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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 14: The King of Olympus
The first time Zeus ever heard of Naruto was when Apollo had inexplicably burst into laughter. Typically, this wouldn't be anything out of ordinary - Zeus knew that Apollo randomly received some rather hilarious visions sometimes - but considering how they were in the middle of a meeting discussing Artemis's capture, it definitely brought some cause for concern. Perhaps Apollo had finally cracked under the strain of losing his sister. And... well, nothing good comes from a god going onto a rampage. Zeus would know.
Fortunately, Apollo hadn't descended into madness. When asked about it by Athena, the sun god had gleefully informed them that for the first time in fifty-six games, the campers finally won a game of Capture the Flag against the Hunters. Zeus initially thought that they won because of Thalia. He was wrong. Rather, Naruto, the new undetermined kid that arrived at camp the very day, had single-handedly carried the game.
Taking one glance at Naruto, Zeus immediately thought that Naruto was the son of Apollo. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a cheerful and exuberant personality - the resemblance was obvious. He observed Naruto with slight interest. After all, the kid had kicked Zoe herself to the ground.
His interest slowly grew as it was revealed during the subsequent camp counselor meeting that Naruto possessed a power called chakra. Zeus admitted he knew nothing of chakra, and neither did any of the other gods. It appeared that it was either a new power or a really really ancient one.
Zeus was intrigued. All the gods were. This quest was even more interesting than the ones Percy Jackson had gone on.
The Nemean Lion, the manticore, even the Spartoi... They were all taken down with ease by Naruto. Zeus was immensely reassured by that. After all, the stronger Naruto was, the higher the chance of Thalia surviving the quest.
Zeus had almost lost his daughter once before. He wasn't willing to again. Not to mention the sheer amount of backlash he'd received for turning Thalia into a tree. You'd think that the other gods would've been happy that Camp Half-Blood gained another layer of magical defenses, but nooo. They were more focused on favoritism and for Tartarus's sake Zeus, you already blasted my innocent wife and children, now let me kill yours too, damn it.
Then Naruto met up with Aphrodite and it was revealed that he was the son of Artemis.
It was as if the Titans, giants, and Primordials invaded all at once. Absolute pandemonium broke out on Olympus.
Hermes was scrambling around, delivering the news to everyone as well as taking bets on who the father was - or if there even was a father.
The nymphs, nature spirits, and minor gods were all in an uproar, crowding the streets of Olympus and gossiping madly about the new development.
Athena's unflappable composure was gone for once, replaced by a manic look of pure desire to know more. It was no surprise to anyone that she immediately left to go down to the mortal world and interrogate Naruto.
Hera was observing all the Olympians with a critical eye, trying to see how Naruto would affect her family.
Zeus didn't miss Apollo's pale face at the discovery, or the worried glance he exchanged with Hestia. Apparently, those two had been holding out on him.
His mind reeling at the revelation that Artemis had a son, Zeus then observed Ares and Percy Jackson's reactions. Predictably, Ares had challenged Naruto to a fight and Percy Jackson took it all in stride, not treating Naruto any differently at all.
Zeus was already looking forward to seeing the Hunters' reactions to Naruto being the son of Artemis since there was no way Naruto could hide his parentage due to Aphrodite's spell other than running away.
He had poured himself a glass of ice-cold nectar with a twist of lemon to fully enjoy the upcoming show, chuckling lightly when he saw Naruto trying to break the spell. It was futile. There was no possible way for him to -
Zeus promptly choked on his drink, his eyes widening in shock.
Somehow, someway, Naruto broke Aphrodite's spell.
What the fuck.
Aphrodite had absolute control over her domain, and only a select few other beings could negate her control. Naruto certainly wasn't one of them. Even Zeus couldn't break one of her spells.
And that wasn't the end of it. As the quest progressed, Naruto managed to enter the Garden of the Hesperides. The very same garden lifted out of the normal space-time. By that point, Zeus doubted that Naruto was even human.
Zeus had no idea what happened on Mount Othrys. The strong magic of the Titan stronghold obscured his vision. Looking through Thalia's memories, however, Zeus felt the faintest flickers of apprehension.
Naruto had single-handedly beat the absolute shit out of Atlas. Sure, Atlas wasn't taking him seriously, but even in his mortal form, the General was a formidable opponent. Zeus knew of gods who couldn't fight Atlas in his mortal form, and yet Naruto was doing it with ease.
He showcased new abilities with his chakra. A golden cloak that surrounded him, boosting his speed, reflexes, and strength to a literal god-like level. Numerous variants of his Rasengan. The Bijuudama, which even made Zeus wary.
Naruto was powerful, extremely so. If he ever turned on Olympus...
While Zeus didn't think Naruto could actually defeat any of the Olympians in battle, the minor gods and nymphs were a different matter. Naruto could do a lot of damage before Zeus or one of the other Olympians managed to stop him.
Even worse, if Naruto attacked Camp Half-Blood...
With his speed and clones, he could probably kill every demigod in the camp in mere seconds before Dionysus or Chiron could stop him. Such a thing could never be allowed to happen.
Zeus expressed his worries and concerns about Naruto at the council meeting - after all, they'd had a frankly disturbing amount of traitors lately.
And then five Olympians - five Olympians - vouched for him.
One vouch was enough to sway the Council. Five vouches were unheard of. Granted, Aphrodite's intentions may have been less than sincere, but the other gods were what truly mattered.
Apollo, the god of truth and Naruto's guardian who lived with him. Artemis, a goddess known for her suspicion and lack of trust in males. Athena, the creator of risk assessment and a goddess far more intelligent and wise than himself. Hestia, who's - well, Hestia. They all vouched for him without any hesitation.
Zeus's mind was immediately put at ease. He was paranoid - as the King of Olympus, paranoia was kinda in the job description, especially after that incident - but the vouches of his fellow Olympians was enough to reassure him that Naruto could be trusted.
After the five gods vouched for him, Naruto's personal defense was all but a formality. Zeus still let him defend himself, though. Who knew, perhaps Naruto would give a particularly compelling argument that hadn't been thought of before.
Instead of pleading for his life or using logical reasoning to defend himself, Naruto had instead called him Super Thunder Gramps.
Even in all his millennia of being alive, that was a first.
As he summoned a lightning bolt to his hand and prepared to blast Naruto just to make an example - painful but nonlethal - he couldn't help but admire Naruto's sheer guts. Here the kid was, standing before the entire Council, powerful beings that could smite him with just a thought, and he called the most powerful of them all Super Thunder Gramps with a smile on his face.
It reminded Zeus of another incident in which a cute little goddess immediately took advantage of his oath on the River Styx and asked for a bunch of perks and loot without any hesitation.
Zeus might've been more furious at Naruto if he hadn't gotten the feeling that Naruto had been completely sincere with that nickname. He called Zeus Super Thunder Gramps not as a joke or an insult, but rather out of genuine affection. And so, he allowed Hera to calm him down.
While Naruto was the child of Artemis, the sky god could definitely see Apollo's influence in Naruto's personality.
Once Zeus's paranoia was assuaged, he could now focus on the important matters concerning Naruto. Specifically, the fact that he was the child of Artemis. His favorite daughter's first and only child. This was literally a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, and considering Zeus was immortal, that was saying a lot. More importantly, Naruto was Zeus's grandson.
While Zeus had plenty of grandchildren - the children of Athena, Apollo, Ares, Hermes, and Dionysus - he doesn't really consider them his grandchildren (especially since it would get really awkward if he ever banged one of them). However, Naruto was different. After all, there hasn't been a single child of Artemis in all of history.
Perhaps it was the novelty of him being a son of Artemis, perhaps it was because Artemis was his favorite daughter, perhaps it was just Naruto's natural presence and personality. Or maybe it was just because Zeus knew that once Naruto dies, there will never be another child of Artemis, so he has to make this one count. Whatever the case, Zeus truly considered Naruto to be family.
Unfortunately, their relationship had started on a sour note. Namely, the vote started by Zeus to blast Naruto out of existence. From a strategic point of view, it made sense. He was the King of Olympus, and Naruto was an unknown, highly dangerous threat. It would be remiss of him to not even consider the possibility that Naruto might betray them all. However, he doubted the demigod saw it that way. Heroes always did get hung up on the smallest things.
On top of that, Zeus didn't exactly know how to act around Naruto. His typical stern persona was out of the question. After all, as the father of Hermes, Zeus recognized a prankster when he saw one, and Naruto gave off a positively foxy air.
He felt bad for Chiron, he really did.
Being his usual strict, prim, and serious self - in other words, acting like he has a ten-foot-pole stuck up his ass - was practically asking Naruto to try to dislodge it with the application of explosives, paint, and sparkles. With his clones and illusions, Naruto actually had a chance of getting away with it. He certainly had enough guts (or suicidal bravery) to actually prank the King of Olympus. Worst part was, if Naruto did successfully prank Zeus, Hermes would probably take it as a challenge. Zeus did not want another prank war to be started on Olympus with him right in the middle.
Zeus needed a plan. And to create a plan, he needed information.
And so, it was with a heavy heart that Zeus turned away from the two gorgeous nymphs he was flirting with, got Dionysus to magically sober him up, excused himself from the party, and went to find his elder sister Hestia. She would know what to do.
Hestia looked pleasantly surprised that Zeus actually wanted to get to know Naruto, that he considered him to be family. She had laughed at him - laughed - when Zeus confessed that it's been so long since he's interacted with a demigod aside from being stern and scary, he'd forgotten how to act. She then said just three words of advice.
Just be nice.
Zeus blinked at her suggestion.
Just be nice?!
Seeing his reluctance, Hestia then offered to bake him some cookies. Zeus accepted her offer, obviously; not even monsters would turn down her cookies. Zeus's palace was large, grand, and lavish; like his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, he prioritized image over function. Deeper inside, however, there was a living room, a kitchen, and a television. They settled down on the couch, eating the baked goods and discussing everything that's happened in the last few days.
Strangely enough, while they had been in the middle of discussing Percy's fight against Thalia during the Capture the Flag game, the doors had been blasted off its hinges and Hera stormed into the room, power and anger radiating off her in waves. Zeus spotted a piece of paper in her clenched fist.
After looking around the room confusedly and muttering something about false alarm and stupid anonymous tips, she had left - but not before taking a few cookies. Zeus and Hestia looked at each other in bewilderment before shrugging.
They talked all throughout the night - gods didn't need to sleep - and before they knew it, it was already dawn.
It was showtime.
Zeus sent a message to Artemis telling her to bring Naruto and meet him here.
Hestia left, but not before giving him one last bit of help, which Zeus was eternally grateful for.
However, he failed to hear Hestia's whispered words to herself.
"I put him in a good mood. Everything is up to you now, Naruto. Good luck."
Artemis and Naruto appeared in a flash of silver light, both of them looking nervous, though they hid it well. Zeus stood in front of them, letting a trickle of his power leak out just for dramatic effect. He leaned down and looked Naruto in the eyes. Silver eyes the same color as the moon. Hestia's words echoed in his head as he deliberated on what to do.
Just be nice.
It was an inconceivable notion. He was the King of Olympus, the god that had to set an example for everyone else. Openly displaying affection wasn't his style. And yet...
Just be nice.
The Titans were returning. If they managed to actually overthrow Olympus, then Zeus may never get a chance again. It wasn't as if he enjoyed being stern and unsmiling all the time, contrary to popular belief.
Just be nice.
Sure, why not?
And so Zeus smiled, reaching out and ruffling Naruto's hair, an action he hadn't done in... oh gods. It's been so long, he'd already forgotten. Back when Hermes was still a child? Once, Zeus hadn't always been so strict and stern. Once, he'd been more relaxed and carefree.
He... missed it.
Perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
XxX
In both his previous and current life, Naruto had been in countless situations where things go catastrophically wrong. Whether it's Madara single-handedly massacring the entire Allied Shinobi Forces or Apollo making a 1HP comeback and chaining a twenty-seven hit combo, Naruto was used to dealing with sudden clusterfucks. However, he wasn't exactly sure how to react when something goes catastrophically right for once.
I don't sense any negative emotions. Kurama said flatly. None at all. He's being completely genuine here.
But that makes no sense! He's not supposed to be like this!
Kurama snorted. No kidding. Last I checked, Zeus was supposed to be this arrogant version of Danzo with family issues even worse than the accursed Uchiha, not this nice old man who ruffles your hair and acts all pleasant. So tell me, Naruto. How did you mess up so spectacularly in your intelligence gathering?
Uhh... Well, I admit, most of what I know about Zeus, I found out through Apollo and the old myths -
Hold that thought. The old myths? The same unreliable, inaccurate, inconsistent old myths?
... maybe?
Although I suppose Apollo can be considered an accurate source, so at least you didn't completely screw that up.
Naruto was silent for a moment.
Naruto... Kurama said slowly. Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything?
Well... The only time Apollo really talked about his father was when he was complaining about him...
Kurama took a deep, calming breath. So you're telling me, he began dangerously, that everything you know about Zeus - everything you told me about Zeus - came from wildly biased and inaccurate sources?
I mean, the myths aren't that inaccurate, y'know? Since all myths have a basis in truth, Naruto defended weakly.
Holy Sage, Kurama muttered. First of all, I've seen my myths. If you think me transforming into a beautiful foxgirl has "a basis in truth", then you're insane. Second... I suddenly understand why they never promoted you past Genin.
No, it's because Kakashi-sensei "lost" the paperwork for field promotion. Naruto grumbled. Personally, I just think he thought it would be hilarious for me to be the first Genin to become Hokage.
"I have to say, I'm rather impressed," Zeus said, drawing Naruto's attention. "You fought Atlas - no, I daresay you crushed Atlas - and you survived. There are gods who can't even do that. Excellent work, Naruto."
"Thank... you?" Naruto said hesitantly. "Err... hold on, I'm a bit confused. Weren't you planning on blasting me just last night?"
Nice. Real subtle.
Zeus waved his hand dismissively. "That wasn't personal or anything. Just had to make sure that you wouldn't actually turn on Olympus. However, four vouches from Hestia, Apollo, Athena, and Artemis" - he inclined his head at her - "is more than enough to convince me that you're loyal."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. And what about Aphrodite?"
Zeus snorted. "You and I both know she just wanted to keep you alive so you could suffer more."
Naruto winced. "Right."
"I do hope you won't hold it against me though," the sky god added. "Please try to understand. You were an unknown, highly dangerous entity. If you ever did betray us - well, while at most you might be able to land light scratches on the Olympians - "
Was that a challenge? That sounded like a challenge.
" - if you attacked Camp Half-Blood, then things would've been bloody. I had to be absolutely certain."
"Father," Artemis interjected exasperatedly. "I already told you before the council meeting that Naruto would never betray us."
Zeus shrugged. "Had to check with the Council. You know how it is." Artemis sighed at that but accepted it.
Naruto nodded slowly. That... made a surprising amount of sense. Granted, starting a vote to blast someone because they might betray Olympus was overkill, but then again, they were gods.
He still regarded Zeus with slight mistrust though. Good reason or not, Zeus had still started a vote to blast Naruto out of existence. The King of Olympus had to do a lot in order to get back into Naruto's good graces -
"You must be hungry," Zeus said suddenly. "I have some ramen cooking in the kitchen. Breakfast?"
Naruto froze, his thoughts screeching to a halt in his head. Ramen?
Brat. Don't you fucking dare -
Naruto beamed brightly at Zeus. "I knew there was a reason you were my favorite grandfather," he said happily. "Let's eat!"
Kurama sighed.
Gods damn it.
XxX
"This is Hestia's cooking," Naruto said in surprise after he took a single bite.
Zeus blinked. "You can tell from the taste alone?"
Naruto looked at Zeus incredulously. "You can't?"
Zeus shrugged. "I don't eat ramen often, so I can't really tell a difference."
Horror filled Naruto's gaze.
No wonder he's grumpy all the time.
XxX
Naruto paused mid-bite, suddenly remembering something. "Lord Zeus, do you have a sacrificial flame anywhere?"
Zeus tilted his head before waving his hand. A fire roared to life in the fireplace.
Naruto grinned. "Thank you!"
As he made his way over and scooped some ramen into the flames, Zeus spoke up. "It's rare to see a demigod sacrifice portions of their meals to the gods when they're not at Camp Half-Blood," he remarked, sounding pleased. "I'm glad to see at least some demigods still hold the proper respect and reverence for the gods, even when they're not being peer-pressured into doing it."
Naruto snorted. "What? Nah, I'm just rubbing it in Apollo's face that his ramen ban didn't even last for a week before I broke it." Zeus blinked.
"Although you do raise a good point," Naruto said thoughtfully.
He scooped in some more ramen.
A small, barely perceptible smile spread across Zeus's lips as he received the warmth and pleasant feeling that came along with receiving a sacrifice, along with the message.
You're actually pretty cool, Gramps.
Then he frowned when he fully registered Naruto's words. Gramps?
XxX
Zeus had only eaten a single bowl of ramen - amateur - whereas Artemis hadn't even touched any of hers; according to her, ramen was too greasy, too salty, and too lacking in nutrition. It was pure blasphemy, but she was his mother, so Naruto let it slide.
Naruto finished his fifteenth bowl of ramen before setting it down on the pinewood table with a contented sigh.
"Father, I have a request to ask of you," Artemis suddenly said as the bowls shimmered and dematerialized.
"A request?" Zeus raised his eyebrows interestedly. "What is it?"
Artemis hesitated for a moment before saying, "I wish to make Naruto one of my Hunters."
Zeus immediately shook his head. "You know I can't allow you to do that."
"Father, please."
Zeus remained firm. "Rules are rules, Artemis."
Artemis and Zeus stared at each other, an unstoppable force against an immovable object. Naruto observed them silently with a bated breath. Then Artemis brought out the big guns.
"You know I can never have another child, Father." Her silver eyes were oddly bright, and there was a pleading note in her voice. Naruto stared at her, stunned. "He's the only one I have," she whispered softly. "Father, please. I have not asked anything from you in millennia. Just grant me this one request."
There was a long moment of silence as a battle of wills broke out, Zeus attempting to resist Artemis's pleading gaze. Operative word being attempting.
He caved. "Fine," Zeus said grudgingly. Then he paused as a contemplative expression passed over his face. "Wait, but isn't he a boy?"
"Well, yes," Artemis nodded before frowning thoughtfully. "If that's a problem for you, then I can make him a girl - "
Zeus and Naruto simultaneously blanched in horror.
"That won't be necessary," Zeus said hurriedly. "Go ahead, make him a Hunter."
Naruto nodded in agreement quickly, shooting Zeus a grateful look.
I'm sorry, but did she just say she can make you a girl? Is she saying what I think she is? She's not talking about your Sexy no Jutsu, is she?
...
Naruto? Hey. I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me. Hey. Hey!
"Thank you, Father," Artemis smiled joyfully. "I appreciate you granting my request. I won't forget this."
The King of Olympus merely sighed when he realized that this would probably be construed by the other gods as favoritism. Heavy favoritism.
Oh well. If anyone complained, he'll just say that it was a reward for Naruto's instrumental contribution to Atlas's defeat.
Besides, there was also the fact that Zeus had never really mastered the art of saying no to Artemis...
XxX
"Lord Zeus, can I level with you for a moment?" Naruto spoke up, his silver eyes uncharacteristically serious.
Zeus inclined his head, furrowing his brows slightly when he realized Naruto actually called him Lord Zeus. "Go ahead."
Naruto hesitated for just a moment before a steely look entered his eyes. "Please be a better father to Thalia," he said bluntly.
An absolute silence descended over them.
Zeus blinked slowly. "What did you just say?"
Why do I even try? Kurama bemoaned. I give you my chakra, I use all my knowledge and power to keep us alive and well - then you go ahead and pull suicidal shit like this.
Artemis stared at Naruto incredulously with wide eyes. A moment later, Naruto felt a presence enter his mind.
Naruto... whatever you're doing, please stop. Now.
Naruto ignored them both. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table while staring intently at Zeus. "See, Thalia's my friend," he said. "And I care about her. She's suffering, you know. While she may not outwardly show it, she suffers because you're not in her life." He thought back to how Thalia had reacted to Bianca receiving the gift and note from Hades. The expression on her face, the hurt in her eyes.
"The Ancient Laws - "
"Don't give me that," Naruto interrupted, cutting Zeus off. "The Ancient Laws may forbid direct interaction, but you are more than allowed to indirectly interact with her. Poseidon and even Hades sent their children gifts and encouraging messages. They're restricted by the Ancient Laws just like you are, but at least they try. Meanwhile, you're here doing nothing, not acknowledging her existence in any way. For Tartarus's sake, have you even spoken to her before yesterday?"
Zeus hesitated, and that was all the confirmation Naruto needed. "Lord Zeus, you need to understand that Thalia thinks you don't care about her. Do you have any idea how much it hurts when it feels like your parent doesn't care about you?" Off to the side, Artemis gave an imperceptible flinch.
The sky god narrowed his eyes. "Of course I care about her. I just can't show as much love as the other Olympians because I am the king of the gods. As the leader, I must set an example."
"If you want to set an example, that's completely fine," Naruto responded. "Just don't do it at the expense of your daughter."
Lightning formed in Zeus's palm. Artemis tensed up and Kurama growled in his mind.
"Blast me if you want," Naruto said, staring defiantly at Zeus. "But it's the truth. Look, I'm not telling you to call her 'peanut' and give her piggyback rides or anything. But at least talk to her, y'know? Show that she's not wrong for risking her life to defend the gods, show that her father actually loves her, show that you care."
Zeus studied him for several long moments. Naruto stared back, determination burning in his silver eyes, refusing to back down.
Finally, the King of Olympus spoke. "I should really blast you for this," he muttered. "In fact, why am I even considering not blasting you for this?"
"Because you know I'm right," Naruto said in an unwavering tone full of conviction and iron resolve. "You may be the king of the gods, but you're also her father. You're her family. Please. For her sake."
XxX
Zeus was fully prepared to blast Naruto. Not a lethal strike, of course, but painful enough that it would ensure the son of Artemis would never speak to him in such a way again. Something was stopping him, though. It took him a moment to realize what it was.
He was trembling. For some inconceivable reason, the king of the gods was trembling. All his instincts were screaming at him to not attack Naruto. But why? Naruto wasn't emitting an aura of power, nor was he even glaring at Zeus. He was just sitting there calmly, completely relaxed despite the raw lightning in Zeus's hand, his silver eyes full of determination and -
Wait. Since when did Naruto have cross-shaped pupils? Zeus quickly recalled what he had seen in Thalia's memories. Back on the mountain, Naruto also had cross-shaped pupils when he was in his Sage Mode and golden cloak. And yet, this was different. But how?
There was no pigmentation around Naruto's eyes, Zeus realized. Was that important? He couldn't tell.
"She needs you, Lord Zeus," Naruto said quietly. "She may not show it - hell, she'll probably deny it - but she does. Trust me on this."
Zeus regarded Naruto for what seemed like an eternity. Then he sighed and the lightning that had been gathering in his palm dissipated. "You're really lucky that I'm in a good mood right now. Fine. I'll talk to her when I have the time."
Naruto brightened. "Really?"
"Really."
Naruto beamed at him, and the feeling disappeared. "Thank you so much! You won't regret this, I swear."
Zeus tilted his head. "... No, I probably won't," he murmured under his breath, a contemplative look entering his eyes.
Even he could tell something was wrong when Hades of all gods was considered a better father than him.
But still... how had Naruto been able to make him, the king of the gods, one of the Big Three, unconsciously tremble? Was it possible that Naruto was actually a threat to him?
... no, there's no way. Naruto was the son of Artemis, and a demigod to boot. Zeus could smite him with just a thought. It was probably just spillover stress and fear caused by the rising Titans and his own father affecting his mind, or something. His instincts must've been wrong.
XxX
"That went a lot better than I had expected," Naruto said cheerfully as they exited Zeus's palace.
Artemis didn't say anything, instead grabbing him tightly by the wrist. In a flash of silver light, they were back in Cabin Eight. She whirled around to face Naruto.
"What was that?" she demanded.
Yes, Naruto. What. The fuck. Was that?
Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You know very well what I mean," Artemis hissed. "Do you have any idea how close you were from being incinerated in front of my very eyes?"
"He wouldn't have killed me."
"You don't know that! There have been wars started over less! You accused Zeus of being a bad father - "
"Am I wrong?" Naruto said challengingly.
"That's irrelevant! Why would you even risk angering Zeus?"
"Because Thalia's my friend," Naruto simply said. "Because while it may not matter to you or any of the other gods, it matters to me. Nobody ever deserves to feel like their parent doesn't love them. If I could lessen some of the pain in the world and make Thalia's life better, even just a little bit, then I'll do it. And besides..." His gaze grew slightly sad at the reality of the situation. "If I don't say anything to Zeus... then who will?"
Artemis narrowed her eyes. "And if you had been blasted in the process?"
"I don't care if Zeus blasted me - "
"But I care!" Artemis shouted, losing her composure for once. "I care, Naruto!"
Naruto froze.
"I thought you would die," Artemis whispered. "I thought that Zeus would kill you, and that I would be unable to stop him."
"I wouldn't have actually died," Naruto reminded her. "My soul isn't from this dimension, remember?"
"There are some things worse than death," the goddess said quietly. "He could've cast your mortal soul into Tartarus or into one of the five rivers of the Underworld. Or, if you had angered him enough, he could've thrown you into Chaos itself."
Naruto flinched. That was actually one possible way he could be defeated in this world. He didn't know if Chaos could erase him from existence, but at the same time he wasn't willing to check. Still though, he had already anticipated Zeus attacking him, and had prepared accordingly.
"I would've been fine, Mom. I was in Six Paths Sage Mode."
And thank the Sage you entered it, Kurama grumbled. I swear, if you had angered Zeus while in your base form, or even normal Sage Mode... It could've turned out badly.
"Six Paths Sage Mode?"
"The thing that allowed me to defeat Kaguya," Naruto clarified.
Artemis nodded slowly. "And what if Zeus had entered his divine form?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You really think Zeus would admit he isn't powerful enough to kill me in his mortal form?"
"That doesn't matter! Until you finish creating your seal, please don't take any unnecessary risks like that. Thalia is immortal now. She isn't going to get any older. There was plenty of time in the future for you to confront Zeus, only with the seal keeping your soul safe."
Naruto opened his mouth but then closed it a second later. "You... may have a point," he admitted, looking down. "I'm sorry. I should've thought things over."
One of these days, you'll learn to not impulsively jump into things headfirst. And on that day, I will rejoice.
Artemis sighed, sitting down on the bed behind her. "It's fine," she said, suddenly looking very tired. "Just don't do it again." She paused. "Is this the part where I ground you? I admit, I'm not familiar with the norms of this situation."
Naruto coughed, sitting down as well on the bed across from her. "Err, please don't."
Artemis tilted her head. "I don't know. It seems like a pretty good idea. At this rate, I should probably tie you up to make sure you won't do anything stupidly suicidal again, like fight Atlas or anger Zeus."
"I'll try to employ some more self-preservation skills next time?" Naruto offered in a hopeful tone.
She considered it. "That's the best I'll get, I guess," she muttered. "Even though I dearly wish there won't be a next time, knowing you, that clearly won't be the case."
Naruto chuckled. "That's fair."
They sat in a companionable silence for a while, mulling over their own thoughts.
"I'm a bit surprised you didn't ask about Nico di Angelo," Artemis suddenly said.
"Well, of course. There's no way I would've been able to convince Zeus that Nico wouldn't betray Olympus," Naruto replied. "I mean, the only reason why he let Bianca live was because she proved herself on this quest, right? But Nico didn't do anything - "
Artemis tensed up. "That's not entirely correct. Nico di Angelo actually saved my Hunters."
Naruto's head whipped around to stare at her. "He did what?!" he asked disbelievingly.
Artemis nodded. "Pan and Hecate incapacitated my Hunters and was going to kidnap and bring them over to Mount Othrys, where they'll then be forced to hold up the sky. But the son of Hades managed to stab Hecate and release the Mist illusion, saving my Hunters. He did remarkably well."
"Wait wait wait, he managed to do what now?!" he stared at her incredulously. "He stabbed Hecate? The goddess of the Mist? How?!"
"According to Chiron, and I quote, 'Against all odds, Nico managed to get Hecate to lower her guard and stab her through a combination of trickery, acting, and Mythomagic.'" Artemis recalled.
Naruto grinned widely. "That's awesome."
"Indeed."
He tilted his head confusedly. "Wait, then why doesn't Zeus trust him?"
The goddess shrugged. "My father believes that Nico saved the Hunters not out of loyalty to Olympus but rather because he wished to get onto my good side so I'll allow him to see his sister. Even though Nico saved my Hunters, there's no guarantee that he won't turn traitor in the future. And besides, all we have is Nico's word for what happened; my Hunters were all under an illusion and none of the gods could see past Hecate's Mist. As such, despite what Nico did, my father still doesn't trust him."
Naruto blinked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Naruto scowled. "I don't get it. Why is he so paranoid about Nico but not about me? I mean, I'm a way bigger threat than Nico - no offense to him."
"What?" Artemis looked confused. "No you're not."
"... Mom? Have you, uhh, forgotten about my chakra? I know Nico's the son of the Big Three and all, but - "
"That has nothing to do with it," Artemis shook her head. "Nico is a bigger threat to the world than you are because of the Great Prophecy. Not to mention how he's the son of Hades, and you know how Olympus feels about Hades. It is literally prophesied - written in fate - that a child of the Big Three would either save Olympus, or destroy it. Olympus to preserve or raze."
"I see," Naruto said with dawning realization. "To Zeus, I'm just a normal demigod. A powerful demigod, but a demigod nonetheless. It wouldn't even occur to him that I might be able to defeat the Olympians in battle. But Nico is someone who has the potential to end Olympus itself."
Artemis nodded. "Exactly."
"Damn it. I can't even blame Zeus for being as paranoid as he is if the fate of the world itself is at stake." Naruto sighed miserably. "This sucks. This really sucks. I don't even know what to do now, since if Nico even steps out into the mortal world and Zeus sees him, he'll just get blasted."
"Letting him stay in the Underworld may also be a valid option?"
They considered it briefly before shuddering in unison.
"Underground." Artemis said, a look of aversion on her face.
"Don't like it." Naruto suppressed a shiver at the thought.
They shared a nod of mutual agreement.
"Then you're going to have to figure out a way to change Zeus's mind," the goddess said. "Preferably after you've finished creating your seal. Speaking of which, how is the progress going on that?" she inquired.
Naruto winced. "Ah. It's... uhh... going pretty well," he said unconvincingly.
Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Kurama? Do you agree with Naruto's assessment?" Naruto felt her presence enter his mind again, presumably so she could hear Kurama.
Kurama snorted. Hell no. See, when he came up with his genius plan of sealing his soul into his body, he failed to take into account the small, unimportant fact that we don't know how to create seals.
"We do!" Naruto protested.
A vague idea does not count, Kurama snapped. At this point, we're just blindly fumbling along and hoping for the best.
"Hey, we already decided to reverse engineer the Eight Trigrams Seal and extract the parts that involve sealing the soul."
We did, but that requires time and lots of experimentation. So far, we've made minimal progress. So to answer your question, goddess, things are not going pretty well, Kurama growled.
"Don't mind him. He's been kinda grumpy lately for no reason," Naruto confided to Artemis.
No reason - Naruto, you do realize that I loathe the Eight Trigrams Seal, correct? Kurama narrowed his eyes. I have analyzed and obsessed over it for sixteen long years in order to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Trust me, I do not enjoy having anything more to do with this accursed seal.
"... I actually forgot about that," Naruto said guiltily. "If you really hate it that much, then I suppose I can try and work on it by myself - "
I'd rather you not blow yourself up, Kurama said bluntly. If this new seal will save your life, then it's worth it. But don't blame me if I am a little grumpy.
"Do you have an estimate for how long it'll take before you finish?" Artemis questioned.
Probably a month. Maybe two. Maybe three. I don't know. Fortunately, Naruto is hyper-intuitive with seals, and I myself have a millennium's worth of knowledge, so it's not impossible. It'll just take some time.
"Time is something we have, fortunately," the goddess said. "It'll likely be several months before the Titans make a move."
So as long as Naruto could prevent himself from pissing off any more gods or Titans in that time, then we'll be good, Kurama summarized.
"Precisely. Anyway, I need to return to my Hunters now," Artemis stood up.
"Can I come with?" Naruto asked, standing up as well.
Artemis hesitated. "Give it another day or two, please. Thalia, Zoe, and Bianca are making progress, but... well, it's going slowly."
XxX
"But he's a male," Phoebe frowned.
"Holy Zeus!" Thalia threw her hands up in frustration. "Yes, he's a male! No, he's not arrogant or brutish or cowardly or rude or disrespectful or conceited or haughty! No, we're not under an illusion or a mind-controlling spell! Yes, he's the son of Artemis! Yes, he lived with Apollo! No, he's not going to flirt with you! We already went over this five times!"
"... are you sure?" another Hunter - Psyche - asked. "Perhaps he dosed you with a poison that caused you to hallucinate all his good qualities?"
"I - I can't. Zoe, Bianca, good luck with this. I'm done."
XxX
"On top of that," Artemis continued, "Their general dislike of males seems to have increased since the last time I saw them."
Naruto frowned. "What? Why?"
Artemis shrugged. "They refuse to say, although they did heavily imply it was Nico di Angelo's fault. Much to Bianca's confusion."
Naruto's frown deepened. What exactly did Nico do to them?
"But don't worry," the goddess asked hastily. "They'll come around soon once they get over their initial shock and disbelief."
"You know, you could always just let me talk to them," Naruto offered. "I'm pretty good at making friends."
Artemis frowned. "Naruto, my Hunters aren't exactly the friendly sort. I doubt even you can become friends with them."
Kurama began laughing hysterically in Naruto's mind at that. She thinks - he gasped - She thinks being unfriendly is enough to stop you from making friends?
Artemis looked confused but before she could ask him to elaborate, Naruto spoke.
"Alright then," he said, shrugging, easily accepting Artemis's decision. "I did want to talk to the campers and Chiron again." A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Besides, I still have some unfinished business with the Stoll twins..."
Artemis took one look at his devious grin and gave a mental shudder, silently sending an apology to Chiron.
"Just don't do any permanent damage to the camp, please," she requested. "You will not believe how passive-aggressive the centaur can get. When the camp burned down last time... well, let's just say I did not have a fun few months."
Naruto snickered. "You know, Chiron actually snapped last night. He really needs a vacation."
"That I agree with. But the thing is..." Artemis's gaze softened as respect flickered in her eyes. "He cares too much about the campers to take a break. After all, every minute he spends sunbathing in Hawaii is a minute he could be using to train a demigod to ensure that they won't die. He might complain about paperwork and the stupidity of heroes, but in the end, all that truly matters to the teacher of heroes is his students returning to him alive and well."
Naruto was silent for a moment. "You say that as if you know him very well," he noted.
Artemis chuckled. "It's a well-known fact that Chiron is the teacher of heroes. But have you ever wondered who had taught him?"
Naruto's eyes widened in revelation. "Wait, you were Chiron's teacher?"
"My brother and I were," she confirmed, amusement in her gaze. "Apollo and I taught him everything he knows about combat - mostly archery, with some swordsmanship - hunting, and medicine. We still remain in correspondence with him."
"Wow." Naruto blinked.
Artemis nodded. "Indeed." She began to glow a bright silver light.
"One more thing," he called, his brow furrowing in thought. She paused, waiting for him to speak. "Why didn't you just tell Zeus that I don't possess a single drop of mortal blood, and therefore the Ancient Laws don't apply to me?"
Artemis's lips quirked up into an amused smile. "To tell you the truth, I just wanted to see if I could still manage to persuade my father. And... well." Her smile widened. "It looks like I've still got it."
Naruto laughed.
XxX
"Naruto, there you are!"
Naruto turned around to see Annabeth running up to him.
"Hey Annabeth," he greeted with a smile. "What's up?"
"There's a post-quest counselor meeting. We've been looking for you," she told him. "Come on, let's go. Have you had breakfast yet?"
He nodded. "Yup," he said as he followed after her. They sprinted across Camp Half-Blood.
"I never really had a chance to introduce myself," Annabeth said. "I'm Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. It's nice to meet you."
"Naruto, the son of Artemis," Naruto returned. "It's nice to meet you too. Hey, are you okay?"
Annabeth frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You know... the quest."
"They didn't hurt me while I was kidnapped - "
"I wasn't talking about that."
It took Annabeth a moment to understand, but when she did, her expression immediately became guarded. "I'm fine," she said shortly.
Naruto was silent for a moment.
"For what it's worth," he finally said, so quiet that she could barely hear him over the rushing wind, "I'm sorry Luke died. Despite what the gods and other demigods may have thought, I really hoped that we would be able to capture him alive. I'm sorry."
She didn't reply. Even though they were sprinting just a few feet next to each other, it felt like there was a chasm a mile long between them."
"We're here," Annabeth announced. They stopped in front of the Big House, neither of them out of breath. She quickly went inside, not bothering to wait for him.
You definitely have a way with girls, Kurama commented amusedly.
Yeah, well, I know how it feels when everyone wants a traitor dead except for you. I won't pretend to know how she feels right now, but I know that if Sasuke had died and everyone was rejoicing, I would be absolutely miserable.
You do realize that I would've been one of the ones celebrating the Uchiha's death, right?
So you've told me.
XxX
"Naruto, you're here," Chiron greeted warmly as Naruto stepped inside the room. Everyone else was already there, sitting around the Ping-Pong table. "You're also late."
Naruto blinked and automatically said the first thing that came to his mind.
"Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life."
There was a moment of silence as they absorbed his words.
Chiron must've decided it wasn't worth the effort, because he continued talking, completely ignoring Naruto's excuse.
"Anyway, I presume Lord Apollo already took care of the post-quest debriefing?"
"Yes," Percy instantly replied.
"Good. I'll have Lord Apollo send me a copy of the debriefing later, but for now, we can discuss the important things."
"What important things?" A new girl spoke up. Dark eyes, stringy brown hair, a scar on her chin. She looked like Ares. His daughter, probably.
"Important things like Pan!" Grover cried out. "Pan betrayed us!" He then broke down into tears, Percy awkwardly patting his back. "All this time, we satyrs never gave up on him," he sobbed. "We looked for him, never giving up no matter what. And then it turns out that he was alive all along - and he's a traitor to Olympus."
"Yes, that was indeed an unpleasant surprise," Chiron said, looking at the young satyr sadly. "With Pan joining the Titans, many nymphs, nature spirits, and satyrs may join as well. Especially if the Titans promise to... thin down the population of mortals so they wouldn't further damage the environment."
"I'll never betray Olympus, and neither will any of the satyrs I know," Grover bleated in outrage, looking offended that Chiron would even suggest a thing.
Chiron held up a calming hand. "I know, but not everyone is as loyal as you." He sighed, looking around the room.
"This is catastrophic, by the way, for those of you who are unaware. A satyr's nose is unparalleled, allowing them to easily sniff out demigods. If the satyrs join the Titans - even just some of them - then they'll be able to find more demigods and recruit them to the Titan army."
"We need incentives for the satyrs to stay on our side then," Annabeth said with an analytical gaze.
"But what? Aluminum cans? Free enchiladas?" Grover shook his head. "There's nothing Camp Half-Blood can offer. You don't understand. Pan is like - Pan is like a father to us. Even though I know he's wrong for betraying Olympus, it's still taking all of my willpower to not join him."
"And it is a testament to the strength of your resolve that you are still with us," Chiron said. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Underwood."
"Thank you," the satyr said, sounding absolutely miserable.
"Anyway, moving onto other things," Chiron steepled his fingers, looking grim. "In the past few days, I've been made aware of two critical security errors. Namely, the fact that Pan and Hecate were able to infiltrate the camp. Typically, the borders only keep out monsters, but now, I'll have to restrict everyone from entering except for demigods and the Olympians."
"And what's the second error?" Percy questioned.
Chiron's face darkened. "There is a high probability that there is a passage into Camp Half-Blood, one that the magical borders have no control over, thus allowing anything to enter."
Every camp counselor bolted upright except for the daughter of Ares.
"What?" Annabeth demanded. "Where? What passage?"
"The Labyrinth," Chiron answered grimly. "The creation of the genius inventor Daedalus. Unfortunately, I do not know if this passage even exists, much less where to look for it. It could be in the forest, it could be in the cabin area, it could even be here, in the Big House. I sent Clarisse onto a mission to explore it, but... well, it wasn't a success."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Chiron?"
Everyone turned to him.
"What is it?" Chiron asked.
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I, uhh... may know where it is."
"You do?!" Chiron said in surprise. "How?"
"Nico and I found it when we were exploring the forest," Naruto explained. "It's at the big cluster of boulders."
"Zeus's Fist?"
"Yeah, that."
"I... see. You'll have to show us later. However, if it is truly there, then you'll have lifted a huge weight off my back, prevented many sleepless nights, and saved me from filling out mountains of paperwork." Chiron shot Naruto a grateful smile. "Thank you. Oh, and that reminds me. Congratulations, Naruto. You're now the head counselor of Cabin Eight."
"Are you really the son of Artemis?" the new girl asked. "I'm Clarisse, by the way, head counselor of the Ares cabin."
"I am," Naruto nodded. "Before anyone asks, I was born through essence combination."
"You really pissed off my mom," Silena, the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, commented, eyeing Naruto with an indecipherable gaze.
"Ah." Naruto paused. "Is this the part where the Aphrodite cabin declares war on the Artemis cabin?"
Silena snorted. "We've been at war with the Hunters for millennia. You're just the newest addition." She paused. "But for what it's worth, I don't really have anything against you personally. It's just that my mom really wants us to make your life hell."
Naruto chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll be gone in a few days though, so you don't have to worry too much."
"Lord Zeus allowed you to travel with Lady Artemis and her Hunters?" Chiron asked in surprise.
"Umm... not exactly?" At Chiron's questioning look, Naruto elaborated. "He gave Artemis permission to make me a Hunter."
Every demigod in the room suddenly refused to meet Naruto's eyes.
"That's kind of unfair," Connor muttered.
"Let me get this straight," Clarisse said, looking at Chiron angrily. "We're here, lucky if we even get to speak to our parents once a year - and Naruto is going to be gallivanting around with the Hunters and Lady Artemis for the rest of his immortal life?"
Wow. For once, people are jealous of you.
I... I genuinely don't know how to react.
"Oh would you all stop angsting already," Dionysus spoke up in a bored voice. "If it makes you all feel any better, I highly doubt Naruto even is a mortal, so the Ancient Laws don't apply to him."
"What?" Percy whirled on Naruto. "Are you a mortal?"
Naruto hesitated for just a moment before answering, "No. Although Apollo isn't exactly sure what I am. I'm half-god, half... something."
Percy blinked, at a loss for words. Annabeth was scrutinizing him with a calculating gaze that reminded Naruto of her mother, as if she was trying to pierce into his soul itself. The rest of the head counselors, however, didn't look fazed at all. For a moment, Naruto was a bit confused by their lack of reactions, but everything became clear as his gaze landed on Grover, who was sadly munching on an aluminum can, not paying any attention to them at all. The demigods at this camp were used to non-mortals. Hades, Chiron himself was a centaur.
"There you have it," Dionysus yawned. "Not a mortal, so the Ancient Laws don't apply to him. Feel better now?"
"You know, that actually does make me feel better," Clarisse said thoughtfully. "Thanks, Mr. D."
"Instead of giving me your gratitude, please just end this useless meeting."
Chiron coughed. "Err, very well. We've finished discussing everything. This meeting is now over. You're all free to leave."
XxX
"Naruto," Connor said, smiling as he slung an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Do you still remember our conversation before you left for the quest?"
A devious grin spread across Naruto's face. "Of course. I believe my exact words were Camp Half-Blood will never forget our names."
Identical grins spread on the Stoll brothers' faces. "Brilliant," they chorused.
"Shall we start?" Naruto suggested.
"Way ahead of you," Travis said. "I already gathered the supplies, and Connor already made the plans. Now, we just need you to execute them."
Naruto smiled. "Fill me in."
"Alright. First things first..."
XxX
It had been an... interesting day at Camp Half-Blood, Chiron reflected. Interesting.
There hadn't been as much chaos at Camp Half-Blood since - well, since it burned down. The normal, everyday activities were interspersed with pure mayhem.
There had been several loud explosions in the camp's forges. This had understandably freaked out the Hephaestus campers. They promptly evacuated the forges, practically stampeding out, and had built a full-scale HAZMAT robot to clear out the building. Needless to say, they were not amused when they discovered that all the explosions had been caused by some harmless firecrackers.
All the Ares cabin's weapons were somehow replaced by styrofoam replicas. They hadn't even noticed the difference until they began sparring and one of them didn't immediately die when his sword bent as he blocked and the opponent's sword pierced his heart.
Of course, it wouldn't have been so bad if the stabbed individual hadn't loudly confessed that he actually loved all his siblings and that he would miss them dearly before he realized he was still alive.
Chiron doubted he would ever recover from that.
The Aphrodite cabin was met with an unpleasant surprise when they were ambushed by paint bombs that ruined their hair, their clothes, and their makeup. A preemptive attack, Naruto had whispered to the Stoll brothers. Although Chiron did have to admit that the Aphrodite campers screaming and racing for the showers was objectively hilarious.
Strangely enough, the Athena and Poseidon cabins were left untouched, though that was probably because 1) Annabeth had been kidnapped and deserved a rest and 2) Percy had just gone onto a quest and deserved a rest.
The same didn't apply to Clarisse, though. A pound of glitter had been tossed onto her, and she positively sparkled wherever she walked. Connor and Travis had begun calling her princess whenever they saw her whereas Naruto had called her a vampire. Chiron wasn't sure which one pissed her off more: being called a princess, who are notorious for needing saving, or being called a vampire from Twilight. Probably the latter, judging by how she had tried to strangle Naruto.
Though it was news to Chiron that Clarisse had even read Twilight...
Needless to say, once Travis, Connor, and Naruto realized it too, they'll never let her live it down.
Worst part was, Chiron couldn't even prove it was them because Connor, Travis, and Naruto had remained by his side the whole day. After Naruto had shown him the entrance to the Labyrinth, the other two had joined him and they accompanied Chiron as he went about his day-to-day duties. And they hadn't stopped smiling the entire time. The entire day they were just giving him knowing grins, even as explosions and screams sounded in the background, and Chiron couldn't do anything about it.
Of course, once he tricked Percy into giving him a written testimony that Naruto could create solid clones, Chiron was free to bust the son of Artemis's ass. But Naruto had already left the camp with Dionysus's permission, presumably to join the Hunters, so Chiron couldn't even punish him.
This angered him. Immensely.
And so here he was, in the Big House, fuming over the events of the day.
Percy suddenly rushed into the room, looking panicked. "Naruto's gone to the Underworld to find Nico!" he shouted. "We need to go stop him!"
Chiron scoffed. "Oh please. I'm not stupid. I know he already left. There's no need to rub it in any further."
"I'm serious!"
"Tell me, Mr. Jackson. How much did he pay you to tell me that frankly ridiculous lie? Because I assure you, if you continue attempting to deceive me like that... then it will not have been worth it. Now, do you have anything more to say?"
Percy threw up his hands. "You know what, fine. I tried. I'm going to go send an Iris Message to Thalia."
"You do that," Chiron said absently.
It wasn't until an hour after Percy had left and Chiron had calmed down somewhat that the centaur realized that maybe, just maybe, Percy hadn't been joking.
But that was impossible. There was no way Naruto actually went to the Underworld.
Right?
Chiron paused as he recalled one of his fundamental principles regarding heroes: Never, ever, underestimate their level of stupidity because they can and will surprise you.
The ancient teacher of heroes took a deep, calming breath, trying to maintain his composure.
At that exact moment, the memory of Naruto's smug, knowing grin popped up in his mind.
XxX
Dionysus glanced up from a psychology magazine when he heard a litany of Greek curses sound out from a few rooms over. The voice was distinctly Chiron's. His eyebrows rose as the curses steadily grew more and more creative. He was impressed.
His lips curled in amusement. Granting Naruto permission to leave Camp Half-Blood had been well-worth, it seemed. Dionysus now had a whole paragraph of new... material to test out. And besides, at Camp Half-Blood, there was only so much the god of wine could do without getting bored. If his entertainment came at the expense of Chiron's sanity, then so be it.
Then he resumed reading the magazine, slowly getting absorbed into the passage where it detailed how to survive your coworker's inevitable mental boom. It was some really fascinating stuff.
After only a moment's hesitation, Dionysus conjured up a dark purple magical shield that blocked any entry from the door. And the walls. And the windows.
Just in case.
XxX
"Can I borrow one of your love arrows?"
"For what?"
"Oh, you know. Gotta make these two people fall in love with each other."
Eros blinked. "I don't get it, mother. You can literally just wave your hand and they'll fall in love with each other. Why do you need my arrow?"
"Why? For the delicious irony, of course. After all, she is a huntress and he is the son of a huntress, and yet both of them will be hunted by me." Aphrodite smiled. It was a beautiful smile. "Oh, this will be so entertaining to watch. The ultimate forbidden love."
It was only a pity that Artemis was completely immune to all her spells due to being the goddess of maidenhood. Now that would've been a perfect tragedy.
Eros shrugged at her cryptic words. "Alright, whatever. When are you going to use the arrow?"
"Does it matter?"
"Kinda, yeah. I mean, for the optimal divine strength of the spell, I need to know the approximate time when it'll be used."
Aphrodite hummed. "Yesterday was the twenty-first, the winter's solstice... You know what, I'll use the arrow on Christmas, three days from now."
She smiled sweetly.
"It'll be my Christmas present to the two of them."
I can't imagine a situation where Naruto doesn't confront Zeus about the situation with Thalia. The smart thing to do would've been to keep his mouth shut and not anger Zeus, but that wouldn't have been the Naruto Uzumaki thing to do. He cares too much about his friend and the concept of family to stay quiet.
Next chapter will finally have Naruto meet up with the Hunters. Don't worry; he'll return to Camp Half-Blood, but not for a while.
We're finally done with The Titan's Curse!
Thank you all for reading, and please review :)
euphoric
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