The Fox and the Hunter - Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Summary- The Hunter hunted the Fox, the Fox ran from the Hunter. It had been like that way for centuries, neither side winning out. As the goddess of the hunt engages with the Titan her anger is evident. But behind after some time a connection is formed… If only Artemis wouldn't be such a Tsundere about it! This is the story of the Fox and the Hunter. (Naruto/Artemis)

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, PJO, or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 1- The Hunt Begins

The lone traveler wandered through the forest, feeling the trees, the loose leaves. Seeing the barks of the nearby foliage, as well as the reeds tickling his feet, and the bugs reaching his skin. The heat scorching his brow, raining down on his consciousness, eating away at him in the rain forest. The minute drops of water that fell onto him were the only source of coolness he could feel.

But even then, he did not falter; he had seen worse climates, and this wasn't a challenge for him in the slightest. No, he reveled in his journey, traveling on as he wandered through the wilderness in his search for what he desired.

He was a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man who appeared to be within his mid-twenties. Wearing a black, long-sleeved kimono shirt under an orange vest with strange, crimson-red spiral patterns over each side of his chest, the symbol of his family. Additionally, he wore a set of red-ish orange pants and traditional Japanese sandals, much like how his previous master wore. As well as a white bandage-like belt across his waist, and a black cord necklace with nine magatama around his neck.

But that wasn't the strangest part, as across each of his cheeks was a set of three whisker-like markings. As nine orange/red swoshing fox-tails were across his back, white tips along their end, with a set of fox ears above his head of the same color.

It was clear that this man was no human, but in the world of the supernatural, even he would stand out. This was a world of monsters, as well as gods, nymphs, satyrs, and all sorts of other beasts of legend.

Yet this man was something different, something ancient, from a forgotten time that not many would remember and was not documented.

The man continued, moving throughout the forest with expert ease. He was used to being on his feet, and this was no exception. And so he trudged on, moving towards his destination, trying to find what he was looking for.

Eventually, he reached what he was looking for: a giant cave.

Reaching its mouth, the man peered into it, seeing the black darkness that lay within. It seemed like the cave ran on for miles, with no end in sight that one could perceive. There was no telling what sort of dangers lay within, and what sort of vile creatures the cave could possess.

But even still, he walked forward.

Two eyes peering from the shadows.

They were giant, ravenous, and the size of his entire body. A set of heterochromatic orbs looking onto him, one green and the other yellow, as they were absolutely filled with malicious intentand terror. If anyone else were to see the creature, even its eyes would terrify them, not knowing what manner of beast was before them. All they could do was cry out in fear, shaking in terror; they might even end up pissing themselves. All because this beast was so big, so giant, enormous beyond measure, and the size of mountains. They couldn't escape it; they wouldn't be able to. How could you escape a beast that could clear a mile in a single leap? You couldn't. All you could do is roll over and die.

But he was not like most men. The blood stood calmly before the giant beast, watching as it eyed him.

As he finally spoke to the beast, "Tabi! Quit messing around! Aren't you going to come out and see me?" he asked the giant beast with familiarity.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" A voice came from the giant's darkness; it was a soft, feminine voice, melodic even, and it was very surprising that such a sound could spawn from such a creature.

The now named 'Naruto' smirked, "What's wrong, can't a man visit an old friend? It has been so long since I last found you." A couple of centuries, in fact, or perhaps even longer.

"How did you find me?" the voice questioned.

That was easy; it wasn't hard to find a giant beast the size of a small mountain. All you had to do was ask around in the right places, and here there were quite a few wood spirits who had talked about seeing such a creature out in about.

Nevertheless, he answered the feminine titan. "I have my ways…"

"Yes… Well, it seems you still hold your moniker as the most unpredictable shinobi," the beast growled.

At that, Naruto smiled. "Yup! You know it!"

"Hmmmm…"

It was then that the beast showed itself, stepping into the light.

This was Matatabi, the demon hell cat with two tails, the second in the succession of Bijuu, labeling one through nine. She took the form of a giant neko, with tiger-like markings all across her body. As she was a Tailed Beast, a creature of chakra whose body was made up entirely of energy, her body glowed an almost ethereal Blue, like that of a lit flame, smoldering and cindering in every which direction, wanting to get out.

Once again, Naruto beamed at seeing a familiar face as he went into the cave for his visit.

XXX

"...And then the saytr nearly shit himself that the tree was so big! he didn't think that anyone would be able to grow a flower as fast as him!" Naruto laughed.

"Yes, well, you were always quite good at… what do you call it— getting people to get the stick out of their asses," Matatabi said, amused at the blonde figure. As they both sat along the floor of the stone cave, Naruto with his legs crossed, as Matatabi's giant figure was crouched over him.

They had talked for hours like old friends, because that was what they were, having known each other for quite some time. Ever since the Fourth Great Shinobi War, which was who knows how long ago.

In that time, they had gotten close; he had with all the Bijuu. That was how things were. When you had basically unlimited time, you tended to spend it with the people with whom you could share it.

"Yup! He was honestly a bit like Neji was back then, always going on about 'fate this' and the 'gods that,' he was honestly quite annoying. But once he got his head in order, he was an alright dude, had bretty good booze, too," Naruto said in reminiscence. As he began to smile, "I tell ya, this new modern world is actually pretty cool, with so many things that we wouldn't have been able to imagine. I've met some great people, so many of them are so different, but alike in so many ways…"

Matatabi perked up at this, sensing a new topic within his conversation. "Oh, and what kinds of people? You haven't perhaps found yourself a girlfriend yet, have you?" She talked to him like that of an older sister, pestering their younger sibling to find a girl.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Nah, not since the last fifty times you asked me. Honestly, I'm not sure why you keep asking me about this. I'm fine on my own. Plus, it's not like I can find a girl who can live as long as we can, so any relationship I do form won't really work out."

"Maybe, but that still shouldn't stop you from finding love. I worry about you sometimes…"

"Tabi, I'm fine!… There's no need for you to worry about me," Naruto whined like a petulant child, talking like a teenager would talk to his mother.

"Oh, alright, but are you sure there isn't anyone in your life for me to worry about?" She prodded once more.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Tabi…"

"Fine, fine, you're too much like Kurama with these things, you know how he was always such a loner."

"Hey, you know I'm not as bad as him; all he would do is sleep in his cave all day. I at least go outside and do stuff," Naruto retorted.

And even Matatabi could see he wasn't 'that' bad, "Okay, you're right, but still, you know how I feel…"

"Yeah, i understand…" Naruto sighed; he could tell that she was only trying to show that she cared about him. She truly was much like an older sister in that regard.

Before Matatabi once again changed the subject to him. "Well, would you look at the time, it's getting rather late, perhaps you should be going by now," she told him.

At which Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Oh come on, it's not that late!"

Matatabi eyed him in amusement, "Naruto, I'm an old cat, and I need my beauty sleep. Plus, you're quite loud, and I don't want you to wake me…"

Naruto's features were rising in recognition, knowing she no longer wanted him to be there. "Well, alright then, I suppose I should get going, maybe go and see what Son Goku, or Kokou, are doing..."

Matatabi's mismatched eyes lit up in fondness, "Very well then, let them know I wish them the best…"

As Naruto nodded, getting up as he dusted his pants off, "Yup, well, I'd better get going. I guess I'll see you later, right?"

Matatabi's cat-like mouth grew a small smile, "...Yes, then, see you later."

As Naruto left the cave, Matatabi went into a peaceful slumber.

XXX

It had been quite some time since he had left Matabi's cave, and in that time, he had gone sightseeing, well… not exactly.

"Well, this looks like a good spot!" Naruto's voice rang out throughout the wilderness, as natural trees and foliage surrounded him.

The blonde sitting right next to the lake, as a warm breeze flowed across his skin, rolling up and down his body and his clothes and moving him every which way. He felt the grass on the bottom of his feet, as well as the coarse dirt that lay below. He heard the birds sing, the bugs hover over him, and he even felt the ants moving about, wandering as they transferred food and dead carcasses to their burrows.

He felt it all, as he was unmoving, lying completely still to the point that not even his breathing could be heard. His balance was perfect, just like how he had been taught at Mount Myouboku. As he began to take in the energy of nature, feeling it, and mixing it within himself in a way like no other.

Of course, this was a state similar to his sage mode, the technique taught to him by the Toad sages oh so long ago. These days, he took their teachings to heart, practicing their methods in the ways that were taught to him back then.

Alot of work, the practices were, go figure. He always assumed that the toad sages were only good for sitting around, getting old, and drinking sake, but it turns out there was quite alot of work to be done as a sage.

For starters, as a sage, you had to be constantly attuned to nature; it wasn't just mixing the energy within yourself, it was becoming it. Immersing yourself in the surroundings down to the very concept itself. You didn't just become a person living in nature; you became the very nature itself.

As a sage, you controlled and directed the natural energy of the places around you, but you didn't force it. You were only a steady guide in the ways the earth formed itself, only that.

He could feel that the area around him was beautiful, although someone or something was tampering with its flow. Throwing it off, and eventually the forest would start to suffer.

Sometimes, the energy nature produces grows polluted, and when that would happen, entire ecosystems would die out. It was his job as a sage to filter out that pollution, to make nature whole again, and to keep it alive.

The gig wasn't all bad, sometimes it was quite easy and relaxing, feeling the nature all around you, becoming one with it. Plus, it gave him quite a long time to think; time was what he had in spades.

It had been quite some time since the elemental nations, or even shinobi, for that matter. Too long for him to remember all the details.

Being immortal kind of did that to you, as with time, you just began to go through the motions, making the days into weeks and the weeks into years. It was quite disorienting, all things considered.

But of course, he wouldn't forget about what happened in his youth.

He could never forget.

Ever since the fourth great shinobi war and the five great nations formed one big one, time passed, and the nation dissolved, war happened, battles, and you get the rest. In the many years he had known them, humanity changed, but they also stayed the same. Time went on, people moved on, and you kind of got used to the cycle of things.

A twitch came suddenly at his fox ears, disrupting him for less than a second. Right, he still wasn't quite used to those sometimes, even after all the years that had passed.

You just didn't quite get used to having extra appendages, at least not always. Your mind would wander, going back to a time when you didn't have them, and, well… you get the gist.

Speaking of which, his ears and tails, about those, they weren't always there on his body, of course.

Although there wasn't quite a story to tell, seeing as how he wasn't quite sure when the changes started, he would say that they were small at first, but then they grew bigger, as his form began to change into the picture you saw before him.

It all started when his Grandmother figure, Lady Tsunade— may Kami bless her soul— told him some rather interesting news about his physiology. And that was, coupled with the fact that he was the offspring of an almost full-blood Uzumaki, as well as a kage who was basically a perfect specimen of a human being in every compacity. In addition, he was a Jinchuriki, whose life force was only strengthened by the Bijuu he was containing; it was the reason he had such high vitality, and how he was able to heal from most wounds so quickly.

He knew all this, of course.

Being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no yoko, the nine-tailed demon fox that had attacked his village the night of his birth. His father sealed the giant beast within his stomach with a special seal made by the reaper death-god. It was the reason he had been persecuted ever since he was a child, being raised in a village that despised the beast that he held.

Of course, he didn't quite get along with the beast as well— Kurama, as he would later find his name to be. But things worked out in the end, and the two became friends shortly after the war.

He knew that being Kurama's host would give him extra benefits, but not the ramifications.

Even Tsunade wasn't aware of all of them when she had tested his DNA all those years ago. But she knew the gist of it.

To put it simply, his vitality was just too good.

So good, in fact, he would outlive even the oldest pureblooded Uzumaki, and they were known as the clan full of monsters.

But that hadn't been the only thing; even with his near divine vitality, he wouldn't have been able to live as long as he has. Or at the very least, he would look older than Grandpa Sarutobi by now.

Of course, that wasn't the case, so what was the deal?

Well, as it turned out, this increased level of vitality wasn't quite something that his father had accounted for in his creation of the seal that he used for him. Granted, it wasn't like he had alot of time to think about it, given the Kyuubi was attacking when he thought of it after all.

The Eight-trigrams seal was a generational masterpiece, the greatest seal a seal master had ever designed, and probably the greatest seal a Jinchuriki ever possessed. Being the culmination of the seals of the lineage of Uzumakis, as well as the product of the late Second Hokage, said to create over a thousand Jutsu, including the infamous Edo Tensei. The Eight Trigrams seal was a fuinjutsu that near-perfectly sealed the Bijuu within himself, slowly siphoning its powerful chakra and filtering it into his body. Incrementally replenishing and adding the Bijuu's chakra into his own. It was why his chakra had grown in such immense power and become so immensely large. It had been that way ever since he was a child, being a kid who, at just the age of fourteen, had enough chakra to match the entire village of Konoha, and then some.

It was a wonderful seal, and had it not been for Kurama's immense intellect and downright feral persistence, it would have kept the beast perfectly within his body without any trouble. Kurama was the tailed beast with the most immense chakra and hatred for humanity; no seal was ever fit to contain him, but the eight trigrams were by far the best one capable.

It just had one, tiny problem.

And that was the filter worked too good. Given enough time, it had filtered out all of Kurama's chakra, mixing it with his own, and... Here he was.

Kurama was gone, and he was his successor, of sorts. Far more friendly and with not so much of a stick up his ass.

It had been quite some time since that had happened, oh so long ago.

Of course, he relished living with the people he found precious, Sakura, Sasuke, Iruka, Tsunade, and the rest of them. And when they finally died, he took to watching their descendants, and their descendants' descendants, their descendants and so on. Eventually, he lost track of where exactly the line went, satisfied that their offspring got to live a long and fruitful life.

Nowadays, he and the other Bijuu wander the world, finding new places and things to call their own. Some developed hobbies or took way too long naps. But you got around to making use of all the time you had.

The world had changed after quite some time since the elemental nations, finding out that there were other beings from places other than where they came from.

Gods, as the people called them, he could say he hadn't met any himself, but he knew they were out there. Their followers were adamant that they existed, having come across many of the forest spiritsthat existed out in the forests. They were good people and helped in his sagely efforts to purify the world when he met them.

Titans, as they now called him, as well as the other Bijuu. A funny word, but he was used to it.

He also found this new world prone to monsters, nymphs, and other creatures, as well as heroes and demigods to enter history.

The world was a pretty strange place, all things considered. And it would only get stranger with time.

Honestly, he was so engrossed in his purification of nature, he almost didn't notice a person nearby enter the water, almost. As some time had passed, he finally broke his natural energy state and spoke up, breaking the silence of the forest between them.

XXX

"Art thou sure thou dost not need us, Milady?" her lieutenant asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, the dangers I may face may end up being too much for my younger hunters to handle as a burden. I cannot let them try to accomplish a task they are not yet ready for," her goddess told her.

But still she did not want to listen, "Very well then, surely you and I would be able to take on such a beast together, would we not?" her top subordinate suggested.

Zoe Nightshade was a good hunter, phenomenal in her own right, and a maiden who had been with her for quite some time. Being the daughter of the titan Atlas, she held much of his looks. Being a woman of graceful beauty with brown eyes, copper skin, as well as dark hair that was as long as the night. But don't let her feminine appearance fool you; she was actually a fighter of considerable knowledge and experience, having been her top lieutenant for some time within her group of hunters. As well as being the maiden who had stuck by her side the longest, since ancient Greece, all those years ago.

Her goddess merely shook her head, "No, it would be best for you to stay here, at the camp. Many of the new recruits need your experience and supervision, and you would do well in aiding them in our next hunt."

But even still Zoe wanted to protest, but she stopped herself, "But even so… Very well, we shall await your return, Milady."

"Good, then I shall be off." Artemis nodded, and with a small goodbye from her hunters, she left the camp, her life never to be the same…

XXX

Artemis was, for lack of a better term, a goddess. It was not arrogance to say, and it wasn't any false notion, that was the only thing that one could call her. Being the daughter of the chief God Zeus, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the domain of the sky, as well as the Great Titaness Leto, her mother.

The Gods, being the divine children of the old Titans, with the Gods of Olympus being descendants of the Titan Kronos, a monstrous and powerful being who had begun to devour all his children out of fear that they might one day rise to retaliate against him. Zeus, the youngest child of Rhea, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, was the only child to escape such a fate, as he eventually rose to free his siblings. This then started the war against Titans, which ended with the rise of the Gods as the chiefs of their pantheon.

Domains were chosen and allotted by the three sons of Rhea: Hades, Poseidon, and, of course, Zeus, who ruled over the Underworld, the Seas, and the Sky, respectively.

Zeus, as he was the strongest god and the only reason his siblings had escaped their father's stomach, as such, he had been granted the title of Chief God and ruler of Olympus.

Although, unfortunately, like many of the beings that came before him, eventually that power got to his head. Zeus, becoming much like his father in many ways— not that you could point out such a fact without receiving his thunderous lightning bolt straight to the face.

The Elder god had become a man overwhelmed by his lust, gaining many lovers, including his wife and sister, Hera, the goddess of Family and Marriage. As well as her mother, Leto, the Titaness, who was later banished to the floating islands of Delios, where she was born, as well as her twin brother, Apollo.

Her brother was given the godhoods of the sun, light, healing, and music. In contrast, she had been given dominion over the concepts of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, and primarily, the moon.

These days, she largely spent time with her hunters, the followers she had amassed in her many years of life, and those with whom she had shared a small part of her power, as well as her oath.

Long ago, she had made the decision and been granted the vow of an eternal maiden, a vow of which she had kept ever since she was a small child. She had been given no lovers, bore no children, and had not been forced into any marriage, a choice she had made long ago. It was that same oath that her hunters lived under, seeing as long as they remained maidens, they would not age.

But despite everything, and despite her vow, she wasn't a cruel goddess. And no matter what the rumors would say, she did not despise men, or at the very least hate all of them.

She just… wanted them to be better.

She wanted a world where men did not extort and belittle women, treating them as nothing more than property and breeding stock. That was what she wanted, and it was the reason why she had formed her hunters in the first place to give them a safe refuge.

Of course, there might be a few times when she has lost her temper with men, like the many times that she had turned the males who had tried to peep on her while bathing into fauna. But she would say they had it coming, looking at her with their lecherous gazes in hopes of forcefully breaking her promise. Could you blame her, all things considered, with the company she kept— especially her father— knowing the terrors men could perform when their lusts and carnal natures fueled them.

But even still, with her hunters, it was good to get on her own from time to time.

Solo hunting was one of the first acts she performed as the goddess of the hunt, and she still reveled in it. Now, usually, she would opt to take her more youthful, child-like form, to give her younger hunters more ease of mind.

But she did not take that form, deciding that her more adult— goddess form would give her a far easier time with her long travels. Being able to traverse more land in a single step due to her increased height and the strength she could call upon with her bow was far easier when she acclimated herself to its size.

Her bow was more attuned to this form anyway, being forged by the God Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship and metalworking. He was also her paternal half-brother, being the progeny of her father, Zeus, and his wife, Hera. Although she wasn't close with her half-brother, she would say her was better than most men on Olympus, but he was still deplorable given what the man had tried to pull to the goddess Athena way back when.

Despite that, she could admit that the bow was of good make, being a gift to her after she had been named a god of Olympus by the pantheon, and it was functioned to allow her to easily channel her divine power into it with little effort.

Her hunt today was a bronze boar, the same type of beast that Heracles had once been tasked with defeating during one of his twelve labours. She had heard from Athena that the boar had been terrorizing the wood spirits that lived in this area, and given her rather close proximity, she had elected to hunt the boar herself.

The forest was a nice sight, with rather lush flora and an ever-teeming wildlife. Moving about as she traveled along the wilderness, following the boar's trail, she moved along the overgrowth of trees as her feet glided along the dirt.

Until she reached a watering hole within the forest, finding that the boar she had been tracking had likely visited the place. Finding the place secluded and without anyone, surveying the area, and finding no traces of any life or movement whatsoever.

The lake was a tranquil area, with waters as blue as the sky, perfect for a light bath. She had realized it had been a little while since she had gotten the opportunity, and her body and gotten rather dirty during her hunt.

Removing her clothes, as she began to cleanse herself, not knowing that there was another person near the watering hole.

One that would begin a cycle that would change her life forever.

XXX

The first thing that Naruto noticed when he opened his eyes was that the sky was a pretty nifty thing to tell how much time had passed, as far as he was concerned. It was an accurate measure to tell how long he had been lost in the energy of the world, cleansing it as his sagely duty. You tended to lose track of things, focusing entirely on your own being and its connection to the life around you.

Of course, that didn't help him keep track of how many days he had been out, just hours, or what time it was at that very moment. Right now, he could say it was around noon. Seeing as how he had started meditating around 2 PM, he would say he had been out of it for at least a day, maybe more.

He never could tell.

The second thing he saw, which left him even more confused… was the fact that he was not alone in the water hole.

No, as standing before him was a beautiful woman within the lake. The first thing he noticed about her was her red hair, a color he found rather interesting, all things considered, reminding him of his mother. Kushina, the Red-hot habanero, known for her red hair, as well as her temper. It had been the trait that stood out to him, as he rather liked it, voicing his thoughts upon his mother when he had first met her within his seal all those years ago. And here he would say that it was a rather nice color on the woman.

She was undoubtedly beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Rivaling the likes of Tsunade, or Mei Terumi, for that matter.

Her hair was tied into a loose braid along the side of her head. And her hair, fair skin, smooth as the finest of silks. To contrast, she was rather tall— slightly shorter than he, around five feet and ten inches if he had to guess– and well as being well built. She was fit, like an athlete; it was clear that she spent countless hours training and honing her body to its physical peak. To the point it even resembled most kunoichi. A small part of him wondered what action she would perform to acquire such a body, and what motivation she had to accomplish it.

Though the other parts of him could not help but focus on one other detail about her… and that was the fact that she was completely, totally, and utterly naked.

The parts of him that were still forever Jiraiya's student noted this in delight. Capturing all of her features within his mind, sealing them, and recording them within his memory until the end of time.

Her breasts were large, not overly so, but large enough that any male would be happy with them. Given her fit body, her waist was rather thin, but her hips were wide, and her legs were rather toned.

She held that body that would be perfect for any sort of childbirth, and given that she was the goddess of childbirth, that fell right within her domain.

He forcefully tore himself away from looking at her in such a way, seeing as how he wasn't like his godfather and didn't enjoy spying on women.

Right now, she was washing and taming her hair, seemingly preoccupied with that action, being almost completely engrossed in it. As she hummed a small tune, one that he would have found quite melodic given the circumstances.

Inwardly, Naruto's mind raced, wondering what his next actions would be.

Sure, he could try to leave, but given his luck, he would likely end up stepping on a tree branch, alerting the female of his current presence and sending her on a path of righteous feminine fury. He had been around Jiraiya enough times to know what would happen: she would end up beating him to a pulp, and he didn't quite like that option. He highly doubted the world would let him escape unharmed; his luck was far too bad when it came to these types of subjects.

So he had to think of another way to diffuse the situation.

Of course, he did nothing wrong; he had merely gone for a meditation by a lake, and when he had come to this woman appeared, naked as the day she was born. It wasn't his fault that she had chosen this lake, of all places, to bathe in; he hadn't done anything wrong.

She wouldn't see it that way, likely. No woman ever saw reason when it came to these things. He had learned that from Sakura way back when, and it had been a lesson painfully ingrained into him.

But it was also the only course he could take, seeing as how he couldn't escape without receiving too bad of a beating. As he spoke up, calling her attention, she took note of him.

Finally, she opened her eyes to him, and that was when he saw her fully.

Growing up in a world with those of ocular jutsu, he could honestly say he had never seen anything like them.

Twin orbs of silver pointed towards him, eyes just like the color of the moon, so full, so complete. He was almost entranced by them; they were honestly the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, and he was immersed.

She regarded him for merely a second, taking note of him in surprise.

Before that, surprise then turned to anger.

XXX

"You know, most people would look around to check and see if they're alone before going into the water to bathe naked."

As soon as his voice was heard, Artemis's eyes shot open in alarm.

Surprise had overtaken her for all of two seconds, and she wondered just how such a person could sneak up on her bathing so easily. She had scanned the area, taking note of it and making sure that there was nobody. Being an excellent tracker and hunter, she should have been able to do that much. But that was why she was so surprised, someone had gone without her notice. It was as if they teleported, or magically appeared out of thin air, to the point that she could not have detected them. Just one second, there was nothing, and then they were there.

Even when Actaeon had caught a glimpse of her, it had only been that, and it had not taken long for her to take note of him, but here she did not know how long said person had been there. He could have been in front of her for hours and she wouldn't have noticed. And she was utterly stunned that someone was able to sneak up on her so.

"What? A man…?!" Artemis's voice rang out, and he found it quite nice, all things considered.

Of course, what she didn't know was that when Naruto had entered his sage mode, he practically inserted himself into the scenery. It wasn't that when she had scanned the scenery she had missed him, but that her eyes naturally glazed over him. He had stood so still, becoming a part of nature to the point her mind had not even registered him as anything different than the trees or the bushes. Something that was a part of the forest, and that she didn't quite have to take note of as irregular.

That had been what happened.

Not that she would realize as such. No, her mind jumped to the more obvious conclusion, the conclusion she had gotten so many times before she was tired of it. A man had snuck onto her camp and found her, trying to seduce and possibly take advantage of her vulnerability.

That was how men always were. And what all the other men had been like who had tried to do when in such a situation.

Perverts, the lot of them. She wished all men like this would die.

It was in that instant that Artemis used her godly power to summon her clothes upon herself, covering her body so that she was no longer naked. She now seemed to be wearing a silver tunic, with a moon-shaped necklace around her neck, dark leggings, and brown boots. Her usual hunting attire and the outfit she often wore.

Naruto thought it looked good on her, not too revealing, and seemed to be more on the casual side, but he would be lying to say that it didn't look enticing on her. Fitting the athletic tomboy look she seemed to be sporting, and working nicely on her body.

Naruto looked at her, happy to finally be able to look at the woman without seeming like a creep. "Uhhh… Hi, my name's Naruto, and I—" He tried to reason with her.

Artemis manifested her bow, her expression turning into a hurtful scowl, as she drew an arrow faster than he could react.

Poof.

The arrow struck Naruto square in the chest, and he could do nothing to react to it. The golden arrow she had formed with her divine power was doing as intended, forming a cloud of smoke around her target, and soon his form would be no more.

It had been just the same as all her targets; being the goddess of wildlife and all, she had the distinct ability to transform those she deemed deserving to turn into any wild animal. Such was the punishment for trying to spy on her.

She waited for the cloud of smoke to dissipate, but what she didn't expect was the very human voice to come out before it cleared.

"Cough… cough, come on, lady, what did you shoot at me, pixie dust?" Naruto coughed out, having not expected the woman to pull out such a weapon and have such a quick draw time to fire on him. That really was surprising, but he was lucky that the arrow she had pulled on him seemed to be ineffective, which was probably why his instincts hadn't gone off when the arrow was shot at him. Maybe it was some kind of poison or sleeping agent? But even when he was just a normal jinchuriki, those had little effect on him; now that he was a Bijuu, whatever she tried on him had no chance of working. She seemingly found that out the hard way.

Artemis looked at him, shocked. "W-What? How… you should be an animal right now!" she blurted out, utterly baffled that her divine power had not worked on him.

Naruto tugged on his ear a little, showing her his fox features. "Well, as you can see, I practically am an animal right now, so your technique didn't quite work on me. Anyways, as I was saying—"

"Very well then, if you are an animal, then you ought to be hunted like one. Prepare yourself for the goddess of the hunt."

Before Naruto could finish his sentence, Artemis manifested her quiver, pulling out a few arrows and shooting them at him.

This time, Naruto's instinct pulled through, as he realized he could quite possibly be hurt by her. Ducking as the arrows flew past him, nearly caught him if he had not been a moment slower.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… can't we talk about this?!"

"No! I will not be talking with you, man!" Artemis growled, jumping out of the water as she got onto the land she continuing to fire.

Naruto ducked under each shot, sometimes moving to the left, sometimes moving to the right. But he could tell that each shot was perfectly calculated, as she was aiming for a position that would completely incapacitate him. Her aim was right on the mark, to the point he was astounded by her skill. A small part of him had to commend her for it; he had only seen a similar level of marksmanship from Tenten, the girl who was a specialist in practically every weapon.

But even he could see that this girl was better than the panda-like shinobi, and had it not been for his near-inhuman battle instincts and reaction speed, she would have surely hit him by now.

"Can you please stop that!" Naruto yelled out to her, as he continued dodging, an arrow flying past him as it struck a tree, causing the tree to topple down and splinter over.

You know, when Matatabi told him to 'meet a new girl,' he doubted this was what she meant.

"Stop dodging!" Artemis spat out, annoyed that not one of her shots had hit the blonde.

"How about: no!" Naruto yelled out, moving fast, through a bit more of the foliage as he tried to run from the woman. He knew that if she caught him, it would only mean that her punishment would be far greater, but honestly, he didn't care. She was shooting arrows at him, arrows that would have been no match for any other person, and would take him out in an instant if he were not careful.

Naturally, Artemis followed after him, this man, he had slighted her, not just by sneaking up on her but by being a target that she could not hit. She could not allow him to get away, not until she had punished him properly.

Weaving around the trees, Naruto made himself tricky to follow. But each time he slowed down for a second, he could see that Artemis was hot on his trail. Following him with determination, he could not fathom.

Sure, he had spied on her, but it was an accident— and it wasn't even his fault! Not even Granny Tsunade was so tenacious, even when Jiraiya had spied on him that one time. Although that was more or less because it took her all of two seconds to catch him, as she shattered half his body and beat him black and blue for even attempting such an action.

But here this woman was, following and keeping up with him as he ran as fast as he could, firing shots at him when she could, and tacking him when she couldn't.

Honestly… It was as if she were trying to kill him.

"Just die already!" Artemis shouted, as a particularly close arrow went passed Naruto, nearly grazing his head and striking at the corner of his ear.

Okay… she was trying to kill him.

This couldn't be good.

In all his life, he had faced all manner of enemies, from S-rank Ninja to even the Ten-tails-powered Madara. But he had never faced a woman powered with such a level of feminine fury to put even Sakura to shame.

He needed to try to calm her down. Stopping for a second, he once again tried to reason with her. "Alright, don't you think this has gone on far enough—?"

"Hiyahh!"

His response was the woman leaping on him, coming at him with her silver bow in hand, ready to bludgeon him senseless.

Naruto responded in kind, pulling out a kunai from his pouch, something he used sparingly these days, as he channelled wind chakra into it to match her.

Their weapons locked together, and Artemis was shocked. Not only because this blonde male was able to run so far from her and dodge her attacks, but that her weapon wasn't obliterating his small blade. Granted, it wasn't a sharp weapon, and her bow could only really be used as a makeshift bludgeoning tool for when she was in a pinch. But it was still a divine weapon, one that was forged by the maker God of Olympus. A mere tool should be obliterated in an instant against such a piece, but the blonde was holding his own.

She narrowed her eyes at the blade, analyzing it. It appeared that the weapon seemed to be emanating some sort of aura, a divine nature perhaps? She didn't know. But what she did know was that this individual was no mere man; he probably wasn't even a demigod. As while she hadn't been going all out in her mortal manifestation, she was still much stronger than most heroes in their prime.

This man was something else, something she couldn't quite place.

Within an instant, the fighting continued. Artemis, using her bow as a tool for combat, as their duel continued. She aimed high with her weapon, as Naruto ducked, preparing a counterattack as she used her free hand to try and swipe at him, but her merely parried it away. She tried to knee him in the gut, but he was able to catch her leg, backing away so that her strike did not hit him.

A punch, a kick, and a slash. And yet Naruto was able to block, parry, or dodge it all.

He did not go on the offensive, merely preserving his energy and working defense, and when her added blows overwhelmed him, he merely backed up and increased the space between them.

It was as if he were toying with her. Well, she wouldn't allow it; she would not allow her pride to go unbothered, no, she needed to wipe that smug look off of his face, if it would be the last thing she would do.

Naruto had to admit, this girl was good. Better than good, she was an experienced fighter, he could tell, one who had endured years of battle, and great conflict, and come out stronger. That was a rarity these days, and her skill honestly surprised him.

There weren't many that would be able to match up with him, and needless to say, she blew him out of the water in surprise. And even though he was mostly fighting in a non-aggressive style, he could feel the rust wearing off of him.

This might actually end up being a good fight, all things considered. These days, those were a rarity.

He parried a bludgeon from his side, and Artemis went in for a feint, aiming low and weaving her hand around him as he tried to block. Her fist struck squarely in his face as he reared back.

"Hmmpt…" Artemis smirked, finally enjoying that she had the upper hand on this man. Hoping that the man's face lost its smirk. She expected him to look at her with a scowl, to finally realize how much of a threat she was, and that he, a man, had been injured by a woman. Taking his pride down a peg or two.

But when Naruto pulled back up, it was not anger that flashed in his eyes, but a smile.

"You know, you have a pretty mean right hook…" Naruto couldn't help but comment.

That move had actually surprised him. Him. A being who had lived for quite some time and saw the brunt of the conflict of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Needless to say, that was quite a shock in and of itself. He was humbled by it, even though he knew he wasn't all-powerful.

There was always someone stronger; he took that lesson to heart. But meeting them was rare these days. And he was glad that he had met someone like her.

"You know, red, if you actually got that stick out of your ass, you might be a pretty good sparring partner…" he admitted.

As Artemis fumed, her face flushed with her anger and his crassness. "I-I… Y-You…"

In that moment of her surprise, Naruto took to the tree tops, much like how he did in Konoha. She had gotten one good hit on him, which ought to be more than enough payback for their little accident.

Of course, Artemis didn't think that way. One good hit wasn't enough. No, she needed to prove she was better…

It didn't matter that he was walking above the trees— something that surprised her, given his relative ease in doing so, a technique she had not quite expected or seen before.

She would find him.

XXX

And find him she did; following him as she watched his figure run along the trees, at speeds most could not even fathom. She kept her gaze entirely fixated on his orange figure, such a dastardly color.

Why would a person want to wear orange? It didn't make sense to her, especially if a person were trying to hide. They were in a forest, covered in greens, without a lick of orange in sight besides him.

If she had been told that he was actually a former shinobi, she would have been baffled. After all, how could a shinobi ever wear orange? She didn't think there would ever be someone so stupid to choose such a color. Surely if someone were trying to sneak around, then shouldn't dark grey be a better color, or maybe even a blue and green if they were naturally in the forest?

Orange was by far one of the worst colors one could choose when sneaking around, and there was no question how she was able to track him.

After all, she was the greatest hunter in all of the Greek pantheon.

Following him as he tried to run away, watching as he leaped across the space between branches. Tree after tree, trunk after trunk.

Each stamp was perfectly calculated so that not a single movement was wasted, preserving energy and stamina in a way that he could go on for hours. Honestly, if she weren't as furious as she was, she would be taking notes, trying to see if there was a way for her and her hunters to move so efficiently.

But right now, she was just trying to find a way to take him down.

She spotted her opportunity as she took hold, stopping in her movements as she retrieved her bow and an arrow, pulled along her drawstring, and shot out.

Just then, what she was watching was Naruto moving through the trees. As he leaped up off a particularly sturdy tree branch, he aimed for another one adequate to hold his weight.

But where he expected an arrow to come flying past him was anything but, as the goddess hadn't quite been aiming at him, but rather, his foothold, and his next one at that. As the branch he had been aiming for had been shot with a divine arrow, causing it to splinter in its place.

"Ah, that's not very good…" Naruto realized, but seeing as how he was already in the air, he couldn't quite change his trajectory and aim for another branch. And so he continued towards the branch that was no longer there, as he descended.

Falling down the forest of branches. He acted fast, his eyes darting for anything he could use to catch his fall. He spotted a branch about half a second down to his right, and he took it.

He reached his hand on it as he channeled chakra in his palm to try and catch himself. But it seemed the branch was of a tree that was far too weak to hold him, as it snapped in his hands, forcing him to continue his fall.

This happened several times, each branch he tried to clutch onto breaking due to his speed, as he was only able to use them to slow his fall.

As he landed on his feet on the ground. Of course, a fall from such a height wouldn't exactly kill him; there weren't alot of things that could these days, but it would hurt like hell. And it was a blow to his own pride as a Konoha shinobi at not being able to help himself in his territory. He was a shinobi of the leaf for crying out loud! He should be able to walk along trees in battle, no problem.

And of course, just as he reached the ground, he saw Artemis there waiting for him, her bow at the ready, as she pulled on the arrow along her drawstring. Artemis was sure she would hit her mark this time, as she was at a range where he would have a much harder time dodging.

Naruto sighed at this, "You know, most people would have given up on catching me by now…"

"Well, I'm not like most people…" she smirked.

That she was not. He wasn't sure what she was.

Different was the proper term, as he hadn't quite seen another being like her. It was honestly surprising. He had thought that the only beings that would put up a match for him would be the other Bijuu. But here, another person was, and even though they hadn't quite had a proper battle, he could tell she was skilled, maybe just as skilled as him.

And that was surprising.

He wasn't sure he could dodge her any longer, not at this distance.

That was it, she had won.

And it would seem that the hunter had known it.

She could do nothing but smirk at him, knowing she had caught her prey.

"So what are you going to do now?" He questioned her with his hands raised. Was she going to shoot him? Sure, it would hurt, be he was sure it wouldn't kill him.

Honestly, Artemis hadn't thought that far. Usually, she opted for turning the men that had caused her ire into animals, but of course, she wouldn't be able to do that for him. For some reason, he seemed to be immune to that type of power. Perhaps she could convince her father to throw this man in Tartarus, that ought to be a proper punishment for him, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, it would seem that her answer would come from the form of another, an unexpected variable that she had not accounted for.

"ROOOAAAARRRR!"

A beast growled, knocking over a few trees of the forest as it did so. Both of them turned, eyeing the creature that was before them, both looking amazed.

"By the earth mother…" Artemis couldn't help but swear, seeing the beast.

It was the Erymanthian Boar that she was looking for, a bronze boar. But not quite what she had expected. What she assumed would be a somewhat difficult hunt turned out to be anything but. It seemed the beast was alot larger than expected, easily dwarfing the size of a normal mystical boar of its kind. This one stood as tall as the trees, easily over 30 feet in height. Its skin was grey, darker than it should be, like that of stone, and she could see it was just as tough. But the most striking thing was its tusks, white jagged pieces of bone, that would stab a man in a single movement. They were massive, with several points that could spell one's downfall.

It was as if this were a normal Ermanthian boar that had mutated, growing stronger in their trips back from the underworld. The endless cycle of life and rebirth changes one, forcing it to adapt in a way one could not predict. She had heard tales of such things happening, but she didn't think the rumors were accurate.

Turns out she was wrong.

Naruto looked at the beast; it somewhat reminded him of the beasts that were within the forest of death. Except this being was actually alot angrier and more ferocious— he didn't know how that was possible.

Though, if he had to guess, this was the thing that was causing the natural energy of this forest to go haywire.

He pointed one of his raised fingers at the creature, questioning his hostage-taker if they were going to do anything. "Hey, Red, are we gonna deal with that?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking…!"

"Because it's wandering towards us, and it's about to charge."

Yet Artemis still kept her bow aimed towards him.

"It's charging…"

"Oh for the love of—!" Artemis shouted, turning her form about ninety degrees as she aimed at the creature, letting go of her arrow as physics did the work for her. Shooting the arrow at a pace that would injure most, but it merely bounced off the giant beast's thick hide.

The boar charged, as both the hunter and the fox dived out of the way, each in opposite directions away from its run. Naruto pulled out several more of his kunai, channeled them with wind chakra as he threw a volley at the beast.

The knives pierced its skin, although not deep enough to do any damage. Yet, the blades did do something, as a growl from the beast's throat emanated around the clearing.

"Shit, I think I made it angrier!" Naruto shouted as the boar charged at him. "Crap!" He shouted as the beast toppled several trees to get to him, Naruto weaving himself around the foliage to try and escape it.

Yet the great beast would not relent, breaking anything that got in his way as he aimed for the blonde, rushing to attack him.

Naruto took a big leap into the air as he held his palm out. Instantly, a swirling ball of energy appeared in his hand, one spinning in every direction.

"Let's see how you handle this! Rasengan!"

Unceremoniously, Naruto shoved the technique straight at the beast's back, right into its spine. His chakra grinding right into the boar's skin as it howled in pain. Having felt nothing like this before.

There truly was nothing like it. The Rasengan, a technique his father had invented in recreation of a Tailed beast bomb, the pinnacle of a Bijuu's power. This was the pinnacle of shape manipulation, as thousands of projections of chakra spun around in a sphere at such velocity that they could grind into one's skin. Releasing its power in a burst of energy as the stability of the jutsu boiled over.

And yet the beast was still standing, as Naruto was atop its back, even as the wails of pain sounded from its mouth.

It turned its neck at him, eying him with all its hatred.

"Ah, that can't be good…" Naruto said to himself.

As just then a silver arrow came crashing near the beast's temple, missing its eye just barely as it had sensed it coming. It moved its head out of the way just barely, but it was still hit as it howled in agony once again. Naruto used this opportunity to jump off the beast's back. But as he did so, he caught sight of a familiar red-haired figure, wrapped in silver as she hid within the foliage.

Just then, as several more arrows came flying at the beast, each fueled with more of her divinity than the last, but each did nothing against the beast.

It was odd; her attacks should be doing more than this, but each one seemed to be rendered ineffective. The beasts hide, reducing the effects of her attacks.

Honestly, it was as if she were fighting the nemian Lion, not a boar.

"Hey Red, how ya doin'?" A voice spoke to her right, Naruto crouching right next to him. The beast, seemingly having lost the two for now, as Artemis snarled.

She didn't know what it was, but something about this blonde set her on edge, and if she weren't fighting this beast right now, she would honestly go back to hunting him.

"Will you stop calling me that…" Artemis spoke in a low tone so that they could not be heard by the beast. But her annoyance was clear, and her dislike of him was evident.

"Well, it's not like I can call you anything else; you haven't given me your name. And I can't read minds… You have red hair—So, red…" In his mind, it had just made sense; he rather liked her red hair, so he wasn't complaining.

Plus, right now, they had bigger things to deal with, namely that beast. And how they were going to stop it.

"Artemis…"

"What?"

"Artemis, that is my name," she reiterated as she eyed, "I am the goddess of the hunt and moon, you would do well to use it…"

"Artemis, huh?" Naruto tested her name out, before the other bit of information registered in his mind, as he spoke it. "Well, I've never met a goddess before— besides one that was really, really angry… kind of like you and—okay… moving on. Name's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya!" He introduced himself. The only real goddess he had met before being Kaguya, and she was a sorry bitch who needed to be put down. So she wasn't nearly as good a company.

Artemis regarded his outstretched hand, finding it utterly disinteresting. She honestly didn't care for his name; she just wanted to get rid of him right then.

"So what's the plan?" He asked her.

"Plan?"

"Yeah, plan, don't you wanna team up to take this thing down before it wrecks the forest even more?"

"Why would I want to do anything with you, man?" she scoffed.

And Naruto could see that she had a stick up her ass about a mile wide, not exactly healthy. And it would be sure to bite her back in the end.

"You think this beast has a weak spot?" He questioned; he didn't really know the beast too well, and this woman seemed more used to it.

Artemis grumbled, but relented. "If it's anything like an Erymanthian boar I am used to, their eyes and stomach seem to be a 'weak spot' as you put it." She could tell this beast would be tricky, though not unmanageable. If this blonde oaf wanted to get himself injured or killed, then he could be her guest.

"Right, right, so all we gotta do is knock it over so you can catch it, right?" He said, pumping his fist into his palm.

That seemed easy.

"You think you can shoot through its heart if I can get it on its back?" he asked of her.

"I could, but it's not like you will be able to—"

As Naruto went off to get the boar's attention once again, leaving the moon goddess alone with her thoughts.

She sighed.

She really… really disliked the blonde.

XXX

"Hey, ugly!" Naruto shouted, getting the attention of the great beast. The boar roared in irritation as Naruto threw even more Kunai at its hide, making it even angrier.

"That's it, let's get this show started already…" Naruto commented as the boar chased him, its steps causing echoes of thunder across the forest, its sounds scaring off any wildlife within a 5-mile radius, out of fear of what the monster might bring. It ran for the blonde, but even when it did, Naruto was far too fast for it, being able to outmaneuver the great beast like a mouse would a lion. Even when the boar seemed to knock over its obstructions, Naruto was gone.

As Naruto continued to lead it on, trying to tire it out just a bit so that they would have an easier time. Its outside might be extremely durable, but it didn't have the endless amount of stamina that he did. It was the trait he had always been known for, being able to run laps around the children back at the academy. Being able to walk even after he had run a three-course triathlon for Guy's 'morning routine,' that one time Kakashi had asked him to take over for their training, that one time he was running late, even later than he normally did.

This might be a beast straight from the deepest depths of the underworld. Well, he was straight from Konoha, and they used boars like this for their chunin exams.

He led the beast to a clearing, a place that—while he wouldn't have the advantage of cover— he would have an easier time battling the great beast. As Artemis got into position, ready to see if the blonde would be able to make it through with whatever he was planning, or if she would have to think of another idea to take on this beast.

The beast charged at Naruto, its monstrous form huffing as it tried to bludgeon Naruto with its massive tusks, but the blond was far too agile, as he jumped, grabbing the tusk and using it as a bar for him to launch himself off of. Walking and weaving himself around the giant's body, it trying and failing to get him off of it. Naruto used chakra to stick to it, as he ground a Rasengan within his hand against its body, before finally letting it explode right against its hide.

That only seemed to make it even angrier. Good.

"Whoa…!" Naruto shouted, as it shook its body even harder.

Deciding it was about time to get off of it, right as it tried to slam him against a tree at the edge of the clearing. Naruto jumped to the other edge, eyeing it as it growled in fury.

Naruto looked at it like a bull fighter, except he didn't have the little red flag to catch its attention; his presence alone was enough to get the beast into a rage.

There was no spoken signal, no silent gesture that caused the beast to charge. It huffed with a mighty scream as it ran to smash Naruto right where it stood.

But as it did, Naruto stood completely still, not moving. Which was an accurate way of putting it. And right as the beast was about to strike him…

Boom!

Within an instant, its charge was stopped, as the ground around them struggled under the pressure. Yet here Naruto stood, having gathered a no small modicum of natural energy to stop the beast. After all, it was this very beast that had harmed the forest in the first place, he surmised. This was why the forest had been in such an uproar, as in the instant the boar was about to strike him, Naruto grabbed both of its tusks and stopped the beast in its charge. The blonde, using his vast strength granted to him by his sage mode to try and match the beast, much like he had to Pein's giant summons when he had attacked Konoha.

But even with his enhanced strength, he would admit, the beast was strong, much stronger than any summons he had faced before. And he didn't know how long he could hold up.

Using chakra to anchor himself to the ground, but even then, the grass and dirt around him started to give way under the pressure.

"Ack!... Red, a little help?!" Naruto shouted, gritting his teeth, not sure how long he could keep this up without something to distract the great beast.

He was met with the response of a divine arrow, one that struck the beast straight in its eye, unable to dodge or knock its head away as he held it in its place.

The boar screamed in pain, which did the trick, as for the slightest of moments it let off on the pressure of its assault, which gave Naruto just enough time to do his thing.

"Ahhhhh!" Planting his feet purely on the ground, with a mighty shout, he began to lift the giant beast, throwing it over his shoulders as he lifted the beast on its head.

"Artemis, now!" He shouted as the beast hit the ground with a thud, leaving its belly completely exposed as it fell onto its back.

As the Hunter did just that, forming an arrow with enough of her divine power that she was sure she would be able to kill the beast. And it did just that.

With a piercing light, the projectile shot straight through the air, piercing the beast in its belly, as it flowed straight through its insides, piercing through it and flying through the air and into the sky. The arrow had gone straight through its heart, killing it instantly,

It didn't even have time to cry out in a scream; like many of the monsters, it just… died.

Fading back into dust as it traveled back into the underworld, she wasn't sure if she would see the beast again. Maybe in the reincarnation, it would turn back to a normal Erymanthian boar, or maybe she would reencounter the great beast again in its mutated state. Only time would tell.

But the beast did leave behind one thing, a trophy of its thick hide. A single piece of it, one that she might be able to use as cloth for an armour, not for her, but perhaps one of her hunters could make use of it.

That would be thought for another time.

Now that the boar was gone, she would be able to get back to the task she had given herself.

Hunting that damn fox!

"Naruto, let our battle continue as I—" she tried to shout, as she rounded the crater that Naruto had been standing in.

Only to find him gone…

Having used the opportunity to escape long ago, as she had been shooting the beast with her arrow. She had been too distracted to keep an eye on him, and now he was gone.

With all he left being a piece of paper with a small bit of writing that fell from the air in his place.

Artemis took hold of it, snatching it out of the air, as she read its contents…

She really hated the blonde.

She had finally figured it out.

It wasn't because of the fact that she had caught him spying on her, or the fact that he ran away from her, that got her so riled up.

But it was his very existence that made her angry.

From the moment she had met him, she hated the way he talked, the way he walked, the WAY HE FREAKING DRESSED FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

But most of all, she hated that smug face of his, constantly smiling and grinning no matter what she did to him.

She tore the notes to pieces into hundreds of tiny little pieces so that not even the fates would be able to see what it said.

Reading the words it said.

"You should take it easy more often; you really shouldn't be ashamed at being a natural redhead."

Artemis's face flushed with anger at his crassness.

She'd wipe that smug look off that face of his, even if it took centuries.

She just knew he was grinning right now.

End Chapter.