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A Shinobi Among Monsters by euphoric image

Naruto & Percy Jackson and the Olympians Xover Rated: T, English, Adventure & Humor, Naruto U., Artemis, Apollo, Words: 208k+, Favs: 8k+, Follows: 9k+, Published: Mar 21, 2020 Updated: Jan 15 3,237Chapter 12: The Council of Gods

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placements of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations. Hestia attended to the hearth, and when she saw Naruto, she smiled in greeting. Naruto smiled back, giving her a small wave before turning his attention to the other gods.

Naruto observed the twelve Olympians gods. They were each around fifteen feet tall, and he could feel the power thrumming in the room.

Dionysus reclined on a throne made out of grapevines with a leopard seat cushion. He looked bored and was absently sipping from a crystal glass filled with Diet Coke, but Naruto didn't miss how his purple eyes flickered slightly when they entered.

He really doesn't want to be here, Kurama remarked. He's filled with more negative emotions than Tsunade when she was forced to finish her paperwork without any sake.

Hephaestus had a huge, bulging, deformed head, bushy eyebrows, and a long brown beard that would burst into flames every once in a while. His leg was encased in a metal brace, and he sat on a huge mechanical chair with gears sticking out that looked extremely uncomfortable. He stared at them curiously the same way Kankuro would look at one of his puppets, as if they were machines rather than humans. Oddly enough, when Hephaestus shifted his glance over to Naruto, a slight hint of respect entered his eyes.

I thought gods could take any form they want? Kurama sounded confused. Why is he crippled?

Naruto shrugged mentally. No idea.

Hermes's eyes twinkled as he leaned back in a simple stone throne with a cushion of goatskin. Naruto took an instant liking to the man. He had the air of a prankster. His expression was a little too innocent, as if he knew something was about to happen and wanted to claim plausible deniability. He practically radiated amusement - at what, Naruto didn't quite know, but he had a certain infectious cheer to him.

Demeter sat on a throne woven from various plant material. While she didn't look particularly impressive, Naruto knew that he couldn't afford to piss her off. He knew of the myth of Erisikhthon. If Demeter could induce a literal inability to be "full" after a meal, then it stands that the reverse could also be true. She could make it so that Naruto would be full and unable to eat after a single bowl - no, a single strand of ramen. Naruto could not allow that to happen - ever.

I'm glad you have your priorities straight.

Ares stared at them behind his shades, twirling around a knife in his hand. Naruto wasn't impressed; Neji's teammate could do way cooler tricks. His throne was made of leather and chrome with human skulls for armrests. And, judging by the scent, he was sitting on a cushion of human skin.

I love how you referred to that girl as "Neji's teammate," Kurama said amusedly. What, did you forget her name already?

Shut up! It's been three years, and we barely even talked! Give me a break!

Apollo's throne was made out of solid gold and glowed with the golden light of the sun. It was so bright, it hurt to look at. He grinned at them, humming an upbeat tune under his breath. Knowing him, he had probably composed that tune himself.

Athena observed them with a clinical gaze, her grey eyes calculating, although she did soften slightly when her gaze landed on Annabeth. Then she narrowed her eyes when her gaze shifted to Percy. Her throne seemed to be woven from threads, intricate patterns that hung suspended in the air by an unseen force.

Does she not like Percy Jackson? Kurama asked curiously.

She has an immense dislike for Poseidon, and I guess that extends to Percy as well.

Artemis sat on a silver throne surrounded by a silver glow. The seat cushion was composed of numerous furs that probably would've stirred an animal rights activist into a frenzy. She was no longer in her twelve year old form; instead, she looked to be slightly older than Hinata. When she met his gaze, a ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

Aphrodite's throne was beautiful, just like herself. Silver inlaid with aquamarine and various other gems, with soft white feathers for a cushion. Once again, she had the appearance of Sakura with bits of Kushina thrown in. She smiled at Percy sweetly before her gaze slid over to Naruto, and something ugly reared up within her dazzling green eyes.

She's our enemy, Kurama said immediately. She really does not like you.

Yup. She's the goddess of "love", but apparently that only applies to romantic love, not familial love.

Hera gazed down at them regally. Her throne was made of ivory and a strange metal Naruto couldn't identify. Honestly, Naruto didn't know what to think of Hera. On one hand, he felt pretty bad for her because she was cheated on constantly. On the other hand, she threw Hephaestus, her own son, out - literally. That didn't earn any points in his book.

Poseidon was dressed casually in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, and the corner of his sea-green eyes crinkled with smile lines. He sat in a simple fisherman's chair. However, despite his lackadaisical appearance, Naruto could sense something powerful lurking within him. This was one of the Big Three, a god that commanded the entirety of the ocean itself.

Zeus sat in the middle, his throne made of pure platinum with lightning bolt designs that glowed an intense white light. He wore a suit, his black beard was neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparked with energy. He looked upon them sternly, although he appeared to be focused intently on Thalia.

Unimpressive, Kurama said flatly.

"Good evening, heroes," Zeus greeted. Thunder boomed overhead.

"Umm, hi," Percy waved his hand awkwardly.

Zoe muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like idiot before walking forward and kneeling down on one knee. "Lord Zeus, it is an honor." Thalia, Bianca, and Annabeth followed suit, dropping down to one knee, and after only a moment's hesitation, Percy and Naruto also kneeled.

"Rise," Zeus commanded. The demigods rose. "You have done a commendable job in saving Artemis." Artemis inclined her head in agreement.

Apollo cleared his throat. "Indeed. In fact, I'm so impressed by their performance that I composed a small haiku. Heroes win laurels - "

Naruto's hand twitched as he reached for his kunai pouch but Dionysus beat him to the punch.

"Apollo, please," he groaned, cutting off Apollo. "Spare me. These council meetings are bad enough without your poetry. Not to mention all the preparations we have to go through. I just sat through a three hour meeting on the most mind-numbing subjects with a bunch of nymphs whose collective IQs didn't even reach triple digits."

"Oh. Were they hot though?" Apollo asked eagerly.

Dionysus winced, casting a glance at Zeus, who suddenly gained a stormy look.

Apollo noticed. "My bad. Too soon?" Dionysus had messed around with a wood nymph's heart, resulting in Zeus banishing him to Camp Half-Blood for a century as punishment.

"Too soon," Dionysus said between gritted teeth.

"Let us proceed to the matter at hand," Athena spoke up almost tiredly, as if these types of digressions were common in meetings. "The Council is now aware of the massive threat the Titans pose. Mount Othrys is rising. The Titans are rapidly gaining power and followers. Prometheus, a Titan that sided with the gods in war, has joined Kronos. Hecate, the Titan of magic, and Pan, the Lord of the Wild, has also joined the Titans."

"What?!" Percy burst out, shocked. "Pan?! The god that Grover was searching for?"

"Impossible," Zoe shook her head. "Pan would not do such a thing."

Athena turned to look at them. "He did," she said coolly. "Selene confirmed it." She didn't wait for them to respond. "In light of recent events and new information, the Council has voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they didn't like the decision. Artemis and Athena silenced them with cold glares.

"I'm afraid the full details shall be kept confidential," Athena continued. "Only Zeus, Artemis, and I know the entire plan." She looked around the room. "Rest assured, however, that I have considered nearly every variable and constant to ensure the highest probability of success. Taking down the Titans should be swift and simple, considering they're still at the early stages of gathering power."

Poseidon snorted. "I thought you were supposed to be the wisdom goddess."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Father would not begin executing his plan to overthrow Olympus unless he had absolute confidence that he would triumph over the gods," Poseidon drawled. "You say you have considered nearly every variable and constant, but I doubt that. Father has had thousands of years to plan - you had less than a day." His eyes flashed. "Do not let your hubris lead to our downfall."

Athena was silent for a moment before demonstrating exactly why she was known as the goddess of wisdom. "I see your point," she inclined her head, swallowing her pride. "I apologize. Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Share your plan with us," Poseidon spread his arms and looked around the throne room. "I, for one, would like to know the exact steps that will be taken to combat the Titan threat."

"I don't," Dionysus muttered.

"Not interested," Demeter yawned.

"Speak for yourself," Aphrodite examined her perfect cuticles. "The Titans are dusty old relics of the past. You really think they're a threat? In the war, it only took six Olympians and a few monsters to defeat the Titans." She smiled. "Now, the Titans have lost a lot of strength, and there are twelve Olympians. They don't stand a chance."

"Foolish goddess," Poseidon snarled. "This only proves that you know nothing of Father."

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes and Ares leaned forward, interested. Suddenly, bloodlust and anger and rage filled the room, so thick it seemed to be tangible. Naruto wanted to punch something. Rasengan something.

Snap out of it, Naruto.

Naruto blinked before closing his eyes and concentrating. Wow. That was almost as strong as your chakra's madness-inducing effects.

"I don't know, Poseidon," Aphrodite said, smiling sweetly. "It looks to me you're just scared of daddy. What, is your PTSD from getting eaten alive kicking in?"

Poseidon rose from his seat, tremors rippling through the ground. "Say that again - "

"Brother," Zeus sighed tiredly. "Relax. And Ares, stop that," he directed to the war god, who shrugged before the aura of bloodlust receded.

Poseidon blinked before scowling at Ares, realizing that his emotions had been toyed with. Ares smirked back. Poseidon sat back down.

"Poseidon is correct," Zeus said, frowning at Aphrodite. "Do not underestimate the Titans."

Aphrodite simply shrugged in an oh well fashion.

"As I was saying," Athena began, "Artemis and Apollo shall begin hunting down the most powerful monsters to prevent them from joining up with the Titans."

Artemis nodded while Apollo grinned.

"Poseidon, you have full permission to unleash your fury and send the Princess Andromeda to the bottom of the sea by any means necessary."

Poseidon grimaced. "Yeah. . . that's not gonna happen. Oceanus and several other ocean gods are fighting against my will and preventing me from sinking the ship. I'll require a joint operation in order to destroy the ship. "

"Damn," Ares frowned. He turned to Apollo and Artemis. "You guys were at Mount Othrys, where that cruise ship was docked. Why didn't you just destroy it then? You had the perfect opportunity."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "We already accomplished our mission of saving my little sister. Besides, we didn't know if there were any other hostile Titans or gods around. Remaining in enemy territory with zero intel would've been a monumentally stupid decision."

Ares shrugged. "If you ask me, you should've just attacked."

"And that is why we don't ask you," Athena cut in smoothly. "Leave the tactics to the rest of us."

"Tactics," he scoffed. "When will you realize that war isn't about strategy and tactics, but rather the pure clash of blades and wills between warriors who fight to their last breath?"

"The same time when you realize that you have never won against me," Athena replied dryly. "Moving on," she continued, ignoring Ares's sudden murderous gaze, "Zeus and I shall personally head into Tartarus and check up on the bronze fortress which imprisons the Titans."

Every Olympian winced simultaneously. The Underworld was bad enough; Tartarus was even worse.

"And the minor gods?" Hermes asked. "What shall be done about them?"

"We must preserve their loyalty," Athena stated. "Hermes, Dionysus, Aphrodite, I leave the task to you. I don't care what methods you use, just ensure their continued allegiance to Olympus." She paused. "However, if a minor god does wish to turn traitor. . ." she turned to Ares.

Ares grinned savagely. "Say no more. Just point me at them and enjoy the explosions."

"As for the issue of Mount Othrys itself," the wisdom goddess's expression turned grim. "I'm afraid it's already too late. Today is the winter's solstice, and Mount Othrys has already fully risen and reformed from the Mist. The Titans have collapsed the Mist surrounding the area, returning it to normal space-time."

"Just blast it," Ares suggested, looking at Zeus.

Zeus shook his head. "I cannot."

"What, why?" Ares frowned.

Zeus stared at Ares as if he was an idiot. "Why? Because Atlas is there," he said slowly. "If I blast the mountain into smithereens, then I run the risk of collapsing the sky itself. I'm sure that you wouldn't want San Francisco getting crushed, considering exactly what is located there."

Athena nodded. "Furthermore, we can't send a frontal assault due to two reasons. First off, we lack information. I am already collaborating with Hephaestus" - the god in question inclined his head - "to design surveillance automatons. Second, Mount Othrys is a foreign domain."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Percy asked.

The gods all looked at him incredulously. Annabeth slowly rested her head in her hands, mumbling something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like seaweed brain.

Athena chuckled. "He takes after his father, I see." Poseidon scowled at her.

"Percy," Annabeth mumbled through her hands. "Don't you remember what Chiron said during our quest to retrieve the master bolt? About how 'no god can enter another god's territory without an invitation?'"

Percy blinked. "Oh right." His eyes widened as realization dawned. "OHHH that's what you meant!" Then he frowned and looked at Zeus. "But hold on, I thought you enforced the Ancient Laws. Can't you just temporarily, I don't know, remove them?"

Zeus stared at Percy. "Fascinating," he muttered. "You were the one who retrieved my master bolt?"

Percy frowned. "What?"

"I enforce the Ancient Laws, true," Zeus's deep voice rumbled like thunder itself. "Laws that state gods are forbidden from drastically interfering with mortal affairs or that they can only fight heroes if they are challenged first. However, the law that states gods aren't allowed to enter another god's territory without an invitation isn't an Ancient Law, it's a divine law."

"Hold up," Percy held up a hand, confused. "Divine law?"

"The laws that govern the divine," Poseidon explained patiently. "The physical manifestation of the natural order of the world. Unlike the Ancient Laws, in which the punishment is decided and executed by Zeus, the divine laws are the laws of nature itself. Even the primordial gods of the old, Ouranos and Gaea, are incapable of breaking the divine laws without severe consequences."

"Think of it like this," Apollo piped up. "An Ancient Law is like a law that a king makes. The divine laws, however, are like the Law of Conservation of Mass or the Law of Conservation of Momentum."

Athena nodded. "If a god decided to intrude on another god's domain, then they would suffer adverse effects ranging from minor to severe, depending on the divinity present in the domain. For example, my mortal temples have an extremely weak divinity, so if a god decides to intrude with his girlfriend" - she shot Poseidon a glare - "then at most he would only get a light headache. However, the sky, ocean, and Underworld have the highest levels of divinity. If Zeus fought Hades on land, which is neutral domain, then Zeus would win virtually every time. However, if Zeus decided to invade the Underworld and attack Hades, then Hades would undoubtedly win."

"Currently Mount Othrys has the same level of divinity as the Underworld," Artemis sounded displeased, as if she would like nothing more than to storm Othrys and eviscerate the enemies. "Attacking it would be tantamount to suicide."

"But gods can't die," Percy pointed out.

Artemis sighed. "It is a phrase, Percy Jackson."

"Let us move onto the main point of discussion tonight," Athena took command of the room once more. Her gaze shifted from Percy to Thalia and finally rested on Bianca, her grey eyes remaining emotionless.

Poseidon cleared his throat. "Yeah, so before this continues. . ."

Power exploded out from him as a heavy presence settled over everyone. Sharp intakes of breath could be heard around the room as the assembled gods were affected by the immense power emanated from Poseidon's form, their expressions becoming wary, apprehensive, and fearful. Even Athena couldn't prevent a slight shudder from rippling through her body.

Throughout this all, Poseidon remained lounging in his fisherman's chair, his posture relaxed and uncaring.

"Let me make this clear," Poseidon smiled, looking around his room, something ancient and powerful lurking in his sea-green eyes. "You are not blasting my son to bits."

A moment of silence before Zeus also cleared his throat. A second presence joined the first as power radiated from Zeus's form. The scent of ozone filled the air as the air suddenly became charged with electricity. Unlike Poseidon, Zeus sat with perfect posture, his spine ramrod straight and his gaze stern, but that only served to increase the intensity of his next words. "Similarly, you are also not blasting my daughter to bits."

Ares shifted nervously in his seat as Dionysus paled, and Hermes discreetly prepared to run.

Another moment of silence before the shadows in the throne room twisted. Fear filled the room, irrational and oppressive and overwhelming, as a tall, imposing figure materialized in the middle of the hall, in front of the demigods. Extremely pale skin that contrasted against golden veins, black eyes the same color as the shadows, and the mesmerizing charisma of either a genius or a madman. A helm rested on his head - the helm of darkness.

Hades smiled coldly as Aphrodite shrieked and Demeter scooted back in her throne, trying to put distance between them. Even Zeus and Poseidon were shaking slightly, although they hid it well, as if they had experience. "Hello there, my dear family," he smiled, causing Hermes to whimper. "Miss me?"

"Hades," Zeus growled. "Why are you here?"

The god of the dead inclined his head. "I have a message for the Council." He cleared his throat, which had the side effect of sending out another wave of pure fear. "You are not blasting my daughter to bits."

Zeus's eyes widened briefly in surprise before he grudgingly nodded.

The powerful auras of the Big Three seemed to resonate together, working together in unison to demonstrate the iron wills of the three brothers. There was so much energy in the room, it was a miracle the whole palace didn't blow apart.

The Council was silent. Percy, Bianca, Thalia, and Annabeth had fallen to their knees, their eyes wide. Zoe was still standing, although it was a struggle. While she had been subjected to the presence of Atlas and even Kronos several times before in the war, it was nothing compared to the resonating auras of the Big Three working in unison.

"Holy Sage," Naruto whispered. In the silent room, it was like a shout, and every eye swiveled over to him.

In his mind, Kurama groaned as there was the distinct thud of him slamming his head against the ground. You did not draw everyone's attention to you like that. I thought you were a shinobi.

Naruto ignored him, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "I - I thought that you would. . ." he trailed off, staring at the Big Three.

He didn't look like he was affected by overwhelming power and fear permeating the room at all. And he wasn't. Don't get him wrong - his instincts were screaming at him and the primal part of his brain wanted him to run hide die, but he had the unrelenting will and determination of a shinobi that had fought the likes of Madara and Kaguya, and he refused to submit or be cowed because that would be the same as giving up and Naruto Uzumaki never gave up.

"What is it?" Zeus demanded.

"I was wrong," Naruto breathed. He had genuinely thought that Zeus and Poseidon and Hades would deem their children too dangerous to exist. He believed that they would not hesitate to strike down Percy and Thalia and Bianca. But to see them working together in defending their children, willing to stand against the Council itself. . .

"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized.

Kurama, I think we misjudged them. Zeus especially.

I think so too.

Zeus frowned in bewilderment. "Your apology is. . . accepted?"

Hades was staring at Naruto with morbid fascination. "How are you standing right now?" he asked. "If I radiate any more fear, then the hearts of those demigods would stop."

Naruto grinned. "Ah, let's just say I'm used to fighting against some extremely scary people."

"Anyway," Zeus glanced around the room, his gaze softening slightly when he looked at Thalia, "Let us put this to a vote."

"Father," Athena spoke up in an incredibly brave decision. "There is a security risk with these three."

"I vouch for my son," Poseidon immediately replied.

Zeus grunted. "I vouch for my daughter as well."

All eyes hesitantly turned to Hades, who drawled, "Hey, I'm aware that you don't give a rat's ass about my vouch. But for what it's worth, I hate you all, but I hate Father even more. I will not turn her against Olympus."

"You have heard our arguments," Zeus's deep voice reverberated around the halls. "All in favor of not disintegrating the demigods?"

Kurama snorted. Arguments? What arguments? They're just flat-out intimidating the other gods - and they're not even being subtle about it.

Athena opened her mouth to speak again but paused, looking around the room. Every god had their hand raised. She reluctantly remained silent and raised her hand as well.

"The decision is unanimous," Zeus declared. "The lives of Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Bianca di Angelo shall be left untouched."

The power and fear in the room dissipated as Poseidon smiled serenely and Hades's eyes glinted smugly. The Big Three then looked at their children. Percy, Bianca, and Thalia all had identical looks of surprise and shock on their faces. Their eyes were wide as they stared at their respective parents, disbelieving of the fact that they had just unconditionally defended them against the Council.

"Alright." Thunder rumbled overhead threateningly as Zeus glared at Hades. "Now that that's finished, get the Tartarus off Olympus."

Hades chuckled. "Gladly, brother." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Bianca cried out. Hades stopped, looking at Bianca.

"I'll talk to you soon, Bianca," he said as the shadows began curling around him. "Well done on the quest." He paused. "And don't worry about Nico. I already brought him to the Underworld, where Zeus's lightning can't touch him."

"Damn," Zeus cursed. "I hoped you had forgotten about him."

. . . never mind. Perhaps we didn't misjudge him that much.

Who is Nico?

Bianca's little brother. He's cool.

Hades chuckled one last time before vanishing within the shadows once more.

The gods breathed out sighs of relief.

"He really creeps me out," Apollo muttered. "As the god of light and the sun, I disapprove heavily."

There were mutterings of agreement. Hades was universally disliked on Olympus.

"Shall we move onto the next topic then?" Athena had already regained her calm composure, and her gaze was on Naruto. "Naruto, the son of Artemis."

"Yo," Naruto greeted with a smile and a raised hand.

"The Council is. . . unsure as to what to do with you," Zeus admitted. "There are two points of consternation among us. First off, you are the son of Artemis. Second, you possess a strange new energy that the gods have never seen before. Chakra."

"If I may," Athena interjected, "On the first point, I don't believe any discussion is necessary. Naruto's existence as the son of Artemis goes against the natural order of the world itself. Some would call him an abomination. However. . ." she smiled. "There is precedence. When I had my first child, her existence also went against the natural order of the world. Given the fact that the Council elected to do nothing about her, I say we let the decision stand and let him be."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. Did Athena just defend him?

Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That makes sense." He turned to Artemis. "Anything you would like to add?"

Artemis tilted her head. "I do not believe we should punish him because I am his mother. I did not break any oaths, after all. And it's not as if my children were prophesied to bring about the fall of Olympus."

Zeus nodded grudgingly while Poseidon hid a grin at the subtle jab at them both. "Good point. Very well then." He looked at Naruto. "You shall not be punished due to your parentage."

"And as for the second point," Athena continued, not looking surprised by the decision, as if she had already predicted it, "Chakra is a new, unknown energy. In the upcoming fight against the Titans, it would prove an invaluable tool."

"Yeah, about that," Poseidon spoke up, looking intently at Naruto. "What is chakra, exactly?"

Showtime.

It's time to execute the Plan.

"You wish to know what chakra is?" Naruto chuckled. "Very well. The answer to that question is. . ."

XxX

"What's your master plan?" Apollo inquired curiously. "What are you going to say?"

Naruto smiled deviously. "Nothing,"

Apollo blinked. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," Kurama repeated with a smirk.

Artemis tilted her head. "Elaborate?"

"See, in my old world, I had a teacher," Naruto smiled reminiscently. "Kakashi-sensei. Unlike me, he was a true shinobi - underneath the underneath, and all that. He was also the most infuriating and annoying guy I knew. If he had a secret he didn't want to tell, then not only would nobody be able to force it out of him, but they would also be driven insane in the process."

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "A man like that was your teacher? It must've been terrible - "

"No," Naruto cut her off immediately. "Kakashi-sensei was the best teacher I could've asked for. Sure, he had his. . . quirks, but he shaped who I am as a shinobi. As a person. He was the one who taught me that those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."

Artemis paused. "Oh. I see."

"Yeah." Naruto was silent, lost in memories for a moment. "Anyway, the gods will ask me what chakra is, correct?"

Apollo nodded. "Definitely."

Naruto smirked. "Then I'll just apply Kakashi-sensei's Lesson #7: Deny everything."

XxX

"I have no idea," Naruto finished with a shit-eating grin.

A moment of silence.

"Excuse me?" Zeus frowned deeply.

"I have no idea whatsoever what chakra is," Naruto repeated with a shrug. "How could I? I'm just a kid, after all."

Athena stared at him incredulously. "Naruto, son of Artemis, do not play dumb."

"Well then, tell me how I'm supposed to have any answers," Naruto tilted his head. "After all, I've been living with Apollo since I was born, and it's not like he would know about chakra." He grinned. "I have no idea what chakra is."

Athena hesitated, but she clearly knew that he made perfect logical sense. After all, he's just a kid who lived with Apollo his entire life. There was no reason to believe that he would know anything about an unknown power that even the gods were unaware of.

And yet, there was just something about that grin. . .

"Very well," Athena inclined her head in acceptance. "Then tell me, Naruto, what do you think chakra is?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows minutely. He was impressed. If Athena had continued asking him what chakra was, then he would just continue denying all knowledge. However, by asking him what he thought chakra was, he was forced into a position where he had to answer. She had caught on that this was a battle of wordplay.

It was a good thing that he had already gone over his response with Kurama.

"It's stuff," Naruto replied.

Athena narrowed her eyes. "What kind of stuff?"

"Things."

"What things?"

". . . stuff." At Athena's enraged glare, Naruto raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay. Chakra is magic."

A beat.

"It isn't," Athena countered.

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It isn't," Athena agreed.

Naruto paused. "Huh. You were supposed to. . . right. Wisdom goddess. Almost forgot."

"Now that we have established that chakra isn't magic because magic exhibits certain traits and characteristics and chakra has none of them, are you going to tell us what chakra is?" Athena raised an eyebrow.

Naruto sighed. "Look, I'm not a genius or anything."

Isn't that the truth.

"All I know is that chakra is a form of energy. That's it."

Athena stared at him critically before nodding. "Very well. Is it possible for others to gain chakra?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. I haven't tried before."

"Why is that?"

Naruto stared at her. "Because I'm still a kid. I'm not legal yet."

Athena frowned in confusion before she understood his meaning and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not asking if your children would inherit chakra," she growled. "I'm asking if it's possible for you to give your chakra to someone else."

Hermes, Ares, and Apollo snickered in unison.

"Nice one, kid," Hermes shot him the thumbs up.

"Ohhhh." Naruto shook his head. "No. It's impossible."

"And every ability you've displayed on the quest so far was due to your chakra?" Poseidon inquired.

"Not every ability. Some were due to my sheer awesomeness," Naruto grinned.

Poseidon arched an eyebrow. "I see. What is your Rasengan?"

"A spiraling blue ball," Naruto answered. At Poseidon's unimpressed look, he hastily added, "Err, it's a rotating sphere of dense chakra."

Poseidon nodded. "Your clones?"

"Chakra constructs."

"Your weapon duplication?"

Naruto paused. "What? Oh, that." Shadow Shurikens. "Yeah, those were also chakra constructs."

"Your Sage Mode?"

". . . enhanced chakra." He didn't want to explain Sage Mode to the gods quite yet.

"Your Rasenshuriken?"

"Futon: Rasenshuriken, to be specific. And it's a Rasengan, but with really sharp wind."

"Your. . ." Poseidon coughed lightly. "Big Ball Rasengan?"

Another round of snickers that were silenced by Athena's glare.

"A lot of rotating dense chakra," Naruto answered seriously. "Same with the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan."

"Your Planetary Rasengan?"

"4 Rasengans for the price of one."

"Your golden cloak?"

"Even more enhanced chakra - " Naruto froze. "Hold up, how do you even know about that? I thought that Mount Othrys was cloaked from the vision of the gods."

"It was. I read Percy's mind," Poseidon replied casually.

"YOU WHAT?!" came the indignation outburst of the son of Poseidon.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Poseidon inclined his head, "But it was the fastest and most efficient way to get things over with. Rest assured, I only observed your memories of the fight, nothing else."

Percy blinked. "Oh. Wait, if you can read minds, then why didn't Zeus just read my mind two years ago and see that I was innocent?"

"Because memories can be altered," Zeus explained rather impatiently. "It's what the boy, Luke Castellan, did. A timed spell that returned his memories only after he left Olympus."

"Anyway," Poseidon continued. "I think I've made my point."

Naruto frowned. "What point?"

Poseidon smiled genially. "Every ability I've named so far utilized chakra, not your sheer awesomeness, as you so put it."

Naruto opened his mouth but then closed it a second later. "That was good," he admitted.

"Thank you," Poseidon accepted graciously.

"But," Naruto continued, "You forgot to account for the fact that all my abilities were composed of not only chakra but also sheer awesomeness - "

"Yes, well, while that's great and all," Zeus interrupted, "I'm a little bit more interested about the purple Rasengan that you used against Atlas."

Naruto tilted his head. "The Bijuudama?"

"Tailed Beast Bomb?" Zeus muttered before shaking his head. "You have a rather odd naming convention. At any rate, your Bijuudama was capable of incapacitating even Atlas. Do you deny that?"

"What? Nah, you're right. The Bijuudama devastated Atlas," Naruto confirmed.

"I want that!" Ares shouted before glaring at anyone who looked over. "Had to get that out of my system."

"Council of the gods," Zeus spread his arms, ignoring Ares. "Naruto possesses a power that is capable of taking down even Atlas with great ease. That same power could be turned against us." He narrowed his eyes. "It could be used to overthrow Olympus."

And we finally reach the crux of the matter.

"Naruto wouldn't betray Olympus," Artemis countered.

"How do you know for sure?" Ares spoke up, although he seemed to be arguing for argument's sake rather than out of any real concern.

Apollo snorted. "Trust me, I lived with the kid. He may be loud and dense, but he won't betray us. I vouch for him."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "As do I."

"I also vouch for Naruto," a voice spoke out from the hearth. Hestia cast her gaze around the Council, meeting all the gods' eyes, before turning to look at Zeus. "Brother, I know you're worried about traitors, but Naruto is not one. He will not betray us; I promise you that."

Zeus arched his eyebrows, as if surprised that Hestia spoke in defense of Naruto. "Understood."

"I vouch for him as well," Athena stated calmly. "There may be a risk that he will betray us, but it is a risk I'm willing to take."

I don't understand. Why is she defending you so much?

I actually don't know. I think it's because she gets along with Artemis?

A moment of silence broken by the most unlikely, unexpected goddess.

"I vouch for him," Aphrodite called out.

Artemis's eyes widened as Naruto did a double take in shock.

Did I just hear that right?!

You did, Kurama confirmed.

Huh.

"Wait, what?!" Naruto asked, looking at Aphrodite in confusion. "Didn't you say you wanted to start a vote to blast me out of existence?"

Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively. "My dear Naruto, I didn't truly mean it. I said it in the heat of the moment. But after time to calm down and reflect. . ." she shrugged. "I had a change of heart."

Before Naruto could respond, Aphrodite turned to Zeus. "Naruto won't betray Olympus," she smiled. "I trust him. He's extremely devoted to his mother, after all."

Zeus nodded slowly. "Alright. Could've sworn that you wanted his head on a stick just a few days ago. . ." he muttered under his breath before looking at Naruto. "Naruto, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Naruto stepped forward. "Lord Zeus, I assure you, I will not betray Olympus. I have no reason to. After all. . ." he smiled brightly. "We're family, Thunder Gramps."

The hall went dead silent.

. . . you did not just say that.

Artemis closed her eyes wearily as Apollo's palm slammed into his face. The gods stared at him incredulously as the demigods slowly edged away from him, getting out of the splatter zone.

Zeus stared at him uncomprehendingly, blinking several times. He opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it.

Naruto frowned. "Oh, did you not like Thunder Gramps?" He rubbed his chin. "I thought about Sky Gramps, but that sounded kinda weird. Maybe Lightning Gramps? Oh, how about Super Thunder Gramps?"

Badly-concealed smiles and grins of amusement could be seen around the halls. Hermes had to turn away, his body shaking silently, and Ares was stabbing his knife into his leg to prevent himself from bursting out into laughter. Dionysus snorted into his Diet Coke, but covered it up by coughing violently. After all, one simply did not laugh at the king of the gods.

With one exception, of course.

Poseidon roared with laughter. "Oh, that's beautiful. Rest assured, brother, that I shall personally ensure that your new title is known all throughout Atlantis: Lord Zeus, the King of Olympus, Lord of the Sky, and Super Thunder Gramps."

Zeus broke out of his trance. His fingers twitched and pure lightning gathered in his hand. He raised his hand, the crackling white energy growing and extending. He stared at Naruto with a detached expression and prepared to fire -

Hera touched his shoulder lightly. "Zeus, dear."

"It won't kill him," Zeus muttered. "It'll just hurt so much, he'll wish he was dead."

"Zeus," Hera said again, this time with a hint of warning in her tone.

Zeus sighed but complied, his lightning bolt dissipating. "Fine. Let's vote. All in favor of not disintegrating him?"

Artemis and Apollo instantly raised their hands. So did Aphrodite and Athena. After a moment's pause, Hermes, Ares, and Hephaestus also raised their hands. Hera and Demeter too.

Poseidon smiled. "I like him," he said before raising his hand as well.

Zeus looked around the room. Only Dionysus abstained, although that was probably because raising his hand would've taken too much energy. "The Council has decided," he declared. "Naruto may live - on the condition that he never refers to me as Super Thunder Gramps ever again."

Naruto nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll just call you Lord Zeus," he sighed.

Zeus sent him one last stern glance. "See to it that you will. Oh, and if you ever do decide to betray Olympus. . ."

"You'll blast me," Naruto finished. "Repeatedly. Don't worry, I won't."

"One last thing," Athena spoke up. "Naruto, what is this Kurama that you mentioned? You called it your partner, if I'm not mistaken."

"He's a split personality," Naruto answered brightly. "He says hi, by the way."

I did not. Also, your tone is a little too similar to the Uchiha brat when he was acting like an idiot.

Hey, if you ignore the fact that Tobito was evil and stuff, you gotta admit that his persona was kinda hilarious.

Silence met Naruto's declaration.

"A split personality, you say?" Athena asked with a slight hint of concern.

Naruto nodded. "I mean, you can't seriously expect me to live with Apollo for three years without getting some mental issues, y'know?"

The gods all nodded in understanding.

"A compelling reason," Athena inclined her head.

"Hey!" The sun god's indignant objection was ignored by everyone.

"Our last topic is the Ophiotaurus, the bane of Olympus," Athena looked at Poseidon. "Would you please summon the monster?"

Hold up. Is that it?! Kurama asked incredulously. Is that all they're going to ask?

Huh. They were a lot less thorough than we had thought. Although to be fair, they're gods, not shinobi.

Poseidon lazily waved a hand. A moment later, a sphere of water formed in the center of the room, next to the hearth. Hestia stared up at it. The Ophiotaurus was swimming around happily, swishing his serpent tail. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble.

"Bessie!" Percy called out happily.

"Bessie?" Poseidon frowned. "You named the Ophiotaurus, a monster that poses more of a threat to Olympus than Typhon himself, Bessie?!"

Percy shrugged. "It fits him."

Poseidon blinked. "Right. . ."

"I think it goes without saying what we should do with the Ophiotaurus," Athena said, ignoring Percy.

"Blast it?" Ares suggested.

"Blast it," Zeus confirmed.

Percy's eyes widened. "Wait, don't!"

Zeus snapped his fingers and a wave of concentrated divine energy shot out, hitting the defenseless cow serpent. The Ophiotaurus disintegrated. No warning. One moment it was fine, the next moment the sphere of water it was nothing but ashes floating to the surface of the water.

Naruto went still. That was fast. Really fast. He didn't have any time to react.

Sage Mode, Kurama growled. Now.

Naruto nodded, immediately drawing in natural energy. A moment later, silver pigmentations appeared around his eye as his pupils extended into horizontal slants. Simultaneously, he applied a Henge to prevent anyone from noticing. Artemis tensed up slightly, glancing wildly around the halls before her gaze landed on him and she relaxed. Did she sense him?

"What did you just do?!" Percy asked Zeus in horror.

Zeus looked at him. "I blasted it," he answered with an implied duh on the end.

"But. . . Bessie was an innocent!" Percy protested. "Killing something just because of something that might happen - it's as wrong as. . . as Kronos eating his children! It's wrong!"

Zeus raised a single eyebrow. "No, it's not," he replied. "I just removed a threat to us all. As long as the Ophiotaurus remains alive, then the Titans can sacrifice it." He narrowed his eyes. "Are you really willing to risk human civilization itself because you think killing a monster is wrong?"

Percy looked at Poseidon desperately. "Father! You can't - " he stopped as Poseidon shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Percy. But my brother is correct. The Ophiotaurus is too dangerous to be left alive." He tilted his head. "After all, if my brother is incapable of even keeping his own master bolt safe, then I do not hold much faith in his ability to prevent the Titans from capturing the Ophiotaurus."

"It's a simple risk analysis," Athena spoke up. "We do not gain anything from keeping the Ophiotaurus alive; however, we have everything to lose." She paused. "Besides, the Ophiotaurus is a monster."

Percy clenched his fists tightly. "Fine."

"Are we not going to address the fact that Thalia Grace's sixteenth birthday is tomorrow?" Hera brought up, looking at Thalia with an almost imperceptible sneer on her face that told her just how much she liked the daughter of Zeus.

"I believe I have a solution for that," Artemis intervened. She looked at Athena. "Would it work?"

Athena seemed to understand what she was talking about, because a thoughtful gaze appeared on her face. "Yes," she answered after a few seconds.

Artemis nodded. "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," she addressed Thalia with a light smile. "Will you join the Hunt?"

Annabeth smiled knowingly, as if she had expected this, and Naruto finally realized what she and Thalia had been whispering about yesterday. Zoe glanced at Artemis in shock before she smiled in understanding and approval.

Thalia hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "I will," Thalia said firmly. She turned to Zeus. "Father, I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. Seeing as the prophecy would undoubtedly become an absolute clusterfuck of epic proportions, I leave it to Percy. I'm out."

"Gee, thanks," Percy muttered.

Zeus blinked. "Huh. Sweet." He shrugged. "Go ahead, then."

Thalia knelt before Artemis. She hesitated, a flash of emotions crossed her face momentarily, too quick for Naruto to decipher. Then she steeled herself, a determined gaze settling upon her. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back against the company of men. . ."

As she said her oath, Kurama detected an extraordinarily large spike of negative emotions coming from one of the gods. Naruto, Aphrodite is pissed. As in, she's furious beyond belief.

Naruto winced as he recalled the main reason why Aphrodite hated Artemis. Fortunately, it appeared that Aphrodite was content to just glare silently at Artemis and Thalia. Yeah, I know. She really doesn't like Artemis. Or the Hunters.

After she finished her pledge, Thalia walked back to the group, her skin flowing a faint silver. For a second, Naruto could've sworn he saw uncertainty in her eyes, as if she wasn't sure if she made the right decision, but the next second it was gone and replaced with a bright smile.

Annabeth smiled back warmly and Zoe and Bianca welcomed her as Percy gave her a high five.

Naruto, for his part, was frowning in concentration. "Hey, Thalia."

"Yeah?"

"Artemis is my mom, so the Hunters of Artemis are technically my sisters, y'know?" Naruto tilted his head. "But you're also the daughter of Zeus, so you're technically my aunt. So how would you like me to address you? Sister or aunt?"

"If you call me Aunt Thalia, I'll stab you," Thalia warned.

Naruto chuckled. "Duly noted."

Percy brightened suddenly. "Hold on, that means the prophecy won't apply to Bianca either, since she's also a Hunter."

Artemis nodded. "Indeed. Only you and Nico di Angelo are likely candidates for the prophecy - that we're aware of."

Everyone looked at Zeus and Poseidon. Poseidon merely shrugged innocently whereas Zeus went for a more flashy distraction.

"On that note," Zeus boomed, bolts of lightning crashing down behind him, "I believe we have finished discussing everything that needed discussing and blasting everything that needed blasting. The annual council meeting is officially over."

Dionysus rose from his throne, relief shining in his eyes. "Finally. Party in five. Let's, uhh. . ."

"Celebrate the triumph of these heroes?" Poseidon suggested.

"Yeah. That."

XxX

There are parties.

Then there are huge, extravagant, blow-out parties.

Then there are parties thrown by Dionysus, the god of parties.

Absolute mayhem. Organized mayhem, but mayhem nonetheless. Officially, the party was a triumph celebration for the heroes who saved Artemis. Unofficially, Dionysus and the other gods just wanted to celebrate the conclusion of the widely-despised annual council meeting and used the completion of the quest as an excuse.

They were in the palace courtyard. The Nine Muses played music on their chosen instruments. Plural. Naruto spotted one Muse playing the piano, violin, and cello all at once using her mind. A joyful melody flowed over the hall. Dionysus was literally growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him. He looked happy for once.

Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of food crowded the banquet tables. Naruto eyed the food. No ramen. Whoever decided that ramen wasn't a party food should be stabbed. There were golden goblets filled with whatever drink the user desired.

The gods had reverted to human size to not accidentally trample the demigods, and a bunch of nature spirits and minor gods also joined the festivities. A crowd had already started dancing in the courtyard, and Naruto caught the familiar scent of alcohol that he hadn't smelled in years (Apollo did keep wine in his mansion, but it was guarded behind several layers of protective enchantments, less out of concern for Naruto drinking underaged and more because Apollo didn't want to share his goods).

"Yoo!" Percy was shouting. "They didn't blast us!"

"I know!" Thalia shouted back, exhilarated. "It's awesome!"

A cheer came up from the crowd surrounding them. Naruto frowned slightly when he saw Bianca milling around uncertainly. It was as if she stood in a bubble; nobody would come near her, and several people were casting her disgusted and even fearful glances.

Right. Daughter of Hades. Naruto felt a scowl form on his face. He walked forward but before he reached Bianca, Zoe had already noticed and pulled her in protectively, glaring at anyone who looked at her badly. Naruto smiled at the gesture.

"Are you really the son of Artemis?" a voice called out next to him.

Naruto spun around. A girl, a bit older than him. She had braided brown hair and her eyes were a startling green. His eyes traced the green veins on her neck and arms. A nymph.

He nodded. "I am."

The nymph giggled before dashing off to a group of nymphs, presumably her friends. Naruto watched her go with a raised eyebrow. That was odd.

In any case. . . Naruto headed for the refreshments, grabbing a golden goblet. A second later, it filled up miso soup. He sipped it appreciatively, savoring the taste. It wasn't as good as Ichiraku's or Hestia's cooking, but it was still acceptable.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure observing the party at the edge of the courtyard. Artemis. He made his way towards her. As he walked, people turned over and stared, but he ignored them.

"Mom," Naruto smiled brightly.

Artemis turned to him. "Naruto," she smiled. Then her smile dropped and she narrowed her eyes.

Naruto frowned but a moment later he understood why. The scent of perfume filled his nose as Aphrodite swooped in with a pleasant smile. "Naruto, Artemis," she greeted. "How are you two?"

"Aphrodite," Naruto narrowed his eyes as well. "Why did you change your mind?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.

The goddess of love chuckled. "Oh, that? Look, Naruto, I only said that I wanted to blast you out of existence in the heat of the moment. I didn't actually mean it. I'm sure you understand; after all, you had been awfully rude and impolite to me. Besides, even you have to realize that my whole plan of manipulating the Hunters and killing you was thought up in less than a minute after I discovered you. Perhaps Athena could devise a perfect plan in mere seconds, but I require a bit more time."

Naruto blinked slowly. "So. . . you're not going to kill me? Or manipulate the Hunters' emotions so they would hate Artemis?"

"Of course not!" Aphrodite gasped. "In fact, I regret telling you my ill-thought-out plan. At the time, it seemed great, but in hindsight. . ." she shrugged. "It's too tacky."

"What?"

"It's the sort of plan that a B movie villain would come up with," Aphrodite explained patiently. She smiled. "I don't wish to kill you, Naruto. Nor will I twist the Hunters' emotions to hate Artemis."

"Ah, yes, Aphrodite," Artemis spoke up. "That reminds me. Touch Naruto, and I will send you to Tartarus personally."

Aphrodite sighed, looking at Naruto. "Isn't she just so dreary?" she confided. "I just said that I didn't want to kill you."

"I know," Artemis inclined her head. "But in the future, if you ever even think about changing your mind," her eyes flashed, "then just know that even Zeus himself will not be able to stop me."

Aphrodite chuckled. "Careful, Artemis. I'm starting to think that you may actually love him." She paused. "As a mother, of course," she added. "However, if you love him the other way, then I certainly won't judge," she winked. "It would certainly explain why you stayed single all these years."

Naruto choked on his spit. "That's disgusting."

"Agreed," Artemis concurred, a similar look of disgust on her face.

"But - " Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I admit, I may have been a little too harsh on you. I apologize for my words - and rudeness, I guess. Let's have a fresh start," he grinned at her.

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

Naruto paused. "Err, aren't you extending an olive branch right now?"

Aphrodite stared at him amusedly. "What? Of course not! Don't get me wrong, Naruto. I despise you. I only came here to clear up any misunderstandings that may have popped up from our last meeting due to my reckless words. For you see, after much thought, I realized that I could do so much more with you. What fun is there in simply blasting you out of existence? At the time of our last conversation, I hadn't fully registered and comprehended the ramifications of your existence, but. . . you're the son of Artemis." She leaned forward until her face was inches from his. "I am going to have so much fun with you," she whispered alluringly.

"Aphrodite," Artemis said warningly.

"Oh relax, Artemis," Aphrodite waved her hand. "I'm not going to blast him or send monsters after him. That's something that the other gods may do, but it's not my style."

"So what are your plans?" Naruto asked warily.

Aphrodite tsked. "Like I said, Naruto, I'm not going to monologue like a tacky B movie villain. I blame our last conversation on temporary insanity."

"Temporary?" Artemis muttered.

"Hush, Artemis," Aphrodite said. "Anyway, Naruto, just know that what you said during our last meeting was not forgotten and certainly not forgiven." Her eyes flashed momentarily with barely suppressed rage. "I do hope you like tragedies. Because from now on. . . you'll be living one."

Naruto tensed up. "What - "

But Aphrodite was already gone, with only the scent of her perfume left behind.

XxX

"Out of all the gods, you just had to choose Aphrodite as your enemy," Artemis sighed.

"Hey, in my defense, she sucks," Naruto countered.

Artemis inclined her head. "Fair enough."

A brief moment of silence descended over them as Naruto sipped his miso soup.

"Should I be worried?" he finally asked quietly.

Artemis hesitated. "Unlike the other gods, Aphrodite doesn't rely on physical damage. She attacks your emotions and the emotions of the people around you. Just. . . I'll negotiate with her later."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you."

"Yo, Naruto!" a voice called. Hermes jogged up to them with a smile.

"Lord Hermes," Naruto greeted.

"Just a quick question. As I'm sure Artemis recalls, approximately two years ago, Apollo came into a council meeting with a new. . . makeover. Was that you?" Hermes asked eagerly.

A foxy smirk spread over Naruto's face. "It depends. Are you here to get revenge on his behalf?"

Hermis grinned as well. "On the contrary, I am here to shake your hand for the brilliant job you did."

Artemis watched bemusedly as Hermes and Naruto shook hands, a knowing glance of mutual respect being shared between the two of them. She shuddered slightly and hoped that they wouldn't engage in a prank war against each other. Apollo and Hermes had gotten into a prank war once. It took nearly two months to fix all the damage on both Olympus and the mortal world.

"You're not wearing a watch," Hermes noted.

Naruto chuckled. "You know, that's exactly what your son said to me."

Hermes froze, his expression darkening.

Naruto frowned at the sudden change in mood before he realized. "I meant Travis," he hastily clarified.

Hermes relaxed instantly, the cheer returning to his face. "Ah, I see, I see. However, keep in the mind that the difference in skill between the father and son is great."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that you have a really nice pouch," Hermes smiled as he returned Naruto's kunai pouch to him.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Okay, that's impressive."

Hermes grinned. "Thank you - "

His phone rang. Hermes groaned. "Sorry, I gotta take this." He jogged away.

Naruto watched him leave. "Does he even know about Luke?" he asked.

"He does."

Naruto frowned. "He seems a little too. . cheerful for a god whose son just died."

Artemis sighed. "Perhaps it may seem like that now, but when we first told him the news. . . well, let's just say that even Ares didn't dare make a joke."

"DRINKING CONTEST!" Dionysus bellowed over the noise of the crowd, his voice amplified magically. "ZEUS VERSUS POSEIDON! LET'S SETTLE WHO'S THE BEST OF THE BIG THREE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"

A cheer went up from the crowd.

"Father and Uncle are at it again," Athena joined them. "I'm surprised you're still here, Artemis. Typically you would be in a forest by now."

Artemis shrugged wordlessly. "I wish to keep an eye on my Hunters. And Naruto."

"Lady Athena," Naruto smiled. "Thank you for what you did."

She inclined her head. "You are welcome, Naruto. From my observations, while you are undoubtedly powerful, even more so than the children of the Big Three themselves, you are a kind spirit at heart. Killing you would've been foolish. Besides, I do admit that I am rather curious as to what you would become."

"You weren't worried about me potentially betraying Olympus?"

Athena chuckled. "Betraying Olympus would entail betraying Artemis and Apollo as well." She tilted her head. "I highly doubt that would ever happen. Unlike the children of the Big Three, there isn't anything the Titan Lord can use against you."

"True," Naruto agreed. "You know, Atlas tried to convince me to join by promising me that the Titans would create a better world." He snorted. "I mean, if he was going to lie, he should've at least come up with a more believable lie."

"Indeed." Athena looked at him. "In the upcoming war against the Titans, we will need a trump card. That trump card could very well be you. Keep on training and growing strong."

"I will," Naruto promised.

"Good." Athena turned to leave but then paused. "Oh, and by the way. . . I saw Aphrodite speak to you a few moments ago. Am I correct in assuming that she heavily dislikes you?"

Naruto's face darkened. "Yeah. She promised to make my life a tragedy."

Athena nodded. "While I cannot do anything to stop her, I can give you some advice. As you know, a god has absolute control over their domain - with one exception. Another god of the same domain is able to negate and even override their control. It's the reason why Oceanus is capable of preventing Poseidon from sinking the Princess Andromeda. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this."

Naruto frowned in thought. "Uhh. . . not really."

Athena sighed. "Who is the other god of love, Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened in revelation. "Eros," he breathed.

Athena smiled. "Correct. Seek out Eros, gain his favor, and perhaps you can mitigate the damage Aphrodite wishes to inflict."

Naruto nodded determinedly. "Got it. Thanks, Athena," he grinned.

"No problem."

"POSEIDON WINS!" Dionysus declared. "IN AN AMAZING DISPLAY OF HIS GUT'S ABILITY TO RETAIN LIQUID, HE HAS NARROWLY DEFEATED ZEUS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE GOD OF SEAS, EVERYONE!"

Another cheer went up.

"Ha! In your face, Zeus! My dad is infinitely better than you!"

Instantly, the crowd grew quiet at Percy's words. Naruto facepalmed. Everyone slowly edged away from the son of Poseidon until a circle formed around him.

"What did you say?" Zeus said dangerously, a golden flush across his face from all the wine. Arcs of electricity leaped from his fingers.

The crowd parted before Zeus, forming a path as he walked forward. He stumbled several times and was incapable of maintaining a straight line, but soon, he was a few feet in front of Percy, towering over the demigod.

Percy, for his part, had paled drastically. "Nothing."

Zeus narrowed his eyes, pointing a shaking finger at Percy's face. White energy crackled at the tip, and Percy went still, his hand drifting to his pocket. "Watch yourself, son of Poseidon," he growled.

Athena sighed. "I should go," she gestured at the scene.

"Are you going to convince Zeus to not blast Percy?" Naruto questioned.

Athena looked at him, bemused. "The opposite, actually. I'm going to convince Zeus to blast Percy."

Naruto tensed up. "What?!"

Athena smiled. "Kidding. Although I do need to warn Percy Jackson to stay away from my daughter. . ." she left, walking towards Zeus, who was still delivering threats to Percy.

"GO ON, FATHER! BLAST PETER JOHNSON!" Dionysus cheered Zeus on.

Fortunately, Athena was able to pacify the King of Olympus. Zeus nodded reluctantly before walking away, sending one last glare at Percy. Poseidon, for his part, had observed the proceedings with an amused smile.

Percy looked relieved, until Athena started talking to him.

Then he paled even more.

XxX

Naruto made his way back into the throne room. He was looking for someone, and she wasn't at the party.

He smiled when he saw a familiar figure still tending to the hearth in the middle of the hall. "Hestia!" he called out.

Hestia turned to him, smiling warmly. "Naruto. How are you?"

"Happy," Naruto answered with a grin as he approached her. "Euphoric, even. I saved Artemis, all my friends and family are well, and the Council didn't blast me."

Hestia nodded. "That is good." Then she narrowed her eyes. "However, you broke your promise."

Naruto froze. "Umm, what?"

"You promised to stay alive."

There was a moment of silence.

"Can you take us to somewhere more discrete?" Naruto asked, looking around just in case someone was listening in.

Hestia nodded. "Very well." She waved her hand and suddenly they were back in Apollo's mansion.

"You died, Naruto," she said simply without any doubt.

"How do you know?" Naruto asked cautiously.

"Before you left, I set up a link between us," Hestia said. "It's similar to an empathy link. I felt you die. But you're here right now, alive. How?"

Naruto paused before coming to a decision. "To understand that, we have to go back to the very beginning: introductions."

Hestia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Naruto grinned. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. And I'm not from this dimension."

XxX

"Incompetent fools," a disembodied voice hissed with fury.

Prometheus knelt, bowing his head. "Apologies, my lord."

"How is it even possible for you all to fail so badly?" the Titan Lord seethed in rage. "Artemis was captured and the children of the Big Three were right here, on this very mountain. Everything was set up perfectly. And you blew it."

"If I may, my lord," Prometheus began, "All of our failures can be tied back to a single source: Naruto."

The voice grew still. "Ah, yes. The son of Artemis who defeated Atlas and defied death itself. The wielder of the unknown power chakra."

"What shall we do with him?" Prometheus inquired. "Should we attempt to recruit him - "

"No. Kill him," the Titan Lord said simply.

Prometheus inclined his head. "Very well. I shall leave that job up to our guest then."

A figure hidden in the shadows of the room looked up in interest. Up until then, he appeared to have been dozing off, but when Prometheus mentioned him, his stance instantly became alert.

"Kill the son of Artemis?" the figure asked. "Sure thing. I had been planning on doing that anyway."

Prometheus grunted. "Where were you, anyway? After you silenced the manticore, why didn't you immediately return to Othrys? If you were here, then we may have been able to win."

The man chuckled. "Doubt it. And to answer your question, after I killed the manticore, I left the city because I sensed Apollo arriving. I didn't want to risk him discovering my presence. Besides, I didn't think you guys would actually fail that badly. Anyway, I'll go gather some information. See ya."

Before Prometheus could respond, the figure was already gone in a burst of speed.

Prometheus sighed. "I don't like him. He is too young."

"Perhaps, but he is powerful. Hopefully, he'll be powerful enough to take down the son of Artemis."

Prometheus nodded. "Hopefully."

"Now then," the voice continued. "We already set up the ritual to transfer domains, and it is currently the Winter Solstice. It would be a shame to let all our preparations go to waste. After that, let's finalize our plans on the breakout. It's about time we liberated my brothers from their prisons in Tartarus, wouldn't you say?"

XxX

"LET ME GO!" Nico thrashed wildly in his chains, but he was unable to break free. A monster leered at him. It had leathery wings, claws, and glowing eyes. When Nico had been walking to the dinner pavilion, a large fissure formed underneath his feet and he dropped through, coming face-to-face with this monster. It then proceeded to tie him up and drop him into a cell with no openings.

"Hush, child," the monster said. "My Lord shall be back soon."

"SOMEONE! HELP! PERCY! NARUTO! BIANCA!"

The monster sighed before her form shifted, becoming a human female. Nico froze. "Hey, weren't you the lawyer that got us out of the Lotus Casino?"

"She was," a new voice said as a man walked through the solid wall and entered the cell. "Alecto, why is he in a cell? And in chains?"

"He tried to kill me," the Fury grumbled. "Then he tried to escape."

The man sighed before snapping his fingers. Nico suddenly found himself in a grand hall, no longer in chains. The man sat in a throne, looking down at him amusedly.

"Who are you?" Nico demanded.

"I am Hades. I am your father," Hades smiled at Nico's shocked look. "Oh, and before anything else, I should mention. To keep you safe, you'll be staying in the Underworld until your sixteenth birthday, and you're banned from leaving the Underworld. Do you have any questions?"

Nico only screamed.

In the books, we see Kronos and Hyperion breaking the Ancient Law that states "a god/Titan can't attack a hero first". However, it is implied that it is impossible for a god to steal another god's "symbol of power". So clearly, not all Ancient Laws are the same. So here, Ancient Laws are the laws that Zeus decreed and enforces whereas the Divine Laws are the laws of reality itself, like the Law of Conservation of Energy. However, some of them can be broken (entering another god's domain) while some are absolute (can't steal a god's symbol of power).

Hades had been waiting in the throne room to prevent the Council from blasting his daughter. And since Bianca was already a Hunter, Zeus and Poseidon didn't fight him on it. Nico, however, was fair game.

Thank you for reading, and please review :)

euphoric

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