Note: This is Chapter 8 ENHANCED. Why is it called that? Basically, a lot of viewers and readers pointed out their dislike towards it, leading me to redo the whole thing from beginning to end.

I am really liking how much reception this has been getting. And apologies for the wait, I had finished finals and am now taking my break trying to get back to things. At some point, I'd like to reboot the other stories I've made and also continue them. Firebrand is the focus, but I'd love to get back to the ones in development hell someday, maybe in 2018.

Originally, I had planned to have You Watanabe as Naruto's cousin, but I completely forgot she existed, so that was how Maki was chosen. Of course, I also picked Maki because she had the same hair and eye colors as Kushina. Eventually, they'll meet, with You being a mere cameo. Neither Naruto or You will display any interests in each other. Instead, You will give a panicked Naruto dating tips for his date with Shino as thanks for something the latter does for her.

With that, here is the next chapter!


"Germany?" Looking at Ange, she had on a short combat skirt with ruffles, covered by a black cape with magenta lining, as well as matching black and magenta top hat and boots. It looked like she was ready to go to a steampunk convention.

"Is there a convention in Germany that you want to go to?"

"No, this is my mission attire. I've been hired by Ajuka to go retrieve a book in Germany belonging to a guy named Dr. Stylish. He got word from one of his sources that Stylish was working on another one of his inhumane experiments, and he needs that book so he can find a way to reverse them. The reason I'm asking you to tag along is because other peerage members are out doing other missions, and I can't ask Seekvaira to come with. With you having my back, my chances of survival will be higher. What's more, there's an assistant Stylish has who looks almost like you." Naruto's eyes widened when she said the last part.

"You want to kill the assistant, have me pose as him to get close to Stylish, take his book, and then leave?" Ange simply nodded.

"I need to plant the explosives. Unlike me, no one knows about you. Stylish already knows my face due to an encounter I had with him a year ago, when I was sent to assassinate him."

"What happened?" The only reply she gave him was, "I let my guard down", with her usual blank face.

"I'll do what I can for our mission, just give me details I need to know and review before the mission." Ange nodded before telling him everything he needed to study for the mission would be sent to his personal computer after she finished a mission she was about to go to before leaving.

"Oh and one more thing." Turning to her, Ange told him he was not allowed to bring any of his weapons for the mission.

"Stylish does not allow his assistant to carry weapons. Later..." Having said what she needed to tell him, she left his office as he got started on working on his new weapon a bit more. Hours went by. At one point, he accidentally sets a part of his office on fire and had to put it out. Infernus just laughed. Finally, it was done. As he picked it up, Naruto marveled at it.

"So it's a stick?" The weapon took the form of a black, metallic quarterstaff. But once he pulled it apart, it became a pair of eskrima sticks. Infusing the two sticks with his own energy, a single-edged blade emitted from the hilt of both sticks, making them twin short swords. Infernus was greatly impressed by the weapon.

"It's a shame that you won't be able to use it for that mission in Germany." The Rook frowned at this as he remembered what Ange told me before she left. Sighing, he puts the weapon in a secret storage compartment built into the floor. Another hour went by as he worked on a pair of "custom-made headphones" before he got hungry and decided to go out to have lunch. At the same time, Seekvaira had just called him and asked that he have lunch with and spend the day with her, telling him he was getting paid for this, which was really strange for the blond. Closing his office door and locking it with his personal access card, Naruto proceeded to meet Seekvaira at the front of the Agares Corp Building.

"So where are we going?" Seekvaira had a smirk on her face as she adjusted her glasses. "I finally got two seats for the most advanced Gundam-themed restaurant in Odaiba and I want you to come with me!" Naruto noticed that she had a thin trail of drool flowing down her lower jaw, which she immediately wiped with her arm.

"Seekvaira, you must really like mechas..." The taxi Seekvaira called had arrived, with Seekvaira gesturing him to hurry up and get in. As they were making their way to the restaurant, Naruto had to listen to his King name all the Gundams from the first series up until the current one. Looking at her, she was acting like a kid who was eager to go to Disneyland. The Rook couldn't help but notice that her legs were rubbing together in a way that made his face turn red.

"I worry about your obsession with mechas, Seekvaira." Naruto had quite a time with Seekvaira during their lunch at the Gundam restaurant in Odaiba. During that time, they were randomly picked as contestants for "paired" trivia. At first, he wanted to say that they weren't dating, but then Seekvaira insisted that they play along, as the grand prize was a Bandai MG 1/100 Gundam RX-78 NT-1 Metallic Clear Colored Ver. / Alex G02 Model Kit that she didn't have for her collection. The trivia questions were a walk in the park since they were familiar with the history of all the Gundam series characters and mobile suits. Eventually, they won and got the kit. After that, they went to sing karaoke, where he HAD to sing a lot of songs that were openings and endings from several anime titles with her. To her surprise, she found his singing to be captivating and full of passion.

When asked about it, Naruto told her he simply just sang the songs the way it should be sung and that he had a great teacher. After karaoke, they had dinner together at a teppanyaki restaurant where, again, they were mistaken for a couple. The chefs just said to go with it and that they wouldn't judge. Once they finished eating, the Rook walked her to her place before preparing to go home.

Before he could go, Seekvaira gave him the kit they had won before telling him she already had it and that the one in her hands was for him before she quickly entered her mansion.

Namikaze Residence

Naruto's Room

As he prepared to put the kit away in a drawer, he heard a knock on his room door. Getting up, he went over to open it. It was Chelsea.

"Chelsea? Did you need something?"

"Naruto, I was informed in person by your "co-worker" that you were accompanying her to Germany the day after tomorrow! Are you cheating on Asada-chan!?" Naruto's face turned red when she asked that question. "Don't think I don't know that you have a thing for her. I'm usually right about this."

"Chelsea, I'm not dating Shino, and she's not even my girlfriend, nor someone I was interested in...yet. Besides, how would I be cheating if we're not a couple?"

"It's not cheating if it's a harem."

"Are you sure about that? From her looks, the girl you're going with is one of those mysterious and sexy foreigners who look ready to pounce on you, rip your clothes off and-"

"Okay, I got it! Seriously, nothing is going on between me and my "co-worker". We're just going to Germany to do business, nothing more." Chelsea sighed a breath of relief after he told her what he wanted her to know before smiling at him.

"Alright...Though if you decide to go for her instead of Asada-chan, I won't judge. After all, foreign girls are great too." Naruto frowned when she said that.

"Just be careful in Germany, especially in Shiganshina." Raising a brow, Naruto asked her why. "Apparently, people have been going missing during the night, never to be heard from again. What's strange is that some people have sworn that there were "giants" that were spotted in the forests the people went missing in. They're dubbing these giants "Titans."

Hearing this from Chelsea, it helped give Naruto some insight on what to expect. If what Chelsea told him was true, then Dr. Stylish was creating Titans. However, he would have to confirm this himself. Giving his older sister an assuring smile, he told her he'd be extra careful while he was in Germany.

"You better keep your word." Before she could walk away, she noticed the new model kit Naruto had on his desk. "You bought yourself a new kit?" Naruto looked at the model kit on his desk before turning his attention back to her and telling her of his day with Seekvaira and how she gave him the kit because she found out that she already had it.

Chelsea had on this amused but playful expression on her face after hearing his answer. When he asked why she was giving him that look, she said, "You always surprise me with your inability to understand girls, Naruto", before closing the door in front of her.

Soon after he finished another Gundam kit he was working on, he received a message from Shino to play Fatal Bullet. Looking at the time, he decided to open the VR Headset he bought as well as his own copy of the game. After all, he bought them to play and not to collect dust.

The next day

Shiganshina, Germany

Naruto and Ange

"So this is Germany?" Naruto and Ange wore civilian uniforms to disguise themselves from Dr. Stylish's Assistant, who sat a few feet away from their cafe table.

"This is just Shiganshina, a part of Germany that likes to stay old-fashion in some form. It's enough to make you believe you've gone back in time before upgrading to the 21st Century." As soon as Ange finished her cup of tea, she tells Naruto as soon as Stylish's Assistant moves, they'll tail him, grab him at the right moment, interrogate him, and then kill him before the blond devil assumes his identity. She also shows Naruto the bombs she packed with her, special explosive runes made by Seekvaira.

"Those are very impressive. As expected from our King." Naruto commented before the two were interrupted by two teens who were the same age as the Rook. One was a short black-haired girl of Asian descent, and one was a short blond, bowl-cut haired boy. They were frantically asking if the two saw someone close to them named Eren Yeager. Naruto couldn't help but feel bad for them. When Ange noticed he was about to suggest assisting them, she puts her hand on his, grabbing his attention. Ange does a disapproving nod that immediately tells him to not get involved, and that he shouldn't keep his eye off the objective.

"Sorry, I don't know, but I hope you two find him." Saddened, the two leave to ask other people about their missing friend.

"I understand your concern for their missing friend Naruto, but this mission is very important." Understanding, he relents. Noticing Stylish's Assistant going on the move, Naruto pays the bill before he and Ange tail him. As minutes go by, they finally get the drop on the assistant, once he's isolated from the crowd, before taking him to an alley.

"Where's Stylish's Lab?" asked Naruto as he beat the man up in an attempt to force him to talk. Laughing, the assistant tells him that no matter how many times he beats him, he won't speak. Ange, having watched Naruto try to do his way of getting the assistant to talk, but failing, stops him, having had enough of the blond Rook's mediocre interrogation skills. The Pawn decides to interrogate Stylish's Assistant herself. Off scene, she does something "so violent" that Naruto grew to fear her, and after 3 minutes of torture, the assistant immediately told her everything he knew before the Pawn killed him by stabbing him in the forehead with a knife she took from the cafe.

"I can never unsee that," said a wide-eyed Naruto. Infernus agreed with Naruto as Ange walked towards him and tells him to assume the assistant's identity. To Naruto, it felt weird to put on another person's clothes, let alone deceased ones, but a mission was a mission. Having put on the disguise, Ange comments on the blood on his shirt, telling the blond the assistant tends to arrive at Stylish's Hideout with some blood on it, being an unnamed murderer that's been "the talk about subject" in Germany. "Alright Naruto, you try to get Stylish's book while you're beside him. I'll plant the explosives and tail you when I am finished." When asked how she'd be able to hide from the enemy, Ange revealed a new invention from Agares Corp: A light-bending cloaking device disguised as a 19th Century Pocket Watch.

"You're really old-fashioned, Ange." After telling Naruto that old-fashion never fails to go out of style, she turns invisible and follows Naruto as he proceeds to Stylish's Lab.

Stylish's Lab

Dauper, Germany

Ange kept her distance as she followed Naruto to the lab. He could hear her faintly as she jumped from tree to tree without a single leaf falling down. After an hour of walking, The Rook had made it to the lab. Approaching it, he was stopped by a guard at the front of the lab entrance. He wasn't afraid, of course, but he WAS a little bit tense, given that if his cover is blown, Stylish would make a run for it and the book would be lost. As the guard inspected him, he was stopped by the man himself, Dr. Stylish. Stylish was a tall man with spiky black hair with a white patch and blue eyes. He wore glasses, a yellow suit with a blue shirt, a tie, and a white lab coat.

"Ah, my dashingly beautiful assistant returns, covered in blood as usual. You're just in time to help me with the experiments on the newest test subjects that we've been storing." With one hand gesture from Stylish, Naruto followed him deeper into the lab, with Ange going off on her own to plant the explosives.

"Stylish, what's the holdup?" The doctor and Naruto stopped in their tracks as we were approached a six-person team consisting of a clown, two girls, a samurai, and two guys who dressed weird. As soon as he laid eyes on them, Naruto knew that something about them just felt all kinds of wrong. Looking into their souls, the blond found himself overwhelmed. The things they did, he had to watch. The worst part was that he couldn't do a thing about it. No sane person would be able to sleep, let alone forget this. The clown was the worst of them. These weren't people, they were monsters in human form. Naruto wanted to just shed his disguise and kill them immediately, but for the sake of the mission, he had to resist the urge to do just that.

"Now now Syura, don't give me that look, it's sooo unattractive. Your father should've informed you that I don't work well if I don't have my amazing assistant with me."

"I don't see what's so amazing about him." said one of them, whom Naruto could tell was Syura. He was a young man with tan skin, green eyes, and white hair. He also had on a crown-like headgear similar to his father's. He wore a white skintight shirt that revealed his stomach and white pants.

"Looks can be deceiving. Now come on, you and your Wild Hunt wanted to see how Project Titan is holding up, don't you? This time, the humans we've abducted have paid off." The Rook continued to follow Dr. Stylish, Syura and this "Wild Hunt" deeper into the lab. As he was talking about how amazing he was and how these Titans would help them overthrow The Church and defeat the Devils and Fallen Angels, they passed by several experiments that used for Project Titan: Former humans transformed into Giant Humanoids of different shapes and sizes, each with different facial expressions that never change.

"Titans, second-generation divine beings from the Greek mythos. They're making those? Good luck with that. At best, they're more like the jötnar of Norse mythology that originated from Ymir."

"Are you really comparing these things to the actual Titans?"

"Hey, science may take you a long way like magic in the real world and shit, but when it comes to making actual divine beings like "actual" Titans, that's when magic and alchemy are fucking needed. These science-made Titans? This is just flawed abominations that don't compare to the real deal. If they saw these things, they'd laugh and just kill them all with little effort. Unless they have a skilled alchemist, then that's when the real shit begins."

"Then it's best that I burn this book I'm trying to get as well as this lab until there's nothing left." When Infernus heard that he (Naruto) planned to burn the book, he asked why. Naruto told him he was unsure of the intentions Ajuka had the book. He even told Infernus that there was a possibility that he and Sirzechs had plans of making their own Titans for their own personal gain.

"You may have a point. It's possible that your fellow Pawn is aware of this and hasn't told you about it? If I could suggest something, I'd grab the book and then confront Ange about it. She might answer."

"Or not. I mean, she can tell a lie by telling what we'd assume to be a "truth." Infernus annoyed his host a bit when he commented, saying, "Women, the greatest wonders of the world." As soon as the Rook heard the footsteps in front of him stop, he did the same. Naruto had finally arrived at the final destination, The Main Lab. In it, he saw one male trapped inside a large glass prison that acted like a little arena in the middle of the room. He was a young man of average height and build. He had a fairly long, yet rounded face, and sizable, expressive teal-green eyes. His hair was short and brown, with his bangs falling naturally into a middle-parted curtain-type style.

"As you can see, we have two test subjects on display. The fellow on the right is a regular Titan, nothing special. The fellow on the left, however, is special, and I consider him to be my greatest asset: Eren Yeager." Naruto's eyes widen as he heard that name. It was the same name those two teens were looking for. To his horror, they had someone shoot him in the back. Instead of killing him, it made him turn into those monsters. He grew 15 m high, his hair was long enough to graze his shoulders, with his tongue and ears becoming elongated. Along with a prominent, hooked nose, his eyes were deeply sunken within their sockets, and his mouth took on an unusual, jagged shape, and he also lacked lips and flesh on his cheeks, exposing all his teeth.

"While he does turn into a Titan, he's the only one, so far, to retain his memories and change back into Human form." It was a form of relief for Naruto to hear Eren could turn back into a human. As he continued to observe, he heard Stylish order the other scientists to unshackle the two Titans and have them fight to the death. From what he was watching, Eren was dominating the Titan, ending the fight by constantly stomping on that Titan's head until it was a puddle of blood, flesh, and bone. After his victory, Eren gave out a loud roar before he attempts to break the glass that was keeping him inside the lab. Naruto knew his attempt to break it was futile, due to the glass being reinforced with skilled but amateur rune magic. Seeing this, he heard Stylish laugh in amusement as he considered Eren's attempt to escape hopeless and that he wouldn't let his "favorite pet" go off before forcing Eren to turn back into a human. "With Dorothea's alchemy and my science, these Titans will be perfected beyond perfection itself! Beautiful isn't it, my wonderful assistant?" Naruto couldn't answer him. He was keeping Eren as a guinea pig. Experimenting on him for who knows how long, making him kill what used to be humans.

"In fact, you don't have to answer, because you're not my assistant." Before he knew it, several knives came out of nowhere and embedded themselves into Naruto's back. Looking behind, to his shock, there was this extremely tall, slender, dark man with his right arm bandaged that appeared out of nowhere. He wore a black cloak and a white skull mask.

"Naruto, that's a Servant!" Naruto was completely shocked. This was an actual Servant, from the Assassin-class, summoned by none other than Dr. Stylish, who was boasting about it. To think he was capable of using Servant Magic.

"For some reason, you're not healing naturally, and our connection is a little bit fucked. Normally, for a host with limited access to my powers, only a Noble Phantasm should be able to hurt you and give off this effect and not these Dirks. Something else is the cause of the screw up in our connection, preventing me from forcefully healing you." Coughing blood, the Rook observed the knives and noticed one thing different: Three of them were Black Keys. If he remembers correctly, Black Keys are a sacrament of the Church, one of their many charms used against demons and vampires that prevented them from healing the wounds made with them. Stylish must've given Assassin the Black Keys at some point in time. Coughing blood, Naruto asked how he (Stylish) knew he was a spy.

"My Servant, Assassin, has the ability to conceal his presence. Whenever my assistant's out of the lab, I send Assassin to spy on him and make sure he returns to me safely. It was a shame that he died. I could've had Assassin come in and attack but I noticed that your fellow ally was the same person who tried to kill me, who had that "one ball gadget" that I wanted to experiment on. Of course, even if I didn't send Assassin, as soon as you came at the front entrance, I would've already outed you as a spy."

"How?"

"Simple, whenever he comes back, he brings me the severed heads of a person that I use for my experiments." To think he and Ange forgot one little detail. They were sloppy. Putting his left hands in his left pocket, Stylish took out the book he was trying to retrieve. "You thought you could steal this from me? How cute and foolish. Now tell me, where's your little friend? Unlike you, she used a device to completely conceal herself like Assassin." It was good for Naruto to hear that Ange hasn't been spotted yet. It wasn't good to be kicked in the gut by Syura.

"The man asked you a question, where's your little friend?" It disgusted him when he heard the clown named Champ suggest that he go out and look for her. He would be the first to die.

"Have you tried the lobby?" Immediately after Naruto said that, Syura pulled out one of the Black Keys embedded in my back and used it to stab him in the right thigh, piercing into his femur, though not enough to split it.

"WHERE'S YOUR LITTLE FRIEND!?"

"Once I have my chance, I'm going to gut Ronald McPedo (Champ) over there and decapitate him with his own intestines..." Once more, Syura took the Second Black Key embedded in Naruto's back and stabbed him in the left thigh.

"But before that, I'm going to take these steak knives and I'm going to use them to cut that ugly face of yours before freeing Eren, have him kill Dr. Not-So-Stylish, and make our escape with that book as we cause hell while freeing the humans you had yet to experiment on as this place burns to the fucking ground!"

"Okay Naruto, that is very detailed, also you sound like a maniac." Hearing what he told them, Dr. Stylish, Syura, and the Wild Hunt laughed, claiming that Naruto's threats were worth less than shit. Before Syura could kill him, even though Naruto wasn't sure if being bonded to Infernus meant he was immortal, he stopped after large explosions were heard coming from all over the lab. Ange had begun blowing up the lab just as she had planned. Using this window of opportunity, Naruto painfully but quickly pulled out the Black Keys embedded in his thighs and, utilizing some fire magic he could muster up, given his fucked up state caused by the Black Keys. As promised, the Rook used them to leave a permanent X-Shaped Scar on Syura's face. Naruto enjoyed hearing him scream as Syura covered his scarred face. He then used them to fulfill his second promise to gut Champ and decapitate him with his own intestines. After that, Naruto threw one of the Black Keys at the Assassin Servant, hitting him in the chest and pinning him to a wall, not allowing him to move as he threw the other Black Key towards one of the rune symbols on the glass prison, thus breaking the magic holding Eren inside. Yelling his name, Naruto woke Eren up before yelling at him to "go Hulk". Biting his hand really hard, he transformed into his Titan Form, broke out, and as expected, he grabbed Stylish with his large right hand. Much to Naruto's surprise, Eren spoke.

"You turned me into this! Had me kill other humans, including the ones who were my friends before you changed them!" Naruto witnessed as Eren pulled Stylish's head upward, severing it, along with his spine, from his body before crushing it. Before he knew it, the Assassin Servant Naruto had pinned to the wall ceased to exist. He guessed that once the Master is killed, the Servant ceased to exist since it no longer had a constant source of magic to keep it here. Once Eren had his little revenge, he turned his attention towards the members of Wild Hunt. Syura angrily told his team to kill Naruto and Eren before teleporting away from the room. Despite the wounds he received that had yet to heal, Naruto went to grab Stylish's Book. One of the Wild Hunt, Enshin, tried to cut him with wind blades, but Eren used his right arm to protect him.

"You freed me...I help you." As soon as he said that, Eren blew them away by slamming his fist onto the floor, knocking them out.

"Naruto, it's Ange, I freed the humans who had yet to be experimented on. Do you have the book?" Naruto let Ange know that he had it and that Stylish was dead.

"Do you need me to-"

"No, get those people out. I'm sending Eren to you." Ange had voiced her surprise when Naruto mentioned Eren's name before asking him why he was sending him to her."You're in for a surprise. Make sure he gets home too." Looking to Eren, Naruto asked him if he could do him a favor and make sure Ange and the people she freed made it out alive. He nodded in approval before running out of the room, smashing everything in his path.

"You're not going with them?"

"Can't, this book is important to them. If I go with Ange, I'm putting those prisoners in danger. Even if they send one or two Wild Hunt members to attack them, they're no match for Eren's Titan Form or Ange. I need to be a distraction so Ange and Eren can get back to Shiganshina, given my injuries." Infernus commented on his plan, telling him he was crazy, but in a good way.

"Hey Wild Hunt, I have the book with Stylish's work on Project Titan! If you want it back, you'll have to take it from me by force! That is... if you have the balls to go after a weakened Devil without your little bitch of a leader! After all, I fucked up that already ugly face of his, and I killed your clown!" Angered, The Wild Hunt forgot about Eren and Ange and focused on trying to kill Naruto. Immediately, the Rook teleported out of the room before they could close in. However, due to his weakened state, instead of being teleported outside, he was sent to Stylish's "Dungeon". Looking around, he noticed a lot of weird kinky stuff that grossed him out.

"Oh god, I did NOT want to see this!" Teleporting once more, he ended up in Stylish's Secondary Lab. In it, he noticed a pair of gloves that were on the counter, with a description on the gloves.

"Perfector, a Teigu that increases the speed and precision of the user's fingers by several hundredfolds." These could come in handy, given his situation. He puts them on before getting started on building a teleportation device from scratch. Naruto heard several bangs coming from outside of the room. The blond knew immediately that it was The Wild Hunt. He figured they were named that for a reason. Based on the weight of the door and the size of it, it'll take six minutes for them to destroy it, even with their weapons. He only needed five.

"It's a shame that The Wild Hunt can find their prey, cornered, yet they can't open a door!" Infernus laughed as The Wild Hunt got angry and started making louder noises. Come to think about it, how could they find him so quickly? That question left his mind as soon as he finished his device and use it to escape, just as they broke through.

Unknown Forest

Dauper, Germany

Fresh air, thank God for fresh air. Yeah he was bleeding like crazy, and the teleportation device was just a one-time thing since as soon as he appeared on this location, the device burning out and dying. Discarding it, he now had time to pull out the knives that were embedded in his back, as well as that third Black Key. Pulling the Black Key out, Naruto noticed there was a kanji for tracking carved into it. This must have been how Wild Hunt was able to find him in that lab. With his Rook Strength, he broke the knife with his bare hands before pulling out the rest of them.

"Infernus, can you heal me?" Unfortunately, Infernus told him that since the Black Key was embedded in him for a long period of time, he couldn't. Had he had time to prepare, Naruto could've built a limited tolerance to it.

"Tell you the truth Infernus, I was hoping that the fight with that Assassin Servant would be longer."

"Eh, there's always next time. Who knows, maybe the next Servant will be stronger. Though, if the fight was long, I'm sure that Assassin would have used his Noble Phantasm on you." As he nodded in agreement, Naruto took off Perfector and stuffed it into his pocket before he painfully made his way down the hill. For now, he had to survive until he can properly heal.

Naruto couldn't call Ange, not now with Wild Hunt on the search, and he couldn't use his magic properly. Knowing her, Ange could defend herself, and Eren can shift into a Titan. It was dark out, and right now, the darkness and the forest were his allies. Looking at the smoke coming far off from where he was, it'd take a while for them to find him. Naruto's legs ached as he walked, not from wandering for who knows how long, but from the stab wounds inflicted on his thighs. As he walked, his stomach began to growl.

"I need to eat something, and fast." Ripping the bark off a tree, Naruto found and pulled out a large beetle larva from it, his eyes widening as he watched it struggle in between his fingers.

"From what Asada-chan told me, in Fatal Bullet...these can be eaten..."

"Oh damn, that thing's huge. Must be really juicy if it's that wide."

"You're not helping Infernus..." Making a face, Naruto pops it into his mouth and chews it up, to his disgust. After swallowing it, Naruto coughed a bit. After that, he proceeded to eat five more of them before feeling satisfied. "That was awful...But at least it'll hold me until morning when I can find something more appetizing..."

Soon, Naruto came across a cave, big enough for him to sleep in. As he took a step towards it, he noticed a gray wolf coming out of the cave, growling at him. As he focused his eyes, he noticed three extra pairs of eyes looking at him, belonging to three pups. Knowing full well that the gray wolf was a mother protecting her children, Naruto backed off and instead rested his back against a tree. After making sure that Stylish's Book was safe in his pocket, he closed his eyes and rested, though he had trouble sleeping, due to the cold wind. What a bad night to not be able to properly use Infernus' powers. When he woke up in the middle of the night, Naruto noticed the gray wolf and her three pups were keeping him warm as they slept on him. Naruto smiled as he went back to sleep.

The Next Day

Morning

Unknown Forest

Dauper, Germany

A big red deer (buck), alone in the woods, and in her sights, the girl drooled as she wondered how good the meat will taste after skinning and cooking it. She wiped the thin trail of drool from her mouth before readying her bow. Before she could release her grip from the bowstring, her stomach growled, alerting the deer, causing it to run off.

The girl knew she should have eaten more at breakfast, but she woke up a bit late, having only eaten 3 slices of bacon, two sunny-side-ups, and two pancakes. As usual, her father told her, "Sasha, if you're so hungry, try huntin' for more meat. Hunters like us shouldn't have problems huntin' for more food." Disappointed, the girl known as Sasha dropped to her knees, bemoaning the fact that she had high-quality deer meat escape from her.

Sasha couldn't go back home empty-handed, or else her father will just do his usual laugh and ask her if he should come with her next time, and she wouldn't hear the end of it. Sasha resolved to continue hunting for the deer as her stomach growled. Minutes go by, and she found herself giving up on the deer. Perhaps she should just focus on hunting for rabbits. Rabbits are always good.

Before she decided to change direction, she heard the roar of a male deer. Judging by how it sounds, she could tell right away that the deer was struggling with something. Following the noise, Sasha came across the same deer she was hunting down struggling with the wounded Naruto. He was swearing a bit as he struggled with the deer. Despite this, he had an impressive hold over the big animal. Sasha's eyes grew wide as she witnessed him snapping the deer's neck with his bare hands. She tensed as soon as the Rook released the deer and noticed her.

"Well...fuck," was all he said as he passed out. Worried, Sasha went over to check on him, breathing a sigh of relief as she found a heartbeat before noticing his stomach growling. Of course, he passed out from hunger. Looking at the deer and back at Naruto, she figured she'd take them both home with her. Hopefully, her father wouldn't mind having a guest over. However, how was she going to bring this whole buck home?

"Sasha?" Turning around, she had a look of surprise on her face.

"Connie!?"

"Hey Sasha, what's-" Connie didn't finish his sentence as soon as he saw the bleeding blond boy. He asked his friend what happened as he ran towards the blond. Sasha told him that he was like that when she saw him and that he fell unconscious for a good 8 seconds.

"By the look of those wounds, he needs to be treated right away. Help me carry him and this deer back to my house, Connie." Connie replied by asking her if she was sure about helping Naruto. For all they know, he could be a bad person. However, Sasha defended her decision to help the blond boy by telling Connie, "Maybe so, but we'll take our chances". After telling him that, she told him once more to help her carry Naruto and the deer back home. That was until her stomach growled.

"On second thought, how about you go to my place and bring back some medical supplies while I skin this deer and cook some of the meat?"

"Are you sure that that guy won't bleed to death?" Checking his wounds, Sasha could tell he'd live before telling Connie to not keep her waiting and go grab the medical supplies. After Connie sighed, he told her to keep her guard up around Naruto before running off to grab the medical supplies. She was glad Connie was around when she needed help. While he was out, Sasha took it upon herself to skin the deer and gather wood to build a fire to cook the meat. Turning to the blond, she sighed as she told him, "Hopefully you don't end up snapping my neck like this deer's."

30 minutes later

Naruto had woken up to something that smelled really good. Painfully, he got up to see Sasha cooking the deer he had just killed. She was also making campfire baked potatoes on the side. As soon as he made a little noise, the girl turned to him and greeted the blond with a smile.

"It's a good thing you're not dead, otherwise I'd have to eat this all by myself," The Rook said nothing as he looked at her cautiously. "You saw what I did, didn't you?" She only nodded before adding that it was the first time she had seen anyone kill a deer with their bare hands before asking him if he was a part of a circus.

"I'd say that I'm part of something not related to the circus." She was confused by his answer but accepted it before asking if he was going to sit down with her or not. Immediately, he could tell that she wasn't an enemy for now as he sat down next to her.

"You don't look like you're from around here." Naruto told her he was just visiting from Japan on "business". When she asked what sort of business he was involved in, Naruto answered with, "The kind you don't want to know."

"You look too young to be doing business in Germany," she told him before asking if it was okay for him to move. "Trust me, there were more wounds on me than what you see now." Curious, Sasha handed him one baked potato, a slice of butter inside the incision of the potato that was slowly melting, and some of the cooked deer meat before asking Naruto how he got them.

All he said was that he was dealing with some bad people and that was how he got his wounds. So far from what he told her, the wounds on his legs have healed a bit, though not completely, and most of the wounds on his back had yet to heal. It came as a surprise to Sasha when he mentioned the mother wolf and her cubs that lived in the cave not far from here. She had just come back from feeding them not too long ago. The mother wolf rarely lets anyone other than her near them.

Finished, Naruto told her, "I should go, thanks for the food", as he prepared to leave. With wounds like those, Sasha could tell he wouldn't make it to the nearest town. She stopped him before telling him he was coming with her.

"I am not letting you go with wounds like those. You're coming with me back to my house to rest as soon as Connie comes back with the medical supplies." As soon as she said that, Connie had just arrived with the supplies. Naruto nodded as he allowed her to fix him up. After minutes of disinfecting, sewing and bandaging, the Rook got up with a smile. "That was all I could do. Lucky for you, you won't have any permanent scars."

"You may be an amateur, but you know your stuff."

"Hey Sasha, are you sure it's okay for you to bring him back to your place?" Sasha assured Connie that he was cool since she was still alive. Turning back to Naruto, she asked him if he could help carry the meat, given his amazing strength. Naruto just smiled as he effortlessly carried the meat over his shoulders.

"With my wounds temporarily treated, I'll be fine." Connie and Sasha were speechless. She was pretty sure that he was a strongman for a circus. "...The name's Naruto." A weird name for a boy like him, but who was Sasha to judge.

"Sasha Braus is my name, and the other guy is my sidekick, Connie Springer."

"Sidekick!?"

Braus Family Farm

Dauper, Germany

Thanks to Sasha, Naruto felt a bit better. His wounds weren't bothering him as much as before. By tomorrow, he'll be fully healed, and he can go meet up with Ange. Hopefully, he could communicate with her later. When they arrived at Sasha's, Naruto was met with an amazing view of her land. From what Sasha told him during their walk here, it was only her and her father. To manage all this was something.

"Sasha, yer back!... Why is Connie here? And who is that kid carryin' all that meat?" Right away Naruto could tell that was Sasha's father. He introduced himself and told him a somewhat fabricated story of what happened to him. After listening to it, he said, "Well, I guess you could stay fer tonight, then leave tomorrow afternoon. I'll have you eat with us, however, you're sleepin' in the barn, and you have to pull a bit of weight. This hospitality ain't free ya got me?"

Naruto nodded to his agreement. Sasha's dad gave him a smile and told him to start by putting on some clothes that he'll lend as soon as he puts the meat in storage. As Naruto did so, he heard the girl's father yell at Connie to help him as well since he was here too. Apparently, he doesn't like Connie. Naruto puts on the Barley Journeyman Shirt Jacket, Black Cargo Trousers, Yellow T-Shirt and Socks, and Black Soft Leather Boots the man lent him before getting to work. During his stay at the farm, Naruto fed the horses, helped collect eggs from the chickens, and made sure the goats didn't run off. He even milked a cow. Sasha's dad was impressed with how efficient the Rook was, and how he didn't complain at all, asking him if he was interested in working for him. Of course, Naruto politely declined.

"A shame really, but I understand. Well, back to it." With that he left, leaving Naruto to pick the carrots with Connie.

"How are you not tired from those wounds?"

"I tend to ignore most of the pain and just follow through. That and I'm used to doing tasks like this for people, free of charge."

"You're something else Naruto..."

"...Do you like Sasha?" Connie freaked out when Naruto asked him. "Wh-What!? Why do you ask!?"

"Her father seems to give you the larger jobs, and when you tripped and fell face first in the pig feeder, he laughed." Connie sighed as he admitted that Sasha was amazing, beautiful, and knew how to brighten the mood when things went south. "Not only does her father not like me, because of my stature, he told me that the reason why he hates me the most is that I'm not strong." It was like looking in a mirror. Connie was Naruto 2.0.

"Connie, back then, I wasn't strong like you. Smarter than you, but wasn't strong physically. There's this girl that I...used to like. Special to me. I never told her I loved her, but we became really good friends. Her father did not like me, he didn't even want me to be her friend at all for all the same reasons you told me. Though he didn't know it, I protected his daughter from bullies constantly but got my ass handed to me and everything. I wasn't strong, but I didn't care. All I cared about was the safety of my friend. Eventually, all those times I lost in a fight paid off. She told her father everything I did for her, and he actually came to my house personally and told me, "A protector shouldn't get his ass kicked. However, since you showed bravery and the guts to never run away, that's enough for me." Moral of the story is, you don't need muscles or wins in a fight to prove how strong you are, just how brave you can be."

"I get it, I think. You're saying that I just need to show her father how brave I can be. I don't need to fight and win against people, but to show the guts to never run away and the will to protect Sasha!" Naruto couldn't help but nod and agree with Connie. He swore, he should get good with these talks. Jiraiya, and surprising enough, Infernus, were usually good at these things.

"But how can I prove that I can be brave?" When he asked that, Naruto just told him he had no idea. "Maybe if she was held at gunpoint, you can have a shot at showing your brave side."

"I don't want to get shot!"

"Then you've got a lot to think about as we work on pulling these carrots out of the ground." The Rook smiled as Connie groaned at the unknown amount of carrots they had to pick.

2 hours later

With the free time he had after finishing all the chores, Naruto read the contents of Stylish's Book. He figured he'd see what sort of stuff was written inside before contacting Ange. The information it contained was in full detail, and it was beyond brutal. In one of the entries, Stylish had constantly cut off Eren's arms and legs in order to test how fast his limbs could regrow. Another one had Stylish inject Titan serum directly into their spines. By the time the sun began to set, Naruto had finished the book.

"I've seen all kinds of torture, but this one is one for the books." As soon as he closed the book, Naruto tried six times to telepathically called Ange before the seventh one reached her.

"I was right, you're not dead."

"It'll take more than a team of rapists (The Wild Hunt) to kill me...How's Eren?" Naruto lets out a smile when Ange told him Eren was back home, and that he could freely shift back into his Human form.

"...I read the book's contents." Ange said nothing for a while before telling him she knew he'd do that.

"Honestly, from what I've seen, and from what I've read, I want to burn it."

"Naruto, you can't burn the book. Ajuka needs that boo-"

"When you told me that we needed to retrieve the book for this Ajuka guy so he can "learn more about it", it sounds like he's interested in making Titans for the Devils, even perfect it."

"If we get it to Ajuka, then he might be able to make a cure for the Titans that are roaming around in Germany, in time." When Naruto asked how she could be so sure about trusting Ajuka, Ange replied, "I'm not. Like you, I too felt like that there was more to this mission when Ajuka gave it to me. However, Ajuka's not like the Devils from back then. Like Sirzechs, and the New Devils, they're better, they've learned from the mistakes the Old Satan Faction made back then and are doing their best to build good relations. This is all based on my faith in the good of the New Devils, Naruto. Trust me."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better? How can I trust you when I don't know if you're lying to me or not? Even if we're part of the same Peerage, how do I know if what you've told me are truths and not lies?"

"Because I know what it's like to be lied to, how it feels to believe in something, in someone, only to have them crumble down in front of you. I went through the same things you did, it wasn't like it was right now, but similar to it. It was the same with my old team. Even my oldest friend who was on the same team I was on kept things from me and told me things I wanted to hear. There will always be times where we feel that way Naruto...I'm not going to tell you to trust me now, but to give me a chance to prove myself worthy enough to be someone you CAN trust. I won't stop you from making your choice...because I trust that you'll make the right one..." A few seconds. Naruto was a few seconds away from burning the book, but after hearing what she wanted him to hear, the blond hesitated for a while before deciding not to burn the book and follow through. He smiled as he told Ange, "You're better at talking to people than me, Ange. If you were here, you'd be better at talking to the guy I just befriended hours ago." After Naruto said that, Ange laughed a bit.

"...Your laugh is cute, Ange." For some reason, Ange began to stutter.

"Wha-Wha-What!? Why are you pointing that out!?"

"Because it's true."

"...J-Just lay low for tonight...and come back to Shiganshina at noon tomorrow!" With that, communication with her ended. Did she really have to yell?

"Naruto, come in for dinner!" Naruto puts the book back into his jacket pocket as he walked towards the Braus Home.

Roman, Italy

Bols and Wave

Exiting the house, Wave and Bols took a walk together towards the Jaeger Hideout after the former had dinner with the latter's family.

"As usual, your family is nice to me Bols. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Nonsense Wave. My daughter looks up to you as an older brother, and you help my wife and me with the cooking so I hardly call that being taken advantage of." Wave smiled as Bols cheered him up. The first time they met, he was freaked out by his appearance. But after fighting together for so long, he grew to respect him and considered Bols to be one of his closest friends.

"...After this next mission, I'm quitting the Jaegers." This was a surprise for Wave. Everyone in the Jaegers loved having Bols around. To have him leave would be sad.

"Soon my daughter Logue will start school. I want to be a father to her, and a good husband to Kije, and fulfill my dream of owning my own restaurant," said Bols, with Wave understanding.

"We're going to miss you Bols, but if it's your choice, we won't stop you," replied Wave as he put an assuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"By the way, how's the new recruit doing?" asked Bols, concern in his voice.

"Xenovia's been getting some intense training from Esdeath ever since she joined. She worries me. I have seen her several times, passed by her even. Her presence felt calm and warm. Now, compared to before, it feels...cold... and the look in her eyes are full of anger, rage...and sadness."

"Will she join us on the next mission?" Wave replied with a no, adding that Esdeath and Run wouldn't be joining either since Run was busy with his teaching schedule, and Esdeath was still training Xenovia. Apparently, she's having her "trace" weapons. Recently, Esdeath had an argument with Griselda on how Xenovia was behaving and had demanded that Xenovia returned with her. The bluenette ultimately chose Esdeath, and that the things she said to Griselda regarding some secrets kept from her made the latter overwhelmed and caused her to collapse from "a broken heart". Even as they spoke, Xenovia was at Griselda's side in a hospital, worried for the latter.

"I hope Griselda gets better. She was the one who helped me meet my wife...Do you think that we're good people, Wave?" Having been asked that was rare for Wave. "While I've told everyone about my past, I never told anyone this, but at some days when I go to Church with my wife and child, back when Takumi was alive, I had my suspicions on him."

"You did!?"

"I felt something off about him. Almost every time we had interactions with him...I felt like he was lusting for my wife. I confronted him several times but was never able to prove it. When my family and I were informed of his death, I was...happy." Wave couldn't believe that Bols had told him something like this.

"I don't accept how Firebrand got rid of him. I would've like it if he was arrested, but I couldn't help but feel that what Firebrand did was good. I just... I just feel that The Church's kindness is being taken advantage of." Wave understood how Bols felt. He had his own run-ins with bad people who were part of The Church, but he couldn't do anything to act, nor could he prove what those people did were wrong.

"That's why we're here Bols, to let the people know that there's still good and honest people like us in the Church." While Wave couldn't see it, Bols smiled underneath his mask.

"You're a good friend Wave. I'm sure that you'll make a perfect boyfriend for Kurome." Blushing, Wave looked away and told Bols that he had no idea what he was talking about. Arriving at the hideout, they were approached by Kurome, Seryu, and the latter's Teigu Hekatonkheires/Koro.

"Kurome, what's the mission?"

"A capture mission. Originally, the Wild Hunt leader Syura wanted help to kill a Devil in Germany that scarred his face." Hearing that Syura's face got scarred made Wave's day. He obviously disliked, even hated, the Wild Hunt. Just realizing what he was thinking about now made him aware that he was thinking like Bols.

"However, when he gave us a description of the Devil, we realized that the one who scarred him was Firebrand himself." This made Wave's eyes widen. "So Esdeath gave us a new order."

"So now our mission is-"

"To capture Firebrand and bring him to the Church so we can properly judge him for the murder of Takumi."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next chapter, Igneox will be used in battle!

Yeah, I promised news reports of Firebrand, but I figured they just became aware of him, give it time to develop into a bigger talk in another chapter and so on. It looks like some of the Jaegers will appear in the next one. I was hoping to get to the part where Infernus goes apeshit, but I figure I'd save that for when both the Wild Hunt and the Jaegers appear at the Braus Farm where Naruto has to fight all of them.

I'm aware of the lack of Moka's presence. The reason for that is because I want to give the effect of neglect. Make her feel ignored by Naruto to put it at best. Moka still has a role that I have planned but have yet to add.

The reason why AOT is in Germany is because some of the names in the series are German for something. Weird reason but it just stuck. That and I wasn't really going to make up a country or put in the countries in AOT into Firebrand. After all, a large majority of the people in the world don't know that the supernatural exists.

This chapter, there's no development in relationships. Why? Not every chapter has to be about forming relationships with girls. The chapter after the next one will have it.

I took a gamble to use AOT. But I did, and that's because I wanted to have Naruto receive help from a human that showed kindness and generosity to him before he had to save said human and her father in the next chapter. Don't worry, this is just a limited time thing, given that this is just part 1 the Germany mission. Next chapter will complete Naruto and Ange's mission, that I will promise those who are patient.

Assassin (Hassan) makes a bit of an appearance as the Servant of Dr. Stylish because I wanted to show just how much Naruto underestimated Dr. Stylish. Had there been a larger fight, Naruto would have a bit of a tough time, that and Eren had to have revenge on Stylish.

Yes, Syura received that X-Shaped Scar from Naruto. Now it's a part of him. I'm conflicted about whether to add him in the next chapter or not, what do you guys think? Do you want this douche in the next chapter and have him suffer a big defeat or should I straight up kill him?

Should I also kill Sasha's father?

Though this was off-scene, Xenovia said things that made Griselda collapse from a broken heart. After all, Griselda loved Xenovia as a sister. Yeah, she's been known to give Xenovia quite a scare from time to time, but she genuinely loves her, and what Xenovia said has taken a toll on her heart. The reason I didn't show this scene is because I wanted to focus on Naruto's mission in Germany. If possible, I might add to this scene in the next chapter, if asked by readers or if I decide to.

I will try to write and finish the next chapter if I can. I apologize for the wait and I hope you all have a good holiday and that you can expect "bigger things" for the next chapter and so on. I just want to assure readers that the chapter after the next one will be back in Japan.