The throne room was unusually silent. The gods sat in their divine seats, each eyeing the large book floating in the center of the room. Its cover shimmered, alternating between swirling galaxies and spiraling flames, an odd combination even by divine standards.
On a smaller set of chairs stood Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, and Thalia Grace, all summoned for reasons only the Fates knew.
"What is this about?" Percy asked, tapping his fingers on Riptide. "Is it another prophecy?"
"No," Athena said, adjusting her helmet. "It is… stranger."
"It's a book," Hermes said with a grin. "A 'What If' scenario, gifted to us by the Fates. It shows an alternate world — one where a child not of our realm was born here, married to our dear sister Hestia."
Hestia, usually calm and radiant, was unusually flustered, her flames flickering around her feet.
"Married? To a ten-year-old?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "That's weird, even by god standards."
"Not in the way you think," Poseidon said. "It's a soul bond. Ancient, accidental. Apparently, this Naruto… isn't normal."
"Not normal how?" Thalia asked, arms crossed.
Zeus snapped his fingers, and the book flipped open on its own.
"Let's find out."
The story began with a storm over Camp Half-Blood, the sky rippling with cosmic energy. A ten-year-old boy stood at the edge of the camp, his silver hair glowing faintly under the storm clouds. His eyes were pale lavender with rings rippling across them, shifting with power even the gods barely understood.
"An Otsutsuki," Annabeth read aloud. "A race from beyond this world. Cosmic beings born to consume worlds and harvest their power."
"But this Naruto…" Grover squinted at the page. "He's not like the rest. He was… abandoned by his clan, left to drift across realms, until his soul accidentally bonded with a newborn goddess."
The image of baby Hestia, flames gently flickering as her eyes blinked open, filled the page. Across the cosmos, a tiny baby boy reached out from a rift in space, their souls entwining before either could understand what had happened.
"The soul bond…" Hestia murmured, her hand trembling slightly. "That's… me."
The page turned on its own, showing ten-year-old Naruto, now living in Camp Half-Blood. His skin shimmered faintly with chakra markings, his hair long and tied back in a small ponytail, and his eyes — the Rinnegan — constantly active.
There was a strange rule written in golden letters at the bottom of the page:
If Hestia stares into Naruto's eyes for more than ten seconds, his body will ignite into divine fire. He will burn to ash, only to reform moments later, unharmed — but the pain is absolute.
"What the Hades?" Percy blurted. "That's—"
"Cruel," Hestia whispered. "Why?"
The book explained:
Their bond was never meant to exist. Naruto, an alien Otsutsuki, was too powerful, his chakra incompatible with the divine threads that made up Hestia's essence. Every time her divine gaze lingered on him, her flames, meant to nurture and protect, interpreted him as a cosmic threat.
Her love became a weapon.
A Scene from the Book – Naruto and Hestia at Camp Half-Blood
The book's text blurred, transforming into a moving image — a scene playing out before the gathered gods and demigods.
Naruto sat cross-legged at the hearth in the Big House. His ten-year-old face scrunched up as he focused on a small flame dancing on his fingertip. The fire obeyed his will, twisting into shapes — a fox, a dragon, even a little goat.
Hestia sat across from him, her divine form reduced to the appearance of a gentle woman in her early twenties. Her eyes were warm, filled with affection.
"You're learning quickly," she said softly. "You're amazing."
Naruto grinned, his sharp teeth showing. "It's easy when you're my teacher, Hestia-chan."
Hestia giggled — until her eyes locked with his.
One second.
Two seconds.
Her heart skipped.
Three seconds.
The Rinnegan shimmered, power pulsing just beneath the surface.
Six seconds.
"Naruto," she whispered, feeling the heat rising from his skin.
Nine seconds.
Her lips parted in panic. "Close your eyes!"
Too late.
Ten seconds.
Naruto's entire body erupted into flames — divine fire cascading off him in sheets of blinding light. He screamed — a child's scream — equal parts agony and frustration. His body turned to ash before their eyes.
The hearth crackled, and a second later, Naruto's body reformed from the flames, whole but trembling, smoke rising from his skin.
"I-It's okay!" he forced a smile, though his hands shook. "I'm used to it!"
Hestia covered her mouth, her flames dimming in grief.
Back in the Throne Room
The book paused, its pages glowing faintly.
"That's awful," Annabeth said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
"Why would the Fates allow such a bond?" Athena asked, her brow furrowed. "A goddess of home and a child born to devour worlds?"
Hestia's hand clenched her dress, flames flickering at the edges of her sleeves.
"Because," Hestia whispered, "I refused to let him go."
Shall we read more?" the book offered in soft golden letters.
Zeus grunted. "I want to see how this child fights."
Poseidon smiled faintly. "I want to see how he loves."
Hestia, eyes shining with unshed tears, simply said:
The campfire flickered as the stars twinkled overhead, but Naruto wasn't watching the sky. He sat on Half-Blood Hill, knees drawn to his chest, his Rinnegan eyes reflecting the divine flames in the distance.
Even though Camp Half-Blood was his "home," it never truly felt like one.
Not because people were mean to him — in fact, many of the campers adored him. He could summon strange chakra constructs, control elements with a flick of his hand, and fly if he concentrated hard enough. He was strong, weirdly strong for a ten-year-old, even by demigod standards. Some said he was a child of Hyperion or Nyx, though no god claimed him.
No one knew the truth — that he belonged to no pantheon.
That his soul had been tied to Hestia, the gentle, loving goddess who always smiled for him, even when it hurt her.
Especially when it hurt her.
That night, Naruto made up his mind. He didn't want Hestia to keep suffering. Every time she looked at him for more than a few seconds, the flames consumed him — and even if his body always came back, the pain was real.
He couldn't stand the look on her face every time it happened.
So, he left.
The camp's magical borders didn't try to stop him. In fact, it felt like the wards themselves opened a small path just for him — a quiet acknowledgment that he was never truly meant to stay.
His bare feet padded softly against the grass until he reached the highway. The sound of distant horns and the glow of city lights made his heart race. Camp Half-Blood was isolated, hidden away from the modern world — but out here?
Everything was alive.
Naruto's silver hair glowed faintly under the neon lights as he walked into Manhattan. His Rinnegan eyes took in everything — from flickering traffic lights to glowing billboards to the swarms of people moving around him.
"Whoa," he whispered, spinning in a slow circle. "So many people."
He had never seen so many mortals in one place before. His head tilted back as he marveled at the sheer size of the skyscrapers — giants of glass and metal, towering above like silent gods. They were so different from Mount Olympus, but just as awe-inspiring.
The smell of pretzels, hot dogs, and car exhaust filled the air. Naruto's stomach growled, reminding him that chakra couldn't exactly fill an empty belly.
He stood in front of a vending machine, tilting his head at the colorful drinks inside.
"What kind of summoning jutsu is this?" he muttered.
A few people walked by, casting glances at the strange, barefoot kid in an orange hoodie and loose, white pants. His eyes alone — glowing lavender rings — made people avoid him, but Naruto didn't notice. He was too distracted by the wonder around him.
He chased after a flock of pigeons. Stared wide-eyed at a street magician who bent spoons with fake powers (Naruto clapped anyway). Stuck his face against a bakery window, drooling at the pastries.
Everything was new. Everything was amazing.
Naruto was standing at a crosswalk, trying to figure out why the little red hand told him to stop, when a warm voice called from behind.
"Are you lost, sweetie?"
He turned, and his wide Rinnegan eyes met the gentle gaze of a mortal woman with dark hair and a soft smile. Her eyes were kind, the sort of kindness that made him think of Hestia — only without the divine fire that would burn him alive.
The woman knelt to his height. "Where's your mom and dad?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Don't got any."
The woman's smile dimmed, but her warmth didn't fade. "What's your name?"
"Naruto!" he said brightly. "I'm a ninja!" He threw up a sloppy ram hand sign, and a small puff of smoke appeared — though his clone popped into existence upside down and immediately face-planted into the sidewalk.
The woman laughed — a genuine, soft laugh. "A ninja, huh? That's pretty cool."
Naruto beamed. "Who are you?"
"My name's Sally," she said. "Sally Jackson."
Naruto's stomach growled again, and Sally's smile turned fond. "Come on, let's get you something to eat. My treat."
Naruto hesitated. In all his travels — across realms, through dimensions, even in Camp Half-Blood — people were usually nice to him because they were scared of him. Because of his powers. Because of who they thought he was.
But Sally… Sally was just nice.
"Really?" he asked. "Even though my eyes are weird?"
Sally tilted her head. "Your eyes are beautiful, Naruto."
Naruto froze.
It was the first time anyone had said that. Hestia never could — not without him catching fire. Everyone else just found them creepy.
"Okay," Naruto whispered. "I'll come."
Sally offered her hand, and Naruto took it — his tiny fingers wrapping around hers. Her touch was warm, but not the kind of warmth that burned.
It was the kind of warmth that felt like home.
As the Olympians and Percy's friends read the scene, the throne room fell silent. Even Ares didn't make a crude remark.
"She met him," Percy whispered. "My mom… met him."
Hestia's flames flickered, hope and sorrow mingling in her gentle eyes.
"He's so young," Annabeth said softly. "Too young for all of this."
"Not just young," Athena said quietly. "He's innocent."
The book's pages shimmered, offering a glimpse of Naruto and Sally walking down the crowded street, hand in hand, a ten-year-old Otsutsuki with the power to destroy worlds — and a mortal woman who saw nothing but a lost boy who needed a meal.
"We should read more," Hestia said softly, her voice trembling. "Please."
Zeus said nothing. Poseidon, however, gave a single nod.
"Turn the page."
The apartment wasn't much — a small space with creaky floors, a leaky faucet, and the constant scent of sea salt wafting in from the nearby docks. But to Naruto, it was perfect.
Sally let him sleep on the couch, though most nights, Naruto ended up curled near the heater, the closest thing he had to the familiar warmth of Hestia's flame. The heat didn't burn him. Mortal fire never did.
It wasn't home — but it was safe.
He helped Sally cook (or at least tried, since every time he made ramen, the kitchen filled with smoke). He ran errands for her, zipping through the streets faster than any mortal could see. He even tried to help her with rent, summoning gold coins from… somewhere in the fabric of reality (Sally made him put them back, calling it 'cheating').
The strangest thing, however, wasn't his powers — it was the fact that he never grew.
At first, Sally thought it was just genetics. Maybe Naruto was just small for his age — but weeks turned into months, and months into a year.
He never got taller. His face never changed. Even his voice stayed the same high, mischievous pitch.
When he turned eleven, Sally baked a cake. Naruto devoured it with a grin — but as the candles burned down, Sally realized something.
He still looked ten. Exactly the same.
When his twelfth birthday came — same thing.
The only thing that changed was the weight in his eyes.
They were still bright lavender, swirling with power, but they carried something older than any child should bear — the weight of time itself.
"Are you okay being… like this?" Sally asked him one night, sitting beside him as they watched a bad soap opera together.
Naruto tilted his head. "Like what?"
"Stuck," she said gently. "Like a kid."
Naruto gave her a lopsided smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't mind. Kids are awesome."
He didn't say what he really thought — that being a kid forever meant Hestia's gaze might not burn so badly. That maybe, if he stayed small, she wouldn't cry so much when she looked at him.
The book paused again as the gods and demigods in the throne room absorbed the new revelation.
"He's frozen," Athena said, adjusting her helmet. "Chronologically progressing, but biologically fixed."
"Like some kind of divine curse," Apollo muttered. "But not ours."
"His Otsutsuki blood," Hermes said. "They probably never meant for him to grow like a mortal."
Hestia said nothing, but her flames dimmed slightly.
"She should have abandoned him," Hera said coldly. "It's unnatural."
"She didn't," Poseidon said firmly, surprising everyone. "Because that's Sally."
When baby Percy was born, Naruto spent hours sitting beside his crib, his small hand resting on the bars, watching the baby gurgle and flail.
Percy giggled every time Naruto made a goofy face. His chubby arms reached out for him, and Naruto let the baby grab his fingers — fingers that hadn't changed in size in years.
"You're my little brother now," Naruto whispered one night, when Sally had fallen asleep on the couch. "I'll protect you, dattebayo."
His chakra flared softly, and for a moment, the faint outline of a six-tomoe Rinnegan flickered behind his normal spiraling eyes — power he still didn't fully understand, power tied to a heritage he couldn't escape.
But none of that mattered right now.
Percy drooled on his hand, and Naruto just smiled.
Even though Naruto had left Camp Half-Blood, Hestia could always find him.
From her hearth in Olympus, she watched through the flames — watched him grow not in body, but in heart. She saw him tuck baby Percy into his crib. She saw him chase pigeons through the park. She saw him help Sally carry groceries with his tiny hands, fingers that never grew larger no matter how many years passed.
Every time she watched too long — more than ten seconds — Naruto would suddenly stiffen, his skin crackling, and he'd erupt into flames, even if she was miles away.
The curse didn't care about distance.
But he always came back.
Always.
He'd shake the ash from his hair, smile that unbreakable smile, and go right back to playing with Percy, as if nothing had happened.
Hestia's flames trembled with grief and love alike.
One night, long after Sally and Percy had gone to sleep, Naruto stood on the balcony, staring at the stars.
Hestia appeared beside him — not physically, but her presence flickered faintly in the reflection of the glass door. A warm glow, comforting and painful all at once.
"I see you," she whispered.
Naruto didn't turn around.
"If you look at me too long," he said quietly, "I'll burn again."
"I know," she said, her voice soft. "But I miss you."
"I miss you too, Hestia-chan."
The reflection flickered. She was counting the seconds, struggling not to meet his eyes for too long.
"You should hate me," Naruto said, still facing the stars. "Every time you look at me, it hurts you."
Hestia's voice cracked. "I could never hate you."
The ten-second mark hit.
Naruto erupted into flames, body turning to ash right there on the balcony. The wind carried his ashes into the night sky — but a moment later, his small form reformed, coughing softly, brushing soot off his hoodie.
He smiled — small, sad, but unbroken.
"See you later, Hestia-chan."
The throne room was silent once more. Even Ares didn't speak.
"Why is he so… okay with it?" Percy asked softly. "The burning. The pain. It happens over and over."
"He's protecting her," Annabeth said quietly. "He doesn't want her to blame herself."
"But she does," Grover added. "Of course she does."
Hestia's flames were nearly blue, flickering in unstable sorrow.
"Shall we continue?" the book asked.
"Please," Hestia whispered, her voice barely audible.