Note: So, i'm alive. I've had half of this written for so long that it was driving me insane not being able to get anything to just...flow nicely. I've been struggling with trying to find a better job, mine is literally sucking the life out of me, on top of working at my dads shop right after that. So I've barely had any time to just sit down and write anything.

Not Edited.

Please no flames, but any inspiration would do wonders right now. Constructive criticism is welcome. I'd love to hear how I can improve my writing. If you'd like to see anything added, suggest it!

Asian Blood: I've gotten a question about why asians are coveted in this series I believe? I don't have my reviews pulled up.

SPOILER: if you haven't read far into the series, two groups have the ability to remember everything that has happened. Instead of having their mind wiped from before, Asian clans were able to resist that ability and remember things from before.

Other than that, here's the next chapter! (27 pages and still not as long as the last one? so disappointed.)

Dancing Crow Chapter Four

The chilly air rushed past the group as they trudged through open fields and muddy terrain. Hours had passed since they hit open land, where light colored clouds once filled the sky and gradually darkened within that period. It had started to rain later in the day at some point, causing the temperature to drastically drop from its warmer weather. Fog had begun to creep forth and the small group had huddled closer together, wearily watching distant outlines of trees and any farming houses they passed. With how titans seemed to favor hiding around these objects, everyone took caution. It didn't help that as the sun sunk lower in the sky, the darkness brought on by the clouds made it more of an ominous kind of dark, making it harder for them to see.

Onyx eyes flickered back and forth over the land, chakra humming just behind her eyes, ready to switch over to her sharingan.

Itachi brushed soaked strands of hair out of her face, annoyance starting to worm its way under her skin. Normally, her hair wouldn't bother her, but the days of traveling on horseback and not by shinobi standards was starting to slightly grate on her nerves. She was used to high speed travel and getting to her destination in a shorter amount of time. Sighing heavily, she pulled her hair tie out and went about fixing her hair. Aliz was shivering in her saddle, clutching tightly to the reigns, not caring about her brown locks plastered to her own face. Having fixed it a multitude of times throughout the day, she eventually gave up on fixing it altogether.

"It's so cold…" she stuttered out, teeth chattering as she shifted within her seat. "I think my toes are numb… and my nose is probably going to fall off!"

"Aa…" Itachi agreed with some amusement. If she hadn't been circulating chakra throughout her system, she would have been in the same situation as everyone else. Not that she wasn't cold. Chakra only kept the cold at a bearable level for her. There was only so much chakra she could use without wasting it through constant use. The usage of genjutsu and constant circulation to keep warm would eventually wear her out, especially if kept up for hours upon hours.

"Let's call it a night team!" Mike called out, loud enough to be heard, but no louder. The group came to a halt within a copse of trees, quickly setting up and getting some tents pitched.

Itachi helped hand out rations, a canvas covering the crates to keep their food dry. As the last person came and grabbed their meal, Itachi found herself staring at the canvas, trying to recall if they had any extra. Jumping down from the cart, she went to another that carried the supplies, digging through a box before coming across one of the larger canvases that would most likely be used to cover the carts they would be filling with supplies.

She wondered if she could tie one of these up to cover a decent sized clearing for the group. They could stack boxes up on the two carts and connect the canvas across a small area. Even a little relief from the rain would do wonders. Especially those that don't feel comfortable lingering in a tent.

Itachi knew she personally felt off when inside a tent. It left her feeling blind to her surroundings. In her previous life, she already suffered from her deteriorating vision, so she tended to avoid tents. Her senses would heighten to the point that she could barely sleep without jerking awake at every little sound that was made. On top of all that, no one would ever want to get caught off guard or crushed by a titan if they could help it. Using a tent meant not being able to use their gear.

In this world, their gear meant life or death.

With a small sigh, Itachi went about moving boxes to create four columns. Aliz watched Itachi with a raised eyebrow as she secured the tarp across the gap between the carts, creating a small overhang.

It was Aliz gesturing for Itachi to join everyone by the fire that had her moving towards them once she finished her objective.

Brushing her hands off, she quickly gathered her small portion from the rations and went to sit by the fire, where it was spitting and crackling from the rain hitting hot coals. She could already see some people shifting from their spots and heading towards the small shelter to rest. Murmurs reached her ears and Itachi sat down on a log everyone was crowded around, feeling cold water seep through her pants.

Levi suddenly appeared within her right peripheral, avoiding most of the muddy puddles before throwing one of his green jackets over the log and sitting down on it, right beside her. He didn't say anything as he sat, but Itachi inclined her head towards him in greeting. Aliz, who was chatting with another member across the fire perked up at the sight and waggled her eyebrows at Itachi when she caught the girl's eye.

The corner of Itachi's mouth quirked up before she took a sip from her water canteen, trying to cover the amusement she felt from the girls teasing.

"Another day and we'll be there early afternoon if we aren't delayed." Levi stated after finishing his meal.

"Hn…"

Levi sent Itachi a look at her response, but brushed it off as he leaned forward, elbows coming up to rest on his thighs.

"You should get some rest, we move out early tomorrow morning."

Itachi slightly shrugged her shoulder, picking at the string hanging from her canteen strap. Levi eyed the strand, annoyance clear on his face as Itachi left it connected.

"I'll take first watch." She responded instead. Levi raised an eyebrow with irritation flitting across his face at her brushing his suggestion aside.

"I'm assuming you're not tired then…" he stated before shifting slightly. "I was expecting you to be complaining like everyone else about this shitty weather we are having."

The 'hn' that followed had Levi rolling his eyes.

"You get first watch then." Was his response and Itachi stood from her seat brushing off her pants and heading towards the current watches post.

It was a quiet night, broken by the pitter-patter of rain hitting leaves above her. Itachi shifted in her spot, senses stretching wide and chakra buzzing underneath her skin, heightening everything. She hadn't woken those that were scheduled for the second watch nor the third watch, letting the team get their rest. Itachi knew how to function with little to no sleep. She wasn't an S-ranked shinobi for no reason.

The sound of light footsteps reached her ears and Itachi looked down from her perch within the sparse trees they had found to camp among. They were using the outcrop as a natural hideout so that their fire couldn't be seen across the open field in all directions.

"You didn't get any rest, did you?"

Itachi glanced down at Levi, who had spoken to her once he had come to a stop at the bottom of her tree. There was a deep scowl across his face as he peered up at her.

"I couldn't sleep, so there was no point in having more than one exhausted person."

Levi sighed heavily, looking exasperated at her response. "You're next to me all day today, got it Uchiha?"

Itachi quirked an eyebrow, amusement shining in her onyx eyes. "Aa."

He shifted awkwardly then, looking back towards the camp with furrowed brows. "The team also appreciates what you did with the canvas…" he stated, turning to look at her with narrowed eyes. "We move out in twenty."

Itachi watched him turn on his heel and stalk away. Her eyes drifting from him and then towards the group she could see through the trees.

A miniscule smile quirked the edges of her lips as her sight drew back to Levi.

Standing from her position, Itachi stretched before redoing her hair-tie and straightening her outfit. With no one around, she found her knees bending automatically and jumping off the tree branch, chakra cushioning her landing as she hit the ground and rolled back up.

She had a horse to go feed and water before they all headed out.

Oooo

Trees rushed by as hooves dug deep into the muddy ground. Rain was coming down hard and fog rolled in thick and heavy across the ground, creating a treacherous journey for the team. They had been traveling for over six hours, trying to gain as much ground as possible. The fog was tough to see through, making it difficult for them to navigate without fear starting to creep up on them. The thought of titan's lunging out of the mist with open maws did not settle well with anyone.

It made them paranoid, just like how her fellow shinobi had been.

She briefly wondered how much longer they had for travel time. They had one more night before arriving at their destination early afternoon. The drain on her chakra was starting to get to her, especially with no sleep last night.

A sharp snap was heard further up ahead, the sound being enhanced due to Itachi's chakra heightening her senses. She didn't even need to think about doing what she did, already having set her mind to keeping as many people alive as she could. She urged the horse to go faster, hooves digging deep into the ground to gain speed before passing Levi (who she'd been flanking on the right for most of the day) and then Mike, who was leading the group.

"Itachi!" Mike harshly called after her in disbelief, irritation seeping through in his tone. None of them knew what was up ahead. Itachi ignored him, pushing faster, ears ringing and adrenaline buzzing as she got closer and closer to where that snap had come from. As she hit a large, muddied area, her eyes flickered to the left of her as an abrupt movement caught her attention.

She was already anticipating the attack that came.

Itachi jerked the reigns to her horses' bridle, guiding the animal away from a lunging titan. Bringing her hand up to the handle of her gear, she swiftly unclipped it and connected a blade to the attachment. Releasing the reigns, Itachi shifted her body and launched herself into the air with a burst of gas. The shouting behind her told Itachi that they had seen the attack and were already moving as more titans suddenly appeared after the first one. No one had been expecting the sudden attack and with how the rain had been recently, Mike's odd sense of smell wasn't doing him any good.

Aliz wasn't too far behind, just barely avoiding the creature that was trying to eat any that crossed its path. The fear etched on her face had Itachi's hand twitching, wishing for a kunai to attach her paper bombs to. Teammates were scattered within the light covering of trees, horses heading towards a safer distance than what was being offered with their human riders being around.

Luckily none had been stepped on yet and with a quick glance, Itachi sighed with some relief as she noticed that the carts were left further back and out of the way of titans. The group would have probably felt devastated if the carts were destroyed and they had to retreat in defeat. Their morale couldn't handle the loss right now, not with how often the Corps loses its comrades.

Mud was everywhere, (splattering the Uchiha with a heavy amount and caking one whole side of her body) having been sprayed all over when one of the larger titans hit the ground in an attempt in swallowing someone whole.

Levi scowled as Itachi swung up onto his branch, landing right next to him. She was absolutely filthy, covered head to toe in mud. Mike shifted on the branch below them and Aliz came to a halt on the branch above all of them. The team stood, silently watching titans roam as they wiped at the heavy rain falling into their faces. It seemed like it was coming down heavier than before.

Mud trickled down Itachi's face and neck, soaking into her green collar of her cloak. She could feel the look of utter disgust coming from Levi.

Mike tilted his head towards Itachi, causing the raven-haired girl to look down as he sent a lingering look towards her before inclining his head when he caught her eye.

"We would have been ambushed if you hadn't pushed ahead like that. What made you do it?" he addressed her and Itachi glanced around.

"I heard a branch snap up ahead." Was Itachi's simple response, and Levi raised an eyebrow at her statement. She could tell that he wanted to say something about her reply, but they turned their attention back towards the more pressing matter at hand.

Itachi shifted on her branch, knees bending as she lowered herself down into a squat to watch the titan's claw at the tree trunks. The mud was washing away at a steady pace as the rain came heavily down upon them.

Itachi's hair had come loose when pushing the horse to run, falling well past her shoulder blades and sticking to any exposed bit of skin. She briefly wondered where her hair tie had gone to. Aliz shifted above them, fixing her hood as a frown marred her face. She sent a scathing look down at the titans.

They had been in the clear for most of the day (due to Itachi's Genjutsu) and running headfirst into a large gathering of titans was not something they needed right now. If it wasn't for the branch snapping and alerting Itachi, it might have caused some untimely deaths. (Again, Mike's odd sense of smell was useless in the rain since all scents were washed out at this point).

Unfortunately, in this current situation, Itachi had to regrettably release the Genjutsu that she had placed up for the day or it would have caused problems with titan's suddenly just leaving them alone. A false hope would take root, resulting in unfortunate consequences.

She couldn't, in good consciousness, let them believe they were okay to travel and a group that went out without Itachi would probably get slaughtered.

Luckily, they had been fortunate enough to be traveling through a small outcrop of tall trees or they would have lost quite a few people in the process of trying to get away from the lunging titans. With open field mostly surrounding them as they traveled, it would be hard to handle titans without the extra protection. Not to mention the advantage trees gave them in utilizing their maneuver gear.

It was a talent in itself for one to know how to effectively use their gear in an open area.

A scream had everyone jerking around in surprise. They had thought everyone had made it into the trees. Itachi's eyes found the figure scrambling along on the ground.

It was Karl, from what Itachi could recall. He was an easy going individual with excellent skill in using his blades and maneuvering gear. She briefly wondered why he wasn't in the trees with the rest of them. Her eyes homed in on the frantic hand movements, watching as Karl tried to get something working. His gear may be jammed. Aliz cried out in horror as a titan closed in on the man, swiping at Karl with curling fingers and snagging him, encircling his entire torso.

"Karl!" Aliz screeched, and Itachi flinched as gas left the air tanks and sent the hazel eyed woman shooting towards the beast.

Levi shouted after the her, calling for her to abort her course of action and Itachi found herself moving after the girl that had become closer to her throughout the journey.

"Fuck!" Levi snarled as Itachi let gravity take over. Her body felt weightless as air rushed past her frame.

Karl was going to die because of that titan.

Aliz was undoubtedly going to die from being eaten as well, or worse. It was one thing to be eaten by one, but to be stepped on, squeezed to death, or swatted away from one, she didn't know what was worse. Maybe being swallowed alive was the worst way to go.

Itachi's eyes bled to red.

Levi, who followed after the two with a curse, closed in on Itachi before she suddenly just disappeared.

He caught himself on another branch, jerking to a stop as he watched with wide eyes as a blur struck the titan that was swallowing a screaming Karl. His eyes followed the blur with difficulty as it pulled Karl from his death sentence before disappearing again.

The hissing of gas reached his ears and Levi jerked to the right, watching as titan after titan fell around them. Her movements were invisible. He couldn't tell where exactly she was at any point in time, only where she had been when a titan fell.

There was silence, stunned awe as titans fell one after another to the blur that one could just catch a glimpse of when the heavy rain permitted it.

When no titan was left alive within the vicinity, Itachi came to a halt on the ground within the middle of the small clearing, feet not even sinking into the mud-covered ground. The rain was coming down severely and through the rolling fog that began to creep forth, Itachi found Levi staring at her with furrowed brows. Bewilderment swam across his face mixed with a couple different emotions that she couldn't really make out.

The rain, smeared mud, and fog obscured her face from being fully seen by the rest of the team, but she instinctively knew Levi was staring at her piercing red eyes. They faded back to onyx within a second and she only hoped he wouldn't ask questions until later or pushed it off as a figment of his imagination.

Aliz was helping Karl up at that point, eyes worriedly looking at his limbs to ensure herself that they were still attached. When she deemed him alright, other than shook up, she sat heavily on the wet grass and mud next to a shocked Karl. With a rough sigh, she shifted and punched the man in the arm, hard.

"Ouch!"

"You're alive." Aliz stated, sniffling because of the rainy weather. Karl stared at her with wide eyes before chuckling, which turned into a laugh as he realized that he really was alive.

Levi landed next to Itachi, his eyes searching hers, brows furrowing as she stared at him, unflinchingly.

"Move out! We're almost there, just a good half a day's travel left!" Mike called out to the large squad. People quickly descended from the trees and called their horses. As everyone mounted, Levi and Itachi were left, still staring at one another. Aliz sent a weary look towards the two before Itachi's horse nudged the raven-haired girl's shoulder. She reached up and gently brushed the horse's nose with her palm, never looking away from her Leader.

"Tch…"

Levi stalked away at that point, mounting his own horse and jerking the reigns in the direction the group was headed in.

"I expect an explanation on whatever the hell that was sometime soon." He snapped, eyeing the girl.

"Of course." Itachi agreed, knowing that he wouldn't accept anything else. She would have to tell him something, that she was sure of. As to what she'd tell him, she had some time to decide on how much information she was willing to give him right now. The decision to start small or throw him in the deep end of information was currently up in the air.

No need to overwhelm him with info yet.

Oooo

Karl cussed, whipping his hand away from part of his gear and grimacing at the blood trickling from split skin. Itachi watched from behind him as he struggled to get the device unjammed. Apparently, his gear had malfunctioned when he had tried to follow everyone up into the trees. Not wanting to make a scene, he had remained silent in hopes of going unnoticed by the titans that had come out of nowhere.

It had been going well, until another titan came wandering into the area and spotted him almost instantly.

Aliz, who was riding next to him, motioned for him to come closer to her. When he pulled up close to her side, he took her reigns as she leaned over and started tinkering with the gear. Roughly fifteen minutes later, she was able to find the cause of the malfunction and with some adjusting to the device's mechanical workings, she was able to get it sorted out.

They had stopped late into the evening last night to rest and as soon as it was light enough to see, they were on the move again. They were all jittery with nerves at the last ambush to really settle down.

As the group traveled in silence, the trees around them started to thin out a bit and not long after, a stone pathway started. The path soon opened into a large courtyard and Itachi's gaze landed upon a large building that looked untouched by titans but covered in vines and foliage because it hasn't been used in quite a while.

Mike signaled for them to halt and spread out to search the area.

Dismounting the horse, Itachi pushed her hair out of her face before digging through her pouch connected to the saddle. Pulling out another elastic, she pulled her hair into its normal low ponytail before adjusting her straps and doublechecking her gear.

She could still feel some mud within her hair, grainy and stiff as she fingers combed through it. She grimaced, rubbing a strand between her thumb and pointer, watching flakes of dirt crumble off. Itachi gave a weary sigh.

With the area clear of titans, they set the horses up in a small grassy area and buckets of water before heading for the large doors leading inside. As she walked towards the building, Itachi made sure to grab an extra pair of clothing to change into.

There was only so much mud she could handle before it fully dried and made her skin itchy from irritating it.

She found the rest rooms within the building, standing hesitantly within the doorway. There hadn't been anyone occupying this building for quite a while and doubted the water was warm. Steeling herself, Itachi set about taking a shower. She, along with the other girls in the group, rushed through an icy cold shower, scrubbing mud and sweat off before dressing. Itachi walked out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair as she turned a couple of corners before folding her items and setting them near the main entrance to grab later.

Itachi then followed the sound of voices, finding most of the crew already starting to shift through the storage rooms.

Rounding the corner, Itachi stopped short, almost walking right into Levi as he carried a couple of boxes. She inclined her head as he passed and Itachi quickly entered the storage room. The team was weaving in and out of shelves, boxing stuff up into crates and labeling what exactly was placed into each one. Itachi ventured past those at the start of the room, glancing over shelves and trying to mentally calculate exactly how much they would be able to take with them.

They wouldn't even be able to cart back half the supplies within the storage room without weighing down the horses. If they had to run from advancing titans, they couldn't risk the possibility of them destroying their only way of transporting without exposing Itachi's abilities. She gave a weary sigh as she combed her fingers through damp hair before pulling it back into a low ponytail.

Hefting a box off a shelf, Itachi lowered it to the ground and slipped the top off. Boxes of rations were neatly stacked within. Shifting it with her foot, she pushed it towards the main aisle so those that were collecting could simply grab it to be sorted.

Box after box and further in she went, hands ghosting over gear necessary for their 3D-maneuverable gear. Time went on, people taking breaks and laughter filtering back into the large storage room as Itachi kept sifting.

She was at the back of the storage room when a smaller box caught her attention. It was on the lowest shelf, shoved furthest back and covered in dust and cobwebs. Brushing it off, she dragged it out and pulled the lid off.

Staring back at her was a simple brown leather book.

Pulling it out, she opened the book and paused as her eyes flickered over the contents and the images it offered.

Her breath caught.

It was a book on the outside world, a forbidden subject within these walls, one that would result in confiscation of said object and punishment.

Footsteps reached her ears and Itachi already had it sealed within the scroll she had tucked into her shirt as a foot appeared around the corner.

"Oh! Itachi! I had wondered where you'd gone to." Aliz said while sending a smile her way. Itachi shifted from the crouch she had found herself in and stood up. Aliz was already reaching for a box higher up on a shelf, one that Itachi would have had to climb the shelves to reach. She struggled to get it far enough to grasp and pulling it from the shelf, Aliz gave a surprised yelp as it suddenly came tumbling down due to its heavy weight. Itachi found herself moving, hands grasping and chakra supporting her muscles as she caught the heavy box that Aliz just dropped. Aliz blinked before sighing in relief and gratitude.

"Thanks… sorry, I've been a bit clumsy today with all the boxes."

Itachi smirked, arching an eyebrow. "Is that what all that racket I've heard coming from the front was?"

Aliz blushed scarlet and jabbed at Itachi, shoving her back slightly. Itachi found herself smiling before a chuckle escaped from her. Aliz's jaw dropped at the sound leaving the younger girl.

"You two done here?" a deep voice interrupted them and Aliz cried out in surprise, spinning around to find Captain Levi behind her. Itachi's smile didn't fade as she set down the box. As Aliz stuttered out a response, Itachi lifted the lid to the box and found herself looking at Firearms. They had been taught how to handle them in training, shooting targets and such, but they were useless against titans themselves. Hence why they were rarely used at all.

"I was wondering where those were…" Levi murmured, sighing heavily as he pulled another box out mid-shelf and found ammo along with more firearms.

Aliz pursed her lips. "Do we need these?" she asked in confusion. It was a waste of space. Itachi couldn't see any use for them in the immediate future.

Levi scowled. "Unfortunately, we are required to bring them back. Orders from the higher-ups."

"It's a waste of space…" Aliz murmured as Itachi shoved the box towards the end of their aisle with a bit more force than necessary. Levi raised a brow as he lifted his foot out of the way of the box sliding by him.

"How many boxes do we have to take back?" Itachi asked and Levi turned his full gaze upon her.

"As much as we can possibly fit." Was his reply and Itachi paused in grabbing the next box. She found her eyes traveling back towards the shelves lined with possible ammo in disbelief. It would take up almost an entire cart. Her lips pressed together tightly as she found displeasure coursing through her body. This wouldn't help anybody. Aliz looked between the two before her gaze settled back on the boxes that filled the aisle. Her face morphed into one of incredulity.

Itachi knew that there were records on what these headquarters had before the walls were breached. Unless there were thieves brazen enough to venture beyond the walls to steal any of this, then they needed to go back with it all or risk being accused of taking it for themselves.

"Let's get most of this out in the front hall so that we can sort them onto the carts in the morning." Levi said, hefting a box up and into his arms. Itachi watched Aliz reach for another box up on the higher shelf and smiled as the girl hesitated.

"I think I may need help with getting these down."

"Maybe you should exercise those wimpy arms a bit more." Levi scoffed.

"Eh!"

"Aa."

"Itachi! You're not supposed to agree with him!"

Itachi grasped a box, eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled at Aliz. "Then who else is there to make fun of you?"

The girl was left spluttering in shock as Itachi followed Levi out of the aisle.

That night found most of the crew settling down in the mess hall. It was centered more towards the back of the building and had all the windows to the outside boarded up and covered in heavy curtains to keep light from filtering out. Voices were hushed and many were settling on mattresses they'd dragged from the rooms and into the hall.

Aliz was already sacked out, snoring away next to Itachi, who was flipping through her small notebook and going over some notes that Hanji had written in them.

As the lanterns started being extinguished one by one, Itachi found herself drifting off from exhaustion.

The next morning found the crew loading up the carts. Itachi hefted a box up onto the growing pile of boxes, haven proven that she was capable in picking up a lot of weight without tiring. Aliz was left baffled as she handed box after box to the girl and watched her simply turn and heave it up over her head and onto the stacks without any sign of trembling arms.

Aliz could already feel the strain in her back and shoulders from hefting so many boxes.

The ammo had taken up one of their carts that had camping gear on it and half of another cart. They were left with a cart and a half for necessary supplies, ranging from rations, medical equipment, gear, and so forth. Itachi glanced at the large pile of boxes that would be left behind.

Over twenty large boxes of necessary supplies that could provide for their squads. Medical equipment in dealing with injuries to surgeries, infections, and so forth. Rations for expeditions. Gear to replace broken gear. She found her gaze flickering towards Levi, an internal debate waging war within her. He already suspected something was going on with her having red colored eyes, would he accept a storage scroll?

Doubt made her indecisive. She knew him, but she didn't know him.

Itachi couldn't have her secret getting into the wrong hands. One wrong move and she could be pulled from the line of duty for something else more beneficial to humankind, or shoved in jail, and quite possibly sentenced to death.

Mike suddenly jolted and Itachi jerked in the direction her ears were picking up thumping noises. Chakra rushed to her ears, enhancing her hearing. One…two…three….four….

Four possible targets. They weren't done with their loading. They weren't fully done with going through the storage rooms. They couldn't have them finding them yet, especially if the titan was an abnormal and decided to just run through the clearing and into their carts. They'd kill their horses and destroy their only source of transportation.

"Levi!" Itachi called, eyes flickering between a burgundy color as the red started to bleed into her onyx colored eyes. Levi jolted at his name being called, looking up from putting a box down in the cart next to hers. A surprised expression shifted over his face as he took in the changing color of her eyes.

"Titans!" Mike called and an understanding look crossed Levi's face. Her eyes bled red and black tomoe formed within the red, spinning wildly. Levi couldn't take his eyes off her as he watched them move with a transfixed expression upon his face.

"Go!"

Air hissed and Itachi was suddenly gone from her spot on the cart. Mike was in the process of getting a small striking group ready when a titan burst through the foliage. It took a handful of ground covering steps before a black blur slammed into the side of its head with such force, it caused the titan to stumble to the side. Tripping over its feet, it came to a booming stop as it landed on its knees and forearms. Levi could only watch as the blur carved a deep gouge into its nape before lurching at the next titan to appear in the clearing.

Steel glinted and Itachi dug her blades deep into the titans snapping maw, sliding from the corner of its mouth and splitting it open to the ear before launching herself into the air. Grabbling hooks launched and reeled her in, taking the nape out within seconds. She then disappeared into the trees, startling a small flock of birds before silence engulfed the entire area.

"Should…should we go check on her?" Aliz managed to whisper, eyes wide at how fast the titans went down. The sound of groaning reached them before a thundering sound of a tree going down shook the area. It was followed by another couple of loud noises before once again it fell silent.

Levi was already moving when the first sign of movement breached the woods, revealing the Uchiha with windswept hair and steaming blood evaporating off of her.

He landed in front of her, far enough away from the group so as not to reveal her glowing red eyes.

They looked frighteningly demonic.

"Your eyes…" he managed to get out, unable to actually think of what to ask. Itachi let her sharingan shift to his eyes and she let the chakra fade from them, watching his expression morph into shock as her onyx color took over.

"It's a clan ability." She started, licking her lips in nervousness. "My family had it… before we were wiped out due to the walls being breached." Close enough to the truth but not the exact truth. She couldn't go into detail on how she had murdered everyone because of their plans for her village. She couldn't bring another world into this one and cause more problems. "It's passed down through generation to generation. I've been training with it ever since its been activated."

His eyebrows furrowed as he took this in. "What…what does it do?"

She paused for a second, eyes staring into his with hesitation. "It…It allows the user to copy abilities. It slows everything down, to a speed that is extremely slow to me. I…" and she found herself suddenly unsure on how to continue. "It's…it's something that I have to keep guarded… If my eyes were to be stolen, bad things may happen… my family took great pride in them, but were also extremely possessive of them."

Levi simply stared at her, brows furrowed. "There's more to it…you're hesitating…"

She looked off to the side before her gaze fell back onto him. "There is a second stage to them that if overused, may cause blindness…"

Surprise coursed over his face before he scowled slightly. "Why haven't you told us?"

Itachi found herself looking up at him through dark lashes. "Would you tell anyone about this ability that may or may not be taken lightly and could lead to imprisonment, torture, or breeding?"

A stricken look crossed Levi's at the last comment as he recalled her stating it went from generation to generation. She could pass it on to the next generation.

The King would have her stripped from her position and bred like cattle. Who wouldn't demand that of her, especially when you'd be making an army of super soldiers to protect oneself?

"Let's head back." Levi started, eyes lingering on her before shifting to look at the trees before them. "We have till tomorrow morning and then we leave. We're taking a huge risk in staying this long already."

They stared at one another for a good minute, Itachi wondering if she could fully trust Levi with the bare basics of what she just gave him. She'd see in the end, especially once they get back. Itachi would have to watch her back in a worst-case scenario. She truly wanted to put her trust in him, and hopefully sharing this kind of secret with him informed him just how much trust she was placing in him.

Itachi bowed slightly before heading back towards her fellow comrades with Levi leading the way.

That night, Itachi stood by as Levi and Mike stared into the main storage room. So much was being left behind and the cursing of Levi and Mike's scowl made it clear to her just how frustrated they were with this decision. As they closed the door and walked away, Itachi simply stayed, staring at the closed door with a blank stare.

She turned on her heel and walked away a few minutes later, the creaking of a door closing behind her the only sound within the hall.

Oooo

"Alright Team! We move swiftly and as quietly as possible!" Mike called out, looking at everyone. "If we are ambushed or we see an approaching titan we can't escape from without contact, we must ensure that our carts are our top priority. Do not let these beasts come near our supplies!"

With a murmur of agreement from everyone, horses were mounted and Itachi found herself falling towards the back, where Eld Jin and Gunther Schultz were talking quietly to one another.

They had a few days of travel and then they'd be back home.

There were excited whispers reaching her ears, ones filled with hope and of things they were going to do once they get back.

Itachi merely guided her horse after the group, a heavy weight seemingly settling upon her shoulders.

Oooo

Itachi didn't know how it came to this. They had been traveling for a day and a half with minimum encounters. They were doing alright.

Now, she stood on a branch, staring at Aliz with her jaw clenched tight. The girl had taken a titan down, hair plastered to her forehead due to sweat and eyes blown wide open in fear and desperation. She was breathing heavily, body trembling in fear and looking weary as blood gushed from a deep gash going along her jawbone. An eleven-meter titan suddenly appeared and Aliz was shooting forward, a battle cry upon her lips before her faced morphed into pure, unadulterated horror as a shadow loomed over her from behind.

Itachi jerked from her spot on the branch, lungs sucking in air from previously engaging in battle. Aliz had barely managed to kill the eleven-meter titan before Itachi was suddenly substituting herself with her comrade, launching herself at the towering titan that had been about to crush the girl. Maneuvering around the reaching appendage, Itachi swung around it and reaching into her pouch, pulled out a paper bomb.

Slapping it onto the base of its neck, she then pulsed chakra into it, lurching away as soon as she did.

A 'whoomph' filled the area and her back took the brunt of the heat. Aliz, who was wavering upon the tree branch from being displaced a couple of seconds ago had barely any time to lock eyes with Itachi's red ones before they rolled into the back of her head. Aliz's unconscious body tipped forward, only to be pulled into a tight embrace before it could leave the branch it was on.

Itachi glanced over her shoulder, sharingan taking in the decaying titan that the paper bomb had taken out.

She needed to find her group. They had been separated as a large swarm of titans seem to materialize out of nowhere and overtake them. To keep the carts safe, everyone dispersed, drawing the attention of the titans away from the supplies.

Aliz and Itachi had barely managed to stay within each other's sight, trees and brush separating the others from their view.

Fixing Aliz's unconscious body over her shoulders, Itachi sent chakra to her legs and launched herself onto another branch, eyes scanning the ground for survivors. She wasn't sure if their horses were even still alive. Itachi had abandoned it as soon as she saw Aliz launching from her own steed. Rustling reached her ears and the sound of panting filled her enhanced ears. She came to a halt, ears straining and sharpened sight scanning her surroundings.

Crouching upon the branch, she hefted Aliz from her shoulders and gently placed her upon the large branch. Shifting to a branch on the other side of the tree, her breath came in short as she spotted two comrades, one unconscious and bleeding out from a serious wound. It looked like their forearm was bitten off, just below the elbow. The other comrade was attempting to staunch the bleeding, hands slipping in blood and harsh breaths coming from them as panic started to set in. Glancing around one more time, Itachi leapt from her position, dropping right down beside them.

A startled sound reached her ears and Itachi took in the young man trying to stop the bleeding. It was Zachary, one of the guys that stuck around those that filled the tanks. He was good friends with them, always chattering and smiling. His skills lied in speed and maneuverability. He didn't pack much strength, but he was good at distracting the enemy.

"Head up into the trees," Itachi started, bending down and swiftly taking the messy bandages from Zachary's shaking hands. "Aliz is unconscious right above us. I'll take care of him." Zachary hesitated as Itachi reached forward, hands clasping Zachary's bloody ones with a gentleness that startled him.

"I've got him Zachary. You can go."

Zachary launched into the trees as soon as he had passed Itachi the bandages. Assessing the wound, Itachi scowled. She knew it need to be bandaged, but the bleeding needed to be stopped first. She couldn't have Leon bleeding out on them halfway back home. Pulling her water canteen out, she poured it over the wound to clean it off.

Fingers then flicker through familiar hand signs, and Itachi trickled the bare minimum amount of chakra needed into her throat, feeling the burn and a smokiness that she was familiar with.

A small stream of fire came from her lips and she was swift in cauterizing the wound. Winding the bandages around the wound, she tied it off and swiftly pulled Leon over her shoulders and launched off the ground. She had just landed upon the branch Aliz and Zackary were upon when a 15-meter class titan came skulking out of the brush, wide grin in place and ambling along its path.

Zackary let out a breath of relief as he helped Itachi with his friend, hands fluttering around him in worry before sitting back heavily upon the branch.

"I had thought he was a goner!" Zackary sighed, eyes closing. "I still don't understand where they all came from. One minute we were in the clear and the next, we were being ambushed."

"Aa." Itachi murmured, hand ghosting over Aliz's forehead in worry. She didn't think her body handled the replacement technique too well. "They may have been drawn this way when we first traveled through due to our smell."

Zackary scowled at her words. It was weird on how they seemed to be able to smell them so far away and instinctually realize that they needed to head that way. It was like they were hunting down prey.

Itachi stood then, hands brushing bark from her backside.

"I'm going to go find others. Stay here and watch these two please." And Zackary could only watch Itachi launch herself off the tree branch and swing away.

Spreading her senses out, Itachi was able to pick up the sound of hushed voices, battles, titans, horses, and the creaking of carts moving further ahead.

She paused when a scream echoed throughout the forest and she was suddenly blurring through the trees with chakra. Breaking through the foliage, Itachi had seconds to register the titan swallowing a blonde-haired girl, Emma if she recalled, before she was slamming into it with the speed of a shinobi.

Its head was hitting the floor before anything else could be determined, and the few comrades that were floating about in the trees were completely stunned as Emma tumbled out of the decapitated head and Itachi suddenly appearing before her.

"Get into the trees." Was all she got out before she was gone. Emma, still in shock, jerked and was quick to launch herself up into the trees, limbs weak and fighting to keep her from stumbling.

Itachi came across a larger group of her comrades, the carts off to the side and out of direct line of the unit.

Eld Jin and Gunther were fighting together in taking down one of the titans that was lumbering towards them at a slow pace.

They worked well together and had the titan on the ground before it was able to advance any further towards the carts.

When silence permeated the clearing, Itachi descended to the ground and finding Mike, she approached him with swift, sure movements.

Mike, who was talking to someone suddenly turned his attention towards the Uchiha.

"Itachi." He acknowledged and Itachi stopped before him.

"I have six others towards the left of us waiting up in the trees for further instructions." She started, before her eyes flickered around the clearing.

"Where's Levi?"

Mikes hollow gaze sent her heart plummeting.