Kabe no Shinobi
Chapter 8: First Battle: The struggle for Trost, Part 2
[Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, Attack on Titan, or any of their characters.]
"A... Ninja?"
"What's that?"
"No clue."
Naruto listened to their confused chatter with amusement. It wasn't all too strange that they didn't know about ninja, he'd found no mention of anything Shinobi related in the libraries.
Naruto noticed Reiner had stiffened at his words. Does he know what a ninja is? He was about to ask, but the words died on his lips when a sudden rumbling sound reached his ears.
Those are-! "Everyone, get down!" he yelled, the instant before the southern wall exploded.
Wood, stone, and glass was everywhere. In the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the trainees, a girl who'd been standing right next to the wall, get flung into the opposite side of the room, breaking her neck on the rough stone.
When the rubble stilled and dust settled, two enormous faces peered in through the hole. Both grinning like crazed beasts, teeth bared.
The trainees panicked. "Shit," Jean cursed "there are too many people!"
"Hurry inside!"
"Run!"
"Where's Mikasa?!"
"She crashed back there; she's gone by now!"
It was pure pandemonium.
Naruto grimaced. Using jutsu in confined spaces like these, with so many non-shinobi around could be dangerous, but if the titans breached the castle walls, there'd be countless dead.
He started a sequence of hand signs but halted at the sight of an enormous fist crashing into the first titanic head, which crashed against the next, and like that, the view was replaced by that of another titan. One with no lips at all, pointed ears and rippling muscles.
Naruto's eyes widened at the sight.
"Wh-what is that?" he heard the guy next to him whisper. Jean, if he remembered correctly.
The titan let out a primal roar that spoke of seething fury and bloodlust. Then it charged.
"A titan... just attacked another titan."
Next to them, one of the few intact windows shattered, and through it came familiar faces.
The first to land was the dark-haired girl who had initiated the charge towards HQ. The bald kid he'd talked to before her, came next, carrying a smaller blonde guy in his arms. This one he didn't recognize.
"Mikasa, Armin, Connie!" Jean exclaimed.
"It's empty..." Connie marveled at the empty gas tank. "We did it! We just barely made it!"
Jean watched them wide-eyed. "You're... all alive?"
Connie ignored him, slapping Armin on the back. "We did it, Armin, -"
"Ouch!"
"-your plan was a success!" Connie continued. Then he turned to the gathered trainees, addressing them all with a broad grin. "Everyone! That titan's an abnormal, it's slaughtering all the other titans! It's not even interested in humans! If we play our cards right, we can all get outta here alive!"
"We'd... use the titan?" someone asked in shock.
Jean could barely believe what he'd heard. "You'd rely on a titan's help? Are you crazy!"
Mikasa stood, face stoic. "It doesn't matter that it's a titan. Just let it rampage here for as long as possible. Realistically, that's our best option for survival."
The monster outside bellowed, as if to confirm her statement. It knocked the head off a smaller titan, trampling on its nape as it went for another.
"It's okay." Connie assured them. "That titan's stronger than average. They can't take over the building while it's rampaging outside."
"I think it's worth a shot." Naruto nodded.
The others turned to him, only now registering his presence.
"It's you!" Connie exclaimed, one finger pointed dramatically at Naruto's face.
Armin was surprised, by the look on his face. Mikasa, nonplussed.
"Naruto, nice to meet 'cha." he greeted, to which the others replied with their own names.
Jean grimaced, seemingly warring with himself over the outrageous thought of having to rely on a titan. "Fine, " he relented. "let's hurry and resupply on gas."
They all moved further inside HQ. Naruto lingered for a second, then brought his hands up into a familiar cross shaped seal.
A shadow clone poofed into existence.
"Keep an eye out here. If that titan goes down, let me know." He left the clone with its orders, then followed after the others. They reached the room with a lift that led down to the storage room.
"How many of them are down there?" Jean asked the nearest cadet.
"We counted seven. All three-to-four-meter class."
"Shit, what do we do? We can't use our 3D gear down there!" Connie said.
"Yeah, going down there is suicide." Marco agreed.
They were at a loss, unsure of what to do.
"I'll go."
They all turned as one to face Naruto.
"What, didn't you hear what Marco just said. It's suicide!" Connie said.
"You don't have any gear either." Mikasa pointed out.
"Don't worry, I can handle it."
"Huh? Are you-! "
"You sure about this?" Jean cut off, face set. If anyone else had said it, he would've said they were being arrogant, but Jean had seen what this guy could do.
"Yeah." was Naruto's reply, before he went for the lift.
"Wha- Jean! He's gonna die!"
Connie, Mikasa, and Armin were all watching Jean with varying degrees of incredulity.
"I don't think you need to worry about him, guys." Reiner spoke up.
"Yeah, you weren't with us, so you didn't see it." Sasha added. "But that guy's crazy strong!"
"Physical strength doesn't matter against the titans." Armin said nervously. "Without gear, there's no way of taking them down. Have you forgotten these past three years of training?"
Jean shook his head. "It's not that. For us, it might be impossible. But Armin, that guy, after you and Connie left to get Mikasa, he came outta nowhere. Started killing titans left and right as if they were nothing."
Doubt played on their faces, but Jean kept on. "He used these… attacks. They were like nothing I've ever seen before."
They were looking at each other now. Maybe they thought he'd gone mad. That the pressure of their first encounter with titans had finally gotten to him.
"It's true! " Sasha said. "He kept jumping from building to building so fast that I could barely keep up!"
Next to them some recruits, including Bertholdt, Reiner, and even Annie, were nodding their agreement.
From below came a sound like something heavy impacting the ground, the building shook just enough for them to feel it beneath their feet.
Then came more, in rapid succession, followed by the minute sound of hissing. Smoke started rising from between the crevices in the wooden floor.
"...that's steam..." a recruit mumbled incredulously, just loud enough for others to hear.
A final crash, and it went dead silent.
The tension was palpable, then the steel cable holding the lift started moving. It was coming back up.
When it finally stopped, Naruto stepped out.
He was covered in titan blood that hissed as it evaporated, steam rising from all over his body.
They watched him in shocked silence.
He gave them a thumbs up. "All done."
[Naruto POV]
The titans in the storage room were small enough that he could cut out the entire nape with his enhanced pair of kunai. Combined with shadow clones, it'd been a breeze.
When he'd come up again, the crowd had gone silent.
It came to him that he was probably like something out of a fairy tale for them. A human more powerful than any titan, though they didn't know the extent of his power.
If Naruto were to be honest with himself, he secretly enjoyed the awe and amazement in their eyes every time he applied his Shinobi training.
In Konoha, the Shinobi arts were common. And even the non-shinobi populace outside of Konoha were accustomed to seeing Shinobi, though not as much.
After letting the others know it was safe downstairs, he left to check on his clone and the situation outside. It hadn't flared its Chakra any, nor dispelled, so that meant the abnormal that'd fought its own kind was still alive.
In all his time scouting outside the walls, he'd never encounter any titan interested in anything but eating humans.
He wondered what it's motives could be.
The trainees refilled their gas, eyes no longer defeated and fearful, but alight with newfound hope.
In one corner, Reiner, Connie, and Annie sat together in a small huddle. "How much do you know about that titan?" Reiner asked.
"Not much really." Connie answered. "Other than that it's an abnormal and that it doesn't seem to like its own kind very much. But shouldn't we discuss that after we're safe?"
Reiner smiled tiredly. "True, that. Let's get out of here alive first."
Mikasa, Sasha, Armin, Marco, and Jean were already near the lift, discussing their newest ally.
They were joined a moment later by the remaining members of the top ten, at which point they started the lift.
"You mentioned he used some sort of attacks, Jean. What did you mean?" Armin asked, curious.
"I don't really know myself. He'd shout something, then, before you knew what'd happened, the titan would be dead."
Armin raised an eyebrow. "He would shout something? Like what?"
Jean rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know, I couldn't understand a word of it."
"Was it in another language?" Mikasa spoke up.
"In another language? What do you mean, I haven't ever heard anyone speaking anything other than the common tongue? Do you know any other languages, Mikasa?" Marco asked.
Mikasa shrugged. "My mother was oriental. She taught me some words in their native tongue, but I don't remember much."
"Wow, I never knew there were others." Sasha marveled.
Bertholdt decided to continue from where Jean had left off. "We also saw him leap from one building to the next with extreme ease. He was fast too, fast enough to stay ahead of us at all times and at the same time be able to react to anything in his surroundings."
"Yeah," Reiner crossed his arms "he saved some trainees back there. He doesn't have gear, but he has those small knives that glow blue sometimes. Sharp enough to cut through the titans skin."
"But how... " Armin muttered. "Their color was wrong; it couldn't be Iron Bamboo. And that's the only metal we know of that's strong enough to inflict lethal damage to the titans."
"Not to mention how short they are." Marco added. "Though, his speed probably makes up for it."
"What do you mean?" Connie was a little lost.
"Well, I can't really explain the physics of it, but it's like when you swing at something with a club as opposed to just punching it. The longer range of motion allows for more power." Marco explained. "His blades are shorter, so he'd usually have less power. But he moves faster than we do, so it more or less balances out."
Connie mouthed an 'oh' in understanding.
Finally, the rattling of the steel cables ceased, having arrived at the top. After a flight of stairs, they came out onto the large open roof.
Immediately, the sound of titans grew louder. Something was moaning in pain, and there were other sounds. It sounded eerily like flesh being torn right off the bone.
They approached Naruto, who stood at the very edge, peering out.
Close enough to see what was happening, it was all they could do not to gape.
"What the..."
"That's..."
"They're eating it." Naruto said, sounding disturbed.
The titan that had previously been single-handedly demolishing the others, had been pinned back first into a tall brick building, overwhelmed by a swarm of titans.
"Can't it regenerate?" Armin asked.
Naruto shook his head. "It can, but they're not giving it any time to."
The rogue titan had one 14-meter gnawing at its right shoulder, one slightly smaller tearing into his left arm, and a litter of even smaller, pudgier titans, feasting on his upper body, from stomach to collarbone.
They'd never seen something so vicious in their lives. Whenever a human was eaten, it would normally be over in a single bite...hopefully. But this, this was a prolonged torture, like a feast.
Connie looked a bit green in the face, Sasha closed her eyes to it. Marco felt as if his legs had turned to lead.
Mikasa bit her lip. "I thought, that uncovering the truth about that titan might help us break free from this hopeless situation."
"I agree." Reiner spoke up suddenly. "We'll learn nothing at all if it ends up getting eaten. We should get rid of the ones clinging to it. Keep it alive."
"Are you insane, Reiner?" Jean demanded. "We can finally get out of here!"
Annie spoke up next. "But what if we could somehow turn that titan into an ally? It'd be a weapon more powerful than any cannon; wouldn't you agree?"
"Ally? Do you even hear what you're saying!" Jean shot back.
Armin, who'd been listening thoughtfully, weighing their words, suddenly noticed another lanky titan walk into the clearing. "That's... That's the abnormal that ate Thomas!"
As if it'd heard Armin, the rogue' eyes Immediately zeroed in on said titan. They seemed to flash ominously, green, and glowing. It gave a guttural growl through clenched teeth.
Then, pushed off the building so forcefully that the smaller titans who'd been clinging to its front, tumbled backwards, falling flat on the ground.
It heaved a step forward, crushing one's stomach, then took another. The earth shook with the force of its strides, spider-web like cracks forming beneath its feet.
The titans clinging to its arms were dragged along, fingers and teeth dug so firmly into its muscled flesh, that the arms tore right off the shoulders, leaving the rogue with no more than bloody stumps. Still it roared, pain forgotten. The strength of its voice loud enough to make them shield their ears.
"What the-!" Jean yelled, as the rogue bit into the neck of the titan who'd eaten their friend.
Reiner looked stunned. Armin could barely believe his eyes. Even Naruto was shocked.
The rogue titan lifted the skinnier abnormal. It's neck and shoulder muscles strained, veins bulging with the effort.
The 14-meter who'd been at one of his arms earlier, had regained its feet and hurried after him. But before it could do so much as touch the rogue, it was sent flying into the opposite building.
The rogue had wheeled its entire body around, the titan in its clutches swung mid-air like a flail.
Another of the smaller titans came close, and yet again, the rogue swung his make-shift weapon over-head at his next target, crushing it under the force. The smaller titans head caved in; neck broke, spinal cord snapped.
Then, when nothing else in the clearing moved, at long last, the rogue spat. The titan in its mouth falling limply, nape crushed.
One final ear-splitting roar, then it collapsed.
They held their breaths, stunned into stillness.
*Hissssss*
The now familiar sound of titans evaporating, was the final cue. They breathed out, shoulders sagging.
It was over.
Jean turned to leave. "No use now, it's finished. We're done here, let's get going."
"Is it? I thought titans only died if you destroyed the nape." Naruto said.
"True. Maybe it has a lim... it..." Armin's words died on his tongue, as the flesh on the back of the rogue titans neck parted to reveal a person.
Naruto squinted. That was a guy around their own age. Red muscles stuck to the arms as the body came up.
The boy's eyes were closed, expression peaceful. Is he unconscious? Naruto wondered.
Gasping, Mikasa went down, heedless of Armin calling her name. As soon as she landed on the ground, she took off running towards the boy.
"Is that... Eren?" Sasha whispered.
Mikasa threw her arms around him, and Eren's body slumped against her. She brought an ear to his chest, listening desperately.
The soft rhythmic thudding of his heart was all she needed. She began to cry, uncaring of who saw her.
The others were not far behind. Armin took Eren's hand in his own, eyes overflowing with tears.
Jean turned to all the charred, disintegrating bodies around them. "Does this mean Eren did all this?"
As they pondered the implications of that statement, others emerged, gathering around the boy.
"Is- is that Eren?"
"Didn't they say he got eaten?"
"I think I saw him come out of the titans neck..."
"What?!"
"No way!"
The news spread like wildfire.
[Inside Wall Rose, short time later.]
"Captain Weilman, sir!"
Kitz Weilman jumped, then glanced about until he caught sight of the person who'd addressed him.
"Squad leader Brzenska?"
Rico watched him stoically, thoroughly unimpressed at their assigned captain's skittish nature. Honestly, she couldn't fathom what the upper brass had been thinking when they assigned this man to the position.
She stifled a sigh. As a soldier, she had a duty to her superiors, and the chain of command was to be observed.
"I've listened to the reports from witnesses regarding the Yeager boy, as well as Uzumaki."
Weilman listened, eyes darting around nervously. He straightened, trying to summon an air of authority. "Report, squad leader."
Rico cleared her throat, then spoke. "Reportedly, the recruits were low on gas, and as a last-ditch effort, decided to rush HQ in hopes of refilling. Titans threatened to overrun the building, that's when—what the cadets have now dubbed 'the rogue titan'—appeared. And while it killed its own kind, the titan didn't show any hostility towards humans."
"I'm told it was drawn to HQ by the higher concentration of titans. The plan devised to use the rogue titan as a defensive measure to protect HQ whilst the recruits dealt with the ones inside the supply storage, was attributed to Ackerman and Arlert, who, coincidentally, are childhood friends of Yeager's."
She took a deep breath, then continued. "After resupplying, they came outside and subsequently found Eren Yeager emerging from the nape of the titan."
"But- but how!? That is unheard of!" the man's face turned grim, and he muttered something about spies and traitors.
She mulled it over for a second. Is he a human that can turn into a titan, or a titan that can turn into a human? If he's a human, why not reveal himself before now? I can understand that he wouldn't want to expose his identity. No one would believe his being able to turn into a titan, and if they did, they would surely see him as an enemy of humanity. But he could've helped secretly as a titan. And if he wanted to help humanity, why not do so during the first breach?
She couldn't wrap her head around it.
Still, it's far more likely he's a titan turned human. Humans we know, but titans are still a mystery, the full extent of their abilities unknown.
Uncertain, she remained silent.
"And who is this 'Uzumaki' you mentioned?" Weilman questioned.
She bit her lip. This case was perhaps even more outrageous than the Yeager one. Titans killing titans she could allow, but who'd ever heard of a human killing titans with their bare hands? Nonsense.
The witness reports on this were all over the place. From defying gravity by walking sideways on walls, to superhuman strength, summoning tornados. Even flying!
"The statements regarding him are... bizarre to say the least. Though he hasn't turned into a titan, he's said to have killed many of them, as well as saved the lives of some trainees, using abilities we've never seen before."
Weilman raised a bushy eyebrow. "And what abilities are these?"
"Can't say for sure, the only recurring theme is that he didn't need gear to dispose of the titans. Only... daggers."
"Absurd! They must've been seeing things, yes, the fear must have been clouding their minds!"
She nodded. Though I can't blame them. Not even graduated and already fighting titans.
"What should be done with them?" Rico asked.
Weilman fidgeted hesitantly for a moment, sweat beading on his thin, haggard face. "Round them up. Have the soldiers on stand-by, we shall get to the bottom of this."
[Naruto POV]
Naruto sat on a crate, safe within wall Rose, a little distance away from the mass of soldiers. After finding that 'Eren' guy, everyone had been in an uproar. The people who hadn't seen him fight the titans were suspicious, and even the those who had, were hesitant to rise to his defense.
The kid had been dragged off, alongside his two friends who'd refused to leave his side.
Maybe it was lucky, but the higher-ranking officers hadn't seen Naruto in action. That was perhaps the reason why he hadn't been treated with the same hostility.
Of course, they had reported Naruto's powers, but it'd been dismissed as flights of madness. And that one girl he'd saved had stood for him, so that had probably helped as well. He smiled.
He was broken out of his thoughts at the thudding sound of approaching footfalls. A man and a woman leading a couple of soldiers, all with guns at the ready. She was small, hair silverish, almost the same shade as that of Kakashi, and wearing glasses.
The man had sunken eyes, short dark-brown hair, and was very tall. The difference in height might've been funny, were it not for the severe expressions they sported.
"Uzumaki, right?" she said.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's me."
"I'm squad leader Rico Brzenska, and this is Mitabi, also a squad leader. Please come with us."
Naruto stood. "Sure, where are we going?"
"Questioning."
Naruto was led towards a small clearing near the wall. He'd tried to ask questions but had been thoroughly ignored by both Mitabi and Rico. The gunmen were no better. Actually, they were worse, seeing as they'd been tense the entire duration of their walk. Eyeing him nervously, telling him not to make any sudden moves.
The clearing was surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, both on ground and at the top of the wall.
The crowd parted as they arrived, and Naruto saw Mikasa and Armin cradling that kid who'd climbed out of the titan, isolated in the middle.
What's happening here?
There were hundreds of soldiers in that clearing, and yet it was silent as the grave. No one spoke.
"Eren...?" Armin's terrified whispered was easily audible.
"A-Armin? Mikasa?" Eren mumbled, one hand coming up to rub his forehead. He must've noticed the soldiers surrounding them too, because he startled suddenly, eyes going wide.
"W-what's going on?"
"Eren, are you alright? Can you move?" Armin asked hurriedly.
"Y-yes, but-"
"You need to tell them everything you know! I'm sure they'll understand!"
"Armin? What's-" Eren was cut off by voices in the throng.
"Did you hear that? He said, 'I'll kill you!'"
"Yeah, I heard it too. He wants to devour us all!"
Naruto felt as though he had missed something. That's why it was so silent? Because he threatened to kill them?
"Enough!" a voice roared, and they all turned as one to face a haggard looking man, face gaunt and eyes sunken. The badge on his uniform revealed him as a member of the garrison, and the decoration on his shoulder, that he was a captain.
"Cadet Yeager! You are suspected of acts of high treason! What do you have to say in your defense! If you try anything deceitful or attempt to make a move, the artillery will open fire at you immediately! We won't hesitate!"
Eren gawked. Armin gulped. Mikasa watched grim-faced, but steady.
Naruto, meanwhile, let his eyes glide over to the cannons stationed at the top of the walls. Only one, angled exactly towards the trio's position, with two soldiers to man it.
"I ask you this: what are you? Human or titan?"
"I... I don't understand the question!" Eren yelled back.
Weilman looked taken aback. "You're feigning ignorance? Damn monster! Try playing dumb with me again! We'll blast you into pieces in the blink of an eye before you can reveal your true form!"
"True form?!"
"Everyone saw it!" Weilman continued. "You emerged from the carcass of a titan!"
Eren looked around wildly, stunned.
"We've allowed a creature- you- to infiltrate Wall Rose! Even if you are a member of the Cadets as sanctioned by the king, it is well within reason for me to eliminate any risk as quickly as possible! I am not wrong!"
Naruto had a niggling suspicion that the guy had some screws loose.
"The Armored Titan that took down Wall Maria could appear at any moment now! As we speak, the very survival of humanity is at stake! Understand?! We can't afford to waste any more time or manpower on you! I will bombard you with high explosives if I have to!" Weilman finished, voice hoarse and face fear-stricken, a finger leveled at them threateningly.
Naruto tensed. This guy definitely had it out for them. Why did they bring me here? Do they wanna 'question' me too? Am I next, or safe cause they didn't see me in action themselves?
He surveyed the crowd. He could tell they were all scared. The tension was palpable. They honestly believed this Eren kid was a monster, though he didn't seem to even know what they were talking about.
It all felt familiar. The looks of fear and hatred, the calls of 'monster', Eren not knowing. Then it hit him.
This... this had been him once. In Konoha. The villagers had had the exact same looks in their eyes. Had called him the 'the fox' and 'that boy'. And he hadn't understood why until Mizuki had revealed the truth.
Naruto turned to Eren. He's... kinda like me...
"Sir," one soldier yelled "now is our best chance! We should destroy him while he's still in human form!"
Mikasa suddenly stepped forward, blades at the ready and expression deadly. "My specialty...is severing flesh. I'll gladly demonstrate it if need be. If anyone wants to experience my technique...then please, by all means, step this way."
Naruto felt the urge to slap his forehead. Why she thought threatening them would somehow help their situation, was beyond him.
Armin apparently felt the same way Naruto did. He seemed to be pleading with her.
One of the soldiers at the captains' side leaned close. "Sir. That's Mikasa Ackerman, she was assigned to escort duty with us elite soldiers. Her prowess is equal to that of a hundred ordinary soldiers. Losing her would be a great setback for humanity."
Naruto listened with half an ear, debating with himself if there was anything he could say to help the trio. A great setback for humanity... as strong as a hundred soldiers, huh?
He felt a light bulb light up in his head. A second later, he was down with the others.
"Sir," Naruto began, being polite to the 'titles' for once.
"Naruto?" he heard Armin's voice squeak behind him.
"Who's he? How'd he get down here?" that was Eren.
Naruto ignored them and continued. "I can vouch for-"
"Wha-! Where'd- Who are you!?" Weilman blabbered.
Mitabi was staring at where he'd been just a moment ago. Rico, who'd been silent until now, stepped up, er eyes wide. "That's Uzumaki."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, please listen to what I have to say. I think you might be making a mistake here."
"Mistake!? There's no mistaking anything! He already revealed his true form! If you say he's not an enemy, then prove it! Otherwise, we'll blast him back to whatever nightmare he crawled out of!" Weilman bellowed.
"He saved those trainees, didn't he? He killed other titans." Naruto said quickly. The hands on those guns looked awfully twitchy.
Armin, catching on, quickly gathered his wits to speak. "A-and you don't need any proof! The fact of the matter is, that it doesn't matter what we perceive him to be!"
"What!?" Weilman reeled. The crowd was confused.
"The reports say hundreds of soldiers saw him. And those who were there say they saw him fighting other Titans! And that means they saw him get swarmed by the Titans as well!" Armin gulped. "To put it plainly, the Titans saw him the same way they see each and every human being, as their prey! And it doesn't matter how else you may look at it! That is an irrefutable fact!" he finished.
"... Kid's got a point." one garrison said.
Slowly the guns were being lowered. Seeing this, Weilman panicked.
"Prepare to attack! Don't let yourself be swayed by his cunning lies! The Titan's behavior has always been beyond our comprehension. I wouldn't put it past 'em to assume human form. He's speaking our language in an attempt to deceive us! Don't let their words sway you. They're all traitors!"
Naruto eyed the man apprehensively. Shit, this wasn't going the way he'd expected.
"And you!" The captain hollered. "We've had worrying reports on you as well! Who's to say you aren't an accomplice!"
"Huh?!" Naruto gaped.
"A civilian running into the worst disaster in human history, with no gear or obligation. Why would you do that if you weren't assured of your survival! And defending that- that monster! You must be in league with the enemy!"
Guns were pointed at them again and Weilman raised his arm. Naruto knew it was over.
"I'm left with no choice-!"
As the man spoke. Naruto grabbed the almost catatonic Armin in one arm and dashed towards the others, throwing him into Eren's startled grasp.
"Fire!"
The moment the words were uttered, Naruto's hands shot through hand seals faster than their eyes could follow, before slamming them onto the ground.
[Doton: Doryūheki!]
The earth rumbled, and the cannon roared.
The cannon ball hurtled towards them with a deafening blast. But the instant before it reached its intended target, was met by a wall of solid, hardened stone.
The impact sent debris flying, accompanied by a cloud of dust that covered the entire clearing.
Naruto could hear coughing and confused muttering from outside the dust cloud.
"W-what happened?"
"Did we get them?"
"Look! It's-"
"-It's a wall!"
"Captain!"
"All squads remain alert. They could strike at any time! Artillery Crew! Get that cannon reloaded!"
That was unmistakably Weilman. Naruto turned to check on the trio behind him.
"A... Wall?" Armin whispered in disbelief.
Mikasa was staring wide-eyed.
"How did you...?"
"There's no time to explain, they're reloading, we need to get outta here!" Naruto cut in.
Mikasa regained her bearings. She nodded resolutely. "We can climb up the wall. I'll get Eren, Armin you get-"
"Cannons at the ready, Sir!" came a shout from above.
"Blast the traitors, fire at will-!"
"HAAAAAALT!"
The booming command ceased all motion. "That's enough." the new voice continued calmly. "You should really do something about your nervous disposition, Captain Weilman."
The dust settled, and Naruto was able to see the new arrival. He was an elderly, balding man, with a grey moustache and an excessively decorated uniform.
"C-commander Pixis!?" Weilman squeaked.
AN:
Yo! I'm back.
Finally, it's summer break. This semester was demanding, but I got through it, and hard work paid off with good grades.
There isn't much happening in this chapter, but I'll let be. The next chapter's gonna be pretty long. Including the entire operation to retake Trost, and the aftermath.
On another note, this story has amassed a whopping 960 favorites and 750 follows. Which is amazing. Just a little bit more and we'll be break into the thousands.
I'll be answering some of your questions from now on, so please review, tell me what you think. It'll be at the end of each chapter (including this chapter).
Hope you enjoyed!
~Zenix404~
Q&A:
To Mariela: Greetings to you as well!
Otaku South: Here you go, buddy.
PSYCongroo: No problem g.
Marvelous Pathetic: To you as well.
TitanGuest912: Thanks!
Yaknow WhatIming: I feel the same to be honest. But I just wasn't sure what I would do with them even if I saved 'em.
Itachi: That's a surprise. You'll just have to wait and see, wont ya.
DarkShadowRaven: Yeah, I definitely agree on the whole overpowered Naruto thing being overdone. The thing is, he doesn't really need any extra powers to be overpowered. Even without sage-mode, six-paths mode, Kurama's chakra, he's still strong as hell. There isn't really anything in AoT that could give Naruto a real hard time, except perhaps the colossal titan, because of its steam cloud and massive bulk.
As for the pairing. I don't know man. Mikasa is devoted to Eren, and a pairing with Annie would be too complicated. I think if I were to introduce a love interest for Naruto, then it'd most likely be Sasha or Historia, like you said, or maybe even Petra. He does tend to help people find their 'true selves', so I guess that'd make for a nice build-up to a pairing with Historia.
Hiraishin101: Glad you enjoyed it :)
ThR1992: I'm glad you liked the changes I made to his character. I wanted him to be a little smarter, yet keep the same kind, honest, and slightly childish personality.
Perhaps you missed it, but in chapter 7 he says he's been in this new world for about a year. I tried to make it long enough to learn a new language and customs, so that his knowledge of the place is justified. Some might think that's too long since he has shadow clones, but he's clones aren't really any smarter than he is. And Naruto's never been the studious type.