Writer's Note I: Fresh off a trip to see family, I come to you slightly sunburnt and in possession of a new chapter. Enjoy.

The Last Shinto Kami

Chapter Thirteen: A Difference In Opinion

Before Naruto knew it, a year passed in the blink of an eye. He spent every moment possible deepening the bond between him and Ancalagon, which included plenty of training. His new friend had a firm grasp on instinctual things. But Naruto couldn't have Ancalagon chowing down on humans because his belly rumbled. That's what the daily training sessions were for. He needed to drill restraint into his hellfire-born companion.

Through gradual progress, their bond reached a level where they could understand what the other was thinking with a look. While Ancalagon couldn't speak yet, Naruto believed it was a matter of when and not if his fearsome dragon found his voice. Another thing about the dragon was his immense growth. Ancalagon was already the size of a divine temple and still growing by the month.

This necessitated an extensive search for somewhere the growing dragon could dwell unbothered. Naruto's first thought was to make a flying island, same he did for Leto, but his draconic friend shot the idea down with a snort. Eventually, they came across a suitable volcano outside of the landmass east of Greece.

The irony of Ancalagon's choice wasn't lost on Naruto.

At this moment, Ancalagon's new volcano lair didn't have a name they were aware of. But something as trivial as a name was of secondary importance to Naruto. Right now, he was dead set on drilling a set of crucial rules that needed to be said with him and Ancalagon being separated for the first time. "I'm glad we finally found a place you like. You can finally spread your wings and see the world, Ancalagon. However, I have a few rules for you if we want this to work."

Naruto prepared this inevitable discussion by listing the rules while counting them on his fingers. It was super important, but it did help Naruto focus his mind. "First off, you can't attack humans unprovoked under any circumstance. Next, I don't want you hunting for food in the same area more than once a week. Am I understood?"

Ancalagon's grunt teemed with short-tempered annoyance, but Naruto the agreement he sought from his friend. It also allowed the sun god to continue with his third and final rule. "Finally, you can't fly to Greece unless I am with you. I won't have Zeus trying to blast you out of the sky without me there to help you shove one of those bolts up his ass."

Obviously, the dragon believed his power alone was enough to deal with the sky king. His irritable grunt said as much without uttering a word. The winged beast of dread eventually relented with a promise to listen to his master and friend. Honestly, he wanted one thing. Ancalagon looked forward to taking to the sky and feeling the sun's raw heat on his scales.

Sensing this soaring need for freedom, a supportive Naruto patted his hand against his dragon's large snout, smiling at the nudge he got back. Despite being a rightfully scary beast, Ancalagon had an affectionate side under all that pride. "Other than that, I want you to enjoy this chance to live. I'll be back soon to visit. We'll catch up on things from there."

The mostly blonde wasn't sent off without a gift. Naruto found himself with a face of heavy dragon spit courtesy of an affectionate lick from Ancalagon's forked tongue. Blank-faced as he wiped away the copious dragon drool, he flicked a large glob of saliva off his hand with a fond sigh. "Yeah... thanks for that, buddy. I really appreciate being bathed in your stinking dragon drool. Try and be good for me."

The highly accepted assumption that gods didn't need food to survive wasn't entirely false. A lack of food wouldn't bring demise, but the gods did experience hunger, so food was a crucial part of their lives. The same as anyone else. Personally, Naruto loved tasting different foods whenever he had the chance. It was his reason for visiting small village halls like this, sampling the local take on cuisine.

Naruto's unassuming guise remained patiently at his table, taking in the quiet peace of his sleepy surroundings. He zoned in and out a few times already. But this time, Naruto's ears picked up something concerning. And it came from two men chatting among themselves.

"Can you believe the whole village was wiped out in a single night? There were good people there. Pious people that loved the gods!" He tried keeping a lid on it, but the commoner's voice raged against the nerves in his voice. Paired with his sadness over the senseless death, this was a bleak statement from a worn-down soul.

Gazing into the amber drink filling his cup, the other man looked at a reflection of his sadness mapped on the beverage's frothed surface. "It only takes the arrogance of one to invoke the anger of the gods. This is our life... whether we like it or not."

An understandably nervous tick sent the first man into looking over his shoulder. The paranoia wasn't entirely unexpected as he leaned closer to his friend with a whisper at the ready. "They say someone insulted Leto, and her daughter sent a monster boar to kill every last man, woman, and child for the insult."

Naruto felt his sun-warmed blood run ice cold. His first instinct was an emphatic denial and defense of his friend, but all the pieces made sense. That included the boar they hunted and the awful temper Artemis inherited from her lightning-chucking father.

"Word around town is they can't settle the land because of all the blood soaked into the soil." Naruto vaguely noted how the wooden utensils in his hands snapped under the force his clenched fists exerted. He was gone in a spark. Gone to get answers from the source.

That's when one of the village maidens came out with his food, where she found an empty stool, leaving the poor woman confused beyond belief. She didn't have time to question it because she was being hailed down by a nearby family looking for her assistance.

Most days, Naruto felt at ease when he entered a section of wild land that Artemis and her troupe occupied. That comfort was nowhere to be found this fateful afternoon. Today, every iota in him burned like a fire. He was a kindling ready to consume everything in sight. Even the atmosphere around Naruto was boiling with his simmering rage. The two arrows shot at his back? Nothing but matching piles of smoking ash.

"Today isn't the day for games. You know who I am... the two of you can come down and escort me to your mistress, or I will knock you out and leave you here. Either way, I'm going to see Artemis." Naruto's lack of patience didn't leave room for an answer. He skulked off, leaving the two stupefied maidens with nothing to do but follow his trail from a safe distance.

Their short walk was a tense affair that worsened when the silent trio arrived at the campground where Artemis and her hunters were already waiting. It didn't come as a surprise. He hadn't done anything to conceal his presence since entering the sea of trees.

Having no rational thought, the predominantly blonde stormed over to Artemis and nearly got in her face. His frown sat heavily on his face. "Naruto..." Only Atalanta's whispered mention of his name elicited a reaction. But it was little more than his eyes flickering her way for a second. He had more pressing matters to discuss. Maybe he'd catch up with his friend a little later on.

"Is the story about you and the boar true, Artemis?"

"Yes-" That's all he needed to hear. He sent his hand cutting through the air, landing a harsh slap across Artemis' face. The force of his flame-leaking palm turned the goddess' head to the side as the air was sucked out of the of bow strings were pulled taut in unison. The hunters all moved to defend their patron lady but fell short of firing their arrows because of the divine presence leaking off Naruto's trembling body. The little taste of godly energy froze them all, making them feel a burning in their soul that threatened to consume them. "Why? Why would you do something so terrible?"

Pure shock kept Artemis' weapon of choice stowed on her back. Outside of their joint practice sessions, Naruto never once hit her. He never even raised his voice in her direction, so the slap caught her off guard. If anyone else tried what Naruto did, she would make them a pin cushion. The divine hunter quickly came to her senses, growling out her perspective.

"Those ungrateful fools got what they deserved! No one insults my mother without paying a terrible price. The queen of Thebes was an arrogant tumor in need of correction. This is what we gods do, Naruto. It was my right!" Artemis exposed the slightly burnt skin left by Naruto's slap when her hand lowered from her cheek. The damage was superficial and already healing. "Who was she to say she was a better mother than my own? A woman who struggled through cruelty and came out better? Apollo and I did what was right."

At a literal loss, Naruto stared at Artemis in horror, like he couldn't believe his ears. There was something about being slapped across the face with cold, hard truth. It hurt Naruto. Hurt him to see his friend acting so hatefully. "That... that is your reason for butchering men, women, and children like cattle?"

"Seven sons and seven daughters was the price of her arrogance. Their city was fair game... I sent the Kalydonian Boar on the hunt. It shattered her city and trampled Niobe's daughters. Apollo had the sons killed with golden arrows from the sun." Artemis couldn't look at Naruto's terrified expression and was forced to turn her head away from his devastated gaze. "We left the youngest daughter alive as a show of mercy."

"Mercy?"

"Girls! Look away right now!" Artemis got her desperate warning out in time to save her hunters from being erased by Naruto's burst of divine power unleashed when he assumed his most basic godly appearance out of unadulterated anger.

A laurel of roaring flames turned his spiky hair into a crown of wafting fire that matched perfectly with the molten pools of golden fire that filled his glare. There was even steam leaking out the corners of his furious scowl, making him look like an agent spawned from the depths of Tartarus. "Mortals aren't our toys, Olympian. You have crossed a line that your family takes a sick pleasure in violating. It's disgusting."

Feeling a sweat slicken her brow from the raw heat slamming into her, Artemis tried and failed to muster a verbal defense. Anything was better than standing there being browbeaten by her steaming confidant. She was worried Naruto might lash out in his anger and injure one of her daughters. "But-"

"SILENCE! I don't want to hear the disingenuous excuses you call reason. I have better things to do than assuage your bruised ego. Go to your arrogant family for that. Listen closely... because I will only say this once!" The flames around Naruto crooned with the intensity of his vengeful rage, threatening to scorch Artemis, who held her ground. She couldn't afford to back down, no matter how she felt about Naruto tearing into her in front of her hunters.

"Friend or not, if I ever hear you've done something like this again, you can be assured you'll answer for your crimes. That's the judgment of Naruto-Omikami."

With his promise delivered, Naruto vanished in a flicker of mournful flames.

Your name is Eudokia. The daughter of the former queen, Niobe.

Are you here to kill me? Like the gods did to my brothers and sisters?

No, I'm not. What happened to you was wrong, and I want to help.

Help?

That's right! How would you like to learn how to heal others? Become my first priestess?

Olympus, Council of the Gods

The Olympians' colorful personalities came through in full as the latest council meeting crawled toward its natural end. Serious conversations gave way to pockets of two-person conversations that trickled into the moon archer's attentive ears. It fittingly began with her father and aunt and the seasonal appeasement that always rose when the fall and winter came.

"I understand you don't trust his intentions, Demeter. However, Hades is taking care of Persephone. She is safe in the Underworld with him. I promise you she's safe." Zeus tried holding his patience as he again attempted to mend the strained relationship between him and his older sister.

Unfortunately for the lightning-slinging king, Demeter wasn't making it easy for him. Like the rest of her siblings and their father, Demeter had a vicious streak of stubbornness. The only exception is Hestia. "Save the hot air, Zeus. If you wanted to really change something, you'd get our daughter back from that kidnapper."

'More of the same...' Artemis tuned them out rather quickly, shaking her head and drifting off into another conversation she wished she hadn't heard. This was a common occurrence when it came to the bloody god of war she called a brother.

"Come on, ugly old Heph! Use your hammer for something other than humping metal! We have the same blood! You have to have some fight in that fat belly of yours!" It wasn't a surprise the battle-crazed son of Zeus and Hera was leaking enough bloodlust to make a non-god lose their mind. But it wasn't enough to do anything but annoy his fellow gods.

And at this point, where Ares went, Aphrodite wasn't far behind with her sweet venom putting fuel on the familial spat. "You shouldn't waste your time on him, my dear. Take it from me... the only thing the hobbled blacksmith can get up is his toy hammer. What a disappointing man."

Artemis wasn't sure how her half-brother sat there taking Ares' and Aphrodite's browbeating without a murmur of complaint. She knew she didn't have the same restraint in her. Perhaps it was the toll of years of being treated like that.

"If you think that's something, wait till you hear about my night with four women-" Apollo's pig-headed boasting was shut down mercilessly by a silver arrow burying itself into his shin, letting Artemis relish in his comically-spaced cries of pain.

A ticked-off Artemis didn't have time for the pointless chatter that Apollo and Hermes shared in an attempt to one-up each other in a revolting competition. It was for the best she shut them down as early as possible. Today was a solid reminder of why Artemis hated these meetings. She'd rather be out with her hunters any day.

Her thoughts replayed the most recent encounter she shared with Naruto. The unexpected conflict weighed heavily on her mind. As did the horrible things she committed. Artemis didn't regret the fate she levied on the pompous queen, but she agonized over what happened with the children caught in her warpath.

The hunter's shiny silver eyes landed on Hera. This is the woman who turned Leto's life into a living hell. Was this who she became? Another version of the spiteful woman who endangered her and her twin? A cold and uncaring arbitrator of bitter, unresolved hate? Artemis didn't want that for herself.

A swathe of movement from her father pulled Artemis' gaze away from Hera just as the queen opened her immaculately stoic brown eyes. "We are done for today. Return to your duties." With that announcement, the gods and goddesses of Olympus trickled out.

Our huntress wasn't blessed with the same opportunity as she was approached by her wise half-sister. Athena was adorned in her usual ensemble of practical armor and elegant robes. The warrior of the mind stood proudly with the light reflecting radiantly off her silver metals. "Sister, if I could have a moment of your time? There is something I'd like to speak to you about." A nod sent both women on a walk through their home mountain.

"I have always told you the truth, Artemis. This won't be any different. I won't mince my words here. What has your mind elsewhere? You aren't one to be distracted during a meeting... even when the talks themselves are tedious at best." Only the intuitive Athena would notice something so small during a drawn-out meeting over five hours.

Artemis relied on her self-taught discipline to prevent the expected surprised reaction. Her unreadied tongue couldn't find the same good fortune as she stuttered out a poor excuse in her rush to say something convincing. At least her words had some truth hidden in them. "O-Oh... it's nothing, sister. I was thinking of a suitable training exercise for my newest batch of hunters. You know I want them at their best at all times."

Metis' daughter didn't give her younger sister the infamous Athena glare, but Athena's deadpan made Artemis fold under the pressure. Artemis sagged onto herself with a lengthy sigh that shut her silver eyes tiredly. "Ah... I'm sorry, Athena. Hiding weakness has become something of a habit around here."

Athena understood the instinct to protect against the plotting on this mountain. She wasn't going to hold the little lie against her struggling sister. With a comforting hand on Artemis' shoulder, the wise goddess walked the redhead into her temple, where she and Artemis could speak without interference.

Hoot!

A beautiful owl swooped down from the rafters- its pale feathers as white as virgin snow. The majestic avian landed softly on Athena's shoulder and puffed up happily as its master graciously rubbed its beak. "How was your day, Glauca? Did you get everything done like I asked?"

Hoot! Hoot!

The condor-sized owl flapped its wings and wobbled amidst a flurry of excited hollering. Athena and Artemis, to a lesser degree, couldn't help but smile at the pure enthusiasm the innocent creature exhibited. "Wonderful work, my friend. I'll make your favorite meal when my sister and I are done talking. Can you wait until then?"

Hoot!

Glauca left Athena with a parting nuzzle and a hoot in farewell directed at Artemis. The joyous owl disappeared into the archive wing built into the eastern side of Athena's temple. With the freedom of privacy, Athena escorted Artemis to a table where freshly made tea awaited them. The wise woman sat across from her sister, hands folded under her chin. "Tell me what ails you, sister."

"Do you remember the story of what my mother went through to safely deliver my brother and me...?" An ordinary person might let some details slip from their mind, but Athena never forgot anything. So, in truth, Artemis' question was an exercise in rhetorical rhetoric that didn't mandate anything but a simple answer from Athena.

"I remember the story. What about it?" The gentle clink of Athena setting her cup down sent Artemis into a rambling reply that came from her doubt-ridden heart. It was hard to find something more authentic than someone going through some self-reflection.

Two sets of twitching fingers wrung tight squeezes around the cup's circumference... almost like she was forcefully pulling her personal thoughts to the surface despite her doubts, fighting to stay buried within where they were safe from outside examination. "I'm starting to doubt myself. Am I any better than Hera if I blame children for their mother's heinous actions? Because it feels the same... and that makes me sick, Athena."

Niobe's fate didn't bear repeating. Everyone on Olympus, from the gods to the nymphs, understood what transpired with the mortal queen. Instead of bringing up the past, Athena voiced a more personal inquiry. "When we first spoke about this, you were emphatic that you were right. What happened? What changed your mind enough to leave doubt where there was none?"

Artemis' planned response hit a hitch when inner conflict drove hesitation into the tenacious huntress. "...a friend of mine argued vehemently against how our family treats the people who look to us for guidance. Despite the passion they showed, the more I think about it, their points aren't without merit."

Athena mentally noted how Artemis tried to conceal her source's identity and pushed for clarity. Which was entirely expected of the world's most curious mind. "Who is this confidant, if you don't mind me asking?"

The apologetic look Artemis flashed at her sister was accompanied by a swinging curtain of red hair that went along with the shake of her head. She had no intention of surrendering Naruto's identity, not even to her closest sister. "Sorry, all I'll say is they aren't one of us, and leave it at that."

"A wise choice..." Despite being disappointed by the lack of open information, Athena steered the conversation back to the original topic. Personally, the wise one liked to believe she was fair with the mortals, but she wasn't thick-headed enough to say she didn't make her share of mistakes. "And what do you think? Were they right, or are they wrong?"

Silver eyes bore into gray ones, meeting the speculative gray orbs in her sister's thought-swelled cranium. "Nothing felt sweeter when my revenge happened. But now it feels like a pile of ash that I can't get out of my mouth."

Taking a moment to gather her emotions, Artemis had another confession for her sister's ears. "Recently, I've been looking for the youngest child. The one who was left behind with nothing but her life, but I can't find her anywhere." And with the girl's disappearance went the chance Artemis had at redemption.

What Athena shared sounded detached at a basic level, but the merit of her advice shone through. "We must remember the lessons of our past and apply them to the future. Fortunately, we live long enough for our memories to fill themselves with these lessons."

"That is easier said than done..." The sullen vibe around Artemis vanished as she stood up and shook off the borderline depression that wrapped around her. Looking forward, she extended a proverbial hand to her clever sister. "Would you mind visiting the hunt, sister? Some of my girls can learn about the spear from you."

"It'd be my pleasure."

"Being a healer is all about control. Without focus, our abilities will do more harm than good. Find your center, and once you have it, it's up to you to siphon it until you have the perfect handle on what your power is doing." Naruto's words were encouraging yet firm enough to impart the importance of learning restraint. It was how he was taught, and now it was how Naruto taught his first student. Compassion under the guidance of a firm hand... that's how he tackled life in general.

A proud smile pushed itself to the surface as the young woman he watched grow up worked her craft. Eudokia channeled her healing essence into her mock patient, a dead fish. The creature's body glowed gently under a curtain of soft green. "Good. Now, spread your energy over the patient. Too much, and you'll burn their insides, but not enough, and nothing will happen. A healer must understand balance even when indecision is the difference between life and death."

Eudokia showed her dismay with a grunt when the energy cloak around the fish fizzled out despite her best efforts. Add onto that the sweat sliding down her face, and it was safe to say her concentration was gone. "I failed again..." Admitting as much was a better pill for the young woman. She wanted to make him proud and show Naruto all the time he spent building her up wasn't for nothing.

It was Naruto that made her feel important again. He made her believe there was a future for her beyond her death-doused past. Naruto gave Eudokia a chance to make a difference. She refused to let it slip through her fingers.

Although her mentor and sometimes father hated it when she said it, Eudokia truly believed that life for everything and everyone would be better if it was Naruto who ruled over Olympus and not its current king.

Her detrimental feelings were dashed with one gesture, a warm hand settled on her shoulder in silent reinforcement. In the absence of doubt was the sun Kami's nurturing warmth. "You failed, but don't be discouraged. If you give up, the patient is lost. Tap into your determination and bring life back with your own two hands. I believe you can do it, Eudokia."

Taking strength from that solace, Eudokia returned to bringing her test patient to life. A bright glow encompassed her hands, illuminating the focused grimace etched onto her olive complexion. The shine went into the animal, cascading through the fish and its gill slits. When the animal started flopping, Eudokia flinched back with a surprised gasp.

Naruto's pride wasn't something that could be measured. As the animal flopped into the bucket of water beneath the table, Naruto gave the young woman her due. "Well done, Eudokia. I knew you had it in you."

Whipping around in a whirlwind of enthusiasm, the young woman hugged Naruto with every emotion she could exert. "Thank you so much! This is all I dreamed of when I asked you to teach me! I owe this all to you, Father."

His smile took on a softer note when the last of her whispers reached his ears. Giving his student and adoptive daughter a squeeze in return, he held her tight against his chest for a moment. "Go to our camp spot. If you get set up before sunset, I'll make your favorite food to celebrate." Laughing at how she rushed off, Naruto waited until Eudokia was gone before his face turned cold.

"You can come out now."

The entity Naruto sensed didn't keep him waiting for long. The lowering sun burned a brighter orange, and someone appeared in a flashy surge of white light. His shiny hair and shinier, face-wide smile gave away his identity. The man in the orange toga had to be Helios.

"My brother from the sun!" Flamboyantly bold, Helios surprised Naruto when he pulled Naruto into an unexpected hug. Before Naruto could react, the solar titan pulled away with a beaming grin. "I'm glad I finally met you, Naruto Omikami."

With his composure back in hand, Naruto was comfortable properly holding his own in this surprise encounter. "Honestly, I am surprised you took this long to find me. I wonder who will come down next? Maybe Apollo?"

The sound Helios made matched the dismissive way he waved his hand. "Apollo isn't experienced enough to sense you. He's more interested in other pursuits but less about Apollo and more about this meeting. I want to talk about you. Greeks aren't special... but someone from the Forbidden East? That's interesting."

Naruto's quick wit hid some of his discomforts, but his true intentions rose to the surface when he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the bright titan's strange words. "I don't like how you worded that. A little scary for my tastes... should I be worried, Helios?"

"Scary? What's scary is how powerful you are for someone so young. What's terrifying is what you become..." The prophetic glow behind Helios' eyes added a solemn weight to his words, taking Naruto slightly off guard from what the son of Hyperion saw.

Helios opened his mouth when a luminous lance of moonlit energy slammed into the ground beside both blondes, releasing a wave of fluttering lunar butterflies that eventually parted to reveal a tall woman with black skin. She wore a long, flowing dress that was light blue in color. Her black hair fell around a glowing moonstone centerpiece over her forehead that shone its brightest when the massive sapphire necklace over her chest lit up. This was Helios' sister, Selene.

"Brother, you're late again. I understand that you value the freedom the Olympians granted us, but when we plan something, I expect you to be punctual." Her smooth-sounding voice bore an undertone of verbal iron that indicated this wasn't the first time she needed to remind her free-spirited brother of something like this. Naruto wondered if he'd be similar to Selene if his mother survived long enough to give him a younger brother or sister.

Helios proved partially resilient against his sister's benevolent judgment. He took the soft scolding in stride, pushing past her words and pointing at Naruto like he alone explained everything. "I know what I said, sis. However, I finally had the chance to meet him! I couldn't miss this! That's him; that's Naruto Omikami."

Selene moved her white eyes toward Naruto, taking him in for the first time. Her silence became a smile that matched the aura of grace she effortlessly exuded. "Ah, yes. You're the one Artemis told me about. It's an honor to finally meet you in person. I must admit, the knowledge you're like us is quite a surprising development."

Naruto felt his smile sour at the mention of Artemis, but it didn't last. He shook off the lingering disappointment and dipped into a bowing gesture. "The honor is mine, Lady Selene. I have heard many good things."

"Hey... you're being awfully nice to her but not me?"

Artemis' predecessor ignored her brother's complaint with a humorous smile, focusing playfully on Naruto, who picked up what she was doing and returned her smile. "Your words, they flatter me. I must applaud your patience. There aren't many who can deal with my brother's eccentricities without losing their composure."

"Sister! Don't ignore me when I'm complaining!"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders with a mischievous smile, almost cracking when he saw Helios gawk from the corner of his eye. "I see it as good practice for my inevitable run-ins with some of the more annoying immortals out there."

"Alright! Enough already! Listen up, you two chuckleheads..." A breath away from stomping his foot like a petulant child, Helios was a ball of indignant frustration. His complaints stopped when his eyes turned pure white, and his jaw dropped in a lock. The sudden change had both Naruto and Selene's full attention.

Son of the sun, Lord of Life...

Your numerous trials are filled with unmeasured strife.

A new world's order can only be made true...

When a world is born from compassion and humility's hue.

To move forward, you must solve the challenge of power.

Standing against unknown adversity, a fiery soul that won't cower.

The Lord of Life's future lies in the past.

But remember that meaningful change never comes fast.

Hatred and fear have spawned under the high one's gaze.

In his stead, the world has become a field ripe for fire's raze.

Because if thunder and lightning continue a rule of intimidation and pain...

Then, none shall survive as the true terror of chaos reigns.

Helios emerged from his trance, holding his head with a dazed look that dulled his natural brilliance with a blanket of discomfort. Shaking his skull, Helios felt his complaints were well warranted. "Oh, Tartarus. What happened? Did someone get a look at the bullhead that ran me over?"

A flash of concern seeped into Selene's soothed expression. "Brother, you fell into a prophetic trance." Her moonlit sight shifted onto Naruto, taking in the blonde's contemplative stare that felt a thousand years away from where they were now.

"Seriously? I haven't done that in centuries. I forgot how much of an actual headache these visions are. Better Apollo than me..." He continued mindlessly rambling about his plight while simultaneously being clueless about what his words did to Naruto.

When her brother's aimless babbling failed to invoke a change in Naruto's demeanor, Selene knew it was time she ushered her brother to the meeting they had planned previously and give Naruto time to think about what Helios envisioned. "Come, we have things to do, brother."

No one understood the weight of prophecy better than Helios. Despite the desire to stay and speak with the Shinto sun lord, he wasn't so thick-headed as to try and impose on Naruto when his mind was elsewhere. Of one opinion, the brother and sister duo took their leave.

Naruto didn't move. He hardly breathed as his brain raced to understand what he was told. The words themselves weren't difficult to decipher, but what worried Naruto was the price it'd take to get there. 'Sure, the thunder prick is an asshole, but is taking him down what I really want?' A hand fell over his heart, steadying it as he took a deep breath.

'Leave the future for the future, Naruto. Worry about the present while you're in it.'

END

Writer's Note II: This chapter was about showing the trust Artemis has in Naruto, even when they have their disagreements, they won't sell each other out. Their relationship is stronger than that. We have a fight in the next chapter. It'll be a good one.