AN: Do I really have to answer that question?
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Sun's Heir, Death's Guardian II: A Hero's Peril
X
"This isn't over, Namikaze!" snarled Kiba as he, a whimpering and muzzled Akamaru as well as a frowning Shikamaru were marched into the Camp. Along with the bronze chains, chakra-restraining tags were placed along their body, a good-sized amount of tags were given to small squad sent to retrieve Choji alive under Jason's order.
"It's Uzumaki," Naruto corrected as he shoved the bound Kiba forward, "Now keep moving Kibble-Breath."
The members of the Fifth Cohort who had been around when Naruto was at Jupiter five years ago were all delighted to see their former member, including the hyperactive Kool-Aid addict that was their senior centurion, Dakota. Though, Dakota was saddened to learn it was one of his kin that had threatened the camp. He had personally volunteered to go and retrieve Choji from where he had landed.
At the sound of armor clanking upon becoming straight and disciplined, Naruto turned to see more familiar faces, one in particular causing his face to split into a wide grin.
"Rey-chan!" he exclaimed joyfully, abandoning his post in escorting the new prisoners to greet the girl. Scowls from the other ready cohorts showed their disapproval at the informal greeting, while others (mostly those from the Fifth) fought back laughter at the normally stoic girl giving a small smile to the blond.
"Naruto Uzumaki," She greeted before clearing her throat and giving him an expectant look. Jason slipped over to her side, his smile dimming to a serious brood that looked almost forced.
Naruto sheepishly chuckled before standing at attention, crossing his right arm over his chest with a fist on his left pectoral. He bowed forward slightly as he spoke, "Praetors of Camp Jupiter, thank you for the timely assist and housing my company."
"Rise and be welcomed," Jason and Reyna said together. Naruto gave them another smile before his eyes landed on Thalia, who was staring at the other blond in the small group.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto then said, "Reyna, if you don't mind...I need to borrow Jason for a little bit."
"I suppose I can allow it," Reyna replied with a hint of disappointment, "I'll make sure the prisoners are properly secured."
"Alive as well," Jason said with a frown, "I still don't understand your reasoning, Naruto."
"I'll explain it later," the older blond said as Reyna left to ensure the prisoners would be properly taken care of...short of death. Naruto looked at other members of the Legion, before looking back to Jason and asking, "Think you can get them to leave us alone for like...five, ten minutes?"
"I am a Praetor," Jason reminded the blond.
"Psh, since when?" jokingly replied the older teen. Jason rolled his eyes before issuing an order to return to Camp, while Naruto went to Thalia and Piper.
"Naruto...I...Is...Is that?" Thalia was at a loss for words as she watched the blond teen issue commands. Above her the sky darkened slowly.
"It is," confirmed the older blond before he stepped to the side as Jason returned, "Jason Grace, Praetor of Camp Jupiter. Meet my companions, first, Piper McLean."
"Hello," Jason greeted with an offered hand and a smile. As Piper took his hand, Jason stared into her kaleidoscopic eyes in awe for a brief moment, snapping out of it when she spoke.
"Nice to meet you," Piper returned with her own grin before Naruto cleared his throat.
The two younger teens released each other's hands and looked to the blond. Naruto then looked to the raven-haired girl, her blue eyes misting slightly and biting her lip like she wanted to keep from crying. Jason followed Naruto gaze and when his eyes locked with the older girl's, he felt something akin to familiarity. As a tear rolled down the raven-haired girl's cheek, Jason felt the urge to make her smile as the clouds gathered overhead.
"Jason, I promised you a long time ago that I would reunite you with your sister," Naruto began, moving to stand behind Jason and looking at the girl as rain began to fall, "Jason, meet Thalia Grace, the Daughter of Zeus. Thalia-chan...Say hello to your little brother, Jason Grace, the Son of Jupiter."
Jason and Thalia stared at each other for a moment before one of them moved. Jason nearly fell over when Thalia bowled into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, and tears falling down her cheeks. Jason failed to speak as Thalia cried while hugging him and repeated two words, "You're real."
"Y-Yeah..." Jason finally managed to say as he hugged her back, tears of his own starting to form as he choked out, "I-I'm real."
Naruto and Piper watched the two siblings interact, the younger demigoddess moving to stand to the blond's side in an effort to become shielded from falling water. She looked up at the older teen, nudging him in the side and getting his attention, "Did you really promise him to reunite him with his sister?"
Naruto didn't reply for a moment, his smile dying and his eyes becoming sad, "Yeah."
"Wow...You should work for Hallmark," Piper commented with a small smile. Naruto's mouth twitched upwards at the joke. Unnoticed in the rain, his sunny sky blue eyes remained a depressed shade of blue as he watched the two children of the woman named Grace reunite.
Thalia's closed eyes opened once more and locked with her boyfriend's through the rain. A second passed and Naruto prepared himself as he saw the connections start to be made. Her brow furrowed in confusion before narrowing in anger. Forcing herself out of Jason's grasp, Thalia pushed past with a glare meeting Naruto's eyes.
"You son of a bitch," she hissed as she approached him. There was a boom of thunder and Thalia gave her boyfriend an accusing finger, "You knew. You knew and you didn't tell me!"
Naruto said nothing, his sad smile matching the emotions in his eyes. Thalia continued to glare at him before storming off in the other direction without another word being said. Jason found himself once more searching for words, looking between his leaving sister and his friend. Naruto nodded once, a silent instruction sending the younger blond after his furious older sister.
"W-What just happened?" Piper asked, looking up at Naruto, "Is...Is she mad at you?"
"Yeah..." Naruto sighed out, wiping water from his eyes, "Furious if I'm reading the wind speed right."
"But...she didn't hit you?"
"Nope."
"Doesn't she normally?"
"Yep."
"...Is that bad?"
"For you? No. For me?" Naruto left the question be unanswered and after a moment he turned towards the Camp, "Come on. Let's go talk to Rey-chan."
"Rey-chan? What? Is she an ex-girlfriend or something?" Piper asked, making note of the suffix he used.
"Nope," Naruto said as they walked away from the storm.
"Thalia! Thalia, wait up!" Jason called out to his still storming away sister, clouds gathering above her as she marched. He groaned before shooting ahead in a burst of speed, stopping in front of her as he doubles over and pants, "Just...Just give me a second." Recovering his breath from the forced application of the wind rather than the proper method he had been using, Jason asked as he stood upright, "What did Naruto do?"
"What did he do? He...He fucking lied to my face!" Thalia had tears of rage, depression and joy being held back by sheer will, "He knew you were alive and kept me in the dark! Me! I thought we were past all that, but he is still keeping secrets from me!"
"So? Everyone's got secrets," Jason replied in confusion.
"You don't keep your girlfriend's brother still being alive a secret, Jason!" Thalia shouted, causing a bolt of lightning to crash down nearby.
Jason's mouth moved but no words came out. Finally, he managed a surprised, "G-Girlfriend?"
"Not for much longer!" exploded the raven-haired demigoddess along with a boom of thunder.
"Well...I-I don't know how to reply to that," admitted the Praetor, "But this can't be how you want to end it!"
"You'd be surprised!" retorted Thalia as the rain started to pour down harshly, reflecting her emotions. Jason was starting to have trouble determining which droplets were tears and which were from the sky.
"There has to be a reason why he kept it from you!" Jason said, nearly shouting, as the wind picked up. He could suppose this was why Lupa would send him outside when he would have temper tantrums.
"I had a right to know that my little brother was still alive!"
"You did!" agreed the younger Grace, "You had every right to know! But! BUT! Naruto had a reason! He always has a reason for what he does!"
"So what? My feelings don't matter?" Thalia raged, "Just his bullshit 'reason'?"
"He brought you along when he knew he'd end up here, right?" Jason asked, making Thalia blink, "What does that tell you? He promised to reunite me with my sister and look what he did! Sure it took some time, but kept his promise to me!"
"I still had a right to know!" Thalia argued.
"Maybe something was keeping him from telling you!" Jason retorted, "Naruto wouldn't keep this from you unless something made him do so! Give him a chance to explain himself and he will!"
"What do you know?!" the older sister demanded.
"I know that he missed you!" Jason said, making her stare at him in disbelief. The blond pressed on, "Yeah...All he talked about was you and his sister. She's around my age apparently and her name was...Annabelle?"
"Annabeth," Thalia corrected getting Jason to nod.
"Okay, Annabeth," amended the blond, "The point is he wouldn't shut up about you! He was always smiling when he talked about you two. I was also curious what you were like, so he told me things. Like how you much you loved to practice with your control over lightning...Especially on him since he doesn't like it."
Thalia smirked as she recalled the small shocks she used to give the blond as they traveled. The way he would yelp and jump behind Annabeth while Luke would tease the older boy, who'd then retaliate with a wedgie or noogie or something along those lines.
"And then the way you'd...you two would...Well, talk," Jason said while shuffling where he stood as the rain slowed, "The way you'd speculate over what would come after you next...when he talked about you, he just seemed so happy, he spoke with such affection, you know."
Thalia's smirk fell into a soft smile. More than once she and Naruto would lie under the stars looking up, wondering how their fathers acted, what the safe place for demigods was. Sharing a few nights alone on watch for monsters, the way she'd wake up in his embrace after some long nights. More recent events entered her mind; fighting Ladon along with Zoë, their dance at Christmas, the more embarrassing conclusions to their training sessions, and some of their date nights.
"Then he'd go on about how you always had this smirk, how your nose scrunched up when you'd get mad, how you woke up more than once lying on his shoulder," Jason rambled before pointing at his now scowling sister, "That's the scrunched up...oh."
"I think I get the point," the slightly embarrassed girl said before looking up at the sky, "I hate losing control like that."
"You just needed to calm down," Jason corrected as he held his hand out. Wind gathered in it and started to form a sphere, "Once you're calm, you can do anything."
"He helped you gain control, too," an impressed Thalia mused before raising a fist and having lightning spark around it, "Lightning's way more fun, though."
"You can fly with wind," Jason countered with a smirk.
Thalia's own grin fell slightly, "Yeah...Flying..."
"What? Can't fly yet?" Jason started to tease before he remembered something and he winced, "Right...Acrophobia. You know, I've been wondering how is that even possible, I mean our father is-?"
"Shut up, Jason!" Thalia said with a small frown that could be mistaken for a pout.
Jason grinned, "You're the daughter of Zeus, but afraid of heights?"
"I will shock you," Thalia warned.
"It wouldn't hurt me," deadpanned the younger Grace, earning a glare from his sister.
"I'm sorry, for a second I mistook you for the other blond," Thalia snarked.
The two siblings stood across from one another, eyes narrowed challengingly at the other before they grinned. They hugged again and after a minute, Jason asked in a hopeful tone, "So...Gonna go forgive Naruto, yet?"
"No," Thalia replied with a frown before asking, "Can we talk about something else?"
"I guess," Jason said in a slightly defeated tone before asking, "So...how was life as a tree?"
"They refuse to tell us anything," Reyna said with a scowl as she, Naruto and Piper stood outside of a holding cell. Naruto was leaning against the side of the bars, glaring into the cell at the meditating Shikamaru. The blond's eyes narrowed in thought.
"Do you really have to lock the dog up with a muzzle?" Piper asked as she looked at the giant white dog.
"Normally, no," Naruto said, breaking himself from his musings, "But he's learned to speak. One less annoyance."
"Fuck you, Naruto!" Kiba snarled as he glared down at his shackled hands and the tags attached to it.
"Mm, while many may pay to see it, I'm going to have to pass on the request," Naruto replied before returning his gaze to Shikamaru, "...You can't escape. Our...leaders won't allow it."
"A girl in shiny armor and another pretty boy–!" Kiba was cut off by Shikamaru's voice.
"They're not who he's talking about," replied the meditating teen as his coal eyes looked up and met two sun-filled sapphire orbs, "Something far more powerful is at play here."
"Understatement of the millennia," Naruto mumbled. Looking back to Reyna, the blond said, "They're not going to talk."
"How can you be sure?" the Praetor asked.
"The only way that we would get anything is if they told us willingly," replied the blond before an idea struck him. Looking at Piper, Naruto said, "Piper, come here."
"Why?" she asked.
"I got an idea," the blond replied, "Ask the mutt what their plan is."
"What?" Both Piper and Reyna chorused.
"Fuck you Naruto!"
"We've been over this," Naruto said to the shinobi before looking back at Piper, "In the nicest, sweetest and most polite manner, ask him what their plan is."
"Why should I?" Piper inquired as she stepped closer to the cell.
Naruto rolled his eyes, "Because then you would be helpful, I might get an idea as to who your mother is, would you like me to continue?"
"...Fine," agreed the girl before looking at the wild looking man. Smiling in a sincerely sweet smile, Piper asked Kiba, "What is your plan?"
"Bust out as soon as possible, subdue Naruto and drag his traitorous ass back to Konoha for trial and to retrieve a blood sample so that the Alliance can use his parent's notes in the Fourth Shinobi War," Kiba answered. Shikamaru looked at him in pure shock while Akamaru growled something in the canine language.
"Yeah, figured as much," Naruto sighed out while Kiba rubbed his head. Looking at Piper, Naruto grinned, "Congrats are in order, your mom is the ultimate manipulator, the Lady of Doves and the fairest of them all. First three guesses don't count."
As Piper furrowed her brow in confusion, Shikamaru stood and pulled Kiba away from the bars. Glaring at Naruto, the squad leader asked, "How did she do that?"
"Keebs is a pervert, he couldn't resist her girlish charms," Naruto replied as he gently pulled Piper away from the cell and stood in front of her, "She might be able to ensnare you, too."
"Bullshit," snapped Shikamaru, "What sort of kekkei genkai does she have? Who are the people in charge and where the fuck did you get the strength to flip Choji when he was over one hundred feet tall?"
"What you think I'm just going to tell you?" Naruto asked with a smirk, "Like the old me would've? Like an idiot would? Well here's a newsflash, Shikamaru!"
There was a squelching sound and Shikamaru's eyes widened before he looked down and saw a kunai piercing his leg. The dark eyes looked up into the sun-encircled blue ones, Shikamaru's gaze was filled with betrayal and confusion while Naruto's were filled with anger. Another squelch was heard and Shikamaru stumbled back, clutching his leg and gritting his teeth.
"I'm not the dobe you can push around or poke fun at, just like you're not the same sarcastic lazy son of a bitch you were all those years ago," Naruto informed the man with accusing eyes.
"I-I'll kill you...Naruto!" The weak voice of the newest occupant said as members of Jupiter's Legion entered. Naruto turned and his gaze softened as the slightly charred body of his childhood friend was carried in. Before he could speak, Reyna stopped the entourage and glared down at the wounded man.
"Be silent," the young warrior scolded, "You've shamed both this camp and your ancestry, at least hold the decency not to disgrace yourself further."
"He doesn't even know what you're talking about," interjected the blond demigod as he placed a hand on Choji's head, ignoring the glare he received. Closing his eyes, Naruto softly spoke, "Kind father above, show my foe some love; ensure the pain goes away, I will never turn astray."
There was a small bright light from where Naruto's hand pressed against Choji's head. Choji felt the pains of his burns dim to nothing, making him look at Naruto questionably. Patting the large man on the head, Naruto said, "For burning you alive...I am sorry, Choji. Stabbing someone and flaying someone are two different things."
Choji said nothing, falling into a blissful sleep as he was moved into an adjacent cell. Naruto's eyes followed his old friend before looking back to Shikamaru, who was frowning as he tried to figure out what had just happened.
"You can keep plotting all you like, Konohan," Naruto said with a bit of disgust, "I'll be waiting."
"You can't keep us down here forever, Naruto!" Kiba called after the blond as he and the two girls left the cells, "I will get you for this! NARUTO!"
When Jason offered to show her around the very different Camp Jupiter, Thalia hadn't expected to run into her boyfriend and their younger companion being led around by the other Praetor, Reyna. With her armor off and wearing a bright purple tunic, Reyna was a rather beautiful girl of Hispanic descent with hair nearly as dark as Thalia's own. She stood at Naruto's shoulder, putting her a good few inches shorter than herself and her equally tall (and still growing) brother.
"Thalia-chan," Naruto greeted with a nod as well as a small smile. Thalia nodded curtly to him and Piper before looking expectantly at the other Praetor, to which Naruto introduced them, "Rey-chan, this is my...girlfriend Thalia Grace, Jason's sister and daughter of Zeus. Thalia, this is Reyna, daughter of Bellona the Roman War Goddess."
Thalia noticed that something flashed across Reyna's eyes and that the Praetor's eyebrows narrowed slightly when Naruto called her his girlfriend, but her face quickly turned into a small smile, "Welcome to Camp Jupiter, Thalia Grace."
"Just Thalia will do," the raven-haired daughter of Zeus as she returned the smile half-heartedly. It was exactly what she needed right now, a girl with a crush on her idiot. And judging on the pleased grin spreading across Naruto's face, he wasn't even aware of it. Fantastic. Addressing said idiot, Thalia asked, "So who were our followers?"
"Couple of guys from my hometown inviting me to a party," Naruto said.
Piper scoffed, "More like they were here to drag you to your ordered execution."
"Well thanks for having my back, Pipes!" Naruto chirped sarcastically as Thalia narrowed her eyes on him. In order to appease his girlfriend, Naruto was quick to add, "Look it's nothing to worry about. I sealed off their chakra and Rey-chan has them all under guard by members of the First Cohort, some of the best fighters in the Legion."
"Who did you assign?" Jason asked, getting Reyna to look at him.
"Just Marshal and Douglas," Reyna answered, "We already have them locked up and as Naruto said, he sealed away their sha-kra."
"Chakra," corrected the blond. Naruto opened his mouth to continue when another voice spoke up.
"How dare you show your face here!"
"Wonderful, just the person I didn't want to see," Naruto snarked before turning to glare at the newcomer. He was a pale skinny teen just about Thalia's height, with equally pale blond hair and crazed blue eyes that were narrowed onto Naruto's form. A white toga hung over a plain blue shirt and jeans. Thalia noted that there was a tattoo on his arm, of a lyre above the letters SPQR with five lines underneath it. Flanking him were two Roman campers with spears at the ready.
"You...You and your...Your Greek ideology!" the teen said, "Not to mention bringing enemies into the camp. Apprehend them!"
"Lower your weapons," Jason ordered the two before glaring at the newcomer, "And you stay out of this, Octavian!"
"Your compassion blinds you, Jason!" the teen, Octavian, accused, "You acquaint yourself with the enemy!"
"Oh shove it up your ass, Octy," Naruto sneered, "Why don't you go play with your stuffed animals?"
"You dare insult the Augur of Jupiter?" Octavian asked.
Oh that is Bull. Shit! Helios raged, This little twat wouldn't know the difference between a fortune cookie and a prophecy if it slapped him in the face!
"Augur my ass!" Naruto snapped, taking a step towards Octavian as Helios' feelings on the matter influenced him, "You're nothing more than a Haruspex!"
The Augur looked like an apple he was so red, "You son of a-!"
"Finish that sentence and even the Gods won't save you from my wrath, Octavian!" Naruto warned the teen with murder in his eyes. If there was one thing Naruto disliked above all else in this Camp it was the great–times however many generations–nephew that stood before him. The two blond descendants of Apollo held murderous gazes while Octavian's 'guards' nervously looked between the two.
"Alright, that's enough!" Reyna announced, stepping between the two with a scowl set on her face. She turned to Naruto first, "As much as it pains me to admit it, Octavian has a point. You are a guest, do not show hostility to my people."
Reyna then turned to Octavian, "And you, Octavian, have no right in choosing who is and isn't allowed in our camp! Now return to your duties or I will have you arrested for attacking a foreign diplomat!"
"You don't have the right-!" Octavian began, only for Jason to step forward.
"You not only threatened our guests, Octavian, but my sister as well!" Jason snarled, "Who happens to also be the daughter of Zeus! What does that tell you?"
Octavian promptly shut up, looking as though he just swallowed something sour, sending another sneering glare to Naruto. The look was returned with one of restrained anger, part of it was influenced by Helios' opinion and of Naruto's own dislike for the teen. Octavian held his gaze for a moment longer before retreating.
Naruto's eyes narrowed and he grumbled, "How the fuck did that come from my Dad?"
"Don't let him get to you," Reyna said to the blond, placing a hand on his arm, "He was trying to get you to react."
"Yeah and he almost got his wish," the older demigod muttered angrily. He turned around and walked away, interlocking his hands behind his head as he did, "Well, we gonna get some food soon? I thought you guys would've added a restaurant while I was gone!"
"You're a riot, Naruto," Jason replied as his eyes rolled. As Reyna and Piper followed after the son of Apollo, he nudged Thalia and asked, "You wanna go with them? We might not have a restaurant but we've got some pretty good food at the barracks."
"This place sounds more like a boot camp than a summer camp," Thalia murmured with her eyes narrowed as she watched Reyna gently touch Naruto's arm to gain his attention. Mad as she might be at her boyfriend, she wasn't about to let some crushing girl try to take him away. Looking at her brother and forcing down her anger, Thalia gave him a small smile, "Sure."
Later that evening, Shikamaru found himself staring up at the roof of his cell. Kiba had tired himself out trying to force one of their armored guards to release him under death threats. The guards merely spoke in another language before laughing as their relief came in. Upon being asked what language they were speaking, he was told nothing. Choji floated in and out of consciousness. Whatever Naruto did, he made it possible for Choji to slowly recover, if what one of their guards said in English was anything to go by.
It made the heir to the Nara clan think about what Naruto had said to him.
"You can't take me home: I Am Home."
AN: And so ends the tenth chapter. Naruto and Thalia's big fight begins, but will it end just as quickly? Have the Konoha Shinobi been successfully subdued? Can Piper figure out the clues Naruto is laying out in front of her? Will we see a catfight in the next chapter? Will my stupid cold go away before the three-day weekend is over?
To find out there is only one thing left to do,
REVIEW!