Patronus Maximus
Chapter LIX: The Eyes of Silver and Gold
The new year came and January was done faster than the clan had seen. Guess time flies faster when one gets older. For an immortal though, time can be boring. That is why they try to pass the time by engaging in countless activities.
A couple of them are engaged in heroism and even on the same team.
"Thor, heads up!"
The Asgardian looked up, undeterred by the huge mass that is falling on top of him. "I thought you wanted to handle them, Patronus!"
"Seeing how you're the expert on giant-bashing, I wanted to send you a gift!" Patronus cried out as Thor caught and held the Jötunn's body like it was nothing.
Both gods stood behind their respective piles of unconscious Jötnar from their briefest of bouts. Thor explained these are the foot-soldiers with incredible strength. Naruto doubts these claims since they did not last long against them at all. They were not forced to use weapons, only their fists for simple attacks.
"Hey what's the name of these Frost Giants' homeland?"
"Jötunheim."
"So, what are they doing here?"
"The question is how they arrived in Midgard."
"Maybe that Enchantress chick you mentioned is behind this."
"Nay, Mjolnir would've sensed her magic."
Naruto floated high enough to see their surroundings. The mere presence of the Frost Giants brought a snowstorm in the street they were in. "And I don't feel any life energy nearby, so that's a no." Thor met him in the air as they ascended to the skyline. "We should fly around the city in case there are stragglers."
"Aye."
The two gods flew across the city's boroughs for any signs of abnormal destruction in Boston. Yep, this is happening in Patronus's territory, not the Avengers' New York. It was abnormally weird that this happened since the city's crime rates were low still. Criminals are now considered a rarity, especially after Patronus's godly identity was revealed to the world.
Most of the citizens were elated to have their hero as a god. However, dissension remained in those who still disapproved Patronus and went as far as to boycott his heroism. Though it did not last long as supporters of Patronus quickly defended the hero whose actions proved nothing of deceit. To clear things up, Patronus allowed the Hero Association to hold a press conference about his godhood, but he did not attend; All Might spoke and answered questions for him.
There were mixed reactions, but Naruto did not care about public perception.
"Nothing so far. How about you, Thor?" Patronus asked his fellow god. No response prompted him to see a somewhat pout on Thor's face, "Really?"
"Tis nothing."
"Tis something all right!" Naruto countered back, "Thor, I know you were excited and all, but things happened like giant-sized things."
Thor grunted irritatingly with Mjolnir leading him through the sky. Patronus had finally accepted his request for a sparring match. They were on their way to a secluded area when the Frost Giants appeared in the city. "Do I look petty now?"
"Now that you ask that, yes," Patronus remarked back while Ame-no-Murakumo rattled in its sheath. "Hey, I don't need to hear that from you too." Thor looked at him strangely. "I know you want to prove your superiority to the hammer, but now's not the time."
"Does your weapon think it is above my hammer?" An offended Thor asked, sparks emanated from his weapon. "Nothing can equal Mjolnir's might."
"Didn't you say the same thing about Hercules' Golden Club?"
"…"
"Well?"
"… Oh, look a crash site!"
"Yeah, right—oh shit, there is."
A traffic accident had piled up at an intersection near the suspended train tracks. No signs of smoke or fire, which is good for now.
Thor landed first, then Patronus as the police had already secured the perimeter. "Patronus, Thor!" Sergeant James called out as he approached them. "How is everything?"
"Well, a band of Frost Giants appeared several blocks from here," Patronus answered while Thor aided in freeing the drivers. "You should call the Trigram Gates about their latest entries."
The Trigram Gates is a maximum-security prison for both small and supervillains like the Raft, the Bunker, and Prison 46.
"Got it."
"Yes?" Patronus asked after noticing hesitation in James' tone
"Nothing, Patronus."
"I know when you're lying, James."
"How so?"
"You're smoking."
"So? A lot of people smoke."
"During your job?" Patronus pointed out, making his police colleague hurryingly put away the cigarette.
"… Are you a god like Thor?" James asked him, which Naruto nodded. "… I can't believe it."
"I'm still me, James, you know that."
"Of course I do, but it's still a life-changer when someone you know turned out to be a god."
"… Okay."
Thankfully, Thor broke the uncomfortable atmosphere between officer and hero. "Patronus, everyone is safe and the debris cleared."
"Right. Well, see you around, James."
The officer watched the two gods leave via flight before his voice changed while talking onto the radio. "He's here, but Thor is with him."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Fenway Park
"What the heck?"
Naruto wondered about his current whereabouts. He was heading home when the police dispatch alerted him of a supervillain crashing the baseball game. When he arrived inside the diamond field, several problems arose.
The first problem is lack of people.
The second is no destruction caused by supervillain.
The third is no supervillain in sight.
"Was this a prank call by Boston PD dispatch?"
"No." Turning around as the lights blared to life, blinding him temporarily, Naruto watched the figure emerge. "I finally found you."
"Director Hill, what brings you to the Commonwealth?" Patronus asked in spite.
"You're under arrest."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Hill was startled by Patronus's sudden outburst of boisterous laughter as he held his sides tightly, doubled over from the pain. This lasted for ten minutes as the laughter died and Naruto stood up. "That's a good one, Director."
"This is not a joke."
"Well, I think it is."
Chuckling derisively, Hill started to approach the hero-god. "If you resist, then we will take you in with extreme force. So please do resist."
Maybe it was the lights hitting him, but Naruto noticed that they were not alone. At the cardinal directions stood huge laser-like blasters aimed directly at the ninja. He felt something metallic underneath his boots, which means that a trap lays underneath him.
"For what charge?"
"Homicide, espionage, betrayal of one's country, intent to sell government secrets to foreign countries."
"…"
"…"
"Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"With that face, I doubt you've ever made a joke even once in your life."
"Come with us now."
"Us?"
"S.W.O.R.D., T.I.M.E., A.R.M.O.R. and S.H.I.E.L.D. is everywhere. You can't escape."
"Four agencies?" Naruto thought internally. "Seems a little excessive if you want to arrest me for charges that I definitely did not commit."
"Both T.I.M.E. and A.R.M.O.R. disagrees." Hill said before snapping her fingers.
Suddenly the metal walls snapped around Patronus, enclosing him in a circular prison with glass windows for visibility.
"Really? I didn't even do anything!"
Ignoring Patronus's whining, Hill spoke instead, "Don't even think about breaking free. It was built to restrain something a lot stronger than you."
"Hulk?"
"…"
"Seriously, you guys need to lay off Big Green," Naruto countered firmly. "Hulk is doing his best to help people and show that he is not a raging, mindless monster."
"He is a threat."
"He is one of Earth's heroes and my friend."
"Exactly why we are prepared for him."
Naruto clicked his tongue with a sneer as he paced around the cage. "Not only Paranoid Thunderstick is part of my worries, but now I have to deal with you." He sighed despondently to the side. "Why me?"
"Because you are a threat, God of Hope," Hill derisively remarked the last three words, "Fancy sword you have on your back."
"Thanks, I got it from a sale of Nanya."
"Nanya?"
"Nan' ya of your fucking business, Hill. How about that?"
Hill chuckled mirthfully as she tapped the glass. "Sources and legends refer to it as Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. After much analysis and debate, S.H.I.E.L.D. has categorize it in the same weapons classification as Mjolnir. In your hands, it is a weapon of destruction."
"And you want it in your custody for 'safe-keeping'," Naruto said with his fingers flexing air-quotes. "Liar."
"Why don't you draw it?"
"And give you the reason to keep me locked up?" Patronus sat seiza in the center of the cage, "Forget it."
"We can stay here all week long."
"I doubt we're going to be here for the whole day."
"Want to make that bet?"
"I'm not much of a gambling man."
Looks like this is going to take a while.
TTIIPMxTIIPMxTTIIPM
(Meanwhile)
Kamar Taj
Tibet, Nepal, Asia
"Again."
Breathing hard, a sweat-bound Kuroka looked at her current teacher who sat on a chair while she sipped tea. "Seriously?"
"Do you not want to get better?"
"Ugh!"
"You accepted my tutelage, Kuroka. You should've expected this kind of training."
"I've never trained like this before in my life." Kuroka panted as she struggled to stand fully. Her natural talent has been the driving point since she was reincarnated so training flew out of the window. "So, this is what Naruto goes through." The effort into improving yourself through physical training.
"… Let's take five."
"Can we make it—"
"No."
Kuroka pouted against the floor before sitting seiza while the Ancient One remained standing, her cup of tea floating near the latter. "I am curious about something, Kuroka."
"What is it?"
"How is Patronus?"
"What do you mean? Like in bed?"
Ancient One almost spit-take her tea, but maintained her stoic composure as she responded, "I mean his personality. His traits if you will."
"Well, he's powerful. That's what attracted me in the first place."
"Before or after he became a god?"
"Both."
"And you did not think this would become a problem in the future?"
Her eyes slightly narrowed and ears rigid, Kuroka asked somewhat indignant, "What do you mean?"
"Your husband is an oddity," Ancient One responded back. "Despite his current powers, he does not let it corrupt him. Instead, he trains almost constantly to acquire even more strength than he currently possesses."
"What's your point?"
"My point is how he is who he is?" Power corrupts those who let it. "What drives him?" The Ancient One asked her newest student.
"Us."
"That cannot be it."
"Why?"
"It just cannot be."
"Well, he likes to prove otherwise, so…" Kuroka countered somewhat strongly, "What the hell? Why is she asking these questions about Hubby all of the sudden?"
"She's getting suspicious. I must retreat for now." Ancient One thought before sending away her cup and summoning her Eldtrich Mandalas. "Let's begin again."
Kuroka's magic circles appeared around, simmering with the elements of fire, water, wind, and lightning. "Does she consider Naruto a threat?" She wants to leave now and alert him, but she also wants to learn as much as she could from the Sorcerer Supreme. "Yōjutsu: Nekomata no Yonkage (Forked Cat's Four Shadows)!"
The Ancient One swayed away from the fire stream while she deflected both water and lightning. She jumped over the wind attack before tossing her Mandalas at Kuroka. The Nekomata moved her magic circles in front of her as they blocked the thrown Mandalas, but broke apart from the power behind them.
Black, bat-like wings protruded from Kuroka's back before they flapped once, enabling her flight. The Ancient One waved her hand across as a strong wind breeze washed over the courtyard. Kuroka struggled to compose herself in the air before an Eldtrich whip wrapped around her leg.
The Ancient One tugged the whip, but despite the tremendous force behind it, Kuroka remained in the air while her wings flapped to keep herself stable.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
(Seven Hours Later)
Fenway Park
Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts
"…"
"…"
"…"
The benefit of Senjutsu training besides becoming empowered by natural energy is patience. Extraordinary patience in meditation.
That is what he's been doing during the entire time in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody, meditating while ignoring questions from Hill and her agents.
"Director Hill."
Hill huffed annoyingly as she turned away from the motionless hero, "What is it?"
"Ma'am, our scanners find nothing of value other than his resting heart rate is extremely low."
"How about the quantum particles?"
"Nothing."
"Any sign of him attempting an escape?"
"None, ma'am."
Hill looked at the sun and judged her shadow as she determined it was evening. "Patronus!"
"…"
"I know you are listening."
"…"
"You want to drag this out, but no one is coming to help you."
"…"
"Anything?" Hill asked one of the agents near her.
"Nothing, director."
"Director Hill!"
Exhaling sharply as she turned around to face whomever interrupted her, Hill's eyes widened slightly when it was someone whom she did not expect to see. The Secretary of State herself.
"Madame Secretary, what brings you here?"
"I'm here for him." The blonde official pointed at Patronus who had just stood up. "Release him."
"Madame Secretary, he is in custody for numerous charges."
"And this couldn't have happened on any other day."
"Ma'am?"
"Today was the Japan/U.S.'s hero collaboration in its first War Game." The Madame Secretary explained as she motioned her security detail to the cage. "All invited heroes were expected to participate, especially him." She pointed at Patronus while he cracked his knuckles. "So, of course, when he didn't show up, Japan's Prime Minister and the President had searched for him. Imagine our surprise when he was found to be in your custody."
"He knew this would happen, that's why he didn't do anything the whole time."
"And we've been watching your treatment of him this whole time." Madame Secretary elaborated. "Questioning him without an attorney present. No Mirandizing him. No phone call."
"All according to—"
"If you say the Patriot Act, you will lose your position, Director."
"Madame Secretary, I have strong suspicion that he is working with the Russians."
"Evidence to support that claim?"
"Here."
The Secretary of State looked over the data that depicted the portal entries around Siberia. "This says nothing and Patronus has only visited the country twice between three years. This is sketchy at best, Director. You'll be lucky if he doesn't sue you."
"Don't worry, I won't," Patronus responded quirky, "But I am going to need physical therapy for my back."
"And you embarrassed our country as well, Director Hill." Madame Secretary scolded the spy director, "Now release him."
"Madame Secretary—"
"Now this is an order, Director: release Patronus now."
The firmness in her voice reminded Hill of Fury until she reluctantly nodded. "Yes, Madame Secretary."
"Hooray!" Patronus exclaimed happily with his arms up while the cage came apart. "Thank you, Madame Secretary."
"You're welcome, Patronus and I apologize for Director Hill's actions."
"No worries, Madame Secretary."
"Shall we head to the event?"
"Let's."
Seeing her target walk away with the Madame Secretary, Hill clenched her fists so hard that she would have cut off the blood supply. If she hadn't been talked to by the official.
"Director Hill, expect a call from the President."
"… Yes, ma'am."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
(Three Hours Later)
Avengers Tower
Midtown Manhattan, New York City
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"I thought you said this was a mission?"
"Yeah, a mission to get our party on!"
Naruto groaned inwardly, "I'm out." Seven hours being in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody followed by two hours in the inter-hero war games is enough for him.
"Wait!" Patronus stopped when the shrunken Wasp floated in front of him, a miffed expression on her face. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Home."
"Come on, live a little!"
"I'm out."
"Herc!"
"Who the hell is Herc?"
The hallways and entire floor shook slightly as the people looked behind Patronus, prompting the latter to turn around. Like Thor, this man sported a heavily muscular build with tanned skin tone and short brown somewhat curly hair. He was wearing a beach shirt with shorts contrary to everyone's semi-formal attire.
"Is this him?"
"Who are you?"
The man smiled smugly as he started to flex his muscles like a bodybuilder. "I am the Slayer of Hydra; the God of Strength and Charmer of Women; the Lion of Olympus… I am Hercules!"
"That's great for you; I'm out," Patronus said offhandedly as he had already walked past him. "Enjoy the party!" When the doors opened, the ninja found himself standing in front of the visage that is Asgardian. "Thor, move aside."
"Nay."
Yelping when Thor grabbed the hem of his armor and lifted him like a cat, Naruto tried to free himself, "Let me go! I got somewhere else to be!"
"Then I guess you don't want to know what Cap said when we were destroying that Hydra base."
His legs stopped flailing in response, "What?" Patronus asked curiously while Rogers groaned into his palm.
"You have to stay and find out."
"… Nah, I'll pass."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"It's something he'll never live it down~"
"Thor, put me down."
"Friend, I assure you, this is one to remember and know."
"… Again, I'll pass."
Hercules walked to them with an annoyed face staring at Naruto. "Quite the bodacious one, huh?"
"How's that, Muscle-Brain?"
"You interrupted me."
"I could care less, Hercules." Naruto said firmly, "Thor, let me go. I want to go home."
Thor hummed in thought, annoying Patronus with each passing second, "Aye."
"Yes!"
"On one condition."
"Oh no…"
"You know what it is."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
"Now this is not fair!"
"Patronus, you are a god just like us."
"But both of you at once?!"
Rather than the lavish living room, the team dragged Patronus to the training simulator room known as the Holographic Augmented Reality Machine, or H.A.R.M. It was recently finished and needed a test run, which is their spar apparently.
"Where's that confidence of yours?" Hercules asked with a smile.
"It flew out of here when I have to spar with you both."
"Come now, Patronus, help me out here." The three gods looked up at the window that signified the control room as Stark and the Avengers stood within. "If you guys fight, I can check for any flaws that might be in it though I highly doubt it." Stark commented off-handedly.
"If you don't have doubts, then we're not needed for a test run," Patronus turned around to leave, only for the doors close in front of him. "Open the doors."
"Nope!"
"Okay then…"
The entire room shook violently from the impact of Patronus's attack as the doors caved inward, but did not break.
"Adamantium plus Vibranium." Two of the strongest metals known on the planet. "My personal design. Still, impressive that you're able to put a dent."
"I bet I could break this if I transform, but that's a waste."
Hercules let out an impressed hum. "Only Thor and I are able to bend the metals, which says something about his physical strength."
"To battle!"
Ducking underneath Mjolnir when he heard that, Patronus pivoted on his heels as he thrust his right fist. "Eaken (Air Fist)!" His beginning go-to ninjutsu.
"Please." Hercules off-handedly remarked as he knocked aside the wind attack since it was directed at him. He blinked when his hand gave off the smallest of tingles. "Interesting."
Before either side can make the next move, the environment changed into one of rugged terrain, a Mediterranean climate, and ancient structure seen in period movies.
"Greece?"
Answering his impromptu question, Hercules chuckled nostalgically. "Korinth, the Las Vegas of ancient Greece. Had a lot of good times here."
"Why Greece?"
"I was reminded of '300', thanks to Herc here."
"That's Sparta, dumbass," Naruto chastised the billionaire. "Hercules was born of Argos royalty." He scoffed while Stark flipped him the bird.
Hercules clapped his hands as if he was impressed, "Many people today tend to think that I'm Spartan royalty."
"Got him talking!" Patronus had already closed in Hercules with a jump kick. "Dainamikku Entorī (Dynamic Entry)!"
The foot did not touch the Olympian's face, but his palm as the force knocked him back a few feet. This put a more curious expression on Hercules, especially since his hand slightly trembled after Patronus flipped backwards and floated in the air. "Interesting."
Patronus crossed his index-middle fingers together as two clones appeared next besides him. They grabbed each other as the original held onto them before spinning around until he released his grip. "Bunshin Hiya (Clone Flying Arrow)!" The thrown clones resembled a shuriken as they headed at one of the gods.
"Mjolnir, to me!" The hammer returned from wherever to Thor's hand while taking out the clones. "Yaah!" The Asgardian war-cried as he leapt at the airborne Patronus.
Naruto, in response, unsheathed his sword and swung it at the same time that Thor did with the hammer. An enormous amount of dust kicked up in the air when the legendary weapons clashed for the first time. Both Mjolnir and Ame-no-Murakumo were locked in combat as their wielders tried to overpower each other.
The divine energy from both weapons burst and pushed back Naruto and Thor away from each other. "His new sword did not break against Mjolnir." Thor observed the blade with no sign of fracture or stress. "And Mjolnir senses it too."
"Oh man, Thor did not let up!" Naruto thought as he felt his arms tingle greatly. "Yep, he's the Prince of Asgard all right."
"My turn!"
"Shit!"
Naruto held Ame-no-Murakumo horizontally with his free hand supporting the flat-side of the blade as Hercules slammed his weapon onto it. It was a golden club with a clothed grip and single-grip handle. The weight plus Hercules' added momentum and strength sent Patronus hurtling to the ground.
"And he's the Prince of Power." Naruto thought as he stood back up before swinging his blade twice. "Amatsujutsu: Kazakiri (Heavenly Technique: Wind Cutter)!"
The first Shinto spell to be used with the Imperial Regalia's magical energy.
And it was never released as a bright light exploded between the gods, knocking them off their feet. The Korinth theme fizzled out of existence as the energy caused the H.A.R.M. room to stop working.
"NNOOO!"
Hearing Thor's outcry, the Avengers entered the room when the lights turned back on as they were not alone. In the middle of the room was a very tanned-skin young teenager with shaved head and a braided ponytail. Outline with kohl, his eyes are colored differently with the right being gold and the left being silver. The intruder wore leather armor like the ancient warriors of Egypt as a sheathed bronze khopesh hang on his left waist while a javelin rested behind his back.
"Who is this guy?" Clint asked aloud, his bow and arrow aimed at the intruder.
"Why are you here, God of War?"
The Avengers stiffened when they heard that, especially Patronus. "Which pantheon is he from?" He asked internally, his hand gripping Ame-no-Murakumo's hilt.
"What brings the Bird of the Duat here in America?" Hercules asked the intruder knowingly.
"Duat?"
"Cap, what's the play here?" Natasha asked the leader.
Before any could make a move, a hieroglyphic resembling one of the stranger's eyes appeared underneath Patronus, Thor, Hercules and the caster when they disappeared.
"Shit."
"Captain, language!"
"Damn it!"
"Language again!"
"Argh!"
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Training Hall
Inari's Palace, Takamagahara
The husband and wife of the household walked to the hall where they heard the sounds of training. "Take it easy, dear."
"I'm fine, stop being a helicopter dad."
"Honey, this is our first child so I'm anxious."
"… Me too, but we cannot let this change us that much."
Inari hummed in thought before shaking his head, "No."
"Dear…"
"Just let me enjoy this, Leone."
"…"
"…"
"Fine… but no cuddles tonight."
"You're the one who asks for them."
Rolling her eyes while pouting, Leone stopped with Inari when they heard the nocking of an arrow. They realized they were just outside the kyūdojo of the training hall. Standing in the dojo while wearing a white dōgi with a dark blue hakama, Lara held Ame-no-Makakoyumi almost perfectly before she let loose her arrow.
"Tsk," Lara clicked her tongue when the arrow missed the center of her target. "Was it the wind or did my concentration waver a little?" She lowered her bow as she prepared another arrow until the archer noticed the gods. "Lord Inari, Lady Leone, greetings."
Bowing in response to the archer's, Inari and Leone took their seat in the area where they can watch without disturbing Lara any further. "You may continue," Leone told the mortal. "I take it you've heard?"
"Naruto is fighting against Horus of the Ennead," Lara said knowingly as she had nocked the arrow in the Japanese kyūdo method of drawing with Ame-no-Makakoyumi. "Truth be told, I wish I was there. I always wanted to meet the Egyptian pantheon since I met you two and Thor."
"I'm sure you wished so, but I do not believe you would survive in their presence."
After letting loose another arrow, a curious Lara looked at her audience. "What do you mean by that?"
"Do you recall the creation of the universe?" Inari asked the archeologist.
"Yes."
"Then you should recall in Egyptian mythology, Ra was the second being to emerge from the void," Leone informed knowingly. "Now, what does that make him?"
"… A Protogenos," Lara remarked in awed realization.
"Out of all the Protogenoi, only Ra remains with a pantheon." Inari said certainly. "The Enneads are his kin and adapted to his presence. Immortals from other pantheons can tolerate being in his presence, but for a certain amount of time."
"The Protogenoi are that powerful?"
"Dear, there's more to them than meets the eye," Leone informed the mortal. "They were once called the Elder Gods."
"Elder Gods?"
"Yes."
"Gaea is one of them."
"Right, the Earth Mother."
"Of course, there are others that came after them like Elpis, the Protogenos of Hope." The entity that chose Naruto as the God of Hope. "Well, hello there, Hachiman." Inari greeted the newcomer.
"Hachiman, the Shinto God of Archery and War?" A shocked Lara thought while letting loose her arrow. The disrupted concentration obviously caused the projectile to miss by a wide margin. After putting away her bow, Lara turned to the new god and bowed respectfully. "Lord Hachiman, it's an honor to meet you."
"And I you, Lady Croft."
"You know who I am?"
"All of Takamagahara knows of Kibō no Kami's consorts."
Lara almost face-faulted to the ground while Inari and Leone stifled their chuckles. "C-consort?"
"Well, are you two married?"
"… No."
"Then I believe the correct term is concubine."
"Um, how about 'girlfriend' because that is what I am to Naruto, my lord," Lara said respectfully with a little tact.
"Right, 'girlfriend'…" Hachiman repeated as if it was the first time he ever said the word in his immortal life. "I will never understand mortal trends."
"What brings you here to our abode, Hachiman?" Inari asked the god.
Hachiman stepped into the area as he summoned his personal bow out of nowhere. "I'm here to test Lady Croft's archery skills."
"Eh?" The trio of family responded in unison.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Duat
Celestial Heliopolis
"Oh shit!" Naruto cursed after emerging from the portal and fell through day sky. "Oh wait, I can fly." His rapid descent did not cease, causing him to flail his arms and legs. "Shiiiiitttttttt!"
The god braced himself and landed shoulder-first into a roll until the momentum stopped. Naruto shook his head as he stood back up and looked around his surroundings while sheathing Ame-no-Murakumo. The structure resembled an ancient Roman gladiator coliseum with opal-like walls and scattered columns.
"Naruto, this is not Earth." Kurama observed to him.
"No, it's like Takamagahara: a divine realm."
"Patronus!"
Naruto looked to where his name was called and found Thor and Hercules standing atop one of the stands. And they were not alone.
Standing above a grand box meant for higher-ups were most likely the ones responsible for bringing them here. Most of them were tall with varying skin tones from tanned to pitch-black. They wore different clothes of royalty to warrior, but the main difference from the other pantheons is they have animal heads.
Well, most of them anyway as the one with the gold-silver eyes materialized across from Naruto and he looked like a mortal.
Which means that only one pantheon in this culture and environment fits in the Gauntlet.
"The Enneads…" Naruto said aloud. "So, who are you?" He referenced to his opponent in front of him.
"Watch your mouth, Amatsu-Kami. You are talking to His Highness, the Crown Prince of Celestial Heliopolis—"
"Did I ask you for that?" The stranger cut off one of the attendants near the Enneads. Said attendant shrunk away in fear as the Ennead faced his foreign opponent, "I am Horus, son of Osirus and Isis; the God of War, the Sky, and Hunting." His body glowed with divine energy, producing a strong shockwave that forced Naruto to brace himself against it.
"Yeah, this is a battle."
"A'max (Burn)."
A silver large hieroglyphic of fire appeared in front of Patronus and released a huge stream of flames. Naruto flashed through hand seals as a wall of hardened earth erected between him and fire. "Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)."
The clash between opposing elements of different systems shook the arena as the wall slowly broke apart in some areas, but remained standing. That is until Horus landed on it and his fist hitting the ground, upturning portions with pure strength. His eyes scanned for the foreign god and locked onto the far section of the arena.
"Sun-ah (Reveal)!"
A shaded green wave spread across the arena until Patronus was revealed, surprising him when it washed over the ninja. "What the hell?"
"Ilen En-mar (Approach)." Horus said before Patronus was suddenly pulled towards him by an invisible force. "Hello there, Kibō no Kami~"
Patronus grunted each time Horus repeatedly slammed him into the ground, cracking the arena in the process. Horus chuckled at his action until a light blue magic circle materialized behind the Ennead.
"Amatsujutsu: Tenkai (Heavenly Technique: Celestial Sea)!"
A huge torrent of water blasted Horus away while it avoided the caster as the latter picked himself. Naruto watched as the torrent pinned the god against the wall before another magic circle was summoned next to him. It was his design as part of his basic training. A spiral formed the center while four small triangles took the cardinal directions as two magatamas were in the spaces between them, totaling to eight.
This is the Uzumaki Clan's own magic circle as the four triangles represents the cardinal beasts in Japanese belief while the magatama represents eight of the Tailed Beasts. The spiral symbol represents the clan and Kurama as one.
"First Shinto spell successful," Naruto commended himself as he looked at his custom magic circle. "I like it so far."
"But how did he undo your ninjutsu… with a word actually?" Isobu wondered respectfully.
"It must be the Ennead's type of magic just like Shinto is to the Amatsu-Kami," Gyūki pointed out. "This bout might need us to use Amatsujutsu for now."
"We don't know if his magic affects all of my ninjutsu, but let's see," Naruto remarked as his water torrent was blown away by a single word from his opponent.
"Ha-di (Destroy)!"
"And it looks like speaking activates his magic." Naruto channeled the magical energy coursing through his body before a larger version of his magic circle covered the arena underneath them. "Shinsei (Sanctity)!" Another Shinto spell to counteract Horus' word magic.
"Fah (Release)!"
To Horus's surprise, his latest spell did not do what he intended.
Patronus' smile was hidden in his hood, but his spell worked. Shinsei (Sanctity) is an area-of-effect technique that negates other magic not belonging to the Shinto discipline. This means that Horus's magic won't work until he breaks it.
"Raishuukyaku (Thunder Attack Kick)!" Naruto leapt in the air and somersaulted forward as he brought down his lightning-coated leg in the form of an axe-kick.
Horus cross-arm blocked the leg, but flinched when the lightning coursed through his body. "Khe-fa (Fist)!" A red hand construct appeared above Horus before it punched Patronus away as the latter crashed against the opposite wall. The red hand then slammed against the Shinto magic circle, shattering it easily. "You need more practice, Kibō no Kami!"
"Physical attacks work, got it." Naruto thought as he freed himself from the wall. "And what was that attack? It was a lot like the Tailed Beast Chakra Arms, but magical."
"Do not stand there, or you'll lose your head."
Patronus crossed his arms and blocked the magical construct when Horus already stepped in his personal space, being pinned against the wall. "And don't be arrogant, Horus." Naruto said before golden colored, flaming chakra arms formed from his shoulders and hammer-punched the Ennead to the sandy ground. "Two can play at that game." He finished by kicking Horus away before flashing through hand-signs.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu: (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)!"
Getting up, Horus looked to find a great serpentine water dragon's opened maw before he was engulfed entirely. The dragon changed direction as it soared towards the sky before exploding by Naruto's mental command. The dispersed water fell like rain droplets as it wet the coliseum.
"Maw (Douse)!"
Unsheathing his weapon, Naruto swung Ame-no-Murakumo as it cut through the water and Horus's magic circle above him effortlessly. Floating in the sky, Horus gazed on the red blade with scrutiny before he drew his own weapon, the khopesh, as he flew straight at Patronus.
Naruto gripped his weapon's handle as did Horus before they swung their blades at each other. A strong shockwave shook the arena as the two gods tried to overpower each other in the blade lock before the Ennead broke it. Grunts of exertion rang out with the clangs of metal clashing as Patronus and Horus tried to strike each other down.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Up in the box stood Hercules watching the spectacle, but that was not what drew his attention. It was the aura of the fuming Thor whose hammer cackled with furious lightning.
"Now, now, Thor, you'll get your turn."
"The Norns are working against me, old friend," Thor said despondently. "Today was supposed to be the day, but I have been robbed of this opportunity."
"Apologies, Son of Odin, but the Gauntlet surpass your personal match." The one who spoke to the Thunderer was the bald-shaved god with the sunlight gleaming off of him. He wore white garments with royal blue accents as a fan floated next to him, providing air. "Besides physical combat, another test awaits Kibō no Kami."
"So far he is not doing well."
"Calm yourself, Isis. He is merely a beginner compared to you, but his execution is commendable."
"Osiris…"
"Yes dear?"
Hercules put away his Golden Mace, prompting Thor to holster Mjolnir as well. "Thor, old pal, it's out of our hands. All we can do is wait and watch."
"… I need some mead."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Soresu or Form III is absolute defense and energy conservation in drawn-out conflicts. However, what would happen if the form is useless when the opponent opted for an aggressive, but cautious approach?
The form becomes useless, which is what Horus wanted as he saw the weaknesses with his Eye. The silver eye called by others as the Eye of Horus can see through the smallest deception and strongest of magics. That and the khopesh design makes it difficult for Naruto to defend with the tsurugi.
"Like what my sensei said, adapt or die."
Horus continued his attack as Patronus was harried from the blows. That is until he stood firm and struck back with Horus's momentum as the latter was knocked off of his feet, surprising him. "What just happened?"
"Amatsujutsu: Kazakiri (Heavenly Technique: Wind Cutter)!"
Horus's eyes widened when a big white slash cut into the grass, hurtling towards him as he held his khopesh to block it. The Falcon God gritted his teeth as he skidded across the arena from the momentum and crashed through a wall. Said construct crumbled from the force as dust spread all over the arena.
"That worked." Naruto stiffly nodded approvingly. "Let's see if this works too with that." The tsurugi rattled in his hand before he assumed a stance as Horus dashed at him and swung his weapon at him. Like before, Naruto blocked and immediately counterattacked with a power strike that knocked Horus back once again as he continued showering him in attacks.
Now it was Horus on the defensive as the tide has turned in a single moment with Patronus pressing his attacks.
"He switched his form and overpowers me?!"
The wide swings carried power, but their speed was off-putting since Horus could not retaliate when blocking the power blows. It was the offensive, but the defense as well. The few times Horus countered and struck back, Patronus parried strongly before counter-attacking every time.
And if that was not problematic enough…
"Kushihebi no Tachi (Comb Snake Longsword)!" Horus's gold-silver eyes widened when the red blade suddenly turned loose and struck at a weird angle like a snake. Naruto swung not like a swordsman, but a whip master. "Yikes!" Patronus cried out when the blade almost hit him.
Despite knowing Ame-no-Murakumo would not harm its master and kin, Naruto's instincts had kicked in at the moment.
The fifth spell of the Imperial Regalia makes the blade contort and lengthen like a snake would when hunting and attacking. It is great to catch opponents off-guard, but Naruto had yet to master it.
"Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!"
Luckily, the Falcon God was still distracted as he got hit by the sphere in his stomach. However, Naruto received a fist to the face at the same time from Horus's fist construct. "Khe-fa (Fist)!"
Opposite walls crumbled under the impact of two gods crashing into them while the blades of the kophesh and tsurugi dug into the sand after falling out of their wielders' grips.
"Nice hit."
"You too."
Both combatants were already standing by their weapons, staring at each other while the dust from the walls faded away due to inexplicable speed. Naruto noticed the barely visible spiral mark on the leather tunic while Horus glanced at the scuff marks around the hood.
"It might not look it, but that leather armor is of top quality," Naruto thought as he grabbed Ame-no-Murakumo's hilt.
Horus had similar thoughts while gripping his khopesh. "Even the hood's cloth does not tear in midst of battle. The craftsman knows his trade well."
"…"
"…"
The clang of metal rang out was followed by several, consecutive shockwaves as Patronus and Horus exchanged blows with their blades of different cultures. Naruto continued with using the new form, overpowering the Ennead as Kurama recalled its characteristic and name.
"Form V, known as the Perseverance Form. There are two variants, one of which he is using now: Djem So." Kurama noted while Naruto's new form keeps him in control of the blade duel. "It was created by Soresu users who felt that Form III be too passive in duels. For powerful counterattacks, it demands higher physical strength, which is an issue for lesser conditioned fighters."
No problem for a god though.
"Damn straight."
Suddenly, Horus's eyes glowed gold and silver brightly like a light show, halting Naruto's slash mid-swing as he closed his eyes. "Kuso (Damn it)!"
Horus stuck out his foot and tripped Patronus over it as the latter stumbled forward before he slashed with the khopesh. It was not the foreign god that received it, but a broken column. "How—"
"My turn!" Naruto blindsided Horus as he drove him back, their blades locked with each other. "Kaze no Bakudama (Wind Bomb Ball)!" The scarlet red blade gleamed with wind chakra before exploding almost immediately as Horus was propelled away from Patronus and crashed through the walls, kicking up debris that covered the arena once more.
"Stahp (Sever)!" A stunned Patronus got cut in half by an invisible force, or that was what it looked like to the untrained eye. "Again, that trick of yours… Khe-fa (Fist)!" Horus shouted as his fist thrust at the attacker from behind him, only to get hit in response.
"Eaken (Air Fist)!"
Horus yelled when the air blast hit him as he crashed once more into another wall. In the middle of the arena stood Patronus with his fist outward accompanied by two chakra arms this time. What happened moments ago was that one of the arms blocked Horus's construct while the second one punched the god away, allowing Naruto to use the wind ninjutsu with his natural limb.
"For an Amatsu-Kami, he's versatile in combat." Horus noted as he walked out of the wall. "Those arms are similar to the Khe-fa, but he does not utter the Divine Words to use them."
"I should expect all the pantheons are tough as nails, but Horus doesn't seem fazed as much as I thought."
"Holding back?"
"I might ask you the same question, Horus."
"This is combat."
"Yeah, we've been fighting for the last few minutes."
"Do you regard yourself as my superior?"
Naruto shook his head fervently, "No, I do not."
"You lie."
"I swear, honest."
Horus's eyes glowed slightly at Patronus, or more specifically his aura. Wispy arcs of life energy emanated from the Amatsu-Kami as he read them. His Left Eye of Horus allows the god to read the emotions of others from their ka and predict their movements while illusions and invisibility are useless before him. It was how he saw through Patronus's Totōn no Jutsu (Transparent Escape Technique).
Naruto on the other hand recalled the magic spells he used in this bout. They are Amatsujutsu (Heavenly Technique), which any Shinto god can perform depending on their rank in Takamagahara. There are specialized spells that a god develops, which Naruto can consider as Hiden (Secret Technique) that can be taught to people as opposed to the Kekkai Genkai (Bloodline Limit).
"… You don't."
"Told you."
Raising his khopesh at the Shinto god, Horus's body exploded with his divine energy as Naruto assumed the Djem So stance. It differed from the Soresu stance since Naruto held Ame-no-Murakumo above the head, angled back and down at an forty-five degree angle. Despite the seemingly obvious opening, Horus knew it was the opposite.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Horus charged at Naruto as their blades met again, causing another shockwave to shake not only the stadium, but the entire Duat.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Higashiyodogawa-ku
Osaka, Kansai Region, Honshu, Japan
Osaka, the economic hub of Japan and center of the nation's culture. There is an unspoken rivalry between the civilians in this city and Tokyo. It, Kyoto, and Tokyo are known as the Imperial Cities due to their designated times as Imperial Japan's capital before the Meiji Restoration.
Like Kyoto and Tokyo, Osaka oversaw progressive upgrades within its infrastructure. That meant everything from electronic security to the civil servant branch including the police.
"This must be it."
Sarah glanced at the building as she passed by for the tenth time today. It was not the police station where she was transferred to as part of the international exchange program between law enforcement agencies. Despite being a rookie for nearly half a year, her efforts and talent allowed the upper ranks to give Sarah the opportunity in Japan.
Although that is not entirely her reason for being in Japan.
"I've studied their methods, way of patterns, and the bunch for a year," Sarah thought to herself. "Still, it's a tall order for Patronus to assign me this."
An American woman in Japan is not inconspicuous at all.
Sarah's Assassin training allowed her to avoid detection by the populace, especially her target. Since said target happened to be an organization that is considered to be of the criminal kind. Sarah entered the building and got bombarded by loud music instantly as she walked through a narrow hallway until it reached the main area of the building.
It was a strip club as the slim bodies of half-naked Japanese women danced exotically on the center stage. Sarah stealthily walked upstairs and sat on a couch while a drunken man positioned himself onto an adjacent on. He was accompanied by two women who played with his drinks as part of the club's specials.
While she walked to the couch, Sarah noticed affiliates of the organization all over the club. There were men in black suits and slicked black hair stood near the entrance, bathrooms, bar, and the backroom. Though barely visible, signs of tattoos were etched onto their necks and most likely the rest of the bodies.
They are known to be ruthless to their enemies and territorial, which is why Sarah must be careful.
"After all, the yakuza are not to be messed with," Sarah observed when one of them severely beat up a patron and kicked him out promptly. "But they protect the women here and the employees from rowdy customers."
"Hey, hey, you got to take it easy, man."
"He put his hands on my girl. I can't do nothing."
"You better explain that to the boss better when he gets back."
"A yakuza defending his girl in the workplace… not sure how that will go with their boss," Sarah observed as she fixed her hoodie slightly. "Still, why did Patronus want this particular branch investigated?"
There are many factions of the yakuza throughout Japan with some in other nations, but this particular branch in Osaka caught her Mentor's attention: the Onmoraki-Gumi. They were like any other branch, but a slight shift in their operations and personnel occurred seven years ago.
The Onmoraki-Gumi were more prevalent in helping the common people, but Patronus had noticed a pattern. Around Osaka, though police could not prove that the yakuza branch was responsible because of lack of evidence, murdered officials turned out to be corrupt and involved with criminal activities abroad and domestic.
Sarah was sent to confirm her Mentor's suspicions and, if proven true, negotiate on his behalf. Despite her being a novice in terms of ranking, Patronus trusted Sarah in her abilities and skills enough with this responsibility.
"I better go," Sarah said to herself before leaving the strip club through the back door.
The reason for her departure was that the yakuza members had carried bags out of the backroom moments before. Fortunately, it was nighttime as Sarah hid behind a dumpster, looking over the corner while the black suits entered vans before driving away from the club. Sarah hurried to her motorcycle and activated the engine before finding the vans.
The Assassin-in-training kept her distance from the vans by three cars, making sure that they do not see her. She followed them for fifteen blocks to an altered machiya, which was bigger on the outside than the others. Sarah pulled back moments prior and hid away in a few buildings away before she climbed one to the roof and silently approached the edge where her new target is located.
The anterior was modest, but the same cannot be said for the security.
Several yakuza were sparsely located throughout on the rooftop, armed with small pistols to avoid drawing attention. They maintained constant swivel on the other rooftops for any possible stragglers like Sarah. The vans she followed were parked near the side entrance as the occupants left them and entered the house with their baggage.
Sarah heard nor saw something happen for the next fifteen minutes. It was strange so she pulled back her left sleeve, revealing a wrist computer attached to her primary Hidden Blade bracer. The device has a built-in scanner, allowing safe reconnaissance for stealth-based operators like Assassins.
"Thirty people in all…" Sarah said after seeing the 'blips' on the screen. "And most of them are concentrated in what looks to be the living room." Not to mention they stood before a single individual. "That must be their leader."
"Oh, beware of any anti-surveillance countermeasures."
"Uh-oh…"
Sarah slowly stood up and turned away as she found herself facing a squad of yakuza staring at her. They all brandished weapons ranging from knives to nunchakus to metallic bō.
"Boys, looks like we have a rat lurking in the shadows. Rush!"
Sarah jump-flipped over a charging enemy, causing him to crash head-first into a brick wall. Once landing, Sarah swayed and back-stepped away from a couple of bō wielders before she grabbed and tugged the poles towards her. The two staff novices fell back when Sarah's forearms hit them before she tossed away the staffs.
The next wave was the kusarigama wielders as they twirled the weighted chain above their heads. Sarah ducked underneath the tossed chains before she grabbed and yanked them, causing the users to be pulled across the air. The Assassin trainee jumped between them in a gap and swiftly spun around with her legs stretched out.
Her spinning spilt-kick casted aside the kusarigama fighters to different parts of the roof as Sarah rolled on the ground, then swept the legs of nearby small knife-wielders that dashed at her. Sarah swayed out of the way from two dashers who collided with each other before she picked and threw them at the horde of yakuza.
Some managed to get out of the way, but the rest were not as fortunate as them. The remaining yakuza rushed at her, but they suddenly stopped when a loud voice called out to them.
"HALT!"
Sarah turned around to see another yakuza standing right on the edge of the roof. He was taller than the average Japanese and slightly so above Sarah. Unlike his brothers in arm, this man's hair was spiked upwards and armed with a sheathed katana.
"Kiyoshi!"
"Stand back; she's mine to deal with."
"She?" All the yakuza cried aloud in surprise.
"Oi, are you Nihonjin (Japanese)?"
"Amerikajin (American)." Sarah replied in Japanese.
Kiyoshi hummed before unsheathing his katana, "You're good, but how good are you against me?"
"Let's find out." Sarah replied before dashing at the yakuza this time.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Duat
Celestial Heliopolis
"Khe-fa (Fist)!"
"Eaken (Air Fist)!"
Hearing the names made Thor tighten his grip on the biceps as he tried to calm himself down. It should be him fighting Patronus down there, not the Falcon God. The reasons he held himself from interfering were that he stood surrounded by Enneads and that honor is vital in this match.
"Do not fret, Thor," Hercules comforted his old friend, "You will have your chance."
"When? 3000 years from now?"
"Remain optimistic." Hercules patted Thor's shoulder before taking a swig from Egyptian wine. "Like I am."
"Staring at another's wife's backside?"
Whistling innocently while looking away from a peeved Osiris and angry Isis, Hercules nudged the Asgardian. "Why?"
"You haven't changed that attitude of yours after all these years, Hercules," Thor pointed out innocently, "I thought I should voice it out so you can understand you have a problem."
"…"
"…"
"Mortals have changed you."
"So have you."
"I was mortal to begin with."
The Enneads turned their attention back onto the battle where the Falcon God and Ninja God locked blades with each other.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"
A great fireball engulfed the Egyptian god after Patronus expelled it from inside of his hood. To the foreign god's surprise, Horus remained unfazed as the fire stream forked around him like his presence was forced it to do so.
"He's fire-proof?" His momentary surprise left him open as Horus broke the blade-lock and grabbed his neck, lifting Naruto up. "Gah!" The fire ninjutsu ceased from the cut-off source being his mouth.
"I am the grandchild of the sun god, so naturally I possess resistance to low-tier heat attacks." Horus explained before being kicked in the chin by Patronus, letting go in response.
Naruto cleared his throat a couple times, rubbing it to soothe the area, "And you talk while holding your opponent in submission."
"Feel the power of the sun!"
Horus's body shone brightly like the sun itself, covering the entire arena while blinding Naruto.
"I can't see!" Naruto shouted internally. The intensity of the sunlight was such that he cannot even open his eyes. If he was younger, this would have been a problem. With age comes experience and experience brings wisdom. "But he's still there."
The Ennead's divine energy had remained in the same spot for the past few moments. This meant either two things: he is injured or he cannot move while using this attack.
Focusing on the source, Naruto slowly approached until he was close enough to swing his sword. When he did that, the sunlight instantly ceased as Naruto swiped his leg for a round-house kick. A loud impact was heard after Naruto felt something hit against his limb.
As his eyes adjusted to normal, Naruto 'eeped' when a ray of sunlight rushed at him before he raised Ame-no-Murakumo to block it. The ray forked around the blade and the ninja as the two sides tore through parts of the arena. Standing as the source of the ray with his arms stretched out front, Horus grunted upon pouring more power into his attack.
Like his grandfather, Horus specialized in Solar Magic alongside his Combat Magic. Compared to Ra, his control and application is at novice-level, but greater than most among the Enneads. "The Amatsu-Kami must not realize I'm using magic now. This is my advantage now."
Despite being in his home realm where Enneads, like other pantheons in their divine realms, can use their full power, Horus cannot seem to contend with Patronus in physical strength and hand-to-hand combat. Magical combat is what gives him the edge now.
"What?"
Or was what gives him the edge.
Horus watched as his solar rays were being absorbed into the foreigner's weapon, surprising him so much that he stopped the attack. Patronus quickly raised and swung the now solar-empowered blade at the god while shouting the spell as the magic coursed through his body.
"Tsumugari no Tachi (All-Eye Reaper Longsword)!"
Bigger and stronger than Otakemaru's redirected attack by the amount absorbed, the solar magic-powered slash soared from the tsurugi towards Horus who crossed his arms as he was engulfed by the attack. A big explosion shook the arena while the light blinded the spectators.
Naruto stood there, staring at the big and wide slash mark that tore apart a section of the coliseum. The affected area was scorched by the solar heat while Ame-no-Murakumo's blade returned to its default vivid scarlet color. "Solar Magic, huh? Maybe I can learn that later on… Nah, not my type."
"Ame-no-Murakumo… its power is as they say."
Standing as the only obstruction in the tip of the slash mark, Horus exhaled a breath of relief while he lowered his arms. His Khe-fa arms were scorched from defending before they floated above him with clenched fists.
"Though I believe you haven't begun to use its full power." Horus's eyes glowed once more, prompting Naruto to brace for his next attack.
The space around the Ninja God suddenly distorted by an unknown force, causing him to jump away. Except that he could not do it. In fact, Naruto cannot move at all.
"Naruto, Horus is bending space around you!" Kurama alerted his Jinchūriki. "Without space, there is no motion."
Horus hummed a victorious smirk before his left eye sparked like the moon as it let loose a thin laser. Patronus's head recoiled backwards from the impact, but his body remained standing while the arms went limb. "I win." He approached the lifeless body and reached for the tsurugi. "And this shall be my prize."
"Heddo Batto (Headbutt)!" Patronus's body lurched forward as his head hit Horus's forehead.
Horus cried out as he stumbled backwards, holding his head while Patronus disarmed him of the khopesh. Naruto rushed and tripped the god before crouching over him. The tips of his Hidden Blade and Ame-no-Murakumo threatened to pierce Horus's throat and heart, respectively.
"Yield." Naruto said steely.
Horus exhaled in a snort, "Never."
"We can stay like this all day."
"…"
"…"
"How did you survive that attack?"
"I have a sturdy head."
That statement was true, but the main factor is the Hope hitai-ate. Since it was constructed out of the divine Hihi'irokane metal, the hitai-ate did its objective and saved him from a potentially fatal attack.
"Thank you, Inari and Tamae." Naruto internally voiced his gratefulness, "I'll say it again: yield."
"Again, never."
Appearing beside the duo in fiery flash was one of the gods. This was not an ordinary god as Horus's eyes widened in surprise while Naruto looked curious inside his hood. "Grandfather…"
"Grandfather?"
The Egyptian god-king who came to being after his ancient enemy of darkness. Like Horus, he was bald but taller and muscular than him. His eyes were golden like his skin while teeth were beyond pearly white. He wore ancient Egyptian armor and armed with two weapons in each hand: a crook and flail. This is the God of the Sun and Patron of the Pharaohs, Ra.
"Kibō no Kami is the victor."
"But grandfather—"
"He has outwitted you, grandson," Ra responded, his voice deep with power. "You have no leverage against him as you are now."
"…"
"…"
"I yield."
Reluctantly retracting his Hidden Blade and sheathing the tsurugi, the Ninja God stood up to back away from the downed Falcon God. "Lord Ra." Naruto respectfully greeted while he bowed to the Ennead chief.
Ra returned the gesture while Horus stood back up as the other gods approached them. "Kibō no Kami, you are as what we have heard about."
"About my abilities?"
"No, your compassion and situational awareness," Ra said, confusing his fellow gods and guests.
"What do you mean, grandfather?" Horus asked his king.
"Kibō no Kami?"
With a sigh, Naruto snapped his fingers as a large version of his magic circle appeared and disappeared around the entire coliseum.
"What?" Horus asked in a stupor.
"Kibō no Kami casted a protective spell around the coliseum during your bout."
"But it did not protect him and I destroyed it."
Isis shook her head, "That moment when you destroyed the first spell, he casted another almost immediately. It was not for his protection, son."
"Who else?"
"…The mortals?"
Naruto's other Shinto spell he casted after the Shinsei (Sanctity) was broken by Horus: Oashisu (Oasis). A derivative of the Shinsei technique, Oashisu keeps any force, whether physical or magical, inside of it rather than from outside.
"Why would he care for mortals in the Duat?"
"His compassion for other lives regardless of their origins is something not regularly seen in other pantheons," Ra told his heir. "Other than the Thunderer and Prince of Power, Kibō no Kami is an exception that reminds us of what we can be."
"Your words are too kind, Lord Ra," Patronus replied back. "But I'm not perfect."
"Compassionate and humble." Osiris commented, a slight smile present. "A rarity indeed."
"Come, we must feast on this occasion."
"Wait, what?" Before Naruto could do anything, he was picked unceremoniously by the crocodile-head god. The Enneads, Asgardian, and Olympian followed Ra through his newly created portal. "I just want to go home now."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Higashiyodogawa-ku
Osaka, Kansai Region, Honshu, Japan
Thrown fists connected with their targets, Sarah and Kiyoshi reeled away from each other. Kiyoshi was quicker and jabbed twice in rapidly against Sarah's face. "You're slipping~"
"And you talk too much," Sarah replied while front-kicking Kiyoshi after shrugging off the jabs. "He's actually keeping up with me."
It was a known fact that her blood from Norman Osborn gave Sarah physical prowess above that of average human standards. Not to say she is as strong as someone like Spider-Man.
"She's a fighter all right." Kiyoshi observed while blocking two punches and countering a front kick.
Sarah blocked the kick with her leg before quickly bending and extending the same one for a high attack. Kiyoshi leaned backwards just barely avoiding said limb as he grabbed it before flipping Sarah overhead to the floor. Sarah stuck out her hands to brace the impact while she kicked Kiyoshi's chest, forcing him to let go of her leg.
Kiyoshi, while rolling backwards and getting back on his feet in one motion, dug into the jacket and threw several projectiles at his female opponent. Sarah kicked up a broken piece of wood stock and used it to block the projectiles as they dug into it rather than her body.
Tossing aside the block, Sarah rushed at Kiyoshi who had already recovered his katana as he swiped at her with the blade. Kiyoshi did not cease his attack and Sarah was pushed back by the assault while parrying each stroke with her bracers. After parrying the last two slashes, Sarah quickly slid past Kiyoshi with her left arm stretched out for a clothesline.
Kiyoshi instead dropped his weapon and used the arm as a stable to roll over it, using the momentum into a jujutsu throw. Sarah quickly moved along with the throw to avoid dislocating her arm or shoulder, but ended up on the floor.
"Ready to give up?" Kiyoshi choked when Sarah's legs wrapped around his neck in a scissor lock. "Nope!"
"I don't give up."
Grunting in exertion, Kiyoshi rose fully before dropping to his knees while Sarah's back dented the floor. The yakuza then pulled Sarah's legs apart enough to free his head out of her lock and tossed the American away from him. Sarah flipped in the air and landed with composure while Kiyoshi held his neck to massage it if for a moment.
"…"
"Got you."
Sarah could not move and she felt something digging into her skin from all places. "How? What?" Even with her enhanced durability, something is sharp enough to threaten her. At a certain angle with the moonlight, that was when she saw it: a thin, near-invisible wire surrounding her body. "Wire?"
"Move and you'll get sliced into pieces."
"… No, I won't."
"Do you want to bet on that?"
"I'm not much a betting woman, but I'll make an exception."
"Are all Americans this arrogant?"
Sarah chuckled mirthfully. "No, not all of us."
"What brings you to our abode?"
"…Sightseeing."
"Then go to Osaka Castle next time—" Kiyoshi stopped himself in mock chastise, "—but there won't be a next time."
"How sure are you?"
"Sure enough."
"Kiyoshi, should we kill her?"
"… No, the boss might want to see her; we'll take her with us."
"Their leader? This is good."
"Hold on, Kiyoshi. What if this is what she wants?"
"…"
"These things better work."
"Drug her and we'll take her to the Dojo."
"Dojo?"
"Hai!"
"You're not taking me anywhere."
The yakuza and Kiyoshi were surprised when dual small blades extended from the woman's wrists and easily cut through the wire, freeing Sarah.
"Boss…"
"Hold on boys." Kiyoshi stepped forward to the cautious Sarah before whispering, "What is the first tenet of the Creed?"
Sarah stiffened slightly as she responded, "Stay your blade from the blood of the innocent. Though to be fair, your wires drew first blood." Her Hidden Blades retracted back inside the sleeves while Kiyoshi sheathed his katana.
"Stand down, boys. Our sister has arrived; we are not alone as we thought."
"Sister!" The yakuza behind Kiyoshi bowed ninety-degrees to the American, startling her in the process.
Kiyoshi bowed in respect to the hooded Sarah. "Come sister, our Mentor would like to meet you."
"You guys have a Mentor too?"
"Every Brotherhood has one," Kiyoshi replied as if it was common knowledge among them. "Don't you?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then he should've told you about this."
"If he's here, he would say 'You didn't ask' by now."
"Doesn't sound like he's a good Mentor."
"If you mean brutish training from beyond hell makes him a bad Mentor, then yes," Sarah deadpanned as her shoulders shuddered from the brief memory flash, "Who in their right mind throws an apprentice into a gorge filled with animals?"
"An unorthodox individual, which is what the world needs right now."
All eyes were drawn to the new voice in the area, but Sarah did not see because darkness instantly took over. "Kuso (Damn it)."
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
(One Week Later)
Avengers Tower
Midtown Manhattan, New York, United States of America
"Patronus!"
"Thor…"
"I demand a spar!"
"Not now!"
"Tell me thy reason."
"Because I'm eating, that's the reason!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Want one?"
"…Yes." A pouting Thor accepted the small, wrapped food from his fellow god. They situated themselves above the tower's peak while their teammates were inside for some party. It was a long week for the Avengers as they had to deal with a globe-spanning threat involving one of their enemies.
Ultron had returned and implemented measures to rid the Earth of humanity with Project Perfection. He intended for an extinction-level event at Sokovia in the East and if that was not enough, he created robotic versions of the Avengers. One of them, the fake Patronus, used some other energy to mimic the real ninja through illusions, but that did not work against at all. Fortunately, the real Avengers defeated Ultron and his imposters for good, though none of them dealt the final blow to the Insane Robotic Overlord.
"May I join you gentlemen?"
"Goddamn it, man!" The startled Naruto played hot potato with his meal—a wrapped karaage sandwich from Kyoto—before catching it. "Oh, thank God." He sighed in relief before sending a pouty glare at the new person. "Will you stop doing that?"
The person answered in a logical but polite tone, "We're outside where there is vast space for the three of us."
"All right, all right, all right," Naruto told the robotic entity before continuing to eat his karaage sandwich. "So good."
"What brings you here, our robotic teammate?"
Ultron's killer is also their new teammate. He is slim in body stature and differs from the rest of the Avengers in that he is metallic gray-green except a triangle portion on his forehead to his chin. A long flowing, glittering cape hang from his shoulders. The most defining characteristic is the small yellow gem embedded in his forehead. This is Vision, the Android of Logical Reasoning.
"I require further adjustment to the aerial directions in the stratosphere."
"… Say what?" Naruto asked after hearing the science lingo.
"He's not used to the air here," Janet clarified in layman's term as she floated next to them. "After all, he was brought to life a week ago; the baby of the team, we should say."
Both Thor and Patronus stifled chuckles while Vision looked at Janet inquisitively. "I am not an infant, Ms. Van Dyne, nor an organic matter. I am an artificial life form comprised of Stark's intelligence and JARVIS."
As Vision continued speaking of his coming to life, Naruto kept sneaking glances at the jewel embedded on the android's forehead. It was one of those stones the Ame-no-Mihashira showed him last year. From what Vision could tell him, this stone is called the Mind Gem and inexplicably powerful as indicated by Naruto's senses.
Even the Tailed Beasts were wary of this stone. And there are six of them out there.
The thought of someone having all six stones in their possession made Naruto shuddered as if a cold breeze flew over him.
"On the brought side, we know where one stone is, but what are they exactly?" Naruto thought. "And why did the tree show me them?" Is he supposed to collect them or prevent something dangerous in the future? It might be time to consult the tree about this matter. "But I don't know how to get there."
"Patronus, I seek a spar!"
"Thor, you're the strongest Asgardian I know. Why do you want to prove your mettle against someone like me?" Naruto wondered while eating his karaage.
"Aye, I am the mightiest of my people second to only my father. Few can match my power and I have not failed to conquer any who do."
"What about Hercules?"
"I will defeat him one of these days."
"And Perun?"
"Him as well."
"And what about Horus and Sekbet?"
"Any who possess the strength to challenge me shall suffer defeat for I am Thor the Thunderer! And you are my next challenge!"
A bit of lightning and thunder would have force Patronus to accept his request. If it wasn't for the fact that Thor was pointing at the empty space where Patronus once floated moments before.
"How about next time?!"
"PPAATRRRONNUUSSSSSS!"
Snickering at the bout of lightning from afar, Patronus conjured his magic circle in front of him before disappearing through it, his destination being home.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Mount Kujū
Kyushu Island, Japan
Mount Kujū is the tallest mountain on the island of Kyushu. It is also one of the isolated ranges from local communities, which is perfect for an ancient freedom-fighting brotherhood to call home.
"The Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins… it has a definite ring to it." Sarah stood in the panoramic pavilion as she stared at the environment.
Where the American stood was part of a Japanese mansion built into the mountain for natural subterfuge from prying eyes. For those initiates in the Brotherhood, they know the structure was constructed throughout the massive landmark. Since the Sengoku Period, after the Iga Province was terrorized by Oda Nobunaga's campaign, the surviving ninja clans with the Assassins at the time retreated to this land where it served as their sanctuary, then home after the Meiji period.
Therefore, the Japanese Brotherhood is the successor to Ninjutsu left by the ninja clans.
"How is your stay so far?"
Approaching the foreigner was the Mentor accompanied by Kiyoshi and two other Assassins. Unlike Patronus, the Mentor was an elderly glasses-wearing woman with short stature and white hair tied in a pun. She wore a white yukata with sakura petals embroidery while a small cane aided her balance. Her feet wore wooden sandals and covered in socks. Her name is Mochizuki Saeko, operating under the alias Osoroshii Baba (Terrifying Crone).
"Pleasant so far, Mochizuki-san," Sarah responded respectfully before rubbing her neck. "Though the trip to here was less so."
"It is strange, isn't it?"
"The weather?"
"Yes; a heavy snow storm not unlike the one over the Bahamas three years ago."
"Sensei, should we prepare the defenses?" Kiyoshi asked the Mentor.
"No, but ignite the furnaces as this storm is not normal. We cannot have the younglings suffer from the cold."
"Yes, Mentor."
Two of the Assassins retreated back inside the Dojo, leaving only Kiyoshi, Sarah and Mochizuki by themselves. None of them knew what is to come in the coming days.
END OF CHAPTER
Another chapter is finished. I hope you all enjoyed it. Last week was great as I and everyone else in the world watched Godzilla vs Kong. I LOVED IT! It was worth the wait and it looks to be quite strong in the box office, both domestically and worldwide. I hope it continues this pace as the Monsterverse depends on it.
The director mentioned that the universe is at a crossroads now and it is up to the audience (us) if it is to be continued. If the box does great, then the Monsterverse will continue with more movies. If not, then Godzilla vs Kong ended the Monsterverse on a high note. I hope it succeeds and Legendary talks with Toho for more movies, and perhaps another studio whose name I forgot. Said studio holds the Gamera rights and I hope they can collaborate so we can see Godzilla and Gamera meet for the first time.
Black Clover anime ended, but the manga is performing well. I love Asta's Union with Liebe, and his power makes him equal to high-ranking devils. It will probably be a year until the anime returns with the manga being at least 150 chapters ahead. Kingdom will return next month. One Piece is riding high, both manga and anime, especially since we got to see Roger fight for the first time in anime.
The poll is closed and Naruto will specialize in Sealing Magic alongside his Shinto Magic training.
Chapter 58 Q&A's:
Habu2010 (Feb.26): the Rhea with Naruto is from the PJO franchise.
xXwolfsterXx644 (Feb.26): Here it is. Did you enjoy it? Any feedback is appreciated.
Jebest4781 (Feb.26): I'm glad. It has been a challenge writing without the other Marvel characters at first, but this was well worth it. Maybe that will happen, but we'll see. How are your stories?
Calderoneric758 (Feb.26): I remember this. I think you did tell me about the third faction, but not about Naruto's god powers being sealed. We will cross the bridge when the story gets there.
Gwb629 (Feb.26): There are parts that is good, but personally, I thought they should've left the franchise when the manga ended. I read both the original and Heroes of Olympus. I know that it will be adapted and more faithful to the books. When it will air, I do not know.
ShadowBloodedge9396 (Feb.26): since Naruto treated her like a kid when she wasn't able to do so, I thought it made sense between them. by now, most of them except a few. The Monkey King is the inspiration for many of the shonen characters, most notably Goku and Naruto. I really hope they bring Kurama back in the manga.
Perseus12 (Feb.26): I remember growing up with Spongebob back in the day. Yes, he will.
Kamikage86 (Feb.26): When I first learned about Gorr, I thought this would make a great villain, and he will appear in the MCU which is a bonus for us.
Anonimo (Feb.26): Nice references and Sealing Magic is also related to other types of magic too as seen in Black Clover. You are right that magic should be second nature to a god. Thanks for all the magic references, especially the Shinto and Onmyōdo. The Hero Association made a statement about Naruto's godhood. I'm not saying he would use magic all the time, but he would be proficient enough to combat magic-based threats or opponents. Isn't Jujutsu Kaisen different in terms of ability? The foreghead protectors will have special abilities to be disclosed next chapter. Thanks for letting me know about the turtles' chi elements.
Demon87 (Feb.27): yes, it is.
R-king 93 (Feb.27): Thanks.
GREAT CELESTIAL-DRAGON (Feb.28): If it happens, but theoretically yes. There are bound to be some factions who do not tolerate the war. I still haven't decided about his power level and such yet. There will be more worlds as I already chosen a few of them, but I just have to get this Marvelverse done. The turtles will be stronger.
Luciano (Feb.28): Si.
Vampirenick (Feb.28): Thank you. I do plan to introduce more yokai from Nioh franchise, which I had done so for the previous yokai that appeared in the story. I might even do a classic trope regarding Nioh in the future.
Cloudstrife (Mar.2): Thank you. How is it so far?
Story Artist (Mar.9): Yeah, last year put my writing at the back burner until November where I worked during the Holidays to post the 10-chapters back in January. It was a challenge to write Naruto's Marvel adventures, but it actually worked well in the plot. Anyone would react similarly if they became a god.
Romance Breeding (Mar.9): There will be a scene or two with Black Cat in the future. Is that a thing?
Beasts Masterz (Mar.9): Monster Hunter recently got a new game or expansion, right?
Writing Warrior (Mar.9): Honestly, I forgot about the ship. Like what? I do not like that version of Excalibur, honestly. I hope the next mainstream AC will be based in Feudal or Shogunate Japan. There are rumors, but who knows if they are real.
DinoKnight (Mar.9): Soon, very soon actually.
Erebor Mountain (Mar.9): Who knows? We will have to wait and see.
Kongzilla (Mar.9): I think that is a cliché, but which dragon from what franchise?
classicUSmonster (Mar.9): We'll see if he goes to Olympus. About Lara, there may be extenuating circumstances in the future, but who knows?
Idea Master (Mar.9): We'll have to wait and find out in the future.
Halo Gear 117 (Mar.9): The next world will be mentioned in the coming chapters. We will have to wait and see, but they won't leave until after the Gorr encounter.
MandalorianLover (Mar.9): I already wrote that they were reborn as triplets in the same household in Japan. I can imagine the helmet and Hidden Blades already.
SMASH UP (Mar.9): I never saw or got into the Kid Icarus franchise, but I'll check it out. Not sure I'll include her, but we'll see.
GreenBandai (Mar.9): Well yeah, since they have nowhere to go and Naruto is not really a formal person. It is a world it recently introduced in the comics.
Swaggerboy (Mar.24): Thank you; I'm glad you are enjoying it.