19. I fight (and defeat) the God of War

We were picked up by a coast guard boat and were dropped off with free towels, so I didn't complain but apparently while we had been down in literal hell there was quite the commotion up here.

Nature doesn't seem to appreciate gods getting angry.

Once we reached dry land, we just collapsed on the beach and watched the city burn.

I could still feel Zeus's master bolt's weight in the bag, and I felt hollow after seeing my mother like that.

She was right there was the thought which kept on repeating in my head.

'She'll be fine. As long as I can return Hades's item back to him and give back this fancy stick to Zeus everything will end fine' I thought to myself, steeling myself.

"I don't believe it' Annabeth said, breaking the silence "We went all that way-"

"And got tricked. By him of all people too" I sighed.

Her eyes dropped "yeah"

Hmm, guess that hurt her pride, considering she's Athena's daughter.

"Who is-" Grover asked before being interrupted.

"Percy…. I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry…."

"It'll be fine" I said firmly "As long as we can return both things to their respective gods everything will turn out fine."

"Who was the him you guys were talking about" Grover asked again "Who wants war that badly?"

"It's god obviously" I said, getting up and turning towards a motorcycle with a big guy on it.

"Hey kid" Ares said "You were supposed to be dead"

"Just came back" I said, palming Riptide "Wouldn't recommend though, poor service"

"You're just full of jokes for someone who just lost" he said with a grin "you aren't what you used to be; you won't be able to pull a win this time"

I stiffened at that. Hestia was one thing, but how did this guy know?

"What does he mean by that Percy?" Annabeth said confused.

"Oh, that's rich" he cackled "The guy who was literally famous for the power of friendship didn't tell his little friends his not so little secret"

"You can tell them if you want" I said with a small smile "I trust them"

He narrowed his eyes "In that case, here's a pill to swallow brats. This aint his first try at life"

Both Grover and Annabeth gaped in shock and looked towards me for confirmation.

"It's a long story" I said as I gestured at myself "But in a nutshell, I was in a different world, died, and was born as what you see"

Annabeth broke out of her shock while Grover continued Flapping his mouth like a fish.

"I-…...It better be a story you tell us"She said.

"Well then" I said "Give me Hades's cap now"

He just stood there, grinning after glancing at a cap which was dangling from the bike's handle "Or what"

I uncapped Riptide.

"Or" I said "You feel the pain which Obito did"

"As if, you have none of what you had. That you had the potential to defeat me, I'm man enough to admit it" he said, much to the shock of my two friends"

"Well then" I said, as knives made of water appeared around me "There should be no problem for you to defeat me and take the bolt, right?"

"Fine" he snarled, pulling a huge sword out of nowhere "Time to put you in your place"

"One condition" I said "If I win, you get lost and give us the helm"

"And if I win, I turn you into a cockroach before having you crushed under a stampede of boars"

"Fine"

We circled around, swords held aloft.

Grover and Annabeth stood somewhere nearby, looking anxious.

Then, he swung his sword from above, trying to cleave my head in half. I shifted, the blade passing in front of my nose by a hair's width as I swung at his left hand, which he drew back immediately. I kicked him in the chest and backflipped a couple of times, my legs now touching the waves.

'All he's got his brute force' I thought as I rolled to the side to dodge a wave of sand which was launched when he struck the ground.

And then I was a blur. I struck him atleast three times every second, channeling chakra in my feet and striking from every direction while the bombarding him with the water knives from the direction opposite from the direction I was striking from.

After about a minute of this, Ares suddenly roared and buried the sword into the ground, causing a shockwave. I was struck away from the sea and bounced like 4 times on the ground before landing on my feet.

"Well, that was painful" I muttered.

"That'll feel like a mosquito bite once we're done"

I launched myself with a burst of energy once again, and was launched away from a swing.

'Even if all he's got is strength, he can definitely use it'

I channeled chakra through my sword, causing it to start vibrating slightly and a blue aura to cover it. His eyes lit up "Oh? Maybe you aren't that far from your prime after all"

"Let's test this out" I muttered as I raised the sword above me similar to how a samurai would before slicing a tatami mat.

He just stood there, bringing his sword around to block "Well then, let's see it"

With a yell, I brought down my sword and launched an arc of pure energy at him. He actually skid back a bit as he blocked the attack.

"That's what I'm talking about!" he yelled with a grin "Do that again kid"

"If you insist" I muttered before vanishing in a blur again and using the same move on him at point blank range right at his shoulder which burst in a shower of golden blood-ichor.

He yelled in pain, causing yet another shockwave which launched me away. While the wound healed itself, he glared at me "Playtime is over."

He raised his sword high above himself as a red aura of power raged around him.

'Okay, war dude is angry now'

"I AM THE GOD OF WAR" he roared as darkness seemed to wave off of him in waves so intense, I had to cover my eyes with my hand.

When I removed my hand, we were somewhere else.

It looked like a we were inside some sort of fortress, with skulls embedded in the walls and the floor was littered with the tips of sword blades.

"What in the world?" I muttered.

"You're in MY playground now" he said as he pointed his sword's tip at me "Your Daddy can't help you here"

"Once we're done, you'll be needing your daddy"

He pointed his sword tip at me, and energy started swirling at the tip before shooting off in a beam of pure energy which I had to roll to dodge.

What I didn't expect, was for it turn midair and start following me.

"THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR"

I ran around him in circles while he just laughed maniacally.

I chucked my sword at his eyes, which he swatted away while looking a bit surprised before glaring at the sword

What he didn't notice is that I was running straight at him with the energy beam trailing me.

I jumped over and landed behind him before punching him with a chakra enhanced fist towards his back while the energy beam struck him in the face.

I grabbed Riptide using a water whip and put my blade beside his neck, causing a bit of ichor to drip from his neck onto my sword.

Our surroundings flashed again, and we were back on the beach.

Ares just stood there, stunned as Annabeth and Grover yelled something in the background.

"It's over" I said "Honor the agreement"

He raised his hand, but then the sky darkened, like the world's darkest cloud had covered it.

It felt like the world was a black and white movie, and sounds were distorted. A heavy presence was present at the beach and I suddenly felt like I was freezing.

And then it lifted.

Ares looked like someone slapped him, before he growled at me "You have made an enemy boy, remember that Every time you raise your blade, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware Percy Jackson, beware."

His body started to glow, and Annabeth warned me to look away.

I looked towards the tide to see a black helmet wash up at the shore.

As I walked to pick it up, I heard the sound of flapping leathery wings, and I saw the 3 Furies descend from the sky.

"We saw the whole thing," she hissed. "So ... it truly was not you?"

I tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.

"Return that to Lord Hades," I said. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war, and to return my mom."

She ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again ..."

She cackled, and then she and her sisters fluttered into the smoke-filled sky, and disappeared.

I joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at me.

"Percy, that was amazing" Grover yelled first, jumping at me.

But that wasn't what was going through my head.

After 12 years of keeping quiet, someone other than me knew my secret.

"You guys aren't….mad or I Dunno, freaked out by the whole reincarnation thing?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah about that" Annabeth said "How old were you when you died"

That caught me off guard, but I answered " I was around 19 years old"

Grover looked at me with surprise while she just nodded "I would freak out if you were an old man when you died, but 19 isn't that bad"

"Oi!"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that" she said, looking a bit panicky now "I just meant-"

"I get what you meant" I said with a chuckle, feeling like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.

What was I thinking, reacting like that? These two were my two-favourite people in this world (other than mom)

"I think it's time I told you guys the whole story" I said "preferably in a plane to new York"

"You can't go in a plane" Grover protested, but Annabeth put up her hand to stop him

"Percy's right, the only way we can get there in time is using a plane. Besides, he has the bolt, so Zeus wouldn't blast him out of the sky. I hope"

"Fine" he grumbled.

"Well then" I said "For starters: my name was Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm pretty sure I was the strongest human of my time"