Author Note: Hello readers, once again, I am sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter, and unlike last time, there is no compensation. I have been dealing with a lot of school work and university applications lately, and the time to write new chapters. Hope you all understand.
With that said, enjoy this chapter! Also, from this point, any complaints about characters and ships will be overlooked. Only suggestions to update the plot to make it better will be taken into consideration.
Please Rate and Review.
All Jutsu names are written in English to avoid the hassle of people not knowing what they mean.
All Jutsu names, summons names, abilities, god names, and pantheon names will be written in bold.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"God/Goddess/Monster/Summons Speech"
'God/Goddess/Monster/Summons Thoughts'
Chapter 8: The Quest to Find Zeus's Electrifying Dildo
Last time on "The Greek Shinobi":
"It is determined. All hail Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon – the lord of the seas and the Earthshaker.", Chiron said.
Before Percy's claiming could be properly analyzed, everyone looked up once more at Naruto, who had orange holograms floating on his head. One was a helmet, the other was a hearth, and the last was a gate-like symbol – the symbol of the Shinto pantheon.
Chiron's look hardened further. This was really not good. After the moment of rapt attention on Naruto, Chiron slowly opened his mouth.
"All hail Naruto Uzumaki – son of Hades, lord of the Underworld. Honorary son of Hestia, goddess of family and hearth. Descendant of the Shinto gods.", he said, causing the campers to bow to Naruto.
Present:
"What the hell! Non-Greek gods? Chiron what the fuck is going on?!", Clarisse yelled brutishly.
"I thought you would be smart enough to realize that Greek gods are not the only ones around, Clarisse. Believers of different faiths see the world how they believe it to be. I wouldn't be surprised if Norse, Roman, Egyptian, Hindu, and possibly even more pantheons exist.", Annabeth said wisely.
"Smart-ass princess.", Clarisse muttered.
"Right, I suggest you all keep your mouths shut about the other pantheons. It is bad enough for you lot with the Greek monstrosities you have to face. I'd say it's best you don't attract the attention of even more monsters, wouldn't you agree?", Mr. D said.
Suddenly, the winds around everyone got much stronger. At first, a light drizzle fell from the sky, but that quickly became a downpour of ridiculously heavy rain. A storm started brewing in the sky as a funnel of wind and rain formed in the clouds.
'Three strong people are approaching. I am not even sure if I could take them.', Naruto though nervously. This was the first time since he came to this world that he felt such a strong presence.
The bottom of the funnel of wind touched the ground as surrounding trees began to get uprooted, and the campers held on to any support they could find, desperately clinging to survive. They all started screaming. Mr. D, Chiron, and Naruto were the only ones who were able to stay rooted to the ground.
It started getting so severe that the three decided to move and do something, but suddenly, the wind and rain died down. As the environment surrounding the bottom of the hurricane cleared up, three figures could be seen walking towards the campers. Naruto suddenly jumped in front of everyone and got into a fighting stance.
"Who are you? Why have you come here?", Naruto demanded assertively.
"Move aside, petulant child. We don't have the luxury of wasting too much time in this filthy mess of a place.", the tall, lean man said, as the three came into view.
The first one, who addressed Naruto, was a tall and lean albino man whose every body part was white as marble. He could be confused for a marble bust, if his long ponytail didn't flow in the wind, and if his skin didn't exude a faint, bluish white glow. He reminded Naruto of a picture of Slender Man, that the horror-obsessed Lucy from the Aphrodite Cabin showed him – except his face had features on it. He exuded a distinct smell of alcohol. Not Mr. D's wine smell, but the smell of rubbing alcohol and alcohol swabs that are used for cleaning purposes.
The second man was a slightly shorter one, with a much more well-built frame. He had a fair complexion, and long tresses of silky, black hair that flowed majestically in the wind. His eyes were as black as ink, and reminded Naruto of Madara Uchiha. Naruto detected a scent from him that smelled like the sea, but instead of the pleasant sea breeze scent that Percy had, this man had the type of sea smell that would make you dizzy and nauseated – which was enhanced by the ozone gas circulating around him. However, he was the most normal-looking out of the three.
The last figure was a woman, about half a foot shorter than the second man, but she clearly was the most powerful. Her skin was the opposite color of the first man's. It was black – like charcoal, rather than an African skin tone. However, her eyes were her most brilliant feature – so brilliant that Naruto literally couldn't look at them. Each orb was literally the entirety of the sun's light compressed into one eyeball. Her body was proportionate to that of a regular Japanese woman, and there was a stoic expression on her face. Her hair was literally made of fire, and veins of magma ran through cracks on the surface of her skin.
Naruto remained in his stance and faced the man who addressed him. "You three are clearly powerful. I am not comfortable allowing you to approach this group, especially after you arrived in such a threatening manner.", Naruto said.
"Hhahh! Brother, I'll just toss him away with wind or something! I'm already tired after getting here.", the man in the middle grunted.
"Enough, Tsukuyomi. Susanoo. It will be counterproductive to harass this child. We don't need any misunderstandings.", the woman said. "Child, I am Amaterasu-Omikami. As you might have guessed, these two are my brothers. The tall one is my husband, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, and the shorter one is Susanoo-no-Mikoto. We are here to explain about our pantheon to your camp, since we just claimed you.", the woman, who was now identified as Amaterasu, continued.
"I see. Thank you for explaining. I will get out of your way now.", Naruto said, bowing before Body-Flickering back to the group. He wasn't fazed by the whole brother-husband thing, after learning about the Greek pantheon.
'Makes sense. No ordinary being could have the kind of strength these three possess.
"Right, now, who is in charge around here.", Tsukuyomi asked, causing Mr. D to step forward.
'How much would you want us to reveal?', Tsukuyomi suddenly asked in Mr. D's mind, startling him.
"How are you doing that? I heard you, but your mouth didn't move.", Mr. D retorted out loud.
'It is one of my divine abilities. Saves the hassle of talking, as it doesn't spew out germs in the air like talking does. Unfortunately, hygienic communication is not really on my wife's priority list. Just think the message you want to tell me and I will hear you.', Tsukuyomi mentally messaged.
'How is this?', Mr. D thought.
'Right, so answer my question. How much should we reveal', Tsukuyomi mentally asked.
'Just what you need to. Don't hide stuff from the campers. Never thought I'd say this, but the little brats are too smart for their own good. They will find out what you hide later anyway.', Mr. D mentally grumbled.
Tsukuyomi nodded, as he communicated this to his siblings.
"Right, everyone. Our Shinto pantheon consists of the Japanese deities, like how your Greek pantheon consists of Greek deities. The three of us are the equivalents of the 'Big Three' Greek gods. However, we are not simply Japanese versions of the Greek gods. We have our own nuances. I, Amaterasu, am the goddess of the sun, light, and vitality. I am the eldest offspring of Izanagi, birthed by the washing of my father's left eye.", Amaterasu said.
"I, Tsukuyomi, am the god of the moon, hallucinations, and illusions. I am the second eldest offspring of Izanagi, birthed by the washing of my father's right eye.", Tsukuyomi said.
"I, Susanoo, am the god of impetuous winds and storms, as well as the sea and all things between the heavens and the Earth. I am the youngest offspring of Izanagi, birthed by the washing of my father's nose.", Susanoo said.
"Wait, so your father ended up with you three after washing his face and blowing his nose?", an Ares camper asked.
"Damn. Imagine freshening up and suddenly ending up with three kids.", an Aphrodite camper said.
"Silence, campers! Refrain from offending the gods!", Chiron yelled. "My sincerest apologies, Lady Amaterasu, Lord Tsukuyomi, Lord Susanoo. I hope you can forgive my campers for their impudence.", Chiron said, bowing deeply as beads of sweat formed on his temples.
"Why do you apologize? They are, in essence, correct. Parenting three kids that appear so suddenly is no easy task – even for a god.", Susanoo said in confusion.
'These gods are so different from ours. If Zeus was among them, our entire camp would be a pile of ashes by now.', Chiron thought.
"Right, my mistake. Please, carry on with what you have to say.", Chiron said.
Susanoo nodded, as his sister spoke up. "Any more questions?"
"How powerful are you in comparison to the Greek gods?", Clarisse asked.
"We gods refrain from comparing ourselves with each other. We accept that all of us have our own nuances to our abilities and personalities, and we accept that.", Amaterasu said, in a tone that said this matter was no longer up for discussion.
"Now that you are here, does that mean you will take Naruto away?", Percy asked.
"Tsk. Why do you think we would reveal ourselves to you if that was the case? We would either kidnap him, or approach him in secret. It's not difficult to do. We just claimed Naruto and came here so that you understand why he is as strong as he is, and so you don't develop unrealistic goals regarding your own growth. Besides he is not needed anymore where he came from. His Blood Clone is carrying out the tasks that he used to do.", Tsukuyomi said.
"Why did you arrive in a hurricane?", Will Solace, Counselor of the Apollo Cabin asked.
"Oh, that was just me, kid. We Shinto gods actually sealed ourselves into a pocket dimensional universe, to avoid the incessant conflict of the other pantheons. It took some energy to break, and that was the tiny bit of surplus energy that leaked out.", Susanoo said.
'Tiny bit?', everyone thought in shock. Just how powerful were these gods?
"What exactly is your relationship with Naruto. How can he be a descendent of all of you?", Annabeth asked.
"Where Naruto comes from, there is an intergalactic alien race of parasites known as the Otsutsuki Clan. They were the result of us Shinto gods mating with plant-humanoid parasitic hybrids known as White Zetsu. This granted the next generations god-like powers, and the ability to travel to multiple planets. Our abilities mixed and interacted with each other, as the Otsutsuki bred, until their powers became a separate source of energy, which came to be known as Chakra. When one of the Otsutsuki, Kaguya, mated with a human from the Earth, it resulted in the first Chakra-bearing humans to ever exist. The descendants of these humans became the race that Naruto comes from: Shinobi.", Amaterasu explained.
"Where did these White Zetsu come from?", Malcolm Pace, Annabeth's second-in-command in the Athena Cabin asked.
"They were evolutions of the life we created, kid. Just like humans.", Susanoo said.
"And where did you all originate from? Who was the first Shinto god and where did they come from?", Malcolm pressed on.
"All matter in this Universe originated from one place. Scientists call it the 'Big Bang'. You Greeks call it the abyssal god – Chaos. We Shinto gods have the same origins as well, but we call Chaos by a different name – Amenominakanushi. They are, like Chaos, a genderless concept, rather than an actual god with a real identity.", Tsukuyomi said.
"I have a question for you all. Why did you never show up while I was still in your domains?", Naruto asked.
"We were more behind the scenes in the manner we operated. We simply made sure everything we created ran smoothly without really revealing ourselves to everyone. And before you ask where we were when you were dealing with the Otsutsuki, we could not choose a side. Both you humans and the Otsutsuki were doing what you needed to do for survival, and supporting one side over the other would be unjust.", Amaterasu said.
As all of the campers got their questions answered, the Shinto gods took their leave. By the end of all of this, all the campers, including Naruto, were still processing all this new information.
"Damn, I wish I was a Shinto legacy like Naruto. He has it so fucking easy.", Mark Cockburn, a douchey Ares camper said, with several of his Cabin mates agreeing with him.
Naruto did not care enough to waste his breath retorting to Mark's comment. He was here to do what he was told to do – not to try and get all buddy-buddy with the campers, especially not with the morons. Naruto lived long enough to understand that no matter where he went, people personalities lied between complete assholehood (A/N: According the MS Word, this is an actual word) and genuine kindness.
As everyone walked back to the Cabins, Chiron suddenly realized something. "Mr. D, I just remembered. Naruto doesn't have a Cabin to live in. What should we arrange for him?"
"Hmm, let's see. Maybe the Big House…", Mr. D speculated as the Cabins came into view. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, as a massive structure rose from a patch of land in from of Zeus' Cabin.
It was an obsidian Cabin with glowing red veins and fissures of magma propagating throughout the rock. The only part of it that was devoid of magma veins was the door, which was smooth, dark, and glassy in appearance. The pathway to it, the stairs to the door, and its perimeter were composed of basalt cobblestones. A granite statue rose next to the cabin, and was a hand pointing the middle-finger at Zeus' Cabin. The number '13' was written by the magma fissures above the door in large, Roman numerals.
Seeing the middle-finger statue, everyone laughed until their sides hurt, imagining Zeus' reaction on seeing this. Even Chiron, Mr. D, and Naruto let out a few chuckles. Angry streaks of yellow lightning flashed in the sky and the rumble of thunder was heard, stopping most of the campers in their tracks.
Half of them were expecting the new Cabin to be struck down by a massive lightning bolt instantly, but it seemed that for some reason, this did not happen. After looking around nervously for a few minutes, all campers gingerly went back to their Cabins. As they walked, they saw Naruto confidently make way to the new Cabin, unafraid of any move that Zeus might make.
"That guy's gonna get himself killed if he keeps testing the gods' patience like this.", Charles Beckendorf, Counselor of the Hephaestus Cabin said worriedly.
As Percy walked into his father's Cabin, he felt right at home with the smell of sea-breeze, coral and seashell decorations, and walls that emitted a faint, abalone glow. It looked like the insides of a house from "SpongeBob", but it felt like home. However, this feeling changed for Percy over time.
He didn't have to share with anybody, had plenty of space to train and keep his stuff, pick all his own activities, call "lights out" whenever he felt like it, and not listen to anybody else. He was absolutely miserable. Just when he started to feel accepted, like he had a home in cabin eleven, he was separated from his new friends. Even worse – Naruto and Grover, his most trusted friends, could not be with him. Percy's saving grace was his training sessions with Naruto, and he would look forward to them, even though he felt like a pile of shit afterwards.
While Naruto faced the same issues, he was much more independent and mature than Percy, and he was used to living on his own, so the new developments did not affect him much. Besides, he would always make time to talk to Thalia – he understood what loneliness felt like, and several people close to him in the past knew the feeling as well. It was one of Naruto's few triggers, causing him to always show genuine kindness to people who had to suffer alone.
Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but Percy got the feeling they were all talking about it behind his back. The attack had scared most campers and sent two messages – one, that Percy and Naruto were children of the Sea and Death gods, and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill them. Maybe Naruto was approached less often, as he was so absurdly powerful that nothing short of the very most powerful and cocky monsters would try and have a go at him. But the campers feared that they could even invade Camp Half-Blood, that had always been considered safe.
The other campers steered clear of Percy and Naruto as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with Percy after what he'd done to the Ares folks in the woods, so Percy started having one-on-one lessons with Luke. He pushed Percy harder than ever, and wasn't afraid to bruise him up in the process, something that Percy appreciated. He wanted real training, not some sort of pussyfooting.
"Very good, Percy. You're a natural at this. It sometimes feels like you are improving a little too fast, though. But you're still going to need all the training you can get. There will be too many monsters that will target you.", said, as they were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions.", Luke said.
Annabeth still taught Percy Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted and reluctant. Every time Percy said something, or asked a question, she scowled at him, as if he'd just poked her between the eyes. Percy found himself liking her less and less. After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest…Poseidon? Dirty rotten…Got to make a plan…".
Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill Percy for breaking her magic spear. Percy wished she would just yell or punch me, or do something to acknowledge him. He would rather get into fights with his comrades than be ignored.
That night, Percy had his worst dream yet. There was a storm on the beach, and about a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers – muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, the Earth shook, and the wind rose.
Percy instinctively tried to stop them, but the harder he ran, the more the wind blew him back. After a certain point, he was running in place, his heels digging uselessly in the sand. Over the roar of the storm, the blue-robed one yelled at the green-robed one, "Give it back! Give it back!", like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.
The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach. "Stop it! Stop fighting!", Percy yelled in vain, as the ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it froze Percy in his tracks.
"Come down, little hero, come down!", the voice said. The sand split beneath Percy, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. However, before Percy could fall, he was pushed aside, as he heard a voice say, "Earth Release: Mobile Core!". He turned to see Naruto, and looked back to see that the hole in the ground was now sealed up. Percy quickly woke up, but he was still in bed in Cabin three.
Percy's circadian rhythm told him it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing – just like in Percy's dream. And why the fuck was Naruto in Percy's dream? Percy was ripped out of his thoughts as he heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold. "Come in?", he said in confusion.
Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you.", he said gingerly.
"Why?", Percy asked.
"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you.", Grover replied. Nervously, Percy got dressed and followed, sure that he was in huge trouble. For days, Percy was half expecting a summons to the Big House. Him being the son of one of the Big Three made it a crime for him to even be alive.
"Well, well…our little celebrity.", Mr. D said. Percy saw Naruto seated next to Mr. D, nonchalantly drinking some coffee. Chiron was absently shuffling a deck of cards.
"Come closer. And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle Beard is your father.", Mr. D said.
"Mr. D, please refrain from making assumptions about Percy. He is not arrogant enough to expect something like that.", Naruto commented.
"Yeah, whatever. If I had my way, I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm.", Mr. D said.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D." Chiron interjected.
"Nonsense – the boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father.", Mr. D said.
"Enough. Mr. D, could you tell us why you have called us here?" Naruto asked, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"Eh? Is that what Gemma told you? Gemma, you idiot boy, why did you tell these two that I called them when Chiron did?", Mr. D asked in irritation – not a good sign, gods were overly violent when they vented out emotions.
"But you said –", Grover started to say, before Mr. D interrupted.
"Excuses, excuses. This is why I don't like you kids – you can never think for yourselves – not very heroic at all. Anyway, Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that there are much more sensible choices than what Chiron feels you must do. I'm not holding my breath on you choosing them, though.", Mr. D said.
He picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass. He snapped his fingers. The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.
Chiron smiled, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, Naruto, please. And you too, Grover.", he said wearily.
"I'm sure you remember the attack by the Hellhound, Percy. You were not able to understand the danger of it because Naruto has made swift work of it. However, rest assured, you wouldn't have fared as well against it on your own. You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done. And Naruto…your existence is such an abomination that I can't even think what the gods will try to do to you.", Chiron said pragmatically.
"Done…with what?", Percy asked nervously.
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?", the Centaur asked.
Percy glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers. He saw that Naruto was just drumming the table with his knuckles absentmindedly. Seriously, what would it take to scare the guy?
"Um, sir, you haven't told me what it is yet.", Percy said.
Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details." Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as Percy could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.
"Poseidon and Zeus – they're fighting over something valuable…something that was stolen – aren't they?", Percy asked astutely. Naruto seemed impressed with Percy's deductive abilities. Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.
Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?", he asked with a frown, causing Percy's face to redden.
"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And…I've also been having these dreams.", Percy said uncomfortably.
"Very nice, Percy. Looks like your intellect is finally surfacing." Naruto said with an approving nod. Percy didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult – because Naruto insinuated that Percy was dumb before this moment. However, his contemplation was interrupted by Grover.
"I knew it", Grover said, his eyes wide. It seemed he had yet another goat feature – rectangular pupils. They did indeed look quite ridiculous. The only reason Naruto didn't notice these before was that Grover would look down most of the time around him – that and Naruto never really cared to pay attention to the goat boy until very recently.
"Hush, satyr.", Chiron ordered, mild irritation expressed in his voice.
"But it is his quest! It must be!", Grover sad, his eyes shining in anticipation.
"Only the Oracle can determine. Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt.", Chiron said, his voice grave.
"But not just any ordinary lightning bolt, right? I mean, I'm pretty sure Zeus has many more where those came from.", Percy reasoned.
"Quite right, my boy. Zeus's most powerful weapon – the one crafted for his battle against the Titans – the Master Bolt is the stolen weapon. And mind you – this is not some theater prop – it is an actual two-foot-long cylinder made of high-grade Celestial Bronze, capped on either end with god-level explosives. The strongest bolt from it can destroy a small city.", Chiron said seriously.
"Oh shit! Who stole it? The things that can be done with such power in irresponsible hands…", Percy trailed off in dread.
Chiron looked straight at Percy. "You did.", he said firmly. "At least that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly-that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it.", Chiron finished.
"Why would he –", Percy started, but he was interrupted by Chiron.
"Patience and listen, child, Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief.", Chiron said.
"Zeus is an idiot.", Naruto finally spoke, causing the sky to rumble. "Shut up, you sister-rapist. You have no hope of handling me – not with your greatest weapon.", Naruto continued, looking up. A lightning bolt was aimed at him, but he just used Lightning Release to bat it back up into the sky.
"Anyways, as I was saying, Zeus is an idiot. Percy was not even aware of his heritage until recently. He could have asked the fates what happened – or Hermes for that matter. Instead, he chooses to go by his 'I'm Zeus, so I'm always right' type of mentality. However, he is the worst kind of idiot – one with power. I don't suggest for Percy to try and offend him as I do." Naruto said.
"Idiot is too strong a word. Perhaps paranoid?", Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam…".
"Pfft. I wonder why.", Naruto snorted.
"Enough, Naruto. Percy, if you would?", Chiron prompted.
"Something about a golden net? Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods…they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?", Percy asked pensively.
"Correct. And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along – the proverbial last straw.", Chiron said.
"But I'm just a kid!", Percy interjected.
"Percy, if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you…wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?", Grover asked.
"You act as if Zeus is innocent in this whole clusterfuck of a situation. Zeus broke the oath before Poseidon when he had Thalia. That too, he only did to sate his own lust with some drunk actress. At least Poseidon loved the woman he had a child with." Naruto said, giving a pointed look to Percy.
"With that said, Zeus, as the King of the gods, failed to set a good example by breaking his oath first. My father is the only one who is still innocent out of the three – at least as far as the oath is concerned.", Naruto said.
"How do you explain your presence then?", Chiron asked curiously.
"A story for another time. For now, let's just say I'm older than I look and leave it at that." Naruto said with a small smirk.
"Does this have something to do with the Shinto pantheon and their pocket-dimension?", Chiron pressed on, but Naruto just shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the involvement of the Shinto gods. In the past, Naruto learned that answers to yes-or-no type questions were left much more ambiguous this way than if he didn't give a response.
"Let's get back to the topic at hand. Would it make a difference if I swore on the River Styx that I didn't do anything? Poseidon – my dad – he didn't really have this Master Bolt stolen, did he?", Percy asked.
Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?", Chiron asked.
"I assume it would be like a world-ending type of bad." Percy guessed.
"It was a rhetorical question. Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight.", Chiron said seriously.
"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath.", Chiron finished.
It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky. Percy had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of him and an act that he did not do. Percy was furious, and rightfully so.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt, and return it to Zeus.", Percy said frustratedly.
"What better peace offering, than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?", Chiron asked.
"Giving a weapon as a peace offering? Such an act did not work out too well in my world when my village's old leader tried it." Naruto commented.
"Even so, it is the only choice we have. Better to have a mutually assured destruction between the Big Three than a war – even if it isn't true peace.", Chiron said.
"Alternatively, why can't we destroy the weapons of the Big Three? That restricts their power, and there will be no threat between them but each other. It will still be a mutually assured destruction, but the scale of battles between them would be lesser." Naruto proposed, causing the Centaur to pale.
"Bad idea, Naruto. Why would you want to incite their wrath onto yourself by trying to commit such an act?", Chiron asked.
"I'm sure I can think of a way to assure that the weapons' destruction does happen…" Naruto trailed off, rubbing his chin pensively.
"Look, Naruto, I don't have an estimate of how powerful you are, but I doubt you can take on the likes of the Big Three.", Chiron warned, but Naruto just shrugged.
"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?", Percy interrupted.
"I believe I know.", Chiron said, his expression grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago…well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."
"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?", Percy asked.
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge.", Chiron said, leaving no room for argument.
"So, Percy, you're expected to retrieve a weapon of mass destruction to save the world from being torn apart by war. Are you ready for this…challenge?", Naruto asked, emphasizing the last word.
"Ah, I'm sorry. That was a bad choice of words. I'll just call it 'quest', then.", Chiron chuckled.
Percy looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly. Easy for him – he wasn't the one Zeus wanted to kill.
"All right, it's better than being turned into a dolphin.", Percy said resignedly.
"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle. Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more.", Chiron said.
As Percy left, Naruto asked, "What would cause him to lose his sanity?".
"Lay off, Naruto. A Centaur as old as I am needs his bit of fun from time to time.", Chiron said with a dismissive wave. "He won't lose his sanity unless he tries something violent with the Oracle or tries to take the prophetic power into himself."
Meanwhile, up in Olympus, Apollo was sweating nervously. A demigod was supposed to receive a prophecy – but no such vision entered his mind. What was he going to tell Delphi to say? The vision should have come to him by now. "Oh well. For now, I'll just give him some vague lines that would somehow end up fulfilled. But I gotta be careful – father will be pissed if I fuck this up.", Apollo muttered to himself.
Four flights up the Big House, the stairs ended under a green trap-door. Percy pulled the cord, causing the door to swing down, and a wooden ladder to clatter into place. The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else…a smell Percy remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes. Percy held his breath and climbed.
The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things-severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.
By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy. Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.
Looking at her sent chills up Percy's back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. Percy stumbled over myself trying to get to the trap-door, but it slammed shut. Inside his head, he heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: "I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."
Percy wanted to say, "No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bath-room.", but he forced himself to take a deep breath. The mummy wasn't alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist. But its presence didn't feel evil, like his demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur. It felt more like the Three Fates Percy had seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful, and definitely not human.
But not particularly interested in killing him, either. Percy got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?". The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies. Percy's fists clenched, though he knew this poker party couldn't be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.
Gabe turned towards him and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned."
His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: "You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned."
The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: "You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend."
Finally, Eddie, the building super, delivered the worst line of all: "And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end."
The figures began to dissolve. At first Percy was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, Percy cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"
However, the tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos. Percy got the feeling that he could stand here until he had cob-webs, too, and Percy wouldn't learn anything else. His audience with the Oracle was over.
"Well?", Chiron asked him when he returned, causing him to slump into a chair at the pinochle table.
"She said I would retrieve what was stolen.", Percy said reluctantly.
Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!", he said happily.
"What did the Oracle say exactly? This is important.", Chiron pressed on. Percy's ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice.
"She…she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.", Percy revealed.
"I knew it!" Grover said blissfully.
Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?", Chiron asked, but Percy didn't want to tell him. What friend would betray him? He didn't have that many – Grover, Naruto, Annabeth, and possibly Luke. None of them really seemed like traitors.
And the last line – that Percy would fail to save what mattered most. Why would the Oracle send him on a quest that she said he was bound to fail? And what kind of contradictory message was that? She said he would save and return the Master Bolt, but still fail to save what mattered most. Did something matter more? What was he missing? And how could he confess that to Chiron?
"No, that's about it.", Percy said. Chiron studied Percy's face.
"Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass.", Chiron reassured. He clearly knew Percy was hiding something.
"Okay, so where do I go? Who's this god in the west?", Percy asked.
"Ah, think, Percy, if Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?", Chiron asked.
"Somebody else who wants to take over?", Percy guessed.
"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken.", Chiron said.
"My father is not the only suspect in this. What do you think will happen if Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other and father takes over, Chiron? Who else will need to worry about battling two less gods if they were to return from, say, a few eons of imprisonment in Tartarus?", Naruto prompted.
"The Titan Lord? You mean him? You think he will utilize such a chance?", Chiron asked.
"Most definitely. I also feel that my father is wise enough to see this as well, although it will still be a good idea to remain wary of him.", Naruto said. He remembered that his father asked him to keep their interaction a secret.
Percy thought about his dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "I agree. The voice in my dream that was calling me down sounded so evil and terrifying that it gave me chills. Naruto is the son of Hades, but he doesn't feel evil – more…deathly.", Percy said, as Chiron nodded, taking this new theory into consideration
"I would still say that the Lord of the Dead is a possibility. A Fury came after Percy. She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades.", Chiron said.
"But you don't know the context, Chiron. The Fury was demanding for Percy to return something. I reason that Hades had something stolen from him as well. Following the theme of Zeus's Master Bolt being stolen, I would say that my father's Helm of Darkness was stolen." Naruto countered.
"A hellhound got into the forest.", Chiron shot back. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."
"Really, now? So I suppose no items or beasts were ever taken from a god's domain without their knowledge before. Then possibly it was Zeus himself, who ordered for his own Master Bolt to be stolen, hmm?" Naruto said sarcastically, causing Chiron to look uncomfortable.
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt. He is the only god in the west.", Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth.", Chiron said firmly.
"The prophecy said that we would go west, and face the god who has turned – implying that we would meet this god during the journey. Chiron, why are you so insistent on making my father seem like the villain here? Sure, it is possible, but isn't the Titan Lord's plan a much more likely one?", Naruto asked. "Is it because of Thalia?" Naruto prompted.
"Other reasons too, but that is besides the point. Hades is the only lead we have. But fine, Naruto, I will give him the benefit of doubt. Hence, I urge you, Percy to remain extremely cautious of those you meet on your journey west. Naruto may be on to something.", Chiron said.
Anticipation burned in Percy's stomach. Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips. The poor guy needed to complete a quest with Percy so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could Percy ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said he was destined to fail? This was suicide.
"Why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads. Zeus can look for his weapon himself.", Percy said.
"He wouldn't be able retrieve the Bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes – demigods – on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?", Chiron said.
"You're saying I'm being used.", Percy asked sourly.
"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you.", the horse-man said.
Poseidon, the man who had ignored Percy for twelve years, suddenly needed help from him. The audacity of this motherfucker. As if simply claiming Percy as a son was enough to get him to save your ass. But it was better to do the quest and get rewards and favors in exchange, than to whine and back out. Yes, Percy was definitely going to squeeze something useful out of this mission.
"So let me get this straight – I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead.", Percy said.
"Check," Chiron said.
"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe.", Percy continued.
"I'm not sure how it ranks against other weapons used by more primordial beings, but I get what you're saying. Check.", Chiron said. Percy ignored most of that sentence.
"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days.", Percy said.
"That's about right.", Chiron said.
Grover was gulping down the ace of hearts. "Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?", he asked weakly.
"You don't have to go. I can't ask that of you.", Percy said.
"It's just, well, Satyrs and underground places – they don't really go together. But…", Grover said, taking a deep breath. He stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If…if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down.", he said.
Percy smiled, feeling better that his first friend would go with him "All the way, G-man.", he said. Percy turned to Naruto. "And you?", he asked.
"No way I would stay back here. That would be boring." Naruto said, wrinkling his nose, and Percy's smile grew wider.
"So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west.", Percy asked.
"The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles.", Chiron said.
"I can take us there safely. I assume Percy cannot get on an airplane without Zeus trying to blast him to bits – the arrogant, megalomaniacal moron.", Naruto said distastefully.
"Oh, but Naruto, I'm sorry. Percy will only be taking two companions. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help.", Chiron said, as the air shimmered behind him. Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.
"It is of no consequence whether she joins us or not. I will still accompany Percy." Naruto said.
"But Naruto…this is not the ancient way! The gods will be angered if we send more than three demigods on a quest – unless the Oracle tells us to!", Chiron protested.
"That's their fault. I imagine many more demigods would survive quests if you didn't abide by this stupid 'rule'.", Naruto said. Chiron reluctantly agreed to let Naruto accompany the questers.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain. Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up.", Annabeth said with a smirk.
"If you do say so yourself, I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?", Percy retorted, causing the girl's cheeks to color.
"Do you want my help or not?", she asked, with a slightly hopeful expression on her haughty face. Percy promptly accepted her help.
"This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own.", Chiron said. Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
"No time to waste.", Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."
END of Seventh Chapter