The Greek Kunoichi
Chapter 19: On the way back to Delos.
Author's Notes: It's been a while since I worked on this story, but rest assured, I haven't abandoned it. Good news, I have quite a few good ideas for this work. Bad news, the story is coming to an end. I might do a spin-off of this story and cross it over with Hellsing, but it's not decided yet. Now that Gaia has been defeated, the cleanup will be the job of others. The Seven Heroes have done their parts and even the most selfish of Gods won't hold their need of rest against them, well maybe Khione, but no one really care what she think. Believe me; she's up for a not so fun time when the Olympians will be done with her.
Zeus may have mellowed since the old days, but the King still doesn't appreciate treason. I wanted to give Naruto her own original Quest, but no matter what I try, I can't come up with an adequate prophecy. It doesn't help that Naruto doesn't believe in such things. Oh well, we'll see if something comes up later. If anyone can help me, I'm all ears! Also, a thank you to DZ2 for coining and letting the other authors use the terms "Twice blessed" and "Twice born" demigods.
Also there is going to be guest characters from a well known series of movies, but they are just there to facilitate the plot going forward, I do not plan to add another anime/manga/series to this work. Now, let's go see the stats! We have 89 Reviews, 475 Followers, 484 Favourites, 10 C2 Communities and 82 721 Views. Thank you very much for everything. Now, let's get this show on the road shall we?
In the council room of Olympus, Zeus sat with his family and fellow Olympians. He was thinking deeply about his last battle against Porphyrion. While it hadn't been an easy fight, far from it, he had come on top with the help of his Roman half blood son Jason easier than he had expected. It seems that putting him back into shape had been an excellent decision. He would have to give Ares and Athena a recompense for their wise council. And was it weird that Ares of all people voluntarily gave good advice to someone? It seems that everyone had been taken off guard by his thug persona. Seeing that everyone was there at the exception of Apollo whose punishment wasn't over, he started the council.
"This Olympian Council Meeting is now under way. Let the doors be sealed so that we may not be disturbed."
At his command, the doors of the Council Chambers were sealed. No one could enter, no one could leave. Still in his King persona, Zeus asked with a sadistic and bloodthirsty smirk
"Brother Hades, how do your new guests fare in Tartarus?"
The smirk was soon shared by the Eldest of the Big Three. He was prompt to answer his youngest sibling since he was very glad to have these guests back under his tender care.
"Oh, believe me Brother Zeus; even if they were all still alive and/or conscious, they couldn't even think about escaping my clutches. I ordered my very best torturers to visit untold horrors on their corpses, just in case. I even told them that they had my blessing to think up new ways to torture them and that any great innovation would be rewarded. One of my more recent employees from the Hidden Continent has come up with so many delightful ideas, you wouldn't believe it. If the Gigantes were still able to think rationally, they would beg us to share the Crooked One's fate. That man has been the Shinobi equivalent of the Boogeyman for nearly fifty years before I hired him. They only need one measly look and a creepy smile from him and even the most hardened ninja's soul break down in hysterics!"
That tidbit of information got a savage smirk out of the original six, well except Hestia, who even if she was glad that her father was overthrown and the Gigantes dealt with, she was a pacifist at heart. She just couldn't wish anybody real ill will. Seeing as everything was well in hand, she returned tending to the Hearth, letting her siblings, nieces and nephews put order back in the world.
Zeus assured himself that the domains of all his fellow Gods were as good as it could be for the moment before changing the subject.
"Ares, Athena. I must thank you both for your good advice in saying that we should whip ourselves back into shape. I must admit that the training regimen you both devised for me gave me an easier victory against my own bane. The fight was far from easy, but I expected that it would be much harder to get rid of Porphyrion, even with my Roman son's help. For that, as thanks, I will grant you a boon each. I also have decided, as King of the Gods that we, the Gods of Olympus be they minor, major or primordial, will no longer let ourselves get slow and fat. We will, from this day forward, keep exercising to stay at the peak of our strength, like the days of old."
Once done and the Decree enforced by the King's will, the reactions of the two War aligned Deities could be seen. Athena was smiling serenely, glad to have helped her father and fellow Gods meet the Gigante threat and Gaia, even if they weren't able to help as much as they had liked, what with the Ancient Laws and the Prophecies in place. A boon was offered to her as recompense? Well, she would have to think on it before doing anything rash. She then asked
"I thank you for the recompense Father, but I need to ponder further on what I wish to ask before stating my answer. Is that agreeable with you?"
Zeus accepted with a simple nod of the head. He had expected a similar answer from his wisest daughter. Now turning his electric blue gaze on his warmongering son, he waited for his answer.
Ares was not the brainiest of the Gods but he was not an imbecile as many thought he was. While he could analyze a situation just fine and act accordingly, he was too impulsive these days to play the waiting game for too long. He had been spoiled by the advances in warfare made by mortals with the centuries and regressing was as enticing as his mother's dominion over marriage extending to him. In short, he wasn't interested in ending his bachelorhood or going back to his more primitive state. While usually he would have let things go and just reaped the benefits from the war brewing against the Giants and Gaia, he had wanted to see his family back to their peak, not in the washed up state they all were when The Crooked One tried to take back the world. That was why he pushed his family to get back into shape; to recapture their ancient strength they had millennia ago in the First Titanomachy and Gigantomachy. Now he was offered a boon in recompense for his actions.
It was nice, but what could he ask when he had about everything he ever needed and/or wanted? He was already an Olympian and had no intention of usurping his father's and uncles' places, he was already banging Aphrodite every time he wanted, his children in both Camps were awesome, and Clarisse, Mark, Frank and Sasuke were currently his and Mars' favourites. Then they were also currently cleaning up from another war, so soon after the last one. Two wars in the same decade were enough for everybody else, so he would have to contain his greed on this matter and not ask for one more.
Then something niggled at the back of his mind. His little student had surpassed his shinobi son, element wise. Ares was well versed enough in the Shinobi Clans matters to know that an Uchiha body was not the same as an Uzumaki body. They were at each end of the spectrum. Uzumaki had the strongest constitution, while Uchiha had the strongest mind. Well, maybe he could use this offered boon to give Sasuke a much needed boost. He had more than earned it, after whipping the camp and his siblings into shape and hopefully, with that, he wouldn't feel so much emasculated by Apollo's legitimate daughter's prowess. Nodding to himself, he then decided to make use of his not often employed oratory talents
"Well, to be frank with you Pops, I already have everything I could possibly need or want. But my Shinobi son, Sasuke Uchiha, could use your particular brand of help. You see, he possesses a very strong lightning chakra affinity along side of his fire chakra one. For my boon, I would ask that you enhance his talent for lightning manipulation. "
Every God seated in the council turned their heads to look at the God of War, even Hestia stopped poking in her Hearth to look at her war driven nephew in surprise. Ares smirked, feeling amused at their dumbfounded looks. It wasn't because he acted like a thug most of the time that he couldn't be smart when he wanted to be or needed it. The Shinobi maxim was really fitting in that situation. Look underneath the underneath. Oh well, the explanations could come later, since Zeus was about to answer.
The King of the Gods was rather surprised to be honest. He hadn't expected for his warmongering son to use his given boon like that. But he should have anticipated it. Ares could be quite cunning when he wanted to be. It was within his powers to boost a Demigod and even easier for him since they were a close blood relation, but he never did it on a chakra wielding one before. Thus before committing to anything, he decided to see what this Sasuke could do. With a thought, the boy's last Bingo Book entry and his personal files from the Hokage Office were then visible by everyone on the Council. Some had comments to said, others kept quiet. Zeus was honestly pleased by what he saw. Sincerely, if he didn't know that the boy was Greek to the bone, he would have sworn that the Uchiha kid was a Son of Mars. He was rather inclined to enhance the lightning affinity of the young man, but first, he wanted to see what he could do with it.
Ares, guessing what his father wanted, showed to everyone on the council the fight Sasuke and Naruto had at the Valley of the End during the boy's defection attempt to the Rogue Ninja Kabuto Yakushi, the former second in command of the infamous Orochimaru. During the entirety of the fight, everyone was glued to their Thrones, watching as two thirteen years old went at it like never seen before. Ares' son and Apollo's daughter were rather evenly matched. What the girl, Naruto, was lacking in strength and proper tactics, she more than made it up with her insane speed, great agility and her sheer craftiness. Seriously, multiplying herself to create a human chain and slam her foe into the cliffs to get some breathing room was nothing short of amazing! Then came what looked like the crescendo of the fight. Sasuke used the cursed power "gifted" to him by Orochimaru and Naruto had dug deep into the Fox Spirit's power sealed into her at birth. The girl created a condensed spiralling sphere of energy in one hand and the boy had a ball of lightning into his hand, the noise was sounding like the chirping of a thousand birds, hence the name of the technique, Chidori.
Zeus and the rest of the council' eyes and jaws flew wide open at what happened when the Rasengan and the Chidori collided. Sparks of chakra flew everywhere as a demonic enhanced grinding technique collided with a Curse enhanced piercing technique, neither of them truly able to overpower the other. Then the girl's eyes seemed to lose focus for a second, before returning steelier than before. Her voice was muted by the chirping sound of the Chidori and the grinding sound of the Rasengan clashing together but a loud thunderclap was heard from the cloudless sky, signifying that an Oath on the River Styx had been made. Suddenly, the fox like chakra cloak bubbled once more around the blond and two more tails formed and she started to really overpower Sasuke.
Ares explained what was happening
"She made a deal with her tenant and both swore on the Styx to uphold their parts of the bargain. In exchange for more power to totally defeat my son since they were about evenly matched, she would allow the Fox Spirit to have access to her senses while she taught Sasuke a much needed lesson. You see, the Fox has a lasting grudge against the Uchiha Clan and the chance of seeing one get his ass handled to him was incentive enough for the spirit to extend an olive branch to Naruto. As a sign of good faith, the Fox also agreed to not try to take over her body while lending her more power.
You see, my son was starting to feel restricted by the Shinobi program at the time and was feeling emasculated to see his foster sister progress by leaps and bounds while his own progress was slower. Needless to say, she kicked his ass all over the Valley and brought him back to Konoha by force where Uncle Poseidon and Amphitrite's twice born demigod daughter, Kushina Uzumaki, his foster mother and Naruto's mother, got rid of the Cursed Seal on his neck.
Usually, I would have been very displeased by my son's defeat, but in this case I'm glad that my student knocked some sense back into him. Going to a Rogue Ninja for more power instead of training his ass off to get to his desired level? It's disgusting really. "
He finished with an annoyed tone of voice.
The rest of the Council and even Hestia watched as the now three tailed Naruto gave Sasuke a spectacular beating he would not forget anytime soon by batting him from one side of the valley to another. Once Ares' son was no longer able to stand up on his own and had no fight left in him, the girl reverted back to normal and in an act of inverse machismo that brought amused smiles on Artemis and Athena's lips, she casually tossed the battered black and blue and still groaning in pain young teen over her shoulder like a potato sack. Then she started to move back in direction of the village with a tired but proud smirk on her youthful face. The most amazing in all that, in many eyes, was to see her wounds slowly but surely steaming up and closing, leaving freshly healed pink skin behind. Regeneration! She was truly a daughter of the Medicine God.
Many were speechless after that show. They both did that when they were both thirteen years old? What could they do now that they were adults?! But for Zeus, he had seen enough. He was proud of both, what with them been both of his grandchildren. The girl through Apollo, she had to have inherited her insane wind affinity from someone after all (He was with Hera on that one, he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a woman could grab his Archer son's attention long enough to marry her and for said woman to give him his first legitimate child. The results were in front of him and damn was she impressive), and the boy through Ares. Yes, Sasuke was worthy of his help. Dismissing the vision and summoning a blank screen so to speak, The God-King of Olympus channelled his power carefully into his right hand and when he had enough for his purpose, he plunged it into the vision pool, sending the blessing down on Earth toward Sasuke Uchiha. Once assured that the boon would only touch the one targeted and wouldn't be stolen away, Zeus removed his hand from the water like substance and after turning toward his warmongering son, he said
"Your boon has been granted, Ares. Sasuke Uchiha's lightning affinity is now twice as potent as before. He will need to train again in its use though."
Once done with the rewards, it was Poseidon who brought the new subject.
"Brother Zeus, what should we do now about Khione's treachery? She sided with Gaia after all and almost killed many of our children. Congratulations also to you Aphrodite, your daughter Piper Mclean is a fantastic warrior."
Aphrodite thanked the Sea God with a proud smile on her face. She was immensely proud and happy that Piper survived the war and showed the world that Love was not to be messed with.
At mentioning the goddess of Snow's name, Hera's face became thunderous. She would not forget anytime soon been lured into a trap and her essence used to revive Porphyrion in the Wolf House. She then took the parole
"Husband, I want justice. That third rate goddess overstepped her bonds and went straight for treason. She tried to dethrone us. Her fate shall be yours to decide of course, but we need to bring her to heel. I suggest sending Ares, Athena or Artemis to bring her in. Maybe a few centuries trapped somewhere unpleasant will make her think twice about trying to destroy the world."
The rest of the Council was in agreement with that and Zeus was of the same mind. Khione's actions had to be punished. Boreas and his sons could be excused, they were following Aeolus' orders, who was been threatened by Gaia. But the Goddess of Snow went too far to be dismissed with a slap on the hand. Having come to a decision, he said to his wife
"Once the meeting is over, Ares will go fetch Khione, dear. "
Then the King addressed the god in question with a bit of savage glee in his voice
"Do feel free to show her our displeasure at her actions, son. But I want her still alive and also healthy enough to be able to stand trial. For that I'll send Athena with you, just to make sure you don't go overboard by accident. We don't want her to miss her just punishment due to the fact that she would be too injured after all do we?"
At hearing that, both War Deities had savage smiles on their faces. Having a non verbal conversation while staring at each others, they both mutually decided to let go of their shared distaste of each others for this assignment at least, since both Gods were very eager to enact some payback on the Snow Goddess for threatening their children's lives and trying to dethrone them. Athena would have preferred if she was a Roman deity since even now with her Parthenon statue returned she still felt a prickling of anger at the Romans for taking it in the first place, but a traitorous third rate Greek Goddess would have to do.
Back with Naruto and company in Camp Half-Blood, the Daughter of Apollo was trying to sell her new idea to Chiron. The Trainer of Heroes wasn't very warm to the idea, but he had inkling that the young woman sitting in front of him could and would make his life a living hell until he agreed to her request. Her Fox like grin exposing her sharper than normal canines was already saying long on her intentions. Why oh why did Lord Apollo just have to reproduce with a member of a Shinobi Clan well known to not have all their screws screwed tightly?! Now both Mr. D and he had to deal with an adult daughter of the Sun God much too powerful for her own good in his opinion and able to harness her parents' more annoying traits like a finely crafted weapon!
And now, said daughter was asking him to let go of a few of his campers with her for a vacation oversea of all things! And it didn't help his case for a refusal that she had already managed to wrangle some leave time from Camp Jupiter for Frank, Jason and Hazel. How she managed to spin this out to the reigning Praetor and Terminus, he didn't know. He should be glad that she at least sought his permission, knowing her she could have easily absconded with everybody she wished to bring into this new adventure.
Palming his face, he then said with great sufferance
"Fine, you win Naruto. You can bring them with you on a vacation. But!"
He interrupted her cheering
"But, I want them back no later than in a month and a half and also I want them to still be in tip top shape! We still have many monsters loose to mop up. Also, I don't want any teenage pregnancies, so for Mr. D's and my own sanity, if the couples have risks of being intimate, you better provide them with as many condoms as they need for Gods' sake!"
At that Naruto snickered but understood the centaur's plea. Mr. D was not very helpful even in his good days and Chiron had his hands full with running a camp full of pre-teens and teens all alone. Babies would be too much for him alone and the Wine God had still fifty years to go for his sentence. There were talks of asking Hestia to take Dionysus' place when his punishment would be over but nothing concrete yet. Agreeing to his conditions, she then explained her planned itinerary since they were in the privacy of his office
"The trip to go there in the first place is going to take a few days since we're taking the seaway. We're going to catch a ship chartered by my grandfather from New York's docks to all the way to a port in Hi No Kuni and then travel a while on foot to another privately owned port where we will sail on another ship that can take us to Uzu No Kuni. "
Seeing that Chiron had a bit of difficulty translating the Japanese terms, Naruto gave him a break by giving him the English names
"Hi No Kuni means Land of Fire or Fire Country and Uzu No Kuni means Land of Whirlpools or Whirlpool Country in English. It's a longer trip than usual; I mean I could use the Hiraishin no jutsu/Flying Thunder God technique and bring them to the main island of the Archipelago two at the time, but it's a vacation, so we will back track a bit in the wilderness. There are no monsters there and we're all strong enough to handle bandits and regular predators. I'll equip the gang with weapons that can hurt mortals just in case and with me as their guide, we'll have great fun. Whirlpool Country is a tropical archipelago encased in a barrier reef and this time they will be able to visit without being pressed by time. The trip back should be quicker, there's a new piece of technology that should be ready for its inaugural trip by the time we're ready to come back. If not, well I'll teleport everyone back or badger dad to open a portal for us."
Chiron nodded and asked
"When do you intend to leave and do you need a mean of transport to get there?"
Naruto answered
"We'll leave tomorrow morning after breakfast and no thanks, I've already secured a minivan for all of us. I'm going in the city in an hour or two to pick it up. I had it upgraded at an acquaintance of mine's garage. And before you ask, yes I paid for it; everything is legal up the last dot on the car registration papers. Geez, you borrow one old car for a joy ride and then everybody and their mothers think you'll steal cars left and right at the first occasion!"
She finished rather incensed, throwing her arms in the air in frustration.
The Centaur in wheelchair mode snickered a bit at that, but stopped when he was on the receiving end of the baleful glare she gave him in retaliation. He had no intention of provoking Naruto of Nine Tails into a fight today. Knowing her she would get vindictive and likely to throw around Fox Fire. He loathed with all his soul Kitsune-bi!
When they exited his Office, they both saw Mr. D passing through, mumbling under his breath about one thing or another. Having a possible idea on how he could bypass part of his punishment, she left Chiron in the dust and followed the God. Just as when she asked for a spar, she waited calmly and politely until she was acknowledged before talking. Since she was in his good books for the moment, it didn't take long. Mr. D was even somewhat polite!
"If it's another spar that you want Nanacho, I'm not in the mood right now. Go bother someone else please."
Naruto answered
"It's nothing like that sir; I'm not in the mood for a spar either. I just had a possible idea that I wanted to run by you on how you could possibly bypass part of your punishment set by the Pervy King."
At hearing the nickname, the sky boomed loudly in protest, but before it could do anything else, she addressed it while shaking a fist to it and with an angry voice
"Shut up! You know it's true! It's written everywhere in our history! You're a king and you're a pervert on top of that! So by that logic, that makes you a Pervy King! Deal with it! You want some proof to go with that?! Sure! The new kids here at Camp learn much of the basics of our ancient history while playing the "Guess who Zeus slept with?" trivia game!"
Needless to say, Mr. D choked in restrained laughter at the lass' sheer gall and the sky stopped rumbling rather quickly in defeat after a huffing sound in parting. The score? Naruto 1, Zeus 0.
After getting himself calmed, the God asked the young woman with a smile
"You were saying?"
Naruto smiled with amusement and told Mr. D her idea
"If you wish to bypass Pervy King's decree for alcohol, you should try to go where he hasn't any authority, which means outside of this country. Sure, you won't be able to get roaring drunk either way, or else he's going to notice that you have a hangover real quick the next day, but if you drink with moderation, you should be able to hoodwink your restrictions."
Mr. D looked at the young woman and answered
"My dear lass, I already tried it before and I got caught. The original sentence of my punishment was set for sixty years. When Zeus learned what I did, the sentence was upped to a century until my participation in the recent Titanomachy where it was reduced to fifty years. Nice try though."
Naruto hadn't gave up though and was quick to say more
"But that's because you were there entirely Mr. D. But if the bulk of your essence stays here, as far away as possible from a drinking establishment, you can split a lesser copy of you and have it changed into somebody else so this new person can drink. Then when that copy has its fill, you take back your essence and get the experience that goes with it. Just like my Shadow Clone technique. It's not as good as the real thing mind you, but it's better than nothing. "
The God of Wine had to admit that the idea was worth exploring, but he would have to make some prior experiments, just in case. He wasn't so green at the deception game to go at it without a proper plan first. After thanking the girl, he left, in a pensive mood. At least he wasn't so irritated anymore; it was a bonus for everyone who had to deal with him today. Naruto then decided to track her future vacation mates down. Since she was near her father's cabin, she just hopped on the roof with a short chakra enhanced leap, sat down in a lotus position, then prepared herself to enter Sage Mode.
Once the entire telltale signs where visible, she searched the entire camp for familiar presences. Hazel was with her brother Nico, near the Hades Cabin on the other side of the lake; Frank was actually sparring with Mark in the Arena. Hum maybe she could go make him cry like a little girl again by waving her Adamantine Sealing Chains at him later? Leo and Calypso (Freshly returned from Ogygia a week and half ago and it was a surprise to see the elfish Son of Hephaestus into what seemed to be a serious relationship), Piper and Jason were In Bunker Nine doing who know what. Naruto had some difficulties perceiving their life forces through the thick metal walls of the bunker. Annabeth was holed in her Cabin with her siblings but Naruto couldn't feel Percy's life force anywhere around the camp.
Frowning, she decided to investigate his whereabouts. She had told him to not go too far since she was taking them all on a vacation. But no! The stubborn boy just HAD to disregard everything told to him! Order and Chaos damned annoying inherited attributes! Ugh, when she'd get her hands on him, she would make him regret crossing her! She could always use a good punching bag to get all the kinks out of Bipedal Kitsune Mode. With the entire hubbub about Gaia and the Giants, she hadn't had enough time to her tastes to practice with it. Exiting Sage Mode and dropping back to the ground, she went to the Athena Cabin and just because she could and to annoy them, she knocked on the door in a little childish rhythm and then waited for the door to open. Naruto wasn't the most respectful of people, usually she would have entered without waiting, but with her close blood relationship with Poseidon and his stupid rivalry with Athena, (Why the supposed Goddess of Wisdom couldn't be the better woman and just let it go? Seriously, she thought that the Gods would be mature by now! And she also had a sneaking suspicion that her grandfather was making things worse voluntarily because he enjoyed needling Athena since she was so stiff ) It was better to not cause a scene into her Cabin, less she got death beamed or changed into something else for her troubles.
When a rather handsome son of Athena opened the door, she thought his name was Mal-something, she didn't give him any time to ask about her presence here or what she wanted and asked him
"Hi handsome, is Betty Boop busy? I'd like to talk to her real quick if you don't mind. Can I come in?"
The fact that Naruto had called Annabeth by her hated nickname out loud for the entire Cabin to be heard had various reactions. Every Athena campers except the one who opened the door started snickering or laughing out loud at the daughter of Wisdom that was unfortunately nicknamed, said daughter groaned out loud and face palmed before trying and failing to glare her siblings into silence.
Malcolm was blushing and stuttering, not at all used to the forwardness of Naruto since he hadn't interacted much with her outside of the times she had taken over the general training. He was so not used to be flirted with! Malcolm Pace had just learned that Naruto was not at all like other girls. Welcome to your reality check, free of charge, young man! Before he could do anything about it, his siblings started to tease him while Naruto just ignored the chaos she just sowed for the hell of it. Soon enough, Annabeth was at the door and with her hands on her shapely hips, she was glaring at the taller and older blonde
"Did you really have to call me by that annoying nickname in front of my siblings, Naruto? They will never leave me alone now after hearing that! "
Naruto answered with her trademark grin
"Yup! You are all far too uptight for your own good, so if I can't prank you and your cabin mates because your mother would try to smite me if I repainted the cabin in a better colour for example, I'll tease you until you al loosen up instead. Not that your mother would succeed if she tried it mind you, but I'm not in the mood to fight against a Goddess right now."
Annabeth sighed. Naruto's exuberance and confidence were both second to none. As was her stubbornness. So to stop herself to investigate further the walking contradiction that was the first legitimate and strongest daughter of Apollo, she asked once she had replaced Malcolm near the door
"So what do you need me for?"
Naruto was quick to ask
"I was wondering if you knew where Percy went off to. I also meant to tell you that I got the OK from Chiron to take you all with me to Delos for a month and an half long vacation in exchange for some minor concessions. Like keeping you all in tip top shape. I found everybody who's going, but him. I told him to stay put, to wait for Chiron's decision before wandering off, but no; he just had to be stubborn and not listen to anything we say. Ugh, I swear that boy needs a minder, a collar and a leash!"
Annabeth gave Naruto a deadpan look and told her in a flat voice
"Welcome to my life these last few years, Naruto Uzumaki."
She then continued
"He said that he was going to go pay his father a visit. He hadn't seen him much recently, what with the Gods being who they are and his expedition on the Roman side of things. You're going to have to Iris Message him if you want him to come back sooner since he wished to stay there a few days."
Naruto grumbled at hearing that. While her gifts from her Grandfather's blood were nice and useful and had helped her be a better rounded fighter, she just couldn't swim all the way down to Atlantis. She would run out of air before getting there and she had no intention of drowning any time soon. Poseidon's blood flowing in her veins was too diluted so her capacities with her maternal grandfather's Domain were lesser than Percy's and her mother's. Add to the fact that she wasn't certain if her body could handle the pressure of the deep, she wouldn't tempt the experience. Next time she would give her grandparents or Triton, whoever she saw first, a Hiraishin kunai and ask them to put it somewhere in the dry areas of the palace so she could go visit from time to time.
She then said
"I knew I should have put a Hiraishin marker on him when I had the chance. If I had, that way I could have teleported to his destination in an instant and bring him back here. Oh well, I'll definitely do it next time I see him; just like I'll do to everyone who is coming with me all the way to Uzu no Kuni. Could you call him for me please, Betty? I got to go tell the others that the trip is a go and then I got to head in the city to go fetch our ride. Oh, you really should pack your luggage with a few days in the wilderness in mind since when we get off the ship that will take us all the way to Delos; we will take a four to five days trek on foot to the nearest port. There, a ship able to sail all the way to Uzu will be docked. Also take in account in your plans for a month long vacation in a tropical climate. So it means don't forget to pack your bikini and the sunscreen lotion! Don't worry for the provisions; Sasuke's the one who is taking care of it. Just for this stunt, Percy will have to do without blue food during the trip and I'm so stealing his food coloring vials!"
Annabeth snorted at the last threat. Both Naruto and Percy were fascinated by a certain colour. While Percy's colour was blue, Naruto's was orange. It was hilarious to see both descendants of the Stormbringer argue somewhat childishly with each other's what colour was the best. The Daughter of Honourable Warfare had a hunch that Naruto was only winding up Percy for the entertainment value and also because she was bored that day. But ever since her boyfriend had discovered the blue food coloring, he had for habit to put some on many things, so to see his stash gone would likely make him go up in arms. Either way it would be hilarious. Almost as seeing Mark squeal like a little girl when Naruto took to weave around her chakra chains. In the end, they were all on time the next morning, piling into the minivan after putting their stuff now sealed into sealing scrolls into the booth. When Hazel asked about Sasuke's absence, Naruto answered
"He's already waiting for us on the docks. The ship taking us to Delos will only appear if someone has the need and the permission to go there from the Royal Family of Atlantis, Apollo or Artemis. Otherwise it won't make port. So someone have to flag the ship so to speak. We're both adults so technically we don't need Chiron's permission to leave Camp. We usually tell him anyway as a courtesy since he's a good guy but that's about it. "
Once everyone, that is the Seven Heroes and Calypso had their seat belts buckled (Calypso had to be explained how since she had been stuck on her island for thousands of years); Naruto started the engine and miraculously drove safely and at a reasonable speed during the entire ride to the docks. She had also invited Nico to come with them, but he had declined the invitation, proclaiming that he had made other plans beforehand. Oh well, too bad. Well she stopped to park in a deserted back alley and when everyone was out and in possession of their own scrolls, the oldest blonde awed everybody by first putting a marker of some kind on the vehicle, before it vanished into a yellow flash of light. Then she told everyone
"This is another use of the Hiraishin. With it I can teleport people or objects at different locations already marked. I just sent the minivan back to its parking spot in Cabin Nine's garage."
Frank, curious, then asked
"If you can teleport other things and people with it and not have any need of grabbing them, why do we take the long way to go back to Whirlpool Country? You could just grab one or two of us at a time and we could be there in a nick of time. "
The answer was fielded by Sasuke, whom everyone saw walk down the gang plank of the only ship moored at the currently empty docks. The ship was huge! And it was also Sailing ship, like those coming from the Era of Piracy! It was even called "The Flying Dutchman", talk about coincidences! Three masts with huge white sails and they could count more than forty cannons!
"It's because we are on vacation, little brother Frank. We wish to show you all parts of our country, just like you did for us here in the United States. We would simply return the favour by showing you a few bits of Fire Country and then sail home to Uzu."
Sasuke had not taken to American culture as much as Naruto. While he was fluent in the language, he tended to translate the affectionate suffixes from Japanese to English. He hadn't stay cooped in the camp always training him and his siblings during Naruto's absence, he had also travelled a bit everywhere (Chakra enhanced speed and the Mist manipulation were very nice commodities for fast travel) to see the country the Gods had established themselves in. While it was not so bad, he preferred by much the Elemental Nations.
Way less pollution of any kind to contend with and also the supernatural was very common there; you didn't have to hide your supernatural talents on the Elemental Nations. Naruto also preferred Delos than America, but she was nothing if not adaptable. If anything else, she had taken the multiple fashions like a fish in water. Sasuke had to admit, if only to himself that is, that he loved her new lingerie. While she hadn't many if any shame, Naruto hated that her partners brag about their times together, so the last Uchiha had learned early on to not let slip any of their exploits for the public to hear. The Jinchūriki was very dangerous when crossed.
Soon enough they all boarded the ship but they were told to stay there by an older man with long inky and untidy black hair until they were greeted by the captain. And it was now clear to the Demigods that the crew was not human after they took time to assess the situation while waiting for the captain. Well not totally. There was a strange aura of indescribable about them. The fact that the crew was dressed as sailors did back in the 18th Century was also quite telling. The fact that their instincts weren't going haywire and the fact that two of their numbers were closely related to the Earthshaker kept them calm, if only cautious. The same older sailor with inky black hair that had accosted them when they first climbed aboard suddenly yelled
"Captain on the Deck!"
Every sailor stopped what they were doing and went to attention. Well a close Approximate. It was very clear that they were not a military crew; they were doing this because they respected their captain.
The man who met them was tall and muscular and also significantly younger looking than his crew. His long black ink hair was under a dark green bandana but the tips were seen curling back. He was well shaven with only a small moustache and a bit of beard on the chin. He was wearing a white canvas shirt in the 18th Century style, black canvas pants with a dark red sash as a belt. A flintlock pistol was seen left across his belt and a cutlass of high quality was sheathed at his right. Seeing his roguish features, of all the girls, only Naruto, who was in fact more mature, didn't blush like a tomato. And even she had to admit that the captain was a hunk.
He then addressed them with a rather faded but still present Scottish accent
"Welcome aboard The Flying Dutchman, ladies and gentlemen. I am Captain William Turner and this, is my ship's crew members."
He made a pause to show the demigods and the now mortal ex-Titan Calypso his crew. Each and everyone offer them a wave of the hand, a quick "hello" and/or a kind smile with a simple nod of the head before the First mate yelled at them, ordering the whole lot to prepare the ship for sailing.
The Captain then took back the parole
"Lord Poseidon tasked us all to ferry you all the way to Delos safely, more precisely to the coast of Fire Country. He did pay handsomely for all of your right of passage beforehand but I still wish to explain the rules to follow aboard my ship before we set sail. They are rather simple, so you don't have to worry."
Captain Turner cleared his throat before starting
"First, I really don't care that two of you are closely related to Lord Poseidon. I am the Captain of this ship and my authority aboard is absolute. If I order you to do something, I expect all of you to do it. If you argue with me, to the brig you'll go after been whipped at least five times across the back for sheer insubordination, no matter your gender. I don't suffer disobedience lightly.
Second, if you don't have any knowledge on how to work on a sea faring vessel, keep out of my crew's way if you are topside. If you do have the knowledge and the experience, feel free to work with us. You, Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, I am forbidding you right away to take control of the Dutchman with your Demigod powers. We are all proud sailors and while we respect the Sea God, we wish to sail by our own skills. Feel free to warn the navigator or me about any approaching storms or other disasters menacing us though. While I am admittedly possessive of my ship, I'm not the kind of man who turns down good advice. You are all welcome to come and go as you wish, so long as you do not get in our way and keep out of the Captain's cabin.
Third, the meals are all taken in the galley. No food requiring to be held into plates or bowls are to be taken out of there. The cook will give you a fair portion and if there is still enough, you can ask for seconds. The bell will be rang when it is meal times and the cook bellow loud enough to be heard all over the ship. You somehow managed to miss the meal time? Talk with the cook, maybe he'll give you some leftovers if he likes you enough but don't hold your breath.
Fourth, there will be no fornicating in any way, shape or form aboard of my ship. The women will all sleep together in a separate room while the men will sleep among the crew members. Light kisses and innocent cuddles can pass, but for more you'll have to wait to be on land again. I'm warning you right now, the night shift possess very sharp ears and those caught sneaking away from some "alone time" will get some in different cells of the brig.
Fifth and the last, the ladies are to be decently clothed at all time, so no skimpy modern swimwear. I don't want any accidents. My crew may look nice, but we are all very hardened men and not all of us can or will be inclined to keep our hands to ourselves if tantalizing feminine flesh is seen long enough. We just finished our down time on dry land, so this shouldn't really be an issue, but prevention is better than cure. You obey my rules and everything is going to be fine."
When the passengers accepted the commands of Captain Turner, he looked at his crew with a found look in his dark eyes, then asked the same sailor who announced the presence of the captain
"Mr. Turner, please show our passengers around. The ladies can camp into a deserted room and the gents are with us. The rest of you, prepare our beloved Dutchman to set sail! Weigh anchors! Host the sails! To Fire Country, lads!"
The older sailor, Mr. Turner, answered with a proud paternal smile on his face
"Aye aye Captain Turner!"
And the rest of the crew cheered an "Aye Captain" before going back to their jobs.
Annabeth, very observant, was the first one to deduce that Mr. Turner was the Captain's father. She shared her findings with the others and her deductions were confirmed by the First Mate. The reactions weren't very much varied other than acceptance and a few questions here and here that Mr. Turner answered patiently. The ship was really magnificent and the sailors took very good care of it too. While it wasn't obviously supernatural like many things coming from the Gods, like the Chariot of Damnation for an example, it was kind of obvious that this crew was not entirely from this world or this time, what with the 18th Century get ups and the usage of sails without motors.
Right after the evening meal, the crew assembled itself on the deck and a few sailors were seen carrying various musical instruments, quite a few improvised and homemade with that. Then one sailor of about forty started to sing a captivating song with the mangled language sailors of long date where known to have. (Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum)
Fifteen men on a dead man's chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike
The bosun brained with a marlinspike
And cookey's throat was marked belike
It had been gripped by fingers ten;
And there they lay, all good dead men
Like break o'day in a boozing ken
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Fifteen men of the whole ship's list
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore
And the scullion he was stabbed times four
And there they lay, and the soggy skies
Dripped down in up-staring eyes
In murk sunset and foul sunrise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Fifteen men of 'em stiff and stark
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ten of the crew had the murder mark!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Was a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
Or a yawing hole in a battered head
And the scuppers' glut with a rotting red
And there they lay, aye, damn my eyes
Looking up at paradise
All souls bound just contrawise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Fifteen men of 'em good and true
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ev'ry man jack could ha' sailed with Old Pew,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
There was chest on chest of Spanish gold
With a ton of plate in the middle hold
And the cabins riot of stuff untold,
And they lay there that took the plum
With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb
While we shared all by the rule of thumb,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
More was seen through a sternlight screen
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Chartings undoubt where a woman had been
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Was a flimsy shift on a bunker cot
With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot
And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot
Oh was she wench or some shudderin' maid
That dared the knife and took the blade
By God! She had stuff for a plucky jade
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Fifteen men on a dead man's chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
We wrapped 'em all in a mains'l tight
With twice ten turns of a hawser's bight
And we heaved 'em over and out of sight,
With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well
And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell
Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The song had captivated Naruto and Percy more than the others, what with their close ties with the sea and the arts, but everyone had enjoyed the performance all the same.
The trip was rather smooth, on the fourth day, everyone but Naruto and Percy stay under the deck, not wanting to risk falling overboard what with the rain system and strong winds buffering them. The rain continued for two days and two nights before the sun came back. They finally entered the very thick Mist on the seventh day and made port on the twelfth because of a bad storm system they hadn't managed to bypass. The demigods stayed on the docks, watching the Dutchman's crew bustle around to leave right back. Captain Turner had told them he had an appointment he couldn't miss and since his job for Lord Poseidon was done, it was time for his crew and him to go home for a while after seafaring for so long.
They all watched as the ship was getting smaller and smaller as it glided over the water, red from the setting of the sun. Just as the sun was about to disappear from the horizon, there was a green flash and then the Flying Dutchman was gone! According to Pirate Lore, it was believed that the green flash signified the return of a soul from the Land of the Dead. It happened at the last glimpse of sunset shooting into the sky. Some individuals went through their whole lives and never seen it, while some claim to have seen it, but have not. Both Percy and Naruto looked at each other's at the phenomenon. Due to their Sea blood, they now understood that the legend of the Flying Dutchman ferrying souls of those who died at sea to the other side was true.
Leaving the docks and the port behind, they make camp outdoors; since Sasuke and Naruto told the rest of the group that the nearest town was quite a few miles away in the south-east direction. They would hike there tomorrow for a last night of comfort in a hotel and a good bath before hiking all the way to the Uzumaki owned private port to board a ship to Uzu. The next morning, everyone could then admire the scenery.
The country was flush of huge green forests and fertile lands all over with some mountainous formations here and here. Fire Country was one of the largest and most powerful countries of the Hidden Continent and also the first to adopt a Ninja village, Konohagakure, a custom other countries adopted soon enough. The Land of Fire was appropriately oriented towards the element of fire, typically having very bright and warm weather. While not the physically largest country, it had the largest hidden village. None of them had Demeter's or Ceres' blood in their veins, but for the Americans and one Canadian and also one ex-Titan, it was all they could do by being in awe at the sheer splendour and the vigour that the nature had here, on this hidden continent. It was Frank who expressed his awe the first
"Wow! It's so beautiful! I mean, the island we were on to heal Jason was something, but we really didn't have the time to stop smelling the roses so to speak. You really grew up here Sasuke? Naruto? "
Sasuke was the one to field the answer, since Naruto was no longer on the ground, sitting in a meditative position on a high up tree branch, gathering sunlight. It was another flaw of her Sunlight Speed; anything she had stored in her body during the previous day vanished during the night, thus forcing her to collect anew the next morning if she wanted to shift gears quickly.
"Yes. I lived in Konoha until my family was killed for trying to rebel against the Hokage and seize power by force, and then Kushina fostered me. Once I had recovered emotionally, Naruto and I lived the life of the native islander and of a shinobi in training, fishing, sailing, helping the community, sharpening our skills, things like that. You see, Kushina had to make a deal with the leader of the village at the time to be allowed to raise both of us away from Konoha. In exchange of letting her go, we would be conscripted into the corps for at least five years if we passed the Genin Exam after being forcefully enrolled into the Ninja Academy. With the Fox Spirit inside Naruto and who her parents were, she couldn't be anything else but a shinobi and I hailed from a clan with a long history. Basically it's politics at its finest."
Hazel then asked
"But if you are both still ninjas, basically soldiers, why are you allowed to come and go as you please? Don't you have missions, official military jobs or something?"
That question was fielded by Naruto, who was in her morning meditation attire, black biker shorts and black sport bra, her long golden hair free, cascading on her back, once she was back on the ground with a single leap
"Our current Hokage, Tsunade Senju, saw that we were needed in the thick of things in America, so in a decision reminiscent of her old teacher, she granted us unlimited travel rights so long as our actions won't embarrass our village. It also help that we are Tokubetsu Jonins, which is the equivalent of Warrant Officers in your military. We're about just a few field tests away from the full jonin rank anyway. I'll likely go take them and do a few missions to fatten up my bank account once my new little siblings are born. Mom is due in about one month and I really want to be there for the birth.
So are you lot all ready for some hardcore hiking? I'll go dress and we should likely be at the town around noon or a little bit passed that. If we used the Ninja highway (tree jumping) we would be there sooner, but what would be the fun in that? There's also a blacksmith in that town, so we can outfit everybody with weapons that can harm mortals and wild animals. There's not much bandit activity in Fire Country, but the Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold weapons you own won't do much against them and the nasty critters out there."
Seeing their reluctant looks, she continued
"Hey, it's how it is here. Real modernization is only in the bigger cities. I mean anything bigger than a hamlet in Fire Country got electricity, a decent sewer system and running water, but certain places don't have those commodities. It's what happens when we have too much land for not enough population. These last few years we had too much wild boars running around and they are very aggressive to boot. Trust me you'll likely need a regular weapon to defend yourself."
Frank, Jason and Hazel came to understand her opinion better, which Naruto attributed to them being Roman, but Percy, Annabeth and Leo categorically refused to use a mortal weapon. The first two refused because of annoying civilian morals and the latter, because his pyrokinesis could take care of the threats posed by wild animals. They were rightfully afraid of fire after all. Then Naruto gave them a sort of ultimatum
"How do you expect to hunt for food during the journey? We don't have any well paved roads or cars here. The towns and cities are far away from each others, so we won't stop at every town or village to go eat in a restaurant, so you need something to hunt for food for the whole group when it'll be your turn."
This time, it was Calypso who asked
"But, what about all the supplies you had Sasuke gather before the trip?"
Now it was the blonde kunoichi's turn to pout and to say
"Damn, I wished you had forgotten. I wanted to see Percy lose a fight against a bow like what happened during his first archery lesson! From what Mr. D said, it was hilarious!"
Percy grumbled under his breath at that while everyone else was laughing. The son of Poseidon was totally hopeless with throwing weapons in general, just like his father. In the end, everyone accepted to have at least a hunting knife, just in case. Since it was their last pit stop into civilization before the port town four days away, everyone went all out. The girls event went get pampered by masseuses at the local Hot Springs while the guys went also for a soak on the men's side. All in all, it was a good day. So after a day of seeing the sights, a few good meals and one last night in an Inn, the group of Nine Demigods and mortal sorceress dove deeply into the green.
Omake: the end of Apollo's Bachelorhood
Apollo, God of the sun and of many other things was currently doing something very out of character for him. He was hidden away in one of his closets in his temple, curl up and rocking frantically. Not only that, he was also sobbing heavily and was so pale you could almost see his divine form hiding behind his human skin! He was no longer an eternal bachelor! Finished, the nice intimate parties! Forget about the wild nights around the world with the guys! Never again could he bed multiple women at once! For he had done the ultimate taboo of the Bachelor Gods Club and somehow sworn himself to faithfulness to one woman!
Everything had been going fine today, until he somehow fell into a prophetic trance while talking shop (pranks) with Hermes. During said trance, a part of himself he had no idea he was missing came back! That was when he learned of the terrible mistake he made! He remembered now his punishment as a mortal, a life into the Hidden continent. He had a shinobi daughter and during the catastrophic events following her birth, he had called Thanatos, thus sacrificing his mortal soul and divided the Fox Demon in two with his help, sealing one half back into his wife and the other half into his newborn daughter! He was married! The horror! Lady Hera's Domain had finally managed to catch him after so long! He had really though he was in the clear and like a fool, he had dropped his guard! Even worse, he had married an Uzumaki woman! Even as he was before this breakdown, he knew that it was very unhealthy even for even a God to make them a child and then vanishing without taking responsibility! And as the idiot he was, he had gone and done just that! Oh he was so screwed!
And not to any Uzumaki girl, but to Kushina Uzumaki, the second host of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox! The Red Hot Habanero in person! He was dead! So dead! Then his anguish got the better of him and he cried out loud
"Mommy, please save me! Save me from the evil chakra chains!"
Then he broke into fresh sobs. Poor sod no?