Hello to all of my readers. I know, I know. You want to know where the F*** I've been lately, very busy, that's where. I have only just in the last few weeks managed to complete a rather hectic Last Semester at University. I'm sorry to say that my work load prevented me from getting anything more than vague ideas written down for where I wanted my story, The Board is Set (Probably the only reason a vast majority of you will even see this.), to go.
I don't want you all to see this Fic as any form of confirmation that I have abandoned that story. I only wrote this up quickly because I wanted to get the idea out and about before it completely slipped my mind. I've recently watched and read the entirety of Attack on Titan and I have to say, I'm somewhat in love. I just had to get this premise written down for a future date, that and to gauge the response it receives. If enough interest is shown in this story I will begin writing in earnest alongside The Board is Set.
Now, you know me, I like to get read input on my stories, to help develop the story where both I and the readers want it to go. At this point in time I only have one question for you regarding the plot for this potential story. PAIRING? See, simple. At the moment I have a personal preference for Potato Girl, but that may change. Nevertheless I still want to hear what you as the readers would like to see. If you have any other ideas or plot points you would like to see included in this Fic or The Board is Set, feel free to drop me a PM.
More importantly, be on the lookout for another chapter for my other Story within the next Week or so. Now please, enjoy this little titbit.
If he was asked to describe what he felt in one word, Naruto would have used agony. The entirety of his body screamed out in protest. It was as if he could feel and comprehend the pain each individual cell felt as they writhed in the seemingly eternal torment that he now found himself in.
In earlier years Naruto's body had been pushed to its limits, with Kurama's healing effect barely able to save him, he had even experienced a lightning covered fist narrowly missing his heart as it tore through his chest.
He had also come to know the pain of losing a friend. The war against Madara Uchiha and his lunacy had cost the alliance the lives of countless brave men and women, faces that would never be seen again. Neji Hyuuga had been one of those faces, was one of those faces. Despite this Naruto had continued on, his resolve never wavering, his mind and heart set on one goal, peace.
Naruto had finally thought the lofty goal achieved as he had slammed his open palm into the side of the Rabbit Goddess Kaguya, the culmination of an entire generations rage focused into the simple action. The ramifications of the act itself were far from simple.
Both Naruto and Sasuke had thought the mad woman defeated, her terrifying power finally spent in the face of their newfound abilities. In years to come Naruto would curse himself for thinking that it would be that simple.
The marks he and Sasuke sported at the time did seal away the body and soul of Kaguya, of that he had no doubt, but it was the method with which it did so that they had not been prepared for.
For the briefest of moments, the marks had caused the progenitor of chakra's powers to destabilise, and that sliver of time was all she needed to exact some small manner of revenge upon those who had bested her.
Naruto had watched in horror as Sasuke was impaled upon and impossibly sharp bone that had suddenly protruded from Kaguya's wrist, catching him under the ribcage and propelling itself upwards into his heart. Sasuke had only smiled in the end as his body began to disintegrate before Naruto's shocked eyes.
The slight moment of inaction proved to be the final mistake for the blonde. Kaguya's power had become unstable; her original plan had been to send Naruto to the worst possible fabricated dimension that she would imagine, all alone with no hope of rescue, but that was not to be the case.
With her powers fluctuating wildly she had no true control over where Naruto was sent or the means with which it was done. Naruto had been faintly aware of a small, unknown force tugging at his chest. The air around him seemed to shimmer slightly before his world turned black and pain exploded from within him.
The next time he regained consciousness, it was to the sound of his own screaming. He knew without a doubt that he had never experienced such pain before. Through his strangled screams he heard himself beg for the end, for the sweet release and numbness of death, he was not as lucky as that.
His body fought, just as it always had, on some primal level knowing that death was not something that he truly wanted or deserved. When he finally managed to open his eyes he was assaulted by the strong, distinct scent of blood.
A thick steam cloyed around him and Naruto could only faintly make out the shape of tall trees through the thick biological miasma.
"Hey! Wake up you little Brat!" A voice screamed in his mind and Naruto almost smiled as he felt the pain subside somewhat and he knew that he had his friend to thank for it.
"Kurama." He half laughed, half coughed as no small amount of blood slowly flowed from the edge of his mouth. "How's it going buddy?" he asked, completely nonchalant.
"Stop acting like an idiot Naruto! You're an inch away from death!" Screamed his lifelong passenger. "I think I can fix you but you may not like the results." said Kurama, his tone much softer this time. The pain had lessened greatly and Naruto's face curled up in ignorance.
"What do you mean 'fix me'?" he asked, not truly understand what Kurama had meant.
"Tsk. Foolish boy, look down." mumbled the great beast.
Naruto was aware that he was lying on his back, the soft grass he could feel was testament to that fact, so with all the strength he could muster he craned his heap upwards so as to survey whatever damage Kurama had been referring to. Naruto barely had the self-control to keep himself from screaming once again.
Naruto's body had been completely bisected from his left elbow to his right hip, the vast majority of his abdominal cavity simply ending, blood had pooled around his decimated form but Naruto could see that the blood held a faint orange glow, and that it was slowly but surely being drawn back into Naruto's wounds, it was this gruesomely intriguing process that was causing the thick steam that was rising from Naruto's wounds.
"How the hell can you fix this!" he nearly screamed. The rational part of his mind was telling him that he was about to die, that he should make peace with that but he knew that if there was any chance of him living to see another day, it was through Kurama's intervention.
"I can use as much of my Yin and Yang chakra as I have left to me, to repair your body. But Naruto, this won't be like all the times I have healed you before. The extent of the damage is almost catastrophic and the amount of Yin-Yang chakra that will be poured into you could have side-effects." stated Kurama coolly.
"What do you mean side-effects?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.
"I've never had to heal this much damage before brat, having that much Yin-Yang chakra in your body could change things that I just can't control. You could end up younger, older, taller or shorter. Best case you get a few more years on your clock, worst case, you explode."
"Explode!" yelled Naruto, his self-control leaving him for a moment. Kurama only laughed in response.
"I said there could be side effects didn't I?" said Kurama as he chuckled lightly. "Look brat, I might not say this often or ever again for that matter, but you're one lucky brat and I'll be doing everything I can to control the Yin-Yang chakra."
Naruto sighed softly. It didn't take him long to come to the conclusion that he didn't have another choice, he had placed his trust in Kurama before and it seemed he would have to do so once again.
"Ok, do it, try not to let me explode alright?" he asked, half grinning.
"There is one last thing you should know before I do this." said Kurama and Naruto found that he wasn't fond of the grave tone his friend had used. Kurama took Naruto's silence as his cue to continue.
"Your chakra coils are gone brat. When I heal you, I won't be able to repair them fully. You'll never be able to use Jutsu like you always have." he said, his voice oddly soft compared to what Naruto was accustomed to. The knowledge his Naruto with the full force of a lightning strike. Never use Jutsu again."
"What do you mean when you say you won't be able to repair them fully?" he querried, hopeful that the answer he received would be to his liking.
"You'll end up like that spandex kid, very limited external chakra use, but you will retain the ability to strengthen yourself, to run faster and fight longer that a normal ningen." explained Kurama. Despite the situation, Naruto couldn't contain the rasping laughter that escaped his throat.
"Just like Bushy-Brows eh? Well that's not so bad, I'll just be a Taijutsu badass just like Lee!" he exclaimed, even managing to elicit a small snort of derision from his friend. "Let's get this party started then Kurama."
"Tsk. Fine brat. I'll have to knock you out when I begin, the pain will be too great for even you to bear. One more thing brat, it's taken a lot of my power to keep you alive this long. After I use my Yin-Yang chakra to heal you, I'll have to go to sleep for a while, a long while." said Kurama with more than a small hint of sadness in his tone. Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion.
"How long are we talking about?" he asked, dreading the answer.
"Four or five years, six at the most." stated Kurama matter-of-factly.
"Oh.." was the only response Naruto's mind could formulate quickly enough.
"Anything else you need to know before I get started brat?" Kurama asked.
"Where are we?" Naruto asked. A simple question, though the answer he received was anything but. His vision was already fading to black as Kurama gave his response.
"A long, long way from home….Naruto. Stay safe, my Old Man wouldn't want you dying this easily." A feeling of warmth, stemming from the centre of his chest was the last thing Naruto felt before his vision faded into darkness and sleep overtook him.
Grisha Jaeger was returning home from a small village between Wall Maria and Wall Rose when he saw it. He had been called out to help the village overcome a viral infection in place of their own doctor as he himself had fallen victim to the debilitating disease.
He was only a few miles from the Inner Gate when he witnessed a thick column of cloying white steam erupt upwards from a small thicket of tall Oak trees. His heart almost stopped in his chest when he spied the rising vapour, immediately recognising it, Titan Steam.
Whatever, or more terrifyingly who, was in the small forest had to be investigated. He spurred his horse off of the road and drove it into a gallop, intent on reaching the site of the event before it dissipated. What he laid eyes upon was certainly not what he was expecting.
What remained of a young boy, no older that twelve or thirteen, lay broken in a small clearing. Close to two thirds of the boy's body was simply gone, bisected from elbow to hip. The most astounding thing however was the fact that the boy's body was slowly repairing itself, a bubbling orange energy draped his body as it began to knit itself back together. Bones formed from nothingness and were soon enveloped in the beginning s of tendon and muscle sinew.
What confused Grisha the most was the simple fact that he immediately knew that the boy was no Shifter as he had expected to find, his body was healing far too rapidly. The steam that was pouring off of the child's body was simply a by-product of the rapid regeneration he surmised, and not in fact the signature steam a Titan or Shifter produced when injured.
This boy, he was something else entirely and Grisha wasn't sure if that scared him or excited him.
The boy's regeneration was nearly completed; the meat and skin of his feet nearing completion, and Grisha quickly drew a spare cloak from his saddle bag and dismounted his horse, quickly making his way to inspect the child. He immediately noticed the strikingly bright blonde hair and the strange streaks that the boy sported on his cheeks that Grisha could only assume were some form of strange birth marks.
He quickly wrapped the boy's shivering form in the cloak and hoisted himself back up into his saddle. Whoever or whatever the boy was, Grisha's instincts told him that he was no threat, to him at least. The Doctor knew that if this boy could rapidly regenerate such extensive damage, then it was possible that he could be used as a weapon against the Titans, or perhaps even his true enemies.
Naruto was oddly aware that he was moving and whatever mode of transport he found himself using, he also knew that it was not comfortable. He found it extremely hard to lift his eyelids, it was as if a great weight had been put over him, his attempted movements were sluggish at best. He had never once before felt so unequivocally useless.
When he finally mustered the strength to open his eyes he quickly realised he was on horseback, the reason for his discomfort quickly made clear. He felt a warmth behind him and attempted to crane his head upwards to investigate, he was quickly met with a sharp and searing pain in his neck, causing him to wince suddenly and elicit a pained gasp. He felt the body behind him suddenly tense in response before a hand found its way to his shoulder.
"Be calm child, you are in no danger. I'm returning to my home, you can rest there freely." said a deep male voice. The tone in which the man spoke conveyed his truth to Naruto. Before he slipped back into unconsciousness the he managed to speak a few words.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice pitifully weak.
"You are about to enter the Shiganshina District, an outlier district of Wall Maria." came the voice behind him. The last image Naruto's conscious mind displayed to him was that of an enormous gate slowly opening to allow passage. When Naruto glimpsed the titanic wall which housed the gate itself, he knew with utter finality that Kurama had been right; they were a Long way from home.