Welcome back to another chapter in the story!
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Onward with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own "Naruto" or "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," they belong to their respective owners.
Fighting to Live
Naruto stood on a cliff, watching the army down below. He could see them talking with one another, conversing and smiling.
However, he also sensed something that deeply troubled him.
Their blood lust.
Whether it was for him or anybody in general, he couldn't tell. He wouldn't underestimate them given his Negative Emotion Sensing ability had never proven him wrong before. He would need to be careful, very careful.
His clones had worked overtime on the Hiraishin seal for months at this point. With his knowledge of Fuinjutsu, he had managed to come up with his version of the seal. However, there was one major flaw…
He hadn't tested it yet.
He didn't know if any issues would arise while using it or if it would even work, to begin with, but he had to try.
As they said, desperation breeds innovation.
He had created his own technique formula and applied it to both of his trench blades. He had read from his father's notes that it could be applied to individual targets if his palm made contact with any part of their body, he had yet to test it out for himself.
His technique formula resembled a swirl covered with small branches, curling outward. It was his unique trademark to the technique, as each technique formula was special to the user. They were the ones to create it after all.
Once the seal was applied to both trench blades, he watched as it darkened and solidified on the steel. If his knowledge was correct, the seal would never fade. This would also apply if he marked an individual.
He could teleport to any marked object, person, or location with his seal. It was a useful tool if he was being honest with himself.
There, overlooking the battalion of 500, Naruto braced himself. He would be plunging himself into a slaughter if everything went according to plan. He had to be prepared to take lives.
He steeled himself, preparing for the confrontation ahead. With eyes full of determination and willpower, Naruto made his move.
The blonde jumped from his location and stood on a hill. He was about 800 feet away from the army below. While he knew it would most likely come to blows, he wanted to give them one last chance before everything turned bloody.
Throwing his trench blade into the soft grass below, many within Kronos's army looked over in confusion. A single Celestial Bronze blade shined brightly under the sun, causing many to squint in confusion. That was until many of them brought their eyes upward, seeing a blonde standing upon a grassy hill.
"Looks like he came after all…" Aris smiled to his group of Commanders, "I told you he would show up!"
"Be quiet, Aris," Vissarion said calmly, keeping his eyes locked on the blonde. "This is no time for jokes."
"Vissarion's right," Stella confirmed with narrowed eyes, "I can tell he's about to do something. Be on alert…"
The entire squad tensed up, ready for something to happen. They were told that the child of Hestia had many tricks up his sleeve, some were more deadly than others. It was time to see his abilities firsthand.
The group was toward the back of the army as they were in the middle of discussing strategy. They were only moments away from issuing commands when the enemy arrived, alone. Some believed it was bravery, others called it stupidity.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, blessed by Hestia and Rhea!" the blonde yelled out for all to hear, "I wish to offer a solution for all, a solution that doesn't result in bloodshed!"
Just like he offered with Heracles, Naruto wanted to try and resolve this without shedding blood. He understood it was necessary at times, but he didn't want to kill if he could help it. Of course, this was war, and death was expected, but he wanted to hold onto his morals.
"An offer!? Do you hear this guy?" One of those within the battalion laughed out. Upon closer inspection, Naruto could see it was a man in his twenties with brown hair. "He's full of shit!"
Ignoring the outburst, Naruto kept his composure. He watched as many of those opposing him gathered their weapons and strapped their armor, readying for a fight. "We don't need to fight, nobody needs to die here!"
"Who gives a crap?!" Another man shouted, this time having dark hair, "Olympus needs to fall! They've caused too much pain!"
Others rallied behind his cry, not caring for the blonde's offer.
Once again, Naruto was not discouraged. He would continue until the last possible opportunity.
"Olympus has brought pain, of that I agree."
Now this managed to cause some to quiet down, seeing where this was going. They didn't often find much cooperation or reasoning on the battlefield, especially against your enemy. It was a…new experience to say the least.
"But listen to me, we can change that! Participating in this war will only bring more suffering, more pain, and more death! Don't some of you want to return home? I'm sure everyone's tired of constantly looking over your shoulder! Constantly ensuring your family is safe! Always checking to see if you still have the will to fight every morning, because the last was too draining!"
Murmurs began to spread throughout the battalion, with some nodding their heads. The Commanders in the back looked on in confusion, wondering what angle the blonde was playing at. For now, they would hold their tongues.
Seeing he had the ears of some, Naruto continued with passion in his voice.
"We can end this war now if we want to! Kronos can be defeated and we can make the changes necessary on Mount Olympus! We can do it all, together!"
More murmurs continued. Their blood lust was on pause, hearing the reasoning of the enemy. Some looked on in contemplation while others looked ready to pounce.
"NEVER!" spat out a man in his mid-twenties. He had red hair with a scar along his face, "Ares killed my lover simply because she didn't wish to share a bed with him! He's lower than scum itself, I cannot reason with those barbarians!"
This caused many others to share their own experiences.
"He's right, those Greek gods are merciless!" a teen shouted out who had blonde hair, "My father, Apollo, abandoned my family when I was an infant! My mother died to a monster attracted by my scent, without protection from my so-called father!"
"Those Olympians don't care about anybody but themselves!" Another man shouted out, raising a spear into the air. "I've suffered at their hands for too long! Down with Olympus!"
"DOWN WITH OLYMPUS!"
"DOWN WITH OLYMPUS!"
"DOWN WITH OLYMPUS!"
"Well, I'll give him that…" Mavras said aloud with a shrug, "At least he tried to prevent a fight from breaking out."
Omiros responded with a snort, "He probably got his bleeding heart from Hestia. She is known as the nicest Olympian for a reason."
"Dammit…" Naruto cursed in his head, feeling distraught. Just when he was making progress, it all came crumbling down. "I can't reason with them now…I guess it's time for my ace in the hole…"
Channeling chakra to his lungs for a louder voice, Naruto spoke with a sharp tone.
"If any of you cross that trench blade, I cannot guarantee your safety. Turn back now, or face death."
Many of those within the infantry group openly laughed at the proposition, finding it humorous. They outnumbered the teenager 500 to 1, they didn't see him winning this. It was amusing to many.
Some scoffed while others looked around in wary, unsure of the threat's credibility. However, there was one person who didn't care.
"CHARGE!" Shouted out the man who initially started the chant. While he wasn't a Commander, many followed his lead. A domino effect then started, with hundreds of stomping boots hitting the earth.
This led to a stampede of soldiers marching forward, ready to run up the hill and reach the blonde. They were led by ambition and passion.
"Stick to the strategy," Stella reminded her group. "Allow these fools to march to their death. Remember our roles."
It was rather cynical to think of their infantry as nothing but canon fodder, but Stella didn't particularly care for the troops assigned under their care. They were nothing but bloodthirsty idiots who Kronos picked to take advantage of their emotions.
She also believed the blonde's threat, finding it somewhat credible. She had heard rumors of his powers, so she would stay behind with her group to see if anything did happen.
Either the blonde was bluffing and he was killed, or he acted. If he did act on his threat, they would at least get useful information out of it.
Chants and battle cries filled the air, causing birds and livestock to flee in worry. Soon enough, all-natural life would vacate the area, leaving only the soldiers. They screamed for his death, for the fall of Olympus.
As Naruto saw his enemies charging at him, he couldn't help but feel sadness in his heart. They didn't deserve to die simply for being on the opposing side in a war. It was even worse that some of them had rightful reasons to be angered at Olympus.
He clenched his fists in anger, feeling his emotions bubble within. At this moment, he absolutely loathed war.
As soon as the first soldier took one step past his trench blade, Naruto acted. It was time to prove his threat credible.
It all happened in an instant.
Naruto went from standing atop a grassy hill to standing beside his trench blade. He noticed how each soldier had the typical Greek armor, so he would need to channel wind chakra for extra power into his blades if he wanted to take them down in mass.
With a quick burst of chakra into his wrist, Naruto felt his Stygian Iron sword appear in his hand. The dark blade shined brightly under the sun. He channeled his chakra through the steel, giving off a slight glow of purple.
With a quick slash, Naruto killed the first demigod of the Kronos army, Heracles excluded.
He sliced their throat, watching as their essence was drained into his sword. Steeling his emotions, Naruto watched the life leave their eyes. He could see the fear, panic, struggle, and acceptance as his body fell onto the ground with a soft thud.
It was so quick, but for the blonde, it felt like it was in slow motion.
While the body was still falling to the ground, Naruto acted. He retrieved his second trench blade from his hip and threw it, the wind chakra slashing many in the way. He allowed it to get deep into the center of the battalion before he teleported to it.
With a sudden appearance, Naruto slashed and killed with his sword. The steel slashed through many with ease, even with their Greek armor on. None were spared from his ferocity.
Confusion flared up within Kronos's army.
"WHERE IS HE?"
"I CAN'T FIND HIM!"
"HELP! HE-"
SQUELCH!
His movements were quick, rapid, and deadly. He couldn't allow his emotions to factor in, or he would falter.
And he couldn't falter now, too many relied on him.
Grabbing the air-borne blade, Naruto threw it in another direction before flashing to it again. He would repeat this routine, disrupting the infantry. They couldn't find him, and when they did, he would disappear before they could do anything.
It was instant, leaving no room to react.
"FALL BACK!" Stella shouted to her Commanders, seeing the damage the blonde was inflicting. If his threat wasn't credible before, it was now.
Obeying her, the entire group of demititans dashed backward in worry. Mavras himself was feeling his heart pounding, hearing the cries of those around him. It made him feel worried if he was being honest.
Naruto kept his eyes narrowed and emotions steeled. He couldn't allow himself to be lost in the pain around him. He had to remind himself that he gave them a warning, which did little to calm his racing mind.
Throwing his trench blade once more, Naruto engaged in a dance of death. He twirled, slashed, and cut up those around him. Some bled out, others had their essence absorbed into his blad. However, one thing was for certain.
It was a slaughter.
Body parts flew up into the air while blood shot into the sky. Screams of agony and panic filled the environment while Naruto kept his blade swinging.
There was not a single second Naruto didn't attack. If he wasn't swinging his sword, he was throwing his trench blade. Everything he touched was coated with chakra, specifically wind chakra. He had to make each slash count.
The bodies around him began to pile up.
"He's…he's a monster!" Mavras thought to himself in fear. They had joked about the blonde, finding him to be a small threat at most. However, now, they could see the reasoning behind Kronos's actions. It was clear why the Titan wanted Naruto dead.
The dead bodies began piling up, with some laying over others. Weapons, blood, sweat, and tears were scattered around the battlefield. Pieces of slashed armor could also be found lying around, likely caused by Naruto's blade.
Feeling his head swirl at the odd angles he would appear at, Naruto finally flashed onto his initial trench blade. He was at the front of the army once more, near his first kill.
"I see now…" Naruto thought while picking up his missing trench blade. He tried to steady his mind, feeling a headache coming on. "The Hiraishin is incredibly useful, but it's taxing on the user. Unless you're used to the odd angles and sudden flashes, it can cause a big headache…"
While it seemed Naruto was effective in using the technique, he was actually experiencing pain. The technique was too new to him, and he had overused it on his first try.
That's why he decided to fall back for now, taking a moment to recollect himself. He still felt dizzy and disoriented from the event. It wouldn't be smart to use it again for now, as he was still recovering from its effects.
Shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts, Naruto spoke aloud once more. Just from scanning the infantry, he could tell he had killed around 200 of their members. This left only around 300 soldiers alive.
While it was impressive, it made the blonde bite his inner cheek in worry. He was hoping he could take out more before the technique overwhelmed his senses.
In time, he theorized the Hiraishin wouldn't affect him as it did now. However, since this was his first time testing out the technique, he would have to be careful with it.
Breathing in, Naruto yelled out. He wanted to give them one last chance to walk away from this alive. In his mind, he had killed enough to make his point.
"Please, let's stop this fighting! We don't need to continue this!"
However, instead of a ceasefire, Naruto got the exact opposite. He didn't need to use his Negative Emotion Sensing ability to know what they were feeling.
Rage.
The surviving demigods felt rage at their fallen brothers. It was clear any sense they had before went out the window. Now, they thirsted for the blonde's blood.
Hearing more battle cries and charging boots, Naruto sighed. It seemed he wouldn't be able to change their minds this time.
Now, it was time to finish this.
"Don't let up now, brat…" The fox spoke out with a rumbling voice. While he didn't care for the demigods Naruto was killing, he did care for his container. He knew this event would likely remain in his mind for the foreseeable future, but it had to be done. This was the price of war after all.
Naruto nodded, preparing another technique. He could see the 300 soldiers marching at him with madness written across their faces. They wanted his head on a spike, and he didn't blame them.
Instead of using the Hiraishin again, Naruto decided to go down a different route. Not only was he not fully recovered from the disorienting effects of the technique, but he still had to fight off the Commanders in the back. He could see they were watching him with careful eyes and he didn't want his disorienting state to be taken advantage of.
For now, he had to deal with the charging infantry first. It was one problem at a time.
"Suiton: Mizuame Nabara!" (Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field)
This C-rank Jutsu would normally produce enough starch to fill a pond. However, since Naruto needed this to be much wider in length, he poured enough chakra to make it an S-rank ninjutsu.
The water he produced from his mouth was large enough to flood a football field. The water rushed out of his mouth, quickly solidifying once it hit the ground. It flooded the grassy plain, entrapping many of those charging.
It glued their feet onto the ground with many crying out in confusion.
"Fall back!" Vissarion commanded to his teammates. Not needing another warning, the group fell back with careful eyes. They didn't know what was coming next, but they didn't want to get caught in it.
Aris fell back with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face.
"Careful, Naruto…" the fox warned, "You're not made out of chakra…"
It was true, as Naruto once again made a C-rank Jutsu much deadlier by pouring more chakra into the technique. This, combined with his fight against Heracles earlier, was making the blonde run low on reserves.
He had already summoned 1000 clones, used the Hiraishin, sprinted across States, used many elemental ninjutsu, used his Mokuton release, and was still planning on using more techniques. He had large chakra pools, but even the blonde had a limit.
If he wasn't careful, he could hit that limit soon.
Thanking the fox mentally for his concern, Naruto continued. He spat the water from his mouth, watching as it turned into a sticky starch. He could see the confusion in the eyes of many, with others trying to free their legs.
He wouldn't give them the chance.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique)
Summoning one clone by his side, both Naruto's flashed through quick hand signs. They had to be quick unless their enemies freed their feet in time.
It was time for something Naruto had wanted to try for a while now.
A collaboration technique.
Both versions of Naruto poured enough chakra to make their respective Jutsu be ranked in the S-rank category. They needed this to work quickly and efficiently.
"Futon: Daitoppa!" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)
Standing side by side, both Naruto's unleashed their respective technique from their mouths.
The result was destructive, very destructive.
The demigods in Kronos's army couldn't move, as the starchy liquid kept them glued to the ground. It was a testament to Naruto's chakra control, as none had managed to free themselves.
Now, there was a massive, black fireball launching at them at high speeds. It only grew and grew in size, likely accommodated by the wind. It grew to the point that it was large enough to scorch the land, and nearby trees, and melt rock.
It was a beautiful, yet deadly sight to behold.
The high-speed fireball slammed into the stuck infantry while melting its way inside. It burned through muscles, tendons, bones, and any armor. Just as it flew in the middle of the remaining troops, it exploded outward.
BOOM!
The resounding explosion forced the Commanders to cover their eyes. The blast had a small shock wave, causing dirt, rock, and debris to go flying past them. Once it was safe to remove their arms, they saw a horrifying sight.
There was no one left alive. They were all dead.
Small embers remained and they could see melted pools of steel, but that was all. They could see no bone, limbs, or bodies around. The flames had eaten away at it all, consuming it in a matter of seconds.
"This guy…he's a monster!" Mavras said in shock, not believing their enemy has power of this magnitude. They felt as if Kronos had set them up to die, not fight.
"N-No, he's more like the devil!" Omiros said in fright, backing up his brother. Both twins felt like they were in the presence of an unforgiving deity.
"Keep your heads on straight," Stella ordered with a sharp tone, not the least bit intimidated. She had known the risk of war. "Use your eyes, can't you see it took a lot out of him? You should be thankful we're fighting him while he's weakened!"
"She's right," Vissarion nodded, "It's best if we attack now before he can recuperate his strength."
"Then what are we waiting here for?" Aris said while withdrawing his sword. "Let's go for it!"
As for the blonde, he was feeling drained. The Kage Bunshin beside him vanished, causing the blonde to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It wasn't the heat that was making him sweat, but rather the small case of chakra exhaustion he was facing.
He had overdone it on the last attack, but he needed to if he wanted to end it in a final blow. Thankfully, it seemed he had taken care of the entire battalion.
All that was left was to finish off the Commanders.
Looking over, he could see that they were ready to engage him. The entire time he had fought, they had stayed back. They examined his fighting style, likely speaking to one another in hushed whispers. He could tell they were thinking of the best strategy to take him down.
He assumed they held no personal ties to their soldiers, as none of them felt any remorse for their deaths.
Naruto dodged to the side, avoiding an arrow that was shot at him by Mavras. He saw the teen look at him with a steely resolve, despite the underlying emotion of fear.
The rest of the squad took this as a sign, charging at him from different angles.
He would need to play this carefully.
Camp Half-Blood – Minutes After Naruto's Departure
"Okay camp, listen up!" Percy shouted, wearing full Greek armor. "We have different stations assigned to certain cabins, so pay close attention! I'll only be saying everything once!"
Everyone nodded, ready to help. The entirety of Camp Half-Blood, besides a few who planned to stay behind, were in attendance.
Chiron stood beside his student, a wide smile of pride covering his face. He couldn't help but admire how far the camper had come since arriving.
Annabeth also stood on the sideline, smiling at Percy's confidence. It was clear he was ready for this moment.
"Once we enter New York City, we'll only have hours before Kronos unleashes his attack. That means we'll need to be quick, efficient, and smart about how we play this. Therefore, I've assigned different cabins to certain locations…" Percy said in a commanding tone of voice.
"The Demeter cabin will be led by Katie Gardner!" Facing the head counselor, he continued, "You will be taking your portion to the Brooklyn Tunnel."
"Right!" Katie nodded, strapping the Greek armor tightly to her form.
"Travis," Percy said while looking at the older Stoll brother, "You will take half of the Hermes cabin and lead them to the Brooklyn Bridge."
"As for you, Connor," Percy said while looking at the younger brother, "You'll take the other half of the Hermes cabin to the Manhattan Bridge."
Both Stoll brothers nodded, realizing where they needed to be.
"Charles Beckendorf, you will take the Hephaestus and Dionysus cabins into the Holland Tunnel."
"Got it," the son of Hephaestus said with a nod.
"Lee Fletcher," Percy said while looking over at the teen, "You'll be taking the Apollo cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge."
The son of Apollo gave a thumbs-up in response.
"Malcolm Pace," Percy said, turning his head, "You'll take the Athena cabin to 59th Street Bridge. We expect you to be a leader among leaders for your cabin."
"You got it, boss!" Malcolm said with a cheeky smirk.
"Clarisse," Percy heard the teen grunt in response, "You'll be taking half the Ares cabin and covering our backs, so we don't get caught off guard from a pincer movement. The other half will be leading a frontal assault against Kronos."
The girl nodded, understanding of her role.
Percy then sighed, before looking over, "Drew Tanaka, you will be leading the Aphrodite cabin with…Silena Beauregard."
Many wanted to say something but bit their tongue.
"You two will be in charge of taking the cabin to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel."
After contemplating Naruto's words, Percy had spoken to Silena in private. She explained that she only worked for Luke because he threatened to hurt her boyfriend, Charles Beckendorf if she didn't comply. He had manipulated her into being an unwilling spy.
It was only made worse when Charles found out and broke up with her, causing her to feel even more shame. She realized that her actions had only alienated her friends.
After hearing her explanation, Percy decided to give her one final chance at redemption. He would do this by allowing her to go into battle alongside Drew.
"Finally, me and Annabeth will be giving support to any cabin that needs it throughout the battle," Percy said aloud, "Chiron will also help. His brothers will be provided support while Chiron will be elevated on a building, taking shots from his bow."
Everyone nodded, knowing that Chiron was a legendary archer. He was deadly in his own right.
"We will have satyrs, nymphs, and other beings help us in this battle. We have some river spirits who have sided with us, so Kronos will be forced to deliver a land-locked attack. Aeolus will also provide air support." Percy explained, "We will be expecting reinforcements from the Hunters of Artemis as well as the Amazons. We do not have a time frame of when they'll arrive, so we will have to hold out."
The campers nodded, understanding the situation. Many began feeling the power behind Percy's speech, rallying behind his words.
Even Annabeth saw a different side to him. A side that she liked.
Percy then began speaking, which soon turned into a chant for the camp.
"This is likely the last battle of this war. We will either defend Olympus from destruction, or we will see the end of an era. Either way, we do not falter!"
"WE DO NOT FALTER!"
"We do not fail!"
"WE DO NOT FAIL!"
"And we do not fear!"
"WE DO NOT FEAR!"
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Percy yelled out with a grin. "WHAT DO WE DO?!"
"WE DO NOT FALTER!
"WE DO NOT FAIL!"
"WE DO NOT FEAR!"
Percy smiled, feeling that his army was coming along nicely. They only needed to pass around a few more weapons, set up supply lines, and finish up their strategy.
He wondered how his brother-in-arms was doing at this very moment.
"Be safe out there…Naruto…"
The son of Poseidon then prepared to launch his army into position.
Naruto huffed, back-flipping over Aris's sword slash. The teen scowled, not happy he missed.
After they had charged him earlier at once, he had relied on his Taijutsu to separate the group.
He had used what he knew of fighting multiple enemies at once. Throughout his mental training with Aunt Hestia, she explained the best way of fighting multiple individuals at once. She explained it was best to try and line them up to strike accordingly.
When that didn't work, he changed his plan. Instead of lining them up, the blonde decided to fight only one opponent at a time. How did he do this? Simple, by using quick movement, distraction, and decisive action.
Once his feet hit the soft grass below, Naruto leaned his head out of the way of another sword slash. Timing his movement, the nephew of Hestia struck forward with his left hand in a jab to his foe's face. It connected and stunned Aris, who received a palm strike to his gut. This had enough force to blow the demititan backward, stumbling across the earth.
Just as Aris was dispatched momentarily, Naruto could see Vissarion arriving with his scythe. Stella was getting up from a punch he delivered to her jaw earlier while Mavras was drawing another arrow from his quiver.
Omiros was helping Aris get back up, spear in hand. The two teens were only seconds away from launching back at him.
That's when Naruto decided to change up the playing field.
Turning to Vissarion, he prepared to launch him away with a burst of air from his mouth. With his plan set in motion, Naruto flipped through the correct hand signs.
"Tiger → Ox → Dog → Rabbit → Snake," Naruto prepared to launch his attack before his ears picked up on something peculiar.
"IT'S WIND! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Aris shouted out from his position. In response, everyone fell back while Vissarion placed his scythe in front of him, spinning it rapidly.
"Futon: Daitoppa!" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
The wind funneled against Vissarion who was spinning his scythe rapidly. While it did manage to cut him up slightly, the majority of the force was absorbed by his quick thinking.
"What?" Naruto pondered in confusion, "How did he know it was going to be a wind ninjutsu?"
He didn't understand how Aris could tell what he would use before he launched the attack. It was strange.
"They're the most troublesome kind of enemy…" Naruto thought while keeping his composure. "…the ones that know everything about you, but you know nothing about them…"
Seeing the brief attack was over, Vissarion continued his push. With a growl of annoyance, Naruto unleashed both of his trench knives and prepared for a close-combat battle. It would be a test of superiority for the teens.
The dance of blades that followed could be considered a beautiful sight.
Vissarion was quick with his scythe, unwavering in his efforts. The normally calm teen grunted with effort into each swing, which struck with precision. His blade collided with Naruto's knives, each point of contact creating sparks of hot metal that flung up into the air.
Naruto ducked under two arrows sent his way while battling his opponent, causing Mavras to scowl in annoyance. None of his projectiles had landed so far, and he was running low on arrows.
Naruto flipped over another slash, causing him to deliver a heel kick directly into the jaw of his opponent. Not letting the attack deter him, Vissarion changed the direction of his scythe last second, bringing it upward.
Seeing this, Naruto's eyes widened before he pushed his body backward. He managed to avoid a majority of the damage, but still received a light cut on his chest. The fox was already at work, sealing the small gash.
"This guy is way more experienced with his weapon…" Naruto thought with narrowed eyes. He could tell that Vissarion was calm and collected in his efforts, not wasting any movement. He had also been the first in the group to cause some damage to him.
Just before Vissarion could move forward, he realized his body was stuck in place. With wide eyes, he looked down to see multiple roots wrapped around his ankles. He slashed with quick precision, causing the roots to loosen.
It seemed he would have to put more effort into slicing them off his body.
Just before he could get into any serious trouble, Stella was there with her twin obsidian blades in hand. She had appeared just in time before Naruto could follow up with an attack.
"I see…" Naruto pondered while leaning out of two slashed throws. He brought his trench blades up before clashing against the teen. With a grunt, he threw his arms to the side and pushed her to the side with a palm strike against her ribs. The leader of the group was sent skidding along the ground, feeling dazed from the blow. "…they cover each other, making up for any weaknesses or openings…"
Naruto moved his head backward, watching as another arrow passed by his head. Turning his head over, he could see Aris and Omiros charging with their respective weapons. Mavras wasn't too far behind them, running up as well.
He could admit that they were an efficient team.
Deciding to charge up another Jutsu, Naruto quickly sheathed his blades and flipped through many hand signs.
"IT'S FIRE! OUT OF THE WAY!" Aris shouted once more, causing everyone to scatter out of the way. They could admit the black flames of the blonde was the most destructive thing they've seen so far. They couldn't risk being caught up in them.
"MAVRAS, I'LL NEED YOUR HELP FOR THIS ONE!" Omiros shouted while shoving his spear into the ground. His brother responded in kind, rushing over to his brother and Aris.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)
The large ball of black flames went rushing at the trio. However, instead of dodging or cowering in fear, they acted with confidence.
Both brothers brought their hands up in tandem. When they did, a large wall of water appeared from thin air and stopped the flames in their track. The resulting collision resulted in a large steam cloud to appear.
A gift from their father Oceanus. It was much stronger when they worked together.
"Once again…he knew what I was going to launch before I did it…" Naruto pondered. "How is he doing that? Is he reading my mind or something?…"
"He can't be…I would sense it if he was…" the fox said in an even tone.
"Then…what is it?" Naruto thought with narrowed eyes.
Deciding to use the steam cloud to his advantage, Naruto decided to implement a risky plan. It would be at least another ten seconds before it dissipated completely. While he could use this to kill one of the Commanders, he felt like they were only fighting because they had to.
He wanted to at least try and reform them before killing them. It was in his nature, despite the fact it was war.
Once the steam cloud vanished, the group saw that Naruto remained in the same spot he was in. The group of demititans readied their stances.
"Aris," Vissarion said in a cool voice. He had long since freed himself from the roots. "We need you to stay on alert and keep feeding us information."
"Right," Aris said while never taking his eyes off of Naruto. "I'll keep doing my role, just like we practiced." He then tapped his head with a wink, implying he knew what the teen was referencing.
Without warning, Stella attacked the blonde with her twin obsidian blades. Naruto defended with his trench blades, having a hand-to-hand combat against the red-haired teen. Both fought with a fierce expression on their faces.
Unfortunately, Naruto didn't see the two arrows flying at his back. With a grunt of surprise and wide eyes, Naruto felt them dig into his upper spine.
"I finally got him!" Mavras said in excitement, "I hit him!"
Stella tried pushing this to her benefit before feeling Naruto slash her across her left bicep and right shoulder, the Greek armor doing little to protect her. They weren't anything severe, but it did hurt and draw blood. She felt the blonde kick her in the stomach, causing her to lose the air in her lungs and kneel over.
Aris came in with his sword, swinging it with great speed. In response, Naruto blocked each blow but winced in pain, likely from the arrows still lodged into his back.
Mavras shot more arrows, but he had missed once more. This didn't deter the teen as he had at least made two of his shots count. He was about five arrows away from being empty at this point.
Omiros came in to support Aris, using his spear to try and poke the blonde. Both were applying greater and greater pressure onto Naruto, causing him to crunch his eyebrows in concentration. They were slowly becoming too much for the weakened blonde.
Naruto kicked Omiros's spear away and prepared to slash Aris before something surprising happened.
SQUELCH!
"You…how?…" Naruto spat out in surprise, feeling a scythe cut through his torso. He was currently being lifted slightly off the ground, a blade poking from the front of his chest.
The rest of the group looked on with surprise in their eyes.
"You took your eyes off of me for too long," Vissarion responded with an arrogant smirk, "It wasn't too hard to get behind you while you were distracted."
Naruto coughed out a wad of saliva, his blades falling from his hands.
Despite knowing this was necessary, none of the demititans in the group gloated or bragged about the kill. It was rather grim for the group, knowing they were just on different sides. They didn't truly have bad blood between one another.
Naruto forced a smile on his face, his breathing becoming labored due to the scythe. "Can I…can I at least know…how you knew what I was going to do?"
Aris sheathed his sword before sighing. He could do that, it was the least he could do for a dying warrior.
"I have a photographic memory, so I could tell what sequence of hand signs you ran through for specific elemental attacks," Aris confessed, "Plus, I have something called clairvoyance, or the power of forethought. I can just see possible events in the future, which can help me narrow down what will happen."
Stella walked over with a sigh, not liking the outcome. She didn't wish any ill will on the blonde, but it was a price to pay in war.
The twin sons of Oceanus also walked over and stared at the scene. For once, nothing witty came out of their mouths.
Naruto smiled, feeling like he finally understood his opponents. He could respect them for their chance at giving him a peaceful passing.
Suddenly, an explosion was heard nearby. The group turned their heads to see rock, dirt, and soil flying around them in a swirl. Nobody noticed Vissarion narrow his eyes at the scene.
Once the dust settled, they could see something rather odd.
There, amid the explosion, was Vissarion with his eyes glowing. He had many miniature stars floating around his form, giving off an aura of power.
"You fool! That's not me!" Vissarion spat out with his scythe, "You were deceived by the blonde!"
Turning their heads in what felt like slow motion, the group were stunned to see 'Naruto' melt into a pile of wood. 'Vissarion' then smirked before he poofed into Naruto once more, the scythe disappearing altogether.
It was indeed a trick, and they had been fooled.
When the steam cloud had obstructed their vision earlier, Naruto had used his Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu (Earth Release: Hidden Mole Jutsu) to drag Vissarion deep into the ground, replacing himself with a wood clone above.
After he had situated the teen deep into the earth, he reappeared with a Henge of the dark-haired teen. He had fought him the longest and examined his mannerisms, so he believed he could play off the part well.
He had been right.
Unfortunately, the teen had escaped earlier than expected but he had already extracted all the information he needed.
"Nice trick brat…" The fox praised with a snort, "You managed to use your brain for once…"
Naruto smiled before he watched as each member of the squad glared daggers in his direction. It was now time to finish this fight.
"If he has a photographic memory and a form of foresight, then I'll just use something he can't foretell…" The blonde planned to overwhelm his senses, as it would break through his line of thinking.
Something that was…instantaneous.
They all charged him at once before Naruto decided to throw his jacket to the side, letting it fall to the wayside. Nobody paid any attention to it as they planned to thrash the blonde around.
Naruto allowed them to push toward him, ducking and weaving through the blows. Unknown to the group, the blonde was quite confident the fight would be ending soon.
"You bastard!" Aris shouted while swinging his sword. "I can't believe I felt pity for you!"
Vissarion then joined the mix with his scythe and power. He launched projectiles resembling stars which Naruto avoided carefully. He could tell they would pack a punch.
Stella erupted into flames, a trait she earned from her father. She brought out her twin obsidian blades and tried to land a meaningful blow along the blonde's constant dodging.
The Oceanus twins formed water in their hands before launching it at the blonde. They planned on cutting straight through the blonde given the liquid was flying at extremely high speeds.
"STELLA! MOVE!" Aris shouted which alerted the leader of the group. Knowing that his gift was valuable, she prepared to dash away.
Only for each one of the Commanders to stop moving.
Stella froze in her spot, her blades outstretched. She was still aflame, however, she couldn't move an inch. Her feet felt as heavy as stone while her upper body was unresponsive to her commands.
Aris was locked mid-swing of his sword, blinking in confusion. His foresight hadn't predicted this, instead, it showed the blonde teleporting to Stella. That is why he had been keeping his focus on the leader of the group, waiting for him to reappear, but he didn't.
Vissarion was stuck with his scythe in the air, ready for an overhead slash. He tried pouring more of his power into his body, but he was unmoving. He couldn't even launch the stars around him, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion.
The Oceanus twins were both locked with their hands outstretched, just as they had them earlier. The wave of water being sent Naruto's way also fell into the dirt, no longer having the concentration to keep it going.
None of them could move.
"Paralysis Seal: Complete."
Naruto smiled while crouching with his hands clasped together. He had arranged them in his trap without them realizing it once more.
He was lucky they didn't know his full bag of tricks, or he assumed this fight would be much harder.
"W-what?" Aris managed to choke out, however, it took everything out of him just to utter the word. It was clear the seal was powerful, holding back five demititans at once like it was nothing.
"Since you helped me out with some information, I'll do the same," Naruto smiled while standing up. "My jacket over there, the one I threw earlier, is the source of the seal."
They all looked over and saw the bomber jacket Naruto had discarded earlier. However, this time, numerous seals were spreading across the fabric and beyond. It looked like a complicated array of Kanji.
"I inscribed a paralysis seal on it before coming here," Naruto admitted, "I just needed the right time to activate it, which just happened to be when all of you were around it."
Walking over to his jacket, Naruto tweaked it slightly to allow the occupants to breathe and talk freely. He didn't mean to restrain them so tightly the first time.
The seals around his jacket were long enough to cover 400 feet in any direction. He had prepared to use this long before.
Feeling his throat loosen, Aris looked on in confusion, "But my forethought told me you would appear by Stella? How did you use the seal without me predicting it?"
"I took a risk," Naruto shrugged, "I thought about teleporting to your friend. I imagined it and readied myself to flash before I changed my mind at the last second. It was a gamble, but it looks like it paid off."
"Tsk," Vissarion kissed his teeth while powering down. He could tell any attempt on his end would be futile. "So what, you kill us all now?"
"I won't beg for my life," Stella added with a glare, "If you're going to do it, do it quickly."
"No, I won't kill any of you," Naruto said with a smile.
This got the attention of them all, as they wondered what he was up to.
"But…we killed you? I mean, technically we didn't…" Aris spluttered out, "…but you know what I mean! Why wouldn't you do the same?"
"So we can break this cycle of hatred," Naruto sighed while looking at the group, "I don't want this war, and I'm sure none of you do as well."
Nobody denied his claim, choosing to stay silent instead.
Naruto continued, "I don't want the needless death of more and more people. I want to end this war and change Olympus for the better."
"Good luck with that!" Stella snorted in amusement. "They won't change, no matter how much you do for them! Soon enough, it'll be your turn and you'll get thrown away like trash!"
"Maybe I will…" Naruto smiled, "…but that won't stop me from trying. We don't have to kill each other."
"So what, we get locked up for life now?" Aris asked aloud, "I mean, we'll either get thrown in prison or killed. Why play the waiting game to find out?"
"Because I'll personally ask for your lives to be spared."
The group widened their eyes in shock. They just had their enemy, the person they were trying to kill not even five minutes ago, vouch for them.
"Why would you do that?" Mavras asked, "We killed some of your campers already."
It was true, as the scouting squad with the Stoll brothers returned with fewer members earlier that morning.
"Because pain breeds violence, which breeds vengeance, which breeds hate. This constant cycle needs to end." Naruto said with a firm voice, "That doesn't mean you'll get off free, but it doesn't mean you'll have terrible lives either."
"What is this? Some kind of prisoner reform?" Vissarion scoffed, "We just need to behave and act right, then we get released? Is that it?"
"Yep," Naruto nodded with mirth in his eyes.
"Then you're a bigger idiot than Aris!" Vissarion said, ignoring the 'hey' from Aris. "What if we decided to keep our ways?"
Naruto punched his fist into an open palm, "Then I'll just lock you up again until we see eye to eye." He gave off a joking tone while speaking.
The group looked around at one another, wondering what the best choice was.
That was until Omiros spoke up, "I think…I think that wouldn't be so bad…"
"Brother!" shouted out Mavras with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Think about it, Mavras!" Omiros said in a huff, "Aren't you tired of living like this? Being pulled into a conflict we had nothing to do with?"
The twin brother went silent at this, contemplating his brother's words.
Omiros then stared at Naruto in the eyes, "I don't think it's a bad idea to take his offer. I'm tired of being a pawn for Kronos. If that means siding with the Olympians…then who cares!"
"I care!" Stella shouted, "I've lost too many friends to them!"
"And we have lost many to you as well," Naruto responded coolly, "We've both suffered losses, let's not add to it."
"I can't forget their deaths!" Stella fired back.
"Then don't," Naruto agreed, "Live on, for them. Or do you think they would rather you take this dark path and possibly die in the end? Do you think that's what they would truly want for you?"
Stella bit her lip, thinking of a response.
"…I have to agree, I am tired of this war," Vissarion spoke out in a firm voice, "I wouldn't mind ending it here, today."
"Tch," Aris said while kissing his teeth, "I have to agree with Vissarion for once. I mean, our fathers didn't give a rat ass about us, only needing us to fight their war…"
Mavras looked down at the ground before making his decision as well. "If my brother chooses to believe in you… then I will as well."
Omiros smiled, happy that his twin saw it his way. He was just looking out for the both of them.
Stella breathed out a harsh whisper, "If, and only IF you can convince those Olympians to change their ways, then I'll stand by you. But for now…I guess you have my agreement."
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, her entire group had agreed to turn themselves over. On the other hand, if she wanted to fight her way out of this, she couldn't. The paralysis seal was proof of that.
She would give the blonde a chance. A chance to back up his words. A chance to fulfill his promise of a better Olympus.
"Thanks, all of you…" Naruto whispered out, "I promise a different Mount Olympus is just on the horizon. We just have to end this war to see it."
Suddenly, multiple wood clones sprouted from the ground. They wrapped their arms around each demititan, causing multiple thick roots to spread across their bodies.
"These wood clones will take you to Camp Half-Blood," Naruto explained, "There, you'll be detained until we end this war."
He then walked over and placed a paralysis seal across each of the wood clone's arms. It was to ensure none of the combatants would try to break out of their storage while traveling. He couldn't risk them escaping and causing havoc on an unsuspecting demigod or two. They were too powerful for that.
"Just don't take too long," Vissarion scoffed out, "I don't want to be in lock up forever."
With a nod and smile, each wood clone took off at high speeds, back to camp Half-Blood. Naruto watched as they traveled over the hill and into the forests, out of sight. He waited another ten minutes, simply enjoying the wind brushing past his hair.
He took a breather, finally happy that he had dealt with the military force. It was a lot to do, but he had managed in the end. He was just glad he didn't have to kill any of the demititans, as he could sense they had the potential to be something greater. Something better than fodder in a war, with no one to remember their names.
"I guess it's time to back up fish-face," Naruto chuckled to himself. Grabbing his jacket, he deactivated the paralysis seal and slid it over his arms. With tensed legs, Naruto shot forward and made his way to New York City.
It was easy to kill, but it was harder to show mercy.
It was the exact reason he decided to let the demititan group live.
He would show them a changed Olympus.
Naruto had been traveling for about twenty minutes at this point. He was not far from where Kronos would unleash his final assault. His ruby necklace dangled by his neck as he ran.
The sun was starting to set, showing more and more darkness around him.
As Naruto sprinted through the dense brush and forest around him, he began to have a conversation with the fox.
"Brat," The fox mumbled from within, "Why didn't you mark your friend with the seal? Then you could just teleport to his location instead of running there?…"
Naruto blinked while sprinting, feeling foolish. "…that's a good question. I guess I didn't think about it before leaving camp. Besides, I was more worried about leaving to face that libation back there."
The tailed beast snorted in response. Leave it up to Naruto to have one of the strongest techniques in the world, yet still forget its usefulness.
As Naruto sprinted through a clearing in a rural area, he felt an energy appear before him. It felt familiar and friendly, causing him to lower his guard completely. It was somebody he knew.
Stopping in his tracks, he turned his head to see Melinoe appear before him.
"Mel?" Naruto said aloud in confusion and relief, "How are you here? Why are you here? I…I have so many questions?!"
"Naruto…" Melinoe said with a smile, "It took me a while to find you, given the main portion of my being is currently in the Underworld…"
"The main portion? So this is just a piece of your consciousness?" Naruto said in confusion. "Why didn't you just fully appear? Better yet, what's been going on in the Underworld lately? No one has heard anything!"
"Do you trust me, Naruto?"
"Yeah, of course I do!"
Melinoe smiled before she grabbed the front of Naruto's jacket. Without warning, she pressed her lips against the startled blonde.
Realizing he was experiencing his first kiss, Naruto melted into the embrace. Wrapping his hands around her waist, Naruto poured his passion into the kiss.
Everything suddenly felt right.
It felt nice.
It felt great.
It felt wonderful!
It also felt…cold.
Snapping his eyes open in alarm, Naruto looked down to see Melinoe's hand over his heart. He couldn't move, likely paralyzed from whatever she was doing to him.
One moment they were kissing passionately, the next, he was feeling his life drain away.
"K-Kyuubi!" Naruto said within his mind, "What's going on?" He was startled, not understanding what was occurring at the moment.
"I don't know!" The fox sounded in alarm, "Whatever she's doing, she's severing our connection for now!"
Naruto saw tears upon tears trail out of Melinoe's eyes. He wondered what had happened with the goddess to the point she would act like this.
"I'm sorry, Naruto…I'm so, so sorry…" she apologized profusely with downtrodden eyes. Her pale hand still rested upon his heart. "I had to do this…even though I loved you."
Naruto widened his eyes, not sure what to say. It was all so fast, so sudden for the blonde. They had just been kissing moments ago, and now, she was trying to kill him.
"Kronos promised me a force strong enough to overtake my father…I've always disagreed with his ruling for hundreds of years…" Melinoe explained to her love interest. It was the least she could do while his life force was draining from her touch.
"That's why we haven't heard anything from Hades!" Naruto thought to himself, still frozen by Melinoe's touch. "They're locked in a civil war down there!"
It was starting to make sense to the blonde. He was also starting to worry for Nico. The young boy was stuck in a civil war with no one to help him.
Looking back at his love interest, Naruto felt his heart clench within his chest. It was easy to see what happened.
She had betrayed him for an army. She had thrown away their connection, for power. He had never seen it coming, which is probably why it stung the most.
Looking back on it, he could see the signs. Her often bouts of shame and guilt that he felt during their time together led up to this. However, he had let his feelings for the goddess blind him to the obvious. Now, he was paying the price for his willful ignorance.
"It's okay though…" Melinoe smiled despite the tears rolling down her face. "Once you pass to the Underworld, I will personally see to it that you stand beside me. We can rule the Underworld together, in a new age…" Her voice was soft but her hand remained firm over his heart.
Naruto, who was already weakened from two different heavy battles that day, was starting to feel his eyes get heavy. He could feel the strength drain away from his body. He tried flaring his chakra, but nothing happened. It was the first time in his life he couldn't access anything of his.
"Don't give up on me, Naruto!" The fox shouted with his nine tails spread apart. His paws slammed on the ground within the Mindscape. "Don't let her take you away!"
He was trying to bring his chakra forward and heal the blonde, but their internal connection was being interfered with. He was having trouble circumventing the issue. This was something that worried the fox, fearing the blonde would soon die.
In that moment, the Kyuubi realized he wasn't worried about Naruto dying because his life would also be taken, but instead, he was just worried for his friend. The first container of his to treat him like an actual person and living being.
Naruto tried to stay conscious, but he could feel his heart rate slow to a snail's pace. It was declining rapidly and he was feeling lightheaded. Each second that passed, resulted in him becoming weaker and weaker.
He looked into the eyes of Melinoe, noticing that she often avoided her gaze. He assumed even she was feeling shame in her actions.
"I'm going to put you into a deep sleep," Melinoe explained while tears dripped off her chin, "It'll be painless. It's the least I can do…"
"Me…Mel…" Naruto whispered out with a faint voice. This was the weakest he had ever felt in his life. "…you…you were on the list…right?"
Naruto remembered the list of gods siding with Kronos. He remembered the torn section at the bottom of the paper. Something that he disregarded at first, came back to bite him in the end.
Melinoe didn't say anything but her choked sobs were more than enough. She remembered the memories shared between the two. He had been her light, her way out of the darkness. He didn't treat her any differently than many before him.
She wondered if he had been born centuries earlier if she could have been reformed. But alas, her goals had long been standing and nothing could change that.
Now, she only had to win against her father to see if the Underworld would be hers. For now, they were at a stalemate.
"NARUTO! DON'T DIE ON ME, DAMN IT!" The fox shouted with all his might. Naruto didn't know this, but tears were forming in the fox's eyes. "NARUTO!"
"Kyuubi…" Naruto felt faint and cold. He no longer had the strength to stand up, which Melinoe noticed and gently laid him on the soft grass below. "…thank you for being my friend."
Melinoe felt her consciousness wane, as she didn't pour much power into the section of her. She had to keep the majority of her power back in the Underworld.
"I'll see you soon…" Melinoe said with a soft smile and tear marks down her face. "I'll be there when you arrive, Naruto…"
With a small flash of light, the goddess was no longer seen.
As soon as she disappeared, the Kyuubi could feel his chakra enter Naruto's system once more. In response, he flooded the healing properties to stave off Naruto from death.
However, he didn't know if it was too late.
The last thing Naruto saw was the blue sky above, accompanied by a setting sun.
"NARUTO! NARU-"
The fox's words were drowned out by black nothingness.
Done with the latest chapter!
Oh boy, how a lot was unraveled.
Tell me how you liked the demititan fight! Was it good? Bad?
Finally, we saw Melinoe's betrayal happen toward the end. Some of you called in out through the reviews, so props to you all! Glad you caught it with a careful eye!
Also, no, this is not the end! I will pump out more chapters, this story is far from finished!
Thank you all for reading!
Cheers!