Chapter 25
Revolution
Levi knew something had gone horribly wrong the moment he touched the weeping boy.
He felt it all.
The anger, the hatred, the sadness, the helplessness...and most of all an endless sea of bloodlust.
Erwin's eyes widened as the entire sector started shaking tremendously, small pieces of buildings and entire windows collapsed, and he struggled to keep himsel standing as that sinking despair rained down on him.
The Military Police soldiers started taking a few steps back in fear, many of them falling hard on their butts. Horror clearly etched in their eyes as they saw steam rise from the boy currently holding his dead friend in his arms.
"Is this what he warned me about?" thought Erwin hastily, as his eyes widened.
"Levi, get back!" yelled Erwin,
The Captain obeyed the order without question and just in time as the steam vanished only to be replaced by a violent stream of red energy that seeped out of the boy's body. Every inch of ground crumbled where the energy struck, and it continued to grow in circles around the two boys.
Erwin knew right then that a terrible mistake had been made. A terrible mistake...
"What is this chakra, Erwin? Why can we see it?" asked Levi quickly, clearly anxious for a change.
"Levi...run"
The ever stoic Levi's eyes widened on hearing that order. Even if it was quite shocking coming from Erwin, it was the fear in the Commander's voice that alarmed Levi.
The malicious energy continued to rise higher and higher in the sky, until it took the form of a man. A tall blonde man, with the same blood red eyes, dressed in royal robes with the Reich symbol floating on his back. And his eyes screamed of a genocide...
"You'll pay for this!" yelled Naruto,
Levi and his men had just enough time to use their gears to get out of the way, a wild gush of wind passed through them. By the time they turned back they only saw showers of blood, flesh and limbs fly in the air as the first group of Military Police soldiers were sliced apart.
What terrified Levi was the fact that the boy committed those murders with the help of his hands which had turned into sharp wooden spears.
And that malicious aura...
Levi Ackerman had seen death, seen the terror of Titans, but never had he felt fear. But this power he felt from Naruto, alongwith that image of that older man that had emerged from the boy for a few moments had rankled him to the core. And what the hell was that red chakra that even burned dead bodies as soon as it touched them?
"So it was true..."
Levi yanked to his side to see Erwin watch the horrifying massacre of the Military Police. The handful of Scouting Legion soldiers and Petra Ral had taken cover, and despite their desire to save the helpless men and women of the Military Police...none of them felt the strength to approach that angry monster slaughtering ranks after ranks of humanity's soldiers.
"Erwin, what the hell are you hiding from me?" demanded Levi, unable to stop his anger from surfacing in his eyes as he looked at his oldest friend.
The Legion Commander stared at all his soldiers and Petra staring at him, waiting for answers. Any chance he might have had to delay the inevitable had been destroyed due to Naruto's actions today.
"Levi, have you heard the story of the Two Clans?" asked Erwin hesitantly,
"Yeah, a bunch of crap it was..." replied the Captain irritatedly, obviously not having the patience to deal with such myths until he saw the look in Erwin's eyes.
"It was true, Levi..."
The Legion soldiers had never seen so much shock on Levi Ackerman's face. The Captain's eyes widened, his mouth open in shock as he stared at the boy butchering squads of Military Police like they were mere sheep. No mercy, No hesitation, nor the guns or the explosives, not any person or anything was able to stop Uchiha Naruto from following through the massacre.
Erwin sighed when he saw the confused looks in the eyes of Mike Zacharius, Petra, and the other soldiers.
"It all started more than 300 years ago. Before the walls, before the apocalypse of the Titans, there existed a powerful empire that ruled over almost the entire earth. For two thousand years the empire flourished, ruled over mankind. For most of its existence, it was a peaceful era for humanity free of long wars and other problems. But time always changes, so does fate. Everything that starts has an end someday, the same was the fate of the empire.
By the time the Titans emerged, the empire had become weak. Corrupted from the inside, its military weakened and lacking numbers to face against the unending and undefeatable Titan armies. People say that the empire was sabotaged from the inside, but even as day by day it lost its territories alongwith large chunks of humanity, the people had hope for the Kaiser was strong...
Kaiser Oskar von Uchiha"
The looks he got from his subordinates, and one especially from young Petra Ral would have been amusing if they were not in the midst of one of the worst tragedy humanity had ever experienced. Watching Naruto kill Military Police soldiers was hard to see for Erwin, but he could understand the boy's rage and hatred...
Still, neither he or his handful Legion soldiers had the power to stop the boy when he was in this state. Or risk getting butchered themselves...
He had to save the few he could, his gaze shifted towards Kakashi's lifeless corpse. He had sent the boy behind enemy lines knowing the dangers and now Kakashi Hatake was dead. If not anything else, the brave boy remained loyal to his friend and ultimately died for his sake.
And the only thing Naruto couldn't bear was people dying for him, when he himself considered his life expendable and worthless. A grim reality of life...
"Are you telling me that my friend is the heir to the Reich? Prince of humanity?" asked Petra hesitantly,
"Yes. Kaiser Oskar and his armies fought against the Titan hordes, by the time they could mount a defense they were outnumbered and outgunned. So, the Kaiser and his close aides made a decision. To protect the last survivors of humanity, they created these protected walls with the help of Miko Uzumaki. A talented warrior who was not only feared by the enemies, but also happened to be the Kaiser's wife..."
"But creating these powerful walls took time and the price was paid in blood by the Kaiser and his soldiers. For months they bought time, so that Miko could create these walls. When that was done, the Kaiser and what was left of his soldiers made a last stand allowing the last remnants of humanity to take cover behind these walls. The Kaiser died in battle, and his son Prince Kagami took the throne. Supported by his mother and Rommel Ackerman who became the next Military Commander, the Reich continued its war against the Titans..."
Complete silenced prevailed in the district, the sounds of battle had long since died down. The district full of mangled corpses and buildings set on fire, large chunks of wood lay scattered everywhere
Petra miserably saw her best friend kneeling on the ground, and around him lay a river of blood and corpses. His anger and power had faded, leaving behind the shell of a broken man.
It brought tears to her eyes as she ran towards him, ignoring the protests of the Legion soldiers behind her. She didn't care if he attacked her or even harmed her, but the sight before her only brought back bad memories of the night Kasumi died.
She didn't care if he was a prince, or if he had some dangerous powers, all she knew was that he was a boy that had been her best friend from the beginning. And she was never going to leave him again...
Levi was relieved when Naruto still remained motionless even as the young female cadet hugged him fiercely. With the threat out of commission, he turned towards Erwin with a piercing gaze.
"How do you know so much? If what you say is true, then the government and royal family would desperately try to hide this from the public and Military..." suggested Mike,
"Erwin, if what you say is true then the Monarchy will come for him. Now that he has slaughtered the entire Military Police, there is no way he would ever receive a pardon..." said Levi frankly, receiving a stern gaze from his leader.
"It was never about submission, Levi. The Rebellion failed last time, but not this time. It's time to restore the true heir to the throne, he's the only one who can lead us in this war against Titans just like his ancestors. But Naruto can't do that with the current mad king ruling humanity, there will be a civil war. Now more than ever..." declared Erwin, much to the horror of his soldiers.
Levi grabbed the Commander by the collar, a rare act which was enough to terrify the remaining soldiers.
"What happened to Shisui? He was a brother to me, Erwin. I need to know..." said Levi fiercely,
"He led the past rebellion, but was defeated. We were defeated, neither did we have the numbers or the public support. Our coup failed, and I don't know Shisui lost hope. In the government, in humanity, and he betrayed us. Shisui was a hero once, Levi. But now he is the true enemy of humanity, and he must die..." stated Erwin truthfully,
The crestfallen look in Levi's eyes was the most saddest Erwin had ever seen. Yet he didn't let that affect him, all of this was worth it. All these deaths for the greater good of humanity.
This pain, this suffering, this hatred was all a symbol as to what mankind was.
"What happened to the Uchiha dynasty, Erwin? To the clans which supported them?" asked Mike seriously,
"I don't know. The truth was buried long before I was born, and it still lies in darkness. I sent Kakashi in the enemy's camp to discover it, but alas he failed. A true shame he died so young without seeing the world. Still his sacrifice will be remembered in the reformed empire, but now we must raise Uchiha Naruto to be the man he is destined to be. He must be the one to overthrow the government, the one who kills the King, the one who unites humanity, the one who kills Uchiha Shisui, and the one who must bring victory in this war against Titans. No matter the cost, that is the only mission the Legion will have from this moment..." declared Erwin,
Even as the other Legion soldiers nodded courageously, signing their lives for the rebellion. Levi couldn't help but feel something in his heart, there were so many pieces of the puzzle still missing. Actions that made no sense, mysteries that still remained unsolved...
He sadly stared at Kakashi's corpse, the boy had learned a fraction of the truth and paid for it with his life. Erwin had known another part of the truth yet never revealed it until this moment, allowing all these actions to take place. Separating the Golden Trio, sending Kakashi on a suicide mission knowing that the boy would surely die in the end, sending Kallen outside the walls.
Naruto had lost all contacts with his past life, family, and friends. He was all alone, ready to be ordered.
Ready to be manipulated.
His hands clenched as he realized the pattern, the small steps that led to this point. The careful and precise manipulation of one man against his enemies, using each and every one of his allies as simple pawns. Looking at Naruto's broken form erased the last remnants of doubt from Levi's mind.
The boy was not ready. He never had been, yet carefully crafted events by various factions were shaping him into something he was not.
Making him into someone he didn't want to be...
Kakashi's death was just the beginning of a larger game, the question that hanged in front of Levi was simple...
What action was the right one? What could he do to protect the broken boy from the wolves around him?
He didn't know all the steps, but one thing he knew for sure...
"Erwin, I'll take the boy outside the walls. Help him control his new powers, while you, Mike and the others try to contain the situation. Get support if you can, when he is ready I will bring him back..." said Levi seriously, looking the Commander straight in the eye.
Everyone watched as Erwin Smith gazed into his second in command's orbs for an entire minute, trying to gauge Levi's very soul.
"Very well. He does need sometime to recover, after all he lost a dear friend..." said Erwin sympathetically,
"I'll convey your concern and wishes to him..." promised Levi neutrally, his expression flat and controlled.
"You should take the girl as well. They seem close..." pointed Erwin, his gaze fixed on Petra who was still consoling a now crying Naruto.
Levi hesitated for a moment, trying to think of Erwin's reasons behind accepting all his requests. It was a known fact that the Legion Commander never made a move without a reason. No matter what the others thought or Erwin believed, Levi understood the Commander had willingly sacrificed Kakashi like a chess piece.
It was true that Kakashi had done a few wrongs in his earlier years as a spy for the Military Brigade, but he had turned to the light side when given the chance. The boy had proved his loyalty to humanity, to his friends, to the Legion, and his comrades again and again. He willingly went in the enemy's den for his friends knowing that he would probably die.
Kakashi was Levi's student, just like Naruto and Kallen. He may not say that outloud, but training these three brats had been the best decision Levi had ever made in his life. These three were the siblings Levi never had, and watching two of them getting torn apart like this had shaken the absolute trust he had in Erwin Smith.
Certainly not after discovering that the Commander had known a fraction of the truth, and still sent Kakashi to his death...
Kakashi didn't deserve to die like this, a disgraced soldier. Butchered like an animal...
This had to stop before any more tragedy's occurred for the greater good.
"You should get them out of here soon. The King's Guard would soon be here after all this warfare..." suggested Erwin,
"Very well..." replied Levi flatly, and saw a sad smile arrive on Erwin's face.
"I think its time you let Naruto know that you are his Godfather. It'll help you get close to the boy, now that he needs family and friends more than ever..." suggested Erwin, receiving a narrowed gaze from Levi.
"I'll think about it..."
With those last words, Levi started walking towards the two teenagers in front of him. He couldn't help but feel that the entire world was a jungle, with predators all around him. He couldn't trust the government, the king, Erwin, or all those Legion soldiers loyal to their Commander. The Military was certainly going to hunt Naruto like never seen before...
Trust no one...
Certainly not in this fallen world.
Never again.
He slowly knelt beside the teenagers who were hugged close to each other. With a swift non lethal chop to the neck, he knocked the unstable boy to sleep. Petra gave him a grateful smile and allowed Levi to carry Naruto on his back.
She didn't say anything, didn't ask anything, but simply followed after Levi. As the Captain got on his horse, she helped a sleeping Naruto to position behind the Captain's back. When that was done, she brought her own horse and got on top of it.
Determination and courage shone in her eyes as she gave a firm nod. Levi couldn't help but smile inwardly, he already liked this girl. She was not one of the annoying types, by some strange luck.
Petra respectfully placed Kakashi's corpse on her horse helped by Mike. The Government would simply allow his corpse to rot, but Levi knew Naruto would want to give his friend an honorable funeral. That was the least they could do for Kakashi...
He never looked back even once or risk showing his doubts to the ever sharp Erwin Smith.
Levi was never one for politics, in fact he hated it. So, he wasn't sure who was friend or foe at the moment. All he knew was the fact that he had to protect these kids, and train Naruto to be the strongest warrior humanity had ever seen. Powerful enough to make his own decisions instead of being manipulated like a pawn his entire life.
Kushina would have wanted that.
The sound of firm footsteps echoed through the grand chambers. The setting sun had already dimmed the light coming through the windows, and unlike the poverty stricken walls of humanity these chambers held every kind of luxury and grandeur a man could ever dream off.
Starting from the most beautiful velvet carpet, to the grand seats that were filled by the Ministers, to the high steps, and to the throne.
The person stopped at the footsteps of the stairs and knelt respectfully, his fair skin and long hair gracefully floating downwards with him. When he opened his pale eyes to address the main in front of him, pin drop silence prevailed in the room.
The ruler of humanity gazed back at him neutrally, and the man still felt the power from his leader. He was no doubt the strongest human...
"I have news for you, My King..."
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it.
First of all, happy new year. Hope you all had a great Christmas and may this new year fulfill all your dreams and wishes.
Took a while I guess to write this chapter, but even I need to have some fun in life. So, the story is half way done and the remaining half will start from the next chapter.
You all are free to speculate about the mysteries I have left, or what could happen in future and your expectations from characters, pairings, and everything else.
I've said this before, and I'll still say it again...
More Reviews leads to Constant Motivation, leading to Faster Updates.
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501