AN: Hello once again people! Just a few more chapters to go...I'm so sad...But wait...The sequel...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Sun's Heir, Death's Guardian

XXV

Artemis looked over at the sleeping form of her nephew while she and the group he arrived with waited for her chariot to arrive, seeing as she was forbidden to interfere with the quest and refused to leave the ones that had fought so hard for her freedom. Figuring that Apollo had left it somewhere completely inappropriate, Artemis assumed that was the reason to its delay.

She allowed a small smile to cross her face as she looked to her snoring nephew, whose head rested on his folded jacket next to the seated Thalia Grace while Percy Jackson described the fight between Naruto and Atlas to her. After he teleported the both of them to Thalia's side, he had promptly thanked the Gods she was alive and then passed out from exhaustion. Artemis carried him on her shoulder like she would the corpse of a deer down the base of the mountain, Percy Jackson helping Thalia Grace while her Hunters took up the rear. When they arrived outside, Percy had noticed that there was no sign of Luke, just an empty crater with two dried puddles of blood which Artemis filed away to bring forward at the upcoming meeting. Something was wrong with Hermes' son, and it wasn't just some delusion like the boy's father believed it was.

Pushing those thoughts away, the Goddess of the Moon once more looked over her beaten and battered nephew. Naruto certainly did look a lot like Helios, and so did her brother, now that she thought about it. Perhaps the former Sun God was aware this would happen.

He was, after all, also the God of Sight.

"Milady," Zoë's voice broke the Goddess from her thoughts and she turned to face the girl, "Are you well?"

"I'm fine, thank you Zoë," Artemis replied before looking beyond her Lieutenant to her best healer, who sat away from the three demigods and stared up at the partially clouded sky, "How does Phoebe fair?"

"...I haven't asked," the former Hesperide admitted, looking to her longtime ally, friend and sister-in-arms with a mild amount of concern, "She seems...withdrawn. Ashamed almost."

"I was afraid of that," Artemis said with a frown as she looked at her Hunter. While not directly her own, Artemis did care for the girl like a daughter despite being sired from her brother millennia ago. She held no favorites amongst her hunters and no ill to the girls who were once regular mortals, but it did warm her heart slightly to know that at least one of them was related to her by direct heritage even if Phoebe was not her own child.

Before she could consider going to the girl and asking her to speak her mind, Artemis tensed as she felt like she was being watched. Spinning around and pulling her hunting blades out, she failed to see Naruto's eyes snap open as he felt the same thing. Before she could call out the watchers, two black animals of the likes she had never seen ran out from the bush.

They looked like the lions in some of the oriental art that Apollo had shown her once not so long ago. Artemis intercepted one of the lions, slicing it with her blade and blinking in surprise when the animal exploded. Some of the black liquid splashed against her face, making her pause and dab at it with her fingers. It was ink...making the lion that still lived made from some sort of living ink, as crazy at it may seem.

The other lion leapt at Thalia, who was nowhere near prepared for the assault, only to be stopped as a throwing knife pierced its head. Naruto, now sitting upright with his left hand extended, growled before pushing himself to his feet. Groaning as he stood, the blond pulled another of his knives from the pouch taped to his thigh.

"(Alright Sai, I know you're there!)" he cried out, trying not to let his exhaustion show, "(Just come out already!)"

Artemis could not understand what her nephew was saying, and what really perturbed her was the reply that came in the same language that seemed to be a mix of Japanese and something else.

"(Glad to see you're still alive dickless,)" a pale wiry man wearing a black jacket that was cut off at the midriff and sleeveless on the left arm. He had a pack on his back and in his hands were a paintbrush and a scroll of some sort. Overall he was rather...bland, for lack of a better term. Aside from the fake smile on his face that even a blind man could spot.

Following him was a tall man with brown hair, wearing some sort of face protector and a uniform that was similar to one she had seen in Apollo's temple. He stood a whole head taller than the pale boy and had a stern look of which she had only seen once before on the face of her aunt Demeter, which had to have made him a demi-god of some sort.

Behind the man was a young woman with...pink hair. Aphrodite would never believe her if Artemis chose to tell the Goddess about the sight she was trying to deny existed, that's how pink this girl's hair was. The woman wore a red vest that appeared to accent her chest, protective elbow pads, dark gloves and skintight dark shorts underneath a tan skirt. The only other glaring difference from normal people the Goddess could spot was that giant forehead the poor woman sported.

And coming up behind her was a tall man with gravity defying silver hair that made her Hunters and Percy Jackson tense. Like the man with brown hair, he wore the uniform that Artemis swore she had seen somewhere in Apollo's temple. A mask hid the bottom half of his face and plated gloves protected his hands. As the other three did, he wore a headband, though covering an eye in this case, with the strange symbol that was on Naruto's belt buckle. Did they come from the Hidden Lands as well?

"How's it going, Naruto?" The last man to emerge asked in English, though he had a thick accent. In his hand was a copy of 'Greek Mythology for Idiots', which he found to be much more important than anything else as his one eye was glued to the page. Artemis wasn't sure if she wanted to be wary of the potential foe reading up on it or furious at the man for reading such a slanderous novel, even if it had some truthful notes about herself and her family.

"Oh you know, the usual," Naruto said, switching to English flawlessly, "Just kicked some super strong bad guy's ass and then finished him off in the stupidest way possible."

"Yep, that sounds like something you would do," drawled the man before turning the page in his book, "Now for some strange reason, I get the feeling you wouldn't come back with us if we asked nicely, would you?"

Naruto chuckled, his body still tense and his other hand uncapping the holster on his other thigh, "You'd be right."

"Naruto no baka (Just come back home already)!" the pink haired woman shouted as she stormed forward. Her gloved hand reached for the blond only to be grabbed by the wrist by said teen. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he crushed the wrist in his grip, making the woman cry out in pain. He thrusted his palm forward to strike her in the stomach and sent her stumbling back.

"Sakura-san (do not try to attack me again or I will snap your wrists)," Naruto warned as his unique eyes stared into the emerald ones that weakly stared back. Whatever fire was once there had vanished as soon as he retaliated and he was disgusted to see his old crush in such a state. The old Sakura wouldn't have taken that lying down. As far as he was concerned, this wasn't the same girl that he once loved as he now did Thalia. Especially since Thalia outclassed her in more ways than one, but that was besides the point.

"(Naruto-kun, it is time to return home)," the stern man intoned, tilting his head forward and making a strange face. Artemis arched a brow at the action while Naruto rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Nice try, Yamato-taichou," Naruto said as he absentmindedly spun his kunai on his finger, "I outgrew that fear when I saw something ten times scarier than your face. Look it up, Kakashi-sensei: Gorgon."

"I told you those tactics wouldn't work," the tall man with silver hair drawled as his book snapped shut and he tucked it away immediately after finding the page, "The Naruto before you is not the same one we came to know and love. Just as Sasuke changed, so did-!"

Naruto had vanished in a flash of light, a kunai to the man's throat and a deep growl filling the area. Yamato, Sakura and Sai quickly pulled their own bladed weapons out, aiming them at the blond, which prompted Artemis and her Hunters to draw their own blades. Naruto ignored all that went on behind him before he spoke lowly.

"Do not compare me to Sasuke, Kakashi," growled the blond to his onetime sensei. The man nodded and Naruto narrowed his eyes, pressing his blade forward, "I am nothing like Sasuke."

"I understand, Naruto," Kakashi replied softly, getting Naruto to remove his blade. His one visible eye then turned upwards as he slyly asked, "So who are all these girls? Finally growing up, are you, Naruto? Jiraiya-sama would be so proud!"

And like that, all the tension that had suddenly built up had been turned into disbelief. Artemis and her Hunters were now fighting the urge to throw something at the man, Thalia was growling at the insinuation the silver haired man made, and Percy was having his own teenage fantasy about being surrounded by several pretty girls (though none of the ones present because they were scary as fuck) as insinuated by Kakashi. Naruto lowered his kunai slowly as he stared at the man with a look that all but screamed what he asked next, "Did you seriously just say that?"

"Maa, is it true?" inquired the man before he leaned into Naruto's personal space, eagerly inquiring, "The least you could do if you don't come back is take up your godfather's writings. Icha calls to you, Naruto. Don't try to deny the glory of Icha Icha!"

While the others were confused, as Naruto refused to admit he trained under a man that often did such horrendous acts of perversion in the presence of man-haters, Naruto mimicked a fish before he turned red with rage and exploded, "NO! I AM NOT ERO-SENNIN AND I WILL NOT! WRITE! PORN!"

"Aww..." the dejected man sulked as Naruto turned around, storming away and mumbling curses under his breath about "stigmas left behind" and "stupid perverted senseis".

"Wait Naruto!" the man known as Yamato called out in English, "By orders of the Godaime Hokage, we are to bring you home for your own safety!"

"My own safety? My own safety?!" the already infuriated teenager spun on his heel to address the one that called out to him by pointing at myself, "Look at me! I'm covered in blood, but I'm still alive! Does it look like I need help of any kind?"

A few silent seconds ticked by and before Percy, who opened his mouth, could speak, Naruto raised a hand and said, "That was a rhetorical question, Jackson!"

By now the members of Team Kakashi, minus the namesake who was still sulking about the loss of a tremendous series of dirty books, were shrinking under Naruto's glare. Unknown to the blond, he had tapped into Helios' presence that practically demanded men to bow before him. The same presence that those in the Hidden Lands referred to as Killer Intent. Kakashi, who had been on the receiving end of such levels, hardly flinched. While he was upset that Naruto wouldn't be taking up Jiraiya's books as his own nor would he return willingly, he was impressed and proud of the boy for the progress in his strength.

"Whiskers?" Thalia's voice broke the glaring Naruto's concentration and caused him to turn around. The girl was favoring her once impaled side and looking at him in concern as was Percy. The sound of faint jingling hit his ears and Naruto mentally sighed in relief. Now he could just leave the group behind and all would be fine.

Well, he could have if they remained immobilized in fear.

"Detain!" Sai monotonously ordered as he quickly painted two more ink lions that came to life. Naruto spun around just in time to get bitten by the art on his shoulders. Artemis cursed for as much as she wanted to, the man didn't directly attack her, so she could not retaliate for his attack on Naruto.

Her Hunters on the other hand had no restrictions.

"Release him at once!" Zoë ordered after she released an arrow, causing it to dispel the ink beast on Naruto's right shoulder.

"Sakura," Yamato said to the girl, causing her to nod. A fist was pulled back before it struck the ground. Naruto's eyes widened and he barely managed to teleport to Zoë's side, wrapping his free arm around her and teleporting her further back as the ground cracked in her direction.

Zoë fell to her knees, disoriented from the Hiraishin, and Naruto stumbled backwards, before taking a knee of his own. He glared at the growling ink creature and pulled another kunai out, stabbing it in the head and dispelling it instantly. The jingling was becoming louder and Naruto looked at his aunt, "Auntie Arte! Take the others and go, this quest isn't over just yet!"

Seeing the look in his eyes that said he wasn't going to take no for an answer, though he should because she was a Goddess, Artemis reluctantly agreed with a nod. As her silver chariot descended, the sunlight bounced off of her reindeer and blinded the four shinobi long enough for Naruto to Hiraishin to each person's side and putting them in the large, sleigh-like vehicle. Artemis leapt up and landed in her chariot with ease, looking back at her nephew unsurely.

"Go! I've got this!" Naruto ordered before turning to face his former squad, ignoring Thalia's shouting at him as he did. Closing his eyes, Naruto thought, Alright Helios...got enough for a second boost?

Ask and ye shall receive! The once Faded God replied distantly. Opening his now glowing eyes, Naruto crossed his arms over his face before his and Helios' voices called out, "Let There Be Light!"

His arms dropped down to his sides and his golden aura burst alive, encasing his body once more. Team Kakashi stared in a mixture of shock and awe as he stood across from them, panting heavily as his 'God Mode' took its toll on his already battered and bruised body.

"No time to play around," Naruto's dual voice said almost apologetically, "Gotta act fast, so this should do it."

"This is different than Sennin Moudo," Kakashi said to his squad, "Do not hold back!"

"Mokuton: Mokuryu no Jutsu (Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique)!" Yamato exclaimed after he procured enough chakra and went through the required seals. The wooden dragon that looked like it sprang out of Hindu folklore shot out from the already parted ground Sakura had made before and raced towards Naruto. Naruto turned to face the dragon and vanished in a flash of light, reappearing high above where the dragon's head would be in seconds.

"Here's a classic that never gets old: Food Cart Destroyer!" the golden teen exclaimed as he shot down with his feet pressed together. The dragon head's wooden structure was carved clean through by the burning teen, its remains catching fire as soon as Naruto made his exit.

"Shannaro!" Sakura cried out, her emerald eyes once more burning with determination as she ran towards the golden blond with her fist cocked back, "Okashou (Cherry Blossom Impact)!"

"And I thought the Gods had egos, you made a technique after your own name?" Naruto asked, never really hearing the technique's his teammate called out, as he caught the fist with ease. The force that shot behind him, which he was immune to due to his new 'boost', literally tore up the landscape and parted the ocean.

...We're fighting him again, why? Kakashi and Yamato asked themselves as they took note of the lack of effort Naruto was putting into this and the lack of damage he took from the groundbreaking attack. Sakura simply stared at him in disbelief, allowing him to lift a curled up finger to her forehead.

"I've been waiting years to do this to someone," Naruto said with a grin before he flicked the girl, sending her soaring back into Sai and knocking them both out. Blowing on the finger he hummed in thought before grinning as he came up with a name for the technique, "Kami no Yubi (God's Finger)! Ha, take that, Baachan!"

I think Flick of Doom would be a cooler name, Helios commented. Naruto snorted.

"Shut up, it's my move I'll call it whatever I want," he said aloud, prompting Kakashi and Yamato to exchange confused glances. Looking over his shoulder at the sun, Naruto hummed again before nodding.

"I think I've let them get enough distance from here," the teen said before powering down. He took a deep breath and coughed into his hand, spitting up ichor and blood, before grinning at his two former commanders.

"Well, it's been fun but I've gotta go," Naruto said before he left via Hiraishin. Kakashi stared at the place his student once stood and then sighed. Yamato, seeing his depressed state, went to the man's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get him next time, Kakashi-Senpai," he reassured the silver haired man. Kakashi looked at him with an aloof gaze.

"Maybe." Was all Kakashi would say on the matter. Personally, he didn't care if Naruto was back in the village or out in the other world. All he cared about was his student's well-being and whether or not the blond prankster was happy. From what he's been seeing in these brief meetings was just that, and far be it from him to try and force Naruto into a cage.

Looking in the direction that the group Naruto was with had left in, Kakashi allowed a smile to cross his face underneath his mask.

Good luck, Naruto.

Naruto reappeared next to Thalia, nearly giving the girl a heart attack when he did so. Seeing that it was the blond idiot that forced her into the flying death trap, she did two things: First, she punched him in the shoulder. Hard. And second, she pulled him into a kiss.

That was until he pushed her away and coughed into his hand. Pulling his now golden and red hand away from his mouth quickly so it wasn't seen, the two demigods seated in the back gave him a look of concern. He smiled at them reassuringly, pulling Thalia into a hug while sitting back in the chariot, leaning down to kiss her again. That plan was ruined as Artemis cleared her throat, making Naruto pout. The demigoddess of Zeus' lineage didn't complain, relaxing in Naruto's one armed embrace while his thoughts turned inward.

Any idea what that's about? Naruto asked Helios, referring to the change in his blood as he glanced at the small liquid he wiped off onto his jeans.

Your body is probably still adjusting to the power and activating it twice so close together may be causing some adverse effect. I wouldn't recommend trying to do it again for a while, like maybe a week or so, The God of Sight replied, Best stop talking to the voice in your head, Kid. We're home~!

Naruto looked up at that and his eyes widened as he beheld the Empire State Building. He could just tell that what would come next would give him the worst headache of his life. And he wasn't wrong.

The moment his aunt landed the sleigh-like chariot, Naruto knew he was going to be in for it. Artemis had instructed her Hunters to take the chariot back to Camp Half-Blood and prepare the others to leave shortly after her arrival. She then told the demigods (if whatever Naruto was still counted as a demigod) to follow her.

As they walked the halls of Olympus and past several minor gods, Naruto swore he saw Hecate wink at him before she walked into another room with her hips swaying. Thalia took notice of this and used the opportunity to elbow him in the side, making him wince and ask, "Ow, what did I do?"

"Eyes forward, Whiskers," the girl replied irritably.

Rubbing his still reconstructing ribs that she just jarred, Naruto mumbled under his breath that he didn't do anything and did just that, all the while ignoring the pointed whispers going on around him that were about the three demigods. Before he could walk right into the now closed council doors, a giant ball of fire blindsided him and sent him skidding on his back.

"Naruto!" The two other demigods present exclaimed in concern, drawing their weapons. However, as they got closer, they saw that Naruto wasn't in pain, but was uncomfortable with how the flaming horse kept licking his face.

"Ow, hey, get off!" Naruto complained as the fire covered horse continued to lather him with affection until two minor Gods came to his aide. One had the appearance of a hippie, tie dye shirt and circular sunglasses with purple lenses hanging off the tip of his nose as well as wild hair hanging down from his side making his disguise seem all the more legit. The other was that of an old man with a giant horn hanging from his shoulder.

"Sorry about Zephyr," the God that looked like a hippie said, helping Naruto up, "He just couldn't help himself once he felt your energy pulse."

"You're telling me," the other, a tall elder man grumbled as he tried to settle down the fiery horse-god, "Easy there, Zeph."

Master's back! Master's back! Naruto heard the horse cry out in his head, prompting him to stare at the horse in surprise. He then groaned; great, there's another voice he has to deal with. First Kyu, then Helios, and now a horse. Talk about crowded.

"Did you say Zephyr?" the blond asked the hippie with wide eyes, recognizing the name of the steed.

"Totally did, bro," the God replied, "Name's Zephyrus, God of the West Wind and don't you forget it, man. We get mixed up a lot, but he's definitely the Fire Steed that delivers Athena's brain babies to their daddies."

"That's the God that delivered Annabeth to her dad?" Percy exclaimed in shock, making the two minor wind Gods look at him.

"Hey man, isn't he...?" Zephyrus started.

"Lord Zeus is not going to be pleased seeing him again," the other one groaned, "Kid, would you come pet him already? I've got other things to do!"

Obliging to the somewhat annoyed God's request, Naruto walked to Zephyr's side and placed a hand on the fire steed's blazing mane, his eyes widening as he pet the flames like they were strands of hair.

"Whoa..." he murmured before looking at the settling horse's golden eye, "Hello, Zephyr."

Master! Oh, I'm so pleased to see Master again. Shall we take the cart back from the Gold Boy? Am I to keep doing as the Wise One requests? May I have a bag of kernels? Asked the horse in his head.

"Uh, no, Dad still needs his car. Only if she's nice about it. Sure and where would I get kernels?" Naruto asked the horse. Percy blinked before crossing his arms.

"Huh, well now I know how everyone else felt when I talked to Blackjack," the Son of Poseidon thought aloud. Thalia gave him a questioning glance and he sheepishly replied, "Normally I can understand horses, but not him."

"That's because Zephyr was a gift from Poseidon just for Helios with help from Hephaestus, a spirit of fire meant to pull Helios' chariot," the gruff elder minor God said, getting the two demigods' to look at him, "Name's Boreas, by the way. Not that you care."

"Ah, don't be like that, man," Zephyrus tried to cheer his brother up, "Zeus cares."

"When he wants me to go do something for him," Boreas grumbled as he crossed his arms. He and Zephyrus both looked at the council doors as they slowly swung open. They exchanged a look before returning their gazes to the demigods.

"That's your cues, little dudes and dudette," Zephyrus said, lightly guiding Zephyr away from Naruto, "The Boss Man wants to see you."

"And that's usually not a good thing," Boreas commented. Zephyrus sighed as he, the fire steed and Boreas walked away from the three demigods.

"You have got to lighten up, man."

AN: Holy crap I updated again. I can't stop the power updates! At this rate there will be maybe three more chapters at most. I don't know whether to cry or not.

The concept of Zephyr being a fire steed comes from the epic video game God of War. Rick himself has used both names on separate occasions and never specified whether he was talking about one being or two separate ones, so I'm going with the theory that they're two separate deities.

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