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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 9: Atlas
"Hey, uhh, Zoe. . ." Percy cautiously looked behind them. "You know that the sidewalk is for walking, not driving, right?" Several pedestrians yelled curses after them, having narrowly avoided being hit and some were pulling out their phones, presumably to call the police.
Zoe cast a glance at him. "We have no time to waste. Regrouping with Naruto is our biggest priority right now."
"Hey, you don't need to worry about Boss," the shadow clone spoke up. "He'll be fine on his own."
Zoe looked amused. "Trust me, I'm not worried about Naruto. I simply do not wish to wait in traffic any longer. The faster we regroup, the faster we can try to figure out how to reach the summit. Perhaps if Naruto asked for Apollo's help in lowering the Mist. . ."
"Mist?" Percy frowned. "What does the Mist have to do with anything?"
Zoe stared at Percy incredulously. "Has Chiron not taught you anything yet? What do you guys even do at Camp Half-Blood?"
"Don't worry, it's just Percy," Thalia smirked. She had fully reverted back to her old self. Thank the gods for demigods' short attention span. "For someone who's best friends with a child of Athena, he can be remarkably dense."
"Hey!"
"Percy, how do you think the gods lifted the summit of Mount Othrys out of this reality?" Thalia asked.
"Uhh. . . magic?" came the eloquent reply.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "Everything we do is magic, Percy. The gods used the Mist."
"I thought the Mist was only a superficial illusion that prevented mortals from seeing godly stuff," Percy frowned.
"You're right," Thalia nodded. "But that is only one of the Mist's functions. How do you think Olympus formed over the Empire State Building?"
Percy blinked. ". . . magic?"
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a reply. It formed out of the Mist, Percy," Thalia explained. "Don't ask me how the exact process works; I don't think anyone truly knows though."
"You know how the Greek gods shifted with the heart of Western civilization?" Zoe took over from Thalia. "How do you think everything transferred over? There wasn't a team of builders or anything. The Sea of Monsters, the Lotus Casino, DOA Recording Studios. . . they were all automatically created - or rather, re-created - by the Mist."
"The Lotus Casino?" Bianca suddenly spoke up, her eyes wide with what appeared to be fear.
Zoe looked over. "Yeah. Why?" she asked in concern when she saw Bianca's terrified look.
"It's - it's nothing," Bianca looked away. "Never mind."
Zoe frowned but continued. "At any rate, not only could the Mist be used to change reality but it could also be used to separate reality into different dimensions. Reality has different layers, and it's possible to move one part of reality to a different layer - in other words, lift a location out of the normal space-time. It's extremely rare though, and it takes a lot of energy - you need several major gods working together to accomplish it."
Percy made a sound of comprehension. "I see. So when we went to the Lotus Casino, it was lifted out of the normal flow of time, right?" Bianca drew in a sharp breath.
Thalia nodded. "Yup - although it still existed in the normal space, which is why you could enter and exit it like normal. It wasn't done by a god though; the process was entirely automatic."
"Indeed. A location can exist in a different space, time, or both," Zoe elaborated. "For example, the Garden of Hesperides originally didn't follow the normal flow of time - it existed in a state of perpetual twilight. Anyone could walk inside; it's just that once they entered, the time would change. After the gods manipulated the Mist, however, the Garden was lifted out of the normal space as well, so the only way for someone to enter is during twilight when the Garden returned to normal space."
"When you say the Lotus Casino was lifted out the normal flow of time," Bianca began hesitantly, "What do you mean by that?"
Percy glanced over. "Grover, Annabeth - " his face darkened slightly " - and I were trapped there during our first quest to retrieve the master bolt. We stayed for about an hour, but when we came out, five days had passed outside."
Bianca paled substantially.
Zoe noticed. "What is it?"
Bianca looked down at her lap. "Umm. . . Nico and I stayed at the Lotus Casino for several weeks."
A silence descended over them all.
Percy snapped his fingers. "That explains why you didn't know who Spiderman was."
Thalia shot him a dirty look.
"What?" Percy said defensively.
"Not the time," she hissed.
"Bianca," Zoe began cautiously, "Who is the current president?"
Bianca told them the correct president.
"And who was the president before that?" Zoe asked.
"FDR," Bianca responded.
Another silence.
"Bianca," Zoe said gently. "FDR was not the last president. That was about seventy years ago."
Bianca's eyes became suspiciously bright. "Oh." She looked down at her hands, as if she was afraid that they'd suddenly start wrinkling and turn grey. "I - I'm. . ." she trailed off. "I'm not that old," she whispered.
Thalia's gaze softened. "It's okay, Bianca. You're still a normal twelve year old daughter of Hades. Don't look at things chronologically - we live in Greek myths."
"Grover is in his twenties," Percy added. "But satyrs age slower than humans. Don't worry too much about it."
Bianca nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're right. Sorry, I'm just a little shocked." She smiled at them. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Apollo can lower the Mist?" Naruto spoke up suddenly.
Zoe hesitated. "I admit, I don't really know. Perhaps he can. However, I'm fairly certain that only the Elder Olympians have the jurisdiction to alter the Mist on the mountain. But if you asked Apollo to ask Zeus to temporarily let us through. . ."
"Got it," the clone nodded.
"Speaking of which, we're here," Zoe slammed on the brakes. They stopped at the base of a cluster of mountains.
"Finally," Thalia said. "It only took, what, three traffic accidents?"
Zoe nodded. "The mortal police are after us."
"What?!"
"I'm not surprised you didn't notice. Thy situational awareness is atrocious. I manipulated the Mist to make them go away temporarily, but they're probably back to their senses by now." Zoe stepped on the accelerator once more. "So we should hurry."
The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all; in fact, she seemed to go even faster.
"Dear Zeus!" Thalia yelped as they narrowly avoided being plunged into a ravine by mere inches. "Zoe, the brakes are meant to be used! You're supposed to lift your foot off the accelerator!"
"Amateur," Zoe muttered. "Hey Naruto, do you know where thy. . . Boss is?"
"He's up the mountain," Naruto answered. They were in the forest, and he once again had access to his godlike senses and perfect awareness. Surprisingly, it was the exact same as when he had entered Sage Mode.
Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Perhaps. . . whenever he was in a forest, Artemis's domain, her energy passively flowed into him, augmenting his abilities. However, in Sage Mode, Naruto was actively drawing upon her energy, which had the same effects. Which was why whenever he was in Sage Mode, it was as if he was in a forest. That was pretty cool.
As they passed a scenic curve, Percy suddenly exclaimed, "Guys!"
They looked out the window. There was a big white ship docked at the beach. A cruise ship. The shadow clone frowned. He hadn't sensed it. Although that was probably because it was still in the ocean, and therefore still in Poseidon's domain.
"Luke's ship," Thalia hissed. "The Princess Andromeda."
Bianca blinked. "What's wrong with that ship?"
"It's owned by Luke, a traitor," Percy explained grimly. "On board, there are a lot of monsters and enemy demigods."
"We will have company, then," Zoe announced.
Thalia grinned. "Perfect. I've been wanting to let off some steam ever since Naruto defeated all those mortal mercenaries when Thorn attacked without letting us do a single thing."
Percy nodded. "No offense, Naruto, but that wasn't a really nice move. I had been ready to destroy all the mercenaries with an awesome water attack, but then you swooped in with your Sage Mode thing."
"I mean, at least let us have some of the fun, you know?" Thalia agreed.
"Ah, my bad," Naruto apologized sincerely. "I'm pretty sure Boss just wanted to take care of it quickly."
"Wait, Percy, Thalia, are you saying that we were fine against those mercenaries with guns?" Bianca asked.
"Well, yeah," Percy confirmed. "I don't know what Thorn was thinking, or if he was even thinking at all. Sure, they have guns, but we're faster than bullets. Besides, I'm the son of Poseidon, and we were right next to the water."
Thalia nodded. "Percy and I had been a second away from defeating them all when Naruto beat us to it."
"Bianca, don't you remember?" Zoe had an amused smile on her face. "We can literally intercept the bullets in midair with our arrows."
Bianca flushed. "Oh. Right."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah. . . sorry guys. I think Boss just underestimated you all."
Thalia rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me. He bought our scared act?"
Naruto stared. "You guys were acting scared? But Boss was acting scared too. . ."
Percy broke out into a grin. "You mean that all of us were pretending to be scared and weak to get them to drop their guard - but we believed each other's acting?"
Naruto chuckled. "It appears so."
"Umm," Bianca began tentatively.
"Oh! Don't worry, you're still new," Percy hastily reassured. "I was super freaked out at everything too when I first found out I was a demigod. Give it some time."
Zoe nodded. "It's one of the reasons why I took you on this quest. I wished for you to gain experience. Once you have enough experience and knowledge, situations like with the mortal mercenaries won't even faze you."
Bianca nodded. "Yeah, you guys were all so calm and confident on this quest while I. . ." she trailed off.
Thalia smiled in understanding. "We were all like that when we first began. What's important is that you stuck through and didn't freeze up in fear or run away."
"Above all, you didn't give up," Naruto grinned. "And that's what truly matters."
XxX
It was a calm afternoon for the denizens of San Francisco. There was a bustling crowd of tourists taking pictures of random street corners and unwittingly holding up pedestrians. If they were attentive, they would see a man and a woman sitting outside of a cafe. The man was scruffy and looked homeless, and the woman was absolutely gorgeous. And if they were really attentive, they would've noticed the seething rage in the man's eye.
"They're going to do what now?!" Apollo snarled in pure, unadulterated rage.
Selene nodded. "You heard me."
Heat and energy radiated off of Apollo in waves as his eyes glowed golden in rage and fury. If it weren't for the Mist obscuring them, they would be getting a lot of fearful looks. "I'm going to kill them all."
Selene chuckled. "I doubt you can."
Something dark lurked in Apollo's eyes. "You'd be surprised at what I can do when my little sister is in danger." He paused. "No, danger would be an understatement. Immortal jeopardy is more like it."
"You're strong, Apollo," Selene said soothingly. "But even you can't defeat Atlas in one on one combat."
"He's old," Apollo muttered. "Spent several thousand years in a cramped up position. I can take him."
Selene sighed. "Apollo, I didn't tell you all of this so you would rush off foolheartedly in a desperate attempt to save Artemis."
"Yeah, well, that's exactly what is going to happen because I have no backup."
Selene blinked. "What do you mean?"
Apollo sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Zeus ordered a blanket ban on helping the quest members for the gods. I'm only here because I'm incognito. But none of the other gods are coming."
For the first time in about a hundred years, Selene broke her calm composure. "Are you serious?!" she asked incredulously. "This is Atlas we're talking about. Even the gods would have trouble taking him down. And Zeus expects mere demigods to do the job?"
"Exactly!" Apollo declared. He sighed tiredly. "So yeah. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only god down here right now about to help the demigods. Athena is staying back until she has more information - she said something about not walking into an obvious trap - and the other gods are too apathetic to storm the mountain."
Selene was silent for a moment, taking in the new information. "The situation is worse than I had anticipated."
Apollo nodded grimly. "At least you're here." Selene opened her mouth but he suddenly grinned. "So, you're a double agent now, huh?"
Selene rolled her eyes. "Please don't call me that. I have no idea why the Titans thought that I would be on their side. They probably guessed that I would resent Artemis for taking away my domain of the moon."
Apollo snorted. "I thought Prometheus was supposed to be smart. Hey, so how do you feel about being called Double O7 - "
Selene silenced him with a glare. "Focus, Apollo. Avoiding the topic isn't going to make it go away."
He became serious again. "You're right. My bad. So how are we going to save Artemis? I already know that the demigods are driving up the mountain right now and Naruto is already in the Garden and presumably going up to the summit."
Selene blinked. "How did the kid get in? I thought you had to be a god to be able to navigate past the Mist like that."
"To be honest, I don't really know," Apollo admitted. "Although he's not mortal, so that might explain it." He snapped his fingers. "Speaking of which, the other demigods also have to enter the Garden. I'll have to ask Father to temporarily lift the Mist and allow them through."
"You do that. Anyway, to save Artemis, we have to end things before Atlas enters his divine form," Selene steepled her fingers together. "Once he's trapped under the sky, he'll be unable to enter, but until then, the only thing holding him back is his pride."
Apollo nodded. "I doubt he'll use his divine form against a bunch of demigods. So I guess we should - "
"There is no we," Selene interrupted.
"What?"
"That's what I tried to tell you earlier," Selene sighed. "I can't fight."
Apollo stared. "But I need you with me."
"I'm sorry," Selene whispered. "But. . . I'm weak now. I don't stand a chance against Atlas anymore. Hell, I think even you can defeat me without much difficulty."
"That's impossible," Apollo shook his head. "You once singlehandedly held off Typhon for several hours before he finally incapacitated you."
"That was eons ago. But after I gave up my domain. . ." Selene shrugged helplessly. "I gained a lot from letting Artemis take over my duty, but in doing so, I also lost much of my power. Sorry, Apollo, but you're alone on this one."
Apollo muttered out some Greek curses.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
Apollo stood up. "Very well. I have to go."
Selene smiled. "Good luck. Go save your little sister."
"I will," Apollo answered with a fiery determination. "And. . ." his gaze softened. "Thank you." Then, in a flash of golden light, he was gone.
Selene watched him go with a sad smile. She would probably be targeted by the Titans for betraying them, but that was fine. She may have failed in saving her brother, but she'll be damned if she let history repeat itself with the new twin gods of the sun and the moon.
Her eyebrows raised as she caught sight of a golden MP3 player on the table. Did Apollo leave it behind for her? Intrigued, Selene pressed the play button and the music drifted up to her ears.
She couldn't help it. She laughed when the James Bond theme began playing from the tiny speakers.
Helios. . . your successor. . . he's a lot like you. I wonder, would you have liked him?
XxX
If Naruto didn't know any better, he would've sworn that he was just teleported to a different mountain. Naruto's intuition sputtered a bit at the sudden change before new information streamed into Naruto's mind once more.
Day became twilight and, instead of an empty clearing, Naruto found himself in the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. A hundred-headed dragon - Ladon - was coiled around a five-story-tall apple tree with golden apples that smelled amazing.
Above Naruto, the partly cloudy sky vanished and an angry storm replaced it. Dense grey clouds swirled continuously around the peak of the mountain and the temperature of the mountain seemed to drop by twenty degrees.
"Who are you?" A voice demanded. Naruto shifted his gaze to see four figures staring at him confusedly. Four young women that greatly resembled Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons and had caramel skin. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders.
The Hesperides.
Naruto wasn't dealing with this. Within a second, he sprinted out of the Garden with only a faint afterimage left behind. Ladon didn't even have enough time to react.
As he exited the Garden, twilight became day again. It appeared that only the Garden existed in a state of perpetual twilight; Mount Othrys followed the same time as the outside world and only existed in a different space.
There was a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. Naruto ignored it, instead simply tree jumping. His eyes darted around, prepared for an ambush or attack, but it appeared that nobody noticed him. Apparently, they were confident enough in the Mist keeping everyone out.
At any rate, he was quickly brought out of his thoughts when he reached the top of the mountain. Ruins littered the area. Half formed blocks of black marble. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.
The ruins of Othrys, the mountain fortress of the Titans. This was bad. According to Apollo, Othrys was blasted to pieces in the Titan war, reduced to nothing but dust. But now, it was slowly reforming from the Mist in the same process as when Olympus formed over New York. Shifting with the heart of civilization and rising from old but not forgotten memories. Growing with the increase in the Titans' power.
The ruins around Naruto was nothing more but a streak as he rushed past. He could sense Artemis up ahead along with several other presences. A Rasengan formed in his hand - no. A Rasengan wouldn't be enough - it barely even scratched Apollo. Against Atlas. . .
Naruto reached the summit and his heart stopped at the sight.
Gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. She was holding up the sky itself. And judging from the sweat drenching her form and how her entire body trembled under the weight, she was in massive pain.
Next to her, a man wearing a brown silk suit reclined in a soft leather couch. He had a book in his hand but he wasn't reading it; instead, he was talking to Artemis, a smirk on his face, obviously enjoying her pain. He radiated pure power on a level Naruto had never felt before. Naruto's muscles tensed up unconsciously as his instincts sent him warnings after warnings, telling him that this man was dangerous.
This was a Titan who had lived for millenia. Older than Madara, older than the Sage of Six Paths, older than even Kaguya herself.
This was a Titan who had seen the rise of mankind and would probably see the fall.
Atlas. The General of the Titan army.
But right now, he was none of those. At that moment, to Naruto, Atlas was nothing but someone who was hurting his mother.
Naruto could accept many things.
This was not one of them.
Futon: Rasenshuriken!
Atlas whirled around the instant Naruto appeared in his field of vision, but he was too slow. The Rasenshuriken flew towards him - a rotating shuriken of pure wind, coated in a layer of senjutsu chakra to maintain the shape even after it was thrown. Unlike before, however, the Rasenshuriken emitted a bright purple-silver light. Naruto's eyes widened in realization. His senjutsu chakra was a combination of his own chakra and the natural energy of Artemis. Which meant that the silver light was Artemis's divine power.
The Rasenshuriken slammed into Atlas's chest and blew him back, slamming him into a large black marble column a solid twenty feet away from Artemis. Atlas roared in pain and surprise as chakra and divine power worked together to obliterate him on a microscopic level and the column behind him cracked from the force.
Then the central sphere of the Rasenshuriken detonated, producing a massive vortex of wind and unleashing millions of blades of wind and tiny shards of silver light. Atlas let out another roar that was drowned out by the sound of the explosion. The column was completely destroyed, releasing a puff of black dust that obscured Atlas's battered body from view.
Naruto smirked. That should keep Atlas down for a couple minutes.
"Naruto?!" Artemis gasped out, her voice strained.
Naruto was by her side immediately. "Mom! Are you okay?"
"What are you doing here?" Fear filled Artemis's voice. "Run!"
Naruto smiled as he quickly cut through the chains binding her. "Don't worry - "
"Naruto," a deep voice mused. The force of the voice seemed to make the ground underneath them vibrate, as if the earth itself was talking. "The mysterious newcomer to Camp Half-Blood."
Atlas strolled out from the cloud of black dust calmly, rubbing at his shoulder. Naruto gaped at the sight. Golden ichor dripped out of a few cuts on his chest, but other than that, Atlas looked completely fine. Even as Naruto watched, the cuts on Atlas's chest healed up until he looked as good as new, albeit with an extremely ripped suit.
A cruel smile spread across Atlas's face. "I have to thank you for doing that, Naruto. Slamming me into the column like that did wonders for my back. Released a little bit of the tension."
"How?!" Naruto asked in disbelief. "Your cells were damaged on the microscopic level. You should've been incapacitated for at least half a minute!"
Atlas raised his eyebrows. "Kid, I'm not a human," he answered simply. "Your kind is too fragile and weak. I am a Titan - not only that, but I am the Titan of endurance and strength." Atlas smiled. "Now then, I'm glad you came. We have much to discuss. . . son of Artemis. But before that, please get rid of that illusion. Talk to me face to face."
Naruto paused before allowing the Henge to dispel. There was no point in maintaining it anymore.
Atlas's smile grew as he took in Naruto's appearance. "Interesting. You know, Artemis, he looks a lot like you. I wonder what you'll do when I kill him. Will you cry? I think you will - you gods are the sentimental sort."
Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Touch him, and you will die."
"Aww, how cute," Atlas walked forward, a Stygian Iron spear appearing in his hand out of nowhere. "It's almost as if you care. Unless - Don't tell me. Could it be? Does little Artemis actually care about her son?" His voice took on a mocking lilt as he twirled the spear around.
"Naruto, please, run," Artemis whispered. "You can't fight him."
Naruto didn't move as Atlas stopped a few meters in front of them, his spear resting casually on his shoulder. Naruto stood absolutely still, gazing off into the distance. Then his eyes focused and determination roared to life within them. "I thought I already told you. I don't run."
Atlas laughed, a deep bass sound that echoed through the ruins. "That's adorable. Say, Naruto, how do you feel about joining the Titan army?"
Naruto blinked. "What?"
"We have excellent benefits," Atlas said. "And when the Titans conquer the world, we'll even let you have your own piece of land. And, more importantly, you'll have the respect you deserve. You won't have to hide away behind an illusion because of your parentage. Instead, you will be honored for your strength. How does it sound?"
"Are you insane?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
Atlas shrugged. "We've been keeping an eye on you. And we're impressed by what we see." At Naruto's incredulous look, Atlas sighed. "Then at least tell me this: why do you even defend the gods? You can't seriously tell me that the gods have the moral high ground over Titans. Hell, they're even worse than the Titans in some aspects."
Naruto froze. Atlas noticed.
"Exactly," Atlas smiled and spread his arms. "Look at the gods. They're pathetic. All they do is cause pain and suffering wherever they go. Countless human lives are lost or destroyed because of their pettiness. Just look at when the master bolt was stolen. When Zeus and Poseidon were bickering, their domains reflected their state. Nearly two hundred lives were lost in storms. Freak accidents, the media called it. You know what I call it? Murder."
"Don't pretend like you Titans don't do the same things," Artemis spat.
"We do," Atlas shrugged. "You're right. But at least we're brutally honest about it. We don't hide behind a veneer of goodness and righteousness. And, more importantly, we Titans don't engage in senseless killings like the gods do. If we kill, then we kill with a purpose and only with a purpose."
He spread his arms in a grandiose gesture, his voice a deep rumble that reverberated around the ruins as if Naruto was surrounded by speakers.
"In the world we Titans wish to create, there will never be a mother mourning the loss of her child because Zeus woke up cranky again and blasted some mortals with his lightning bolt. There will never be a brother looking for his sister because Poseidon got into another argument with Athena and decided to drown an entire cruise ship."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Prosperity. Peace." Atlas continued. "That is the world that we wish to create. The gods can literally make food appear out of thin air but you still see humans starving on the streets. Does that seem right to you? When we conquer the world, humans will get everything they need. Food. Water. Shelter."
Naruto paused. "And in return, humans will become your slaves and obey your every command with no choice of their own?"
Atlas smiled coldly. "Precisely. I'm glad you understand. A world like that would be perfect - "
"Perfect only for the Titans," Naruto interrupted. "A world like that. . . it would only be a false peace. False prosperity. Humans wouldn't be free - they would be caged, like a bird. Their destinies would be determined by you Titans and not themselves. It may be true that the gods kill humans, ending their hopes and dreams, but if you Titans are in rule, then humans won't even have hopes or dreams. And I cannot - no, I will not accept that."
"That's true," Atlas admitted. "But hey, do you really think humans can be trusted to have their own dreams? Make their own decisions? Just look at them. They waste their lives away with drugs and gambling and their little addictions. Wouldn't it be better if someone capable made their decisions for them?"
"With a good leader, perhaps," Naruto responded. "But see, that's the thing. You Titans aren't good leaders - far from it. Quite frankly, despite your words and promises, I don't trust you to make the best decisions for the good of the people."
Konoha was similar to the world Atlas described. A village in which the Hokage had control over everything. Unlike America, there was no democracy. There was no voting. There was no council of elected civilians. The Hokage's word was absolute law, and the only way to disobey the Hokage without any fear of punishment was to either be a high-ranking shinobi with lots of influence and power that the village simply could not afford to piss off unless they wanted their lives to suddenly become a massive pain, as was the case with Kakashi-sensei, or they could be the village Jinchuuriki and son of the previous Hokage, as was the case with Naruto.
However, the system worked perfectly because everything the Hokage did was for the good of the village. The Hokage was the leader, the one that everyone acknowledged. They lived for the village and they died for the village. They willingly gave up their lives to protect the people of Konoha.
The Hokage was the living embodiment of the Will of the Fire.
And that was why Naruto didn't believe in Atlas's pretty words and promises. Because no Titan would act like the Hokage. The Titans were selfish and self-serving. Everything they did was for their own pleasures and happiness. If the Titans made the decision for the humans, the decisions wouldn't be for the good of the humans, or the good of the world. It would be for the good of the Titans.
Atlas sighed. "The gods have tainted your view of us, I see."
Naruto stared. "Hestia told me about you guys, and she's about as fair and unbiased as you can get. If she thought you guys were terrible people, then you guys were terrible people. Besides, didn't Kronos used to fast-forward the lives of humans with his time powers so he could see them wither up and die?"
A moment of silence.
"Damn it, Kronos!" Atlas snapped. "I told you that your actions would harm our PR image. It would be fine, you said. There's no way we would be affected by it, you said." He sighed dramatically. "Alright, fine. So maayyybe I glossed over a few details. But come on! Even though I may have fabricated and whitewashed some things, the world would still be better than it is now."
Naruto chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. A world where nobody could have dreams. . . a world where everyone's destiny is determined for them by the Titans. . . that's a world I'll do everything in my power to prevent from coming true."
They had a brief staredown, determined silver eyes against cold grey eyes. Then Atlas sighed. "At least I tried."
"Oh, and one more thing," Naruto began, his silver eyes suddenly filled with determination. "You're wrong in that I'm defending the gods."
Atlas raised his eyebrows in interest.
"The actions of the gods. . . I won't deny that they make terrible choices sometimes, and I won't make any excuses for them."
Next to him, Artemis looked away as Atlas smirked.
"But that doesn't matter right now," Naruto continued. "For you see, I care about my family." Hestia. Apollo. Artemis. "And it's when you hurt the people that are precious to me that I'll have to completely and utterly destroy you."
Naruto's voice wasn't as deep as Atlas's, but somehow it still carried the same weight and power; the determination and resolve of a shinobi that has lost too much and isn't willing to lose any more.
Atlas chuckled. "You'll completely and utterly destroy me? Don't make me laugh. I was affected for a total of eight seconds by your strongest attack. It only took me eight seconds to heal everything up. Granted, it was a painful eight seconds, but hold up the sky for a couple thousand years and pain isn't really an issue anymore."
Naruto tilted his head. "Who said that was my strongest attack?"
Atlas's eyes gleamed with amusement and interest. "Oh? Then show me, Naruto, son of Artemis. Try your best to defeat me. And when you finally collapse on the ground battered and broken, if you managed to give me enough entertainment, I may be merciful enough to grant you a painless death."
Naruto held up his fingers in a familiar cross-shaped seal. "My name is Naruto. You hurt my mother. Prepare to die." Apollo would be so proud of that reference.
An army of shadow clones popped into existence and charged Atlas head-on. Naruto wanted to gauge Atlas's strength and abilities -
Atlas immediately leaped back to gain distance, his eyes flickering around. Then he shrugged and flicked his hand, releasing an incredible wave of energy. Immediately, all the shadow clones were blown back by the unseen force before dispelling in midair releasing puffs of chakra smoke.
"Did you just Shinra Tensei my clones?!" Naruto asked incredulously.
Atlas frowned. "Shinra what now?"
"Ah, never mind."
That's annoying. Atlas had an ability similar to the Almighty Push that the Deva Path of Pain used. Naruto hoped that there was a time or usage limit to it, though he honestly doubted it. Titans weren't constrained by silly stuff like chakra or stamina, especially not Atlas.
Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Atlas didn't even bother dodging the hundreds of kunais streaking his way. They slammed into him and had as much effect as pebbles on a tank. Atlas smirked. "Please. I am the Titan of endurance and strength. Try a little harder. Give me some challenge."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Not only was Atlas a Titan, which already meant that his durability and resilience was several thousand times greater than a normal human's, but his domains of endurance and strength meant that Atlas was an impenetrable fortress of muscle and skill. The resilience and durability on par of Juubi Madara and a regeneration that may actually be greater.
He wasn't fighting some lowly monster like the Nemean Lion or the manticore.
This was the real deal.
The Titan of strength and endurance. The second strongest Titan, Kronos's right hand man. The Bearer of the Heavens.
Atlas.
For the first time since the battle with Kaguya, Naruto had to fight for real. He stood absolutely still for a second before vanishing in a blur of speed.
And across from him, Atlas smiled.
XxX
About twenty meters away, safe inside their temporary hideout, Prometheus sighed disappointedly, staring at the holographic images. "It didn't work. They decided to fight."
"Shall I go out and help?" Luke Castellan asked. He had his sword, Backbiter - half Celestial Bronze, half steel - already out. Its razor edge glinted menacingly, as if it was thirsty for blood - and considering how the blade had a small degree of sentience, it probably was. An angry scar ran down his face, but it was nothing compared to the numerous scars on Prometheus.
Prometheus shook his head. "No. You would only get in the General's way." He gritted his teeth, his hands unconsciously rubbing at old scars. "I still don't understand though. How in the world did Naruto manage to get up to the mountain? It should've been impossible for him to enter the Garden of the Hesperides and reach the summit at this time."
Luke shrugged, sheathing his sword. "A god helped him, probably. We already knew that the second we involved Artemis, numerous gods would do everything they could to circumvent or even outright ignore the Ancient Laws. Besides, lifting the Mist temporarily to allow Naruto to enter probably wasn't even that big of a deal - it's technically not even direct interference."
"I know. I should've expected it. But I thought that Zeus's authority would be enough to keep them in check. That incompetent idiot."
"On the bright side, however," Luke continued, "At least we'll be able to eliminate Naruto. He came here all alone."
Prometheus straightened his silk tie. "Of course." He chuckled. "I admit, I had thought that Naruto would be more intelligent than that. Rushing in solo? What a fool."
Luke smiled. "Fortunately for us."
Prometheus sighed. "But. . . it's such a waste. I had hoped to recruit Naruto to our side. His chakra would've made an amazing addition to the Titan army. You saw how strong he was. Sadly, our normal methods of persuading demigods to join our side - amply their resentment and hate and promise them revenge against their parents - wouldn't have worked with him. I had to try to use the peaceful utopia/terrible gods narrative, but he wasn't convinced."
Luke shrugged. "To be honest, I doubt any method would've worked in turning Naruto." His eyes flashed angrily. "Naruto lived with the gods. Unlike normal demigods, he has no reason to hold resentment whatsoever towards the gods. According to our spy at Camp Half-Blood, he only knew three beings in his entire life before coming to Camp: Apollo, Artemis, and Hestia. After living with them, do you honestly think you can persuade him to join us?"
Prometheus hummed thoughtfully. "You never know, Luke. You never know. If Naruto survives this - or rather, if Atlas spares Naruto, then I think I'll take another shot." A smile spread across his face. "A challenge. . . haven't had one of those in a while."
"Whatever," Luke stood up and began walking away. "I'll go check on Annabeth."
"Have fun with your girlfriend," Prometheus called, turning back to continue watching the fight.
Luke ignored him as he had all the times before.
XxX
In retrospect, this may not have been the best idea. But it was too late to turn back now.
Nico trailed behind them, sticking to the shadows and trying desperately to not make a single sound. Hecate and Pan had fallen into a silence. Nico honestly had no idea what he should do. What could he do? There was no way he could win in a fight against two gods. He was weak and useless, and if they saw him, then he would surely die -
Bad thoughts. It appeared that the aftereffects of Pan's roar still hadn't faded yet.
"We're almost there," Hecate suddenly announced. "Once we pass the camp borders, we can teleport them out of here."
Pan bleated. "Finally."
Oh no. Nico didn't have much time left. What should he do?
He could try to break the illusion over the Hunters, but he didn't know how to. Think, what can he do? Nico had no ranged weapons, no projectiles, no explosives. All he had was a stupid knife and some pretty cool armor.
That, and his acting skills from roleplaying Mythomagic battle scenes.
Slowly but surely, a plan formed in his mind. Not a good one. Definitely not a good one. But at least he had one.
XxX
Naruto dodged the spear swipe effortlessly, leaping over it and punching Atlas. Atlas simply leaned out of the way, Naruto's fist sailing harmlessly past him - and then his head was knocked to the side by an invisible force.
"What?" Atlas touched his face in bewilderment. A mistake, it turned out, because the moment he dropped his guard, Naruto capitalized on the opening and rushed forward and delivered an open-handed strike to Atlas's chest.
Frog Strike.
A flash of silver light was released at the point of impact as ripples of natural energy emanated into Atlas's body. If performed on a normal human, their hearts would've literally exploded from the shockwave. Atlas merely grunted before stomping the ground, sending tremors through the earth. Naruto briefly lost his balance and was forced to disengage, leaping away before Atlas could counterattack
"Kid, you mind explaining exactly how your blows contain Artemis's divine energy in them?" Atlas rubbed his chest.
"Would you mind explaining how my attacks have no effect on you?" Naruto responded dryly.
"I already told you," Atlas rested his spear on his shoulder like how a fisherman would rest his fishing pole. "I am the Titan of endurance. No matter what attack you use or what trick you employ, I shall endure it until my dying breath." Atlas paused. "Oh wait, guess what?" He smiled. "Titans don't die."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, bringing his hand together in a cross-shaped seal. Time to test a hypothesis.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Atlas eyed the clones with amusement. "This again?" He waved his hand once more and the clones were all blasted back, dispelling with a puff of smoke.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Once more, Atlas raised his eyebrows before blasting the clones again.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Atlas sighed. "This is getting tedious. What are you doing this for?" he asked as he waved his hand yet again.
Atlas's AOE blasting attack had no delay. And, judging by Atlas's unconcerned gaze, there probably wasn't a usage limit. Atlas didn't have to wait before using it again and he didn't have a limit as to how much he could use. It was an attack similar to the Shinra Tensei - although nowhere near the level of power - however, it had none of the drawbacks.
"I'm just checking something out," Naruto answered.
"Really? To me it looks like you're just doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for success but failing every time," Atlas smiled smugly. "So, surrender?"
Naruto's reply came in the form of throwing a kunai at Atlas. Atlas rolled his eyes, not even bothering to move - just as Naruto had hoped. Naruto substituted with the kunai, appearing in front of Atlas. Atlas's eyes widened in shock as he reacted with an inhuman speed, slamming down his spear, but Naruto sidestepped diagonally and unleashed an uppercut to Atlas's jaw.
Atlas's head snapped back from the impact as shadow clones formed around him. Naruto kicked Atlas in the chest while two clones kicked Atlas's legs in the other direction, causing Atlas to lose balance and fall to the ground. Another clone flipped in the air before slamming down its foot in an axe kick straight to Atlas's head while Naruto leaped back, a Rasenshuriken forming in his hand.
After three years, Naruto had finally improved to the point where he could form both the Rasengan and the Rasenshuriken without the assistance of clones. For some reason, his chakra control was exponentially better in this body - perhaps it was because he was literally half chakra.
Naruto tossed the Rasenshuriken down at Atlas, jumping back to avoid the explosion. He didn't want to be caught up in the wind vortex.
Even before his feet touched the ground, Naruto's clones surrounded him once more, helping in the shape manipulation. His chakra control wasn't good enough to create this Rasengan variation alone yet.
When the wind died down, Naruto could see multiple deep wounds on Atlas's chest, although they were already starting to heal up. Fortunately, Atlas appeared to be temporarily stunned, so Naruto jumped up in the air once more to gain some extra momentum.
Planetary Rasengan.
Three normal Rasengans revolving around a Big Ball Rasengan the size of Naruto's body formed in Naruto's hand. The Planetary Rasengan functioned in that the outer Rasengans rotated in different directions than the Big Ball Rasengan, resulting in a powerful vortex that literally drills through enemies.
Naruto slammed the Planetary Rasengan down on Atlas's prone body. A whirlwind formed at the point of impact as Naruto was blown back by the explosion, landing lightly on his feet. He distinctly recalled the Edo Tensei reanimations taking longer than usual to regenerate from the Planetary Rasengan. Hopefully this would be the case here -
"Boring," Atlas stood up, his skin steaming from the immense friction generated by the spinning Rasengans. Ichor dripped freely from several cuts on his body, but they were already healing. His cold eyes were filled with annoyance and a bit of disappointment. "You're boring."
"Excuse me?" Naruto asked incredulously. "You're the one who's boring! All of my attacks are awesome and new and original. Meanwhile, you're literally just standing there because your broken Titan powers means that both your regeneration and your durability are off the charts!"
. . . Naruto was well aware of the irony of the situation.
Atlas sighed. "I had hoped that after several thousand years, my first fight would be a good one. Sadly, it appears my wishes are going to go unanswered. I'll take care of you now."
And then Atlas went onto the offensive and charged.
XxX
"We're here." Zoe finally stepped on the brakes. The others breathed sighs of relief and got out, looking around them. They were in an empty clearing on the mountainside. Sheets of fog and mist surrounded them, slightly obscuring their vision. "Alright, it appears that Naruto may have already entered the Garden somehow. Thalia, could you please ask Zeus to let us into the Garden?"
"He won't answer," Thalia responded immediately, a hint of bitterness appearing in her voice. "He never answers."
Zoe sighed. "Just try, please?"
Thalia didn't look too happy about it but she closed her eyes. "Hey, Dad? If you could let us into the Garden, that would be great. I gotta save my half-sister and all." Thumber rumbled overhead as she opened her eyes. "Did it work - dragon!"
Standing in front of them was a hundred-headed dragon. It leered at them. Its breath was disgusting, even worse than Nereus. And if Naruto hadn't met Nagato's summons or Apollo in a bikini before (long story, don't ask), it would've easily been one of the scariest creatures he had ever seen. Everything about the dragon seemed to be almost designed to invoke as much fear as possible.
"Easy, now," Zoe murmured. "No sudden movements."
Percy edged back slowly. "Guys? Why is the weather all weird?"
Above, the cloudy skies were replaced by a storm. Dense grey clouds swirled continuously around the peak of the mountain like a hurricane.
"That's the sky," Thalia answered. "Literally."
"You again," a voice called out.
They whirled around to see four girls shimmer into existence. They all greatly resembled Zoe. Naruto blanched. Wait, could it be -
"Sisters," Zoe greeted.
They were family? Huh. Naruto didn't recall there being a fifth Hesperid.
"We do not see any sister," one of the girls responded coldly. "We only see three half-bloods, a Hunter, and. . ." she paused and turned to Naruto. "What are you again?"
Naruto shrugged. "Demigod, technically." He was half god. As for Kurama. . . was he a monster? A nature spirit? Whatever. It was useless to try to classify Kurama as something within this world.
She shrugged. "Very well. It doesn't matter, really. After all, you all will die soon. I presume you asked one of the Olympians for assistance in entering the Garden?"
Percy nodded. "Yeah, Zeus answered Thalia's prayer." He grinned at Thalia. "See? I told you he wasn't completely useless - " he paused, his face becoming serious. "Wait. What did you mean by you all will die soon?"
The girl tilted her head. "I speak only the truth."
"Then we must have very different definitions of the word truth," Percy narrowed his eyes. "Unless that was a threat?"
"We mean you no harm, Percy Jackson," another girl stepped up. "However, he does. None of you can hope to defeat him - "
The mountain trembled under their feet as a massive explosion at the summit released a shockwave of pure force and wind that caused their clothes to billow out, even from all the way down here. The girls shifted uneasily and two of them cast glances upward, a hint of worry on their beautiful features.
"None of us can hope to defeat him, huh?" Percy smirked. "Well, judging by the explosion above, it certainly seems like someone is trying."
"Let's go," Zoe commanded.
"Ladon will devour you all alive," the girl warned.
Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Ladon!" she shouted. Ladon swiveled its heads towards her.
"Whoa! What happened to not provoking the big, scary dragon?" Percy whispered in alarm.
Zoe smiled, stepping forward. "Sisters, I may not have stepped foot in this Garden for thousands of years, but I do remember one thing." She reached out her hand and two of Ladon's heads leaned forward and nuzzled it. "The gods don't pay overtime. Right now, Ladon isn't a killing machine guarding Hera's tree. He's just someone who really enjoys headpats."
Percy stared. "Cerberus," he breathed.
"Go," Zoe called to them, patting Ladon on the head. "Follow the trail."
They nodded before rushing past the Hesperides who made no move to stop them. "You realize this is suicide, correct?" the girl addressed Zoe with a cold stare.
"I thought I was already dead to you," Zoe cast a glance at her, her expression undecipherable. "Why do you care?"
The girl inclined her head. "Fair enough. Good bye. . . Zoe."
XxX
Strength. Complete overwhelming strength.
Atlas's every attack was filled with brute power, inhuman in nature. Cracks formed on the ground from his footwork as columns and black marble was obliterated under the sheer force of his every blow. Blows that missed, of course.
There was a reason why most shinobi didn't use spears. Quite simply, they were too slow and predictable. There was a large period of time in which someone could react to a swing or a thrust due to the size of the weapon - a spear had to travel a much longer distance than a kunai. Naruto's speed and precognitive senses allowed him narrowly avoid each and every one of Atlas's strikes.
Naruto's eyes widened before he quickly sidestepped a spear thrust. Atlas immediately swung the spear sideways, attempting to crush Naruto's head, but Naruto leaped over it, kicking off the shaft and launching himself into the air and spinning around to deliver a powerful kick to Atlas's face.
No effect. Even with the senjutsu chakra enhancing his muscles and bones, Atlas grinned savagely before continuing with his onslaught.
Shadow clones, Rasengan variations, kunai. . . nothing worked. Atlas didn't even try to dodge anything (not that he would've been fast enough); most of the damage was mitigated entirely and the rest was all healed up. Naruto finally understood why Atlas was considered the second strongest Titan.
Nothing could keep Atlas down. An unstoppable force that could tank everything that hit him and more. He had no speed or finesse, but that didn't matter because of his overwhelming strength. The force of Atlas's blows literally generated a small whirlwind around him due to the immense pressure. If even a single one of his powerful attacks hit Naruto, then Naruto would surely - well, not die, but at least be incapacitated briefly.
Should he use Six Paths Sage Mode? Naruto had hoped to save it for the last resort. Did this count as the last resort?
No. Atlas was strong, but Naruto didn't exactly fear for his life or anything.
Besides, there was a small chance that Atlas may counter his Six Paths Sage Mode by entering his divine form. Naruto honestly didn't know if he would be able to survive the divine form. He had never tested it before simply because he could not take the risk; Kurama wasn't divine. Until he knew what Kurama was categorized as, he had to continue to stay vigilant.
He should just keep on fighting Atlas in Sage Mode. Stall until backup arrives. He had things under control. There wasn't a need to use Six Paths Sage Mode.
Yet.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Clones swarmed Atlas once more, who didn't even bother waving his hand and instead let out a roar. The clones all dispelled once more as Atlas continued charging Naruto. The ground shook and rocks and boulders and broken columns were crushed into dust as Atlas missed all of his attacks.
Thank the gods Atlas was using a spear. Naruto had plenty of time to react and dodge the strikes. Atlas may not realize it, but the only reason why Naruto still had the upper hand (in not getting hit, at least) was because Atlas used the spear and not something more sensible. It was too easy, really - Atlas had the strength and the durability, but his speed was extremely lacking.
Still though. What could Naruto do? Atlas was a Taijutsu specialist, no doubt about it. He appeared to only have a single ninjutsu attack - a wave of energy he releases that's strong enough to dispels clones. By this logic, Naruto should stop close-range combat and engage in long-range, but the thing was that none of his long range attacks would work.
Kunai, shuriken, Rasenshuriken, arrows. . . they were all useless. They simply lacked the force and power to take Atlas out. Against a normal Titan, Naruto would've surely won by now. But Atlas was too durable and resistant. Celestial Bronze, silver, chakra, even rocks Naruto found on the ground had no effect.
The Titan of endurance indeed.
Naruto regretted not expanding his jutsu pool. If he had even a fraction of the knowledge of jutsu that Kakashi-sensei does. . .
But this was no time for regrets.
Fuuton: Rasenshuriken.
Eight seconds. That's how long Naruto had. In that time, he had to unleash as many combination attacks as he could.
Atlas futilely tried to block the Rasenshuriken with his spear. The spear was sliced to ribbons by the blades of wind and Atlas grunted as the vortex once again hit him square in the chest. "Not again," he groaned as he was blasted back, new cuts appearing on his body that leaked golden ichor.
Now! While Atlas was down and distracted, this was Naruto's chance. He quickly threw down some smoke bombs to obscure Atlas's vision and make sure he wouldn't use the knockoff Shinra Tensei.
Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
About twenty clones leaped up into the sky.
Senpo: Choodama Rasen Tarengan!
An Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan formed in each of the clones' hands, easily five times the size of Naruto's body. Blue with specks of silver. The same attack Naruto had used to defeat Kurama.
Was it overkill? Definitely not. After all, Atlas was easily as durable as Kurama. Not as durable - Atlas had actually been cut by the Rasenshuriken - but he was in the area.
The clones formed a line in midair. A vertical line of Naruto clones just waiting their turns to slam their Rasengans into Atlas's face. The first clone slammed its Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan down on Atlas and then dispelled, allowing the second clone to follow up immediately, and then the third clone, and so on. Several clones actually landed and had to jump back up again to get back into line.
Finally, the last clone dispelled. A cloud of dust shrouded Atlas from vision. Naruto quickly manipulated some wind chakra to create a gust of wind that blew the dust away.
Surprisingly enough, Atlas's clothes were still intact - although it may also just be the Mist protecting Atlas's modesty. Atlas's eyes were closed and he lay in a puddle of ichor that was slowly increasing in size. Was he unconscious? Did he finally pass out -
Atlas sat up, dispelling all illusions of victory, and rubbed his head. "Alright kid, I take it back. Fighting you isn't boring at all." He stood up and stretched contentedly. A cruel smile spread across his face. "That did wonders for my back, by the way. Released almost all the tension. Thank you for that."
"This is ridiculous!" Naruto suddenly snapped frustratedly. "How are you still standing after all of that?"
Atlas laughed. "I'm not some minor god, kid. I once took Zeus's beloved lightning bolt to the face and came out nearly unscathed." he paused. "My eyebrows were singed off though. . . but I digress. I'm on a whole different level than the dogs you've fought before."
"Naruto." Naruto whirled around. In his haste, he hadn't noticed that he ended up right next to Artemis again. Her eyes were filled with shock, surprise, and even. . . pride? "You've grown strong," she smiled.
Naruto brightened as a smile spread on his face. "Of course I am."
"But not strong enough," Artemis said, her expression growing disheartened. "Please, Naruto, just run. You can't possibly hope to defeat Atlas all by yourself."
"I already told you - "
"Naruto, please," Artemis whispered desperately. "I don't want to see you hurt because of me."
Across from him, Atlas observed them with mild amusement - although he probably also needed time to regenerate.
Naruto was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Mom, you should know me well enough to know that I never give up." Naruto flashed her a bright smile. "I'll be fine - "
He froze. "What was that sound?"
"What sound?" Artemis asked confusedly.
"Are you talking about your friends hurrying up the mountain?" Atlas suggested, "They're not even being remotely subtle, like you had been. Speaking of which, how did you avoid the security measure on the path?"
"I didn't take the path," Naruto replied absently. "I tree jumped up here. But that's not the sound I'm talking about. It was. . ." he frowned. "A yawn?"
Atlas stared. "Are you okay, mentally?"
Naruto opened his mouth to respond but froze when a familiar voice spoke up in his mind.
Hey, Naruto. I'm awake. What did I miss?
A wide smile spread across Naruto's face, filled with genuine joy and happiness.
Kurama!
XxX
As they ran up the mountain, they heard multiple explosions. Whatever Boss was doing, he was doing a pretty good job.
"So what's the plan?" Percy uncapped his pen and it extended into a sword.
"We cannot defeat him," Zoe said grimly.
The clone blinked. "I'm pretty sure that Boss can - "
"What do you know about Titan physiology?" Zoe interrupted.
"Umm. . . if you cut them into tiny enough pieces, they return to Tartarus," Naruto answered.
"Wrong," Zoe shook her head. "That's a common misconception. No, the truth is that when we say someone 'killed' a god, we mean that they were sent to Tartarus. Tartarus is synonymous with a god's death. And a god can only be sent to Tartarus by opening up a physical gateway. They're not like monsters, whose physical forms disintegrate and their essence automatically returns to Tartarus."
"Wasn't Kronos sliced into a million pieces though?" Bianca asked.
Zoe nodded. "He was. Zeus used Kronos's own scythe to carve up his essence. However, that wasn't what sent him to Tartarus. Rather, the gods physically scattered his remains into the Pit. Same with the other four Titans - Koios, Krios, Hyperion, and Iapetus. They were bound in chains and tossed into the deepest sections of Tartarus."
Naruto shrugged. "Okay. That changes nothing. After all, we're not trying to 'kill' him, are we? We're just trying to get him back under the sky."
Zoe smiled. "Precisely. When you attack him, don't go for the vital spots like you normally would. Instead, target his arms and legs - try to reduce his mobility. Of course, he would likely regenerate it all - the General's regeneration is notorious even among Titans - but it should slow him down temporarily, long enough for us to get a combination chain attack in."
"That's what Boss is doing right now," Naruto confirmed. "He's trying to get Atlas back under the sky."
"Good."
The clone blinked as a thought occurred to him and then he promptly facepalmed. "Please. . . Boss, tell me you're not this stupid."
Bianca looked over. "What is it?"
"It's nothing."
There was a very high probability that instead of trying to bait Atlas under the sky again with trickery and cunning, Boss instead opted to try to beat the living hell out of Atlas before dragging him under the sky - a task infinitely more difficult.
But there's no way. Naruto was probably just having trouble because Atlas had millenia of battle experience and he's a Titan so he would see through tricks and deception.
Right?
XxX
It's been so long! Naruto smiled. I'm really glad you're awake. I need your help in beating the living hell out of Atlas.
Are you in a battle? Inside his mind, Kurama smirked as he took in the situation. You certainly don't waste any time do you? Have you already made enemies in this world?
Yup. See that guy over there? He's almost as durable as you. He tanked my Rasenshuriken and healed it all up in about eight seconds. So if you could hit me up with some chakra, that would be awesome.
Kurama blinked before chuckling. I've only been awake for ten seconds and you already need my help in fighting someone who was hit by your Rasenshuriken and didn't appear to take a scratch? You haven't changed at all, he said fondly. Fine, fill me in. Who are we fighting?
His name is Atlas. He's not mortal. He tanked my Rasengan, Rasenshuriken, Planetary Rasengan, Senpo: Choodama Rasen Tarengan, and a lot of kunais. They barely did any damage to him, and the damage that he did take was all healed up.
Oh?
Naruto nodded. Yup. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that he knew mitotic regeneration, or something. At any rate, he's slow but strong - not that strong though. Bushier Brows-sensei with a few Gates released is stronger than him. He has an attack similar to the Shinra Tensei, although it's much weaker than what Nagato can do.
Got it, Kurama hummed. What about the girl behind us? I recognize her - she was the girl from that night.
Her name is Artemis. And. . . she's my mom.
Kurama was silent for a moment. I'm happy for you, he finally said. His voice held traces of both regret and guilt.
Naruto paused. You know I don't blame you for killing my original parents, right?
. . . yeah. I know. Kurama quickly changed the subject. What is she holding up? It. . . I have no idea what it is.
The sky.
The what?
It's complicated, I'll explain later. All we have to do is to completely annihilate that guy and then drag him under the sky.
Kurama grinned. Sounds fun. Let's do it.
Naruto smiled. It's great to have you back. I owe you a hug, by the way.
Please don't.
"Does he do this often?" Atlas gestured at Naruto, frowning. "Completely space out and ignore everything."
"Don't speak to me, you vile bastard," Artemis spat.
"Now see, that, that is irony," Atlas grinned. "My parents were married - but you weren't. So who's the bastard here? Still though, I gotta thank you for spacing out," he addressed Naruto. "Gave me enough time to completely regenerate all of my broken bones and heal up my internal injuries."
"Mom?" Naruto spoke up, ignoring Atlas.
"Yes?" she responded.
"You're right in that I can't defeat Atlas on my own," Naruto took a step forward. Another step. "But that's the thing." He smiled, flames of determination roaring to life within him. Some might call it the Will of Fire. For Naruto, he just called it the guts to never give up. "For you see, I'm not alone."
Flickering golden chakra quickly covered his entire body as black markings extended out. His golden-and-black chakra cloak billowed out as the sheer power radiated from the chakra blasted rubble and dust back. His eyes shifted into a cross-shaped pupil as Naruto felt a familiar, comforting chakra once more ready to heed his every call.
"Meet Kurama, my partner," Naruto grinned. He tilted his head as he sensed people approaching. "Oh, and say hello to my friends as well."
Percy, Zoe, Bianca, Thalia, and his shadow clone appeared, determination and anger etched onto their faces. The shadow clone took one look at the situation and for some strange reason facepalmed before dispelling.
Naruto raised his eyebrows as the clone's memories hit him. Hmm. . . an explanation on space-time, Zoe is a terrifying driver, Titan physiology - Naruto's eyes widened. Wait. He should've been trying to get Atlas back under the sky, but instead, he was more focused on making sure Atlas got what he deserved for what he did to Artemis - namely, beating the living hell out of him. Oops.
But oh well. He already entered Kurama Chakra Mode. Might as well, y'know?
Atlas merely smiled coldly at the sight of them all. "Ah, you've all come as well. The son of Poseidon, the daughter of Zeus, some random Hunter. . . and my daughter."
Percy frowned. "Daughter? Who are you. . ." he trailed off and slowly turned to face Zoe. "Hold up."
Naruto's eyes widened as he compared the two. Zoe and Atlas had the same cold, regal gaze - although Zoe's was several degrees warmer. Their facial features were also scarily similar.
Huh. Zoe was Atlas's daughter.
Zoe narrowed her eyes. "You are no father of mine."
Naruto suddenly got a very Uchiha vibe from the situation. And he didn't like that at all. Still though, even as Atlas and Zoe exchanged insults, he felt a warm sensation in his heart. And at that moment, he knew that he had made a mistake.
He had tried to do it all alone. Defeat Atlas on his own. But that was wrong. Hadn't Itachi already told him to not shoulder everything by himself or else he would fail? That his comrades would help him succeed?
And now, surrounded by his friends and comrades. . . it's been a long time. Too long. But right now. . . it sort of feels like being back with Team 7 again. Especially with Kurama finally being back.
Come on, Naruto. Let's do this, Kurama smiled determinedly.
Naruto grinned, golden chakra arms extending from his chakra cloak.
It was time Atlas truly understood just who he was fighting.
The Savior of the Shinobi world.
Kurama's partner.
The son of Artemis.
Naruto Uzumaki was back.
Let's go, Kurama!
I had planned to have this chapter out yesterday, but on Friday, I watched the Artemis Fowl movie. They did it. They finally created a movie that was even worse than the Percy Jackson movies. Artemis Fowl is easily one of my favorite book series, and watching the movie just drained my motivation. They obliterated the characters, the lore, and the plot. If you're planning on entering the world of Artemis Fowl. . . please read the books first.
But enough of that. Let me just say this one more time before someone starts flaming me for not using canon abilities: This is a PJO AU world. (although the Shinra Tensei knockoff is canon)
When I researched Atlas, I imagined Atlas as tank-bruiser type: deals damage and can tank a lot of damage as the Titan of endurance and strength. Needless to say, I despise tanks. It doesn't matter what you do; they will outdamage you at all stage of the game and they will never die. Doesn't matter how much antiheal, armorpen, or magicpen you buy; it's all useless. Think of that type of tank, and that is who Atlas is.
I re-read PJ Greek Gods. Apparently in canon, the 4 Titans were bound in chains and cast into Tartarus. Kronos was scattered everywhere. So it appears that destroying a god/Titan's mortal form doesn't' mean they automatically return to Tartarus; you have to physically cast them in.
Thank you all for reading, and please review :)
euphoric
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