Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or PJO. Each respective franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Rick Roridan. In short, I own NOTHING.
Enjoy, chapter 2 of,
THE JOURNEY
He didn't know where he was.
Was he dreaming? Probably.
Naruto looked around him in wonder, it was hazy, and everything was swirling all over the place, it honestly made him a bit nauseous.
Definitely dreaming.
Then suddenly, everything flashed, causing the young boy to reel back and shut his eyes in instinct.
Then he opened them.
The first thing he noticed was that he felt taller, really tall. He had massively increased in size and could probably tower over Sam if he wanted to.
The next thing he saw was fire. Everywhere, burning down a few buildings at his sides, smoke rising from the debris and entering his lungs. But, Naruto hardly felt any of it as it hit his body.
Was this dream trying to tell him something?
He didn't really dream back when he lived in the forest. And whenever he did, he would mostly carry on with his tasks for survival, never minding whatever warning or sign his dreams would try to tell him, so this was a new experience entirely.
Strangely, without his will, he looked down and observed himself.
His skin was tan. Almost like his own tan shade, as his form in his dream looked muscular. While a dark red mark swirled in his right bicep, which connected to another red mark on his chest.
His hands were big and bulky, callouses present in each palm, and were those chains?!
Naruto tried to take a closer look, but his head somehow snapped forward when footsteps hit his ears.
An old woman, dark skinned, dressed in strange clothes that Naruto never saw in his life, held a stick and looked at him conceitedly, as if saying 'I told you so' to him.
She opened her mouth, yet Naruto couldn't understand what she was saying all together, to him, it felt like a jumbled set of syllables mashed in hopes of letting out a word. The cackles of fire and the screams from the burning people were far too distracting for him to listen to the woman.
What was happening?
Then, he collapsed, shouting in anger, fury. All felt by the blonde, but he himself was confused on why he felt it.
This was a really weird dream.
He tried to stand up, and to his surprise he did, as his skin started turn an ashen white while he stood, Naruto felt shock and horror enter his state, further worsening his mood.
And with that, he screamed.
"Gah?!" Naruto shot up straight from the bed he laid on, sweat dripping from his form. He looked over his body and proceeded to pat it in fervor, and noticed something strange.
"What happened?" He muttered silently. He looked down on his body, and was thankful that it was the same as it always was, but missing the leather armor he had fashioned from that boar a few weeks ago. The blonde turned his head, and saw an equally surprised girl at his side.
She seemed startled when she realized he was awake. She had been feeding him something that tasted like the meat he had savored a few nights ago, only it looked like some form of pudding.
The girl in particular was a curly blonde haired girl, holding the spoonful of whatever was inside the bowl she had fed him.
"How are you feeling?" The girl asked him, setting down the bowl on a nearby table which he noticed held his pauldron and other items he had taken with him when he went with Sam.
"I am fine." Naruto answered. His tone in his usual monotonous voice that he would use when he tried to 'socialize' as Sam would put it.
The boy tried to stand up, only to grunt and fall back on the bed, gasping slightly as a jolt of pain racked his body. The girl rushed to him and helped him lay down.
"It's okay, you're safe here." She told him gently.
Naruto didn't believe that one bit, but his eyelids were too heavy right now for him to argue with a girl, and he passed out once more.
He woke up again some time later, but the curly blonde was gone, replaced by some new guy that was dressed in shorts. He stood in the corner of the bedroom, keeping watch. His eyes looked over to him when he groaned. The eyes on his cheeks, forehead, and even the back of his hands monitoring him creepily.
Sleep was demanding once more, and Naruto laid his head down and closed his eyes.
Another dream occurred, this one more obscure than the last.
Everything was blurry. He felt the feeling of desperation, hopelessness, and rage. The blood and gore around him were mixing together, creating an inky trail of crimson red that surrounded him, coating his legs in the dark liquid as he looked up.
A man stared down at him. His hair and beard in literal flames was sneering at him. His armor that he wore being just as more intimidating as he was. He towered over him, and Naruto felt his mouth open. But like the last dream, he didn't understand any of it, only a few words he could make out were scarce, to say the least.
"… Destroy my enemies! And my life is yours!"
The boy noticed that just now he was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of bodies, some were dressed in the same set of armor, holding spears and circular shields, while others were too brutally murdered, flayed, or decapitated too identify.
He strangely didn't felt sick to his stomach.
Then, he woke up again.
The blonde was glad his surroundings weren't weird as he expected it to be, after having to see what his dreams had offered him. Instead, it was the same room he had assumed where the 'camp' was stationed at. Looking outside the window, he gazed across a vast land of green hills at the distance. The breeze from outside creeped in from the slightly opened window, which gave Naruto a fresh breath of air.
His mouth felt dry, he really wanted something to drink. Fast.
He glanced around the room he occupied. On the next table that sat beside his items, was a tall drink. It had a golden shade for the liquid. With a straw and other decorative items Naruto didn't bother to see.
He grabbed it, careful not to spill any on the sheets or pillow. Then sat up a bit to properly gulp it down.
The taste was exquisite, something he really didn't have the pleasure of tasting in his life considering he lived in the woods up to now. So he savored it as much as he could, just like the food the girl had given him. But before he knew it, the boy had drained the last of it, Naruto sighed and set it back down on the table. He was starting to crave for more.
He grabbed the blanket, and proceeded to pull it off and panted his bare feet to the wooden ground. Naruto started to stretch his arms a bit, trying to get the feel of things after having a moderate amount of inactivity.
He rolled his shoulders, and an audible 'pop' was heard, making the boy wince a bit.
The whiskered youth looked down, noticing his torn orange shirt was now gone, replaced by a plain white. He lifted up the hem of his new shirt, and saw wrapped bandages on his stomach, specifically around the areas that the Cyclopes and Ogre had hit him, where bruises had appeared no doubt.
The tapping of wood caught Naruto's attention, and glanced to where the doorway was positioned, seeing the curly haired girl from before entering.
"Did you enjoy it?" She asked him.
"It was… sufficient." Naruto nodded, then approached the table that had his armor.
The girl watched as he walked over to the table holding his items. "Are you sure you want to wear that already?" She asked. "You just woke up, it looks a bit heavy." She observed. Looking at the boy's pauldron crucially, her grey eyes seemingly trying to etch and memorize every crevice and detail on the leather armor into her mind.
"I'm used to it." Naruto grunted, pulling and tying on the last strap of his pauldron. His hand grabbed the leather piece on his shoulder, adjusting it slightly so it could feel less uncomfortable.
After rolling his shoulders once more, the blonde noticed something missing.
"Where's my axe?" He asked.
"It's in the armory. Don't worry, Chiron made sure no one would touch it. The Hephaestus Cabin got really excited when they saw it. " The grey eyed girl answered. She briefly glanced at the outside of the doorway before she nodded to herself. She looked back at him, and made a notion with her hand.
"Speaking of which, Chiron wants to meet you, follow me."
The two made their way out of the infirmary, and outside of the building, into a porch, where Naruto realized that the porch itself wrapped around the whole house.
He walked silently, his shoulders squared up and his body tense, this was a whole new territory, and he needed to be guarded.
Though the boy had to admit that the scenery was beautiful. On the side of the house, he could see the valley going all the way up to the water, which seemed to glitter and glisten even in the distance. While the landscape that separated the valley and shore, held various buildings dotted around the land.
All of them were strange to the blonde, having never seen decorated columns and buildings that seemed to hold an ancient tradition with it, all looking brand new, with the white colors it had and the marble décor that sparkled in the sun's light, while still holding the sense of oldness it had to it.
A small lake occupied nearby a set of cabins. Where boats glided across the waters. While kids and teens alike, all wearing the same orange shirt, played a game of 'Volleyball', as Sam described it. There were also some who did archery on the far side of the land, while others rode on horses.
Yet somehow, Naruto felt as he had seen it all before. The building's designs and the traditions and practices the kids here had made his mind spin, as if it was familiar, yet at the same time new to him. He just couldn't explain why.
A voice rang in his head, old and stern, that seemed speak in a harsh tone, telling him to keep his guard up. It disappeared shortly after, as the girl led him down, at the edge of the porch, where to two men that sat across from each other at a table.
The man that faced the two blondes was short, yet hefty, noticing that his hair was so black that it almost looked purple. Wearing a tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with shorts and purple running shoes hidden by the table.
Despite his appearance, Naruto felt something powerful within the man, an aura that out-trumped every monster that he had faced in the past, which unnerved him greatly, but tried to stifle it down.
"That's Mr. D," The girl whispered at the boy's ear. "He's the camp director; be polite." She warned him.
The whiskered youth grunted in response.
The curly haired girl pointed at the man whose back was facing them. "And that's Chiron."
The first thing he noticed was that the man sat in a wheelchair. He wore a brown jacket, and had thinning brown hair.
He must have noticed that both of them were behind him, because he turned around and smiled at them. His scraggly beard and intense brown eyes giving him a kindly appearance.
"Ah, Annabeth." He called to the girl as if a grandfather would to their grandchild. His eyes turned towards the other blonde and also gave him a smile. "And I presume that you are Naruto?" He asked.
The pre-teen gave a nod of confirmation.
"Brat doesn't talk much?" 'Mr. D' lifted his head up, noticing the boy's quietness, then he snorted. "Good. Less headaches I have to deal with." The man said rudely.
"Mr. D!" Chiron admonished, before he turned his head back to the two blondes. "Ignoring him. It good to see you up and active." He said. "Now we have four for pinochle."
Chiron offered Naruto a seat, which was right next to Mr. D. The man looked at the silent blonde for a moment before he heaved a heavy sigh. "Oh. I suppose I must say it." He cleared his throat. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now don't expect me to be glad to see you."
"I understand." Naruto responded. Before he blinked.
Was his voice that deep?
For a moment, he had thought that his vocal cords had gone on strike and proceeded to change how he sounded. Because, for a second there, he almost sounded like the guy in his dreams, only younger.
The two men and Annabeth seemed to notice it, looking at him oddly, but didn't comment further. Only looking at him in surprise, and moved on.
The wheelchair bound man seemed to look exasperated at the portly director's attitude, before he shook his head and looked at the blonde seated with them, and gestured towards the curly haired girl.
"This young lady helped nurse you back to health, Naruto." Chiron informed me, to which the whiskered boy gave a small nod of gratitude to the girl. "Annabeth, my dear. Why don't you go check on the bunks in Cabin Eleven? We'll be putting him there for now."
Annabeth nodded. "Sure Chiron." Her tone sounding excited as she looked at him.
Now that the blonde was back at his senses, he observed the girl. She was possibly his age, and was a few inches shorter, and looked less athletic looking compared to him, considering he had lived in the woods and had to hunt on his own, he generally had grown more than the average kids his age.
She had a tan shade and blonde hair much like his own, though it was curly. Her eyes, however, was what caught his attention. They were grey, like stormy clouds on a rainy day; also pretty, yet intimidating at the same time. Her eyes also held a bout of confidence and analyzation.
She looked like she was about to say something to him, but ran off instead, her hair flying behind her.
With the girl gone, Naruto shifted his attention to the portly man beside him.
"Mr. D… that's not your real name, is it?" He pointed out.
The man rolled his eyes. "How very observant." He mocked, which Naruto frowned at. Then, Mr. D stopped shuffling his cards and looked at the boy critically. "Young man, names are powerful things." He grabbed his cards and shuffled them once more. "You don't just go around using them for no reason."
Chiron seemed to notice the tension around them, and decided to change the subject.
"Do you know how to play?" The bearded man asked.
The blonde shrugged.
"You do know how to play pinochle." Mr. D eyed him suspiciously.
"No, sir." Naruto said.
The portly man looked at him. "Hm, at least you have manners, unlike the many lot here." He said. "I would expect all civilized young men to know the rules."
"I am sure he can learn." Chiron insisted. "Though I must say," He started. "It is unusual for someone as young as you to live alone in the woods." His smile dimmed.
"How do you know that?" Naruto asked, picking up some cards and shuffled them.
"Sam, the Satyr who helped you here, informed me of you helping him and young Henry during their way here." Chiron answered.
"He also mentioned that you alone killed a Cyclopes when they met you. Then an Ogre during your trek here." He said as he looked at the boy, his mouth hidden by the cards he held. "Is this all true? Not that I doubt your skill, but Sam is known to over exaggerate things from time to time."
"…Yes." Naruto nodded. "They were… a nuisance in our path."
Chiron chuckled. "Aren't they all?" He smiled at him as he laid down his cards. "Well, it is good to know that you have some form of protection against the creatures that may have attacked you during your way to camp."
Naruto looked down on his cards. "Chiron… who am I?" He asked quietly.
His mind was in a buzz, and the headache he had was pulsing harder than before, and he gritted his teeth as his hand tightened on his cards.
"Are you all right, Naruto?" Chiron asked him, his eyes glancing at him worryingly, looking at the boy when the cards he held started to protest from the increased pressure. D glanced at the blonde, but didn't say anything.
The whiskered youth blinked, noticing his crumpled cards and laid it down, uncaring if the contents of his pieces were shown to the two other players.
"I… I'm okay." Naruto murmured loud enough for the brown haired man to hear.
Chiron sighed, and gave him a smile. "Then that is relief." He said.
Mr. D turned to the blonde. "Are you going to bid, Nathaniel?"
"Bid?" Naruto asked, carefully taking his cards as he calmed his nerves, shooting the plump man with a confused look, ignoring the man's mistake on his name.
The camp director sighed and impatiently told him how to bid. And Naruto did as he was instructed.
"Did Sam inform you of the Greek gods?" Chiron asked.
"There was very little time, he only gave me a few information of certain gods and goddesses, and some stories." The whiskered boy explained.
"I see." Chiron nodded. "I am a bit surprised on how calm you are taking all of this." He noticed.
"The stories and the legends Sam has told me are in front of my eyes, he-" The blonde pointed at Mr. D. "Is a god, it is hard not to believe when the evidence is piling up in front of me." He stated.
"Hmph. At least this Brat gets it." The plump man belched as he shuffled his cards. "Bad enough that I'm confined to this job, don't want to look after a bunch of kids who don't believe." He grumbled.
He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table. Then, as if the sun bent momentarily, and woven air into the glass, filling up with red wine. Mr. D prepared to take a sip.
"Mr. D, your restrictions." Chiron didn't even look up as he warned the man, as if this occurrence was a normal thing.
The plump man stopped just as the cold goblet neared his mouth. "Oh dear me." He feigned surprise as he looked at the wine.
He craned his head up to the sky. "Old habits! Sorry!" He yelled.
Thunder boomed, and Naruto, too, glanced at the sky.
"That… was Zeus, right?" He asked, recalling the story of the particular god from Sam's accountings.
Strangely, he felt a surge of anger pulse through his body when he mentioned the sky god's name, but he ignored it in favor of Chiron answering him.
"Yes. The king of the gods himself." Chiron nodded as Mr. D waved his hand again, and the goblet disappeared, replaced by a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the can of soda and took a gulp, then went back to his card game.
Chiron chuckled, and winked at the blonde. "Mr. D offended his father a while back. Flirted with a wood nymph that was declared off-limits."
"Yes." Mr. D confirmed. "Father loves to punish me. First time, prohibition. Ghastly!" He reeled back as if he saw something disgusting. "Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she was really pretty, and I couldn't stay away the second time, he sent me here. Camp Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you."
He gave the pre-teen an irritated look. "Be a better influence!' He told me! 'Work with the youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha!" He let out a scoff. "Absolutely unfair."
The man sounded like a child, and pouted like one too.
It took a moment for the pieces to click, but Naruto realized who 'Mr. D' really was.
"You're the god of wine." Naruto said. "Dionysus, a son of Zeus." Again, the surge of anger returned, yet the boy subdued it from making his feelings noticeable.
Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do kids say these days?" He muttered to himself before he snapped his fingers.
"Well duh!" He said in an over-dramatic fashion. "What, did you think I was Aphrodite?"
Naruto looked down on his cards. "I see." He mumbled, before he returned to the game.
The game continued for a while, until the god beside him smirked, and puffed his chest out. "I believe I win." He stated.
A chuckle escaped Chiron's lips. "I'm afraid not, Mr. D." He set down his own stack of cards, showing a straight, tallied points, then said, "The game goes to me."
The god narrowed his eyes at Chiron, as if he was going to do something, before he sighed through his nose. And set the cards down as he grumbled.
"Fine." He said. "You win this time. Now, I believe you have to show this brat though this retched place?"
Chiron's face lit up in remembrance. "Ah, yes." He nodded, before he shifted, as if he was going to lift himself from his chair.
Then, he stood up.
His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs themselves had no attempt to move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt, stretching it. And kept rising, taller than any man Naruto had seen.
Chiron's new form emerged, the front was that of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there was no possible way it could have held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then the hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.
Naruto stared, dumbfounded at what he had seen.
A centaur, he had remembered Sam tell him, yet from what the Satyr had described him, centaur usually had held a rough and wild aura with them. Yet Chiron's was anything but, noble, majestic, and refined.
"What a relief." Chiron said. "I've been cooped up in there for so long. My fetlocks had fallen asleep." He chuckled. "Now; come, Naruto. Let us meet the other campers."
The blonde mutely nodded, and proceeded to follow Chiron.
They had passed the sandpit he had saw back in the infirmary. Where kids were hitting a ball over a net. It looked like it needed a small amount of force, and a good amount of balance with a mix endurance. It seemed like a good sport.
'Volleyball' Naruto remembered what Sam had told him.
When they passed a few more kids and teens, some looked at him and gaped at the blonde whilst pointing at his direction. He heard whispers of something along the lines of 'That's him!' and 'It is him!'. Naruto shifted, a bit unnerved at the attention centered around him.
Chiron saw this and chuckled. "When you were being escorted to camp, some had seen the Ogre's decaying remains when they went to help Sam carry you to the Big House. Quite a feat among the camp for someone as new as you." He praised him.
They passed more campers, and Naruto even saw Henry amongst them, waving at him excitingly when the kid noticed the blonde walking with the centaur.
Naruto also noticed that most of the campers seemed to be older than him, bar Annabeth and Henry. The Satyrs, from what Sam had told him and Chiron added, were trotting around camp with orange shirt that were shared with the campers, but didn't wear any pants, exposing their shaggy behinds for the world to see.
The whiskered boy spotted Sam fraternizing with his fellow Satyrs, the goat-boy also saw him, just like Henry. And waved at him with as much enthusiasm as the kid, making Naruto gain a wary smile.
The blonde veered back to look at the farmhouse behind him. It was bigger than he initially thought. It was four stories tall, painted sky blue with a white trim. A brass eagle weather vane sat on top.
He blinked, when a shadow in the top window of the house, from within what he suspected was the attic of the building. Something had moved the curtain quickly. He tensed, ready for an attack, only to realize the house was a good distance away. Still, he kept his guard up, just in case.
"That window…" Naruto muttered, catching Chiron's attention. "Is something up there?" He pointed at the attic.
As soon as he saw where the blonde was pointing at, his smile disappeared. "Just the attic." He replied stiffly.
The pre-teen turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You're lying." He bluntly pointed out. "Is something living in there?"
"No." The centaur shook his head with finality. "Not a single living thing." Naruto heard Chiron whisper.
The blonde still doubted him. But nonetheless dropped it.
"Come along lad." Chiron said. His normally cheery tone now sounding a bit forced. "Lots to see!"
They went through the strawberry fields. Where Chiron told him that the camp grew crops that paid for export to the city next to the camp. He saw a few campers or 'demigods' tending to the crops, where a Satyr with a reed pipe played at.
Chiron showed him the woods next, and as they got closer Naruto had noticed how big it looked from the front. It seemed like it covered a quarter of the valley, far out-sizing his little forest where he had stayed in.
"The woods are stocked, if you care to try yourself." The centaur said. "But please go armed."
"Stocked with monsters or regular animals?" Naruto asked, his eyes peering into the depths of the forest, analyzing it for future reference, should he ever venture inside.
"Both." Chiron answered. "Capture The Flag is Friday tonight." He informed him. "Annabeth has told me that you had a weapon with you, yes?"
Naruto nodded. "My axe, she told me that it was kept in the Armory." He said, to which Chiron tilted his head in confirmation.
"Indeed. The children of Hephaestus were clamoring to take a look at your weapon when they removed it from your person." The half-man half-horse admitted. "You may retrieve it later when the tour is done. For now, shall we continue?"
The two proceeded into the Archery Range, where teens that held some sort of resemblance with each other practiced with their skills with the bow and arrow.
Strangely, Naruto caught a glimpse of what could only to be described as an apparition.
It took form of a boy who the blonde had never seen, but yet felt familiar with. His face was too obscure to identify, and all Naruto could really see was the leather tunic that the boy wore, coupled with the fur surrounding said tunic.
The boy stood at an unoccupied target, aiming at it as his hand held the bow tightly.
In a blink of an eye, he disappeared.
Naruto stared at the spot where the boy had been standing on, before he shook his head and continued on with Chiron, deeming the whole event as just an illusion due to his injuries.
The Ogre hit hard, so brain damage was an additional factor possibly.
The tour continued. And they visited the lake were boats, now named canoes rowed, then the stables, which Chiron seemed to be uncomfortable at, so they moved on from that quickly. Then they walked through the arena, where the centaur told him that they hold sword and spear fights, which Naruto took interest to.
"Sword and Spear fights?" The boy asked.
"Cabin challenges and all that." Chiron explained. "Not lethal. Usually." He muttered the last part, before he pointed at another location. "Oh, look the mess hall."
An outdoor pavilion, framed by white columns sat on a hill overlooking the sea. Dozens of tables made out of stone were inside. But no roofs or walls. Which the blonde questioned.
"Does it ever rain here?"
Chiron looked at him quizzically. "We still have to eat, don't we?"
The blonde grunted in response, dropping the subject entirely.
They finally moved on to the cabins that nestled by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. Each building looked unique and the blonde could differentiate which was which.
All had a large brass number above the door, set so the odd numbers were on the left and the even numbers were on the right. He didn't kid that the buildings were looked different from each other. Number nine had smokestacks on its roof, appearing like a factory. Number four had vines surrounding the walls and the roof was built in glass. Five looked like it went through a war zone, painted red with various barbed wires protecting outsiders against it, while a stuffed boar head laid above the door.
All cabins faced a common area. Where it was dotted with statues, flowerbeds, and many more.
In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. The Hearth within it smoldered, even if it was a warm afternoon. Tending to the fires was a young girl, poking the coals with a stick.
Naruto frowned, and tensed when he felt the immense power that was contained within the girl, even more powerful than Mr. D, which set alarm bells off his head. But he didn't address it to his tour guide, who probably knew the girl and so the blonde deemed her not a threat.
For now.
The pair of cabins at the head of the field, which were Numbers One and Two, were identical in design and shape, big white marble boxes with columns on either side. Cabin One was the biggest and bulkiest of all, while the bronze door fit in the cabin glimmered. Cabin Two, on the other hand was graceful with slimmer columns scented with pomegranates and garlanded and flowers, while the images of peacocks decorated the walls.
"Zeus and Hera?" Naruto assumed.
Chiron nodded.
The blonde took a look once more.
"…Their cabins are empty."
"Several are. But true. No one ever stays in one or two." Chiron stated.
Naruto didn't ask, simply nodded along as the centaur motioned him to follow once more.
They passed Cabin Five, and Naruto noticed how unruly and rambunctious the small building really was. Inside the cabin were angry looking boys and girls that held some sort of resemblance with each other. All were either arm wrestling and arguing with each other while loud music played in the background.
The loudest of them all came in form of a girl that looked to be the same age as him. She, like any other camper wore the orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD shirt, but the sides were hidden by a camouflage jacket. She looked at him, and gave him a sneer, her long stringy brown hair trailing down her face.
Naruto glared back just as intensely.
He and Chiron kept walking in silence, until we reach another cabin labeled with the number eleven.
The curly blonde girl from before read a book in front of the cabin, seemingly waiting for them.
When they reached her, the girl looked over at Naruto critically, seizing him up.
The whiskered youth glanced at the book she was reading, but he couldn't make out most of the words. He knew it had something to do with the buildings, or more specifically, the designs if the pictures were to by.
"Annabeth." Chiron called. "I have a masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Naruto from here?"
"Yes sir." The girl nodded, and closed her book with a snap.
"Cabin Eleven." The centaur gestured towards the doorway to Naruto. "Make yourself home."
Out of all the cabins, Naruto realized that Eleven looked the most normal, yet the most rundown cabin out of all. Over the doorway, was a symbol of a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. Inside, was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number the bunks had.
The centaur didn't enter, for the door was too low for him. However, as he entered in view, the entire campers bowed respectfully towards the half-human/half-horse.
"Well then," Chiron started. "Good luck, Naruto. I'll see you at dinner."
With that said, he galloped away to the Archery Range.
Naruto stood in the doorway, looking around and stared back at the kids with cold eyes. They weren't bowing anymore, they just stared at him, sizing him up like Annabeth did.
"Well?" Said girl asked. "Go on." She prompted him.
Carefully, the whiskered blonde entered the cabin, his boots making creaks on the wooden floor. Some kids backed off, seeing how the blonde towered over them as he entered.
"Naruto, meet Cabin Eleven." Annabeth announced.
"Regular, or undetermined?" Somebody asked.
"Undetermined." Annabeth answered for her fellow blonde.
Everybody in the cabin groaned.
Someone else went forward to greet Naruto. He was older than the whiskered boy, and was taller and slightly more muscular. He had short-cropped sandy blonde hair and gave Naruto a friendly smile. He wore a dark orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with different colored beads, similar to Annabeth. A thick white scar ran from beneath his eye to his jaw.
"This is Luke," Annabeth said, somehow, Naruto noticed her voice change. He glanced at her and saw her cheeks tainted in a slight pink. The girl noticed him looking, and shook the expression off, shooting the whiskered boy a look, to which Naruto respond with a raised eyebrow.
"He's your counselor, for now." She told him.
"For now?"
Luke stepped in. "You're undetermined." He chipped in. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin Eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors." He explained. "Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron is the god of travelers."
Naruto looked at the tiny section they gave him. He had nothing to put there but his axe, so he just remembered where his spot his.
He slept in worse conditions.
The whiskered blonde looked at the camper's faces. Some were sullen and suspicious; others were grinning stupidly. But some looked as if they were waiting to steal from him.
He had practically nothing on him, but nevertheless, Naruto glared at them just in case. Satisfied when they flinched from his expression.
Good.
"How long will I be here?" Naruto asked.
"Good question." Luke said. "Until you are determined."
The youth nodded.
The other campers were surprised that he had no additional questions left.
"Well." Luke suddenly broke the silence. Before he stepped closer to Naruto.
He extended his hand.
"Allow me to officially welcome you to Cabin Eleven, Naruto." Luke smiled at him. "It may not be much, but you'll fit right in."
The boy looked at the sandy blonde's hand, before he took it and shook it.
"A pleasure." He responded.
Luke didn't respond, and Naruto noticed that he was wincing.
He let go of the older boy's hand.
Murmurs and mutterings were heard from the campers in Cabin Eleven started to echo around the small cottage, all pertaining to Naruto.
"That's some strength you got there." Luke laughed as he nursed his hand, though there was a hint of nervousness to it. "You'll be a monster in the arena." He praised.
"Come on." Annabeth interrupted. "I'll show you the volleyball court."
"I've already seen it." Naruto argued. "There's no reason to see it again."
"Come on." The girl urged.
A grunt was the response.
She grabbed his wrist, and proceeded to drag him outside. As they were leaving, Naruto could hear the laughs of misfortune from his new cabin mates.
When they were a few feet away, Annabeth stopped and opened her mouth to speak.
Only for a new voice to cut in.
"Well! Lookie here! A newbie!" A husky voice yelled.
The two blondes looked over; the girl from the Cabin Five sauntered towards them menacingly. Three other girls were behind her, all wearing camouflage jackets in different shades, and all had the same sneers on their faces. To make them look more intimidating.
Naruto wasn't intimidated one bit.
"Clarisse." Annabeth sighed, irritation leaking in her voice. "Why don't you go bother someone else for a change?"
"Then why don't you stop being a Miss-Know-It-All?" The big girl mocked. "Just let me deal with the newbie and go on your merry way, Owl Pellets."
Annabeth shot the girl a scowl. Naruto glanced at her when the girl started muttering something in what he could guess as Greek under her breath. "You'll regret that by Friday." She said confidently.
"We'll pulverize you." Clarisse growled, her eye twitching. She switched her gaze to the silent boy next to Annabeth.
"Who're you?"
Naruto took this moment to seize the girl up. She wasn't as overly intimidating as she thought she'd be, at least, for him. He was standing at almost the same height as her. So her actions did nothing to scare him.
"Naruto." Annabeth started. "Meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."
A sudden jolt of anger surged through Naruto once the mention of the god surfaced, and the blonde clenched his fist silently, but his face showed neutrality
Clarisse noticed this, and sneered.
"What, you think Ares is boring or sumthin?"
"No." Naruto said. "It just explains the stench that surrounds you and your sisters." He growled lowly.
"Newbie once to start something huh?" Clarisse glared at him. "We have an initiation ceremony for newbies, Nato."
"Naruto."
"Whatever. I'll show you." She stepped closer.
"Clarisse-" Annabeth intervened.
"Stay out of this, Wise Girl." The war girl warned.
Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it.
The daughter of Ares didn't hesitate, and immediately lunged at Naruto and grabbed hold of his neck.
Something snapped within him.
Naruto grabbed the hand that held his neck, and twisted it painfully. Clarisse grunted, but she tried to hold back, only for her to cry out in pain when Naruto forced her grip from his neck to completely loosen, causing her hand to free the blonde. Her appendage now in the mercy of whiskered youth.
The boy gripped Clarisse's hand tightly, and he forced her down. The war girl struggled, but it was useless as she collapsed to the ground, on her knees, while Naruto held her painfully.
She was helpless.
With a roar, Naruto suddenly hefted her up, and threw her to a cinder-blocked building. Destroying a side of the small building. He approached it as Annabeth and the girls gasped.
Lines of toilets were on one side, while shower stalls lined the other side. It smelled unpleasant, reminding him of the girl he was currently fighting.
The girls who followed Clarisse were at a loss. Seeing their sister so easily beaten and thrown gave them insight. What could they possibly do?
As Naruto approached and stood before the downed Clarisse, the war girl's sisters snapped out of their funk and attacked him.
One of them went for a hit to the face, only for Naruto to catch the arm mid-way which sent the girl tumbling down.
She didn't have time to balance herself however when a knee was sent to her face, knocking her into one of the shower stalls, leaving the curtains fluttering as she landed in a daze.
The other girl charged at the blonde and sent a right hook towards his face. He intercepted the attack, and retaliated with a crushing blow to her stomach, leaving her gasping for air. Naruto continued, and sent a fist to her face, giving the girl a nasty bruise as he shoved her harshly with his shoulder.
A roar was heard from behind and the boy leaned sideways when a fist came sailing through the air to hit him.
He grabbed the offending arm and flipped her over down on the tile floor, causing cracks to appear as the whiskered blonde lifted her up. The war daughter growled and headbutted Naruto, sending him staggering back as she charged at him with a fist closed.
Just as she neared the blonde crouched and dived, wrapping his arms around her waist and drove her to the walls of the cinder-blocked building, then switched directions towards the toilets.
The toilets were not spared, as the blonde speared the war girl through one, and onto the floor, dropping her there, the girl groaning in pain.
"You'll pay for that dipshit!"
Clarisse screamed and charged at him, throwing a punch, which Naruto caught in record time, before throwing another, which he also caught.
The two struggled for dominance, and pushed one another to get the upperhand. Naruto glared at the war girl and twisted his arms, entangling the girl's arms with him. He used the stunned chance and gave her a mighty kick to the chest, knocking the wind out of Clarisse and making her untangle her arms in an effort to soothe the pain.
Naruto wasn't done, and gave the girl a harsh right hook to the face, then gave another punch to her stomach, and drove his elbow to her chin, alternating between punches and kicks as the girl staggered back.
With a final roar, Naruto ran full speed ahead and speared her through the wall of the bathroom.
The wall burst, and Annabeth gasped in surprise when Clarisse, beaten and bruised, lay down on a pile of debris, groaning in pain as Naruto stood over her, victorious.
"That was…" She trailed off.
A bunch of other campers gawked at the sight of the whole debacle as Clarisse's sisters, who were also bruised and ashamed, dragged her back to their Cabin as Clarisse shouted obscenities towards Naruto.
Naruto grunted, and rolled his shoulders as he nursed his neck.
That girl had a strong grip.
He turned around and saw Annabeth staring at him.
"What?" He asked. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking." She gave him a smirk. "That I want you on my team for Capture The Flag."
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