A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:

Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...

ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! Also, I'm not going to tolerate any flames unless they're constructive criticism. So, fair warning! If you've nothing nice to say, please, don't say it.

Well...here ya go! =D Enjoy the humor! And we get to see some new characters this chapter! One of which I'm sure you'll recognize...AND FAIR WARNING! An awful lot happens in this chapter! ITS ANOTHER LONG ONE! The God of War bit was a new one, frankly, and I thought it interesting to see just what manner of powers might've been tucked away within that seal...

"A God...what would it be like to have that kind of power?"

~?

Deus

My name is Uzumaki Naruto.

I pen this tale on what may very well be the last day of my life, of the lives of many. I am surrounded by my family and friends, comrades all. Many are Gods, others, are not. But... that is of little importance now. It is the eve of war, that of a great battlle; one which threatens not only us, but the very world itself. To any who read this I say thus; the story of my life is a strange, sordid tale, filled with hardships, but also triumph. One that must be told, lest all evidence of it perish with me and my pantheon in the coming days.

To begin, I am no longer what some might consider mortal. Yes-I am God. Or is the term demi-god? I wonder about that somtims. But god or no, by no means-and though it pains me to admit this-am I a saint. In fact, I'm probably the furthest thing from it. Athena and Artemis tell me I'm too hard on myself. Perhaps they are right. Hermes laughs at my fears. Hera chides me. Still, I feel this tale must be told.

I have committed unspeakable acts to earn the title I now hold, done despicable things in the name of the women I love. Entire villages have burned at my hand, razed to the ground. Clans have died out. Some might call me a monster for my actions. For my ambition. I call myself a pragmatist. The world I grew up in was a world of strife and chaos but it was also a home. My home. I would have done anything to protect it. Ah, but I digress. Doubtlessly I've confused you. Perhaps I should start at the beginning, no?

It all started with a scroll.

Such a simple little thing. Steal it and learn a jutsu, Mizuki said. Then I'd pass the exam, he'd said. Bullshit, I said! Or at least, I would've said it had I known I'd have the entire village after me.

I was naieve, back then. Young and oh so hopelessly naieve. It didn't even occur to me-shows what I knew-that he might not be telling the truth; that h might deceive me, use and abuse me like so many others. Iruka was the exception to that rule. I thought Mizuki might be as well. After all I reasoned, he'd never shown me any ill will before, so why would he start now. I was a fool. I didn't realize you could mask your hate, burry it so deep that no one else could find it. Shows what I knew in my youth. I am wiser now, older. But not then

At his behest, I stole the Sacred Scroll of Sealing, hoping to learn a new jutsu. Something. Anything. An item, a technique, a gift, that might somehow validate my self-worth to my peers and make me a shinobi. I was desperate for them to acknowledge me so I looked deep, searching for something that might make me known as more than just the village pariah. Yes, I thought I'd find a jutsu.

But instead I found something else. Something...

...amazing.

The hour was late.

Naruto fumbled with sweaty hands at the depths of the scroll, desperately searching for something-anything really-to learn within its depths. Something he could learn in less time than it took the villages forces to find him, that is. He'd already passed over shadow clones and other, various techniques. For some reason the bunshin jutsu had struck him as too mundane. He'd had it up to here with clones! He wanted to learn something awesome, incredible, fantastic, a technique that would prove to everyone that he wasn't the dead last in class. Anything.

But what was this?

Naruto went back trhough the scroll, and unraveled it farther, stopping at an odd seal. Looking it over, he saw it saw a blood seal, one of the few lessons he had stayed awake for during the academy.

He bit his thumb, and swiped it across the seal allowing the contents to be revealed. What he had unsealed was another scroll, a little smaller then the forbidden scroll, and a letter. It seemed pretty old, but seeing as Naruto had plenty of time left, he opened the letter, and read the content's within:

My name is Zeus.

I find myself scribing this as the world is laid siege. The seas rage. Plague consumes our land. The sun no longers graces us with her face. The undead walk the earth. Kratos, once known as the God of War, has seen fit to bring this calamity upon us, not just in Greece, but the entire world. This world needs us. Just as we need it. I find it almost laughable, in a sense. A child of mine is coming to kill me. Me! Zeus! Lord of the Gods! The same whelp I once sought to slay myself, now turned enemy. He is coming here. I am certain that he will fall at my hands, and yet, I cannot still this sense of dread within me.

In the event that I should fail...this is my failsafe. Ours. It is my belief that the world will restore itself someday-and when that time comes, we may yet rise again.

Contained within are the many gifts and powers of myself and my wretched family, my sons, daughters, and all who came before, gathered over painstaking years. Now, I add mine. These are no mere tokens, no items by which to endow our power. Pieces of our very essence lives within. These are not gifts given lightly. To the mortal-or god-who reads this, you have been deemed worthy. You would not be able to read my words thus had I thought you not.

A choice lays before you now; our fate, in your hands. Toss us aside if you will, or, take one of the gifts I and my family offer and return us to the world. Know that in doing so you may well end your own life. Our might is not for the faint of heart. Furthermore, if greed tempts you with its voice, know that this...melding, if you will, is permanent. It cannot be done twice. Another failsafe, if you will. To draw in more than one of our kind would almost certainly kill you, in any case. Now, it is up to you.

Partake of my power if you dare, mortal.

Naruto lowered the note, almost disbelieving.

The power of a god. It was almost too much to hope. Did he even dare? Or was this all some sick joke. He found it very difficult to believe that ancient, eternal entities had sealed pieces of their power -themselves into a mere piece of parchment. But if they were telling the truth? Could he even handle a power like that? Part of him said yes. The other half squealed in protest. He roared at it and his cowardice retreated, quivering into the darkest corner of his mind. If he had that kind of power, no one would dare make fun of him ever again. But did he dare?

In the end, Fate forced his hand.

"NA-RU-TO!"

"Gah!" the blond jerked upright as Iruka's shout preceded his arrival; he barely even noticed Mizuki landing on the other side of the clearing. "W-Wait a second!" he flung his arms up at the thunderous expression in the eyes of his sensei. "I can explain!"

Mizuki stood on a tree branch, a shit-eating grin on his face, a pair of fuuma shuriken on his back. He spoke up saying, "Good job Naruto, now hand over the scroll, and then you can become a Genin."

Wait a second. Something was off here. Something was...wrong.

Naruto turned his head in Iruka's direction, a cold look in his eyes. It put Iruka on edge to see it. Naruto turned back to the obvious traitor, and heard him say, "Have you ever wondered why you were hated all these years? Why the village saw you as nothing more then a demon?"

No.

"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!"

Mizuki ignored his coomrade, and said, "Fifteen years ago, a demon attacked this village, the elders tell the children that the demon was killed, but that is a lie, the truth is, the demon, the Kyuubi no kitsune, could not be killed, so instead, the fourth Hokage used a jutsu to seal it away inside you, you are the Kyuubi no kitsune, you're that demon. You are the the nine tailed fox!" Both shinobi looked toward Naruto-one praying for him to remain sane, the other hoping for a emotional breakdown. Finally, the latter lost his patiences.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. If you're not going to do anything then just die!" Mizuki muttered at last. Before either could react, he flung the shuriken.

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice rang out from behind his flank, the fear and desperation in his words piercing his deafness, rooting him in place, "DOWN!"

Naruto had only the time to blink as a mottled blur cut across his vison, knocked him to the ground in an instant and hurling itself atop him. Iruka moved. Naruto staggered backwards. Blood spattered the forest floor and lined his cheek. And not a moment too soon. Iruka grunted in surprise as something sharp slashed through his jumpsuit and bit into his lower back; the unfamiliar edge of a massive shuriken burrowing into his flesh, nearly causing his arms to buckle; threatening to throw him forward and onto him altogether. A thin line of blood leaked between his lips, spattering onto Naruto's cheek. He gawped up at him, blue eyes wide, mouth frozen in an open oval. The words hitched deep inside his throat, refusing to emerge, no matter how much he might want them to.

"W-Why?" he whispered.

Iruka opened his mouth to speak; all that emerged was blood.

"S-Sorry," he hissed through clenched teeth, "This was the only *cough* thing I could think of." His lips quirked in a pained smile. "After all, you're the same as me. When, I..." he bit off the word, "lost my parents, no one ever complimented or recognized me. Being the bad student I was, I...screwed up a lot during class on purpose...because I wanted to get everyone's attention. It didn't matter if they laughed at me, or cursed me. I couldn't get anyone's attention when I tried...so I acted like an idiot. It was like I was an outsider. You know how that feels, right?"

Naruto gulped.

He did know how that felt. For the longest time he'd thought himself alone. Iruka was probably the closest thing he had to a friend. Old man Teuchi and Ayame were right up there with him, but they couldn't alwasy be there for him. Would they have done something like this, to save him? He felt weak, terrified. thinking of them. Now, as he lay there, helpless to do anything but watch bitter tears well in his eyes. "It was tough. Right, Naruto?" he asked. "You were lonely, right? I'm sorry. You...shouldn't have to feel that way. I'll try to do somehting about that...this time...around."

Naruto's heart nearly leapt into his throat as Iruka slumped forward, falling atop him, collapsing into his arms like so much dead weight. He wanted to weep as his eyes slid shut; had he just died in front of him? In his arms No! He couldn't die, not here! Not now! He tried to move him but his teacher didn't respond, the impact knocked him to the ground, where the scroll still lay.

No!

In that instant, Naruto's bloodied thumb brushed the symbol of a lightning bolt. He had time for only one thought. Crap.

Then there was only pain.

It was like touching a live wire; the current arced up the sigil, to his arm, and into him.

His lips parted in a soundlessly yelp of raw, sustained agonies. He couldn't see the changes taking place outside his body nor within; his hair bleached itself a pure, snow white. Blue eyes blazed as though lit deep from within. Within. Yes, within his body was were the true changes took place, his every cell saturated with a power that hadn't seen the light of day for tens of thousands of years. That power shot straight through the seal containing his tenant, uncaring for its roars of protest, the lightning preforating the bars of its cage.

The Kyuubi never stood a chance.

Struck by the scintillating energies it perished almost instantaneously; its body turning to ash beneath the almighty power of the lightning. It tried to curse, to rage impotently against the bonds that held and weakened it but to no avail. All that escaped its jaws was a weak whimper.

And then it was gone.

Naruto's scream finally became a physical sound, his body writhing violently within the vortex. The lightning flashes were coming thicker and faster overhead. And still he screamed. The lightning began to coalece. The brightness overhead grew as though a new sun was forming within the mist. It swelled into vast, lambent sphere. Plasmic sparks wormed and veined across every surface of the forest floor. The very air felt alive, with raw power. Naruto gave a final, watery croak. Mizuki hissed.

"Shit!"

Then the lightning that was his prison broke, and the world went white. Not the filmy white of the mist. A pure, blackening, incandescent white that penetrated every crack and corner and left no room for shadows, no dark crevices, nothing illuminated. A whiteness like the beginning of Creation, or its end. Accompanied by a bang that was beyond sound, beyond comprehension, loud enough that it made any other norise a whisper by comparison—and a wave of intense heat and pressure that came like a giant, sweeping hand and drove all before it.

A hurricane of burning brilliance that picked up Iruka and Mizuki and whirled them and tangled them and tossed them aside, and left only a howling blackness in its wake.

(?)

The throne room was enormous, immaculate, glorious.

The first thing that Naruto noticed the polished and white floor inlaid with intricate gold patterns around its borders. Then his attention was drawn to the to the twenty-seven white tree trunks on each of the rooms three sides. Curious, he moved to approach the trunks. He reached out to touch them-only to feel not warm bark but cold, hard marble. Frowning, he looked up and gawped openmouthed at the exquisitely painted celing. In an instant his breath was taken away by the sight.

It depicted a furious storm raging across the earth, angry oceans frothing at the shore as two men did battle. One sparked with lightning, the other looked like a ghost bathed in ashes. As he looked on, admiring the old art, the figures withing seemed to move. Blur. Become alive.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Naruto jumped.

He looked to the center of the room. Seventeen wide steps led up to the dais on which a throne itself rested. The throne had been carved from a single piece of oak. It was taller than a man—certainly larger than him at any rate—and wider than his outstretched arms, polished pristine and pearll, inlaid with more of the gold embossed patterns. A man sat upon it. His eyes eyes sparked like lightning and that grey white beard seemed to rippled with a life of his own, as though it were made from the clouds themselves. A toga wrapped body had been bronzed by the sight of the sun-strong forearms braced against either side of the throne. Until this very moment, Naruto had never laid eyes on the man. And yet, somehow, he knew him.

"Hello, child." the king of the gods greeted him in a voice like rumbling thunder. "We meet at last."

Zeus.

"Fuck all kinds of duck." Naruto muttered a soft expletitive to himself as he stared into those fierce eyes. "Let me guess, you're the big guy himself? The head honcho, 'ttebayo?" Every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn and flee from this being, to find safety here, wherever here was. And yet, somehow, someway. he stood his ground. Even found the will to mouth off to the alll-seeing entity. Remarkably, the lord of the heavens didn't strike him down for his temerity. Instead, he smiled. It was a strange thing, that smile. Almost fatherly, yet severe and stern in the same breath.

The Sky Father laughed, then. "You do not lack for courage, I see."

"Considering the day I just had?" Naruto shook himself wearily. "Not really, no."

"Where are we?"

"I wonder." the god chortled quietly, as though this were all a joke to him. "I suppose this was where that demon once dwelt, now, no longer." his form began to shimmer with those words, and his countenance became stern once more. "But I digress. I will not exist much longer." he said. "Even now, my consciousness is fading."

"Come closer." he continued, beckoning. "Quickly now. I've no time to waste."

Reluctantly, Naruto complied. To his dismay, a single step shot him across the room, he was standing ebefore Zeus almost before he knew what was happening. A heavy hand laid itself on his head, forcing him to stare once more overlong into those harsh white eyes. Zeus hummed thoughtfully to himself. "Yes, I see." he murmurred, turning him from side to side. "There is a drive within you child, a need to prove yourself. I once had a similair ambition not so long ago. I do hope you survive."

"Erm...what?"

"Go now, my son." the hand on his head retreated with that command, Zeus' form turning to mist before his very eyes. "Avenge us. Restore us!"

And the world was his once again.

Slowly, painfully, Iruka's vision returned to him.

"Naruto...

His form gradually became illuminated in the gloom. Became more than just the shell that contained the fox's energies. He became more than Uzumaki Naruto. In that instant, he was Zeus. Zeus was him. There was no distinction between the two. They were one. Sparks crackled around his glowing form; eyes bristling a pure, blistering white, his hair the color of ashen snow drifts, his skin darkened, tanned, and kissed by the suns. He was the embodiment of the heavens themselves, a being of pure energy, coalesced here in the form of this young teenager. Lips pursed in a thin, angry line.

"Naruto...

Those brilliant eyes cut to him, showing concern. When he spoke his voice was different somehow. As though another were speaking with him, somehow.

"Sensei, are you al-

"Die, demon!"

Naruto didn't even deign to turn as Mizuki pounced on him shuriken, whirling. He simply raised a hand.

Ba-kram!

Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed. Mizuki choked wetly as his right hand dissolved into a bloody mist, dropping the weapon in favore of clutching at the now bloody stump. The man's cries were ignored as the restored blond bent to retrieve the fallen projectile.

Naruto grunted, pleased by this feat. He picked up the giant shuriken and twisted it into a knot like it was Play-Doh. Shaking his head with disbelief, he threw the manglled hunk of iron to one side—and just to see what would happen—he threw it at Mizuki. The man yelped and ducked aside, leaping to safety as the iron knot slammed through a tree; then another, and another, and still another. His physical strength alone had ruptured seven oaks with ease. Iruka gawped.

Naruto laughed, uncurling his fingers. Sparks sizzled between them.

"Ohhhh, I think I could get used to this." Then his gaze found Mizuki once more. "Now, for you."

Blubbering madly, the chunin tried to scramble away. Too slow. A hand closed around his throat, hoisting him off the ground.

"Go on! Do it!" he roared, sneering. "Show the world what you truly are! Show them-urk!"

Scoffing, the boy aimed a punch at the man who had tormented him. It was like pushing a fist through rice paper. Easily. Blood fountained forth from Mizuki's mouth in a geyser of gore, the crimson stain trickling down onto the extended limb, pouring forth from the gaping hole that now occupied his stomach. Naruto held him like that for a moment, glowering up into those hateful grey eyes. Then he wrenched his hand free and felled the arrogant chunin to the ground. One worked leaked past his dying lips.

"Demon...

The whitehead cocked his head a fraction of an inch, considering as he cast the corpse aside. "Demon? No. I am a...

...God!"

A/N: And there we go! The Gods of Greece will be returning! This is a slight God of War crossover, most involving the various deities seen in the games, much hilarity, chaos, triumph and pain that is to come. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this new tale dear readers, and I hope to hear from you as to what you think of this work! Naruto is essentially Zeus as of now, and Zeus is him-as to the rest of the pantheon and what-who-they will become, well, that remains to be seen now, doesn't it? Pairing undecided! I leave that up to you, dear readers!

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!

(Preview!)

Naruto lowered a tanned forearm, his fingers still crackling from the sudden discharge of light. The smell of burnt hair filled the training ground. As the infamous Copycat looked on a few strands of silver hair fluttered to the floor at his feet, along with his now scorched headband. Beneath the mask, his lips pursed into a thin frown.

"Better?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi gulped.

"Well, that's not fair at all."

"I'm sorry," the demigod's smile was decidedly cheeky. "I don't give a fuck."

R&R!=D