Yo, it's me. I'm here with this quickie before I dive into the real thick of it. Spring break is coming up for me, and it couldn't have come any slower. I know this isn't the longest one, but it's rather important in revealing Naruto's connections with the rest of the main cast of The Son of Neptune. Plus, there's some Percy Jackson finally.
Monkiepawn - Thank you honestly for the feedback. I am constantly trying to improve my writing, and you helped out a bunch. I hope this chapter is satisfying.
kakakure – Yeah, I made that happen because in the books I always felt that Reyna got shafted when it came to romance. Like everybody got somebody except for her, Thalia, and Nico, but those two for obvious reasons. And just wait for what's to come next.
Ejammer- I know, it was forever. But now I'm back. In comparison to Percy and Jason I would say that Naruto is right up there with them, and that there is no definite number one. And to address Reyna's love situation…well shit's about to get real.
*disclaimer on how I own nothing in this fanfic and it all belongs to their original creators*
It was only a few minutes later before the principia was occupied by the two Praetors and the dark skinned girl, Hazel, and Percy wasn't sure what to expect. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mother she-wolf (Lupa had told Percy that story a million times). The floor was a polished marble with the walls being draped in velvet.
Percy felt like he was inside the world's most expensive camping tent.
Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals—military symbols, he guessed. In the center of the room, the principia if he remembered correctly, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, a bust of somebody's head, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans and another one that oddly held cups of instant ramen in them, which seemed kind of out of place. The table was lined with chairs, which told Percy that this was some sort of headquarters or meeting room. Two life-sized statues of greyhounds—one silver, one gold—flanked the table. The girl, Reyna walked behind the table and sat in one of two high-backed chairs with the boy, Naruto sitting in the other one.
He was walking into uncharted lands right here, and he didn't know what was going to happen to him. They weren't saying anything to him, so he decided to use this time to examine these two.
He started with the one with the long red hair. Naruto, he believed his name was. He looked to be around his age, 17 if he remembered properly, and what stood out the most was his long blood red hair, that was like a wave of licorice whips or molten lava, which was unnatural to Percy. He had never seen anybody with fiery red hair that was so…well, red! From there was a rounded face, with red brows, showing that the red hair was natural or he died them both, purple eyes. He stood taller than Percy, but not by much, and had broad shoulders that fit his muscular frame. If he would compare his body style to anyone's he'd compare it to a son of Hephaestus's. He held himself up straight, which made him seem even taller than he was and Percy could feel this unnatural pressure around him that tickled his senses. His armor was different than what he saw on the teens, the color scheme, and the pieces that it was composed of were like nothing he felt familiar with.
His examination of the male done, Percy moved onto the girl and felt that something about her seemed familiar to him. A heart shaped face with delicate but sharp eyebrows that were set into a hard expression over dark brown eyes. Her hair was long, dark and glossy like cooled molten rock, like her eyes, and tied into a single braid that had hairs hanging out of place that was currently hanging over her shoulder. Her shoulders were also broad, but in the way that told Percy that she worked out and hard. She held herself tall like the boy, and Percy noticed that her eyes were always focused but still relaxed. She wore golden armor, Percy guessed that it was custom made, with a purple cloak.
"So…" He began, but was forced silent by growling.
The two, what he thought were statues, dogs were baring their gleaming teeth and growling. Their crimson eyes glared at him, and Percy wondered what was it that he had done to gain their ire. Usually animals liked him.
"Argentum, Aurum, heel!" Percy heard the girl order sharply. The greyhounds stopped growling, but their glare stayed firmly locked onto him like he was a potential treat or something.
"Silver and Gold," Percy murmured under his breath, but not low enough.
"That's right. They won't attack you," Reyna started," if that's what you're worried about," Percy almost blew out a sigh of relief," Unless you try and steal something or we deem you a threat to the camp, goddess recommendation or not, and I order them to."
Reyna set her dagger that she had on her hip onto the table within reach, showing that she held no hostile intentions, but the option was still on the table to say. Figuratively and literally. She was ready to speak up but the teen, Percy spoke up first.
"I've seen your face before," He declared," Something about your face is familiar to me. Please, if that means anything to you, I need to know. I'm lost here, and I can barely remember anything about myself or, or who I am," he stressed.
Reyna heard what he said, but was not listening. She had never seen him before in her life. How could she look familiar to him? The only other person who…
No, she thought to herself, her mind working furiously, he couldn't have met her. She dropped off of the face of the map with those damn Amazons.
Reyna shook her head, they needed to know more about him before answering any of his questions. She glanced to her side at Naruto, he was being oddly quiet at her side. She was sure he would've made some input or some comment by now.
"Before I answer any of your questions, should I answer them," She said, "What do you remember? How did you get here? Why did the goddess Juno herself bring you here? And don't lie," She put her hand on Aurum's metal head," My dogs don't like liars."
The greyhounds snarled for emphasis.
So, Reyna heard his spiel. His entire story from how he woke up with no memory, his time spent with Lupa, his knowledge of this world, but Reyna could point out the repeating theme throughout the entire thing.
His lack of memory before any of that.
Before she could bring it up, Naruto beat her to it.
"You don't remember anything before that?" He asked, "Your birthday?" A head shake. "Your parents?" A head shake. "Friends?" Head shake. "Girlfriend?" A hesitant head shake, and Reyna narrowed her eyes. That touched something in his memory, but he hesitated. She raised a brow, he remembered more than he was letting on. She decided to let him hold onto that secret of his, as she didn't want to force the issue. Despite her threats, with him being here and the presence of Juno made for something big. Something was so special about him that it received the matriarch of the gods' attention, and that warranted a thorough investigation.
Reyna leaned forward, "Most of what you've described is normal for demigods that come to Camp Jupiter. At a certain age, they find their way to the Wolf House, and are trained and tested by Lupa. If she thinks us worthy, whether that be in a few weeks or a few years, she sends us south. Here, to join the legion. The only special case is Naruto here," she indicated, "who was able to impress her enough that she personally delivered his unconscious body here within the same day."
Naruto nodded along and asked Percy, "What was the deal with those gorgons? They aren't that tough of a monster to take down. Especially for two of the Fifth Cohorts own and a teen who was able to literally tear them apart with water."
Reyna listened as Percy explain his hectic last three days: how the gorgons wouldn't die, how he met the old lady who turned out to be a goddess, and finally sliding in and meeting Hazel and Frank at the tunnel entrance in the hill.
"If this was any other situation," Naruto began, "I would have trouble believing you, but in this instance I know you're telling the truth."
Reyna looked at him quizzically, and Naruto gave her look that told her that he would explain it all later.
"But regardless of it being true or not, Percy," Naruto continued, "You're old for a recruit, you know that? You look to be around our age. So, you're what, sixteen or seventeen?"
"I think so," Percy answered.
"That many years on your own? You should be dead?" Reyna piped in, "Regardless of being able to take down Medusa's sisters, you're a son of Neptune. You'd have such a potent, powerful aura that all kinds of monsters would be able to sniff you out."
Percy shrugged, "Yeah, I've been told I smell."
Naruto smiled humorously and Reyna tried not to smile at the joke on demigod auras. They both knew too well about what kinds of monsters they can attract.
Naruto ran a hand through his hair, "This just doesn't add up though. He had to have come from somewhere before the Wolf House."
They looked at Percy, who just shrugged, and realized that they weren't going to find an answer to that until or if he regains his memory.
"Well, my dogs haven't eaten you yet, so I suppose that you're telling the truth."
Naruto nodded along, "Yeah, I couldn't detect any irregularities in his heart beat that entire time either."
Reyna nodded in realization, that's what he was doing.
"Even if we accept you as not an enemy," she began, "this is still unusual. The Queen of Olympus does not simply mettle in the affairs of us mortals, and she definitely doesn't appear at camp announcing a new demigod. And a son of Neptune," she sighed, "that is not a good omen. Especially now."
"What's wrong with Neptune?" Percy asked. "What do you mean by, especially now? What's going on?"
"You came here with Medusa's sisters nipping at your heels, who by the way haven't been seen for thousands of years. You made our Lares nervous and or agitated, and they're now calling you graecus," Naruto piped in.
"And your shirt," Reyna said, "those beads on your necklace, those symbols. What do they mean?"
Percy looked down at his attire and accessory and shook his head, "I don't know," he said.
"And your sword?" Reyna questioned.
They watched as Percy pulled out a…pen, and uncapped it. Reyna and Naruto exchanged a look of unease at the appearance of the weapon, Hazel gasped, and the greyhounds barked at its appearance.
"What is that?" Hazel asked. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I have," Naruto declared and stood up. He walked toward the sword and Percy, but did not reach out for it. If that sword was anything like their own personal weapons, it would have a failsafe included. And Naruto didn't know how nasty this one was. "From what I can tell, it's old. And I mean your grandma's babysitter old, maybe older. The metal is called Celestial bronze. It's as deadly to monsters as Imperial gold is, but Celestial bronze is rarer."
Naruto stepped in front of Percy and stopped his examination of the sword, "Hold out your arm like this?" he asked, showing Percy his exposed forearm that had a tattoo on the inside: the letters SPQR, a hammer and an anvil, and underneath that, four parallel lines. "And before you ask, yes all full members of the legion have one."
Percy held out his arms, but there was no special mark of any kind.
"Yup, you've never been a member of legion so that's out," Naruto said. "These marks aren't removable unless you want to cut off your arm or something, but even then I don't think it would work," he joked.
Percy grimaced.
Hazel's eyes widened and she spoke up, "If he's survived being a loner this whole time, maybe he's seen Jason." She turned to Percy. "Have you ever met another demigod like us before? He's a guy in a purple shirt, with marks on his arm like us, and…"
"Hazel." Reyna's sounded. "That's enough."
Percy sheathed his sword back into his pen, "I haven't seen anyone like you guys before. And Jason, who is he?"
Reyna sighed, a low one that Percy could tell was fringed with a bit of sadness. She said, "He is my b…was my colleague." She pointed to Naruto who had walked back to his chair and sat down. "The legion normally has two praetors. Jason Grace, a son of Jupiter, was my other half so to speak before he disappeared last October. Now Naruto stepped up to take his place."
"He's been gone for eight months? I mean by now, uh…" he tapered off due to the glare he was receiving courtesy of Naruto.
"He isn't dead, if that's what you mean," Naruto said. "I knew Jason, and I know he isn't dead. Jason was, is as tough as they come and then some. I know he isn't dead. Just missing."
"Wait June 24," Hazel began, "Isn't the Feast of Fortuna coming up?"
Naruto and Reyna grimaced simultaneously, "Octavian," they voiced.
"The Feast of Fortune… The gorgons mentioned something like that, and so did JUNO. They said that the camp was going to be attacked on the day of the feast. Something about some big bad goddess named Gaea, and an army, and something about Death being unleashed. What's today?"
"Today is the nineteenth," Naruto said lowly, "That only gives us five days."
Reyna stood, "You both will not speak a word of this to anyone except for Naruto and myself. I do not want panic and paranoia festering and spreading through the camp." She ordered.
"We're done here," Naruto declared and stood as well, "Hazel, take him to Temple Hill. Find that prick Octavian. If Percy here has any questions then answer them how you deem fit to. Tell him about us, the legion."
Hazel nodded, and turned around to begin walking.
"Good luck with that prick Octavian Percy," Naruto said. "If you come down with the urge to punch his lights out don't worry that's a normal reaction," He joked.
Percy smiled a bit and began walking out with Hazel, leaving the two Praetors alone to discuss what just happened.
Once Naruto was sure the door was closed Naruto spoke up, "Well depending on what Octavian has to say, and I'm pretty sure we both know what he's going to say, today's muster is going to be different."
Reyna nodded and rubbed her brow, "This Percy Jackson is a character I was not expecting to be dropped into our laps right now. I was watching him during that entire exchange, and everything about him screamed training, Naruto. I wouldn't be surprised if had gotten some training prior to the Wolf House."
Naruto nodded, "Exactly what I was thinking. The way he controlled that water to tear those gorgons to paste like a blender set on high would take years of training. To do that would take an enormous amount of power and control that I'm sure barely half of the teens our age have."
"Except for us," she added.
He nodded, "Except for us. Do you think that…,"
"That he had something to do with Jason's disappearance?" she asked. Naruto nodded and she shrugged, "I don't know, but they have to be connected somehow."
"You don't think they sent him here as a replacement do you?" He asked.
"No," she said.
"You don't think-,"
"No, I don't think anything, Naruto. There is no body that can replace Jason or even begin to," she declared fiercely.
Naruto held his hands up in surrender, "I was just throwing an idea out there trying to figure out the point of that is going down right now. Something big is about to happen Reyna, and after the feast…I don't think things are going to ever be the same again."
Reyna sighed and nodded, "I know. Sorry for snapping at you like that…it's just that I'm not ready to accept him as being gone yet, Naruto."
Naruto walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Me neither, but we have to set the example while he's not here. We not have his over powered bull-shit lightning," he joked and Reyna smiled a bit, "but I like to think of myself as pretty capable when it comes to turning some ugly monsters into dust."
"Yeah, you're right," she agreed.
Naruto rubbed patted her on the shoulder before letting go and stretched, "Now, c'mon. We have a muster to get to, and then a tonight are the War Games," he said rubbing his hands together excitedly.
Reyna smirked a little and shook her head, "Don't ever change Naruto," she said while walking towards the door.
He fell in step beside her, "If I ever start changing I give you complete permission to smack me, and get my head back on straight."
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At The Muster
Naruto stood tall and looked out over the assembled cohorts as Reyna trotted back and forth on Skippy with her dogs following. They both were wearing their respective armors and purple cloaks, Reyna gave Naruto a new one and made him promise to never lose this one or she would shave his head bald in his sleep. Needless to say he promised readily and swore that he wouldn't lose this one.
The cohorts were lined up perfectly, with their equipment shining under the sun. These were the members of the legion, and Naruto was proud to be praetor over them despite his earlier feelings.
His eyes caught movement and saw a hurrying Hazel dashing to her spot in the fifth cohort. Reyna said something to her, but his focus was elsewhere.
Nico Di Angelo. The son of Pluto himself, Naruto thought to himself.
"Despite my ability to not be able to die, that kid still creeps me out. I've had run ins with his father before, and I can tell when one had the touch of the underworld on them. This kid is practically bathed in it," Kurama intoned in his deep voice.
I can feel it too. I don't know what it is, but there's something about him that just feels off, and I don't think it has anything to do with who his dad is.
"Yeah, well when you figure that out wake me. Until then stay out of trouble, and do not call on me unless absolutely necessary. We both know that you can only handle three-tails worth of my chakra before your body and mind start to succumb."
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go back to sleep fuzz ball. I'll wake you when the situation calls for it. I have a feeling that that's going to be sooner rather than later anyways.
Kurama just grunted before Naruto felt the connection disappear, and he was left to his own thoughts.
"Colors!" he heard Octavian shout.
Naruto re-focused onto the muster as the emblems were presented. As usual the legion's eagle was not there, and Naruto could feel the embarrassment and he even felt some himself. He didn't see the point of present it if there was no eagle, but Reyna insisted on following tradition.
Speaking of her, she directed Skippy to the forefront, grabbing everybody's attention, "Romans! You've all heard of what happened earlier today so I'll save everybody some time by not repeating what you all should probably know by now. Today we have newcomer Percy Jackson. The goddess herself, Juno, has lead him to us, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune."
Percy raised a hand in the air nervously, "Hey."
Naruto felt the urge to face palm at the introduction.
"What do the auguries say to him joining the legion?" Reyna asked.
Naruto zoned out whatever Octavian had to say, but Naruto go the distinction that he was accepted due to how Percy didn't look all that nervous and the shout of the cohorts' 'Ave'.
Naruto saw Reyna motion and the senior officers stepped forward from each cohort. Octavian, being the most senior of the centurions, addressed Percy.
"Recruit, do you have credentials? Letters of reference?"
Ah, those. Naruto firmly stuck with his belief that having a letter of reference or credentials were bullshit. He believed that you had to work for what you wanted, and was sick of these kids that were given a 'letter of reference' and an easier path when they looked like they couldn't hold a sword properly or thought they were tough shit. Naruto fixed the latter problem real quickly whenever he saw it someone by, of course, showing them the error of their ways.
In other words he would kick their ass, and show them that they weren't shit. That they were now swimming with the sharks.
Percy shifted around nervously, "Letters? Um, no I don't have any."
Naruto saw the faux regretful look on Octavian's face, and just knew he could care less.
"No letters? Will any legionnaires stand for him?"
"I will!" Naruto heard come from Frank. "He saved my life!"
Naruto smiled silently. Frank had always had a big heart, but was too unsure of his own abilities. He had tried getting him to come out of his shell, and had only partially succeeded. This was a result of that.
Reyna looked at Frank with her usual look that made lesser recruits cry, Naruto remembered the one time that happened with a newer girl recruit, and Naruto was proud that Frank only stepped back once.
"Frank Zhang," Reyna began, "I remind you that you are on probation. Your godly parent has not even claimed you yet. You're not eligible to stand for another one until you earn your first stripe. Your support is noted, but it does not mean anything."
Naruto winced at the way Frank was tore to proverbial pieces, but knew that what Reyna was saying to be true. He saw Franks face redden in embarrassment, and he looked like he wanted to curl up and himself in a hole.
But to his not so surprise his best friend, and Naruto believed to be future love interest (there was a betting pool on this stuff), came to his rescue.
"I will stand for Percy. I am a full member of the legion, and Percy saved both of our lives," Hazel declared.
Naruto smiled at the courage the two showed, but knew that her standing up for him wasn't much of a good thing. Her being a daughter of Pluto was almost as bad as Percy being a son of Neptune.
Reyna raised a brow, and looked at Naruto.
"Why not?" He shrugged. They weren't getting any better than this.
"Very well. Hazel Levesque, you may stand for him. Does the Fifth Cohort accept him as well?" She asked.
There was complete silence. Before a fake cough sounded from somewhere trying to cover up the 'loser' that was said. Scattered pockets of laughter that people tried to cover up rang through Naruto's ears and he clenched his fist.
Ever since he left the cohort to be praetor, it had gone downhill to say the least. Naruto didn't like to think about it.
Slowly a very unenthusiastic pounding of shields sounded from the cohort, led by an excited looking Frank, and the new centurion stepped forward, Dakota.
"My cohort has spoken," he said, "We accept him."
Reyna looked at Percy, "Congratulations, Percy Jackson. You are on probation until it has been one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. Don't lose that by the way. Gods know how many of you recruits do," she mumbled under breath and Naruto couldn't help but snicker. "Serve Rome, obey the laws of the legion, and defend this camp with honor. Senatus Populusque Romanus!"
Naruto and the rest of the legion echoed her.
Reyna turned Skippy away, and he spread his large wings, giving them a shake.
Naruto stepped up to Percy while Reyna gave her commands to the rest of the legion.
He gave a flat stare to Nico who reciprocated the look," Di Angelo."
"Uzumaki," Nico addressed him in a similar fashion.
They gave each other mutual nods of respect, before Naruto turned his attention to Percy. He held out his hand to Percy, but was greeted with a confused look. Naruto laughed a little, "You're supposed to shake it. C'mon man, I know you know how to shake a hand."
Percy took one last look at it before reaching out and shaking it.
"Nice," Naruto said after they let go, "Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret about the cohort you're going to. Opposite to popular opinion, they aren't a bunch of losers. They just…have had a rather bad streak of luck lately. I mean, I came from there, and look at me. I'm a praetor, and so was the guy before me."
Percy nodded his head nervously, "Yeah, the missing one…Jason."
Naruto nodded, "Yeah. They are a good group, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Matter of fact, it's a good thing that you were accepted into the fifth, because now maybe you'll be the one to bring them back up to snuff."
Naruto patted Percy on the shoulder once before turning around just as the crowd dispersed, "See you tonight Percy."
Percy gave a confused look to Nico, asking the unasked question.
Nico shrugged, "I don't know Percy. Uzumaki has always been an odd one. From his hair down to his personality. But he's one of the only guys that I respect."
Percy raised an eyebrow, "Is that high praise coming from you?"
"Let's just say that there are only two people I respect that are still alive, and leave it at that," Nico said, "C'mon, let's find Hazel so we can go eat before the war games tonight. Tonight is capture the fort, and you need all the energy you can get."
Percy nodded his head, but couldn't shake the feeling of unease that plagued him.
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Hades was sitting in his high-backed throne made of skulls and stygian iron. To the average person, it may just look like an uncomfortable throne, but due to a whole bunch of spells, it was probably the most comfortable chair in existence. He'd never let people know that, because it would ruin his reputation as the lord of the underworld.
His train of thought was cut off as a flash appeared in front of him. The light died down to reveal…Hera?
"What brings you down to Hell, Mrs. Queen of Olympus?" He asked. "Is my brother being a right prick again? Or is it one of those annoying gods that think that they deserve a seat on the council bar Athena and Hephaestus?"
"I am here on business Hades," She told him.
This caused Hades to lean forward, "Oh, and what sort of business would you have with the Lord of the Underworld?"
"I'd like strike a deal with you, Hades. An exchange," Hera said.
"What could you have that I want Hera?" Hades asked, clasping his hands together in his lap, interest piqued.
"I'd like for you to give me control of one the souls in the Underworld in exchange," she waved her hand and a purple orb appeared and floated forward in front of Hades, "the soul of the one who has eluded your grasp for so long."
Hades stared at the ghastly purple orb like a man possessed, "Is this…"
"Yes it is. I have a connection, and he was able to get me it. Fresh from cooling corpse of the bastard. And it is all yours," the orb floated back to Hera, "in exchange for the one I want."
Hades clenched his fists together and gained a look of contemplation. It was a few moments before he made his decision.
"Mmm, fine. In exchange for that soul, I'll give you one in exchange to do with as you wish," He said, "So, who do you want to bring back from the dead?"
"Kushina Uzumaki."
