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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 5: The Art of Persuasion
Naruto glanced down at his hand. It was trembling. His instincts were practically screaming at him to run and go save Artemis. Huh. Thankfully, this was nowhere near the level of Kurama's initial hatred that had always made Naruto go berserk, and so Naruto was able to quickly calm himself down.
The prophecy the Oracle just gave sounded ominous, even though it reminded Naruto of Apollo's poetry -
Wait.
The Oracle is simply the medium through which Apollo gives his prophecies. Which meant. . . that was Apollo's poetry. Naruto's eye twitched as he suddenly felt unclean.
"Has that ever happened before?" Nico asked excitedly, pointing at the Oracle.
Chiron glanced at him, distracted. "Hmm? Oh, you mean the floating Oracle? No, never."
"Will we get to see it float back?" Nico stared intently at the Oracle, as if expecting it to take flight at any moment.
Chiron opened his mouth to speak but froze. "That. . ." he began cautiously, "Is a really good question."
Immediately, everyone looked at the Oracle. It didn't move - just sat there on the rock.
"I don't like where this is going," Percy muttered.
Chiron clapped his hands together cheerfully. "Alright campers! Looks like the Oracle is going to remain an inanimate mummy for now, so I need two volunteers to carry her back. Anyone?"
The campers all determinedly avoided Chiron's gaze.
Chiron frowned. "Really? Come on. Being a hero isn't all about slaying monsters - you gotta do the mundane work as well. It builds character."
Every camper smartly kept their silence.
Chiron sighed. "Oh, very well." He pulled out a pile of sticks from his pouch. "Let's draw straws."
The campers all groaned.
"Chiron, this isn't fair!" Connor yelled. "The Oracle came out by herself - why can't she get herself back?"
"Did you just volunteer?" Chiron asked with a raised eyebrow.
Connor smiled. "Did you say draw straws? I. Am. In! Come on, gimme one."
"That's what I thought."
One by one, the campers filed along and each drew a straw from Chiron's hand.
"Percy is the smallest," Travis snickered.
Percy was too busy looking at his straw in horror to react to Travis. "Oh gods. I don't want to touch that - that thing. Please. Please." He looked desperately at Chiron. "This has to be a mistake. I. . . I can't do this."
"Fair is fair, Percy. Who has the second shortest straw? Speak up now," Chiron called.
Grover bleated in despair, a forlorn look on his face and the second shortest straw in his hand. "Why? Why me? I'm allergic to dead people."
Chiron chuckled. "Oh, if I had a drachma for every time I've heard that excuse. . . anyway, off you go. The Oracle isn't going anywhere by herself."
As Percy and Grover walked over to the Oracle with the same air as condemned men walking to the gallows, Naruto suddenly burst out laughing.
Chiron looked at him, confused. "Is everything alright, Naruto? I admit, today's events have been rather hectic - "
Naruto waved off his concerns, still chuckling. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I just realized something."
"If you say so," Chiron shot him one last concerned glance - he's probably seen his fair share of demigods snapping - and announced to everyone, "If you're a cabin leader, come to the Big House. I'm calling an emergency councilor council meeting. Everyone else: early winter light's out. Go back to bed."
"Yo, Nico," Travis called. "I gotta go to this meeting. Can you show Naruto around?"
Nico nodded. "Yup!"
"Sweet. Oh, and there's a pack of cards on your bed," Travis gave Nico a meaningful glance as he walked to the Big House. "Keep it."
Nico groaned exasperatedly. "For the last time: poker is not better than Mythomagic! Come on, Naruto, let's get away from this heretic."
Naruto paused. "Actually, Nico, I need to go talk to Chiron first. I want to join this quest."
Nico's eyes grew impossibly wide. "No way," he breathed. "That's awesome! Good luck! I'll save you a bed."
Naruto smiled. "Thanks Nico."
Chiron simply stood there, gazing off into the distance, a serious expression on his face as the campers and Hunters dispersed. He made a strange hand sign - a three-fingered claw over his heart - then he pushed it outward, as if warding off something. Must be a centaur thing.
"Hey Chiron?" Naruto said while approaching Chiron.
Chiron turned and looked at him. "Yes, Naruto?"
"Can I come to the meeting?" Naruto asked.
Chiron shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Please?"
"No. You aren't a cabin leader."
"Lord Apollo sent me."
"No - wait, what?" Chiron stared at Naruto incredulously. "Are you for real?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah."
Chiron's eyes widened slightly. "Oh? Interesting. Very well, then. Follow me."
Success! Naruto shot a smirk upwards where Apollo was undoubtedly watching him.
Ha! Sucks, doesn't it, Lord Apollo. What are you gonna do about it?
. . . hopefully, Apollo didn't hear that. He couldn't read thoughts. Right? That couldn't have possibly counted as a prayer.
(Naruto was probably going to pay for that later.)
"Why did Lord Apollo send you?" Chiron asked curiously as they made their way to the Big House.
"Because Lady Artemis was captured, and Apollo is worried for her, so he sent me to join this quest to retrieve her," Naruto explained.
"No, you misunderstand. I'm well aware of Lord Apollo's affection for Lady Artemis. My question is: why did Lord Apollo send you?"
Naruto paused. "Did you not see how I blocked Thalia's lightning bolt? Or kicked that Hunter tiara girl to the ground - oh gods that sounds terrible when I put it that way."
Chiron made a noise of understanding. "I see, I see. Forgive me - your young age makes it easy to forget the extent of your abilities."
Sometimes, Naruto forgot that he had the appearance of a ten year old. At least Chiron didn't mention his height -
"Your small stature also masks your power."
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT I'M SHORT!" He had been tall once! Before he had been reborn. Thank the gods he's aging at an accelerated rate -
Oh no. Oh no no no.
"Naruto? Are you alright?" Chiron asked concernedly. "You just paled considerably."
"It's. . . it's nothing," Naruto whispered. Did he have to go through puberty again? He shook his head in denial. There was no way. He'll. . . he'll find a solution. With magic, perhaps.
He doesn't want to go through puberty again.
"May I ask what you had found so funny earlier?" Chiron inquired.
Naruto tilted his head. "What are you - oh. That." He smirked. "I wouldn't call myself a master at seeing through the Mist, but I'm. . . adequate. And I'm almost certain that the straws were all the same size."
Chiron's eyes widened before he chuckled. "You are the first in a long time to see through it. You are correct: I manipulated the Mist to make it so that Percy and Grover would be the ones to carry back the Oracle."
"Why?"
Chiron shrugged. "Why not?"
Fair enough.
"For future's reference, the Hunter you. . . sent to the ground was Zoe Nightshade. Please, do not refer to her as 'the Hunter tiara girl' - I'd like to avoid a major incident."
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "My bad."
"I already asked you once before, but in light of new information, I'll ask again. Naruto, do you know your Olympian parent?" They reached the Big House porch. Chiron backed up into his wheelchair, reverting to wheelchair form.
"No," Naruto answered.
Chiron raised his left eyebrow. "Really?" he asked doubtfully.
"Really," Naruto nodded nervously.
Chiron didn't seem convinced but he didn't push further. Naruto walked and Chiron wheeled into the rec room. There was a Ping-Pong table in the middle, and the councilors were setting up chairs.
Mr. D sat at one end of the table. He had materialized a leather couch for himself and was currently sipping from a can of Diet Coke and reading a wine magazine. Chiron wheeled over to sit next to him.
At the other end, Zoe and Bianca were staring at the occupants of the room. Bianca looked confused and slightly nervous, while Zoe looked extremely disgruntled.
Thalia, Grover and Percy sat along the right and Beckendorf, Silena, and the Stoll brothers sat along the left.
They all frowned when they saw Naruto walk in.
"Naruto?" Percy spoke up. "What are you doing here?"
"Attending the meeting."
Percy's frown deepened but before he could say anything else, Zoe began the meeting. "This is pointless."
Naruto blinked. Okay then.
"There is no time for talk. Lady Artemis needs us," Zoe gazed around the room defiantly. "We must leave immediately."
"And go where?" Chiron asked innocently.
"West!" Bianca said confidently. "You heard the prophecy - Five shall go west to the goddess in chains."
"West," Chiron repeated dryly. "How. . . specific."
"Artemis is being held hostage," Zoe continued. "We must find her and free her. I can ready a group of Hunters and leave immediately."
Thalia rolled her eyes. "Did you not hear the prophecy? Campers and Hunters combined prevail. As much as I hate the idea, we have to work together."
Naruto smiled. Teamwork! Kakashi-sensei would be so proud of the Oracle.
Zoe scowled. "We do not need thy help."
"The prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron steepled his fingers together. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate. Unless you wish to go against a prophecy?"
"That doesn't mean that a camper must go with us on the quest," Zoe said stubbornly. "Campers could just be metaphorical for something else. Perhaps if we took some Hephaestus-cabin-made weapons, it would count as combined."
Chiron didn't even dignify that with a reply, instead just raising his eyebrows skeptically.
Zoe held his stare for a moment before sighing. "Very well."
Chiron smiled serenely. "I'm glad you agree. Now that you have fulfilled your moral obligation to argue against any form of cooperation with campers, let us proceed with analyzing the situation."
"Lady Artemis needs to be rescued immediately and without any delay," Bianca said. "That's literally the situation. What else do we need to analyze?"
"Zoe!" Chiron said, aghast. "What have you been teaching her? I know that she's new and all, but come on!"
"She hasn't gotten to Advanced Questing yet," Zoe waved her hand. "Bianca, when going on a quest, information analysis is essential to maximize the chances of success. We must first establish common facts and inferences so that everyone is on the same page - after all, if even one person is unaware of a vital fact, it could end badly."
"Advanced Questing?" Thalia asked. "Hunters go on quests perhaps once a century. Why do you have a class for that?"
Zoe smirked. "We have a class for everything. We're the Hunters of Artemis, after all. And also, every few decades, Lord Apollo would visit and give us a prophecy personally." She paused. "We don't know if they're real prophecies, but we still follow them, just in case it's actually genuine."
Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. Apollo. . .
"In any case, since we are forced to take the campers along with us, it's best to do the analysis right now with them," Zoe continued.
"Ah, understood," Bianca nodded.
"The winter solstice is in five days - an annual Council meeting," Zoe stated.
Dionysus groaned. "Please, don't remind me. As if monthly meetings aren't bad enough. You won't believe how boring these meetings are."
Nobody looked sympathetic.
"Artemis's presence at this meeting is critical. She has been one of the most vocal on the Council alongside Lady Athena arguing for action against the Titans," Zoe's expression darkened but it cleared up so quickly, Naruto wasn't sure if it actually happened. "If she is absent, then the gods will not decide on anything, and we will lose another year of war preparations, causing the gods to be entirely and utterly unprepared for the inevitable Titan uprising."
Dionysus leaned forward. "Oh? Is that your opinion of the gods?"
Zoe stared back, not intimidated in the slightest. "It's not an opinion - it's a fact."
Dionysus nodded. "You're right, of course. I was just checking. The inefficiency of the Council is almost amazing. Did you all know that I once had to sit through a three hour debate between Athena and Hephaestus on the basic rights of automatons? It was dreadful."
Beckendorf straightened up. "You know, that's actually a fascinating topic. After all, we are capable of giving automatons the ability to feel pain. But is that morally allowed? Is it even true pain - "
Dionysus glared at Beckendorf. Purple flames flickered within his eyes, and the scent of grapes filled the room, giving Naruto visions of insanity and madness. "Did I ask?"
Beckendorf gulped. "I'll shut up now."
"How wise of you."
Chiron rubbed his chin. "An even more pressing matter is that we must locate the monster Lady Artemis had been hunting."
"The bane of Olympus. . ." Zoe's fingers tapped a disjointed rhythm on the table. "Even with all the years I've spent hunting with Artemis, I do not know what this beast may be."
"Is it really that important?" Travis asked. "I mean, it's just a 'bane,' right? That means that it's an enemy. Olympus has a lot of enemies."
"This monster will bring the downfall of Olympus," Percy said grimly. "Thorn said it, and Artemis confirmed it."
Naruto's eyes widened. What was this monster?! This world's equivalent of the Bijuu?
Chiron sighed. "I'm afraid that even with my many millennia's worth of knowledge, I do not know what it could be."
Everyone turned to look at Dionysus. Dionysus glanced up from his wine magazine. "What?"
"Umm. . . sir, you're a god," Thalia began. "Surely you know?"
Dionysus sighed. "I may be a god, but I'm a young god. Why would I care about all these ancient monsters? The only ones on the Council who even bothers to keep track of them are Artemis, Athena, and Apollo. The rest, including me, don't really care."
"I can see why the Council would be doomed without Artemis," Percy muttered.
"Quiet, unless you wish to experience the world through the eyes of a dolphin."
"Apollo? Seriously?!" Naruto asked incredulously.
Dionysus paused. "Well, okay, Apollo's only on the list because of his prophecy powers - and they're hit-or-miss most of the time, so I doubt he knows what this monster is."
Naruto relaxed. "Okay, good, good." If Apollo was actually responsible, then Naruto would have to check the skies because pigs will be flying.
"Chiron, you don't have any idea at all?" Percy asked.
"I have ideas," Chiron responded. "However, none of them make sense. It's not Typhon - if it was Typhon, then we would know."
"How would we know?" Beckendorf asked. "Did Dad build a detection system?"
"Not quite," Chiron shook his head. "If Typhon was loose, then we would know because the United States would suddenly be struck with a series of 'natural disasters' - at least, according to the mortals. An unprecedented amount of destruction would occur."
"Oh."
"Keto would also certainly fit the description of 'the bane of Olympus'. However, if it had been stirring, then Poseidon would surely know - Keto, for all her power, doesn't exactly know the definition of 'subtlety.'" Chiron pursed his lips. "The monster that Artemis was hunting. . . it's elusive. And I fear it may be even more powerful."
There was a moment of silence at that declaration.
"Oh well," Chiron sighed. "I doubt we will correctly guess the identity of the monster, so let us not waste any more time."
"One shall be lost in the land without rain," Thalia said. "Deserts will be dangerous."
There was a muttering of agreement -
"What? No!" Naruto objected.
Thalia turned to him in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I don't think there's a desert in the US where it's never rained before. Little rain, perhaps, but the prophecy said land without rain, implying that it's never rained before," Naruto explained. "It's much more likely that the prophecy is referring to a place where it's magically charmed to never rain."
"Ohh, that makes sense - " Thalia froze. Suddenly, everyone looked around nervously.
Naruto frowned. "What's the problem?"
"Camp Half-Blood is a place magically charmed to never rain," Grover crunched on a cracker, eyes darting around anxiously.
Percy sighed. "Come on, guys. Don't you remember? It rained 2 years ago, when Zeus had gotten mad at me."
A beat.
"I had forgotten about that," Chiron admitted. "You see, a demigod had never enraged Zeus so much to the point of him making it rain. You have a gift, Percy."
"Gee, thanks."
"Not to mention the Titan's curse," Silena brought up. "What could it be?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed when he saw Chiron and Zoe exchange a look of apprehension and fear. They knew something.
"I do not know for certain, but. . ." Chiron trailed off when Zoe shook her head.
"If you do not know for certain, then let us move on - there's no time to waste."
"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Thalia said grimly.
A heavy silence descended upon the table.
Naruto glanced around, frowning. Why did everyone start looking at Thalia and Percy - oh. They were children of the Big Three, and. . . as much as Naruto hated it, there was a good chance that Zeus and Poseidon would strike them down before they reached 16. He clenched his fists.
"Anyway," Chiron redirected the conversation. "Let us decide on the quest members."
"I will take two campers at most," Zoe stared at Chiron, daring him to challenge her. He wisely conceded with a nod of his head. "Phoebe will come with me - she's my best tracker."
"Ah, the daughter of Ares. I remember her," Chiron smiled thinly. "She had been the one to lead the charge against the campers when all-out warfare broke out when the camp began burning down."
Zoe coughed. "She already apologized for that."
"Isn't she the girl that hit me on the head?" Travis asked cautiously.
Zoe nodded.
"And she's the one who likes to takedown people whenever they get three feet within her?" Connor added.
"Yes," Zoe tilted her head. "Why?"
"Nothing. We saw her admiring this shirt earlier," Travis held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002 with a list of national parks underneath. "It's a collector's item. You want to give it to her?"
"Oh, that shirt looks awesome!" Naruto said happily as he reached over and snatched it out of Travis's hand before he could react. "Thanks, dude."
"Naruto, give that back!" Travis snapped.
Naruto inclined his head. "I will - once you tell me why this shirt smells so. . . weird."
Connor froze before laughing nervously. "W-w-what are you talking about?"
Zoe glared at the Stoll brothers. "Naruto, please elaborate."
"I can smell blood on this shirt - but it's not normal blood. It has a trace of. . . acidity, if you know what I mean."
Zoe's eyes narrowed even more. "Give me the shirt, Naruto."
Naruto passed her the shirt. She examined it closely before sniffing it. "I do not smell anything weird."
"See?" Travis said triumphantly. "It's nothing - hey wait, what are you doing - "
Zoe experimentally stuck her pinky finger into the inside of the shirt and immediately jerked back, hissing in pain. Her finger steamed and turned red. "Blood. . . centaur blood." She turned to the Stoll brothers, who were grinning nervously.
"Oops. Did we grab the wrong shirt?" Connor's eyes were wide, the very epitome of innocence.
Zoe's hand blurred and a second later a hunting dagger embedded itself in the wall behind Travis. A small cut opened up on his cheek.
"Okay, that's not fair," he whined. "Why me? Why didn't you go for Connor?"
"You took one for the team," Connor patted Travis on the back. "Don't worry. Your sacrifice will not be in vain."
"Isn't centaur blood poisonous?" Bianca glared at the Stoll brothers. "In fact, didn't it kill Heracles?" Zoe's eyes flickered imperceptibly at the name.
"Whoa!" Travis held up his hands defensively. "We diluted the blood. At worst, it would've made her break out in hives for several weeks."
"Why would you do that?" Bianca demanded.
"She broke my arm yesterday."
"She broke three of my ribs."
Bianca paused. "Oh."
Chiron smiled cheerfully. "In any case, Connor, Travis, congratulations!"
Connor and Travis looked at each other, then at Chiron warily. "What for?"
"For the rest of this month, you two will be responsible for everything around the camp," Chiron nodded. "Stables cleaning, kitchen duty, everything."
"What?!" Travis cried out indignantly. "Why?! Don't tell me you actually care that we laced that shirt with centaur blood. Phoebe wouldn't have died - and besides, she already injured numerous campers!"
"You can't do that! That's not fair!" Connor shouted.
Chiron slammed his fist down on the table, silencing them both. A crack formed on the surface - holy hell, Chiron was strong. "Connor. . . Travis. . ." Chiron began dangerously, a menacing glint in his eyes, "Do you two fools have any idea what would've happened if Phoebe did put on that shirt and got injured?"
"Umm," Connor hesitantly said, "She'll be incapacitated for a few weeks - "
"YOU FOOL!" Chiron bellowed. "I'd have to fill out at least five different incident reports! Lady Artemis, once she is freed, would go absolutely ballistic. Funding for the camp - cut in half! She will swamp me in paperwork!" He breathed heavily. "Do you understand just how bad Olympian paperwork is? Gods don't die! They live forever! Doing paperwork for a week straight - that's considered normal to them!"
Dionysus snickered. "Imagine having to do paperwork."
"With all respect, Lord Dionysus," Chiron said politely, "Shut your mouth."
Naruto's eyes widened as he turned to Dionysus, half-expecting him to inflict Chiron with a terrible madness. Dionysus, for his part, simply chuckled. "As you wish, my dear friend. As long as you keep on doing all my paperwork for me, I'll shut up whenever you want."
. . . oh. That's how it was.
"We've gotten off track," Zoe tapped her fingers on the table. "For the next quest member, I wish Bianca to go."
Bianca looked stunned. "What? Me? I'm new!"
"You'll do fine," Zoe insisted. "Think of it as. . . proving thyself. Besides - " and here, she shared a glance with Chiron again. "I can sense that you are strong." Chiron shot her a sorrowful look, which Naruto didn't really understand.
Bianca bit her lip. "O-okay then." She straightened up, and the faint silver glow on her skin intensified a bit. "I'll go save Lady Artemis."
"I don't get it," Percy spoke up, a confused expression on his face.
"Get what?" Zoe asked. "Bianca is more than competent enough to do well on this quest. Besides, didn't you go on thy first quest when you were only twelve years old - "
Percy waved it off. "No, I'm not talking about that. I don't get how Naruto was able to smell that there was something off about that shirt, but Grover wasn't."
Everyone went silent as they thought over Percy's words.
"Hey," Grover said in between bites of - was he eating an aluminum can?! "Ever since we met Lady Artemis, my senses have been a little wonky. I mean, how else would you explain that Naruto has Lady Artemis's scent?"
Naruto went unnaturally still. Oh no. Satyrs and their ridiculously good sense of smell.
Zoe leaned forward, intrigued. "Say what now? Are you saying that Naruto smells like Lady Artemis?"
Grover nodded. "Yeah. I noticed it this afternoon."
Silena frowned. "How is that possible?"
Damn. Damn damn damn. This was bad. This was really bad.
It's time for even more Kakashi-sensei level bullshitting.
"To understand that. . . well, let me reveal why I'm even at this meeting first." Naruto looked at Zoe determinedly. "I wish to go on this quest."
The moment of silence was broken by Dionysus's laugh. "Oh, they sure like to start young, don't they? Die young, too."
"Denied," Zoe said flatly. "I will not take you along for this quest - "
She froze, as did everyone else in the room. The walls trembled and the Ping-Pong table shook as a massive force exploded out from Naruto. The incredible pressure weighed down on every occupant as they all felt the sheer intent behind the chakra - not the suffocating, oppressive Killing Intent but rather the iron will of a shinobi that has already lost too much and isn't willing to lose any more.
"I'm afraid you will," Naruto spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "You see, Lord Apollo sent me to join this quest. I'm sure that you of all people should know just how much Apollo cares for Artemis, and while he may be bound by the Ancient Laws to not directly interfere in this quest, indirect interference through a hero is allowed."
"And he sent you?" Zoe asked in disbelief.
"Oh come on!" Naruto complained. "You too? What, do you and Chiron both have no faith in my powers? I assure you: what you have seen tonight was but a fraction of my power." Gods, he sounded like an Uchiha. "Lord Apollo sent me because he is fully confident in my skill and abilities."
Thalia hesitated. "Say what you will, Zoe, but he did stop my lightning bolt with his bare hands - "
"Not quite," Naruto interrupted. "I stopped it with my chakra."
"Chakra?" Chiron repeated.
"It's my unique power," a spiraling blue sphere formed in Naruto's hand. Grover leaped back, almost falling over his chair in surprise. Silena gazed at it with admiration in her eyes; clearly, as a child of Aphrodite, she appreciated aesthetic things, and while the Rasengan was a jutsu meant for killing, it was also. . . pretty - although Naruto will always deny that. Beckendorf leaned forward in interest, analyzing it less on its aesthetics and more on its structure.
"Whoa!" Percy leaned forward, getting a better look. "Why didn't you show this to us this afternoon? That looks awesome!"
Zoe narrowed her eyes, and Naruto could see the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Naruto nodded approvingly. As a Hunter, her instincts must be screaming at her that this was dangerous. "What is that?" she hissed.
"It's chakra. My unique power." The Rasengan fizzled out. "Specifically, the thing I just created is called the 'Rasengan' - I used it to block Thalia's lightning bolt. I guess the light from the lightning covered it up."
"Is it magic?" Thalia asked.
"No. It's chakra."
". . . it looks like magic to me."
"Trust me, it's not. Apollo already confirmed it; if it is magic, it's a type that the gods have never seen before. Isn't that right, Lord Dionysus?"
Dionysus nodded slowly. "From what I have sensed, that power is completely new to me. I have never felt anything like it before." He gazed at Naruto, and, for the first time since Naruto's met him, he looked fully serious. "I'll give you one and only one word of warning: use that power wisely."
"I will," Naruto nodded. "Anyway, will you let me go on this quest?"
Zoe narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. "All we have is your word that Lord Apollo sent you. You are new to this camp, nobody knows you, and nobody can vouch for you. How can we even trust what you say?"
"I swear on the River Styx that I am here because of Apollo," Thunder boomed in the distance. Naruto frowned. "Does that always happen?"
Dionysus snorted. "The gods, Naruto, have a penchant of being extremely dramatic. Styx is no exception to that rule."
"Huh. In any case, there you have it," Naruto tilted his head. "I assure you, I have one goal and one goal only, and that is to retrieve Lady Artemis."
Technically, he had been telling the truth when he swore on the Styx. He was at Camp Half-Blood because of Apollo; if Apollo hadn't told him about Artemis's situation, he wouldn't have come. It may have been a technicality, but given how he wasn't suffering or dying, Styx had accepted it.
"Well then," Chiron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Zoe, it is not wise to ignore the gods. Even Lord Apollo. If Lord Apollo wishes for Naruto to join this quest, then. . ." He trailed off meaningfully.
Zoe was silent for a moment. "I am not foolish," she finally said.
"Shocker," Thalia muttered.
"If Lord Apollo wishes for Naruto to join," Zoe continued, "Then I have no choice."
Naruto smiled. "Thank you - "
"On one condition, of course," Zoe stared intently at Naruto. "Tell me: why do you fight?"
Thalia frowned. "What do you mean? He already told us: he wants to join this quest because Apollo told him to."
Zoe shook her head. "I highly doubt that is the only reason. Even if they're commanded to do something by the gods, most heroes fight for something, whether it's for glory, honor, riches, or even self-preservation. No male hero possesses such a professionalism that their sole reason for sacrificing themselves is because 'a god told them to.' So I ask you, Naruto, while Apollo may have told you to join the quest to save Lady Artemis, why are you fighting?"
Oh. So that was the problem. From Zoe's perspective, Naruto's just a little kid who has no ties to Artemis whatsoever. She wished to understand the motivation behind his actions. Naruto gave a mental nod of approval - while it was important to understand your enemies, understanding your comrades is even more important.
"Can you imagine what it was like to be raised by Apollo?" Naruto asked.
Zoe's reply was prompt and blunt. "Hell."
Dionysus snickered. "I will pay you to say that to his face."
Naruto didn't speak for a moment. "You know, you're not wrong. It was hell - but not for the reasons you think. I lived in one of Apollo's. . . temples my entire life. I was never allowed to leave, and nobody was allowed to come in and see me."
Zoe's eyes widened. "What? Why?"
Naruto cursed. He didn't come up for a reason for that. Come on, think, think - "It's because he couldn't risk my chakra being discovered by the Titans." That should work.
Zoe nodded, satisfied. "I see."
"Yup. Needless to say, life kinda sucked," Naruto's eyes unfocused for a second. "For the first part of my life, Apollo was the only being I came in contact with. And even then, he was present for only a few hours a day - if that. I had been completely alone."
"Then I met Artemis." Naruto smiled. "She had been at Apollo's mansion for some reason. When she noticed me, instead of ignoring me and walking away, she took the time to talk to me. And she was kind. After so long, she was the one to rescue me from my loneliness."
Zoe's gaze softened slightly.
"After that, she didn't forget about me. She visited every so often. Once, she even brought a gift." Naruto took out a single silver kunai and tossed it to Zoe. She caught it out of the air and examined the designs etched on the blade: the moon and the bow.
"And that is why I wish to save Artemis." At that moment, the intensity and determination burning in Naruto's eyes rivaled Amaterasu's flames itself. "Because she's someone precious to me."
Zoe's eyes widened, and for the first time since Naruto arrived, she looked at him without any distaste whatsoever.
"I don't care if I have to sacrifice my life," Naruto continued. He clenched his fists. "Just. . . please. Let me go on this quest."
Zoe regarded Naruto pensively for several seconds. Then she nodded. "That. . . that is a good reason for fighting." She smiled. "Welcome to the quest, Naruto."
Naruto blinked. It. . . it worked? It worked!
He grinned brightly. "Thank you. I won't let you down."
"Ah, the joys of having a tragic backstory," Dionysus idly commented.
Chiron coughed. "Sir, I believe they were having a moment there. Did you really have to interject?"
"Ah, my dear centaur, I interjected because they were having a moment."
"Before today, you didn't know anyone except for Apollo and Artemis?" Percy asked in horrified fascination.
"I also knew Hestia," Naruto added. "She would visit now and then."
"How are you sane?!" Beckendorf leaned away from Naruto, as if expecting him to snap at any moment.
Naruto shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be sane?" It's not like he hasn't gone through loneliness once before.
"To not have any company but Apollo on a daily basis. . ." Thalia tapped her fingers on the table. "That sounds. . ."
"Terrible?" Zoe supplied.
"Yeah. He's not that bad in small doses, but every single day for years, with nobody else. . ." Thalia shuddered.
"I mean, he's not too bad," Naruto defended. "He's just. . . annoying sometimes."
"Understatement of the millenia," Zoe muttered. "We need one more camper."
"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.
Percy questioned her. "Whoa, wait a sec, I want to go too."
"No," Zoe refused. "You are a boy."
". . . Naruto is a boy too."
"Yes, but Lord Apollo wishes for Naruto to join the quest." Zoe tilted her head. "What's more, Naruto places Lady Artemis above everything else, even his own life. Would you do the same, Percy Jackson? If you had to pick between saving Annabeth and saving Artemis, who would you choose?"
Percy flinched as if struck. "You can't - "
"That's what I thought."
"I have to go!" Percy protested.
"No," Zoe said flatly.
Percy looked to Chiron desperately. "Chiron. . ."
Chiron sighed sadly. "Zoe has the final say on who she takes with her on the quest. I am sorry, Percy. I know how worried you are for Annabeth, but I cannot force her to take you."
Naruto actually felt really, really bad for Percy. He had almost forgotten, but Percy had lost someone precious to him too.
"So be it," Chiron declared. "Naruto and Thalia will accompany Zoe, Phoebe, and Biana. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods" - he shot Dionysus a pointed look - "Lord Dionysus included, we hope - be with you."
Dionysus sighed. "Why do you always try to guilt-trip me into helping? It's not going to work."
Chiron shrugged. "Can't fault a centaur for trying. I'd rather not have to bury my students. On that note, Naruto, while you may be powerful enough that Lord Apollo himself sent you. . . please, be careful. There are still beings out there more powerful than you."
"If you shows any signs of arrogance, I'll stab you" Zoe casually added.
Naruto gulped. "Noted."
"Wait," Grover said as everyone was getting up. "Naruto, you still didn't explain why you smell like Lady Artemis."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Umm. . ." I'm sorry, Apollo. But I'm afraid I'll have to drag your name through the mud - although to be fair, it was already pretty muddy. "Apollo had these Artemis-scented candles all around his mansion. So I guess the smell got soaked into me."
Dead silence.
Zoe shuddered. "I did not need to know that. Bianca, remind me to shoot Apollo in the face the next time I see him."
Sorry Apollo. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Naruto could swear he heard a facepalm come from far, far above.
XxX
As Naruto made his way back to the Hermes cabin, he caught sight of someone tending to the flames. He smiled and walked over.
"Hey Hestia," Naruto grinned in greeting.
Hestia turned to him, smiling warmly. "Hello there, Naruto. I must say, I did not expect to see you tonight. I heard you gave Apollo the slip."
Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. . ." He paused. "You're not going to try to bring me back right?"
Hestia shook her head. "Of course not! I assume you came here because you heard that Artemis was captured?"
Naruto nodded. "I joined the quest group."
Hestia blinked. "Wasn't the quest leader Zoe Nightshade?"
"Yup."
"How did you convince her?" Hestia asked, intrigued.
Naruto smirked. "I told her that Apollo sent me to join the quest."
Hestia's eyes widened in shock before she laughed. "That's. . . that's beautiful."
"I know," Naruto grinned smugly. "The irony is amazing. She also asked for my reason for fighting."
"Oh." Hestia looked saddened. "Yes, she would certainly care about that."
Naruto frowned. "Why?"
"That is not my story to tell," Hestia sighed.
They stood there for a moment, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the hearth.
"That is a clever disguise you have. I almost didn't recognize you tonight," Hestia tilted her head. "Is it your chakra?"
Naruto nodded. "Yup. Henge no Jutsu. Allows me to transform into anything."
"I don't sense any Mist cloaking you," Hestia frowned. "If you transform into another form, how would we know that it's you? Is there a way?"
Naruto pursed his lips. "Umm. . ." Chakra sensing was out. Other than that. . . "I'm fairly certain the only method is by scent." The Henge may be a basic E-ranked Academy jutsu, but it was extremely useful. Especially Naruto's. . . variants of it.
(He still couldn't believe Reverse Harem worked on Kaguya.)
Hestia nodded. "I see. I only recognized you tonight because of your whisker marks. They're hard to miss." Her countenance turned serious. "All that aside. . . how are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Artemis," Hestia said simply.
Naruto went still. "Oh. I'm okay."
Hestia looked at him, concerned. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine. Because we will save her." Naruto said determinedly.
Hestia blinked. "Your optimism is nice to see." She tilted her head. "But how can you be so certain?"
Naruto grinned. "Because I believe I can. There's no point entertaining any doubts or uncertainty, because once you question your own beliefs, it's over. Oh, and there's also the fact that I'll never give up until she's free."
Hestia chuckled. "So what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what the Titans do - you'll always be persistently trying to save her, like an irritating mosquito that just wouldn't go away?"
"Yup!" Naruto confirmed cheerfully. "Although I don't like the mosquito metaphor very much. I'd prefer. . . a persistent toad that just wouldn't stop asking you for candy."
Hestia inclined her head. "Just. . ." Hestia turned to him, a slight hint of worry in her warm, brown eyes. "Be prepared for the worst. I. . . I don't want to see you broken."
Naruto's eyes widened as he was suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion. If he loses Artemis. . . it would be like losing Jiraiya all over again. It would be like losing his entire world all over again. She was his mother. If she -
No. Naruto refused to even begin thinking those thoughts. There was no point in thinking them. After all, Naruto will save Artemis. No matter what. And so, Naruto smiled at Hestia. "Don't worry about it." His expression turned a little sad. "Besides. . . I'm strong."
Hestia gazed at him for a few moments before sighing tiredly. "I don't like the Titans very much."
Naruto cracked a small smile. "Neither do I."
"Father is rising," Hestia absently poked at the fire with a stick. "When you go on the quest, be careful. He is a master of manipulation and deception - there is a reason why he is called the Crooked One."
"As long as he isn't a presumed-dead puppet" - Obito - "being controlled by another puppet" - Madara - "being controlled by another puppet" - Black Zetsu - "being controlled by its mother, then I think we should be good. I know how to look underneath the underneath." After dealing with Black Zetsu and his machinations, Naruto fully embraced the art of looking underneath the underneath. Kakashi-sensei would be proud.
Hestia nodded, deep in thought. She fell silent for a moment. "Naruto?"
"Yes?"
"Please don't die on this quest," she murmured quietly.
Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Trust me, I have no intentions of dying." Again.
Hestia nodded. "Don't do anything foolish. You may be strong, but. . . there are still stronger beings out there. Don't grow arrogant and careless like so many heroes before you had." She looked away. "I don't want to lose you. You are the first in a long time that I can call. . . a friend."
Naruto drew in a sharp breath as his eyes widened in shock. Then he smiled happily. "I'll come back alive and well. I promise."
"Thank you."
"And Hestia?"
Hestia turned to him. "Yes?"
Naruto shot her a beaming smile. "You're my friend too."
Hestia smiled back warmly. "I know."
XxX
Naruto stretched his arms as he walked towards the Hermes cabin, sighing contentedly as he felt his spine crack. He didn't understand how people in this new world could sit down all day in cubicles. Naruto would go insane after just an hour of not moving.
"Naruto?" A new voice spoke up behind him.
Naruto whirled around in surprise, a kunai in his hand.
Chiron stood there in horse form. He looked down at the kunai in Naruto's hand. "A bit trigger-happy there, hmm?"
"Sorry," Naruto apologized as he put the kunai back in his pouch. "You surprised me."
Chiron had been astonishingly silent - although Chiron was several thousand years old. He may be a teacher, but he was also powerful - probably more powerful than most of the heroes at this camp.
"It's quite alright," Chiron waved it off. "In fact, your reflexes are just what some of the heroes at this camp need." He sighed despairingly. "You will not believe how many of them lack an adequate reaction time."
"A lot?"
Chiron sighed once more. "Sadly, yes. Walk with me, Naruto. I wish to speak with you."
Naruto's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion but he followed Chiron anyway. There was nobody outside - they had all gone back to their cabins.
"You're about to embark on your first quest tomorrow," Chiron said conversationally.
Naruto nodded. "Yup."
"I confess, I am rather. . . concerned that you are going. You have not been at this camp for even a day yet. I haven't taught you anything." Chiron tilted his head. "While it may be a little too late for a physical lesson, I suppose the least I can do is give you some advice."
Naruto inclined his head, paying close attention. This right here was Chiron, the legendary trainer of heroes. He had been alive for thousands of years. He was perhaps the only person at camp whose combat knowledge and strategy may be greater than Naruto's - indeed, Naruto considered Chiron to be this world's version of Jiji, the Sandaime Hokage - not in terms of power, but rather, the knowledge and wisdom that gave Jiji the moniker of "The Professor."
If Chiron was going to give Naruto some advice, then Naruto would listen.
"Naruto," Chiron stopped and turned to look directly at Naruto, his expression utterly serious. "Don't be stupid."
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
"For you see, it's almost as if you heroes want to end your existence in the dumbest, most avoidable way possible!" Chiron flung up his hands. "Do you understand just how difficult it has been for me in the past few thousands of years? The sheer stupidity, lack of foresight, and all-around foolishness of you heroes is almost amazing!"
Naruto coughed lightly. "Umm. . . what?"
"I mean, really!" Chiron looked up to the sky. "You'd think that after several hundred years, you all will have learned to not provoke the gods. But no! You heroes seem to crave death through acts of gods! It's as if you enjoy not ever being able to collect on insurance!"
"Chiron, are you, uhh, okay there?"
Chiron paused. "Ah, forgive me if I'm ranting a little." He stared down at his hands. They were shaking slightly. "Perhaps I'm a bit more unsettled by the situation than I had thought." He smiled reassuringly. "In any case, the advice I have for you is simple. Don't be stupid."
"Ok."
"I'm serious. You haven't attended any of my Common Sense or Self-Preservation classes yet, so I'm a little worried," Chiron tilted his head. "Allow me to give you a pop quiz, just to see if you're truly ready."
". . . okay?" Naruto had not been expecting this.
"Are you going to infiltrate the Underworld to try to make the Lord of the Underworld's wife your own wife?"
"Umm, no."
"Are you going to drive the sun chariot without knowing how to drive?"
". . . no."
"If you see Lady Artemis naked and taking a bath, will you propose to her?"
Naruto suppressed a shiver of revulsion. "Absolutely not."
Chiron nodded. "Good. You passed the quiz."
"What even were those questions?" Naruto asked incredulously. He paused as he remembered the old myths. "Oh. Theseus, Phaethon, and Actaeon."
"Indeed."
". . . they were really stupid, weren't they."
Chiron sighed sadly and nodded once before changing the topic. "This quest is important. It is vital that Artemis is present for the Council Meeting, and it is even more essential to locate the monster that she was hunting. Please, do not mess it up."
"Don't worry. I'll succeed." Then Naruto frowned. "Are you doing this to everyone?"
"Pardon?"
Naruto gestured vaguely with his hand. "You know, going around and ranting and giving pop quizzes."
"Of course not. I presume Zoe and Phoebe are lecturing Bianca right now, and I have already given the same speech to Thalia several months ago." Chiron smiled genially. "You were the only new person."
Naruto chuckled. "Alright then."
They stopped outside of the Hermes cabin. "Well then, I believe that will be all. Good night, Naruto."
"Good night, Chiron."
"Now then. I have to go talk to Percy, who is undoubtedly angsting and lamenting over how he wasn't able to join the quest," Chiron sighed. He turned to walk away, but then stopped and called, "Oh, and Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Good luck."
XxX
"How did it go?" Nico asked.
Naruto grinned. "I'm going on the quest!"
"Awesome!" Nico grinned back. "Who else is going?"
"Zoe, Phoebe, Thalia, and Bianca," Naruto sat down on the bed next to Nico. It was surprisingly comfortable, although Naruto supposed that Hermes, as the god of travelers, would invest in some nice beds for his own cabin.
"Bianca's going?" Nico looked down, the grin disappearing from his face.
Naruto noticed. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Nico looked away.
"Nico. . ." Naruto reached out and touched Nico softly on the shoulder. "You can tell me."
Nico turned to hesitantly look at Naruto. "She. . . she already left me to join the Hunters. She might die on this quest. And then she'll leave me forever."
Naruto really only knew one way to respond to that. "I'll protect her for you, Nico."
"You will?" Nico asked hopefully.
Naruto smiled. "Of course! I'll keep her safe. I promise you that."
"Just a tip," Travis called, "You probably shouldn't make promises that you can't keep."
Connor punched him in the shoulder. Hard. "Bro, what the hell?"
"Ow!" Travis rubbed his shoulder. "Look, I don't want to be that guy, but as a counselor, I have to be realistic here." He stood up from his bed and walked over to Naruto and Nico, his customary mischievous expression replaced with a solemn one. "People die on these quests. We got lucky on the last three quests - everyone lived - but this time, it might be different."
"How can you say that?" Nico glared.
Travis sighed miserably. "Trust me, I hate it as much as you do. But it's reality."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Wrong. I never go back on my word. Bianca will not die on this quest, I swear it."
Travis gazed at Naruto for a moment before giving up. "Fine. I tried." Then he gave Naruto a crooked grin. "So, all that aside, why don't you show us what else you can do with your 'chakra.'"
"Chakra?" Nico's eyebrows scrunched together.
"It's my unique power," Naruto explained. "And I can, uhh, dodge attacks with it. And make clones of myself."
Travis nodded. "Hmm, interesti - wait, did you just say you could make clones of yourself?!"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
A clone appeared next to Naruto.
"Whoa!" Nico gasped in awe. In a flash, Connor and Travis were in front of the clone, staring at it reverently.
"Do. . . do my eyes deceive me?" Connor spoke in a higher pitch than usual.
"I don't think they do," Travis blinked back tears.
They both turned to Naruto.
"The perfect alibi."
"The perfect accomplice."
"Please," they chorused, "Teach us!"
Naruto chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't."
"Then join us!"
Naruto paused. "In what, exactly? I'm afraid you have to be a little more specific."
Connor gained a devious glint in his eyes. "I'm talking about the mystical art."
"The art of pranking!" Travis spread his arms wide. "Join us! You, me, Connor. . . the three of us will be unstoppable."
The two anxiously awaited Naruto's reply. Naruto simply gazed at them with an unreadable expression for a few moments. Then he smirked. "After the quest is over. . . well, let me just say this: Camp Half-Blood will never forget our names."
Connor whimpered. "A kindred spirit."
"It's amazing," Travis agreed.
XxX
Naruto woke up several hours before dawn. Unfortunately, he didn't have a demigod dream, so he didn't acquire any new information. He looked over. Nico was still asleep in the bed next to him.
He left the cabin, careful not to wake anyone, and walked towards the forest.
The second he entered the forest, he frowned. What were they doing there? He ambled along, breathing in the crisp, cool air.
Finally, after several minutes of walking, he neared the three people he had sensed. They had their backs to him, and appeared to be discussing something.
"Yo!" He called out.
They whirled around and Naruto's eyes widened as he grabbed a kunai and deflected ten silver arrows. "Whoa! I come in peace!"
Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe all had fierce expressions on their faces and were already nocking more arrows into their bows when they recognized Naruto. "Oh," Zoe said, lowering her bow. "It's you."
"Naruto!" Bianca's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!"
"It's fine. I didn't get hit," Naruto smiled cautiously. "What are you guys doing out here?"
"What are you doing out here?" Phoebe shot back, a suspicious look on her face.
"I was walking."
Phoebe scowled. "Really?"
"Really!" Naruto held up his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "So, uhh, why did you shoot me?"
They exchanged glances. "Someone's after us," Zoe explained grimly.
Naruto frowned. "What?"
Bianca sighed. "No, they're only after Phoebe and me. Zoe, I don't think they care about you."
"Yeah, you should just go back to the cabin. There's no point in endangering yourself," Phoebe added.
Zoe shook her head. "No. I will not flee when my fellow Hunters are in danger."
"Hold up," Naruto cut in. "What do you mean by 'someone's after you?'"
"First, it was the centaur blood-laced shirt Travis and Connor tried to give to Phoebe," Zoe explained. "We had thought that was just an isolated incident. But then, after the councilor meeting, Bianca wanted to get something to eat. A nymph delivered her a plate of snacks, and it was only through luck that our resident poisons expert, Psyche, took a bite first and realized that they were poisoned. Fortunately, Psyche had already built up an immunity to most poisons, and so she is fine."
"After that, more and more strange events began happening," Bianca continued. "My jacket tried to strangle me."
"My bow randomly exploded, sending shrapnel flying everywhere," Phoebe narrowed her eyes.
"When that happened, we left the rest of the Hunters so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire," Zoe did another perimeter scan. "We came to the forest, where our powers as a Hunter are amplified."
"Couldn't it just be a series of unfortunate coincidences?" Naruto was already shaking his head before he finished the sentence. "No, never mind. It's never a coincidence."
"Indeed," Zoe inclined her head. "There's someone influencing things from the shadows - an unknown being that is trying to prevent one of us from going onto the quest. They haven't even touched me yet, probably because I'm the leader of the quest, but they're definitely after Bianca and Phoebe."
Phoebe scowled and muttered a nasty Ancient Greek curse that Naruto will not translate. "This is annoying. Who the hell is doing this?"
"Kronos," Naruto said grimly. The temperature seemed to drop by ten degrees around them.
"The Titan Lord?" Zoe shrugged. "Probably. He would certainly benefit from having only four people go on the quest." She frowned. "That doesn't explain why he's only targeting the Hunters, though. Has anything bad occured to you yet, Naruto?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nope."
"Odd. . ." Zoe frowned.
Why would Kronos only target the Hunters? Why not Thalia or Naruto? Did Kronos just not like the Hunters of Artemis or something? Or maybe it was because -
Naruto tensed up as he suddenly sensed something. "Hey, uhh. . . there may or may not be hundreds of giant ants swarming towards us."
Zoe blinked. "What?"
"Yeah, umm. . . they're coming for us. And they're really, really fast. As in - " Naruto paled. "High ground."
"What?" Zoe repeated.
"HIGH GROUND! NOW!" Naruto yelled as he jumped up and landed on a tree branch. A moment later, Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe were on their own branches, still looking confused.
"What do you mean by 'giant ants' - " Bianca froze as the first wave of giant ants came into view. "Oh," she said in a quiet voice.
Zoe and Phoebe didn't waste any time talking, instead immediately shooting the ants with arrows. However, the arrows simply bounced off of the ants' black exoskeleton.
"Oh come on!" Phoebe cried. "Myrmekes?! Why are they here?!"
"What are those?" Bianca asked with equal parts revulsion and disgust.
"Myrmekes," Zoe took careful aim and shot an arrow straight into a chink in an ant's armor. It disintegrated into dust - enraging the other ants and causing them to become even faster. ". . . that's not good. Myrmekes are giant ants. They have an almost-unbreakable armor that Celestial Bronze cannot pierce, their mandibles can easily crush a demigod, and they spray poison."
Naruto did a double-take at that. "They spray poison?!" he asked, horrified.
Zoe nodded. "Yes. I believe our best course of action to take is to retrea - "
"Hell no!" Naruto withdrew a single silver kunai. "These are giant ants that can spray poison and crush a demigod. And it's not just one ant - it's a whole swarm of them! You want to just run away from them and leave them be? No, they're all going to die!" At this moment, Naruto suddenly regretted not knowing any Fire Jutsus. These ants deserved a Gokakyu or two.
Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
A single kunai became several hundred. Flawless execution. This was a jutsu he had perfected recently, although the name was rather misleading. Even though it had "shuriken" in the name, it could be applied to any projectile, including kunai and senbon.
Hundreds of kunai slammed into the Myrmekes with the force of a high-caliber sniper bullet. While the silver wasn't strong enough to penetrate the Myrmekes' hard exoskeleton, enough kunais made their way through the chinks in their armor, killing quite a lot of them. The rest backed up, wary.
Naruto smiled in satisfaction. Now, where did he put his explosive tags - he was suddenly aware of several stares on him. He looked over. Bianca, Zoe, and Phoebe were staring at him, their eyes wide in shock.
"Oh. Yeah, that's my chakra," Naruto grinned. "Pretty cool, right?"
"That was. . ." Zoe hesitated.
"Beautiful," Phoebe finished. "A silver rain of death and destruction. You may be a male, but you're not completely useless."
"Wow. . . thanks."
"You're welcome," Phoebe responded sincerely. Then she sighed. "In any event, this has gone on long enough. Zoe, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath
Zoe's eyes widened. "Phoebe, what are you going to - "
"HEY!" Phoebe shouted to the night sky. "YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GO ON THIS QUEST? FINE! I WON'T GO! SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST CHILL AND STOP ALL THESE BULLSHIT ATTACKS?"
Oddly enough, the sky didn't respond.
"Phoebe - " Zoe began but Phoebe cut her off.
"No. Whoever is trying to prevent us from going. . . they're not stopping. I have a feeling that the attacks are only going to get worse from here, and I don't want Bianca or you hurt. This time, it was a Myrmekes attack. What next? Are they going to send a hydra after us?" Phoebe paused. "THAT WASN'T A SUGGESTION, BY THE WAY."
Once again, the sky did not respond.
"The choice is clear," Phoebe said. "I won't go on this quest."
"Wait," Bianca spoke up. "If anyone should stay behind, it should be me. I'm new - I won't do very well on the quest."
Phoebe shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I believe in your skills. This is a good way for you to prove yourself and to grow as a Hunter."
Zoe nodded. "Indeed. Phoebe, if you insist - "
"I do."
"Very well, then. . ." Zoe sighed regretfully. "We won't take you along for the quest."
As if on cue, the Myrmekes, who had been warily circling them, immediately began heading back. Naruto itched to kill them (because GIANT ANTS) but decided against it. It might harm the ecosystem of the forest if he wiped out an entire species.
"Well, that takes care of that," Phoebe clapped her hands together. "I think we're safe now."
Zoe nodded. "It appears so."
"I'll head back to the cabin, get some sleep," Phoebe yawned. "Good luck, Zoe, Bianca. Bring Lady Artemis back."
And she was gone, sprinting through the forests and disappearing into the night.
Naruto stared at Zoe and Bianca. "Okay then. That just happened. Umm. . . see you at dawn?"
Zoe nodded. "Yes."
Bianca waved goodbye.
XxX
There were external forces at play. Unknown external forces.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. He disliked people who controlled events from the shadows. Like Obito. And Madara. And Black Zetsu. And Danzo.
After about an hour of aimlessly walking around and enjoying being in the forest, Naruto made his way back to Thalia's pine tree, the designated meeting place.
"Yo," Naruto smiled at the dragon, Peleus. "No hard feelings, right?"
Peleus simply observed him, still curled around the base of the tree.
"Okay then. I'll take that as a yes. Mind if I sit down?"
Peleus didn't reply but he did shift around to make room for Naruto. He sat down, back against the tree, the Golden Fleece overhead.
"I'm kinda worried, you know?" Naruto gazed down at his hand. "A being powerful enough to capture Artemis. . . can I even fight against them? How strong would they have to be?"
The primary problem here was that Naruto lacked information. He didn't know how strong a god of this world would be; Apollo has never fought him for real before. He can assume that the gods are about as strong as Kaguya - but at the same time, the demigods at Camp Half-Blood were nowhere near Hagoromo's level. Or even Asura - hell, they weren't even as powerful as a normal human shinobi, like Kakashi.
But how much would human blood dilute divine power? Gods were definitely not twice as strong as demigods, so using demigods as a basis of power wouldn't work.
He knew that mortals would disintegrate if they even looked upon a god's divine form. Even though Naruto wasn't a mortal, he still had never risked looking at Apollo's divine form before. There was no guarantee he would survive.
In the old myths, the biggest display of power Naruto could think of was when Zeus trapped Typhon under Mount Etna, similar to Chibaku Tensei. However, Apollo had once referred to Zeus's master bolt as a "weapon that made hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." Was that an exaggeration, or was it legitimate?
And was Artemis close to Zeus's level in terms of power? Zeus was the king of the gods, after all, not to mention being Artemis's father.
Naruto sighed heavily. Oh well. It's not as if this wasn't the first time he'd be going into a battle with little to no information whatsoever. It's always worked out before - and this time, it will work again.
Because Naruto won't fail. It doesn't matter if he has to fight Kronos and his army of Titans all by himself - he will bring Artemis back.
"Y'know, Peleus. . . I'm kinda tired. Do you mind if I take a quick nap?"
Peleus didn't reply.
And Naruto closed his eyes.
XxX
Is. . . is this a demigod dream?! Naruto gazed around in wonder. He was still asleep - he didn't recall waking up. He was in a dark cave; the only source of light came from the dim glow of a Celestial Bronze ornament on the wall.
"Who in the name of Night is he?!"
Naruto turned his head to see who had spoken. He couldn't see anything - it was too dark. The voice was raspy and. . . old. Naruto couldn't tell if it came from a man or a woman.
"I don't know!" Another voice snapped, frustration evident. "I can't find his string!"
"What do you mean you can't find his string?!" A third voice spoke up, incredulity and disbelief in its voice. "It's literally impossible for us to lose the thread!"
"Well, you find it then!" The second voice snapped back. "Did any of you misplace it?"
"No!" The first voice responded. "Before today, I didn't even know that he existed!"
"I don't understand how this is even possible!" Even though Naruto couldn't see anything, he could imagine the second voice's person pulling out their hair. If they even had hair.
"Well you know what, it is possible, and it's happening right before our eyes!" The third voice replied. "What should we do?"
"What can we do?" The first voice said.
"Call mother?" the second voice suggested.
Naruto could almost feel the eye-rolling of the other two. "You think she cares?"
The second voice paused. "Good point."
"At this point," the third voice said resolutely, "We can only watch for now. Let's see if the situation gets any worse."
"Agreed."
"Very well."
And the scene before Naruto dissolved, leaving Naruto with two very pressing questions.
Who the hell were they?
And. . . had they been talking about him?
Naruto had expected to gain answers and essential information from a demigod dream, like the dreams the Great Toad Sage had. Instead, he received a cryptic vision that left him with more questions than when he had begun.
Demigod dreams sucks.
This chapter had been rewritten.
With Chiron. . . well, I feel bad for him. I didn't realize before, but when I was brushing up on Greek myths, I realized just how many heroes died in the stupidest ways possible. After several thousand years, Chiron is probably sick of it all.
Thank you all for reading, and please review :)
euphoric
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