Apocalypse derives from the Greek word apocalypses, meaning 'unveiling.'
It was initially a term applied to the disclosure to certain privileged persons of something hidden from the mass of humankind.
The shinobi in the room were certainly privileged, Jiraiya thought. This had been a rather exclusive teaching session, courtesy of the wise and powerful Sannin of legend. But, the message he wanted to get across was anything but hidden.
"Well… you should all realize the dangers of alcohol…." The Frog Hermit took a long drink from a ceramic urn. He had Susubori make his words audible to the partygoers, while keeping his Transparent Escape Technique in use. The amanojaku chained the sound of his voice, so that no one could make out his identity. "Violent behavior. Injury. Emotional difficulties."
Technically, the Apocalypse refers to the unveiling of God in his guise as the Messiah, not to all of the destruction of the earth which will accompany His Revelation of Himself to mankind. But, in common usage, the word apocalypse now commonly refers to the end of the world.
The latter interpretation certainly fit the ongoing destruction and devastation. Rock Lee was the human equivalent of the Energizer Bunny: he kept going and going and going. And, everywhere he went, something, broke, shattered, or flew to pieces. The four horsemen… Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death… would have stopped in their own endeavors, to take notes. It took the concreted efforts of Choji, Kiba, and Shino to hold off their inebriated friend.
"I hope you all appreciate this," Jiraiya said, hoping down from his high perch. He walked around picking up the scattered beer bottles that remained full and intact. Stashing all but one in his voluminous pockets, he waved that bottle in his hand as he spoke. "Alcohol is not for the faint of heart! It causes reduced physical coordination; diminished mental alertness; poor decision making; staggering; slurred speech; double vision; mood swings; and unconsciousness." With a flick of his thumb, he sent the bottle cap flipping through the air. Tilting back his head, he drained the bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Ahhhh-hhh-hh-h…."
This was all so great. Some of it would be hard to believe, even for his most faithful readers. For the past few minutes, the boy with the bushy eyebrows had been traipsing about the room as he fought, waving his arms up and down as if they were wings, fighting only with his feet. Thanks to Susubori, the boy thought that he was riding a winged steed. Now that was comedy at its very best. But, too much of a good thing could get boring after a while. "Change it up a bit," the Frog Hermit said, tapping his finger on the top of the ornate demon bottle. He yawned and stretched after the amanojaku signaled its assent.
"Tsūga!" Kiba was growing tired, but he would not back down. "Piercing Fang!" He began spinning at a ferocious speed, preparing to use more powerful beastlike attacks against his opponent.
"Mushi Bunshin no Jutsu." Shino used the Bug Replication Technique to create an exact clone of himself, hoping to distract Lee long enough to make an attack from the rear.
"Bubun Baika no Jutsu." Choji used the Partial Multi-Size Technique. He increased the size of his right arm and hand, preparing to wield them like a giant sledge hammer.
"Ohhhh-hhh-hh-h…." Lee wasn't frightened in the least. The beast-headed demons he fought were powerful, but not powerful enough. He unwrapped the bandages on his arms.
"Omote Renge!" He dodged Kiba's attack while performing the Front Lotus, opening the first chakra gate for real this time, and giving himself five times his normal strength. Then, ever so quickly, he kicked the true Shino into the air, got behind him, and wrapped the bandages around him. Holding him firmly, he prepared to pile-drive his victim into the ground while spinning rapidly.
That kind of attack could have ended in death. At the Frog Hermit's command, Susubori had Choji increase the size of his larger hand two-fold. The boy then used it to cushion the fall of his friends.
"Fighting drunk can lead to death," Jiraiya pontificated, cracking open another brewsky. "To you… your allies… and your friends…." He belched loudly and grinned. The man who invented beer deserved a statue. No, a whole damn temple! "But, it can also kill you slowly. Heart disease. Liver problems. Circulatory shut down. Peptic ulcers. Cancer. Irreversible brain damage."
The Sannin looked over at a group of drunken kunoichi, ignoring the fight that he had prompted. He smiled that sappy smile of his, the kind reserved for days when he watched bikini-clad beauties playing at the foot of a waterfall. While the guys had been caught up fighting and shouting, the girls had decided to express themselves in an entirely different manner, with a little help from the amanojaku.
Ino had left Shikamaru in a closet, after kissing him to the point of incapacitation. Ten Ten had come over after goosing Neji and telling him to keep his motor running. Along with a bunch of other girls, they had taken down the colorful curtains and fashioned them into long makeshift skirts. Forming a chorus line, they began the high-kicking motions of the can-can. Every time they lifted up their skirts, looking way too provocative for their own good, the perverted hermit spilled beer in his lap.
"Yes… well… ladies…." Jiraiya had to clear his throat. "I'm a very big believer in equality." Normally, for him, that meant every woman was equal, when it came to his clandestine 'research.' "These days, men and women are equal in more ways than ever before. But there are some big differences including…."
"B-O-O-B-I-E-S!" That shout came from some ninja that the Sannin was unfamiliar with. Wearing a lampshade, the staggering boy couldn't see where he was going. Walking too close to the dancers, he got kicked under the chin, somersaulting across the room.
"Ahem!" Jiraiya tried to keep a clear head. Now was not the time to start thinking about boobies. "As I said, there are big differences. Because of their higher metabolisms and lower bodily water concentrations, girls become intoxicated quicker than boys. And, the same amount of alcohol will affect a girl more. Over time, that also means earlier liver damage and heart disease. But that's not all."
He had to clamp his hand firmly over his nose, to keep blood from spurting every which way. A separate group of girls had congregated around the tall metal pole that one formed the core of a column that had been obliterated. Under Susubori's influence, they were dancing sensually with that pole… climbing it…spinning around it… and going inverted. Various pieces of clothing covered the floor nearby.
"I… that… as I was saying…" Jiraiya coughed repeatedly. "There is also a direct correlation between alcohol intake and sexual assault." His eyes bulged. It took all of his willpower not to give into his screaming libido. "Because drinking can lower a woman's awareness and reaction times, those who have too much alcohol are at greater risk of being the victims of dating violence."
One rather industrious gaggle of girls had collected various pieces of the ruined room and built a cage out of it. Drunk out of their minds, they each took their turn in the cage, performing one type of erotic dance or another. Clearly, that was an attempt by the demon to distract its de facto master, seeing that the other males in the room were kept unaware of something that normally would have drawn them like a magnet pulls iron.
"Give… me… strength…." The Frog Hermit fought the urge to rip off his clothing. He had forgotten all about his own cup of booze. "Couples who drink heavily together are more prone to violence, too. And… let me think… there are other dangers, too…." One girl was actually performing a strip tease. "Moderate to heavy drinking among women heightens the risk of breast cancer. Women are more vulnerable when it comes to brain damage as a result of drinking. And, like with heart and liver disease, that's not merely due to the issue of metabolism. There are gender-related differences in body chemistry." Damn. Why did he have to use the word 'body'?
"AHHHH-HHH-HH-H…." Rock Lee called out in triumph. Jiriaya had been otherwise preoccupied, and missed the stunning conclusion to the three-on-one fight. But, rather than bask in the light of his victory, the green-suited boy immediately looked for his next foe. "Evil women. My Shhhakura would never do that!" he had caught sight of the scantily clad girls. "You are casssshy… casssshty… casssshting a big shhhadow on the bright light of Konoha!"
"Oh… please… Susubori…." Jiraiya found that he didn't have complete control of the demon. Not only had he allowed himself to be distracted by the girls, he had imbibed far too much. He should have listened to his own device. "Not the dancers…."
If Lee was playing the roll of Bellerophon, then the laughing and cavorting girls were the Amazons. Women in classical Greek society were expected to be passive and dependent on males. That had not been true with the Amazons, just as it wasn't true with the startled kunoichi. When Lee came rushing into their midst, he soon found himself in a more difficult fight than before. This time, he had far more than three adversaries.
"Death to all males!" Ino shouted at the top of her lungs. She had strips of cloth wrapped across her otherwise bare breasts, and wore a loincloth made from the fabric that had been draped over one of the decorative tables. She held the broken shaft of a broom in one hand, shaking it as if it were a spear.
"And to Lee, too." Ten Ten taunted her teammate, holding up a platter that once held the stacked desserts. Now, for her, it was a shield. She was just as poorly clad as Ino, but that wasn't the big shock that almost did Lee in. She had let down her hair!
"Mate with him," another girl said. The Genjutsus that Susubori spun made it look like she was wearing a necklace of skulls, and a belt made from shrunken heads. "Then kill him!" Seeing Lee freeze in place, she ran over and gave him a big kiss, before Jiraiya was able to resume complete control. Because he was having so much trouble with the amanojaku now, he didn't make any further effort to stop the real-life B-movie, 'Lee vs. The Amazon Women.'
"OHHHHH-HHHH-HHH-HH-H…." Lee began powering up further, opening another gate. "Gai-shhhensei has warned me about the dangerssssh of women. I will not be fooled by your wicked womanly wilessssh!" By now, the girls all carried some kind of shield or weapon. One was swinging a makeshift bolo, while others held onto an impromptu net.
"If only I had a camcorder," Jiriaya whispered. This was an epic event. He began wondering if he could somehow get the demon to transfer his memories onto film. Watching as the girls began circling Lee, he motioned as if he were a movie director. "Quiet on the set. And… roll'em…."
In Greek mythology, Hippolyta was an Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle that she had been given by her father Ares, the god of war. For his ninth Labour, the Heracles had been tasked with getting the girdle for Admete, Eurystheus' daughter. In one version of the story, Hippolyta fell in love with Heracles and freely gave him the belt. But, Hera spread rumors among the Amazons that Heracles was trying to kidnap their queen. The Amazons attacked, but were defeated by the Greeks, and Heracles gave Hippolyta in marriage to his companion Theseus. The Frog Hermit decided that there was nothing wrong with mixing myths together, if it was for a good cause.
"Stop!" Ten Ten stood in front of the other women. "Don't hurt him." She took off her loincloth, knelt, and held the garment up to Lee. Posing grandly, he accepted the cloth.
"Neji!" Lee called out. "Come collect your bride!" He stretched out his arm and placed Ten Ten behind him. "It'sh time for me to shhhhow theshhhe women who's bosshhhh!" Of all the things he would do this night, that line would stick in everyone's head, and would cause him grief for months to come.
"L-… L-Lee…." Choji pushed painfully up from the ground. "C-… C-Could you make Ino my bride?"
"AHHHHHH-OOOOOOOO-UHHHHHH!" Ino called out with a blood-curdling yell, having heard that. She and the other girls charged, stomping over Choji, Kiba, and Shino on their way to Lee.
Sai was reclining against a ruined jukebox. Sketching rapidly on his pad, he had to stop when someone knocked the paper from his hand. It was three girls, each holding some kind of ersatz sword or polearm.
"You are one of the men chosen by Queen Ino for the mating ceremony," one girl said. She tied a rope around his wrists, and then hooked it to a similar restraint holding an irritated Shikamaru.
"Yes," another girl said. "You will be ours after we defeat the Bushy Boy." Her eyes had frightening fanatic look about them. "Male children will be put to death. Females will be kept and trained in hunting and the art of war." She looked over at Kiba, Shino, and Choji. Snapping her fingers, she pointed at them and gave orders to the other girls. "Hang them up like piñatas."
"Works for me." Even in dire straights, Kiba couldn't help put be very appreciative of the near nude female form.
"Ditto," Shino said.
"Lucky bastards," Jiraiya mumbled. He sighed. There was no reason to be envious. There was so much to see, literally and figuratively. Figures, indeed. He began drooling again, as he contemplated the fact that some language experts thought that word Amazon came from the Greek 'a-,' an intensive, plus mazos, meaning breast. That would translate to 'full-breasted'. He frowned. "Spoil sport!" Susubori had reminded him that other authorities believed that the word came from 'a,' a privative, and masso, to touch. That would mean 'no touching.'
The battle between Lee and the demon-driven girls was over faster than anyone might have guessed. And, scarcely had the last girl hit the floor hard, when all of the male spectators took on the role of Iobates' best soldiers. Despite even greater numbers, they met the same fate as the would-be Amazons.
"Ooooo-ooo-oo-oh…." Lee stood on top of a pyramid of groaning ninjas, light shining off of his teeth. "Shhhakura… I'm coming…." Just as Iobates had given his daughter Philonoe to the victorious Bellerophon, Susubori promised the pink-haired girl to Lee. But, she was trapped in the underworld with that demon-master Naruto, and the sly seductress Hinata. They would pay, and the girl would be his.
Jiraiya ran his hand through his huge mane of hair. There were two women named Philonoe in Greek mythology. One had been Iobates' daughter. The other had been the child of King Tyndareus of Sparta and Leda. Artemis made that latter Philonoe immortal. He made a face, feeling somewhat critical of the demon's scripting. Neither girl had been taken to the underworld. But, he had given the amanojaku artistic license.
"Leda… Leda…." The Sannin watched as Lee ran down the stairs to the basement area. What had he heard about Leda? "Ahhh. That's it. Zeus. The randy S.O.B." The top god had gotten into the pants of countless women in the Greek Myths. He had seduced Leda in the guise of a swan, after falling into her arms to escape a pursuing eagle. Their consummation resulted in an egg, from which a girl named Helen hatched. She would grow up to be the beautiful Helen Of Troy.
As Rock Lee pelted down stairwell after stairwell, Naruto and Hinata ran along with Sakura, who had finally convinced them of her good intentions. Trying to make their way back topside, the trio kept running into mobs of irate warehouse workers and fire fighters. It took the concerted effort of Kaiten and Kage Bunshin to get past the growing crowd without causing too many injuries. As it was, Sakura's medical arts were needed, to help a small number of casualties.
"Who knows what they might do if they catch us," Naruto said, his clothing already torn by numerous clutching hands. "No matter what, I won't let anyone hurt you guys." The civic employees were villagers just like him. They wouldn't hurt girls, would they? Then again, what if they thought he and his companions were enemy ninjas who had tried to sabotage their work areas?
"Naruto-kun…." Hinata hung on one of Naruto's arms, her natural feelings for him boosted by Susubori. She pulled him close to her.
"I trust you," Sakura said, holding the other arm. "With my body… and soul…." The emphasis that she put on the word 'body' sent shivers down Naruto's spine. She pulled just as hard as Hinata did.
"Owwwww-wwww-www-ww-w…." Naruto felt like the stuff they put in taffy pulling machines. Why were the two girls fighting over him this way? It must be the fault of the damn demon that Kyuubi told him about, right? Neither of them was really interested in him, were they? "Will… you… both… cut… that… out…." He pulled free from both grasps.
Things looked like they were about to get really frantic soon. They weren't just facing workers. They were facing workers and their equipment. Some of the men surrounding them were firing up large acetylene torches. A few had gotten their hands on hulking forklifts. There were people hefting large mallets. There were others swinging long ropes with hooks on the end.
"I would do anything for you, Naruto-kun." Hinata pushed her way past Naruto, and stood there, legs spread and arms wide. Her ankle was still bothering her.
"Big deal!" Sakura bulled past Hinata and tossed her hair. "I would do anything for him twice!" As means of demonstration, she struck her fist against an old graffiti covered wall. The structure soon crumbled into a pile of mortar-encrusted bricks.
"I've always liked him," Hinata claimed. "Even when you used to hate him."
"So what," Sakura countered. "I like him a lot now. And, I won't be afraid to tell him so."
Hinata clenched her fists. Sticking out her chin, she tapped into her demon-fueled bravery and used it to its best effect. Walking over to Naruto, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a deep kiss. His arms shot stiffly out from his sides, and began blurring like the wings of a hummingbird.
Not about to be topped, especially with the amanojaku catering to Jiraiya's baser desires, Sakura strode over to her teammate, got down on her knees, and pulled down on his zipper. She paid no attention to the advancing multitude.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto jumped as high as his legs could take him. "Don't do that!" This kind of thing was always exciting in his dreams. He always thought that he would give half the ramen in Konoha to have two girls fighting over him. Well, not here. And not now! "That's it. Here. You can each have one of these." He created two Bunshin. "You can pull their arms off if you want. Just stay out of my way. And no dirty stuff!" He scowled when the two disgruntled shadow clones gave him the finger.
With his two amorous companions in tow, Naruto began breaking a trail trough the congregating masses. Things were getting dicier, room by room. When they reached the chamber where he had fought the giant insects, he wondered how things could get any worse.
"Uhhhh-hhh-hh-h…." A green form flashed through the assembled workers, sending numerous men and women airborne, arms akimbo and tools flying from their grasp. "You fiendshhh… enemieshhh of all that ishhh good and right… what have you done with my Shhhhakura-chan…."
"Ohhh… great… Lee…." Naruto smacked a hand against his forehead protector.
"Save me Naruto!" When Sakura clung to her friend this time, there wasn't anything coquettish about it. She had turned as pale as a sheet.
Hinata was too busy to take offense at the medical ninja's natural response. What's more, there was no way she could ever blame anyone for that reaction.
Naruto didn't feel inclined to push Sakura away this time. Any girl had the god given right to be frightened of a love-struck Rock Lee. "Hurry. Both of you. This way." He would try and lead them on an end around, bypassing the charging Lee before he knew they were there.
"Look out!" Sakura yanked hard on Naruto's arm. Tugging him away from danger, she slipped on an unseen oil spill. Naruto lost his footing, too.
"Kaiten!" Grimacing in pain, Hinata acted. Sakura hadn't managed to pull Naruto far enough to the side. A worker with an axe had cut a series of cables. The taut wires had been holding a large stack of spare sewer pipes together. The massive metal pipes rolled off of one another, speeding across the floor in their direction. The sheer force of her Heavenly Spin managed to deflect the oncoming doom, bust just barely.
As for Naruto and Sakura, they had landed all tangled up with one another. Had the two shinobi been naked, an innocent bystander might think they were in the middle of something rather steamy. "Naruto! Get… off… of… me!"
As fate would have it, Lee ran up just as Sakura spoke those words. Taken out of context, the sight that he saw left his blood boiling. Furious beyond all reason, thinking that his beloved Sakura was being compromised by someone sworn to protect her, he began preparation for Ura Renge, the Reverse Lotus.
"UZZZZHOMAKI NARUTO… EVIL RAVISHHHHER OF WOMEN… PREPARE TO MEET YOUR WELL-DESHHHERVED DOOM…." Lee's voice rang out across the large expanse.
He intended to use the more destructive version of the Front Lotus. This time, he did not stop at one gate. While only three chakra gates were needed for this move, five were activated. Because so many gates would be in use, he would only have one chance to defeat his foe, since he probably wouldn't be able to stand afterwards. Because of the speed and force of his attack, there was a good chance that it would prove fatal for his opponent.
"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō," Hinata called out. "Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms." She would do anything to save Naruto, even if it meant stepping in front of Lee's deadly attack. "I won't let you hurt my Naruto-kun!" This was her ultimate defense, a combination of her Kaiten and Hakke Rokujūyon Shō.
Naruto clearly realized just how much danger he was in. He had seen Lee use his forbidden technique during the Chuunin exams. His friend was even stronger now, more on par with Maito Gai. He considered using his wind-based jutsu, but couldn't bring himself to perform that on a friend. Still beneath him, Sakura did what she had to do. Placing both feet under her teammate, she kicked with all her strength, sending Naruto far into the air. If Lee's attack connected, it would connect with her.
High above them, Jiraiya hoped that the demon he had loosed on Naruto and the others hadn't been a Trojan Horse, far more dangerous than he ever had reason to believe.
"Nooo-oo-o…." There was no way that Lee could stop his move. He realized too late who his end target would be.
Looking down from above, Naruto worked his hand seals as quickly as he could. Even so, he knew that the large number of clones he was creating would never pop into being in time to make a difference. Time seemed to slow. If he had grown up hearing Norse Legends, he might have found himself wondering if he had stumbled upon Ragnarök, the battle at the end of the world. Had he been a Viking warrior, he would be happy. To them, dying in battle was admirable. What's more, in that great myth, the gods already know through prophecy what is going to happen… when the event would occur…who would be slain by whom… and so forth. They fought, even though they were powerless to prevent their fate.
Naruto didn't know if anyone as going to die here. If someone did, he would never accept it. Even if they all made it out somehow, that damn Ero-Sennin was going to pay. He wouldn't forgive anyone who put his friends in danger. At least, not until he had his chance at a comeuppance to beat all comeuppances.
What happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object? No one could say for sure. But, at that moment, between those combatants, and with a demon pulling the strings, a reprieve was granted to everyone involved. As Naruto plummeted back towards the ground, Hinata emitted a constant stream of chakra from her palms, creating extremely sharp chakra blades. With her natural flexibility, she had the ability to reach any point around her, allowing her to hit any target within her field of vision. Moving faster even than Lee, she managed to turn aside his attack even before the amanojaku did. That left the bushy eye-browed boy sliding hard along the flow on his face, body bent and feet in the air. His face stopped inches from Sakura. Extremely weak, he still managed to pucker his lips.
"Get away!" Sakura slapped her hand hard on the concrete floor, causing large chunks to break free and fly upward, Lee along with them.
Naruto hurried to Hinata's side, supporting her. His smile somehow looked bigger than his face. "Hinata! You Rock!" That had the white-eyed girl blushing.
"Hey!" Sakura definitely didn't like the one-sided praise. "I rock, too." She pointed to the fractured concrete. That looked like rocks.
"M-… My… My name is Rock…." Lee raised one hand towards Sakura, and then collapsed amongst the rubble. But, seconds later, he raised him self back to his feet inexplicably. It was a mystery only to him, since Naruto and the others had been told about the demon in the bottle. Somehow, the spirit had managed to reverse the effect the Lotus had on Lee's body.
"Even Kyuubi can't do that," Naruto said, making a face. "It looks like we need to make a break for it. Sakura, you help Hinata. I'll try to hold off Bushy Eyebrows." Neither girl wanted to be the first to leave Naruto. They both stood as if glued to the floor. "Do it before everyone gets their courage back." The display of power had caused the workers to have second thoughts.
"You will not shhhtop me," Lee said, thumbing his chest. "I am the Ninja of Love!"
"That could be his weakness," Hinata said. Remembering what she had been through upstairs, she came up with a plan. She whispered it to Sakura, who vehemently shook her head. "For Naruto," she added. "It will be your turn to shine."
"OK," Sakura said, looking as if she had swallowed something exceedingly sour. "But if you tell anyone…."
Despite his apparent invincibility after acquiring Pegasus, Bellerophon was defeated on two separate occasions. The first defeat came right after he had conquered the Amazons. Praying to his father Poseidon, who sent a great wave against the Lykian city of Xanthos, the hero rode up to the walls and called out a challenge. The men stayed inside in helpless fear; but, the women came out, lifted up their dresses, and exposed themselves. The wave receded. Pegasus was frightened, and Bellerophon was forced to retreat in shame. His second failure came at the end of his lofty career. Brimming over with hubris after his many victories, he decided to fly up to Mount Olympus to test the strength of Zeus. The great god saw him coming, and sent out the Oistros fly, which stung Pegasus beneath the tail. The frenzied horse began to buck, and Bellerophon was thrown off to the Lykian plain below.
"I think I see where you're going with this," Jiraiya said, sweating profusely after his victorious mental wrestling match with Susubori. "Let's spice it up a bit. I really like certain parts from the legend of Ishtar and Tammuz. I meant to use that story earlier, but forgot." He walked over to listen by the door leading out to the street. Every additional minute he stayed there put him at some risk. It was just about time to take down the tents and move the circus on to the next town.
In Babylonian mythology, Ishtar was sometimes considered a war-goddess, and at other times seen as the goddess of love and voluptuousness. In her youth, she gave her heart to Tammuz, the god of the harvest. According to Gilgamesh, Ishtar's love caused Tammuz' death, and she was stricken with such tremendous grief that she vowed to descend into the Underworld to rescue him. After threats gained her entry through the door to that dour place, she preceded through each of its the seven precincts. At the gate to each she was forced by Allatu, queen of the Underworld, to remove one piece of her dress. Her crown. Her earrings. Her necklace. The jewels from her breast. Her girdle of birthstones. Her wrist and ankle bracelets. Finally, the garment covering her nakedness.
When Ishtar entered the realm of Allatu in a rage, the queen ordered her to be imprisoned forever among the dead. The earth became desolate, and the heavens mourned, much the way that they had in the myth of Amaterasu. The god Ea sent a man to Allatu with a magical spell. That spell forced the queen to sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life and return her to the earth. As Ishtar exited the gates, she was bestowed the adornments she had lost. In some versions of the tale, she was able to work a deal to have Tammuz's half-sister take his place in the Underworld for six months out of every year. That part was reminiscent of the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, amongst others,
"I have to stay for this part," Jiraiya said. The amanojaku power extended over a finite range, and he didn't want to miss the extravaganza that was about to take place. No guts, no glory! "This is merely for Naruto's benefit, of course. It's a way to make up for everything that he's been through." The demon didn't buy that for an instant. "I wonder if Ishtar had pink hair."
Down below, Naruto ran a zig zag course through the various rooms of the underground area, Hinata in his arms. Running a few steps behind him, Sakura tried hard to work up the courage she needed. Blowing hearts after her every chance he got, Lee stayed hot on her trail. The workers had long since retreated. They had a lot to clean up.
"Sakura-chan… this way…." Naruto kicked open a door and jumped through.
"Drop something at each door," Hinata called out. Connected to Susubori, she had an idea what the demon's plan was. "Don't look back, Naruto-kun." She should have known better than to say that. In a number of different myths, the gods granted mortals special considerations with just that same caveat. Naturally, to give the stories impact, the poor fools always looked.
"He can if he wants too," Sakura said, mortified the moment the words left her mouth. The amanojaku could only cover up so much of her normal feelings. But, all things considered, it might just give her a leg up on Hinata. "Here goes…." leaping through the same door, she let her blouse drop to the ground behind her. If it had been her choice, she would have started with a bracelet.
Naruto tried to watch out of the corner of his eye. He ran smack dab into the next door, forgetting to open it first. Luckily, he had turned to the side at the last moment, spring Hinata any of the impact. Feeling a bit woozy, he saw stars. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he swallowed hard. She didn't look too happy.
"Hurry! He's catching up!" Sakura felt a sweat drop on the side of her face. There was only one thing worse than Lee catching up: that was Lee catching up when she was only partially dressed!
The chase resumed. Sakura continued to drop clothing at each of the doors they passed through. After her blouse, she had stripped off her skirt, bracelet, left earring, and right earring. There were two more doors to go, until they could pass through the refuse room and reach the stairs. She was down to her bra and panties. If Naruto and Kyuubi didn't get back at Jiraiya, she would. Tsunade would help her. She was certain of it. Then again, did she really want her mentor to find out about any of this?
"I never really noticed before, Sakura-chan." Naruto had looked back a number of times already. He had paid the price each time. Either he was a very slow learner, or some things were simply worth the pain. "You've got nice legs." This time, it was a sharp elbow from a miffed Hinata that had him falling to one knee.
"Naruto, you…." Whatever Sakura was going to say was lost when she ran into a support column. He wobbled around, hand on her head, wondering if she could go on. Why had Naruto's mark distracted her like that?
"Ahhhh-hhh-hh-h…." Lee ran right through a similar support column, his eagerness replacing common sense. "Thosessssh legshhhh belong to me, you deshhhhpicable pervert!"
Suddenly, all of the butterflies were gone from Sakura's head and stomach. She was ready to run again, with a new found sense of purpose. Seeing that the gap had closed too much for her liking, she began demolishing columns as she passed, leaving them to fall like stone trees in front of her pursuer.
"Here comes another door…." Naruto called out.
"Give it a rest, Naruto-kun." Hinata reached up with both hands and kept his face looking forward.
Only seconds after Sakura's discarded brassiere hit the floor, the trio passed though the final gate. The panties joined the other undergrment as they ran between the huge garbage dumpsters. But, Lee did not stop dead in his tracks as Lot's wife had, when she turned into a Pillar of salt after looking back at the condemned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
"It didn't work!" Sakura was ready to pass out. Given a mouth and voice, every cell in her body would be calling out in horror, begging for help.
"Killer birth mark, though." Naruto made a face much like one of those he Frog Hermit used. He pointed somewhere on Sakura he shouldn't have.
"Hah!" Up above, Jiraiya was too involved to notice the growing commotion outside of the Rec Center. "That's my boy!" He had taught the younger ninja something besides Rasengan! "OK, Susubori. You know what to do. Back to Bellerophon."
It was Hinata's turn to get in on the action. She fought the amanojaku control with every last ounce of willpower she had, but to no avail. Hopping down from Naruto's arms, a place she had come to feel strangely comfortable despite her pain, she tossed aside the coat that she had 'borrowed' soon after the beginning of their underground trials and tribulations. Biting her lip, she slid her last remaining piece of clothing down along her legs.
"What about my birthmark, Naruto-kun?" A demon-driven Hinata remained bent over like that, until she heard something heavy hit the ground. Naruto had fallen like one of the columns, blood shooting up out of his nose.
"Sniff." Jiriya wiped a tear out of his eye. "The boy never knew his parents. I felt like a father to him while we trained." He brushed away another tear. "Every father waits for a moment like this. My boy's a man." Susubori offered the Frog hermit the psychic equivalent of a hankie.
At first, it looked as if the combined efforts of the two naked girls was finally enough to stop Rock Lee, the green-suited juggernaut. He staggered. He bumped into walls. His mouth opened and closed like that of a flopping fish. For a few moments, his eyes had rolled up in his head. But, clenching his fists and taking tortuous step after tortuous step, he slowly made his way towards Sakura.
Jiraiya truly viewed himself as a benefactor of sorts. He had wanted Naruto to be the first to enjoy the sights. But, how could he stunt the emotional growth of the other boys? A big grin lit his face when Kiba and Choji lead a charge down the stairs. Seeing that the boys were up to something, the girls soon followed suit.
"Nice… uhhh…." For once, Naruto was able to control his tongue. It was another part of his body he was having trouble with. "Nice try, girls." He coughed. It was his turn again. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" He flooded the garbage area and the adjacent rooms with shadow clones. He hoped they would give them enough time to at least make it up the stairs. But, then what? If Hinata and Sakura left their clothes down here….
His concerns were moot, but not unfounded. The two girls in their birthday suits wouldn't face the embarrassment of running up through a party room full of boys. Pushed along by the others, Sai and Shikamaru started the ring of revelers that surrounded Naruto and the girls
"Name your price," Kiba said to Sai. "If you draw me a sketch of that."
"I'll double it," Choji said, snot shooting out of both nostrils.
"Triple," Shino said, shocking everyone.
Ino and the girls arrived just as Lee had polished off one remaining Bunshin. They were all still dressed in their Amazon attire, and soon found themselves back in that mind set. Queen Ino pointed to Lee. Ten Ten, best at Taijutsu, stepped forward.
"OOOOO-OOOO-OOO-OO-OH…." Lee went cross-eyed when the knife that his teammate tossed struck him 'below the tail.' He fell hard to the floor. There was nothing that the demon could do for him this time, even if it had wanted to. The Oistros fly had done its job.
The ersatz Amazons all began throwing clothes down to Hinata. At Ino's command, they held off helping Sakura in the same manner for a few moments. Just the same, despite the griping coming from the drunken boys, the two girls were completely dressed in record time.
"Hey! Great job, guys!" Naruto turned and gave Ino and the others a big 'V' sign.
"'Guys'?" Ino mouthed, narrowing her eyes. She tossed her hair and held her makeshift spear high. "Amazon warriors, who was it that led our sisters down to this pit of depravity?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," the assembled girls answered, banging weapons against serving platters and garbage can lids.
"Sisters," Ino continued, her voice loud and filled with emotion. "Who was it who forced them to behave in such shameful fashion?"
"Uzumaki Naruto!" The girls all raised their voice and rattled their shields and weapons.
"Hey… but…." Naruto began to realize just how Sakura must have felt with Lee hot on her heals. "The demon…."
"Forget the Bushy Boy!" Ino held both of her arms in the air. "Who should we fight now?"
"She's such a drama queen," Shikamaru grumped. "So bothersome."
"U-Z-U-M-A-K-I! -N-A-R-U-T-O!" The combined shouts carried to the rafters high over head. Before the echo died, the girls were barreling forward.
"Shit!" Naruto felt as if someone had walked over his grave. This didn't look good. "Hey! Sakura! Hinata! A little help…."
"I think he deserves this, don't you?" Sakura still looked pink in the face.
"Mmmm hmmmm." Hinata nodded her head. She crossed her fingers just the same and whispered "Naruto-kun."
"Thanks a lot!" Naruto formed a fresh wedge of shadow clones. He had to make a run for it. But, he was not going back into that labyrinthine underground. No freaking way! Live or die, he was going up the stairs and out of the Rec Center. He wouldn't be able to give the hairy old pervert what he deserved if he was lying in the hospital wrapped in a full body cast! "Make me a path guys!" Speeding up behind the rolling wave of Bunshin, he paused momentarily to whisper in Ino's ear, since she seemed to be the instigator. "Love the loincloth. Bet Choji does, too."
"Kill… kill… kill… kill…." Ino's face was a thing to behold. "Then kill him some more!"
At the top of the stairs, the Frog Hermit refreshed his Tōton Jutsu and made his way out of the building, the amanojaku bottle strapped on his back. As a squad of Konoha Keimu Butai headed towards the party site, he took one final look behind him. The place looked like it had been struck by a series of tsunami, each one larger than the last.
"I'm such a good teacher," the Sannin said. "I deserve some kind of reward." Stepping into the chill night air, he breathed in deep, filling his lungs. That felt so good. But, he immediately went on guard. He caught a whiff of perfume. Perfume, and hospital disinfectant.
"I should have known this was your doing." That was Tsunade. Surrounded by a full ANBU squad with their masks on, she didn't sound too happy.
"Ohhh. Hello, Tsunade." Jiraiya sighed. "Nice night for a walk, eh?"