Disclaimer: I don't own the stuff here. I just use it to make silly stuff.

The Last Shinto Kami

Chapter Three: Earth and Heaven

When the mortals thought about their gods, they conjured images of a mountain in the clouds gilded with splendor and riches beyond their wildest imagination. So, if those same mortals knew where Naruto and Nyx were meeting, their heads might have exploded from shock. Metaphorically speaking,

When Nyx arrived on the mostly-empty farm fields, she was in a much younger form than Naruto was used to seeing. However, the shift in appearance didn't stop Naruto from smiling when he noticed her presence. The only one not happy with her arrival was the deer basking with Naruto. His lack of attention to the animal resulted in an end to its scalp rub.

The approach of the primordial goddess caused the deer to run off. Naruto rose to his feet, and the siblings shared a meaningful hug. Nyx didn't bother moving her face from his shoulder. She resorted to speaking through him so that she might enjoy her younger brother's embrace for as long as possible. "This is your most imaginative spot thus far, Naruto."

Even if her point was made under the teasing guise of sisterly affection, Naruto felt the need to defend himself and his questionable locale. What kind of god or goddess would willingly spend time on a farm? "Don't say it like that. Who would think to look for a pair of gods on cattle grazing land? Sometimes right under the nose is the best hiding spot."

"It appears you've already started learning from the mortals. Mother will be pleased." It wasn't just Chaos. Nyx was also happy to see Naruto was thinking with his brain. Too many current gods and goddesses fell back on their overwhelming power or divine influence to resolve their problems. This didn't directly affect the Night Matron, but even she saw how it negatively impacted the human population.

Something the pale-skinned woman said caused the bright smile on Naruto's face to partially dim. A stranger wouldn't be able to tell the two looks apart, but a woman who raised Naruto? She absolutely noticed the subtle change on her dear brother's face. "What happened?"

Internally, Naruto cursed himself for letting his emotions slip. "Nothing, dear sister. How about you tell me what you wanted to talk about?" His attempt at moving them back to their original purpose wasn't as subtle as Naruto wanted. That's one of many reasons why the blonde god wasn't surprised to see gambit fail miserably.

The stern glare she dropped on Naruto was capable of melting Olympus itself. Naruto was sure of it. Not to mention how it made him feel like a small godling again. "Yes, we will talk about what's bothering you. And don't try and lie to me again, Naruto. I will only allow you this one chance to come clean."

Naruto had no desire to be punished by his older sister. While he might not be the most prideful man walking the Earth, the idea of being spanked by Nyx was mortifying. "Fine, you win. However, I don't want you rushing off until you hear everything I say. Promise me that much, sis."

Flashback Start

The amount of hope in the air was almost tangible as the people celebrated this year's Harvest Festival. Drink and grain flowed in spades, leaving the young and old alike in a fervor of passionate life affirmation. Small villages such as these didn't have a reason to celebrate often. But when they did, they were some of the best parties around.

None of the mortals suspected the godly addition to this year's festivities. Naruto-Omikami just finished his dance with the young daughter of a local farmer. She was a cute little thing who couldn't be much older than five. Both Naruto and the girl's parents found her obvious crush amusing.

The playful spirit trapped inside the Shinto son could not help but finish the dance with a teasing flourish. Which amounted to him bowing to his miniature partner and kissing the back of her hand with a smile. Naruto's knowing expression grew as the blush on her face burned hot. "Thank you for the dance."

Naruto made sure he left the parental pairing with a wave. Their continual laughter helped keep his smile going. Soon he found his way to the long table where the whole village was gathered to partake in the festival's annual feast. Naruto didn't know any of these men or women personally, but that did not stop him from admiring their unity. Looking at them now, he could see one big family.

'Sometimes it isn't blood that makes a family, but rather time and understanding.'

"Excuse me, I hope this seat wasn't saved for someone." Naruto's thoughts on human behavior were delayed a little longer. Turning right, he was genuinely caught off guard by the attractive woman now next to him. Her golden hair was impressively long and drew the fading sun's light. And the brown-eyed woman also had a chest that many men would desire.

But what stood out most about the woman was the divinity Naruto felt floating around her. It was almost like she wasn't there despite sitting next to him. No one and Naruto meant no one, even glanced at her breath-taking presence. That told Naruto something wasn't quite right about this lady's sudden arrival.

Naruto flashed his most courteous smile, shaking off his half-put-together theories. It was a look that really showed how handsome Naruto could be. Maybe not princely, but definitely exotic. "Not at all. This festival is meant for everyone to enjoy."

A surge of satisfaction hit the younger blonde when he saw a blush tinting the goddess' flawless face. If he needed to put effort into charming someone, then you can bet he wanted it to work. "Yes! It warms the heart to see everyone coming together to indulge in the boon of a well-cultivated harvest."

He nodded along with every word, showing a loose agreement with the sentiment of his companion's thoughts. Once they hit a lull, Naruto remembered something rather important. "Ah. Where are my manners? My name is Naruto."

"Your name sure is strange. You can call me Demeter if it pleases you." Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, traded one name for the other, but not until she was done laughing behind her hand. Clearly, Naruto's antics entertained her enough to bring out her gentle laugh.

Covering his silence with a welcoming smile, Naruto felt a single word take hold of his mind. Olympian. But Demeter was more than that. Here he was talking with a child of Kronos. That fact alone was enough to keep Naruto even keel.

"I saw you dancing with the little one over there. I hope you don't mind if I steal you for a dance after the meal." As someone favoring good looks and manners, Demeter found Naruto to be quite the attractive young man. And hence, she had no reservations about pursuing him more personally.

Honestly, Naruto didn't want to dance. The problem was he didn't have an acceptable reason to say no. Any excuse he could come up with would be suspect at best. So, loathe as he was to admit it, Naruto only had one reasonable choice. "I'd be foolish to deny a beautiful woman at least one dance."

Ugh, he hated how courtship tasted on his tongue. The old way of doing things felt so forced. It didn't help that Naruto didn't see Demeter in that light. Yet, if this is what was required of him, then Naruto would bear it for now.

Flashback Pause

Back in present times, Nyx already wasn't a fan of what she was being told. The circumstances leading to Naruto's chance meeting with the wheat-loving woman were concerning and infuriating. 'Who does that grain-brained Harvest Whore think she is? I'll show her what it means to toy with my little brother!'

The ruthless intentions rolling off the primordial's childish appearance were more than tangible. Nyx's protective rage was already forcing a handful of grazing cows to yowl in panicked bursts. Naruto raised a silent brow as the fretful sounds got further and further away. No doubt due to the cows doing their best to flee from Nyx's dubious presence.

Unaware of the loathsome aura she was still releasing, Nyx voiced her opinion in a deceptively calm tone. "It's no coincidence that an Olympian showed up in the middle of nowhere. Harvest festivals are common throughout all of Greece." That was no exaggeration. There had to be hundreds of these parties in southern Greece alone.

Looking back on his meeting with Demeter, Naruto could see that all too clearly. But things weren't as easy as telling the goddess no. Doing something thoughtless like that would have consequences for him and the people around him. "Yeah, but I couldn't turn her down so blatantly. She might not be known as a fighter, but any Olympian is plenty capable of wiping out a settlement with a snap of their fingers."

"You always did have a soft spot for the mortals." As one of the few who had the privilege of seeing Naruto grow up, Nyx understood her younger brother's views on humanity. Instead of critiquing him for it, Nyx accepted his feelings.

"It shouldn't be the exception. It should be the rule, but I won't waste my breath. You already know how I feel about the exploitation mortals face." Naruto took a needed breath. He knew Nyx wasn't against him on this, but the current role of mortals never failed to fan his flames. At this point, it was a matter of keeping his ire aimed at the correct places. Blindly lashing out wouldn't do him or the mortals any favors.

"Naruto, tell more about your meeting with the Harvest Goddess. What did she want from you?" Her sharp retort suggested Nyx was done with the small talk. She wanted the information that Naruto rather keep to himself.

"That's the thing... we shared a dance and bantered a little bit. Nothing really happened. It wasn't worth mentioning at the time, even for someone on edge like I was back then." Naruto looked up to the clouds as he thought back to that day... and the long list of days that followed it.

"All was quiet on that front until I crossed paths with her a month later. No, it was probably closer to forty days. Either way, here's what happened..."

Flashback Continues

Naruto wondered what his Kaa-chan would think if she saw him now. The powerful Naruto-Omikami wasn't burning some monster to smoldering ash. Or going out on a great adventure. No; he was knee-deep in the dirt, tending to a vegetable garden he created to help the village with its winter food problem.

"You have an excellent garden here, Naruto." Said blonde wasn't nearly as surprised to hear Demeter's voice. She had a good handle on her potent energies and could hide them when it suited her.

"Demeter? How are you?" He would've asked why she was here if he believed it would've gotten a straight answer. Too bad Demeter became evasive when he approached those sorts of questions.

"Things are good, but I do have a request." Because Naruto let his focus remain on the tilled rows in front of him, he missed the woven basket hanging from Demeter's wrist that would have given away her intentions from the start.

"What is that? I can't offer much." That wasn't entirely true, but most of what he could provide would blow his cover. So those options were off the table. Finally turning his head, it didn't take long for Naruto to put two and two together. "Ah, I see."

"How about sharing lunch with me? You can do that, right?" Jiggling her wrist, Demeter made the brown basket dangling from her wrist sway enough to draw attention to it without risking the food balanced carefully within. After all, a meal-ruining mishap at this stage would be more than upsetting.

And that was how the relationship between Sun and Harvest grew. It came by small steps that alone were nothing special... but, over time, created a gradual connection between the two different deities.

It was around this time that Naruto realized how much he valued a person's friendship. Sure, he could always see Leto, but having more friends never hurt. And that's how he started to see Demeter despite the auspicious start to their relationship. She was flirty, yes, but also a friend.

So when Naruto found Demeter asleep at the usual meeting spot, he thought nothing of it. 'She sure looks peaceful. Like she was meant to be part of a place like this.' He carefully stepped through the tiny field of golden grain around the tree base until he was in range to rouse her from her slumber.

Naruto was unprepared for the onslaught of memory reflections that hauled him into something from Demeter's past. Everything around him was tinted gray and echoed, but the content of the conversation in front of him was coherent enough for Naruto to understand.

"Don't you care about our child, Zeus!" The familiar voice of Demeter might be refracted in his ears, yet Naruto could still hear the blend of anger and worry coming together in his ears.

"Of course, I care, Demeter! And you'd be wise to watch where you throw your accusations!" The king of Olympus said one thing with his words. However, his facial countenance reflected none of the feelings he proclaimed to possess. Naruto had met stone with more emotion than Zeus showed.

"Are you even capable of telling the truth anymore? Or do only lies come off that tongue of yours?" Apparently, Naruto wasn't alone in having doubts about the thunderer and his authenticity. Demeter's motherly anguish slammed Zeus without restraint. And it was only growing stronger. "If you cared for Persephone as I do, she'd be here now! Not trapped in that underground prison with our monster of a brother!"

The twitch in Zeus' furrowed brow was as subtle as one would think. It was twice as apparent as the flash of outrage filling his squinted gray eyes. Naruto could see snippets of truth behind the infamous king's temper. "Things are more complicated than that, and you know it!"

"Right! Are these the same rules that stopped you from taking another woman to your bed? Let's face it. You don't want our daughter back, you coward!" Naruto didn't need a raging goddess to confirm it. Most of the known world knew of Zeus' affinity for finding comfort outside his wife's bed. He really didn't understand how Hera put up with Zeus' crap.

"What did you say?" With how quickly he exploded over the jab at him, Naruto was led to believe Zeus cared more about his reputation than his own flesh and ichor. It was a notion that dropped an acidic frown on the young Kami's face.

"You heard me! You pathetic excuse for a man! You're a sniveling coward!" Instead of backing down from his fury, the mother of Persephone doubled down on her stance. And it was far from meek, just like the golden flush in her cheeks.

"ENOUGH!" He felt the displeasure in Zeus' voice through the trembling impact of the god's thunder going off somewhere in the distance. "You want your daughter back?"

Demeter didn't find his stupid question worth a response, so Zeus got silence. Her answer was painfully obvious.

A stormy gaze was amplified by the methodical stroking of his chest-length beard. "I'll retrieve her from the Underworld if you complete a task for me." His vague wording was a purposeful choice by the king. If he led Demeter into the task, he felt it absolved him of her meddling.

"I'll do anything to get my Persephone away from that monster!" Admirable her goal might be, but that didn't make her blind agreement any less foolish. Especially when dealing with a known pact-breaker like Zeus.

"Your task is to find out anything you can about the man called Naruto." The unexpected addition of his name in their talks caused Naruto's golden eyes to expand out of shock. All of a sudden, their heated back and forth became more interesting.

"Naruto? Who is that?" Demeter sported a look of confusion that was only second to the ethereal form of Naruto that hung over her right shoulder.

"Don't ask why; just do as I say, Demeter."

"Fine! But you better remember your words, Zeus!"

Thrown forcefully from the sleeping woman's memories, Naruto stumbled back without grace. Experiencing a combination of surprise and grogginess left the usually sure-footed man vulnerable to a brief period of clumsiness.

Naruto rebounded from his trance quickly enough, mentally and physically. Then the meaning of Demeter's actions caused his golden eyes to twist into a molten fury. She had been playing him for her own gain. He gave her a chance, and she burnt that bridge.

The only reason he spared the woman from a life as a pile of golden ash was because of Persephone. Begrudgingly, the young Sun God understood where Demeter was coming from. There was little he wouldn't do for his family.

"I need to think."

Flashback End

"And that's why I looked like I ate a lemon when you brought up learning. I learned I can be a naive fool, sister." Finally finished with the recollection of his story, Naruto took a well-earned breather. This pause also acted as a natural lapse where Nyx could digest the information Naruto shared with her.

Her initial reaction was to rip Demeter and Zeus to shreds for messing with her baby brother. She chose to stomp that vengeful desire down for now. Nyx's first priority was lifting Naruto's spirits. Once she accomplished that, everything else could follow. The sun should never look so dim, especially her sun.

"Naruto..." Waiting until she obtained his gaze, Nyx carefully selected her words. There was plenty to say in a short window. Naruto was still so young, and seeing him struggle with things like this was expected. But that's why he had people to help him with his troubles. "Your willingness to give people a chance... sometimes it will burn you. However, think of all the people you've helped because you held your hand out. That's reason for celebration, not self-ridicule."

A small smile spread slowly over Naruto's lips without the young god realizing he was doing it. "Hah... you're right. I tell myself that too, but it feels different coming from you. Thanks, I needed to hear that." Some of the things Nyx put forth were thoughts he kept to himself. But hearing them from the mouth of someone he respected added new credence to those whispers he told himself at night.

The hug Naruto enclosed her lithe frame in was something Nyx was more than happy to return. "Anything for you, little brother." Her warm-hearted reply was spoken into Naruto's shoulder as the older goddess held the hug as long as Naruto allowed.

Eventually, all good things end and Naruto was looking at her with that typical beaming grin Nyx associated with him. "Welp, now that we got me straightened out, what do you have for me?"

"It's something I need to tell and show you. I want you to come with me to the Underworld." Every drop of positivity melted away. What was left was the kind of serious look that everyone from Zeus to Hades was wise to fear.

Not that her reputation affected Naruto. Knowing that Nyx could never hurt him kept Naruto from fearing his big sister. Their relationship was built on love, not fear. "Is that all? Cool, let's go! I've always wanted to see the Underworld!"

The gentle smile on Nyx's pale face couldn't be contained. Most people were wary of going to the Greco Hell, deities included. However, Naruto didn't blink. He trusted her so completely, and that trust meant the world to Nyx.

Nyx took Naruto's hands in hers, and both were sucked into the shadows pooling together at their feet.

Underworld, Night Corridor

When the darkness abated, Naruto laid eyes on something awe-inspiring. He ended up in the shadow of a rectangular building that went some ten stories high and one hundred yards wide. The design was unlike anything Naruto had seen before. Plus, the bright yellow lights coming out the windows were a nice touch framed against the black backdrop of Night Corridor.

"Woah... who made this building?"

Nyx felt a warm pride wrap around her as Naruto's impression of her home became known to the goddess. "I designed the motif myself. I call it... Victorian. Hold on, Naruto." Putting her hand on Naruto's shoulder, Nyx prevented the eager blonde from running into her house half-cocked. "Maybe another time. We're heading to the back."

That's when Naruto registered the dome of black glass. How he missed it, Naruto didn't know. The glass encasing was nearly as tall as the mansion itself. But what took the cake was the total sense of nothing it gave off. Naruto equated it to looking into a void or something similar.

"What I brought you here for is waiting for us in there. Follow me, please." Under the stewardship of Nyx, the pair made the short trip through a spiraling shadow gate. And the first thing Naruto saw upon exiting was the being known as Thanatos.

He had gray skin put upon effeminate features. Along with silvered hair mostly hidden behind a black cowl, Thanatos had a comparatively thin figure. But that didn't deceive Naruto, who sensed death on the man like a second skin.

Thanatos himself went on high alert until Nyx stepped between the two men. "Thanatos, lower your weapon. You will hear me out before this escalates any further." And so, Nyx started explaining the complicated circumstances behind this meeting. Most of which Naruto zoned out in favor of inspecting the glass shell from its interior.

Naruto's focus was drawn away from the walls when a black symbol appeared in front of him. With it came a man pinned to a post by his wrists, hips, and ankles by some savage-looking spikes. 'Ouch...'

The prisoner had an angry red skin and a pair of fangs that jutted out of his lower jaw and extended past his upper lip. Whoever this man was also had more muscle on him than Naruto and Thanatos combined.

"I have dealt with this creature three times, but it won't stay dead." The blonde Kami whimsically acknowledged Thanatos' statement with a quiet hum as he wandered in for a closer examination.

"Maybe you ain't so potent, hermaphrodite!" The bound brute had some less than kind remarks for the gray man. As the one responsible for his current predicament, Thanatos was a logical target for the prisoner's ire.

"What is it, Naruto?" While her son frowned at the crude insult, Nyx concentrated on Naruto, who continued to stare at their guest with no shortage of scrutiny.

His frown wasn't one created from worry over himself or for those in this room. Naruto had a lingering hunch that reached much further as he stared into the captive's bloodshot eyes. "Something that shouldn't be here. It's time you come out of your disguise." Naruto sent a pulse through his palm and into the creature's thrashing body.

A shimmering light rippled across the red-skinned man's body until the illusion was shattered, and he became something lycan-like with sparkling blue fur that shot irate jolts of lightning from the tips of said fur. "As I expected, a raiju..."

"Come again?" Thanatos was clearly out of the loop, and it showed. Naruto didn't help him by refusing to answer the mundane questions asked. The blonde had bigger fish to fry.

Similar to how Naruto recognized the beast, it went the other way around. And true to form, the broad smile of the raiju was wolfish. "So it was you we felt? Yes, your blood will sate my thirst."

Instead of falling prey to provocation, Naruto stared plainly at the known partner of one lightning god. Amaterasu's only child didn't even blink as the beast snapped its jaws at his face. "Why are you here?"

"Hah! I ain't telling you shit about shit! You heard the pale fool, godling; I can't be killed! What could you possibly do to me?" Raiju's confidence was through the roof after hearing what the Greek reaper had to say. However, like most indestructive beliefs, there was a way around it if one knew where to look.

"I have a theory about that. You see, I have something that Thanatos doesn't. It looks a little like this..." The step Naruto took backward was more for flair than necessity. So was the choice to hold his arm out in front of him before summoning his spear. The fear in Raiju's gasp left Naruto with a smirk.

"L-Lord Izanagi's weapon! Why do y-you have that?" Naruto didn't care that the fear filling the hound's eyes wasn't meant for him. Either way, it was something Naruto could manipulate to get what he wanted from this lightning-based beast.

"So you still recognize my grandfather's weapon? Good, very good." Naruto was in complete control, so you can bet the slip of his lineage was a conscious choice meant to deepen the worries festering in the static-furred hound. Names affected more than the everyday mortal. Case and point.

"Grandson!?" The war between shock and fear was as apparent as Raiju's inability to keep his eyes from flicking back and forth between Naruto and the legendary spear in his hand.

"Mhm." A quick nod rattling his skull was all the confirmation he needed. "Which means I know what to do with Amenonuhoko when the situation calls for it." Naruto twirled the legendary spear deftly, ending the movement with the spearhead pointed right at one of Raiju's eyes. It was more than close enough to draw a flight or fight reaction.

"You don't have the guts! I can smell the good on you!" Maybe it was surprising that the neutered wolf picked fight over flight. Then again, as a partner of a god, it was expected that Raiju had some bite.

"True, I won't enjoy it, but technically you don't belong here, so I will be doing the right thing. Technically." Securing the silence Naruto wanted was as simple as putting the spear to the wolf's vulnerable throat. The promise of death kept raiju's nasty tongue penned behind a set of clenched teeth. "I'll ask you once as a courtesy. Tell me what you know. If you fail to comply, I'll shave you down one clump of flesh and fur at a time."

Primal pride reared its ugly head. Raiju gathered what tenacity he had left and prepared a scathing retort. Naruto saw the defiant explosion coming, and ended it prematurely by extending a blade of light off Amenonuhoko. When it drew blood, the beast wilted immediately. Just like that, bravado turned into compliance. And the beast spilled. "I just followed him here! I swear! He said we could take back a home for ourselves! Have real bodies again!"

As a being with some control over life itself, Naruto was capable of reading hearts to an extent. What he picked up from Raiju was a quickened heartbeat sped up by fear. But Naruto couldn't find the notable tick that came with a lie.

Good, with the truth, Naruto had all the information he needed.

"Thank you. You were a huge help." Naruto's gratitude became a spear through the chest. Raiju didn't have time to blink before its heart was destroyed, and his body burst into a crimson mist. The visual effect captured Naruto's attention as his spear vanished in a white light. "So that's what a Shinto creature looks like when killed properly? Nice."

"Why did you do that!? We could have gotten more from it!" Part of Thanatos' displeasure came from the proof that Naruto could kill something he couldn't. For someone in his station, it really stung Thanatos' pride.

"I got everything I needed from the raiju. You wouldn't know it, but raiju are loyal servants to their lord and master, Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning." History lessons with Chaos paid off big here. As soon as he confirmed it was a raiju, Naruto knew who he was looking for. Any other attempts at an interrogation would be a waste of his time.

"Wait. Mother said you were the only Shinto divine left."

"She's right. There were no Kami left when I was born to my mother. And Raijin is not a god, not any longer. You see, it goes like this." Turning around as his explanation continued, Naruto knew what he said next would surprise both Underworld dwellers, Nyx included. While Mother Night was keyed into most of Naruto's culture and history, not even she knew it all.

"When someone from my pantheon fails to live up to our standards for behavior, they have their rights to Takamagahara, our Olympus, revoked." The surprise on both of their faces was expected. Naruto had to assume they were imagining if such a thing were applied to their pantheon of ascended beings. Naruto imagined Olympus would be a very empty place indeed. "They become an Ochite, a Fallen. While the banished maintains their power, they are no longer considered divine. They're more akin to a beast or demon at this point."

"Where is he, Naruto?" Nyx would step out of her shadows if needed to make sure this rogue element was stopped. She knew her pantheon didn't need any extra help driving itself to failure. Their paranoid king did that well all on his own.

"What place is most like home on this planet for someone like me?" The question only had one or two real answers. Thankfully, that removed the need for elaboration.

"The Far East." Nyx was right on the money in a single guess. Not that Naruto expected any less from his older sister.

"Yup. I'm gonna go see what I can dig up before things get too bad. I'll see you soon, sis." As he made his exit, Naruto picked up the faint sound of Nyx forcing a vow of secrecy on Thanatos, one sworn on the name of Chaos. It left Naruto smiling and laughing. His sister could be a real mother hen, but Naruto wouldn't have it any other way.

Northern Yamato (Northern Japan)

Three.

That is how many of Raijin's raiju Naruto worked through before getting a workable estimate of where his target was operating. Looking back with hindsight, he should have assumed it'd be northern Yamato. It was the furthest from outside influence, and the rocky landscape ensured Raijin was closer to the sky. Closer to his lightning.

Once he knew where to search, it wouldn't be long before Naruto tracked the banished god down. It's not like Raijin went out of his way to cover his tracks. Godly energies aside, Naruto smelled the thick scent of ozone in the mountainous air. That was as clear a sign as any.

Finishing the last stretch of his hike through the uneven mountain ground, Naruto looked to the mountaintop. The snow kept getting in his way, but it was no worry of Naruto's. The falling snow continued to melt as soon as it came in contact with the blonde's skin.

Once he finally scaled the mountain, Naruto set his plans in motion. That meant releasing a small portion of his power. It was enough to grab attention without revealing the true depths of his power.

The response to his challenge came less than a second later. When the flash of lightning hit the lumpy mountain hump in front of him, Naruto found himself squinting. "You... it's you! The one we have been searching for! And you came to me? How lucky!"

The heir to Amaterasu quickly noted the only physical difference between Raijin and his raiju imposters were the drums floating behind his back and the eyes. While his lightning pets had pupils, Raijin's eyes were nothing but a pair of sparking, violet pits.

Naruto paid the thick laughter coming his way no mind. Same as the veiled threats to his well-being. "Raijin..." Acting quickly, Naruto angled his body to dodge a pair of hurled lightning bolts. The third in the salvo was the one Naruto batted aside with a fire-encased hand.

The two adversaries ignored the resulting thrums of thunder. Neither was willing to take their eyes off the man across the mountain. Eventually, the large-bodied Raijin ended the silent standoff. "I don't need your words! I need your death!" This time he gathered a bolt of lightning as large as a horse over his head. And this time, Naruto needed both hands to throw the projectile directly above him.

Raijin stared at the gray clouds overhead as an ear-shattering explosion rained down on them. Snarling, sparks of lightning burst off his hand. "Kaminari Shuryo. (Lightning Hunting.)"

A dazzling beast made of pure lightning jumped out of Raijin's hand, landing on all fours. Connected to it by a leash of light, Raijin silently commanded the construct to attack... and so it did.

It twisted and turned, leaping off the peaks with otherworldly agility as it approached Naruto. Instead of crashing into the blonde from the front, it swerved and tried biting at Naruto's left. Naruto saw it coming and turned to put a mirror-shaped flame barrier to fend off the creature's supercharged jaw.

With Naruto facing left, Raijin unleashed a second manifestation from his free hand. He aimed it at Naruto's blindside, but when it reached the unprotected flank, Raijin allowed himself a smirk. It lasted until the lightning beast went through Naruto and exploded against the ground.

"Stellar Projection Clones, they make for such lifelike decoys. Don't you agree?" Naruto permitted Raijin enough time to turn and face him before a fiery explosion sent the muscled man soaring off the mountain.

Naruto didn't let his flames spread for long. He quickly contained them in a globe around him until it looked like a miniature sun sat on the mountain. He sent the ball of fire with himself in the center, tumbling through the atmosphere with a single leap. And when he crashed down where Raijin hit, the impact unleashed a scorching shockwave on the immediate vicinity.

Sitting on one knee, Naruto's brow furrowed in annoyance as more thunder shattered the sky. It was plenty loud, enough to shake Naruto's ichor.

When Naruto stood, he was already looking around for Raijin. The ochite was there when Naruto jumped but was gone by the time Naruto landed. He had enough time to look left, right, then up when Naruto realized something wasn't right. It wasn't just quiet. He was deafened...

The temporary removal of his hearing put the golden-eyed god on high alert. Naruto hated it, but he resorted to reacting. It became clear he had enough time to face Raijin's heavy strikes but not enough for a counter.

For three long minutes, Naruto was helplessly smacked around like a heavy bag. Never had one hundred and eighty seconds felt like an eternity. Thankfully his period of weakness ended with Naruto flat on his back and some golden blood running down his chin.

'He's faster than me, but he can only come one way when I'm like this. From above!' And he was right. Raijin descended on his prone form with his fingers extended and lightning screaming around his outstretched hand. The bastard planned on stabbing him? Yeah, that wouldn't work for Naruto.

Putting his hands side by side with the palms facing out, he met the charging Raijin with a beam of golden fire large enough to swallow the muscular fallen's body. But to Naruto's dismay, the flames didn't stop a violet-colored discrepancy from pushing through toward his body.

"Back off!" Naruto growled indignantly as a second surge of fire coursed forward and sent Raijin into the sky. He took a breath before creating a small flame behind the soaring brute. Gathering his wits, Naruto teleported to the newly-made fire just as Raijin reached his apex. Already in position to attack, he double-stomped Raijin in the spine, driving the man into the ground hard enough that it knocked up a dust cloud.

FWOOSH!

BOOM!

Naruto was the first to emerge from the cloud, unsurprisingly. He already had one fireball floating over each of his hands as he waited to see if Raijin was still conscious. He kicked the lightning drummer hard enough to snap his spine, but with gods, ya never know. And soon enough, the burly Kami pushed his snow-stained body out of the upheaval Naruto planted him in.

Furious over his injury at the hands of this child, a feeble spark escaped Raijin's panting mouth. Then without warning, his drums vibrated on their own accord. The bass-heavy beat unleashed a flurry of lightning strikes in the distance. As the bolts approached and the thunder got louder, Naruto realized something was wrong.

'Shit! This isn't an instant technique! He's charging up for something!' Naruto hurriedly tried putting enough power together to break Raijin's concentration. Whether or not he made it in time was up in the air.

That's when the ground under their feet shook violently. It was like being in an earthquake multiplied by a thousand.

Both men fought to keep their balance as the world under their feet shuddered frightfully. When the dueling pair realized this was an outside force- their battle stopped. Being the closest to the quake's epicenter, Raijin turned right as something massive tore its way out of the planet's crust.

'What in the name of Amaterasu?' With distance, the stunned Naruto saw an endless sea of scales rising into the sky. And when they did give way, Naruto wished they hadn't. Because that's when he crossed gazes with a haunting pair of sickly yellow eyes. It was bigger than massive. It was titanic. And the rattling hiss it released froze both fighters in place.

Moving faster than Naruto could ever imagine from a beast of its size, the snake lashed out and crashed its absurd jaws on Raijin's position. Naruto couldn't help but wince at the scream Raijin uncorked when the snake sunk its human-sized fangs into his bulky body. "GAAAH! No, brother! Help me, please! BROTHER!"

Imagine the dreadful shock Naruto experienced when the snake crushed Raijin in its jaws and swallowed the extremely-powerful god like a common rodent. Naruto wasn't ashamed to admit he took a cautious step back. That's when another seven heads fanned outward, emerging from the hazy cloud of dust behind the serpent. Each of them leered at Naruto with a menacing harmony of hissing growls.

The complete visual of the great beast made the sunspawn's blood run cold.

"Yamata no Orochi..."

END

Writer's Note I: I'm back from my little break, and I come bearing a cliffhanger! Mwahaha! But seriously, I wanted the battle between Naruto and Raijin to end differently than your usual fight. If the fight finished, Naruto would have won, but I wanted something different. So, in comes the eight-headed beast of lore. I wanted to include more Shinto stuff in this story, and what better than the Orochi? What's gonna happen? You'll just have to wait and see!

And in regard to Demeter, her relationship wasn't as important as the results. That's why I breezed through it. This is the setup for Naruto's general distrust of Zeus and Olympus' scheming. Plus, it's all part of growing up. Knowing that not everyone has the best intentions for you.

Like always, I ask you to take a handful of seconds and leave a review! Sentences or paragraphs, I want them all. Share your thoughts, questions, or hopes. I like hearing all my audience has to say. And if you can't think of anything... just let me know you're looking forward to the next chapter.