The door creaked open, and standing in front of them was a tall woman. She wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze. Her coffee-colored hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant
Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"
"They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say
"We're orphans," Percy blurted out.
"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"
"We got separated from our caravan," Naruto said backing up Percy's story. "Our cir-cus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"
"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."
They thanked her and went inside.
Annabeth muttered to Percy, "Circus caravan?"
"Always have a strategy, right?" Percy said with a cheesy grin.
"Your heads are full of kelp."
"Hey Naruto about the orphan thing-, "Percy began.
"Don't worry about it I understand," Naruto said understandingly. Percy sighed in relief.
The warehouse was filled with more statues-people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. Percy thought someone would have to have a pretty huge garden to fit even one of these statues, because they were all life-size. Naruto was mostly thinking about food.
Aunty Em's burgers smelled like laughing gas in the dentist's chair-it made everything else go away. They barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow them, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us. The annoying itch in the back of Naruto's head was growing.
There it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Naruto's mouth was watering profusely.
"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.
"Awesome," Percy said.
"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money, ma'am."
Aunty Em simply said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."
"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said. Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done some-thing wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly. Naruto's guard however had activated. But it quickly disappeared when another whiff of the food hit his nose.
"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." Only later did Percy wonder how she knew Annabeth's name, even though they hadn't introduced themselves. Aunty Em disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before they knew it, she'd brought them plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries. Percy was halfway through his burger before he remembered to breathe. Naruto was already asking for seconds. Annabeth slurped her shake. Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat. Then both his and Naruto's ears perked up.
"What's that hissing noise?" Grover asked. Naruto looked around to pinpoint the source. Percy listened, but didn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head.
"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."
"I take vitamins. For my ears."
"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."
Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her head-dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers was watching them eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at them when they couldn't see her face, but Percy was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and he figured the least he could do was try to make small talk with their hostess. Naruto was still looking around.
"So, you sell gnomes," Percy said, trying to sound interested.
"Oh, yes," Aunty Em replied. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."
"A lot of business on this road?"
"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."
Percy's neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at him. He turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues. But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified.
"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."
"You make these statues yourself?" Naruto asked. The hissing was still going but it was quieter.
"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that Percy couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?" "It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price." Percy's eyelids kept getting heavier, his full stomach making him sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?
"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking him to get his attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting." She sounded tense. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.
"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those." She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.
"We really should go."
"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"
"There right Percy we should go," Naruto spoke up. But Percy didn't want to leave. He felt full and content. Aunty Em was so nice. He wanted to stay with her a while.
"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"
"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily. "A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children." Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy-"
"Sure we can," Percy said. He was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed them for free. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"
"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm." Naruto could tell Annabeth didn't like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead them back out the front door, into the garden of statues. Aunty Em directed them to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the three young gen-tlemen on either side."
"Not much light for a photo," Percy remarked.
"Oh, enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"
"Where's your camera?" Naruto asked eyes narrowing. Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot.
"Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"
Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."
"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "Look this way, dear." She still had no camera in her hands.
"Percy-" Annabeth said. Some instinct warned Percy to listen to Annabeth, but he was still fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.
"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil..."
"Guys, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.
"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"
That's when it hit Naruto. The hissing was coming from Aunty Em.
"MEDUSA!" Naruto shouted in warning.
"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.
"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover off the bench while Naruto pulled Percy. They were on the ground, looking at Aunt Em's sandaled feet. Grover could be heard scrambling off in one direction, Annabeth in another. Naruto was dragging Percy.
Naruto turned to see Percy turning to look at her. "No! Don't!"
The rasping-sound of tiny snakes, right behind them. Grover was heard racing across the gravel, yelling, "Maia!" to kick-start his flying sneakers. Percy was trying to fight the groggy trance the old woman had put him in. "Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she whispered soothingly her voice echoing through the garden.
"Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look at me."
"Shut up," Naruto growled. He turned to his friend who was still in a daze. "Oh Damnit Percy snap out of it," He said shaking his friend desperately. When that didn't work he came to his last resort. He reeled his arm back and slapped the crap out of his friend.
"OW!" Percy shouted in pain. He shook his head and looked at his friend.
"Better," Naruto asked blandly. Percy looked at him for a moment then slapped him back.
"OW!" Naruto yelled.
"Now I am,"
"Fuck you," Naruto grunted. He activated his gauntlets and got up to run. "Split up," Percy nodded and turned to go in a different direction. As he turned to run he saw one of those glass spheres people put in gardens- a gazing ball. He could see Aunty Em's dark reflection in the orange glass; her headdress was gone, revealing her face as a shimmering pale circle. Her hair was moving, writhing like serpents.
"Wow you are ugly," Percy said. 'Think Percy think. How did Medusa die in the myth?" Something told him that in the myth Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by his namesake, Perseus. She wasn't anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those talons right now and rake open his face.
"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she didn't sound anything like a monster. Her voice invited him to look at her, to sympathize with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."
"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, some-where in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"
"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."
"No," he muttered hiding behind a statue. He tuned to see Naruto behind another statue.
"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."
"Percy!" Grover said. Percy looked up to see Grover doing a nose dive folding a tree branch. "Duck!" he yelled "I'll get her!" That finally jolted him into action. Knowing Grover, Percy was sure he'd miss Medusa and nail him. He dove to one side. Thwack! At first he figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage. "You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"
"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.
"Naruto seemed to take that opportunity to go on the attack. He ran from behind the statue and looked at Medusa's feet. They were turned away from him. Perfect. "Hey!" he shouted. Medusa turned just in time to get a face full his fist.
"AAHH!" She screeched Grover chose that moment to swoop down for another pass. Ker-whack! "Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake-hair hissing and spit-ting.
"Nice one G-man,"
"Percy!" Annabeth's voice said. Percy jumped so high he nearly cleared a garden gnome.
"Jeez! Don't do that!" Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible.
"You have to cut her head off."
"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here."
"Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." Annabeth swallowed, as if she were about to make a difficult admission. "But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You-you've got a chance."
"What? I can't-"
"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?" She pointed to a pair of statue lovers, a man and a woman with their arms around each other, turned to stone by the monster. Annabeth grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distor-tion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of-"
"Would you speak English?"
"I am!" She tossed him the glass ball. "Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly."
"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she's unconscious!"
"Roooaaarrr!"
"Maybe not," Grover corrected.
"Grover where's my damn air support," Naruto shouted.
"Oh my bad," Grover said as he went in for another pass with the tree branch. "Hurry," Annabeth told me. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash and Naruto will eventually look up."
"You sound worried about Naruto,"
"He's the lesser of two evils," She remarked but her voice wasn't convincing. She was worried about him.
"Told ya he'd grow on you," Percy took out hius pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in his hand. He followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair and Naruto's occasional grunts. He kept his eyes locked on the gazing ball so he would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green tinted glass, he saw her.
Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time he flew a little too low. Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"
Medusa was about to lunge at him when he yelled, "Hey!" he advanced on her, which wasn't easy, holding a sword and a glass ball. If she charged, he'd have a hard time defending himself. But she let me approach-twenty feet, ten feet. Then he saw Naruto put her in an arm lock. He wrapped his legs around her waist and bent her head down so she was forced to look down. could see the reflection of her face now.
"Damn you, you traitor," she hissed at Naruto. "You don't even belong here,"
"What," Naruto asked confused. It seemed that had thrown Naruto off enough for him to momentarily loosen his grip. Medusa took that moment to throw him off of her. Naruto went crashing into a statue. Causing it to crumble. Luckily Percy was only a few feet away now.
Percy could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really that ugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse
"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't." Percy hesitated, fascinated by the face he saw reflected in the glass-the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making his arms go weak.
From the cement grizzly, Grover moaned, "Percy, don't listen to her!"
Medusa cackled. "Too late." She lunged at Percy with her talons.
"NO!" Naruto shouted. Percy bent down and then slashed up with his sword. There was a sickening shlock!, then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern-the sound of a monster disintegrating. Something fell to the ground next to Percy's foot. It took all his willpower not to look.
"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but like Naruto he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming.
"Double-yuck," Naruto added in disgust.
"Mega-yuck." Annabeth came up next to Percy, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move." Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice. "Is everyone okay?" she asked the guys, her voice trembling.
"No," Naruto said wincing. His back hurt from colliding with the statue.
"No," Grover moaned
"Yeah," Percy said, though he felt like throwing up my double cheeseburger. "Why didn't ... why didn't the head evaporate?"
"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."
Grover moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves. The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.
"The Red Baron," Percy said. "Good job, man." He managed a bashful grin.
"That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun." He snatched his shoes out of the air.
"Hey atleast you didn't get tossed like a ragdoll." Naruto said walking towards them. Percy recapped his sword.
Together, the four of them stumbled back to the warehouse. They found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. They plopped it on the table where they'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak. Finally
"So we have Athena to thank for this monster?" Percy said bluntly. Annabeth flashed him an irritated look.
"Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."
"Oh, so now it's my fault we met Medusa." Annabeth straightened. In a bad imitation of my voice, she said: "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"
"Forget it," Percy said. "You're impossible."
"You're insufferable." Annabeth retorted. Grover and Naruto continued to swivel their heads at the game of tennis. Naruto smiling Grover looking annoyed.
"You're-" "Hey!" Grover interrupted.
"Aww why you gotta ruin it G-man," Naruto complained.
"Shut up Naruto," Grover grumbled. "They're giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even get migraines. What are we going to do with the head?"
Percy stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!
Percy was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods for this whole quest, for getting them blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. His friends lives had been caught in the crossfires of a bunch of gods and their petty squabbles. At this rate, they would never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice. What had Medusa said? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue.
Percy got up. "I'll be back." Was all he said.
"Percy," Annabeth called after him. "What are you-" She said going after him.
"So," Naruto suddenly spoke up after the two had left. Where did you get the stick?" Grover turned to scowl at him. "What," Naruto asked
Finally, Percy came back with a box. He preceded to pack up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip: The Gods Mount Olympus 600th Floor, Empire State Building New York, NY with best wishes, PERCY JACKSON
"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."
"So," Naruto said defending his friend. "half of them probably want us dead, might as well show them how we fill"
Percy poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as he closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a pop! "I am impertinent," Percy said. He looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize. She didn't. She seemed resigned to the fact that he and Naruto had a major talent for ticking off the gods.
"Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."
They camped out in the woods, a hundred yards from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties. The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers.
They took some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but they didn't dare light a fire to dry their damp clothes. The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. They didn't want to attract anything else. They decided to sleep in shifts. Percy volunteered to take first watch. Naruto said he would take last. Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground. Naruto was right behind her. The last thing he saw was Grover walking towards Percy. His lasts thoughts were 'Finally a good night rest,'
Line Break
"Hello again,"
"Mother Fucker!" Naruto was once again in the field with the fox in the exact same spot. As he had left him in.
"Nice to see you too," It drawled lazily.
"What do you want," Naruto complained. "I'm tired,"
"Suck it up," The fox retorted. "You wouldn't have had to fight the snake if you had listened to your instincts," Naruto looked confused now. "Oh don't tell me you feel even the slightest bit disturbed after you entered,"
Naruto thought about it for a moment. He did recall having an itch on the back of his head. But he didn't want to prove the beast right so he simply retorted. "Fuck you I just chose to ignore it for the cheeseburgers,"
The beast looked at him for a moment. 'Dear sage he's an idiot,' It thought.
"Hey you in their you zoned out for a second," Naruto asked.
"Yeah just marveling at stupidity," It snorted.
"Eat a dick," Naruto grumbled giving him the bird. "You oversized furball,"
"Whatever you say you blond idiot,"
"So why have you brought me here?"
"Your using your abilities wrong,"
"What?"
"And your ignoring your instinct," The beast continued ignoring his question. "But you already admitted to that. Don't ignore me or your instincts or more situations like today will happen again and you won't get off so easily like you did this time." 'They're probably aware of him by now,' The beast thought.
By this time the place was crumbling. Naruto was waking up.
"Looks like we're out of time," The beast observed. "Remember what I said, your instincts are your friends,"
"Whatever dude," Naruto said nonchalantly but he took what he said to heart. Wait he. "Actually I've been meaning to ask," Naruto said the thought coming to him just then. "Are you a boy or a girl,"
"….Forget what I said, don't trust your instincts," The beast grumbled. "Hurry up and die,"
"If I die you die too dumbass," Naruto retorted. The menacing grin on the beasts face however said otherwise.
Line Break
Annabeth was the one to wake him up. She was the last one on shift so it was his turn. She hadn't said much. Actually the only thing she had said was "It's your turn whiskers,"
Naruto merely grumbled and headed to the tree to begin his watch.
He had sat there for two hours in complete silence. It was calming and something he rarely did. He didn't have ADHD but sitting still was just something he was incapable of.
Grover had been the first to wake up. Annabeth followed a few minutes later. No one really said anything. They just did their own thing. It was real peaceful. That is until Grover brought back the poodle
Line Break
"So let me get this straight," Naruto said still disbelieving. "You can talk to animals?"
"Yep," Grover said as if it was obvious.
"Any animal?"
"Yep,"
"… so your Tarzan and Mowgli," Naruto said.
Grover looked at him strangely for a moment. "Yeah I guess in a sense,"
"… you lucky bastard," Naruto said in awe.
'You can talk to animals to moron,'
"GAH!" Naruto shouted falling back. He looked around to find the source of the voice. "Who said that?!"
'Me you moron,' The voice said. It took Naruto a moment to pinpoint the familiarity of the voice. It was the beast talking to him. In his head.
"Hey Naruto you okay," Grover asked.
"Huh yeah sorry man," Naruto said quickly.
"Are you sure," Grover asked in concern.
"Yeah it's all good," Naruto reassured his friend. Grover looked like he didn't believe him but chose not to say anything. 'So is this going to be a normal thing now?' Naruto thought mentally.
'Yep I can't trust you to not die,'
'I thought you wanted me to die,'
'Don't get smart gaki,'
'You speak Japanese?'
'I speak any language you can since I'm you in a sense,'
'Huh that's cool' Naruto said nonchalantly 'Wait what do you mean in a sense?'
"Hey Naruto Percy is awake," Grover said. "We're gonna head out,"
The voice had stopped talking after that.
"You can talk to animals?" Was the first thing Naruto hear come from Percy's mouth as he got closer to the others.
"Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy." Grover said ignoring Percy's question.
"So your like Tarzan and Mowgli?"
"Yes," Grover sighed out.
"…. You lucky bastard,"
Annabeth palmed her face. "gods-damnit,"
Line Break
Grover explained that he'd come across Gladiola in the woods and they'd struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.
"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" Naruto asked.
"He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh."
"Of course," Naruto said sarcastically. "Silly me."
"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."
Percy thought about his dream-the whispering voices of the dead, the thing in the chasm, and his mother's face, shimmering as it dissolved into gold. All that might be waiting for him in the West. Plus the fox. Something about that verse scared him the most.
"Not another bus," Percy said warily trying to forget it for now.
"No," Annabeth agreed. She pointed downhill, toward train tracks "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the west-bound train leaves at noon."
"Well what are we waiting for let's go," Naruto said enthusiastically.
Line Break
When they arrived at the train, they discovered they weren't the only ones hitchhiking. There were six other people on the cart as well. They were all wearing rags for clothes. They were friendly though.
Annabeth and Grover had kept a bit of distance but Naruto and Percy fit right in. Percy didn't really care. Hitchhiking on a train wasn't a new concept for Naruto.
They had made small conversation such as were they were going and such. Naruto had immediately asked where in 'communities' were and a husband and wife that was also on the cart told him of a few 'communities' they knew about. Percy had looked at him in confusion. Naruto simply said he would tell him later.
After a while Naruto noticed that there was one more person on the cart. He walked towards them to say hi so not to be rude. As he got closer he noticed a few features. It was a girl and she was probably his age. But that wasn't the feature that caught his attention.
"Quite staring," The girl said speaking up. Clearly he wasn't as subtle as he thought.
"Sorry it just threw me off," Naruto apologized. "It's really pretty," The girl looked up at him with narrowed eyes. She was suspicious. "No seriously I mean if anyone says otherwise their jealous," He said enthusiastically. "I know my friend Rapunzel over there is jealous,"
"Hey!" Annabeth said defensively.
"Oh you heard that," Naruto said surprised.
"It's a small cart of course I heard it," She gritted out. "Almost as small as you,"
"What'd you say!"
"You heard me you whiskered midget!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN A SUPER MIDGET THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO STEP ON HIM!"
"What?" Annabeth asked surprised.
"Don't call me short," Naruto growled his eyes big and white. All of a sudden he heard giggling. He turned to see the girl laughing.
"Your funny," She said in between giggles. "I'm sorry for earlier,"
"Meh its fine," Naruto said waving her off. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki," He introduced himself.
She looked at him for a moment then introduced herself. "Sakura Haruno, pleasure to meet you,"