Naruto: Prince of the Underworld

Chapter 3

If anyone got confused about Naruto weapon in travel form, well they were originally Key Chains, not keyblades. These Key Chains are attached to wrist bands that were created for travel. Polls for the Chakra teaching idea.

Yes: 2

No: 2

Only Big Three Kids: 3

It is really up to you guys because I can do either one. I only suggested it because it would make everyone a lot more powerful. Thalia would get Lightning Jutsu(Chidori). Percy would get Water Jutsu. Aphrodite…heh, Sexy Jutsu and Love Jutsu, this is one is a laugh though. Anyway….up to you, vote at the end please.

On with the show!

Life after the freak show went on like normal, well as normal as it could get in this school. For the rest of the year both the boys were a bit put off by the revelation that Miss Dodds never existed. In her place was a perky blond woman names Mrs. Kerr. When either of the boys would ask something about the old hag, people just looked at the like they were nuts! Naruto, however, did like the new teacher thought. She was a refreshing change from the old crone.

Though everyone else seemed to not even know what the hell they were talking about, Grover seemed like he did. He would always hesitate before denying it though. He was such a bad liar.

Something was going on. They knew that something had happened at the museum.

Anyway, that freak storm continued and one time it blew out the windows in Percy's apartment. Luckily, Naruto offered him a place to stay until things were fixed and ready to go at his place. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty from Yancy Academy, which was scary in itself, luckily they didn't get hurt.

Percy started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. His grades slipped from Ds to Fs. He got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. He was sent out into the hallway in almost every class. Naruto was in some of his class he was feeling the same way, he stayed under control….most of the time. Something odd was going on and they were somehow affected, and it was getting really annoying.

Though when Percy got in trouble for calling their English teacher an old sot, whatever that meant, the school sent a letter his mom telling her that Percy would not be allowed back next year, the boy's mood lifted….but just a little bit. Naruto could tell Percy missed his mom because he hated that fact that she was with Gabe of all people. The kid was homesick, no surprise there.

Naruto sighed he came to reality, exam week was come up soon and he, like Percy and Grover had to study. Like Shikamaru says, it is going to be troublesome.

XXXX

The night before the exams started, Naruto and Percy decided to have a study session at Percy's dorm. Throughout the night, Naruto could see that Percy was getting more and more agitated. Finally he threw his book across the room.

"Temper temper" Naruto commented, trying liven up the atmosphere.

"Sorry but bow the hell am I supposed to know the difference Chiron and Charon!"

"Simple, one has an I and the other has an A in their name." Naruto smartly said with smirk. Percy slapped his face and gave Naruto a glare. "Ok, let me help you then. Chiron, the one with the I, is half horse and trains heroes. Then we have Charon, the one with the A, he is the ferry man of the dead who is a greed ass. The dude loves Olympian money!"

"Is that how you remember everything? Give it a short description and/or insult them?" Percy asked while trying to hide a smirk.

"Heh, easier for me to remember stuff like that." Naruto smiled. "But my way might be best for you. Everyone has a different way of remembering stuff."

"Yeah." Percy said. "I can't believe I am saying this but I think I should go see Mr. Brunner, he might have a way that is good for me."

"Want me to come?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, so I don't feel like a total idiot going down there." Percy replied and got up to get his book. Naruto just laughed.

They walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr.

Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor. They were three steps from the door handle when the duo heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner

asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said "... worried about Percy and Naruto, sir."

The boys froze at that. They nodded and leaned in to eavesdrop, not that they did it a lot but when a friend is talking about you to a teacher, you'd want to what was going on.

"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too—"

"We would only make matters worse by rushing them," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boys to mature more."

"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline— "

"Will have to be resolved without them, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"Sir, they saw her... ."

"Their imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince them of that."

"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy and Naruto alive until next fall—"

The mythology book that Percy had brought with him fell to the floor and Naruto's eyes widened in panic as all went silent. As soon as Percy grabbed the book, Naruto grabbed Percy and they ran for it. Percy saw something larger than Mr. Brunner come out of the room he steered them to a nearby room to hide for a bit.

A few seconds later they heard a slow clop-clop-clop, like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside the door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, and then moved on.

Both the boys were sweating, that was too close.

Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."

"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."

"Don't remind me." They heard Grover whine.

When the lights went off in Mr. Brunner's office went off, they bolted out of the room they were hiding like a bat out hell. When they made it back to Percy's dorm, he locked the door. "Ok, now we know for sure something is going on!"

"Yeah, but what and who would want us dead. I mean, they talked as if someone was after us." Naruto pondered.

"Hey, you can stay the night." Percy said. "I mean, you're the ninja here and if anything happens we would have a better chance at surviving."

"Fine with me…" Naruto said. He then sighed, "I just hope we survive the exams."

Percy paled and then hung his head, once again reminded of the exams and why they went down there in the first place. "I am so screwed."

Just then Grover walked in like nothing had happened. "Hey, how are you guys doing on the studying?" When they both hung their heads and didn't say anything, he got worried. "You guys ok?"

Naruto answered, "Yep, we are so screwed."

XXXX

The next afternoon, they finally got out of their THREE HOUR LATIN EXAM! "Three hours of that madness!" Naruto complained, test back home were never like this!

"Ugh, my eyes are swimming with all the Greek and Roman names that I misspelled." Percy complained as he held his head. Unfortunately, Mr. Brunner called them back in.

"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best." He then turned to Naruto and asked. "What about you?"

"Well, I am split between staying here for Grover's sake or going where ever Percy goes so he won't be the only new kid. Oh and don't worry, I am used to hopping around." Mostly hopping dimensions but you don't need to know that. When they were talking Percy was getting annoyed by the Nancy Bobofit who, like some others, was still taking the test.

"I see." Mr Brunner commented. "I guess this place is not the right place for you boys then. It it only a matter of time."

Naruto glance at Percy sadly to see that Percy was upset. I mean, his favorite teacher at this dump of a school and in front of a whole freaking class, was telling him that he couldn't handle it here. This made Naruto pissed off. Percy was his best friend in this land after all.

"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy and neither are you Naruto. That's nothing to be—"

"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."

"Percy—" He called out but Percy was already out the door.

Naruto looked from the door to Mr. Brunner and scowled. "Way to choose your words Mr. Brunner." Naruto said as he left to chase after his friend.

XXXX

On the last day of the term, Naruto watched as Percy shoved his clothes into his suitcase. They listened to the other guys brag about where they were going this summer. Those idiots may be juvenile delinquents, but they were also rich juvenile delinquents. One of them asked Percy and Naruto where they were going.

"My home in the city for the summer." Percy replied.

"Same here." Naruto said, scaring Percy since he did know he had arrived yet.

"When did you get here?" Percy asked while the others went back to what they were doing, as if the two didn't exist since they were nobodies to them.

"Heh, a few minutes ago man." chuckled Naruto.

"Oh." Percy replied.

"So remind me again why I am going with you to your place for the day?" Naruto said.

"Well, you can tell I have been a bit peeved lately and you usually help out when I am in a bad mood. So, I guess I need to you to keep me in check because Gabe is going to really piss me off."

"Noted." Naruto commented, and then his eyes lit up. "You know, I live right in the middle. You know, from your apartment to the school. I just noticed that."

"Good. then you can come over more often." Percy mumbled as they left the school dorms to get on a bus, though he was wondering how Naruto got from his home to school in time for class. Must be a ninja thing…

XXXX

Both boys were dreading how they were going to say good bye to Grover but luckily for them, he was on the bus they were on. The whole bus ride, they saw that Grover was very fidgety, like he was expecting something to come out the works to come after him or us. He was like this every time they left the school campus…odd.

Though Percy was getting annoyed by it and he blurted out, "Looking for Kindly Ones?" Naruto smacked his head while Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"

They boy confessed about eavesdropping on his and Mr. Brunner's conversation the night before the exams.

Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?" Percy asked

"And is that too much for you?" Naruto smirked.

He winced. "Look, guys ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about

demon math teachers ..."

"Grover/Dude-"

"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you guys were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."

"Dude you suck at lying." Naruto blurted out making Grover sputter and his ear turn pink.

From his shirt pocket, he fished out a couple of grubby business cards. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer." The card was in fancy script, which was murder on their dyslexic eyes, but they finally made out something like:

Grover Underwood

Keeper

Half-Blood Hill

Long Island, New York

(800) 009-0009

"What's Half—" Percy started.

"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address." That made Naruto's eyes roll. There was something really odd going on, that was for sure.

Percy looked at little sad that even Grover had a summer home like the other people at school. At least Naruto is like me and lives close. "Okay," he said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."

He nodded. "Or ... or if you need me."

"Why would I need you?" Percy growled out harshly, surprising even Naruto.

Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have

to protect you, both of you." He said making the boys look at him oddly. I mean, they were the one who had to protect him in the school!

"Grover," Percy said, "what exactly are you protecting us from?"

Before he could answer, there was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound bus over to the side of the highway.

After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that

They'd all have to get off. Percy, Naruto, and Grover filed outside with everybody else.

They were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there.

On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.

"Talk about being in the middle of nowhere." Naruto commented while hitting the back of his head on the bus. Raising an eyebrow he took a look at the fruit stand on the other side of the street. The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of bloodred cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks they'd ever seen. These where no ordinary socks, they were as big as sweaters! Who wears socks that big?

The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn. All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.

The creepy thing was, is that they were staring right at Percy and Naruto. "Talk about creepy." Naruto commented. "Hey Grover…" Whatever Naruto was going to ask died in his throat.

"You ok man?" Percy asked when he saw Grover's face.

They looked at Grover to see that all the color had drained out of him, that and his nose was twitching. "Tell m, are they looking at you two? They are aren't they?"

"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?" asked Percy in a joking manner.

"Not likely." Naruto replied, getting really freaked out. "I don't think they would even fit the fattest priest!"

"Not funny you two. Not funny at all." Grover whined.

"What is eating you?" Naruto asked. Grover only pointed to the old ladies.

The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. They heard Grover catch his breath.

"We're getting on the bus," he told them. "Come on."

"What?" Percy said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."

"You actually like the heat Grover?' Naruto asked/complained.

"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside while the duo stay back for a bit. Across the road, the old ladies were still watching them. The middle one cut the yarn, which they could hear that snip across four lanes of traffic. Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for, probably for big foot or the man in the moon. Naruto rolled his eyes and climbed into the bus.

"Come on, let go see Grover before he pisses himself."

At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment, the bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life and everyone cheered. "Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"

"Oh just in time." Naruto drawled as he walked to the back with Percy.

Once the bus got going, Percy got all feverish like he got the flu while Naruto started sweating and complaining about the heat. Grover was not any better but he was chatting his teeth like he was cold.

"Grover?" asked Percy.

"Yeah?"

"What are you not telling us?"

Grover dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you two see back at the fruit stand?"

"A few old ladies with way too much time on their hand." Naruto replied while putting a hand on his forehead and wiping off the sweat.

"Yeah." Percy smirked but lost it at Grover serious face. "Wait, they're not like Miss Dodds are they?"

The look he gave them made it seem worse. What could be worse?

"Just tell me what you saw."

"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn." Percy shrugged, like it was nothing

Grover closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself,

but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost…older. Now that is odd. He said, "You saw her snip the cord."

"Yeah. So?" Percy replied, getting the feeling like it was something big.

"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this

to be like the last time."

"What last time." The boys asked, getting freaked out as much as Grover was now.

"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth." Grover mumbled to himself again.

"Grover," Percy said, because he was really starting to get scared. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you two home from the bus station. Promise me." This seemed like a strange request but they promised he could.

"It is no problem, I am going over to his place anyway." Naruto replied.

"Uh…is this like a superstition or something?" Percy asked, but got no answer. "Grover…that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"

He looked at the two mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers that would be best on their coffins.

That is when the cogs of Naruto's mind started churning and rapidly. The things that have been happening lately and all the Greek Mythology they had been learning finally caught up to him. Those three old crones were something that he paled at. "Oh crap."

"What?" Percy said, freaked out that Naruto was scared now.

"Neji was right…Fate or in this case Fates do exist." Naruto replied, while Percy and Grover gawked at him.

Third chapter is done! Hope you all like it. Please review and vote in the reviews.