Yo..
Let us start a new arc, and about the similarity between Shisui and Naruto's relationship with some other characters is true. I am not denying it at all, they are simply connected to my plot.
This is a mystery type story, if you think you can do better than me go ahead and create a good NarutoXAttack On Titan crossover; it'll give me something to read too.
Anyway, this story is simply being written for my personal amusement...
Read it, like it? Don't like it? It's all upto you...
Enjoy the new arc...
Chapter 7
Venturing into the Abyss
(3 Years Later)
Erwin Smith was not a man who could get easily surprised, and the events in the past 3 years had hardly given him any reason to be surprised. After the disastrous mission launched by the Scouting Legion 3 years ago, the government had not been kind to them. They had cut of their funding by 50%, and had also forbidden the Legion from gathering more recruits for 2 whole years.
Their expeditions beyond those walls had been completely restricted, and despite his many requests his soldiers had not been able to do the job for which they had joined the Legion. It had demotivated his troops and many had quit, while many had transferred to the Garrison Force.
Tough times...
And it was due to these reasons that he was surprised and a little happy now.
For right now he was staring at an order coming from the government, directing him to launch a small mission outside the walls in order to collect key medicinal herbs that were needed to save someone important to the King.
Even though they had forbidden him and Levi from leading this mission, this was a golden opportunity.
He could also understand the government's doubts about him and Levi, they were the ones who had went against their backs and screwed up things. More than that, the fearful people in Wall Sina knew that they needed him and Levi to save their asses in case of an invasion, they were the best hope for humanity in their eyes.
As such the King had ordered him to send two platoons of soldiers from his force, led by his best junior officers. If only that pompous ass knew how much his advisers had damaged the Legion over these years, he barely had such skilled officers to spare.
And now he wanted to send them to their deaths to save the life of an idiot royal adviser?
"What shall it be, Erwin?" asked Levi straight forwardly, as his leader sighed.
"This is an order from the top, we can't ignore it or risk putting the entire force at risk. At the same time, this is a golden opportunity for us..." said Erwin confidently,
"Oh, so you'll simply send our men out there to die pointlessly without finding anything for our cause?" asked Levi sarcastically, as a smirk came on the blonde commander's face.
"I never said that, did I?"
"Tch"
"Prepare 2 platoons, each consisting of 20 of our best men. Also bring our two new Lieutenants, they will be the ones leading this mission..." said Erwin seriously, making Levi arch one of his eyebrows in surprise.
"You think those little shits are ready? They might just get killed on their first expedition outside the walls, training is different from real combat..." advised Levi sagely, getting a nod from his leader.
"True, but those 3 have fought for their lives since day 1. And there is no one else beside them whom I trust to accomplish this task. Levi, if we do this the government might just remove the restrictions placed on us, do you understand?" asked Erwin in a calculative tone,
"Understood"
"Lieutenant Kakashi Hatake will lead the 1st platoon, his sense of smell and tracking skills are extraordinary. His job will be to find those herbs located in Sector 11, and get his soldiers out of there as soon as the job's finished.." said Erwin briefly, and pointed his fingers over the map where two red circles were made.
"Why do I feel this second red mark is more important?" asked Levi knowingly,
"While the 1st platoon does the task given to us by the government, the 2nd platoon will venture into Sector 66..." said Erwin slowly, and noticed Levi's eyes narrowing very dangerously.
"That area was infested with 3-6 meter class titans, what are you planning to do?" questioned Levi cautiously,
"We are going to capture one of them..."
The ever stoic Levi who always had answers for any question or challenge thrown towards him suddenly found himself going blank. There had been many attempts in the past to capture any type of Titan, some had even succeeded but those filthy beasts always broke through brute force and escaped. Not to mention the havoc they caused during those events.
"Erwin..."
"I know, Levi. It's very risky, and this task might just be our last mission. But if we're successful in capturing one of them, then the people's confidence in us will be restored and the government won't have any choice but to reinstate us to our previous combat ready status. At this rate, if we don't do something big like this then I fear the Survey Corps are history, and with it the last hope for survival of mankind..." explained Erwin flatly, as a "Tch" escaped from Levi's lips.
"Kakashi can do it. But do you think he's ready for something like this? Let alone lead an entire platoon?" asked Levi curiously, making Erwin smile.
"Levi, you know him better than I do. You trained the boy, changed him from a brawler to what he is now. He is the child of two of our best officers, so as his trainer do you think he's ready for something like this? More importantly, will he do it?" asked Erwin seriously,
"Hope is a powerful emotion, and one which he lives with everyday. I can't say for sure that whether he will be successful or not, but he has learnt everything I can teach him. If we achieve victory, then we can conduct more such expeditions which is what he really wants. To find his beloved mother, even after all these years he still believes she's alive; so yes he will do anything for victory in this mission. And he's ready, you can count on him" reassured Levi confidently,
"Very well then, let Lieutenant Naruto Uchiha lead 2nd platoon..."
A fiery red head hurriedly ran through the open corridors of the small base, an excited grin could be seen plastered on her face as she made her way towards the training center. Even the sound of gun fire coming from that room, didn't bother her as she barged into the room.
Her eyes instantly picked up the silhouette of a boy dressed in the officer uniform, who was currently holding a long rifle in his hands.
His concentration was impeccable as he looked at the target before him, which was the dummy of a 10 foot Titan. With one loud bang, the officer fired the shot which directly hit in the dummy Titan's eye.
"What is it, Kallen?" asked the boy in a calm voice,
Her smile widened when he placed his rifle back on the table and turned towards her with a faint greeting smile. It was hard for her to believe that so many things had changed over the years, including the boy standing before her.
When she first met him, he was one of the most introverted person she had ever seen.
Maybe he still was, but over these years their friendship had developed and now she trusted him completely.
Lieutenant Naruto Uchiha, the new ace of the Survey Corps. The 13 year old boy was now 5ft 3 inches tall, he had not only grown in height but in body too. Gone was the thin, weak boy and now in his place stood a soldier having extremely good physique and developed muscles. Hell, he had even started to develop abs...
But the most noticeable change was his appearance, 3 years ago he had shiny black hair which he had inherited from his despicable father. Maybe it was this reason, that he had decided to change every possible thing that can connect him to that man, and had dyed his hair blonde permanently.
Now his long, silky blonde hair reached up to his neck, with one of his long bangs easily hiding one of his eyes. In order to hide his identity completely, he always wore a face mask to prevent Ultra or any government forces from discovering him.
It was not just his looks and body which had changed, it was the person within him as well.
When she first met him, he was an angry boy who easily lost his cool, lacked patience, and most of all didn't trust anyone. But thankfully due to Captain Levi, her friend was now rid of all those negative personality traits.
He was more friendly these days...
"They're sending us for a mission outside the walls, and you're leading a platoon. Can you believe it?" asked Kallen excitedly, as for a moment his eyes widened in surprise before he schooled his features.
"Finally, I've been dying for some action..." joked Naruto, making her smile as well.
He also noticed how happy she was from this order. A kind smile came on his face as he looked at how much she had grown over the years. Her short red hair now reached up to her neck, while her face had grown even more beautiful. Her eyes still had the same spark in them, her chubby body now sported a few muscles and her chest size had certainly grown in leaps over the years.
"Tell Eldo, Gunther and Oluo to get ready. If it's not too much trouble, I want you in my squad..." requested Naruto politely, as a cocky smirk came on her face.
"Afraid you can't do anything without me?" asked Kallen bemusedly, but he merely smiled.
"Perhaps, you're a talented soldier. One of the best among the Survey Corps, and one of the few people I trust. So yes, I need your assistance..." said Naruto honestly,
In return, she gave him a respectful salute and a grateful smile...
"Kakashi will be leading another platoon which has a different objective, this scroll will explain the mission objectives and parameters. I'll get the others ready, we leave in 7 hours..." explained Kallen seriously,
"Very well, wake up that lazy Oluo first. That old farts sleeps like a log, it'll be better if we wake him right now. Or else he'll continue bitching during the entire mission..." complained Naruto in an irritated voice, as she giggled.
"You two still don't get along?"
"The man's a good soldier, one of the best. But he gets on my nerves, why can't he be like Eldo and Gunther? Those two are also the best fighters in our force..." asked Naruto curiously, as she came forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"Everyone is not the same, Naruto. If we were, then life won't be so enjoyable..." said Kallen encouragingly, gaining a hesitant nod from him.
"I understand. Tell Levi, I'll report 1 hour before the mission, till then tell everyone to get ready. I have to take care of some personal business..." said Naruto cryptically, and started walking away towards the exit.
"You still go there?" asked Kallen in a sad voice, as she noticed him picking up some white flowers from his table.
"Every week..."
(Cemetery: Wall Maria)
Life had changed a lot over these years for Petra Ral. As she walked through the empty plains of the cemetery, her heart drifted towards the memories of the past. The things she cherished so much, for which she would give anything to have them back.
It had been years since she lost her best friend, the boy whom she grew up with.
The fact that her friend and his little sister lost their lives due to some burglars who had broken into their homes to steal money was more heartbreaking. The Police had concluded that it was a simple robbery gone wrong, and the thieves had murdered the 2 children in panic along with Kasumi's caretaker.
If only Naruto had not gone after them, if only he had not been overwhelmed by his thirst for revenge...
She had always imagined that they would stay together their entire lives, have each others back. But that dream was violently shattered due to the untimely death of her friend, and deep down she knew it was due to the struggle which humanity faced while living like prisoners within these walls.
Titans...
Those mindless beasts were not just a curse on mankind, but were the ones due to whom her best friend was not together with her.
If that was not enough her best friend's mother shorty died on an unauthorized mission outside the walls, and the government had punished the Survey Corps heavily.
She had not forgotten her dream of joining the Survey Corps in order to rid humanity from the curse of Titans, and now that she had reached the correct age for enlistment; she had decided to visit this place for one last time.
It was past midnight and she wanted to bid one last farewell to Naruto and Kasumi, and had brought flowers to place on their graves.
However, she was surprised when she saw a boy dressed in the uniform of Survey Corps kneeling beside Kushina's grave. His hands were also laid on Kasumi's grave that was placed right beside her mother. A few flowers were placed on Kasumi's grave and she nearly freaked out when the officer turned around and came face to face with her.
"Who are you?" asked Petra curiously, as far as she knew nobody visited the graves of the Uzumaki family besides her and her father.
She was intrigued when she saw the shocked expression appearing in the person's eyes, it was as if he had seen a ghost which was quite funny since he himself was looking more as a ghost with his face mask.
Meanwhile, Naruto could not believe what his eyes were showing him. Even after all these years, he could still recognize those eyes and that face anywhere...
"Petra..." thought Naruto nostalgically,
However that happiness soon vanished when he remembered why he had abandoned her, and never tried to contact her once during the past 3 years. It was to protect her from Ultra and the government, to save her from being used as a bargaining chip against him.
Despite all of that, words could not describe how grateful he was for getting a glimpse of her after all these years. She was after all one of the very few people whom he cared about the most, and would do anything to protect.
She still had that innocent face of hers, and her beautiful ginger colored hair reached up to her neck. Her amber colored eyes still had the same warmth in them that he always loved...
"You're staring..." said Petra flatly, and it instantly snapped the boy out of his trance.
He quickly took a step back, his hands unconsciously going to scratch the back of his head until he remembered that it was a habit of his past self, one which Petra would recognize instantly. Her suspicious glare did well in proving him right, as he quickly put the hand back in his pocket.
"Sorry, I just got startled..." said Naruto apologetically, which made her smile.
"It's alright..." replied Petra nonchalantly, which made him sigh in relief.
He was surprised when she eagerly brought her hand forward while still giving him that heart warming smile.
"It's an honor to meet someone from the Survey Corps. I'm Petra Ral..." introduced the girl excitedly,
"You still love the Survey Corps, teme..." thought Naruto nostalgically, as he brought his own hand forward and shook it with hers.
"Nice to meet you, Petra. I'm Lieutenant Uchiha..." said Naruto cryptically, as she looked at him strangely.
The previously tense Naruto was now relieved when she accepted his name, because their entire life Petra had known him by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. He never talked about his father or his surname, as such it was safe to use this name as a decoy in order to hide his identity,
"You're already an officer? That's quite impressive..." congratulated Petra happily, and he could easily see that he was now a star in her eyes.
"It's nothing..."
"Nonsense, the Survey Corps are the best soldiers of humanity. I'm surprised you are already in the military and an officer no less, you're the same age as me. I want to know why did you join the corps?" asked Petra curiously, in a way this guy was an inspiration for her.
If he could join the corps and become an officer at this age, there must be something special about him. Something that made him cross all barriers and achieve his goals.
"I want people to live in a free world, the ones whom I wanted to live with in such a world are long gone; so if I can give others such a future then my life would have some meaning. And I can forgive myself for the mistakes I've made..." said Naruto honestly, while Petra stared at him in wonder.
"Did you know the Uzumaki family?" asked Petra flatly, and for a moment she saw regret visible in his eyes.
"Not as much as I would have liked to know, I came here to pay respects to some of my fallen comrades and saw Kushina-san's grave. I respect her for what she did for humanity and was simply paying my respects. Hope it's not too much of a problem..." said Naruto hopefully,
She was left speechless after his words, and he merely gave her a small smile before starting to walk away. Watching him go away from here, made her feel something in her heart that had vanished since 3 years ago. A feeling of belonging, a new hope...
"Can you really think we can win against the Titans? We have failed in that job for the past 100 years..." shouted Petra quickly,
"You can't give up, Petra. We must keep on fighting and one day we will succeed, there will be sacrifices and pain but one day we shall gain our freedom from these walls. And the Survey Corps will fight till their last breath for this dream, I promise you..." said Naruto confidently, and gave her one last sweet eye smile before exiting from the cemetery.
A bright smile came on her face as her previous depressed thoughts vanished and she looked at the bright moon shining in the sky with a renewed hope.
Her faith in her dream, in the fight against Titans, and the hope of winning some day was renewed by this boy,
"Thank you..."
(Next Day)
The people of Zhingashina district were gathered near the edges of Wall Maria, there was a new curiosity visible in the public and with right reason as after a long time the Survey Corps was initiating a new expedition which was sanctioned by the government itself.
However the reactions of the people to this new mission were different. The older ones who had seen many such expeditions in the past were cursing the government and the Survey Corps for wasting the tax payer's money and precious resources.
The younger ones and middle aged people while still being skeptical still had hope that humanity might just gain a small victory this time, and they maybe able to live a life outside the walls before they grew old and died.
And the children along with the teenagers were looking at the soldiers seated on horses as if they were gods, in their eyes these warriors were the coolest people among humanity. They were their heroes who would fight for their freedom.
Among them were Armin, Mikasa and Eren.
Eren was practically having stars in his eyes as he watched two young boys barely 2-3 years older than him seated on horses, and who were at the front of the expedition.
One of them was seated upon a white horse, which actually matched his grey colored hair. The boy's face was covered by a blue face mask, and along with the traditional 3d gear he also had a sword strapped on his back.
While the other boy was seated atop a dark black colored horse, his long, silky blonde hair along with his black face mask had nearly covered one of his eyes and most of his face. There was a rifle strapped on his back, along with the Traditional 3d gear hanging on his legs.
Mikasa and Armin saw Eren nearly missing a heartbeat, when the blonde boy looked at him...
"Kick some titan ass for us!" said Eren excitedly, as Mikasa slapped him on the back.
Armin just gave an embarrassed smile when he saw the Survey Corps officer looking at them in curiosity. Although he didn't miss the surprise in the boy's eyes when his gaze landed on Mikasa, but after a few moments he gave them a nod.
"You can count on it..." promised the blonde boy confidently,
"Sir..."
Mikasa and her friends, and every person in the area were left dumbfounded when a survey corps soldier in his 20's stepped beside the two young boys and gave them salutes.
"It's time. The Garrison forces have already driven away the Titans near this wall..." said Eldo seriously, getting a nod from Kakashi and Naruto.
"30 seconds before the gate opens..."
The people saw the two boys nodding to each other before turning their horses to face their soldiers, amidst the sound of the town bell and the opening sound of the gates; both the boys unleashed their swords and raised it in the air.
"Humanity will take a step towards victory today!" said Kakashi victoriously, and the confident shouts from his platoon did well in cheering up the skeptical people of Wall Maria.
Naruto raised his horse high in the air as the gates opened up, turning around he looked at his soldiers one last time before raising his rifle in the air.
"Let's kick their ugly asses..." shouted Naruto
"YEAH!"
With one loud roar, the men bearing the wings of freedom marched proudly through the gates straight into enemy territory.
"We will now begin the 54th expedition beyond the walls. CHARGE!"
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
As always, reviews are much appreciated. Come on, it'll only take a minute...
Next chapter: Combat
Until next time,
Blackwolf501
