Demigods, Gods, and one Ninja
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this far. I hope that this continues to be a good story in your eyes and here's a treat of a 10K word chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 7 START
Life is unfair, and not all are born into equal standings. Naruto could take this statement any day and readily beat this sentence black and blue with his own life experiences to properly portray how severely underrated this fact was. He was capable of making almost any person in his old world sympathetic and this new world cry from his memories, and that would have been simple.
No, life was not at all a fair mistress. She would give one the greatest gifts and the finest touch of arts, and the other, scorn. Rage. Hatred. She would gladly, gracefully, and lovingly sigh as her fingers brushed delicately on the creation of her doing, as it came to life and did everything it was meant to. And she wouldn't even look in the way of those she created without a mere thought in her actions, ignoring whatever became of it. Indifference was truly frightening.
Konoha had attempted to create a monster out of the boy who held in the Kyuubi out of hate. It was very, very lucky that they failed.
It was on the way up to Olympus that Naruto began to think deeply, seriously pondering in thought despite the elevator music that consistently failed to break the awkward mood and rather enhance it. He stood in silence, his chin resting on his knuckles and his eyes half lidded and looking down, focusing on the metal floor while his mind ravaged through his past and his position and bias on every event. He was tired, oh, he was. But he was used to being tired. He was quite affiliated with the word torture as well, so tired was a trivial occupation. It was a word Naruto would gladly take up over almost any other as a status ailment.
Not that he could ever really obtain a sickness or become drunk...unless they were the most deadly of sources.
But he digressed.
He was...disgruntled. He blinked. Was that the word that properly defined his thoughts currently? Tapping his foot rhythmically, he pushed away the vocabulary into the back of his skull and proceeded to pursue what was bothering him so much in the first place. Why was this whole situation between the gods and their children upsetting him so much? He knew something was wrong, despite the fact he was all too familiar with the term orphan. He could possibly understand why some people simply didn't know their parents. But the majority of those orphans that had powerful parents had some kind of stable upbringing, and very rarely had too much difficulty living their lives from adolescence to adulthood.
He shook his head; it didn't matter that he didn't know who his parents were for the first sixteen years of his life. It had crossed his mind that the Fourth Hokage of his village looked eerily familiar to his own visage, and there was also the disturbing similarity between the blond locks of hair. But there was no proof. So he set it aside and was not going approach the matter any further until he felt it was absolutely necessary to bring it up to anybody. Which would be possibly when he became Hokage, which was also a long time coming. Regardless, it did not matter...even after he did find out that the Fourth Hokage was indeed his father.
What did matter was the children who were fathered by gods in this world and were ignored. It didn't even cross his mind that there was a rule to ignore them. If he could curse - actually, forget that. He was better than that. But honestly, what in the world had their higher ups been thinking, if they were capable of that notion. He grumbled silently, his eyes narrowing dangerously as a barely visible canine made itself present. Those in the elevator seemed to notice the shift in Naruto's emotions and reacted unconsciously by all taking a step away from the gradually worsening blond. His easy smile was already shifted into a frown, as if cashier had taken the wrong order and delivered an abomination of a coffee at a 7:30 work day and it was too late to order another. And all this, because he was thinking for their whole cause. He took a moment to look up and saw the concern Annabeth showed him, and he quickly shot her a grin. It was true, and the stiffness in her shoulders, along with everyone else's, evaporated.
"Something on your mind?" Annabeth decided that silence in this moment was not an ideal situation. The elevator music was far from her choice, and any conversation over this creeping silence that roared was better. So she took the first step, catching onto Naruto's negatively shifting expressions. It worried her, but she knew that he was a sunny person. He tended to have a happy-go-lucky disposition that put all at ease, and it wasn't just his charisma. Perhaps it was the genuine aspect of his persona. He was someone that struck you as relatable, and understood immediately in personal affairs. It also helped that he constantly wanted to learn, putting him in her book of decent people. He may have been there when Luke ended his life and may not have stopped him from committing suicide before she got to see him before he left his plane of existence, and she also may have blamed Naruto just a little bit, but she let it go when she saw the tear streaks that needed to be cleaned off his face.
Naruto scratched his cheek immediately, darting his eyes to the left. It was as if the anger was never there. "There is, but I think it's something I would like to discuss with the gods, if that's possible." There seemed to be reaction to his honesty, but Annabeth didn't show any visible changes that appeared surprised. Rather, her eyes showed clear curiosity as her pair brightened with lumos.
"I'm sure they'll grant you an audience." She then turned away and faced to the front of the elevator before talking to another person, who Naruto recognized as one of her half-brothers. He let a small smile grace his lips. She was a great person. Annabeth was decently tall, attractive, smart, had a strong personality and sense of drive that could put her in a decent position anywhere she could want. Thinking about it, the majority of the children of the gods were at least decently attractive and had features that were accented by their own gods' specific traits. All of the children of Athena were practically walking encyclopedias. The children of Apollo were archers and healers. And Percy, the son of Poseidon, had a connection with water that put many water affiliated ninjas from home to shame.
It seriously made him wonder why some gods would choose to ignore their children, or if the worse case was true, why ignoring them as a rule was the best solution they came up with. None of it made sense, and he would get an answer. He could go home later; he needed to help these kids now.
The elevator finally chimed sharply, alerting everyone that the ten minute ride up to Olympus was complete. The doors split down the middle and gave all inside the view hardly any would ever set their eyes upon. It was glorious, with gold and flames lighting up the entirety of the establishment that stood erect and tall, proudly above the mortals. Naruto eyed a few temples and felt rather disconnected with them; it was too different from the ones back home. A few of the demigods noticed his eyes flitting about, taking in the sights and, despite the obvious interest, showed nothing more than the simple interest one would express when coming upon something new or unique. The grandness and the sparkles did not seem to appeal to the blond. In fact, Naruto seemed rather displeased when the group of demigods crossed a particularly grandiose temple, a frown of annoyance sporting his face for a moment before dissipating. He took a step towards the temple to catch the name and, when unable to decipher it, let it be. Percy was rather doubly confused when Naruto not only was unable to read Greek but also showed indifference to the temple that hailed war and battle.
Finally, the demigods approached the throne room with its towering doors wide open. The massive room was filled with massive gods and monsters alike, already sat in their personalized chairs and their preferred spots on the ground, respectively. Naruto caught a feel for each of the beings sitting on the thrones and momentarily hesitated when he felt one that did not in any way direct towards negativity or curiosity. His eyes zoned in discreetly and he saw a young child, no more than twelve or thirteen, smiling warmly towards all of the children walking into the room. She then made eye contact with him and kept it for a moment before moving on to the next child that walk through the doors. It seemed like nothing, but Naruto knew it was far from it. Look underneath the underneath. He sucked in his cheeks and lips, breathed out through his nose, and took another breath before walking forward again when the gods beckoned them. There plenty of space for the children, and Naruto was pretty sure at least another few hundred would fit inside. He chose to reside in the middle of the pack.
"Demigods!"
A thunderous voice boomed to life, echoing in the chambers and all addressed straightened at the call. The god known as Zeus looked down on them strongly, his posture slouched but not without dignity. Naruto watched with hawk-eye focus as the gods took their turns looking among the sea of children, recognition coming to existence every once in a while. Zeus showed the same expression on one of the children, which Naruto connected to a girl named Thalia who he had yet to converse with. A wonder, as she was also one of the leaders. Perhaps she was out scouting at night like he was, and they had never crossed paths in their nightly habits. Or perhaps she was ignoring him. Whatever the cause was, the two had never actually met and only knew of each other through hearsay.
Zeus straightened in his throne and uncrossed his legs, sitting regally next to his wife, Hera. The two seemed to be happy, although not happy with the other if the minimal physical hand contact was a gesture to judge by. It was possible that the two were in love with each other before, but in Naruto's eyes, it seemed that neither were particularly pleased with the other. Nor by the other, for that matter, if the 'rumors' of Zeus' failed loyalty to Hera was the truth. Well, perhaps things were different here. It wasn't particularly uncommon for ninja to have multiple wives or have sex with those that weren't their marriage partner; life was short. People could die at any time out on the field, and every single day mattered. Not that Naruto particularly agreed with their actions, but it was't his place to say. He had his own position, and they had theirs. It didn't affect his life or the way things were done. But the gods and the way they interacted with their children...it may not particularly involve him, but it took him for a spin and set his moral compass all haywire. He had met the man that had allowed Kronos to take over, and Luke was far from the madman that he had expected. He was also a child of a god that was ignored and not taken care of, and it had created just another spiteful child in the masses of the spiteful that had a vendetta against the gods in the war. It was possible that there were many more with malicious intent. All it would take is another child that took their hatred and anger and put it to action that another war would surface.
And Naruto felt personally resolved to prevent that from happening.
So when Zeus rose in his chair and spoke, Naruto could hardly prevent himself from rolling his eyes at the royal speech that Zeus preached. The demigods were at strung as if his words were a trail of a the most delicious honey, but to Naruto, the rosemary words only lead to bullshit. He couldn't care less for the pompous words that Zeus spouted, speaking of such things as justice and righteousness. He visibly tensed when Zeus promised "Kronos will never come back, and so there will never be another war of the demigods!" He caught a few of the gods nodding agreeably at the unconvincing statement.
Naruto took this moment to speak out from the crowd; he couldn't handle it any more. He knew it wasn't his place nor the time, but damn these gods, they were not his gods. And they were wrong to the highest division if Zeus was their leader with no decent counsel.
Without worrying about the possible consequences of not only interrupting but speaking against one of the more hot-blooded gods, Naruto said clearly and adamantly -
"You are wrong."
Zeus, in the middle of his speech and far from finishing, shut his mouth and let go of Hera's fingers suddenly. His free hands made their way to the corners of his throne and clenched, the veins straining against his skin and threatening to burst.
There was an immediate silence that permeated every crevice of the room and made their way into the souls of the frightened demigods and the monsters and the intrigued gods and goddesses.
All of the gods caught onto Zeus' anger, and knowing of his temper, few tried to appease him.
"Brother, think nothing of it," Poseidon tried, only to be sent a murderous glare. A demigod had slighted him, so he would slight whoever spoke ill of him, just with a side dish of thunder.
"Father, I would advise against the lightning. The last time you did that, someone had to clean it, and no one wanted to, so the stain - and the stench - lasted for days," Athena advised. Zeus seemed to consider this before nodding very slowly. Athena sat back in her chair and relaxed; that was the most she could do for whatever idiotic soul decided to raise their voice in this happy day. All the speaker had to do was to remain silent and go home and live the rest of his life. It was no matter; it was his decision and the consequence would be a rather short life, it seemed.
None of the other gods seemed to speak up, although Hera's fingers slipping back into Zeus' seemed to make a small impression of the king of the gods. Seconds later, a ruffling of the demigods was caught and Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia who were at the front of the camp parted for the ethnic teen to pass them and into the view of all. Percy and Annabeth sent the blond their own concerned glances, terribly worried about the future that lay before Naruto, but Naruto was so confident as he walked forwards. He was tall, his chest out, and no facetious smile gracing his lips as he strode forth with equal steps that Annabeth nor Percy had the heart to stop him, grab his shoulders, and tell him to take it back. They doubted they even had the strength to do so, physically or mentally.
Naruto, once he was in the center of the room and in the eyes of all clearly, took a moment to eye every individual god in their thrones. Giving each one a stare, Naruto lingered upon Hestia, skipped over Zeus, and caught Artemis' curious glance at him. He returned to the furious gaze of the king, the lord of the gods, and the very one he felt was so wrong. And if he could do it to Kronos, he would definitely be able to talk a measly god into what was right or wrong. Surviving would be an afterthought at this moment.
"Would you repeat what you said, child?" Zeus proferred. The question was more than it seemed. He was giving the child a chance to repent, go on his knees and apologize, and depending on the sincerity of the apology, would accept and minimize the punishment. He was feeling particularly generous today, as it was a day to celebrate the victory of the gods and their extended rule and the defeat of the most vile titan. However, Naruto caught onto the slight accent on the world 'child' and realized that Zeus wished to know who the parent god was. The blond smiled knowingly and made no movement to bow.
"I am an orphan and do no know who my father or mother are. However, what I can say is that...you are wrong." Naruto's voice deepened on the last three words, and his pupils seemed to dilate and darken, and yet shine in the light overhead. His voice held a kind of power that seemed to catch every demigod's attention, as if he were a leader, but did not force the voice nor shout it. It was natural and no louder or quieter than his usual speaking voice. But the tone was far different, and so was his posture. It was the kind of voice that demanded efficiency and when one heard it, they did what they were told. Naruto had heard it a few times in his life as there were only a few moments where it was actually necessary, and he caught onto the tone like a natural and kept it under cloak until a day came where it would be necessary.
Today came, and it seemed today was the day. He would need to speak to the god, Zeus, as an equal and not as one that was so far above. Otherwise, he would be ignored and, quite possibly, killed.
All of the gods were now focused on the blond that spoke confidently against their leader. It wasn't every day that something like this occurred. True, many demigods cursed the gods or spoke out against them, but very rarely did they actually have the determination or the lack of care for their own life to speak ill against them in their actual presence. And to speak against the head of the gods, not once, but twice and do so confidently was certainly an event that would cause every major god to listen to rapt attention. Ares seemed particularly pleased and rather interested in the ballsy blond that was standing with a straight back against his father.
"You have spoken ill against me on this joyous day not once, but twice, and have rebuked my offer to apologize and to live. As such, I find it within my rights to punish you, child!" Suddenly, forks of lightning dispersed from his finger pointed in the direction of the blond. Naruto smirked, internally laughing at how quickly Zeus went against his word to not use lightning. You know, like a liar.
The ground where Naruto stood blew up in smoke and rubble. Percy and Annabeth seemed visibly distraught and both that their hands out to where Naruto last stood, but they remained in front of the camp. Instead of walking forwards, they both dropped their hands and stood quietly, yet their emotions were everything but quiet and tranquil. Their fists clenched in rejection against the action the head of the gods had taken.
"That was wrong," Percy voiced, and in his anger, his power rose. His father sent him a warning glare, and Percy almost didn't comply until Annabeth wisely placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knew his pain, but she also knew that this was not the time to pick a fight. This was an area of uncharted waters with powers far above their own. It was better to not get involved. Percy let go of his tug on the molecules of water in the air and barely relaxed, but it was enough.
Many of the gods seemed displeased with the action Zeus taken as well. Even Ares, who usually appreciated violence, was far from happy to see the lightning and the resulting boom. Whether it was from the lack of power unclaimed, unknown child showed or the fact that his father acted like an idiot, it was hard to say. Hestia, however, had the most visible reaction, and showed remorse. She eyed Zeus and gave him a disapproving shake of her head, and that was all before she saw something and giggled.
"Well, he's gone and the interruption is over. Shall we proceed or does anyone else wish to speak out?" Zeus said rhetorically, not expecting any kind of rejection. However, when Hestia pointed over his shoulder, he was suddenly made aware of a bladed weapon at his throat and the very alive blond the wielder of the blade who was donning a growing smirk.
Zeus was far from worried; it would take more than a normal weapon to kill him, and even more to end his existence. Pain was not an unfamiliar term with him either, so a little blade to the neck would do little more than terribly upset him. So, with a grumble, Zeus let out exasperatedly, "You're still alive."
Percy and Annabeth, along with all of the other campers let out a breath of relief they didn't know they were holding. The gods eyed the blond glued to the throne sideways with far more curiosity, and Ares seemed to be itching to get into a fight for some reason.
"I am," Naruto replied simply. "I really didn't expect lightning to just come at me, though. Was really surprising, dattebayo."
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." Naruto shrugged his shoulders, the movement not shaking the blade at the god's neck a centimeter. The skill and control did not go unnoticed by the spectators.
"Because you'd need far more power than your current form can uphold."
"What?!" Zeus roared, turning his head to give his full attention to Naruto. Suddenly, the blade beamed with energy and a hidden force hummed quietly. A blade longer than the metal pierced his skin, and golden ichor seeped out of his neck line. Another silence proceeded to conquer the room, this one more ominous than the last. "You are a threat, and should be eliminated immediately..." Zeus threatened.
"I wouldn't use your true form here, and you know what would happen if you did." The gods looked at the demigods, and the demigods seemed to catch on if the horrified expressions were anything to go by. "They'd die, and you wouldn't want to see your own children die, now would you?" The blade hummed a bit louder, and the blade pierced a bit deeper. Naruto gave himself a split second to glance at Hera, who was building up power. "Do not test me, goddess. I know what this cheater has done and how it can affect you, but I do not appreciate what you have done out of spite and I have qualms against you. However, this god takes precedent." Naruto refocused onto Zeus and did not release his attention again. He really did not want to do this, nor use the demigods as a crutch, but he also wanted to live. And he needed to talk and be able to talk in the first place to survive to see another day. This made him feel disgusting, but it was a necessity at this moment, especially with twelve Olympians, all most likely more powerful than he is.
"Brothers and sisters, why do you hesitate to deal with this threat? You know I will not die," Zeus suggested.
Hades, surprisingly, was the one to answer. "Oh, dear brother of mine, I do not mean this boy means any real harm against you. And besides, if his statement is true that you will need to use your true form to deal with the threat, the best option is to simply listen and possibly kill him after. Besides, when's the last time you actually listened, hmm?"
Zeus swore on the River Styx that he heard a mumble under Hades' breath the seemed to say 'it must've been millenniums.'
"I do believe he speaks for all of us when we do not attack first," Athena said after.
Hestia spoke after there was a round of nods. "Naruto, was it?" Said teen turned his head up, away from the neck of the stiffened god of sky and lightning and towards the owner of the soft voice that spoke his name. Meeting eyes with the inviting eyes of the child goddess, he showed no change in movement or expression, but simply remained his silent stillness as the two remained, capturing the other's eyes. "You mean no ill will, do you? I can see it...in your eyes. Go on, speak your mind. I'm sure it would do my brother some good. I promise to protect you."
Naruto's eyes widened and felt warmth spread through his body from the last words of promise. They had...no negativity attached to them. She meant it. Someone she had just met and was holding her brother at knife point to the neck was the very same person she promised to protect in case something happened to him. Naruto couldn't help but feel...almost understood, something that he had wished for and had obtained after so much work, and even then by so few people.
"Are you sure you aren't the leader of the gods?" he asked tepidly, far more respectful to Hestia than Zeus. Zeus grumbled at the indirect insult, but otherwise remained still.
Hestia shook her head in denial, but smiled nontheless. "No, I am but one of the supporting members of the gods here. However, I do have the power to protect you if I need to, young Naruto. But you should hurry on with chastising my brother, as he is short on patience, mind you," she advised, almost laughing at the end. Naruto nodded at this and heeded her advice.
"I will remain here, as it appears that any promise that you make to attack will be quickly broken. Do not make any sudden movements or threaten to attack either. I have killed and I have also fought against the one possessed by Kronos and won."
Surprised murmurs resounded in the room.
"It's true. He fought against Kronos and won, twice," Annabeth inputted.
"But wasn't the child of prophecy one of the children of the Big Three?" Artemis asked.
"No, Luke was the child of prophecy in the end and made the decision to protect the current reign of the gods rather than allow the titans of old to reconquer. I understood his decision and gave him his dagger so that he may commit suicide without impediment. He died a hero, and I do see why he would choose you over the titans. However...there is much to be desired from you all," Naruto muttered the last part, although it was silent enough so that every word was crystal clear.
"Hey, you look here, child - "
"Don't call me a child and tell me to 'look here'! You 'look here!' You let this all happen! This whole war was your fault to begin with, you idiots!" Naruto shouted angrily, caged fury now released lacing his tone as he shut down the god that spoke against him, much like he did against Zeus. "Want me to say it again? You're all wrong and this is all of your fault. You created your own enemy due to your own fallacies, which means you all are not perfect! Your failures as leaders resulted in this." Allowing to shock to sink in, Naruto lightened the chakra flow to his kunai and the wind blade no longer pierced Zeus' neck. "What was there to gain by not embracing your children and deciding to ignore them? And what's up with that whole idea of the children of the Big Three are too powerful and shoudn't be allowed any more, huh?"
"The children by the big three are usually very volatile and it is as you have said. They are volatile," Hephaestus spoke in his baritone, steady voice.
"Well, I'm not sure if you are looking at the same things as me, but those three look perfectly fine to me," Naruto retorted shortly, his eyebrows creasing and his canines becoming more pronounced. His tone was clear; he was not having it. No, if this was the best the gods were going to give to him, just excuses, and hardly acceptable ones at that, then he would rebuke them all until they would accept that pride was not worth the risk. "Percy, have you ever had thoughts of starting another world war?"
"Wha - No, what the heck, Naruto?" Percy blurted out, shook out his stupor by the immediate focus. He responded without even thinking. "Why would I ever want to kill millions?"
Naruto nodded. "Good. That's what decent parenting and guidance does. A proper appreciation for your fellow human being. And I don't know if any of you saw it, but I believe I saw Percy holding up the gigantic hand from the titan Typhon that threatened to end all of their lives. Or is that not a proper display and usage of power?"
"...It is," Zeus acquiesced, but not without lighting sparking from his arms. "But there is a history of - "
"A history, is there?!" Naruto shouted straight into Zeus' ear. "Oh, are we starting a history lesson? Let me tell you what I learned from the books I've read. Let's see here. Did you know that Kronos had many years of prosperity before it all went down to absolute shit? I'm sure you must know of this, as you know so much." Naruto couldn't help but let the sarcasm ooze like syrup. A god was acting like an idiot. Any other god in his world, he would have been bowing and respecting, and they were absolute forces of nature that you obeyed. These gods were also forces of nature...but not so respectable, it seemed. And he faced against a self-proclaimed god before; he won. "And do you know what the trend of children that you have borne without any guidance was. They strayed from the path. What of the children that you had some kind of connection with or the ones that had decent friends and foster parents and proper guidance from other sources." Naruto eyed the three children of the Big Three. "They became wonderful children that fought on your side against the opposing force. I do not see any form of deliriousness in their choice. It should be ingrained for a child to protect their loving parents, is it not?"
"Yes, it is," Zeus said, stronger this time. Anger seemed to recede and a weak understanding appeared to replace the hot blood. A link was made. "I loved Hercules. I love Thalia." He added.
"Did you love Hercules or did you love his feats of power and heroism?"
Zeus felt fury course through him as his love was questioned for his own son and he roared "I loved my son! The fact he was great and accomplished what no other demigod could was a source of pride, but it did not change the fact I loved my child, nor any of my other children!"
"Then why not love them all the same and guide them? If you know how it feels to not be in contact with your child, why do you force other gods and goddesses, minor or no, to never be even claimed? You realize what this creates, right? A rift. A rift of misunderstanding. You wish to protect them, but the children feel hurt, and hurt leads to anger. Anger leads to action, and action caused by anger usually is not the proper decision. A mind clouded by hatred and rage does not often pick the same decision a level headed person would make," Naruto said knowingly, thinking offhandedly of when he was overtaken by the Kyuubi. "You wish to protect them, but you give them hardly anything to protect themselves with, and no love that they can feel, see, touch, smell, or hear. In the end, all there is left is a lack of love, indifference, and the rift that caused this war. And with no changes, another war will occur in the future. So when I say, you are wrong, I mean it."
Naruto lowered his blade and jumped away from the throne of Zeus, standing where he was before, in the center of the throne room.
"You were wrong. We do not listen to only power; that is a tyranny, something Kronos had at the end of his reign. The reason why you are the leader of the gods cannot be only because you are the strongest; there must be something else or another reason why. I listen to wisdom and proper guidance and there needs to be more of that in the world..." He looked over to Hestia, who sent him a beaming smile. Hopefully, he made the right choice and it impacted the gods and their future. He turned away and began to walk away from the throne room. When no one spoke out against him or stopped his leave, Naruto made his way to the exit and all they saw his back receding into the distance towards the elevator.
XShuyaX
(Time Skip: Thirty Minutes)
Naruto should've expected it. The elevator was locked, and no amount of pressing on the button that lit up made any difference. He cursed as he reflected on what he had done in his prompted anger. He did not feel that he was wrong in any way, but he definitely could have handled that better. He already revealed so much to the gods by sticking onto the thrones with just his shoes and his wind blade.
What would happen now? He slid against the wall next to the elevator and sat down. He groaned and palmed his face with both hands and sat there for a few minutes, lost in thought and looking into darkness. A familiar giggle resounded and he opened his eyes. The laughter was right next to him, so whoever it was had managed to enter his private area without him being aware of it. It meant either power or he was losing it. He wasn't sure exactly what he preferred in that scenario.
"Would you like some food?" Hestia asked kindly, sitting down next to the much larger Naruto. Naruto grinned and nodded honestly, and was immediately overwhelmed by the course of food that magically appeared. There was even ramen!
"Yatta!" he shouted and grabbed the bowl holding the food of the gods...err...actually, since she made it appear, then it actually must be the food of the gods! Haha, he was right all along! Take that, sinners that spoke ill of ramen! He now had the proof he required to convince all that ramen was truly what the gods ate.
Hestia laughed as Naruto, who was so stern and stiff in the throne room, was so visibly relaxed and happy as he ate next to her. He talked a bit about how ramen was his favorite food of all, and how his favorite place to eat was a ramen stand that was small but growing in popularity. He proudly told her that he was their favorite customer and would continue to do so if he could be, but circumstances made it difficult for him to do so. She was unsure whether he was insinuating whether it was because he was poor or from another dimension, but she was rather convinced with herself it was the latter. People with his set of skills were rarely poor, unless his world was so different in her mind that he was considered weak. If that were the case, it was with a shudder that she would take it seriously. However, she would wait for him to speak about it.
"You don't need to act as if the food will disappear. I have willed it to come, and I can always create more, you know?" she told him assuredly. Naruto slowed down slightly, but only slightly. The food continued to disappear into the black hole that was his mouth, and the gravitational pull for good food was simply too strong for the ravenous blond. He had been eating whatever the campers had given for the past few days, and the rebuilding of Konoha had hardly allowed him to eat anything of any substantial good. There was hardly a moment to actually sit around and eat or relax, and here he was, a full course meal offered to him for free - wait...for free? He looked at Hestia from the corner of his eyes while continuing to eat, grabbing for one of the sandwiches with thick maple bacon, chopped lettuce, sliced cured ham, fresh tomatoes and a sauce to top it off with the crackling sourdough bread. It was a simple sandwich, but it made his eyes flutter in gushy happiness and glee. Good food was indeed wonderful.
"You're wondering what is the reason for all this?" Naruto's eyes widened when she asked this, as if she were able to read his thought. She laughed without any restraint. Then, she placed her cheek on her palm, her elbow against her knees. "I suppose I am thanking you, Naruto."
Thanking him? He had placed a knife at her brother's neck, prepared to slice through the jugular and, if need be, through his whole neck. He would not be very thankful if he had a sister that he loved and someone did that to her. But he continued to eat and chew, and she continued to talk.
"There aren't many people that would speak out against my brother, and even less that he would listen to. Unwilling, you may have made him listen, but he did not only listen, he took it in. That is not common. What you have done is momentous from any person, may it be human, demigod, monster, or a higher being. And even better was that you made him listen to something that made sense. You gave him a piece of your mind, and he accepted it and took it into consideration. It doesn't have to be today that he suddenly changes; we do live long lives and gods, after all. However, what you have done may have been the drop that created a ripple to change everything. So for that, I thank you. And I still promise to protect you if any ill will or wrath comes charging your way that you cannot handle, although I do believe those would be far and few in between," she admitted with another gust of laughter. Naruto found himself laughing beside her, his hand scratching the back of his head. There was something about the goddess of the hearth that he couldn't help but be drawn in and feel connected and understood. Is this...how others felt around him when they described his persona. A warmth like this?
"I...I appreciate your promise, and I'm sure that there is no falsehood in your promises, goddess of the hearth." A lift of the grin, and then "Hestia" was all. "Hestia," he said, replacing her title. Her grin widened, and so did his. "I only did what I felt was right, I guess. And someone had to say it, right?"
She smiled so happily and proudly at his innocence and proper righteousness that Naruto felt overwhelmed by the...love on her face. Was it love? What was that emotion...he couldn't decipher it. Pride, but for what reason? Understanding? Could she understand him?
"Naruto, you're a wonderful young man. It is amazing that you are the person that you are, and I am so glad to know there are still people like you that speak their mind and are on the path of what is right. You spread around positivity and correct those around you without breathing down their necks. You are powerful and use this power for good and to protect, and you do not hesitate to help or protect at a moment's notice. I have watched, and I have been correct in my assumptions. You are a good person, and I believe this even more now that I have seen you in person. There are so few in the world that are as innocently proper and yet naive. But we need more people in this world like you. Naive but charismatic, and ones that haven't let the world's negativity affect them despite the complete power it has to do so."
Naruto was certain now. He was definitely overwhelmed and didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He sat in silence and looked away and straight forward where the throne room was. Hestia continued to look at the blond and saw the young mang's cheek redden. She giggled and pointed at the food.
"Weren't you going to finish that?"
'Right. I was totally eating.'
So they sat in comfortable silence, one eating and the other procuring drinks whenever she felt necessary.
A few minutes later, a rumble of noise coming from the throne room made itself known. Naruto looked up and saw all of the campers coming in their direction. Percy and Annabeth ran over to him, relief clearly expressed in their action and faces.
"You, Mr. Naruto Uzumaki, are so stupid." Naruto chose to laugh at the insult Annabeth threw at him.
"You're just too smart, Ms. Annabeth Chase," he retorted without a pause. He knew how to play the game.
Percy clapped a hand on his shoulder and grinned earnestly. "Hey, just glad you're alive, unlike this girl here." He got a punch in the shoulder, but he rolled it off and kept up his smile. "It seemed like Zeus really took what you said, man. He didn't talk much after and the other gods had to speak on his behalf. It was kinda weird, but mostly cool. So good job, dude! But at the end, he said that he wanted you to come back to the throne room before we all left. Said something about the elevator was locked by his command so that you'd be stuck here."
Naruto took the hand on his shoulder and gripped it. Percy quickly pulled the teen up and the two were at eye level.
"Hopefully he wasn't contemplating how to kill me in his eerie silence," Naruto joked.
"Too soon," Percy complained, but it didn't stop the quick chuckle that escaped his lungs. "Promise not to die on me?"
"Yea, I promise. I didn't wan to ruin this place, so I decided to stay inside anyway. Glad I did. I got all of this food!" Naruto pointed out cheerfully, waving his hand across the display of plates and bowls on the floor, and also crossing Hestia. Percy and Annabeth opened their mouths in shock and immediately bowed.
"Lady Hestia!" Both said in unison. The goddess gave the two a grin and a disarming wave of the hand. The two demigods stood up far more relaxed, though both seemed wary. "I apologize for not noticing you earlier," Annabeth said, speaking for the both of them. She tended to be better in these kinds of scenarios. Percy may be good at the heart to hearts, but leave the professional, formal talks to Annabeth. They learned this the hard way...multiple times.
"Do not worry, children. Would you like some food while you wait? After all, I doubt that my brother would allow you to leave before Naruto leaves."
"We would be very thankful, Lady Hestia."
A moment later, a far larger pool of food enough for all of the demigods came into existence. "Enjoy," she told them. And so the demigods dug in, rushing for the food to slake their gnawing stomachs. Percy and Annabeth remained standing, stationed a bit away from the food and remained next to their newest companion. Before Hestia led Naruto towards the throne room, Percy gave him a firm handshake and Annabeth gave the blond a quick hug before parting ways for good luck. They reminded him that they had yet to show him around Camp Half Blood, so he had to live. A few demigods gave him a glance up away from their food, and all of them were filled respect, even the ones that were of the opposing camp originally. He still wasn't sure how to deal with the looks, so he faced forwards and entered the throne room without looking back. Soon, he was at the center of the throne room again with the door closed behind him, and only the audience of the gods. Where had all the cyclops and monsters gone, he had no idea. But it didn't matter.
"So...are you going to go all true form god mode on me?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence that was starting to itch his nerves. Zeus sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He was hoping the silence would break the teenager, but it seemed that he was wrong for thinking so. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry about the whole threatening thing. I just wanted to stay alive and...ya' know...not die before my point got across."
A few of the gods in audience chuckled. Others didn't find it so humorous. Luckily, Poseidon and Hades seemed to be one of the few that laughed, one slapping his knee and the other silently behind a pale hand. Zeus took notice of his brothers and sighed; they were never going to let him forget about this day.
"Apology accepted and point taken. And no, as much as I'd like to use my true form and have it over with, we, as one, have all decided on different solution," Zeus confessed. "One possibility in which you live rather healthily."
"And the other possibility?" Naruto asked, wanting to know all of his options. Hades narrowed his eyes, but inwardly applauded the wits on the child. The boy was smarter than he looked by a fair margin.
Zeus leaned forwards and spoke again, "We have accepted the terms for Percy's wish and claimed our children. All of them. However, that leaves many vulnerable, and it will take quite a while for us to actually communicate with the children. It is also difficult to promise their safety now that they know of their godly parent. Monsters will be on their tail and their scent is only masked in few scenarios."
"You want me to search for these children of yours and bring them to a safe haven," Naruto stated, his arms crossed and his eyes serious. "I can do that."
There was a momentary silence, and Naruto felt awkwardness prickle his skin. He was wrong, wasn't he.
"As much as we are sure of your skill to do that and perform admirably, we have decided on a different solution," Hades spoke. "One that would match your ability to convince and lead, as well as your needed strength and power to persuade and remain alive."
"You have helped my son very much and the rest of the campers, from what we have been told. I also agree that this task suits you much better," Poseidon added.
Naruto raised his eyebrow and dropped his arms to his side. He had no idea what they were insinuating. At least he knew he wasn't going to die...yet.
"We will provide the money and drachma you need to survive in the world. We only ask that you travel to the camp of the Roman demigods and explain to them that this whole claiming incident was not a mistake."
"Ah..."
"I also have another child name Jason Grace, who is the son of my Roman counterpart."
"What..."
"I believe that the increasing intervention between the gods and the demigods are causing the rise of Gaea and the Giants, another powerful force to be reckoned with. So I will be closing off Olympus after this."
"..." Naruto chose to remain silent, and simply stared at the head of the gods with a blank stare. The other gods seemed to be doing the exact same thing. At first, it seemed as if the king of the gods had turned a new leaf; how wrong he was to assume so quickly. But what was the purpose of all this.
"But you seem...eerily familiar to the earth. You have something inside of you that reminds of Gaea, and that is not a good thing, Naruto Uzumaki. You are attuned to nature similar to Pan, and yet have a power inside far more deep and resounding, crashing at the gates of your exits to release their power. Whatever it is, it is similar to a sinister force that I do not like, and I would prefer if you did not use that power. You may chalk this up to paranoia, but I do believe I understand what I am speaking about. Gaea is awakening, and there have been signs."
"Brother, you are speaking too much. Besides, this is all interpretation; you have no proof," Poseidon said tiredly. He had a home to go to and clean up and rebuild after this whole counsel.
"Interpretation is up to each viewer, and there is no wrong with being too safe," Zeus justified. Naruto could understand that, but he disagreed. "Also, I wish to hear what this child has to say; perhaps he has his own perspective, after all." It was then that Naruto realized that Zeus did not speak a demeaning manner. He seemed to genuinely want to know Naruto's opinion...almost as an equal.
"You know what happens to nations that close themselves off and refuse to trade, correct?" He asked the god of lightning. A nod in return. "They are eventually forced to reenter into world trade or fall behind."
"We can risk those few years of falling behind if we play it safe."
"Playing it safe is fine, but again, one roused awake after a long sleep does not tend to go back to sleep. If it were a short nap, then perhaps, but a slumber usually means a wide awake individual."
"So you are telling me to keep open the connection between the Olympus and the demigods, and to take my chances?" Zeus asked, leaning forward in his gigantic chair.
"Yes and no. I'm asking you to prepare for war if it is a possibility and unify the forces you can possibly amass against the giants and Gaea or whatever foe you end up facing in the future, near or far. Have countermeasures if Gaea does end up awakening, or against any foe. Being safe is the name of the game, as you wished."
"But what of the claims that the new Oracle just prophesied?" Hera finally said, speaking her piece. "Did she not say that 'a storm or fire, the world must fall'? Does that not imply that Gaea would awaken?"
Naruto deadpanned at the goddess. "No, that just means a storm or fire will cause the world to fall. Besides, aren't prophecies fickle things that people can interpret totally incorrectly in the beginning and screw up?" He added, staring directly at the wife of Zeus with a questionable look. Something wasn't adding up...
Hera snarled at him and he almost jumped backwards, holding down the instinct to pull out a kunai and launch it at her direction. "You know nothing, boy!" she claimed.
"And you will not speak against him like that in my presence. I have decided to make him my representative," Hestia warned and informed the other Olympians. All were shocked, and their flabbergasted expressions almost made Naruto laugh, if not for the severity of the current situation. Here he was, supposed to be celebrating the end of a war. Instead, he threatens the king of the gods and doesn't die for it, talks to a child goddess who is also the Virgin goddess and ends up becoming her representative without even being a demigod, and for some reason, Hera was staring poison into him and a few other gods were looking at him funny. He just wanted to go home. So badly.
But was there any way to get home? Perhaps a seal...no way, he had hardly a lick of knowledge when it came to seals, and it was definitely not the time to practice by self learning. It was possible that due to his Uzumaki blood that he would be able to pick up seals quickly, but no teacher severely limited his learning curve, and Jiraiya also told him that a single mistake could end his life, or worse. He didn't like the sound of that, so he ended up never really trying an practicing wholeheartedly on his ninjutsu and taijutsu. A shame, since now would really be a great moment have even a basic understanding of space time techniques or seals that would make it so much easier for him to accept his fate or fight against him. The worst thing about his situation was that he had no real idea whether he'd be able to go home and what his chances were...scary how knowledge was like that.
"You made him your champion?" Artemis questioned, her eyes boring into the skull of Naruto. He looked in her direction and met her gaze. "I do not see what you see in him, but I will not question any further."
"And that is all I ask. That you accept my decision and leave it be. Although he is not my champion, but simply a representative of me. Perhaps if he proves himself more, then I will gift him the position of champion, but that will be quite a while, young Naruto. Don't let it get to your head now, won't you?" she asked, almost childishly at the blond. Naruto turned his attention to Hestia and nodded solemnly. He would do his best to keep her trust. She gave him hers, and had provided for him food and protection, something that he can cherish and return with his own abilities and loyalty. Only time would tell if she truly deserved it, but as of so far in this world, she was the only goddess that he would listen to without much hesitation and trust. It was shallow waters for the two of them.
He returned his focus to Zeus and saw the bearded god sitting idly, the god's legs crossed and his chin on his closed fist in a relaxes posture. "Are you done? If so, I'd like to tell you what I've decided." Naruto showed he understood, so Zeus continued. "I will have you go to the Roman camp as the champion - ah - the representative of Hestia, and you will be in their presence until we signal you that it is enough. Until then, you are free to do as you wish with your life and the unlimited money that we provide you. I order you to not sully our names and our faith in you, and I hope that with this step, we do enough to allow a bit of faith in us from your person."
Naruto, if he was shocked, did not show it visibly. Zeus was far more reasonable than he had anticipated. But he was glad of that, as a matter of that. A reasonable anybody was far more preferable to an unreasonable person any day of the week, any week of the year, and in any lifetime, thank you very much. He had dealt with plenty of unreasonable people and showed them that they were biased or unreasonable, or wrong, or misguided, Pein being the most recent victim of his converting speeches, but also the most difficult. The worst part about it was that...Pein wasn't all that unjustified. He was wrong, certainly, but it was through his own life experiences and pain that he became the way he did. He was his own polar opposite, and possibly who he could have been. Frightening, truly.
The others, Neji, Gaara, and a few others...they were actually easier to talk to. They had their unreasonableness or contradictions far more visible to the eye and therefore, easier to point out. Although it took time and a bit of beating to convince them that they were wrong, he eventually did so. It really sucks that he couldn't understand Sasuke at the Valley of the End...he understood him now, but he couldn't understand him before. If he ever met him again, he'd have to try again to understand him while fighting him, it seemed, and convince him through beating him that he was wrong.
Despite all of his thoughts and complicated emotions, Naruto opted to quietly nod and affirm that he was willing to take on the task. It didn't seem to bad of a mission while searching for a possibility back home. All he had to do was convince a bunch of people that everything was fine and dandy, look decent as the representative of one of the major gods without marring their name and his own, whilst in contact with the gods and hopefully Camp Half Blood. It honestly sounded pretty easy of a mission to him.
And unlimited money sounded wonderful.
Chapter End.
A/N: Alright, I'm going to be honest. There's this one review that fucked with me on one of my other stories that's really recent. I'm going to quote it here. "Do you actually expect anyone sane to continue reading this story past Ch. 01? Naruto is a complete mental midget, and even any mere insinuation of hidden brilliance is smothered by further retardation. If it isn't for the fact that this story has nine chapters under its belt, I would immediately drop it like a plague."
No. I don't even want to go into how bad of a review this is. This isn't criticism. And the person told me that this is also not flaming. My best efforts? Naw, shit dude. I'm only reading it because there's more. Honestly, seriously...just fuck the fuck off. I'm so sorry for bringing this up again, but honest to God, this made me write this chapter. It was really weird, but I read it, got out of bed, and wrote for four hours straight. Honestly, I don't think I'm the most thin-skinned individual, and I can brush off things easily. But I fucking despise people that put others down when they put their effort in. It's easy to say hey, I don't care. But there are just some people that dig you wrong, just so wrong. And you ask, why do you keep spreading your negativity? I don't think the answer is to ignore them always, but I tend to say 'fuck negativity, I don't want it in my life.' This is honestly one of those times I don't even want to see this person in my reviews or in my life again. Toxic, rude, and calling the rest of my followers to my story not sane is dog shit attitude and personality. If he can call out over 1,100 followers (not including even readers), I'm sure I can call out a single person.
That being said, be positive. Criticize, but don't over-critique yourself. It's necessary to know what you are doing well while you work on improving yourself. And improving takes time. It took me a long time to get good at the things I wanted to become good at, and even then, I don't consider myself 'good' at what others consider me to be proficient at. It's a weird cycle, and it helps to have confidence. Be confident in yourself, but don't be cocky.
Sorry for the life lesson. Hope you're getting my vibe. Reading the review again and the PM just made me pissed off more than I have in any game of League of Legends.
Hope you enjoyed the story!
Review Responses:
X-Ownz: Lol, yes. Doctor said that Luke is dead. What a shame.
Frankieu: Thank you. I did my best haha.
Ultima-Owner: I would agree. Shikamaru is a great example of smarts.
Grimreaper40045: There's an interesting stigma about Zeus. He is paranoid, but he had a reason to be paranoid in the books. And the worst part was that his fellow olympians didn't really believe him. So...kinda weird dilemma there.
Guardian of the Inheritance: haha thanks. Just let me know when it's up to par with Storm King.
Train Hearnett: Talk no Jutsu is OP, but there is thought behind it, surprisingly.
Engulfing Darkness: To be honest, I'm kind of just riding the wave and letting things go as they go. I think I'll have to read a bit before continuing the story any further from here, to be honest. Forgot a loooot of the second series.
TBM10: Kam samnida (Thank you in Korean).
Cookie16Monster: Darn, I didn't edit well enough for the grammatical errors. Thank you for reading up to this point :D
MohammedOssama999: Woah...one of your favorites. There's a lot of stories out there that are really great, so that's awesome to hear! And who knows, man. This story has a lot of paths it can go down :D
Ultracohls: Thanks man, as always! It's a pity, but yea, it had to happen. Prophecies are meant to be followed in these stories.
TypedSomeWords: I don't know how to respond to the first portion because...I'm not too well versed on power levels. But the second one, I can only assume they don't fight at full god form simply for the sake of the demigods and the possible stray mortal that will be a casualty. Otherwise, I don't really know. Empathy is underrated in a lot of stories, but very much well rated in real life. Kind of strange, that is. And yea, sorry Annabeth. If you think this story has a lot going for it, I hope that I can keep it up! That makes me really happy to hear and want to write it more, ya know?
Max Moreno: o.O Naruto currently doesn't have power over Kyuubi Six Sage Paths mode, so that's an impossibility. But hopefully this ending was fine.
TheSilentFan: Dang, he felt like canon version? That is a huge compliment. To create Naruto like Naruto, and not like someone else. And yea, Hestia is an amazing Olympian. Love her!
GuardianoftheUniverse: Updated! Thanks for reading, yo!
Doomqwer: Naruto does not agree, as he definitely has his qualms against the gods. But he also believes that the gods were the lesser of two evils.
Tal House: Oh...that grammar error hurt my eyes. And thank you for the review and the happy disposition. Felt awesome to read the review, to be honest. Also, nice picture.
Fuyuriku: You are very welcome for the read.
Dino aids: Woah...that's a compliment I honestly rarely see...in any fiction. A true portrayal of Naruto is really hard and difficult to balance.
Drael95: Thank you!
Bladetri: xD Liked back
The Sorrowful Deity: It did, just a little bit. Kronos was forced to listen, so in his last moment, he listened to Naruto without fighting back. And in the end, he let Luke take over.
Djberneman: I could've wrote it better in the last chapter, but yes, Naruto got to Kronos as well as Luke. And you're correct.
Animelover1818: I don't think I can exactly do that, but there are other surprises hopefully available for the story. You can also write your own with that idea!
He who seeks the Joys in Life: Yea Luke was never evil, but more misguided. He was misunderstood and couldn't be convinced, but he ended his life as a hero, and was remembered as a hero. Hestia is an amazing Olympian, and Zeus is...meh. Even in the books. But he's alright, not terrible.
Jgs237: Thanks for the review and yeet! Bonding is difficult, man. It was so hard to write. And I'll attempt to keep this up!
Guest: I will try to continue for as long as I have the drive to write!
Guest: It's a possibility, but it's yet to go in any direction. I'm not sure what pairing I want for sure, to be honest.
Aqua-Sensei: Seriously, you're one of my favorite reviews to read. Clear and easy to read, and also makes me feel better to know I'm doing something right. Thanks so much for the review and I hope to keep up with everything else!
jjjj: ...okay I'm not going to respond to this or any of the other power level stuff. Sorry, not exactly my forte.
KaberuPB: Yeah, I don't want Naruto to be too overpowered. He's certainly very, very strong right now, but he's not powerful to the point he can destroy a major god at his whim. Pairing is difficult man, and both are very viable options. But this chapter opened up a lot more opportunities, no?
tired of living: thanks, man!
Red Renegade 777: Sage Mode is honestly an amazing power up. I prefer it over the first Kyuubi cloak, and actually over any Kyuubi cloak other than when Kurama and Naruto worked together. And I really appreciate that you liked the different end for Luke. It was difficult to figure out that ending and decide on it, so I'm glad that route was liked!
