Naruto: Prince of the Underworld

Chapter 20 Double Team on the God of War!

Hades sat back down in his throne and sighed. He had blown his top again and who know what happened in the world above. He sighed again. He hoped his son forgave him, which was another thing to be pissed off at him about. He then noticed something on the wall and ordered one of his undead to go and fetch it.

When the undead soldier gave it to him, his face lit up and he laughed, scaring his undead soldiers. "So he is able to use that jutsu!"

XXX

A Coast Guard boat picked up the four kids, but they were too busy to keep them for long, or to wonder how four kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay. There was a disaster to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.

They dropped the four off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around their shoulders and water bottles that said I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD! and sped off to save more people.

Their clothes were sopping wet, even Percy's. Percy had no shoes because he gave them to Grover, hoping no one saw the goat boy's hooves.

After reaching dry land, they stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful. Percy was straining with the heavy bolt in his backpack, but Naruto saw the sad look on the boy's face. The blond put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way-"

"It was a trick," Percy said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."

"Hey," she warned.

"You get it, don't you?"

She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."

"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody-"

"Percy ..." Annabeth said. "I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry..."

Percy tried to ignore her, not wanting to think about that. "The prophecy was right," Percy said. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned."

"Yeah, but my dad wasn't the one who turned, he got robbed as well." Naruto commented.

Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"

Percy stopped in his tracks and looked down the beach. "Gee, let me think."

Naruto just smacked his head. "Yeah, that figures."

There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlight turning the sand red.

"Hey, kid," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see me. "You were supposed to die."

"Glad you have so much faith in us." Naruto mumbled.

"You tricked me," Percy said. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."

Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power-that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice." Percy asked.

No, I don't think she would stoop that low. Naruto thought. No, Luke? He quickly glanced at Annabeth. I really hope it was not him.

The idea seemed to amuse Ares. "Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this ..." From his pocket he took out a ski cap-the kind bank robbers wear-and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.