So here it is - Chapter 5!

I know it took a while, but I don't write fast guys. Doesn't mean that I've abandoned a story, just thinking how to make it work.

The next thing for me to update is A Stranded Hero and Reading - Assassin's Creed: Transcendence. Those are my other main stories.

Anyhow, I hope you guys enoy.

A great portal formed in the room, causing the gods to stop from what they were doing, as Truth walked through it. His form was largely the same, except for the fact that his body had lost all its clothes.

There was nothing left to his body's modesty, and he would not try to change it. He was not like most men, not that he was a man in the first place. He didn't care about how women saw him and what they thought of his weapons.

He was everyone. There was nothing that they could see, or boast, that he had not done better.

Which was why he was pissed beyond belief. Who were those beings that thought that they could go and claim themselves better than he was? His anger was like a raging inferno as he stomped through the room.

He ignored the looks from the deities. What were they to him? Who were they to act like they cared? They were nothing to him! He was all of them, their powers derived from his very being. Without him... they would be nothing at all.

Anger, a primal rage that caused entire stars to go supernova, simmered deep within his stomach. He fought to bury it. He couldn't let it out... not while his being was connected to that of a mortal.

The entire universe would weep tears if such a thing happened.

"You ok?" Apollo asked, his sense of self-preservation shot to Tartarus. He didn't seem to realize the situation that they were in... or he didn't care very much. Apollo had always been strange like that.

Truth said nothing as he went to his chair, the one that was sat between Artemis and Athena.

"Let us continue from where we left off," His voice was sharp and powerful, cutting through the silence like a fine sword. There was an air of finality to it... something that made no one want to argue against him.

A familiar orb of energy formed in the palms of his hands as he focused on what he was looking for. With a strong throw of his arms, he sent it flying into the television that hung in the air.

Hero or Monster

Chapter Five – Achievement

When I play, I play to win. Whatever it takes. Nothing is too over the top. Such is the way a monster should be. I have many achievements and conquests, some big and some small. The size doesn't matter though, all that counts is that I take the victory.

Aphrodite smirked, "He isn't wrong. Size doesn't matter."

Artemis rolled her eyes. While she didn't like the innuendo that the love goddess made... that didn't make her wrong. Skill was the most important thing... no matter what others would say.

There was a reason that battles between Athena and Ares were often heavily contested. Ares was the better warrior, having knowledge in all forms of combat, both unarmed and armed. Athena, on the other hand, could make strategies that used the environment to her benefit.

To sum it up... it wasn't the weapon, but the user itself.

The day I stop winning is the day I stop being me. I am a monster, we don't lose. I'm the best at what I do, no matter what it is I'm doing. That is how it has always been, and that is how it always will be.

I'm a monster.

We don't know how to hold back.

Just the way it should be.

"It's in his nature to be a monster." Hermes mused to himself, "Just as it's ours to be gods. To be anything else... it would be a hellish nightmare." He could almost hear the fear in Naruto's voice. He didn't really blame him. He couldn't imagine being something... less.

Apollo shivered as he remembered being stripped of his godhood. That was something that he never wanted to relive.

Yagura, or Uchiha Obito, was frustrated.

For the past two weeks he'd been receiving constant reports of how there were two children destroying his bases around Mizu no Kuni. They couldn't tell for sure, but they were almost positive that they belonged to the Resistance. It annoyed him that the outlaws had acquired two powerful allies. They were more trouble than the entire Resistance combined. He had been fighting the bloodline lovers for years now, and never before had they gained such strength.

He didn't really care about the stupid country at all, but the fact that he was being toyed with by two kids made him a little bitter. Who were these 'Demons of the Resistance,' and why did they show up now, out of the blue?

It wasn't that he cared what they did to Kiri, but if they were good enough to mess him up here, they may prove to be a threat to his real goal. The Akatsuki was still in its recruiting stage, and they were not ready if they needed to start this soon with the Bijuu hunt. They had a few incredibly powerful members, but not enough to insure they could take on every village if they needed to. Madara had drilled the idea that being too careful didn't exist. You could never be too prepared, and if he let these two children live, they could grow into something too powerful for their exclusive organization to handle.

"I like him." Athena smiled brightly, "It's always a good idea to get rid of your enemies before they can become a pain in the ass."

Poseidon coughed into his fist as he thought about the many times that Athena had failed to do that very thing. He ignored the glare from the wisdom goddess, it wasn't his fault that she thought that turning a woman into a spider, or snake, was a good idea.

It was like she hated her own kids. Which, knowing how she worked, could be very true.

"Bah!" Zeus scoffed, "As if the mortal could stop Naruto and his little friend. He won't even be a snack for the 'monster'." He hated seeing mortals try and stop that which could not be stopped. Who were they to defy the inevitable?

He wanted to stay in Kiri to handle the problem himself, but he was needed in Ame. He'd have to program Yagura to kill the threats himself if the opportunity presented itself. If he knew where even one of them was, he'd swarm them faster than bee's to honey. He really wanted those two dead.

Having 'his' men tell him that they were being slaughtered by adolescents was beginning to annoy him. It was time to end this little problem.

A swirl in the air around him heralded his leaving Kiri. It was time to check on the 'God' of Rain.

"Another god?" Poseidon raised his eyebrow in interest. There was only one god that he knew of that met that requirement, the Shinto god Kuraokami, the dragon god of rain and snow.

It would be interesting to see if this new god was like Hiruzen, or an actual god.

The first thing he noticed was the warmth. Not the unpleasant, hot summer day warm. No, it was far from that. The warmth he was experiencing was the kind only another body could produce. The kind only someone you trusted could give you. It was intimate and innocent all at once, and welcoming, very welcoming.

Both Apollo and Hermes whistled, their eyes wiggling in a suggestive manner. They themselves had been subject to such things before, with the women that had truly captured their hearts.

T'was a shame that they had only been mortal. Zeus hadn't been very loving in denying their request to make them immortal.

The gentle rise and fall of his warmth's chest against his back was the second thing he noticed. It captivated him, the pressure applied to him every time she took in another breath. The feeling was both firm and soft. Such softness shouldn't exist in this world. It calmed him, like it was his own personal paradise. He wondered if many others had felt this very same slice of heaven. It was his favorite spot as of this moment.

How his body was tangled with his warmth's was the next thing his mind picked up. Their legs were touching, smooth creamy flesh meeting his own tanner shade. Her legs were longer than his, but they were still able to intertwine them together. Hers were as soft and smooth as her chest, if that was even possible. Auburn hair lay sprawled out on the bed, brushing his shirtless back.

The male gods all smiled at that. The feel of a beautiful woman by their side as they slept was so amazing that they couldn't help but search for it every night. Sure it pissed of their female siblings/wives... but who were they to judge?

His warmth's arms were completely wrapped around him, locking together in a safe embrace. He could feel her warm breath on his neck every time she exhaled, reminding him just how warm she was. If he could, he'd stay like this forever, but that wasn't something either of them could do. Both of their tasks were much too important. Their countries needed them.

"Duty over pleasure," Athena nodded her head. That was the true way of all soldiers, even if they were self-proclaimed monsters. It was a shame that Ares could never learn that lesson. Despite his dominion over all soldiers and the weapons that they wielded, he was nothing more than a warmonger.

He gently broke the lock of her arms, and untwined their legs, earning a groan of displeasure. He chuckled; she obviously liked their close slumber as well. "Just a while longer, Naruto-kun." The sleepy kunoichi mumbled, wanting to stay in her comfortable spot for as long as possible.

After his little chat with Jiraiya last week, Naruto had told Mei his real name. He knew she was someone he could trust with that little secret. He could feel and understand anyone he wished just as much as they understood themselves. He knew that Mei actually cared for him, even if she wanted to care for him on a more romantic level.

She had respected his decision of not wanting to have sexual relations with her, which relieved the blond greatly, and agreed to having just a closer than most friendship, which included, but was not limited to, sharing a bed. He was happy that she wasn't offended that he didn't want to have sex with her, and that she was okay with their relationship as it was.

"Strangely," Artemis said, "A lot of women would not have been ok with the seeming rejection from a man, or woman." She'd met a few like that and she could honestly say that they were quite the worst. That was the reason that she killed them. Stupid grabby whores.

The last four days had the Resistance and Ro-Han waiting for the right moment to strike the weapons factory. They knew that there was a monthly shipment plan, where the factory would send the newly created kunai and shuriken to Kiri, which was the perfect opportunity. Shio was a larger village than most, and timing was crucial if they intended to pull off a clean hit-and-run operation.

In the small time they had to relax, Naruto had spent the majority of it with Mei. They spoke a lot about what would happen with Kiri and all of Mizu no Kuni after Yagura was dead. The woman had many ideas for her country, which included peace treaties with the other nations. She had no wish to ever have to plunge her birthplace into war again. They had suffered the effects of war for too long already.

Another topic they discussed was Naruto's incredible power, or as much as he was allowed to tell her, which wasn't much. He had explained that like Jiraiya, he was a Sage, just on a more potent level. He told her that he was born with his abilities, and had joined the ANBU when he was six, which shocked the woman greatly. He was the youngest assassin she ever heard of. It was incredible and so sad at the same time.

"We have to get up now." He said softly, resisting her cute pout. "Or do you want everyone to find out that we sleep together?" He frowned. "With Saru and Ero-sennin, we'd never hear the end of it…" That wasn't something he was looking forward to. He wanted to keep whatever intimacy he had, with anyone, as far away from his fellow Sennin as possible, or have his private life become the man's newest porn book plot. That wasn't something the blond would appreciate.

Mei sighed in defeat. She knew they needed to get up before everyone, or they would find out their innocent enough secret. They weren't doing anything in her room, just friendly spooning, but neither of them were delusional; no one would believe them.

She had no problems sleeping with Naruto, sexually or just for the warmth and company, but she didn't want everyone knowing it. She wasn't ashamed, she just needed her private life to stay private. She was the leader of the Resistance after all, and she needed to keep her powerful and deadly kunoichi reputation.

"I really wish you were older…" She sighed. "If you were, we wouldn't need to hide," she paused, "whatever this is." She really wished they were closer in age, or at least that he was a little older so that they could have some fun together.

Naruto returned the sigh. "Sorry." He chuckled. "I didn't have any control over my conception." He gave another chuckle, this one dry and humorous. "I don't even know who my parents were." Mei gave the blond a sad smile. That was another topic they talked about. Neither of them knew their parents. In Naruto's case, he wasn't even allowed to know who they were. Mei's father had died at the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War, right after Mei was born. Her mother had died a year later, leaving the woman all alone in the world.

"Well, I guess I can forgive you then." She replied, stretching herself against the large comfortable bed. Ever since Naruto had joined her in sleeping, she had been able to sleep better than ever. It saddened her that he would have to leave; she would miss his presence and warmth in her bed which was much too big for only her.

"Good." Naruto smiled. "I wouldn't want you to be mad at me for the rest of the time I'm here." He said, also stretching. After the two got dressed and left one at a time, they returned to their places among the others.

Saru was oblivious, as was Jiraiya, but only because he kept undressing the females of the Resistance with his eyes. Damn perv…

Neko, however, knew that something was going on between the two. What it was, she had no idea, but something was definitely happening. She held her tongue, though, knowing that she could risk her command. She didn't want the most powerful operative in her squad, in her village, to see her as nothing more than an annoyance. Karasu knew as well, it was obvious to him. They went off to sleep at the same time and Nezumi never slept with them. How everyone else hadn't figured it out confused him, but like everything else, he stayed quiet. He didn't like to pry into anyone's private life.

"People are stupid like that," Hermes admitted, "Kind of like Athena at times. They focus so much on work that they tend to forget the obvious," He ignored the glare from the wisdom goddess.

"That sounds like overkill to me, kid." Jiraiya said uncertainly after his godson had explained the new plan to hit the factory under Shio.

"We need to send the Mizukage a big enough message so that he'll show up himself." Nezumi replied, smirking underneath his mask. "I don't think anyone can ignore that." Jiraiya had to admit that, if anything, his beloved student's child was imaginative. Even he, the great Toad Sage, author of the greatest book series in the Elemental Nations, couldn't come up with the idea Nezumi had. It may have partly been because he didn't have the power to pull it off without his godson, but that was a moot point.

Yagura was definitely going to show up in Shio, and once he did, he would die shortly after.

"I agree." Mei spoke up at her side of the table. "If this doesn't cause him to show up then I don't know what will." She finished, giving Nezumi a small smile she thought only he saw, but having Neko and Karasu already knowing what to look for, it was clear as day to them.

"I don't think she's heard of the word inconspicuous," Apollo smiled at the TV, "Ten bucks say she spills the beans." He shared a grin with Hermes, "Or at the very least, tells a close friend."

Hermes rolled his eyes, "That's a suckers bet and you know it." The messenger of the gods grinned, "I like it." He shook hands with Apollo, "May the best secret holder win."

"So when does this little play of yours begin?" The Gama Sennin asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Because I have things that I need to do." He added, giving Nezumi a look only he would understand.

My presence is needed elsewhere.

"He does seem like the type of person to be busy all the time," Athena noted with a curious look in her eyes. His spy network was something that intrigued her and it made her wonder if she could set up something like that with her own children.

The blond nodded, receiving the message with ease. "We should be ready to strike tomorrow, if all goes as planned." Neko replied. She was eager to get back to Konoha, she missed her lover. "I'm guessing we'll be out of Mizu no Kuni in a couple of days."

Nezumi knew what Neko was feeling, and the woman knew he did too. She knew he didn't try and snoop on her emotions, he was just born able to feel others around him. It was still somewhat embarrassing though. He knew how much she… craved… to be with Hayate.

While she wasn't trying to hide their relationship, it was still awkward for her that someone knew her private feelings. If anyone, though, she was glad that it was the young blond, because he never used it against her or teased her about it. He let her feel the way she wanted and never brought it up, which she was eternally grateful for.

"Once this little factory is destroyed I can leave, right?" Jiraiya asked with his gaze set on Nezumi. If the boy hadn't told Neko that they had a very close teacher-student relationship then she would have been bothered by how much he directed his questions to her kohai. "Yagura should be dead after that, so I won't need to be here anymore, right?"

Nezumi could tell that whatever it was that his sensei needed to attend to was something very important. He knew his fellow Sennin was a pervert, always peeping on women for his newest porn novel, but he also knew that the man was a master spy, providing information for Konoha on a regular basis. In short, he was a busy man, and the war in Mizu no Kuni, no matter how terrible it was, wasn't his problem.

Artemis groaned in disgust as she rubbed her temples, "Why is it that the best of mankind tend to have the worst habits?" The question was directed at no one as she knew that there was no adequate answer.

She crossed her nicely tanned legs, ignoring the stares from some of the males gods. Jiraiya reminded her of Apollo in many regards. They were both good men, though one was immortal while the other was mortal, with many flaws.

And they both had power in spades.

Nezumi shot Neko a look that said sorry, which was strange that she understood it considering they were both masked. "Correct. Once Yagura shows up, we can take it from there." The Uzumaki said, reassuring his sensei that he was free to go after the raid. He was upset that the man had to go so soon; they hardly got to spend any time together anymore. They were both very busy, Nezumi with his ANBU missions and Jiraiya with his spy network.

"I wonder how that works exactly." Hermes mused to himself, "I mean... the old man get's the information and then Naruto goes and acts on it?" It was a brutal world that they lived in now that he thought about it.

The whole situation reminded him a whole lot of Sparta. Back then, kids were used a lot to kill political opponents... and other sorts. He had used a few back then as he knew that no one would expect a young child to be capable of murder.

Good times.

"Okay then!" The Sannin said with a smile. "We're all good to go!" He clapped his hands twice for good measure. "One dead Mizukage, coming right up!" He yelled a bit too cheery for Mei's liking. He was a bit too happy about ending the life of a Mizukage for her to be comfortable with.

She would have said something about it, but then remembered what Naruto said, how they were both Sennin. Mei knew that Jiraiya was powerful, the man was a living legend, but she hadn't known just how powerful.

The images of Naruto taking out Black Harbor raced through her head; she never wanted to fight something like that. Even if he did say he was more potent than the older man, even half of the power she witnessed that day would be terrifying to go up against.

Apollo smiled brightly, "The student surpasses the master eventually." Very few mortals dared to try and surpass him... but the few that did tend to die painful deaths. Occasionally though, he'd take one of them as a student and tutor them in certain aspects of his domain.

"That should never be the case," Athena grumbled to herself as she combed Annabeth's blond hair. The poor girl... she'd have to live with the fact that her boyfriend was dead.

For Athena, it was very tempting for her to wipe the memories of Percy that lingered in her daughter's head. It would save everyone so much pain and heartache.

She made the choice to just let the old man be, not wanting to risk it. She wasn't scared of Jiraiya, she was just logical. If she tried anything with him, no matter how close she was to Naruto, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would crush her to save him. It might hurt him to do so, but he would. The boy was a Konoha ANBU through and through. His people mattered the most, above all else. That was one of the reasons she liked him so much, despite his young age.

"I hope she does something to make him kill her," Aphrodite muttered to herself in an angry hiss. She didn't want that ugly bitch to get a happy ending.

"We'll attack early tomorrow morning, right when they're loading the boats. When Nezumi and Jiraiya-sama are done with the first wave, the Resistance will come in for a second." Neko continued. "My team will be set up around Shio to help the escape." Here, she looked at Nezumi. "That's when your last part comes in, kohai."

Nezumi nodded. He knew what was going to happen, and he knew that Mei hated it with a passion. She knew how strong he was, and that he could take care of himself, but it would be almost like they were abandoning him, something she never did.

The plan was simple: do something that Yagura wouldn't be able to ignore – destroy the base, hightail it out of there, and leave Nezumi behind. Once Kiri 'captured' the boy, he'd let them take him to the Hidden Village, where he would do what he did best; eliminate them.

All of them.

"Get some good sleep everyone." Mei ordered, giving the blond another warm glance. "You're going to need it." She finished, ending the meeting for the day.

"And then they went and banged like there was no tomorrow," Ares joked as he put on a pair of dark sunglasses, "Nothing like a good war to get people horny. Ain't I right Athena?"

He remembered those few days where he would have Aphrodite go and sneak into the camps of the enemy men and instill great lust in their hearts. It had given him quite the advantage whenever he commanded his armies to attack Athena's own.

The two Sennin sat in the elder of the two's personal lodgings, speaking in private. They couldn't speak about certain things in front of the others, even the other members of Team Ro.

"Are you ready for the other reason you're here, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked in a low and serious voice. This was something only he and the Hokage knew of. It was the most important secret in Konoha, even more so than the secret child of the Yondaime. If the other nations realized what was happening, they would be furious. It would mean total war, with Konoha at the center, besieged by all other nations.

"A secret so important that it could lead to world war?" Zeus raised his eyebrow in interest, "What an interesting thought." There had been many secrets in his own life, from the day he was born to the day that he had freed his siblings and slain his father.

He was no stranger to them, no matter how much it annoyed his dear wife, so he understood the importance of not letting anyone in on it.

But this secret that Jiraiya was referring to... Zeus had a feeling that there was nothing quite like it in the world.

"I am." Naruto replied, once again in the presence of someone he could be himself with. "I'm not worried at all; it should be as easy as last time." He reassured the Sannin. "More importantly, when am I going to see you again?" He asked with a frown on his face. "You hardly ever come around Konoha anymore…" he folded his arms across his chest. "…I miss sparring with you." Naruto hated how well Jiraiya could read him; the Sannin could tell what he was feeling almost as if he had the same abilities as him.

To prove his thoughts, Jiraiya gave him a knowing smirk. "Sorry about that, gaki, but you know my work is important." He sighed. "And you're not in Konoha all that much either." He added, causing his godson to chuckle.

"I guess that's true." Naruto agreed. "Neither of us have enough free time." He added. He loved his job, it was the most important thing in the world to him, but he did wish that he had more time to spend with his precious people.

"You should quit the ANBU then." Jiraiya said sarcastically.

"No way he's going to do that," Hades stated in a knowing manner, "He's too devoted to Konoha to just leave the force like that."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Or you should quit your spy network." He retorted.

The room was silent for a moment before they both busted out in laughter. They each knew that they could never quit what they both loved doing, which was protecting and serving Konoha.

After a few minutes of laughter, the Sennin finally calmed it down just enough to talk to one another again.

Hades smirked at being proved wrong. Actually, now that he thought about it... he should have made a bet of it.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," Demeter scowled, her beautiful smile having been wiped off. Her hatred of her older brother was not missed by Truth or anyone else in the room.

"In all seriousness though, if you do encounter some kind of trouble-" The Sannin was cut off by the blond with a wave of his hand. Naruto could already tell what he was going to say. It warmed his heart that the man cared so much for him to actually worry about him, but it wasn't necessary. He could handle anything that came his way. He wasn't cocky or arrogant, just confident in his abilities. He stopped being challenged by Jiraiya a year ago… he was sure he'd be fine here.

"I'll be fine, sensei." He said again. "I won't be alone." He touched his stomach and smirked. "I'm never alone." He finished, causing Jiraiya to return the smirk. Minato knew what he was doing; sealing the Kyuubi inside Naruto was an extremely smart move.

"Could have fooled me," Artemis retorted with a sneer on her beautiful face, "The man, whoever he was, had no regard for the well being of his own son. He was lucky that Naruto had the power to protect himself, or given the ability to understand what others were feeling. If he had not... who knew what could have become of the boy."

Truth frowned at the harsh words from Artemis, "Now that isn't exactly true." He ignored the raised eyebrow from the black haired goddess as he looked at the figure of Naruto, "His father was a man known throughout the Elemental Nations for being kind, smart, and powerful. He knew very well what he was doing when he sealed Kurama, sorry the Kyuubi, into Naruto."

He gestured to the stomach of Naruto, "By doing this, he was able to protect not only his son, but the village that he loved at the cost of his own life." He turned away from the screen and looked at the deities, "Tell me... could any of you do what he did?"

The silence was deafening as Truth stared at them, his red eyes staring into their very beings. He knew the truth... he knew that it wasn't in their being to do such good.

No one before Naruto was capable of harnessing the greatest of the Bijuu. Not even Kushina, with her special chakra and chakra chains, could control the chakra entity. And yet, her son could at such a young age. It was amazing.

"I guess you're right, kid. I never really thought about it that way." Here, Jiraiya rubbed his chin with his right hand. "You know, that's really something you should be proud of." He smiled at his godson. "I know I am." His smile grew when the boy's eyes widened. He knew the blond always treasured the compliments he got from him more than others, for whatever reasons. Probably because he always treated the Uzumaki like an actual kid.

After Naruto spent only a few seconds to recover from the kind words, he gave a heartwarming smile. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei." He brought his right hand to the back of his neck. "I really appreciate it, coming from you." He added. Jiraiya nodded. Both Sennin knew the other with great detail, even without the blond's special skills.

They had a special relationship. Naruto could feel how the Sannin cared for him like family, which was odd for him at first, but he quickly enjoyed the warm, familial feeling coming off of the man. Jiraiya himself had the, sometimes annoying, ability of reading him like a book, which, admittedly, brought a smile to his face. They were both Sennin, capable of feats no other shinobi could accomplish, so they could both understand each other in a different way.

Even if Naruto didn't know it yet, they really were like family.

Apollo rubbed his chin, "So they are related... in some way." That was something that intrigued him. If Jiraya held some sort of relation to the boy-god, then where was he in the first six years of Naruto's life?

She could feel the sickening mark on her neck flaring with pain. Great, it was going to be one of those days. Mitarashi Anko had been trying to have a nice and peaceful day at home when her curse mark started acting up.

Her roommate, Yuhi Kurenai, was out on a mission with her not-so-secret secret boyfriend, Sarutobi Asuma, which made the apartment all hers for the next couple days. She liked being alone sometimes, just to get away from it all for a while. Kurenai was one of her few friends in the village that she could trust with anything and everything.

When she returned from that bastard Orochimaru's island, where he tested her and then dumped her, she had been a little ostracized for her involvement with the Hebi traitor. A few years had passed and she was reaccepted into the village after proving herself to be loyal. And now, she was just another kunoichi of Konoha. No one saw the snake when they saw her, and she liked it that way.

"Interesting," Artemis murmured to herself as she watched the strange flame-like patterns appear over the woman's neck and face. It was a rather interesting thing to see... a mark that grew and caused pain to the wearer. It almost reminded her of a control collar with how it seemed to work.

A snarl crossed her face as her teeth sharpened and her eyes narrowed. She would love to have a word with this Orochimaru fellow... after her wolves were done with him.

After Orochimaru, she had another problem. She liked to dress a little more revealing than others, which she only did to better express herself. It wasn't like she was some slut who'd sleep with anyone interested. Somehow, though, that was exactly the reputation she had built up.

Anko was by no means a virgin, but she'd only slept with a total of three men in her entire life, and each one she had tried her best to date. It wasn't her fault that the relationships never lasted very long, men just couldn't handle her. She was wild, and liked to experiment when she did get a boyfriend, which she thought guys would like.

Aphrodite sighed as she rested her right cheek on her well-manicured right hand, "Surprisingly, no my dear." She'd met quite a few people in her lifetime that were not as adventurous as herself and it disappointed her. Most of them tended to think along the lines of Hera, and sometimes Artemis, which made them real bores in bed.

She chalked it up to them just being pussies and held her head up high when they'd tell their friends how freaky she was in the sheets. That was a reason why Kurenai was one of the only people she could trust, the woman would always keep what she said a secret, even from Asuma, and never judge her for what she said.

After the three guys didn't work out, the Snake Mistress wanted to see if a woman could keep up with her desires. That was a dead end as well. It seemed like there was no one in the village who could satisfy her needs, and be with her in an actual relationship, which she wanted.

She didn't want just casual sex, she wanted a man, or a woman, to come home to and rest in their arms, or they in hers. Something, just someone that she could count on like Kurenai, but also have fun in bed with when it's that time.

She didn't think that was too much to ask for.

The male gods looked away, along with a few of the goddesses, as Hera, Hestia, and Artemis stared at their counterparts. To be honest... it was asking for a lot. They weren't comfortable with the idea of settling down with just one person... it wasn't who they were.

If Hera had her way, she'd force them to stick to just one partner and to chain themselves down like a mortal.

Today was a day of relaxation, a day to just push all of her worries and problems to the side, but that was now being ruined by the damn curse mark on her neck. It seemed that whatever she did, she was going to be miserable. She would always be stuck in this nightmare that was her life. She would always be alone, in pain, and depressed. She was not one of those girly girls, but right now, she wished someone would come in and sweep her off her feet like a princess, just this once. She wanted a prince, a knight in shining armor to come get her, to come saver her.

As she lay on the floor, clutching at her neck as the tears poured with the amounts of pain she was in, both physically and mentally, she whispered four words that no one would hear but the wind. "Someone, please save me…"

Like always, she was left by herself, crying in agony, waiting until the pain stopped.

It never really stopped.

Silver eyes turned away in sadness. Artemis knew that she could not do anything for the poor woman and it hurt her. It wasn't just the fact that it was another world, but that Anko wasn't a virgin. That put her out of the Virgin Goddess's jurisdiction, which meant that she had little power over Anko's soul.

Sometimes... she wished that the rules weren't so strict in who she could help. Such was the life of a goddess.

"I've been thinking…" Mei trailed off as she lay next to Naruto in her bed. They were in their innocent intimate position again. It was already time for them to get to sleep. They needed rest for tomorrow's Op. "Have you kissed a woman yet?" The blond could feel her excitement and hopefulness.

"I have not." He answered, a perfect poker face hiding his amusement. "Why do you ask?" He almost laughed. He already knew why, and the woman's excitement increased. She really liked him.

"Well, I know you don't want to have sex, but…" She trailed off, blushing slightly. That was new. Whenever they were in bed, Mei had always been… aggressive, and not really shy at all. Now the woman was all kinds of embarrassed, but still excited. Very excited.

"Hmm?" He asked, trying to get her to say what it was that she wanted. He already knew, but it was funny to see how nervous she was. She really hoped he didn't decline this offer. And if it was for what Naruto thought it was, he was most likely going to say yes. He might as well have something to show for his time with the powerful kunoichi.

"You'd never think that he was just a child with how he thinks," Apollo grinned, his teeth shining like gold, "Reminds me of myself."

Hera frowned as she stared at the young boy on the screen. He was very much like Apollo, who was, in turn, an almost perfect replica of Zeus. The ways that they could think to get what they wanted... it scared the ever living daylights out of her.

"…if you would like to kiss me." She said it as a whisper, and Naruto would have made her say it again, like he hadn't heard it, to play with her a bit, but didn't have the chance to. His lips met hers so quickly that neither of them had the chance to react. He didn't know how much his body really wanted the auburn-haired woman. He pulled back soon after, a sheepish look on his face.

"Uh… sorry." He said. "I don't know why I-" This time he was cut off when Mei smashed her lips to his, going in for seconds. They were so soft, he momentarily thought, like the rest of her. If all women were this soft then he couldn't age fast enough. He really wanted to be with one now.

It was the woman's time to pull back, giving him a smile. "Don't apologize, just keep kissing." She said somewhat breathlessly. He laughed. The woman was really excited.

Oh well. Might as well have a little fun. Kissing wasn't something he was against.

"He's a fast one," Hermes grinned like a loon, "Didn't get that far till I was ten myself." He sighed with bliss as he remembered his fist love... or was it a fling? He couldn't really remember, not that it really mattered to him.

Lives were like flowers to him. At first, they look like they have promise, but in the blink of an eye, they wither into nothingness.

Jirou and Noboru were currently on watch duty. The two chunin hated to be assigned so early, but today was a big day. The shipment to Kiri was today, and nothing could go wrong. And with the 'Demons of the Resistance,' everyone was a little on edge.

"They're screwed," Ares stated with no tact, his red eyes dim with disappointment. He could tell that they wouldn't be able to give Naruto a true fulfilling battle, they were too weak for that.

Such was the Curse of The Grunt.

"Do you think they'll come here?" Jirou asked, fear evident in his voice. Jirou was the younger of the two, with short brown hair and the traditional Kiri chunin uniform.

Noboru had shoulder length black hair and the same uniform as his younger comrade, except his grey flack was unzipped. The man's grin showcased his shark-like teeth Kiri was so famous for.

"Looks like even in that world, there will be people who take after you, Poseidon," Athena noted with disdain, her grey eyes narrowed in irritation. She hated seeing things that looked like they belonged to her idiotic uncle.

The Sea God said nothing as he stared at what appeared to be a mix of his people and humans. There was something about it that didn't set quite right with him... and he couldn't figure it out.

He shook his head as he put the thought out of his mind. It wasn't something that concerned him as it would have no influence on him in this world.

"Don't get paranoid on me now, kid." He scolded. "Now's not the time to be shaking in your boots." He rolled his arm, trying to pop his shoulder. "If they do show up, we'll be famous for killing Mizukage-sama's most hated enemies. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful idea?" Noboru always was delusional.

"That does sound good…" He said, tilting his head up to dream about all the women they'd get to sleep with if they were considered heroes. Jirou was also delusional.

When his eyes met the sky though, they widened in horror. He dropped the kunai he had in his hand and he slowly began to point at what he saw.

"And Death greeted them with a smile as bright as the sun," Apollo smiled. He had a good feeling as to what it was that they saw.

Ten minutes before.

The Resistance and Team Ro made it to Shio five minutes prior. Mei and the rest of her people were speaking to Ro-Han. Nezumi and Jiraiya were a little ways away, with the white-headed man in a lotus meditation stance and the blond standing behind him with his hand pressed against the older man's back.

Nezumi had the ability to transfer chakra, even natural chakra, into another person. After spending so much time training with his godson, the boy had taught him a thing or two. With some effort, Jiraiya was able to reduce the time it took him to enter Sage Mode. He also no longer needed to rely on Fukasaku and Shima to assist him while in Sage Mode.

When time was an issue, and he needed to enter the enhanced state, Nezumi could funnel natural energy into him, so all the Sannin had to do was stop the intake when he felt it was balanced with his own physical and spiritual energies. It cut the older Sage's time in half, making entering Sage Mode extremely easy. He still kept his toad-like features though; he was stuck with the imperfect version.

It didn't take long for the two Sennin to rejoin the small army, in their respective Sage Mode's. Mei almost balked – they looked nothing alike. The only thing similar were their eyes, and even then it was miniscule. Both of their irises were burning bright gold, but Jiraiya's pupils were a horizontal bar, and he had an orange pigmentation around his eyes. Mei now understood why the man was called the Toad Sage; he resembled one to an incredible degree now.

"Ugh," Aphrodite turned away from the scene, holding her head up high in disgust. The toad look was not one that she approved off, even if the eyes were charming. Plus those warts were just plain disgusting.

Athena rolled her eyes, along with Artemis, "Don't be such a baby." She found it to be quite interesting how Jiraiya was able to take on the slight appearance of a toad by channeling the planet's energy into himself. It was something that she would have to check out in her own private time, though she didn't have much hope for it as it was a completely different world.

Plus Gaea would be a real bitch about giving her energy away like that.

"We're ready." Nezumi said, nodding to Neko.

"We'll get into position." Neko replied. "Give us two minutes before you start." Nezumi and Jiraiya nodded their heads. It was about to begin.

"My men are ready." Mei informed. "We'll hit the base the moment your wave is complete." She finished, giving Nezumi a nod. She was still nervous and disliked the part of the plan that left her favorite blond alone with the tyrannical murderer.

But it was a necessary tactic. No one besides him could handle taking on Kiri and the Mizukage at once, and he didn't want to risk losing one of his friends. It may not have been all that long since he came to Mizu no Kuni, but he already considered a lot of the Resistance his friends. It was hard not to when you could understand everything they felt.

"He'll make a good leader," Zeus commented with a slight look of surprise on his face, and something that looked like regret, "He is willing to put himself in harm's way, not that it would hurt him in any form, for the sake of his friends and family."

It was very hard to find people like that in today's world.

Nezumi returned the nod and was about to say something before they got the signal that Neko, Saru, and Karasu were in position to help pull off the escape. He sighed in annoyance but signaled back nonetheless.

"You ready, kid?" Jiraiya asked. This op was his and Saru's idea, and it wouldn't work unless the blond was spot on. He knew it was pointless to ask, his family was always ready to bring a little chaos. Or in the blond's case, a lot of chaos; he never did anything without giving it his all, or most of it.

Nezumi was silent for a few seconds. In the next moment, he took his mask off, a vicious grin on face.

"Let's play, sensei."

Noboru followed Jirou's hand into the air, trying to get a look at what terrified him. What he saw was… like nothing he'd ever seen before.

"Senpo: Cho Odama Rasen Tarengan (Sage Art: Massive Rasengan Barrage)!" Was all they heard, and the sun was blackened. The sight was enough to cause Jirou to wet himself. What the hell was going on?

A hundred blond boys, all looking alike, were falling from the sky like heaven's warriors, each with an extremely large blue spiraling sphere in hand. Noboru was somewhat of a sensor, so when he felt the… whatever it was falling down upon him, he was able to appreciate the power that was going to definitely kill them. When they drove their spheres into the ground, which just so happened to be right above the weapons factory, it felt like Armageddon was unleashed. The damage done was enough to completely rip the earth apart, exposing the large building beneath.

"Damn," Hermes whistled, "Kid sure knows how to pack a punch." He hadn't seen such a show of power since Hercules got into a dick measuring contest with Poseidon.

That hadn't been a good day for the mortals of Ancient Greece.

Naruto laughed. It was a deep, vicious thing, and allowed his partner to do his part.

"Senpo: Cho Odama Rasengan (Sage Art: Super Giant Rasengan)!" The Sannin shouted, driving his own large sphere into the exposed building, destroying everything under it. Naruto could hear the screams form within, and it excited him. He hadn't played for days, and this was the first time he'd ever played with his fellow Sennin. It was fun, like they were a tag-team, slaughtering their prey with effortless skill.

He heard Mei's battle cry, signaling the Resistance to move in. He smirked; time to show the woman he made-out with last night why he called himself a monster.

'Kurama, you ready to join the fun yet?' He thought through his link with the mighty Kyuubi. He couldn't see the giant fox, but he knew there was an equally vicious grin on his face as well. He had his answer.

Apollo stroked his chin, "Mountain, eh?" He didn't know if he liked the name... it was too Ares like for his own refined tastes.

Ares, seemingly knowing what Apollo was thinking, scowled at his sunny brother, "It's a good name!" He crossed his hands across his chest in what was obviously great anger. So what if his naming sense wasn't the best? It was still better than naming something after one's own domains.

Mei was cutting down the men and women in her path with practiced skill, trying to get to Naruto. He had said she was in for a big surprise during the fight after their… activities the previous night. She didn't know what else he could do to surprise her at this point, but she was really eager to see it. What else was he capable of? She had to know, she was fascinated by him.

That's when she saw it.

A giant red beam shot up into the sky, originating from the blond. There was an actual pressure being forced on the shinobi in the area. The air was suddenly thick, and several degrees warmer. Everything was silent, until the bloodthirsty roar rang out in the rubble. A version two Jinchuuriki was what emerged from the red-black sphere that appeared after the beam had dissipated. The shockwave from that thing managed to throw many of the ninja away. The roar itself put many on their ass, and some even passed out from the incredible fear the killing intent was causing.

"Fuck!" Hades cursed, even in another world, he could feel the sheer pressure that the demon released. He couldn't believe that Naruto had something like that sealed up inside of him the entire time.

It just showed how looks could be deceiving. Even the smallest of ants could topple giants, here he glanced at what used to be Percy Jackson and sighed.

Artemis herself couldn't help but frown as she stared at the boy turned demon, her silver eyes weighed with something akin to interest. The form was rather interesting and she could see how the ground itself seemed to disintegrate in his immediate presence.

A dangerous form if there ever was one for Naruto.

Mei's heart had never beat so fast and loud in her life.

In the ruins of the factory stood a miniature Kyuubi no Kitsune, in all of its version two glory. The white eyes pierced into her soul, freezing her to the spot. That's when the demon did the unthinkable.

It smiled at her, finishing off the unbelievable action with a playful wink. Had she seen that correctly? Did a demon just… tease her?!

Naruto roared with laughter, which was incredibly terrifying for everyone around, it being so beast-like and deep. She had asked for it when she started the teasing. He was the heavyweight pranking champion after all. He couldn't forfeit his title just because he met a pretty girl.

With a burst of speed so great that not a single person could track him, he was gone, letting Kurama take over for his turn.

It was only fair that he could come out to play as well.

Hermes couldn't help but shiver as he watched the beast run across the battlefield, its white eyes causing something uncomfortable to settle within his divine soul. It made him wonder what Kurama suffered to have eyes like those.

Cold awe ran through Saru when he felt the Kyuubi's presence join the fray.

Karasu was indifferent, having been up close to the ungodly powerful feeling of rage and hate.

Neko sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. Did her kohai really need to let that monster out? Wasn't the one underneath the mask more than enough? She knew he liked to be 'fair' with his little friend… that would never get easier for her to say.

It was an awe inspiring shock that a child could harness such great power. But to call the strongest of the Bijuu his little friend was somewhat unnerving. He was speaking so casually about something that the entire world feared, like it was nothing more than the norm. It probably was the norm for him, which was why it was so unnerving.

"Truth..." Athena's voice broke through the silence and anxiousness that filled the air as she turned towards their host, "Just how powerful is Kurama?"

Truth crossed his arms in thought as he racked his massive mindscape for the answer. The answer to the wisdom goddess's question wasn't as simple as she thought it was. Kurama's power came from the god that it was made from, so to understand Kurama's power he needed to understand the Juubi... something that was more than capable of destroying gods and Titans.

He shook his head, "That's not an easy question to answer, Athena. Kurama is power and as such, that means you can't label him by normal means... but strength wise... he can physically destroy mountains and wipe a country off the face of the planet at just half strength."

The gods, mostly Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, shared a looked, one that was filled with nervousness. That did not sound good at all. Sure they could do the same... but that was at full strength, where as Kurama could do it at just half.

There understanding of just how powerful Naruto was sorely lacking.

Another large spike of the Kyuubi's power could be felt. He really wasn't holding back all that much, was he?

Neko sighed again. Her kohai really needed to learn the meaning of restraint.

Again, another huge spike was felt. What the hell was he doing over there?!

"Giving someone a really bad day," Apollo joked with a soft laugh. He couldn't help it... it had to be said.

If Mei hadn't spent all of that intimate time with him, who she now knew was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, she would have been terrified to the point of retreat. What the boy was doing right now was… slaughter. He was massacring the Kiri forces. There wasn't really any need for her or her men. Even Jiraiya had taken to watching from the sidelines, his face not expressing any emotions whatsoever.

The Sannin had never seen the destruction his godson could cause, but he always knew it would be something on the scale of what he was watching happen to the Mizukage's men. If Yagura didn't show up with this, the man was either not right in the head, or really didn't care what happened to his people.

Jiraiya highly doubted he could dismiss this, even if he was one of the two. A Jinchuuriki couldn't ignore another Jinchuuriki, and one was right in the Mizukage's backyard. He had to come, and that would be his downfall. It was only a matter of time now.

Another powerful beam of carnage shot from the version two Naruto, this time in a random area. He knew the young ANBU operative hadn't lost control; he just wanted to provoke Yagura into showing up as much as possible. Firing death rays off at random places was the closest thing the Water Shadow was getting to an invitation.

"If this Yagura person is smart, then that's one invitation that he'll decline." Zeus stated with a small smile, though it looked strange on his normally strict face, "Screw politeness."

Artemis blinked, surprised to hear her father joke and curse at the same time... that just wasn't him.

After Mei recovered from her shock, she huffed. The cheeky brat was playing with her. He knew the plan didn't need the Resistance at all, but he, for some reason, decided to lead a teasing crusade against her after the first time they'd slept together. After that, they had both been in a playful game of back and forth, trying to make the other blush or, like in this case, shock them.

She hated to admit it, but he had won all of their future battles of wits with that one little wink. He really was the self-proclaimed prankster god he said he was.

When the smoke settled and the last Kiri loyalist fell, Naruto released his version two transformation, still smirking at the world. He could feel how the others looked at him now. They were scared of him before, but now they were absolutely terrified of him. He didn't mind all that much. It was the Konoha-born people he didn't want to fear him. The Resistance had nothing to fear from him, but he couldn't really blame them, he probably did look like a demon.

"Okay, I get it." He heard Mei's voice coming up from behind him. "You win." She added, in a not so pleased tone. Naruto smirked again. He was very proud of his achievements. He then felt something that made him nervous. She wouldn't bust the both of them for the sake of her pride, would she?

Terumi Mei brought her face to his in a passionate kiss, right in front of Jiraiya and the rest of the Resistance. She would. Damn. He really got to her with that last gesture if she would do this in front of the most perverse man in the world.

Let it be known that Terumi Mei was not a person to go down without taking her opponent with her.

He could already feel the old Sage raring up. Great, this ought to be fun.

"Not now, Ero-sennin." He said before the pervert could open his mouth to say something that would make everyone there uncomfortable. "I can feel someone on their way here." He announced, his Sage Mode increasing his sensory range. "They're powerful." He continued, slipping out of Mei's reverse hug. "Incredibly powerful." He added, taking the mask off his belt.

Jiraiya became serious. Good. This wasn't the time to mess around. He and the Resistance needed to get out of there right away.

"Be careful, kid." Jiraiya said, turning his back to regroup with Ro-Han. "I'll see you soon, I promise." He finished, taking off, not turning to face the closest thing he had to a son. Naruto knew though, Jiraiya loved him, and hoped he'd be okay. It wasn't necessary, but it felt good nonetheless.

He was about to walk into the ruined factory to wait for the Mizukage when he was stopped by a soft hand. "You better come back alive, Naruto-kun." Mei whispered, embracing him again from behind. "If you don't live to be old enough to have sex with me, I'll kill you."

"Damn," Ares cursed to himself in disappointment, "She's a crazie... those always suck." He ignored the look from Artemis, so what if he voiced his opinion? She couldn't kill him for doing that. Although, knowing her, she would more than likely try.

"They aren't that bad... most of the time," Apollo told his brother. He'd had his fair share of experience with people like that and they tended to be the most fun in bed... when they weren't accusing him of cheating on them. Which truth be told, which he always did, was true.

Hera shook her head in irritation, her family was a big pile of disappointment.

Naruto thought his sleep buddy's logic was flawed, but didn't speak his mind. Instead, he broke the warm embrace, walking forward. He stopped before he jumped in and slightly looked at her over his shoulder, putting his mask back on. When he was masked, he jumped into the rubble of the underground building, not caring what was coming for him.

Mei would never forget what he did when he paused.

The smile on his face actually managed to make it feel a lot colder than it was. He terrified her. And she loved it.

Poseidon smirked, "Hey look, Hades! He's trying to imitate you." He ducked under the blast of darkness that was shot at his head, "Actually, he's doing a pretty good job of it too. That smile is terrifying."

Yagura had disembarked from Kiri the second he felt a Jinchuuriki's presence. So that was how they managed to bring so many of his bases down. He wondered for a moment why he hadn't been able to feel it before now, but decided to ponder it at another time.

His enemy was practically begging to be caught, like they wanted him to come and collect their heads. That was fine with him. It was time he put the fear of the Mizukage in the Resistance. He'd have fun with this one. He didn't care if they were children, if they were old enough to kill then they were old enough to die. That was the shinobi way.

That was the Chigiri no Sato (Village of the Bloody Mist) way. The way it was supposed to be.

Hestia frowned at the man, her flame-like eyes dimmed by the sadness that she felt, "What a cruel world that they live in. A child should be able to live their life without losing the innocence that makes them children."

"That's how the world works, Auntie," The wine god told her without even looking up from his magazine, "Some people have just delt a bad hand in life... it's up to them to make the most of it." He glanced quickly at Naruto, "And the rare few that are born with power... well they can change the cards that they're dealt."

Truth smiled, "Aptly worded my good friend." With but a thought, the tv screen died down and the energy from it shot back into his body. He got out of his seat and cracked the bones in his body.

It was time for him to go and get ready for phase two of his plan.

So here is chapter 5.

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