Well, he really shouldn't have taken so long.
After promises of returning, and multiple assurances that he wasn't lying. Naruto managed to break away from Ladon. It wasn't the cheeriest goodbye, but it was necessary.
And holy shit was it a good move.
When Naruto arrived at the top, he wasn't sure what he was seeing. It was a battle.
A big one.
Artemis was in chains, bearing the weight of the sky on her own. All around her, a battle was ensuing. Percy and Zoë were trying to get to Artemis and fight at the same time. Thalia and Luke were fighting it out hardcore. Ozone was the only thing he could smell as electricity kept sparking off of Thalia. Naruto glanced around the field of battle, and decided that there was only one thing to do.
"OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THAT!?" he screamed as loud as he could.
Everyone on the battle field froze, before turning to him in confusion. Naruto could see Percy's eyes widen by a massive margin, and he suppressed a grin.
Naruto ran forward, running through the monsters as if they weren't even there, and then stopped by were Artemis was, not noticing her. She stared at him incredulously. He had just walked right past an army of monsters, a Titan, and Ladon, as a mortal, BY HIMSELF.
Naruto grabbed a random rock from beneath her, and gave her a subtle wink, before running back.
"I gotta show Dad!" he said with glee, before running down the hill.
Everyone was in complete silence for a tense moment.
Atlas seemed to regain his bearings first.
"Was that…a mortal?"
"On mount Orthrys…is that even possible?"
"He didn't see us, must have been."
"Damn! He looked tasssty!"
The battle remained paused for a few more seconds, before the sound of snapping chains were head. everyone whirled and stared in shock as Artemis's chains were cut, and the mortal from before was standing under the sky.
And then after a quick discussion, he booted her out from under it. The boy immediately sagged under the weight, and groaned as he shifted it. Boy was it heavy.
Atlas was staring at the boy in stupor, before the boy kicked his blade to Artemis.
"Give 'em hell."
For the first time in a long time, Artemis grinned with genuine pleasure, "I will leave no monster alive." And then she took off with a vengeance.
"Kit, this was the STUPIDIST thing you have EVER DONE!" Kurama bellowed at him.
"WHY IS THIS SO HEAVY!?" Shukaku shouted
"YOU'RE SO MANLY" Son Goku Roared.
'Guys, give me as much as I can, I need it!'
"ROGER!"
Naruto felt chakra course though him as his golden Bijuu cloak manifested…and then something amazing happened. From Naruto's back, tails started to sprout. A sandy brown/gold, a flaming blue, an armored pincer, a molten red, a serene white, a slimy pale green/white, a green horn, an octopus tentacle, and a massive orange furry tail. They all came from him, and touched the sky. Naruto gave another roar, and he started to push up. He wouldn't just carry it, he would LIFT IT!
The ground beneath him started to crack, and Naruto upped the pressure. He created two clones to help him, but as soon as they tried, they burst. He growled as he watched the battle happen. Artemis being kicked around by Atlas, Percy still digging himself out a pile of rubble, and Zoë dodging and weaving as she took shots at the Titans armor.
'Full Bijuu mode?'
"No, we are holding sky, we can't do anything rash!" Kurama groaned, and Naruto grunted.
'Shukaku, any sand nearby?"
"Only what's on your skin, which his currently keeping your mortal body from smashing into paste."
Naruto groaned, this sucked! It was so HEAVY! He didn't think even Tsunade and Sakura combined could do this!
He watched as Luke managed to knock Thalia's spear away, but she body-slammed him with her shield, sending him flying and skidding back with a snarl. He created another clone, it was short-lived, and it only had time to grab Thalia's spear and throw it back before bursting from the strain the original was being put under. The Bijuu's chakra was burning inside him, healing him and reinforcing him as he struggled.
He stood under the sky, struggling.
For nearly 10 minutes.
"Kit…the stress, our energies are bonding with you!"
'SAVE THE FACTS FOR LATER! HELP ME!'
"No Kit, You don't get it! Yo…Wait…is the ground shaking?"
Naruto couldn't spare much focus from his current task, but he had to agree, the earth was shaking…and it was getting stronger. Naruto stared forward as he heard what sounded like a tsunami crashing through the trees.
It was magnificent.
All the monsters paled in fear and ran as he newest arrival appeared suddenly, slaying monsters left and right in drones, wiping them out with its massive body and poisonous breath.
Standing before the army, was Ladon, pissed and hissing. He saw Naruto struggling under the wait with the help on nine unique tails, before looking down.
And saw a somewhat nervous Atlas, and a slowly retreating goddess of the hunt.
The dragons stayed motionless for a moment, and then charged. Atlas seemed to shake with uncertainty as the dragon came at him, fangs bared and hissing. Naruto saw what the dragon was aiming for, and he grinned. Ladon surely was intelligent.
The Demigods leapt away as the massive dragon came charging through. Atlas tried to stand his ground…but it didn't do him any favors. The dragon sank four heads worth of fangs into the Titans body, immobilizing his limbs. Atlas screamed in pain as he was restrained, before he was thrown like a ragdoll at Naruto, who felt the tails recede and the sky was as heavy as ever. As the body of the Titan rushed flying at him, he loosened his grip, and felt his body being thrown backwards from the force. Atlas let out a cry of pain as his wounded limbs scrambled to adjust the weight, but it was too late, it was his again, and too soon.
"NOO! NOOOOOOOOO!" He roared in dismay, and Naruto lay on the ground, sweating heavily and panting.
"He…He...Haha! Take that! The first mortal to ever hold the sky, that's me! Uzumaki Naruto!" he said with a weak fist pump, before falling limp to his side.
'Guys, a little help.'
He felt chakra from the beasts swirl into his system, repairing it and revitalizing him.
'How you guys doing? How bad is it?'
"Naruto…the stress from this task and the universal push of out chakra…it should have killed you…but because of the stress, your body was forced to adapt itself. You're not fully ready, it will take time…but you can handle it."
Naruto felt his breathing slow, 'so…I'm not going to die?'
"No, that's still the case, but now, we have a much stronger fighting chance, and even more time. You are the luckiest bastard I have ever met."
Naruto grinned before standing up shakily and laughing, 'What can I say? Lady Luck really owes me.'
Naruto staggered around for a bit, before feeling his bearings come back and he walked straight. He could see Ladon eyeing him in concern, and he laughed and petted the dragons head, much to the shock of Artemis. The fight between Luke and Thalia had stopped again, watching with caution to see what the famed dragon's next move.
Naruto laughed and gently knocked on the dragon's head, "I appreciate it, but you need to guard the tree! Go back, I'll come say good bye, don't worry!"
The dragon looked uncertain, but he thundered on back, the earth's heavy shakes disappearing once the dragon had reached its destination.
Luke just watched in wonder as this happened, Thalia included, until she snapped out of it. She tackled him to the ground, and battle for the dominant spot, until they reached the cliff side. Thalia managed to toss his sword away, but her spear rolled from her grasp in the processes. She held him back and they were at a standoff.
"Wait! Don't kill him!" Percy shouted, charging forward. He almost reached them to. Luke made a desperate dive for her spear, and on instinct, she kicked him away.
Right over the edge.
His body tumbled fifty feet, before finally coming to rest on the broken crags. The retreating army noticed this, and turned up in anger at seeing Luke defeated, and then the made a key observation.
"LADON IS GONE! ATTACK!"
Naruto sighed as he heard their battle cries, before cracking his shoulders. He was back up. Not all the way, but close. He grinned at Thalia, who was still shocked at killing her once child-hood friend.
Naruto set himself into a horse stance, and held his hands apart, before humming in concentration, and a strange sound started to be heard. Light started to bend around Naruto as a pure black ball started to form, and grow. Artemis watched this with wonder as it grew, and when it reached appropriate size, Naruto ignited the chakra in his hands. It shot down the cliff side, glowing a brilliant white. Naruto turned and hustled over to the other side, Percy knowing full well what it was, sprinted back with him. the hunters and Thalia looked confused at this, and then it exploded.
The mortals jumped back to avoid the shockwave and Artemis, not fearing death, just watched from her spot in awe as a giant glowing dome of power roared in the sky, obliterating anything it touched. After the explosion died down, Naruto sighed. The monsters surely wouldn't charge now. They had destroyed the mother ship.
Naruto turned to smile at his comrades, before his eyes widened in horror as he saw a massive militia on the other side of the mountain.
"Well, I don't think I can play the fool anymore."
'Kurama, transform?'
"No, still repairing."
'And if I were to rush it?'
"Heavy damage or death, most likely instant death."
Naruto grimaced, this was a problem. Senjutsu wasn't the best idea in his weakened state. Percy was wounded from the fight with broken ribs and such. Zoë's arm was broken, so no arrows. Artemis was weaponless save for his dagger, and he was running…but he couldn't use it, not without harming himself greatly.
Naruto grimaced, but forced a grin instead. "Artemis, I have a plan. Take this, and get as far away as you can while I stall."
She looked at me in horror, "I know you are strong, you held the sky, but you are still mortal! You won't survive!"
Naruto looked at her, his gaze hardened, and she flinched, which surprised her.
"I am not a child, and I am no ordinary mortal, I've been in battles and fought in wars that would make Ares piss his pants in fear. I've fought a primordial, and I survived. This battle is a piece of cake."
'Of course I'm still injured and only have access to a fraction of the chakra and power I did then…but she doesn't need to know that.'
She stared at Naruto hard for a long time, trying to find any lies.
And there weren't any.
She tossed him his weapon, and he handed her his cloak. It was his only covering for his upper body, but he didn't care.
"You have five minutes to get as far away as possible from here. Run, now. Keep that close, it's my lifeline."
She looked extremely reluctant, but put on the cloak, and grabbed a still stuttering Thalia, and her weakened subordinate and the Son of Poseidon. He watched them go, before turning to the monster army, who were grinning at him.
"Awe, left you all alone?" a monster sneered, and Naruto giggled.
"No, I just needed them to leave so I can fight for real." He said with a smirk, before throwing off his weights and sealing them away.
"Catch me if you can!" he said, before blurring at high speeds, and attacked the army.