Hey, I'm back from getting some milk from the store. Anyways since it has been *some* time since the last update, let me give you a quick summary:
The gods of the PJO can somewhat visit the world of Naruto. Artemis did so and lived as Kushina. After the conclusion of the 4th Shinobi War (which happened a bit different) Naruto is more or less dead, but can travel to the PJO world, because of the Ten-Tailed now sealed in him (see changes)
Artemis catches him up with the current happenings of the world, gives him a ton of shiny silver weapons and send him to Camp Halfblood. He proceeds to dismantle hoards of monsters before even arriving (you know super powered ninja and all that) and immediately starts making an impression on the other campers.
During a game of Capture the flag (it's the campers vs. the hunters) Naruto pulls of the first victory in a damn long time (you know, ninja) and Artemis declares him as his son.
That stirs up the pot, Zeus threatens to kill him, Naruto threatens to fight him (again ninja) and nothing really happened between them.
Also there is a new prophecy (Kronos got beaten like a bitch, despite this happening during the third book) and of course Naruto is the likely subject.
Naruto loved his orange shirt, he loved demolishing the campers at the side of the Hunters, but he really could do without the constant stress everyone felt because of the prophecy. That was until three old ladies appeared at the beach, disrupting his mediation, at the same night Percy had gotten a mission from the oracle, a mission that couldn't be clearer in excluding him. While Naruto had been sufficiently dense in his youth, he got enough from the confused talking of the old ladies to understand some things that might happen, enough that he had idea what he had to do.
o0o0o
Percy, was annoyed, he had finally gotten another mission, just to learn that he couldn't take along the super-powered-ninja-warrior he met a few week earlier, and who had become his friend quickly, he was more annoyed that said super-powered-ninja-warrior didn't even show up at the breakfast the day his mission started. Luckily the blond had made it to Half-Blood-Hill shortly before they departed, with a horn in his hand.
"Hey Percy," he said while giving the son of Poseidon a hug, "good look on your adventure." He adopted a mischievous expression, before becoming noticeably calmer, "Listen, I had a talk with someone a few days ago, I believe that there will be a point at which you will lose all hope in the near future, the darkest hour in your life, when this moment comes blow into this horn," Naruto finished and pressed what Percy now recognized as the horn of the Minotaur, that was nearly black from all the strange symbols and lines on it, in his hand.
"Naruto, what do you mean? How will this horn help me? When is…" Percy was interrupted by Naruto who gave the boy another hug, wished him good luck and said "You will know when, and even if you don't the horn will."
o0o0o
It took four days after Percy left on his mission for Artemis to make an appearance in camp once again. Without much fanfare the Hunt packed their gear and left the camp, with the young son of Artemis at their side. Naruto quickly learned that, while they were not as fast as an elite shinobi team, the hunters were traveling at a speed far beyond what most humans could achieve, especially when they were in a forest where the blessing of Artemis empowered them.
They left the vicinity of New York towards the south and had reached a desolated spot only a few kilometers inland by nightfall. The eight huntresses alongside Artemis and her son were gathered in a circle around there campfire, enjoying the soup they made in silence, when Artemis decided to explain what had happened during her time on Olympus.
"Most of you have heard the prophecy when it was spoken, and those who didn't surely heard it more times than they can count since that fateful day. So, I won't have to explain you what it said. What it meant is of course a completely different matter. My brother may be an idiot, but he is the god of prophecies for a reason and had a great number of ideas of possible meanings. In the past weeks me and my fellow Olympians have followed those clues and have come to conclude that we face an enemy far worse than Kronos. Monsters have gathered in hordes, Titans that should have remained in Tatarus for eternity are walking the earth again and Atlas seems to be under a bigger strain then ever before, there is no doubt Ouranos, the primordial of the sky is awakening, and he wants to rule other this world again. There are of course other virgin goddesses besides me, Athena being the most prominent, but the prophecy seems to be heavily hinting at you Naruto."
"I thought so myself. I have certainly not met any kid of Athena who has seen many people die, nor do I know of one that could rival the power of the ten-tails, though I don't understand how I would be able to sacrifice it."
"Prophecies are solemnly clear instructions, but I'm sure that you will know what to do when the time comes. What bothers me more is the second part, the two-faced god would clearly be Janus, but Python talked about gods, plural, furthermore Bellona is not a Greek godess."
"So it means conflict between Greeks and Romans?" one of the hunters asked.
"That is not for sure, yes the two faced gods could be the two personas many gods have, but it could also be something entirely different. What is more concerning is that there is a daughter of Bellona, and that she is the Praetor of the twelfth Legion."
"Does that mean that we go to New Rome?"
"No, Ares will see to that. We will take a journey no Olympian dared to undertake in decades. We will make our way to the first home of the gods."
Her declaration was met with surprise, Zoe and a few of the older hunters had been born in greece, but for most of them it was the first time they would leave the american continent.
"My Lady, if I may ask, how are we going to get there?" Artana, one of the newest followers of Artemis, the girl had been with the Hunt for less than a decade, asked.
"While my brother's sun chariot, is far… flashier then my moon chariot, it will do the trick all the same. For now rest, we will break camp at the hour of the eel," Artemis answered before stepping closer to Naruto. "Greece is home to many monsters, most far more dangerous than what you have encountered here. Some never before slayn by a hero. They will flee from me and the Hunt, but you will be attracting them in droves. Be careful, son. And get some rest, driving the moon chariot is more exhausting then one might think," Artimes said with laughter in her voice, before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Naruto's head.
"Driving…" Naruto asked confused. Was his mother saying that he would get to drive her sacred vehicle? Choosing not to worry about things out of his control, Naruto retreated to the tent he had erected too get some sleep.
o0o0o
True to Artemis words they were traveling towards Europe, within hours of her annoncment. And to Naruto's surprise, and some of the hunters discomfort, he wasn't very good at it – yet – but he was really allowed to drive the moon chariot. Though Naruto would claim that their discomfort cam from traveling across the Atlantic. The water was sipmply to much aligned with Poseidon for any other god – or one of their followers - to feel comfortable with. Portugal in contrast felt like Olympus to them. The sun was pleasantly warm and the nature, that rushed down beneath them, to their liking.
Sadly enough they could not enjoy the panoramic view for long, the moon chariot functioned only at night, or to be more precise using the vehicle at day brought more problems than it was worth, so they had to disembark. With high spirits they continued their journey across the mainland. Chatting lively while, almost casually killing a couple of monsters that thought of the Hunt as mere myths, seeing as they hadn't been around these parts of the world for centuries. Of course they were taught there folly when a couple of perfectly placed arrows stopped their attack dead in the tracks.
They had just crossed the border to Spain, when the first monster that was interesting came into their range. The Duendes, were small creatures that resembled fantasy gnomes. They were truly a ugly thing to see, yet a hail of arrows turned them into dust in no time.
"This is troubling, monsters shouldn't attack us so freely. There instincts should warn them," Artemis said with concern in her voice. "We will continue to travel by foot, though I want the next monster we encounter taken alive, if possible."
o0o0o
"Mom?" Naruto asked Artemis who was walking ahead of him at the mountain path that they had followed for days now to cross the Alps. He had noticed that something was amiss with Artemis since they had reached the Alps and to it concern it only seemed to get worse, to the point that he had decided to question her on it, "Is everything all right? You seem to be, I don't know, under the weather?"
"I would like to tell you that it was, but the truth is that my roman aspect is far stronger so close to Italy than I had expected. It was perhaps foolish of me that I thought myself able to suppress Diana so close to her home, but even I'm prone to fall to my own hubris," Artemis answered, before bowing down to give him a kiss on his forehead.
"What does that mean? Will we take another part? Perhaps farther away from Rome?"
"No, while that may be a short-term solution, I will have to deal with the pesky roman side of me eventually," she said with sadness in her voice, before calling for a stop. "As you might have noticed, I'm not at my usual level. My roman aspect keeps pushing to the surface, the closer we get to the eternal city, the worse it will get. While avoiding it might help for now, it will be better for me and thus for you if I end this problem once and for all. Sadly this is not an endeavor you can help me with, nor could I ask it of you. Zoe will lead you in my stead while I venture to one of my sacred places. I don't know when I will be back, but I wish you the best of luck."
"My lady, I beg you to reconsider," Zoe looked more panicked then Naruto had ever seen her. Though he didn't fare much better. The thought of his mother going of to fight herself was uncomfortable to say the least.
"Your dedication is appreciated, but as I said there is no way you could help me. Take good care of my hunters and my son. Make your way to Mygdonia as soon as you can. Therma used to have a large temple dedicated to me and while it now lays destroyed, I am still connected to the place. Good hunt to all of you, I hope we will see each other soon" Artemis stated before vanishing, leaving nothing but a trace of her scent.
"You heared our lady, we will make haste towards Therma. Let us hope that Artemis can overcome Diana sooner than later."
Some of the hunters cheered a little, before the, now far more sullen group continued their travel.