See ya."
Apollo waved goodbye. "I'll keep him out of trouble."
And Artemis, with one last look over her shoulder, walked out the mansion door.
Naruto and Apollo stood there in silence for a moment.
"So. How was it?" Apollo finally asked.
Naruto smiled. "I've never been happier. Hey, where's Hestia? I have to thank her."
"Ah. That reminds me," Apollo narrowed his eyes at Naruto and held out his hand. "The papers I caught you with a few months ago. Give it."
Naruto brightened. "That's right! I almost forgot. Here, let me get it real quick."
Apollo blinked, surprised at Naruto's enthusiasm. "Err. . . you're not going to keep it a secret? Deny its existence? Create a diversion to buy you time to destroy the evidence?"
"Nope!" Naruto quickly went into his room and grabbed the stack of papers. Apollo followed him in, looking around Naruto's room.
"I still feel like the walls are a little too bare. Just one poster of my smiling face. I promise it'll lighten up your day - "
Naruto thrust the stack of papers into Apollo's hands to shut him up. Apollo read the words on the top of the page. "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi?"
Naruto grinned. "It's a book I wrote."
Naruto had read the original book enough times to nearly memorize it. Translating the words into English had been difficult, but Naruto managed it. And, just so it wouldn't be complete plagiarism, he even continued the plot, adding an entire section.
Apollo leafed through the papers, skimming through the lines.
"It's about a ninja who tries to bring peace in the world," Naruto summarised. "He met someone who had once been just as idealistic as he was, but slowly grew bitter and cynical of the world because of the pain he's experienced. But then the hero convinces the villain that peace can still be achieved, and they all live happily ever after."
"And the hero's name is. . . 'Nagato?'"
"Yup," Naruto wasn't going to name the hero 'Naruto.' That would be in bad taste. And, well, the original book had been based off of Nagato, so it's only fair he named the hero Nagato.
"And the villain's name is. . . 'Pain?'"
"Yeah," Because the thing that had killed Nagato's dream had been pain.
"Nagato and Pain. . ."
"Do. . . do you like it?" Naruto shyly asked. He had kept this a secret from Apollo at first because he wasn't sure if it was good or not. Even now, countless edits later, he still wasn't sure if Apollo would enjoy it.
Writing was scary. Naruto had acted confident when he grabbed the stack of papers to show Apollo, but on the inside, he was a quivering mess.
It was odd, really. Naruto had fought and defeated a literal goddess before. He had had countless brushes with death. But now, standing in front of Apollo, anxiously waiting for feedback on his novel, he was scared.
"From what I've seen so far, it's good," Apollo complimented. "I like it."
Naruto smiled. Wow. I did it. "Thank you - "
"I'll send this over to Muses Publishing, have them make it a book."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait wait wait you're going to publish it?!"
"Of course," Apollo snapped his fingers and the stack of papers vanished in a flash of golden light. "There. It's on their desk now. They'll have the edited version ready in about a month or so."
Naruto sat back on his bed, stunned. "It wasn't ready yet!"
Apollo waved his hand dismissively. "Oh please. I saw the look in your eyes. It'll probably never be 'ready' if you had it your way. Stop fearing about failure, man up, and just show it to the world. Don't worry, you'll thank me later."
"But - " Naruto spluttered before sighing. "Y'know what? I'll do it."
"That's the spirit," Apollo cheered.
"Just one thing, and this is non-negotiable," Naruto narrowed his eyes, grim and resolute.
"Yeah? Do you want a cut of the pay?" Apollo pulled out a calculator from nowhere, inputting some numbers. "I'll try to get you 37%"
"What?! I'm getting 90% at the very least!" Naruto shook his head. "But no, that's not what I want. I want this book published under a pseudonym."
"I can arrange that. What do you want the pseudonym to be?"
Naruto smiled, lost in happy memories.
"Jiraiya."
XxX
Hestia grunted as something slammed into her. It took her a second to realize that Naruto was hugging her.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," he whispered.
Hestia smiled and patted his back gently. "You're welcome."
XxX
1 year, 7 months after.
"Apollo, can you teach me how to manipulate the Mist?"
Naruto had never been able to get the hang of Genjutsu simply because of his abysmal chakra control. But perhaps with the Mist, his luck would be different.
"Manipulate the Mist?" Apollo looked up from the poetry he was writing. Naruto resolved to discreetly burn it later, for the betterment of the world. "It's simple. Just snap your fingers and force your will onto a mortal, and the Mist will take care of the rest."
"What do you mean?"
"The Mist is mostly automatic," Apollo clarified. "You just need to point it in a certain direction, give it commands, and it'll do the rest on its own."
"Huh. So you don't need to shape it or anything?"
"Nope. It's just your will and mental fortitude. Of course, it's simpler to manipulate the Mist when trying to make a person believe what they want to believe, so there's less resistance, but it's not necessary," Apollo shrugged. "It's not that hard."
"Huh. And what about seeing through the Mist?" Naruto didn't want to be surprised again like he had with the Ceryneian Hind. At least that time, nothing had happened. But next time, it may not be antlers that were shrouded in illusion but instead a lethal, vicious monster.
"Awareness," Apollo held up his hand. "What do you see?"
Naruto stared. "Umm. . . your hand?"
"Look again," Apollo commanded. "I have a diamond ring on my thumb."
Naruto blinked. Sure enough, there was a diamond ring on Apollo's thumb - wait. It hadn't been there before. The illusion lifted, revealing Apollo's bare hand once more.
Comprehension dawned on Naruto. "I understand. I knew that there was nothing on your hand, and since I knew, the Mist didn't work. It lifted the moment I realized that there was nothing on your hand."
Apollo nodded. "In other words, be constantly aware of everything. If there are huge mortals grinning at you, they probably aren't mortals. The moment you realize that it's not real, you'll see right through the Mist."
"Wow. That was easier than I thought," Naruto grinned. He had been expecting hours upon hours of training and even more tears of frustration. "Thanks, Apollo."
"No problem," Apollo looked back down at the poetry he was writing. "Say, what's something that rhymes with - "
"I refuse to be an accomplice in your crimes against humanity."
Apollo sighed. "Why do you have to be like this?"
"Because I have standards - "
Naruto was interrupted by an urgent flashing coming from Apollo's golden bow that sat on the white couch.
"Is that supposed to happen?" Naruto inched away from the bow. If it exploded, he didn't want to be near it.
"I think it's my notifications," Apollo grabbed the bow and tapped it twice. It morphed into a square holographic card. "Hmm, let's see. 26 missed calls from - oh dear. I should get back to her soon. A newsletter: 9 Reasons Why the Soviet Union should be revived - I thought I had already unsubscribed from that. Oh, here it is. It's a message from Father."
"The boss himself? What does he want?"
Apollo didn't respond. He looked rather pale.
"Apollo? Hey, you okay there?" Concern filled Naruto's voice. He knew that Apollo didn't have the best relationship with Zeus - although to be fair, barely anyone had a good relationship with Zeus.
Apollo looked at Naruto, dread and - was that fear?! - in his eyes. "Naruto, you know how yesterday was the Winter Solstice, where I had to go in for a meeting with the Council?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. You repeatedly told me that yesterday was a big day for you, and that if I pranked you, you will flay me alive, heal me, then flay me again."
"Ah, the good old days," Apollo smiled. "That satyr should've known better."
"Wait, you mean you actually did that to someone?!" Naruto asked in horrified astonishment. He had read through Apollo's myths, but not all of them, since he could always just ask Apollo himself.
Besides, Naruto didn't really trust the old myths. While most were reliable, there were always the few that were filled with inaccuracies and exaggerations. He should know - he lived with one of the 'old myths.'
"I'm a god, Naruto," Apollo said, a cold emotionless look on his face. "Does that really surprise you?"
". . . no. Not really."
Gods and goddesses weren't perfect. They did terrible things all the time.
"Yeah," then Apollo glanced back down at the holographic card and the fear returned once more. "Naruto, I'll probably be gone for a few days. Don't get into trouble while I am."
"Is there a problem? What happened?" Anything that filled a god with fear couldn't possibly be good.
Apollo stood up, the holographic card morphing back into a bow. His customary casual outfit disappeared and a sleek white suit materialized instead.
"Zeus's Master Bolt has been stolen," Apollo announced grimly. "I have to track it down."
And with that, a bright golden light radiated from his body. Naruto averted his eyes as Apollo assumed his divine form and blinked out of existence.
When the light died down, Naruto opened his eyes, deep in thought.
The Master Bolt. Zeus's symbol of power, stolen. Naruto was well aware of the ramifications, and they terrified him.
This meant war.
Not again.
XxX
"Did you find the thief?"
Apollo's immortal form seemed to age a decade. After a moment, he whispered, "No."
Damn it.
XxX
"Did you find the thief?"
Artemis lowered her head. "I was unable to track him down."
Naruto didn't want to fight in a war again. Why couldn't he just enjoy the peace?
XxX
2 years after.
"What in Tartarus's name is Poseidon thinking?!" Apollo paced around, playing the violin distractedly.
Even though only the violin was being played, it was as if there was an entire orchestra in the room. Different melodies, all harmonizing with each other, filled Naruto with power, strength, but also a grim determination.
Naruto may not like Apollo's poetry, but his musical talent was the real deal.
"I mean, it's bad enough that Father accused Poseidon of stealing the master bolt, causing Poseidon to be righteously offended and demand an apology. But then Poseidon went ahead and claimed his child, a child he wasn't supposed to have!" Apollo flung his hands into the air, the violin hovering in midair. "It's almost as if he's asking for a civil war!"
"I don't understand why your dad thinks Poseidon stole the master bolt," Naruto thought of all the myths about Poseidon. "Thievery isn't the Sea God's style."
"Exactly. But Father's been all paranoid and stuff ever since we tried to overthrow him - "
"To be fair, you did try to overthrow him."
" - but come on! Any fool can see that Poseidon is innocent. But then Poseidon just had to go and claim his son!" Apollo strummed a sharp chord. "And now Zeus is fuming. Tensions are at an all-time high."
Naruto sighed. "There's going to be a meltdown, isn't there?"
"A nuclear meltdown that'll make my sabotage of Chernobyl look like a minor baking soda-and-vinegar incident," Apollo aptly summarized. Then he smiled. "Don't worry though; hopefully, it won't result in that. The son of Poseidon will get a quest soon to prove his innocence. If he succeeds, the crisis will be averted."
"And will he succeed?" Naruto asked.
Apollo shrugged. "I hope so. Because if he doesn't, the resulting war will be doomsday-level bad."
Naruto bit his lip. "Let me go out and track the thief down - "
"No," Apollo glared at Naruto. "It's too dangerous. Artemis will kill me."
"But - "
"No. That's final." A golden light burned in Apollo's eyes. "Besides, if Artemis and I failed, what makes you think you can do it?"
". . . fine."
XxX
2 years, 2 weeks after.
"Tell me the good news," Naruto begged.
Apollo stared at him solemnly. He radiated sorrow and pain.
"No. . ." Naruto whispered. His heart clenched as he prepared to fight in a war again.
"Ha! Sike, you thought!" Apollo broke out in a grin. "Perseus Jackson recovered the Master Bolt and brought it back to Father."
"You jerk!" But that still didn't stop the wide smile from spreading on Naruto's face. "So the crisis is over? There's not going to be a war?"
"Nope. This calls for a celebratory haiku, don't you think?"
"You know what?" Naruto fully relaxed for the first time in months, the threat of war no longer looming over his head. He sank into the soft cushions of the white couch, content and happy. "Go for it."
XxX
2 years, 6 months after.
"These are beautiful," Naruto whispered in awe. He lifted up a silver kunai, inspecting it carefully. He pressed his finger lightly against the sharp edge. When he pulled away, there was a thin line of blood which quickly healed.
On one side, an image of the moon was etched on the blade. On the other side, there was an intricate image of a bow.
Artemis smiled. "I'm glad you like them. I had them custom-made by Hephaestus."
"Thank you," Naruto smiled, placing the kunai and shuriken into his pouch.
"I admit, I had thought that you would prefer to use hunting knives. Kunai knives are rarely used by demigods - in fact, I think you're the only one."
Naruto shrugged. "I just like kunai better. They're more versatile, y'know?"
"The blade is a little too short for my taste," Artemis materialized her own hunting knives in her hands. "I prefer something with a slightly longer reach."
"Yeah, I get what you're saying, but kunai can be thrown," Naruto pointed out. "Besides, I don't really need a weapon in close combat - I only use kunai to defend against bladed weapons."
Artemis inclined her head. "That's right. You have your 'Rasengan.'"
Naruto grinned. "Don't forget about good old-fashioned punches."
Artemis let out a sigh. "How barbaric. I can't imagine Apollo teaching you that."
"It's all me," Naruto promised. "Trust me, in order to defeat someone, sometimes all you need is a good punch - especially if you want to be friends afterwards."
Like with Neji. And Gaara.
Quite a lot of Naruto's friendships had started with a punch.
XxX
2 years, 8 months after.
"You're in a good mood," Naruto noticed.
Apollo turned to Naruto, grinning. "What gave it away?"
"Your smile has been on your face for about an hour now. Oh, and you're, uhh, literally glowing," Naruto stared at the bright golden glow on Apollo's skin. Naruto could feel the heat being radiated from Apollo, raising the temperature of the room by a few degrees.
"Ah, of course. Isn't it such a great day?" Apollo beamed.
Naruto edged away slowly. "Should I be scared?"
"Scared? Of course not!" Apollo's lyre materialized and he began playing a happy tune, the music flowing over Naruto and surrounding him with warmth.
"Okay, that's it. What happened?" Naruto demanded.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Apollo's fingers danced over the lyre as the sound of flawless arpeggios filled Naruto's ears.
"Now I do," Naruto slammed his hand down on the table. "Come on! Just tell me already!"
"Well, you see. . . last night, I. . ." Apollo trailed off, a faraway look appearing in his eyes.
"What is it?!" Naruto practically shouted.
Then Naruto recoiled at the expression on Apollo's face. It was the same expression Jiraiya always had on his face whenever he did his research. On second thought, perhaps Naruto didn't want to know.
"Never mind, please don't tell - "
"Last night," Apollo interrupted happily, "I was with this most wonderful singer. She was flaming hot, and the things she could do - "
"RASENGAN!"
"HOLY ZEUS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
XxX
3 years after.
"Camp Half-Blood is dying," Apollo announced, rage in his eyes.
"What?!" Naruto bolted upright. "What happened?!"
"Thalia's tree was poisoned," Apollo's fists clenched. "The magical boundaries no longer keep out the monsters, and soon, it will be gone altogether, allowing monsters to overrun the Camp."
"Poisoned? You're the god of healing, right? Can't you heal it - "
Apollo shook his head. "No. The poison is older than even me. I don't know what it is. It probably came from the depths of Tartarus."
"I can go help," Naruto pleaded. "They're my family. Your own children are there, Apollo. Your sons and daughters. I can defend the Camp."
"No," Apollo said with finality. "You're staying here."
Naruto briefly considered disobeying but ultimately decided against it. "Fine. But just know that I am obeying you with massive reluctance."
Apollo sighed miserably. "If I thought you could help, I would let you go. But. . . the Camp already has a border patrol in place. Besides, if they succeed on the quest, then everything should go back to normal."
XxX
Everything did not go back to normal.
"Thalia Grace, the daughter of Zeus, was revived from a tree?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Are you for real?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised too," Apollo scratched his head bemusedly. "The Golden Fleece's healing magic was potent enough to bring her back."
"Wow." Greek mythology was weird. "Is she technically a dryad?"
Apollo opened his mouth to answer but then paused. "That's a good question. Let's just take the easy route and say she's still a demigod."
"Alright."
XxX
3 years, 5 months after.
"Oh no," Naruto groaned when he saw the serious expression on Apollo's face. "What is it this time? Did Athena and Poseidon finally get over their rivalry and have children together?"
"I did not need that image in my head, thanks."
"Did Dionysus intoxicate the entirety of Camp Half-Blood by turning everyone's drinks into wine?"
"That actually almost happened once, I hear. Thankfully, Chiron caught it in time."
"Did - "
"Naruto," Apollo steepled his fingers. "Listen to me. Promise me you won't freak out."
"I won't," Naruto nervously waited for Apollo to speak. The fact was, the last two times Apollo had looked like this, he had delivered news about 1) the master bolt being stolen and 2) Camp Half-Blood dying.
Although Naruto was probably overthinking it. It couldn't be too bad, right?
"Artemis was captured by the Titans."
There was a sudden burst of wind as Naruto appeared right in front of Apollo.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go save her," Naruto turned to head for the door, but Apollo grabbed his shoulder.
"Naruto. I'm telling you. No. You're staying right here," Apollo said regretfully. "I know how much you want to go out and save her - I want to do the same - but it's too dangerous for you to go."
Naruto was silent for a moment. "When I wanted to go out and help retrieve the master bolt, you didn't let me go, and I obeyed. When I wanted to go out and help Camp Half-Blood, you didn't let me go, and I obeyed."
"And this time," Apollo stared into Naruto's emotionless eyes, "I'm not letting you go either, and you will obey. Don't worry; my little sister is strong. She'll be fine. I'm sure the heroes at Camp Half-Blood and her Hunters are already assembling to save - "
"No." Naruto backed away from Apollo. "No, not this time. I'm going, Apollo, and you can't stop me."
Apollo narrowed his eyes. "I can stop you, and I will."
Naruto nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Apollo, but you know what this means."
Apollo sighed. "Well, at least you listened to me the last two times."
They stood there in the living room, staring at each other.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!
Three clones appeared, each with a spiraling blue sphere in their hands. They leaped at Apollo.
Apollo simply materialized his golden bow and unleashed a barrage of arrows. The clones dispelled, releasing smoke - and Naruto came bursting out of the smoke, kunai already deflecting Apollo's arrow.
"You don't want to fight me," Apollo warned. He blocked Naruto's stab with his bow, then thrust out his hand and banished Naruto backwards. Naruto landed on his feet on the wall, standing parallel to the ground.
"You know what? I don't care if I have to fight a god! I'm going to save Artemis, and nothing you do can stop me!"
More shadow clones appeared. The air was suddenly filled with kunai and shuriken traveling faster than the speed of sound. A loud boom continuously echoed out in the hall as the sound barrier was broken repeatedly.
"Such a harsh sound," Apollo simply shot two arrows which promptly exploded, releasing a concussive blast and blowing all the shuriken and kunai away from him. "Trust me, I can stop you."
The army of shadow clones launched another barrage of shuriken and kunai, which met the same fate as before.
"Just give up, Naruto. You can't possibly hope to defeat me. I don't want to have to knock you unconscious and imprison you, but I will if I have to," Apollo threatened.
Naruto growled and threw down several black pellets. They released a black smoke upon hitting the ground, obscuring Apollo's vision.
"It's useless," Apollo fired another arrow into the smoke. It unleashed a large gust of wind, blowing all the smoke away.
Naruto charged Apollo, a Rasengan in hand. Apollo rolled his eyes and his bow shifted into a long celestial bronze sword. He blocked the Rasengan effortlessly.
"Why won't you just listen to me?" Apollo asked frustratedly. "You can't leave this mansion! If you go off to save Artemis, you'll be discovered! And what do you think will happen then?"
"I don't care!" Naruto tried to punch Apollo, but Apollo merely stepped back. "I have to go! This isn't like the master bolt or Camp Half-Blood!"
"In this mansion, I literally only have one rule!" Apollo ducked underneath Naruto's kick, then shot a point-blank arrow at Naruto's foot. Naruto dodged it, jumping up and landing on the ceiling. "You're not allowed to go outside without either Artemis or me accompanying you!"
"You know what, I don't care about your stupid rule!" Naruto stopped attacking and landed on the floor, glaring harshly at Apollo. "Those who break the rules may be trash - "
"That's a little too harsh on yourself," Apollo commented.
"But those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash! And those who abandon their family are the worst trash of all!" Naruto breathed heavily. "And y'know, while you gods may be fine with abandoning your kids - "
"You take that back," Apollo's eyes glowed a bright golden. "I'm forbidden from interacting with them by the Ancient Laws. I do the best I can."
Naruto paused. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. In any case, I refuse to abandon her." I don't want to explain to Kakashi-sensei why I'm the worst trash of all.
"You may refuse to abandon her, but I'm afraid that's what you're going to do," Apollo lifted up his bow and an arrow appeared. Naruto recognized it as a sleep arrow. "Good night, Naruto. I'm sorry about this."
"Wait!" Naruto cried. "I have a request."
Apollo hesitated. "What is it? I'm not going to allow you to go."
"No no no. I just wanted to know where Camp Half-Blood is."
Apollo scowled. "Why? You're never gonna get there."
"Please? Just humor me," Naruto pleaded.
Apollo sighed. "Fine. Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill, Farm Road 3.141, Long Island, New York 11954. Happy? Can I shoot you now?"
Naruto suddenly grinned. "Thanks, that's all I needed. Apollo, I'll save her. I promise."
Apollo frowned. "You're not going anywhe - "
And the shadow clone dispelled.
Apollo stood there, flummoxed. "D-did he. . . he just. . . that cunning little - wow."
Then he unleashed a torrent of vile Greek curses that would have quite literally made someone's ears bleed.
XxX
Naruto smirked as he absorbed the clone's memories. His substitution at the beginning of the fight had been flawless. Apollo hadn't expected it or noticed it at all.
There was a reason why he was called the most unpredictable ninja.
A Henge covered him, making him appear like a middle-aged brown haired man with a forgettable face.
Naruto needed to go to Camp Half-Blood. He had no idea where Artemis was, and tracking her down across the entire country would be too slow. At Camp Half-Blood, heroes could help him track down and save Artemis. They also had the Oracle, which was pretty cool.
Besides, Naruto preferred to work in a team. Team 7 may never get back together, but that didn't mean there couldn't be a new Team 7.
His feet barely even touched the ground as he sprinted, guided by nothing but his instincts and a rough map he had memorized of the area.
He picked up speed when he entered the forest. He ran as fast as he physically could, chakra reinforcing his body.
Naruto exited the forest, the sudden drain and emptiness not even slowing him down slightly. He yelped as something fast came barreling down towards him, and jumped over it to dodge it. He heard a loud beeping sound.
It was a car. Naruto quickly caught up to it, then knocked on the window. The driver lazily looked over for a second before turning back to face the road - then he whipped his head back to stare in shock at Naruto.
Naruto simply made a rude gesture at the driver before picking up speed, overtaking the car.
Cars were fast, sure, but he was faster. And he wasn't even in Kurama Mode or Sage Mode yet.
Finally, after about an hour of nonstop sprinting, Naruto arrived at a hill. There was a tree at the very top with a pile of cables next to it.
Naruto gave himself a few minutes to catch his breath and rest up. When his muscles stopped burning, Naruto calmly ambled up the hill - then he stopped abruptly.
He couldn't go as himself. Apollo was right - if the gods discovered him, it would be a catastrophe. Naruto may not even be allowed to live, much less go save Artemis.
Naruto needed to conceal his appearance. He couldn't do much about his demigod "smell," but hopefully, the satyrs and nature spirits wouldn't connect the dots.
Going in as a middle-aged brown haired man with a forgettable face wasn't a good idea. He needed someone else.
Naruto smiled. He knew who he wanted to Henge into.
XxX
Percy Jackson wasn't having a great time. Annabeth was captured. Bianca had joined the Hunters. Thalia was mad at him.
Things weren't going so great.
Then he saw a kid about 10 years old standing on Half-Blood Hill.
"Hey, Chiron? Do you know who that is?" Percy pointed to the kid, who was eyeing the dragon suspiciously.
Chiron paused in the middle of his lecture, looking up. "No, I do not. A new demigod that just happened to wander onto our doorsteps? Right after Bianca and Nico? I do not know if this is a sign of fortune or an omen of terrible things to come - oh dear gods, what is that kid doing?!"
Percy looked again - and then his mouth dropped open in awe. Was the kid fighting Peleus?!
Percy didn't have time to reply before Chiron galloped past him in a blur of speed, appearing right next to the kid. Chiron didn't give the kid a chance to say anything before grabbing him, placing him on his horseback, then galloping back, all in the span of about three seconds.
Centaurs were fast when they wanted to be.
The second Chiron stopped, the kid jumped off, landing on the ground without a sound, eyes wide and staring at Chiron and Percy.
"There was a dragon there!" the kid exclaimed. "A real dragon!"
Chiron chuckled. "Yes, there was. Peleus guards the Golden Fleece for the Camp, and I would appreciate it if you didn't attempt to disembowel him."
"The dragon works for you?" The kid looked a little sheepish.
Chiron nodded.
"Oh. My bad. I was a little startled," the kid rubbed the back of his head, looking down. Then he looked up. "Hey, is this Camp Half-Blood?"
"It is," Chiron confirmed. "And who may you be?"
Percy looked the kid up and down. About 10 years old. Blonde, almost yellow hair. Bright blue eyes. Whisker marks on the cheeks - birthmarks.
The kid grinned at them. "My name's Naruto. I'm a demigod. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The plot, my dear readers, is finally here.
I don't think I made Naruto too overpowered with his son of Artemis abilities. In fact, it shouldn't have made him overpowered at all; all he essentially gained was better senses and really good intuition.
Power scaling has been a little hard for me. Because on one hand, Kaguya was definitely overpowered. But on the other hand, PJO gods have a divine form that'll literally make a mortal burst into flames if they look at it. As such, I don't think it's too unreasonable to say that the base Rasengan would barely injure Apollo.
Similarly, PJO has been extremely difficult for me to create explanations for. Riordan has a habit of making something happen without saying how it actually happened. Donut shops tied to the life force of Hydra that sons of Hermes can breed? A living breathing maze? Not to mention the magic system! And so, even though it pains me to say it. . . I won't be writing rational explanations or detailed interpretations of PJO lore and mechanics. For those who have read Fate: Sorcerer, you should know how much this hurts me. I'll still try on the things I can, of course.
I'm a little unsure on the pairing. Artemis is out of the question, of course. Anyone else is okay; I'll gladly hear your suggestions.
Thank you all for reading, and please review!
euphoric
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