A/N: Argh! I blame Rikudo-75 for this! Here I was, content to update all my old stories, then HE has to go and suggest a new idea! I was happy! I was content! And then I was introduced to what I know regard as possibly one of THE best animes of all time. Shingeki no Kyojin. Otherwise known as Attack on Titan. A powerful script, beautiful music and damn good acting. I've already become acquainted with all of the anime, and am up to the most recent chapter of the manga. Naturally, an idea occurred to me. AND I KNOW NOW THAT IT ISN'T THE FIRST CROSSOVER! STOP TELLING ME THAT! I'D MEANT TO SAY IT WAS MY First crossover into this realm!

In that regard, I'm fairly certain no one has dared to try this before. Also to the anonymous and infamously annoying flamer, DoomMarine54, F**k ya bro, no ones give two shits! And with that, I proudly present to you the continuation of...

...my first ever Naruto & Attack on Titan crossover! Its a long chapter! lot happens in this chapter! A LOT of changes have been made here, folks!

"One day I'll die, Annie. Just not by your hand."

~?

Potential

Three years have passed since that fateful day.

Eren applied for military training that year as did Mikasa and Armin. Each expected hard times ahead for the next three years; what they weren't expecting was to meet an old friend. At least Mikasa wasn't. Now more than thirteen years of age she stood stock still with her brother and childhood friend row for row in uniform, rigid and unflinching as their instructor welcomed them in typical military fashion.

"You are now officially members of the traning unit no. 104!" Said instructor, a dark-eyed, intimidating man, barked at them. "Unfortunaely for you, I, Keith Shardis, will be in charge of you maggots starting today! As will my lieuteant...Uzumaki Naruto!" The only indication of this "lieuntenant" was a slight nod to an adjacent rise on the nearby mesa. Mikasa jumped at the mention of that name, but when she turned to look...no one was standing there. Had she just imagined hearing his name, then?

Inexorably, the instructor continued.

"We aren't here to give you a warm welcome. All of you are now, merely livestock, waiting to be eaten by Titans. No...you're even worse than livestock! For the next three years, we'll train you useless shits! We'll teach you how to fight the Titans! When you face one in three years, will you still be just food? Or, will you become a glorious wall to protect these walls? Or a mighty champion of mankind who will destroy the Titans? That is for you to decide! The choice lies in your hands!"

Without another word he strode forward to address his recruits. "You there!"

"Yessir!"

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Armin.

"I'm Armin Arlart, sir!" the boy replied without fail. I'm from Shinganshina, sir!

"Sure you are!" Shadis roared back. "Good name for a retard. Your parents call you that?"

"My grandfather, sir!"

"Arlart, why are you here?"

"To contribute to mankind's victory, sir!"

"Fucking splendid!" The instructor declared, seizing Armin by the shoulders and spun him about. "You'll make fine Titan feed! Line three! About face!"

With that, he moved onto the next line.

"And who the hell are you?" he asked of the next recruit.

"Sir! I'm Thomas Wagner, Sir! I'm from Trost, Sir!"

"Speak up!"

"I'm Thomas Wagner, si-

"Can't hear you! Come back after your balls drop!" Without pause or preamble, he moved onto the next group.

"Line four! About Turn!"

A whiskered visage pulled the slightest of smiles as it watched the instructor move onto the next line of recruits and continued his verbal assault. Uzumaki Naruto almost laughed at the sight. He had high hopes, for this generation. There was so much raw potential here! Some of them would make fine soldiers; others might become fine scouts and still others showed the inherent talent to become shinobi. Indeed, Naruto had held high hopes for these youngsters.

High hopes indeed.

Three long years had passed since his return to the walls; having survived his scuffle with the titans he'd followed the river and eventually found his way to civilization; making for himself a defunct home here amidst the denizens of Wall Rose. Word of his heroism in Shinganshina had spread like wildfire amongst mankind; he'd become something of a man-made legend to these people now. A man who could take on the form of a giant kitsune, create copies of himself and summon the wind with a flick of his fingers. Some said he was a god and worshipped him as such. Others called him a devil and feared him even more than the scourge that plagued their very race. God and Devil.

Naruto considered himself to be neither.

He was after all, only human. Ah, the irony of that statement! Were it not for the demon within him he'd never have survived being catapaulted to this god-forsaken future, never have awoken to find these detestable giants , After all, he thought to himself...

...I'm only human.

And this human had come all this way just to see these greenhorns. With his powers and prestige he could've easily landed a cushy position protecting the king or serving some other human noble. Instead he'd chosen to take the bull by the horns literally and figuratively. Less than a week from now he would be an unofficial part of the Scouting Legion. He had no idea how to use the 3D Maneuver Gear-no he refused to use it-and yet for reasons unbeknownst to himself evey now, he wanted to work with them; these fools who dared to venture beyond the walls to fight the Titans. He'd even turned down the Garisson Corps and the Military Police just so he could join said fools in their fight.

But that was neither here nor there.

Right now, and for the next three years, he would help train these whelps, or die trying. He might even make a shinobi out of one or two of them, if they had the right aptitude-and assuming they had the proper chakra coils to activate. Who knows, given enough time and the right resources, he might be able to recreate his people from scratch! Then he wouldn't be alone anymore...

Whoa there, tiger! Naruto slapped his cheeks before he became too caught up in his dreams for the future. Agelesness aside, he had all the time in the world. Some of them-the recruits below him-might not even make it through the week.

Still...to think he'd find himself here, staring down at all these fresh young faces...ah! This was so...nostalgic! It reminded him of his early shinobi days. Before the threat of war loomed on the horizon, before Sasuke's defection, before Orochimaru, before all of that. Back when he was so desperate to become a ninja, so proud to wear the hitiate. It almost brought a tear to his eye. Most of these children had no idea what lie in store for them, no idea of the horror a titan could inspire-and yet they were throwing themselves into become soldiers anyway. That set them in one of two groups. Ridiculously brave, or hopelessly stupid. In the case of the former he could work with them, but if they were the latter as he secretly suspected...

Che. He thought to himself. Listen to yourself, Naruto. Yer being sentimental again. These kids can't stand up to a titan as they are now. Certainly not the one you fought...

"You mean the armored titan?"

'Been awhile, Kurama.' he chortled to himself. 'Did you enjoy your three-year nap?'

"Hrmph." the kitsune yawned. "Maybe if you'd done something interesting I would've woken up sooner."

Naruto cocked his head aside, smiling at the word reverberating inside his head. Now, most would've considered him crazy for talking to himself. But he wasn't crazy! Okay, maybe a little. But that didn't make the voice inside his head any less real. Kurama, the nine tailed fox, was as much a part of him as he was it. Ever since he'd unlocked the Seal deep within him, they'd ceased to be two separate entities. Now, they were one. Dual souls sharing a single body; two spirits, in one flesh, sharing the same chakra.

Apparently eternal youth was a side effect of their union. That, or they looked ridiculously good for one hundred and seventeen years! Their dirtnap must've done wonders...

"Youthfulness aside, do you really think that giant is here, somewhere?"

"He's here alright." Naruto replied, narrowing his gaze upon the population at their feet. "I can smell him. And...at least two others." It was true. Just had to be. He'd diligently spent the last three years after the breach of Maria hunting down titans, titans. Sharpening not just his killing skills-sleeping for a century tended to make one a bit rusty-but his sensory capabilities as well. And his nose told him; that the armored behemoth was somewhere within these walls, possibly even amongst these recruits, but so far he had yet to see hide nor hair of him.

"Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?"

"A titan-shifter?" The last shinobi shrugged. "Its possible, I guess. I mean, we gained that ability three years ago, didn't we?"

"And you know how much I hated you using it!" his partner chastised. "Ya went completely berserk last time!"

No use lying there. It must've had something to do with ingesting all that titan blood during their battle. He'd discovered the ability purely by accident; having been without food for nearly a week, forced to wander by the river, pissed off and angry at himself, wanting more than anything to just find something to eat. Something. Anything.

Somehow or another he'd tripped and stumbled, his hand catching upon a jagged piece of rock and sliced his thumb open. Just like that, he transformed; morphing into the very creatures he'd been hunting. Thankfully he hadn't been anywhere near wall Rose at the time. His memories of the incident were still hazy, but Kurama's remained crystal clear. His body had gone from man to monster, shifting into a twenty meter monstrosity more than five meters larger than those fifteen meter titans. If anyone saw him like that they'd have freaked out! In the end he'd devoured an entire pack of wolves-before Kurama had finally been able to wrest himself out of their temporarily rampaging body and stop him. Naruto shivered at the thought.

He had no desire to ever revisit that form again. Not unless he absolutley had too. Unless he was forced to face the Colossal Titan. Ugh. There was a battle he didn't relish fighting. He was confident he could control this newfound power of his if he set his mind to it, but at the same time...he was afraid of losing himself to that form again.

If that ever happened...there would be no holding back. He hadn't used his full power during the breach of Wall Maria, for fear of destroying the town; reducing his biju form to merely a fraction of its full size during his short-life scuffle with the armored titan. Perhaps if he'd used all of his strength back then mankind wouldn't be in the mess it was now...no. There was nothing he could do about that now. He'd rescued those two runts back then, in addition to countless others. He'd done what he could at the time, and now there was nothing to do but live with the consequences of his actions.

Best just to watch and see who had the most potential. Stupidity or otherwise...

"Line Five! About Turn!"

It went on like that for hours and in that time Mikasa finally realized something; the instructor had ignored her and Eren completely, alongside a handful of other recruits. Perhaps this was because they too, had already sufffered their rite of passage three years ago? He simply glanced at them in passing until finally he came to one Connie Springer. He promptly began to haraunging the young cadet for saluting on the wrong side of his chest. Honestly, who did that?! Mikasa almost felt sorry for him.

'Poor kid...

The crunch of a potato being bitten interrupted them. All eyes turned towards the perpetrator, a young brunette lass with dark eyes. She seemed to be scarffing down the potatoe as if her life depended on it. Perhaps it did; judging by the look on her face it might've been at least a week since her last meal. Shadis promptly dropped Connie. Everyone froze. Even Mikasa felt just a touch uncomfortable when she recognize that fearsome gleam in the instructor's eye. Oh, that poor girl...

"Oi...you there." he growled, approaching the potato girl. "What are you doing?"

In response, the girl glanced around and took another bite.

"I am fucking talking to you, cadet!" "Shadis bellowed! "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"S-Sasha Braus, sir! I'm from the southern Wall Rose village of Dauper, sir!"

"Sasha Braus, what is that thing in your hand!"

"Sir!" she said with a salute! "It's a potato, sir!"

"I can fucking see that, cadet!" The instructor bellowed! "Why are you eating it?!"

"I saw it in the kitchen and it looked delicious, sir!"

"So you stole it? Why? Why would you choose to eat it now?"

""Potatoes are much more delicious when they're hot, sir! I thought I should act swiftly!"

"Ho? Is that so...? Well in that case you can run swiftly for the next three hours-

"Ara, can't you go easy on her, Shadis-san?" A familiar voice drawled somewhere behind and above the line. "Poor thing looks like she's about to drop dead from hunger!"

The instructor offered a small snort in reply.

"You're too soft, Naruto!"

Mikasa bristled. She knew that name! And now...that voice! But it couldn't be! It could possibly be...it was!

Her gaze swung upward; there she found him, standing above them all on a slight rise.

Naruto laughed as he stepped off from the cliff, his body plumeting like a sinking stone to the canyon floor miles below. Mikasa's breath caught in her throat. Was he insane?! That was a fifty foot drop! He'd be killled or worse! She watched, helpless, as her saviour dropped towards them feetfirst, his body standing stiff and rigid; a spear falling down from the heavens, gliding through nothingness as though he'd been borne there. And he wasn't even wearing Maneuver Gear! Surely, such a drop should've spelled his doom

His boots sank into the stone, leaving a slight impression upon the earth as he alighted effortlessly amongst the recruits. His recruits. Everyone made way for him warily-each uncertain of his sudden intrusion, but none dared challenge his prescence, this unannounced arrival, not here in the prescence of the instructor. He hadn't changed a bit, Mikasa noted. No, perhaps that wasn't entirely true.

For starters, it looked like he'd finally taken a bath. Those spikey blonde locks were still mangled and unruly, but at least they weren't caked with grease and grime as they'd been when last they'd met. Naruto appeared rested as well, another stark contrast with the exhausted fighter that had rescued her and Eren all those years ago. He'd since swapped his tattered rags out as well, exchanging those battered garb for that of a military uniform and trenchcoat-and he looked absolutely at home in both. There was a slight swagger to his step one that all but screamed its good to be back.

Then there was the gleam in his eyes; one that said these next few years just might prove to be perhaps the most painful days they'd ever endured. And the instructor did nothing to question his prescence. If anything, Keith Shadis seemed to welcome it. Hell! That was a slight smile on his face, wasn't it? What was going on here?!

"Naruto-san?" Mikasa exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes tearing. Despite herself, despite knowing what the instructor would do, she broke rank and bolted towards him. "Is that you? Is that really you?" For his part Naruto didn't reprimand her, he simply stared back at her in sheer disbelief. It was only when she grabbed him, when she flung her arms around him, that the shinobi finally reacted. A velvety grunt leapt from his lips-his arms shooting out to catch her by the shoulders, drawing her back as though he were afraid she might somehow attack him despite not having a weapon.

"Who the hell're you?" he demanded with a growl.

Mikasa's heart sank into her throat. He didn't recognize her? Well, that wasn't surprising.

"Oi, baka!" Eren hissed, but his warning fell on deaf ears. "What're you doing?! Get back in line!" Mikasa wasn't listening.

"It's me!" She argued back at the blonde holding her. "Mikasa!"

"What're ya talking about-wait!" Blue eyes bulged, recognition dawning in their aquamarine depths. "Mikasa?! You're that chibi I rescued back in Shinganshina!" He grinned then, and Mikasa felt her heart skip a beat. "I almost didn't recognize you after all these years! You've gotten bigger? How's your brother? Is he around here?" Kami! He was asking too many questions! And he seemed to realize it too, because he held out a hand to stifle his own mouth. "Wait, nevermind that! What the hell are you doing here? Don't tell me you decided to become a soldier because of-

"I decided to become a soldier on my own." Mikasa found herself admitting in a murmur-her body squirming beneath his piercing gaze, "I thought that if I did I might be able to see you again, somehow." Well, that was partially true. She'd known he was alive for at least a year now; her hoping and praying must've paid off somehow. Tales of a fox slaughtering titans were rather hard to miss, after all. His survival ever since he'd saved her had never been called into question; but to suddenly see him here, standing before her after three years...it was almost too much to bear.

"Oi oi...seriously?"

"Thosw two?"

"I didn't know they had a relationship like that...

Murmurs erupted around her; Mikasa gave them no thought whatsoever. She only had eyes for the scarred, smiling blonde standing before her. Because he was alive! Alive! Standing here before her-unharmed after all these years! She'd thought him to be dead! And he hadn't changed in the slightest! Aside from a few new scars on his face and forehead, her saviour appeared virtually ageless; he was still seventeen-going-on eighteen still the same youth that'd saved their lives that fatefuly day in the Shinganshina district. Although the age gap had shrunk to four years on her end, he hadn't aged a day. But how was that possible?

"Seriously, kid?" Naruto was still incredulous; she could see it in his face. "You wanted to see me? A complete stranger?"

"You're not a stranger." her cheeks were burning now despite her insistence, Mikasa desperately pushed her boot into the dirt as though she could somehow bury what she felt there. "You are...that is to say, I..." Kami, what was wrong with her? Why was she feeling so flustered?! She just wanted to thank him! Right?! If so, then why did she feel this strange pressure in her chest whenever she looked at him? What, was going on here, that had her so out of sorts?! Frustrated tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes; increasingly aware of the unwanted attention.

"You don't need to say anymore," Narutop's calloused hand reached down to ruffle her hair, gently tousing those ebony locks. "Ye were happy ta see me, right? I guess that's what's important." Mikasa's head jerked up in a flash, just in time to catch the slightest of smiles on his whiskered visage before it disappeared entirely. And then it was gone. "But putting that aside, now that you are here, there's something I should say," It was then that the blonde flashed her a grin that looked more at home on a demon than any man. "Get back in line, maggot!"

Oh, she had the succint feeling she wasn't going to enjoy this...

...not at all!

"Now get!"

As if to confirm her thoughts, the blonde gave Mikasa a harsh and unexpected shove, thrusting her back to her place in line. Mikasa reluctantly took the hint and stepped back beside her brother. Ignoring the confused stares of her foster brother and fellow cadets she directed her gaze back to Naruto's, only now realizing why he'd turned so crass, on a sudden. Here, Naruto wasn't her saviour. He was her superior officer. And as such, he had an example to set.

There could be no favoritism from him, he couldn't afford to be seen doing such things here in front of all these fresh, impressionable faces. But even so...that push had hurt, just a little. His gaze caught hers for the briefest moment, his eyes offering an unspoken apology for his rough treatement. Then, that too was gone, evaporating in place of a rigid scowl. The scarred blonde performed a sudden about-face, striding to stand before the recruits. The instructor, seemingly so rigid and unyielding earlier, now made way for him readily.

Naruto took a deep breath and released it in the same instant, his eyelids fluttering shut. When next they opened, his eyes were cold chips of sapphire.

"Listen well, maggots!" he began! "Before we begin your training here today, I want to make one thing perfectly clear!"

"Someone who can't sacrifice anything, can never change anything!"

Mikasa started in surprise! Where had that come from?! But Naruto wasn't finished:

"Will you throw aside your humanity to confron these monsters? Or will you be trodden underfoot? Will you fight for your life, will you be willing to toss aside that same life for the comrade standing beside you, for the sake of humankind?! Will you throw yourself into battle-to your deaths-against overwhelming odds? Those who cannot do these things, leave here this instant! The military is no place for you! You'd be better off in the landfills! But for those of you say yes, for those of you who are willing to stay, know this...I will make you strong! Stronger than you've ever been! Strong enough to slay the titans! Strong enough to protect humanity!"

The blonde let his words ring out amongst the cadets, let them sink in as lond as he dared. He was taking a risk here; a massive gamble that might not pay off.

"Some of you may recognize me!" he continued, his voice dropping an octave. "Some of you may have heard of me as well! Three years ago-I successfully aided in the evacuation of Wall Maria! But for those of you who do not know this face and have not heard my name, allow me to reintroduce myself! I am Uzumaki Naruto! A shinobi! Container of the Nine-Tailed fox! Hero of Humanity!" A murmur of confusion and uncertainty rippled through the group; Mikasa alone remained unfazed by his flamboyant introduction. But not everyone had her stoic disposition; because someone beside her said something.

"Ano...could you repeat that, sir?"

"You there!" Naruto's neck rounded on the perpetrator with such speed that Mikasa thought his head would fly right off his shoulders. The girl on her right squeaked and performed an about face, pigtails bouncing from the motion. She was a young thing, Mikasa realized her dark eyes wide and fraught with uncertainty. They grew wider still when Naruto stalked towards them, eyes ablaze. He thrust his visage forward at her, forehead mere inches from her own.

"What's your name, cadet?" he demanded.

"M-Mīna Carolina, sir!"

"Mina, huh?" Naruto mused. "And why are you here today, Mina?"

"To give my heart to humanity's cause, sir!"

"And why would humanity want your heart, maggot?!"

"Because I choose to give it, sir!"

"Well said!" the blonde seemed to accept that response, drawing back from this dark-haired lass. "It seems you have a strong spirit there. Good! I can use that! How would you like to become a shinobi, Mina?" A sudden silence followed those words. Even Mikasa didn't understand his question; what the devil was a shinobi anway? But, despite her own confusion, she refused to let that uncertainty show. Mina, lacking such resolve, faltered almost immediately.

"I-I'm afraid I don't understand the question, sir! What is a shinobi, sir?!"

Instead of shouting as everyone had expected, the former jonin's words were quite soft.

"Enough with the sir." Naruto waved her words aside. "Just call me Naruto. Or better yet, Naruto-sensei!" A wistful look wrested at the scowl he wore. "Always wanted someone to call me that. But to anwer what you've asked me...think of a shinobi as an elite warrior, such as myself. A soldier beyond soldiers, endowed with superhuman strength and speed, able to survive almost anywhere-do almost anything. I'm only willing to train a handful for now." His next words addressed the entire congregation.

"In other words, I will only train six of you in total! Those six will be forced to undergo hellish training in addition to your soldier training, for the next three years! It won't be easy, mind you!To become a shinobi takes great concentration and work ethic, not to mention chakra control. What is chakra, you ask? It is mental and physical energy, molded by years of training. Once produced, it can be used to create techniques known to most as jutsu. Here's an example. Behold!"

Naruto crossed his fingers and a plume of smoke surrounded him, blinding all to his prescence. When it cleared he was surrounded by a phalanx of clones, living breathing replicas of himself. A chorus of gasps rose up from the cadets at the unexpected sigh. What sorcery was this?! Mikasa smiled in awe at the sight, she remembered seeing this before as a child. Odd. The idea of learning such a thing actually...excited hr.

"This is the Kage Bunshin no jutsu." Naruto addressed the assembled candidates. "It creates living, breathing clones of oneself that transmit memories of their experience once dispelled; a useful technique for scouting and sabotage. Additionally, titans cannot tell the difference between you and a clone. Remember this if you don't want to get eaten! I could always show ya my other jutsu, but this'll do for now...

Murmurs of approval began to overtake the nervous whispers; anyone could see the use for such a technique. With a kage bunshin, a shinobi could inherently avoid danger altogether, or call upon an ally to aid them in battle. A soldier could use it to distract a titan, providing an opening for the killing blow.

"I'll say this again!" Naruto barked out, "My training, it is not for the weak-hearted! It will be harsh and demanding and you will have little to no time for rest. Some of you may consider it life-threatening. You may even die. However! If you somehow survive the next three years I can promise you that you will be worth ten, no, a hundred of the solidiers you see manning our walls today. Now...those who wish to accept, raise your hand and say 'hai' as I pass you by, and if I deem you capable, I will train you!"

To everyone's amazement, Mina's hand immediately shot up before Naruto even turned around.

"H-Hai!"

"Hai...?" the blonde drawled off, smiling.

"Hai, Naruto-sensei!" Mina replied quickly, never lowering her hand for an instant. "I wish to be trained!"

"Alright." Naruto bent before her and placed his palm flat upon her stomach. "Lets see if you have any chakra coils for me to work with. Hold still and take deep easy breaths." His hand seemed to pulse with an ethereal glow for a long moment as he spoke, eyes darting this way and that beneath his lids, searching. Mikasa watched intently, waiting to see what would happen. For a long moment, nothing did. Then:

"There!"

Mina doubled over, clutching at her stomach in the same instant that Naruto grunted in triumph. The girl's mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound emerged from her throat. Large eyes scruched themselves shut in a desperate attempt to block out the agony that had to be consuming her; just when Mikasa thought Mina was certain to scream her lungs out, Naruto retracted his hand, eyes scrunching shut in unseen pain. And then it was done, leaving him standing and Mina holding her stomach.

"Congratulations." Naruto rewarded the exhausted girl with a slight nod. "You've survived the worst of it. I've activated your chakra coils using my own power, so you'll be sore for a few hours. Nothing a bit of shut-eye and some asprin won't fix. Now Go back to the barracks and rest up. You've got a long three years ahead of you, ya know?"

"Th-Thank you, sir!" she gasped out. At Naruto's order, a soldier lead her away to her bunk, careful to keep the obviously winded lass from exhausting herself even further. Naruto watched his first disciple go with only the slightest shake of his head.

"Gonna have ta work on that enthusiasm." the deadpan was barely concealed. "Anywho, moving on!" Mikasa thought she caught a twinkle in the blonde's eyes as he crossed onto the next line to begin his inspection of the recruits. Perhaps it was just her imagination. Several raised their hands. Several were inspected. Nearly all of them were dismissed on the spot. And with each dismissal, Mikasa felt her chances dwindle. What was Naruto looking for? He seemed to be inspecting each cadet's stomach for some reason...was that where these 'coils' of theirs were supposed to be? Did Mina have something she didn't then? She could only wonder. A lifetime seemed to pass as Naruto painstakingly inspected each recruit, growing more and more disgusted with each and every failure.

The sole exception to that was a boy name Jean Kirschtein. He'd struck Mikasa as a laidback sort, but his volunteering had shocked her. Hadn't he wanted to join the Military Police? He'd received a headbutt from their instructor for that laidback attitude. What had inspired him to raise his hand then?

Unlike the others he did not fall. Nor did he scream. He didn't even writhe in utter agony as the five failures before him had. He did curse, however.

"Fuck!" the boy yelped as Naruto unsheathed his arm from his stomach, doubling over with a groan. "You didn't say it would hurt this much!"

"I didn't say it wouldn't hurt, now did I, maggot?!"

"No, but-

BAM!

Everyone flinched as the blonde ruthlessly headbutted him.

"Would you like another, boy?" Naruto challenged as the loud-mouthed lad sank to his knees and clutched at his head.

Jean was wise enough not to reply to that; much to Naruto's amusement. He might have some potential after all. Despite the boy's obvious mouth and temper, he felt genuinely heartened for the first time, in at least a year. Maybe there were more would-be shinobi hiding amidst these rejects after all! With that thought in mind, he sent Jean off to rest with Mina for the duration of the afternoon, confident he'd have the four remaining shinobi he sought before nightfall.

Four more failures swiftly disabused him of that notion.

"For fucks sake!" Kurama growled. "All these recruits, and only TWO of them have semi-decent chakra coils?! And even then, you had to flood them with your chakra just to get them working! What the hell happened to this future?!"

'I hear ya...

Something must've gone wrong in this time; Jean and Mina might be great-great-great something or other descendants from shinobi, probably why they had the coils in the first place. But the others...nothing. Failures, all around. Damn, just how far into the future had they been flung?

"Looks like you'll have more soldiers than I will shinobi, Shadis-san." Naruto remarked at the instructor. "Don't get me wrong, you've got some fine material here, but these kids are meant to be soldiers. Not shinobi by any means." Was it Mikasa's imagination...or did Naruto's gaze seem to stray towards Reiner Braun as he said this? It must've been, because the stoic recruit didn't so much as bat an eyelash. Naruto grunted and once more resumed his exhaustive check of the recruits, who had volunteered. And then finally-finally!-he approached them.

He stopped before Eren, despite the fact that Mikasa's brother hadn't raised his hand. He was quick to point that out, too.

"No thank you, sir!"

"Not interested, Eren?" Naruto seemed slightly amused by the boy's obvious defiance.

"Sir, no sir!" Jeager shook his head emphatically "I will be fine, sir!"

"Such a shame." Naruto sighed. "I can tell by looking at you; ya have the right chakra coils. Alright, then. Have it your way. I guess that's about it for this line-"

Mikasa's hand shot up.

"Mikasa?!" Naruto and Eren finally had something in common; they both thought she was batshit crazy!

"Are you insane?!" Eren bit out! "You saw what it did to the others! You might die!"

Mikasa ignored her brother.

"Naruto-san, I would like to take the training." she forced her voice to be level, despite the ever-growing pit of fear in her stomach. The man she had come to know as her saviour-and now her superior-stared at her for a long moment, then he raised his hand and clenched the wrist of that hand in a vicious vice. One by one the fingers of that hand began to glow, seemingly pulsating with tongues of fire, azure flames licking at the tips of each digits. Mikasa forced herself to swallow. Naruto had been quite clear in his instruction; this could kill the unprepared. I might die from this, she realized.

"I'm going to flood your circulatory system with most of my chakra." he explained. "It's going to hurt. A lot. This is your last chance to back out now, while you still can." Huh? Why was he explaining this to her and not the others d? Did he actually...care about what happened to her? The thought made her flush.

"You don't have to do this." he said one last time.

"Yes," she whispered softly, "I do."

Because I want to be like you. she added silently.

"Then clench your teeth!" Without warning he thrust his clawed fingers into her stomach and twisted the skin there, plunging his hand impossibly deep. Hard.

Ohmigodkami!

Mikasa's mouth snapped shut, her tongue screwing against the roof of her mouth as a wave of red hot lava that came coursing through her veins. What pain! It felt as if every inch of her were afire! How had Mina been able to keep silent through this? More importantly, how would she? She didn't want to show any weakness. But it hurt! Kami! It hurt so much! Losing her mother was almost nothing compared to this! She could feel the energy Naruto had spoken of surging up inside of her, burgeoning within her, strengthening her, flooding her with warmth. She tried to focus on that strength, that warmth, desperate to ignore the everlasting agony so intent upon destroying her body from within and god she was goind to die-

Naruto yanked his arm back with a hiss of disgust, leaving her to slump forward, gasping for breath. Mikasa didn't understand. Her entire body was slicked with sweat and her throat was hoarse, confirming that she had indeed been screaming. No. This didn't make any sense. What had she done wrong? Why was she still in so much pain!

"Kit...

'I know.' Naruto replied. 'Damnit, I can't believe she got your chakra instead of mine...we coulda killed her!'

"Look on the bright side; if she survives tonight, she'll come out stronger for it. Stronger than any shinobi you could've created."

'That's not the point, bakamon! I'm trying to restart my race! Not kill innocent children!'

"Give her three years, she won't be a child then...she'll make a fine mate by then!"

'URUSAI! Keep a handle on your chakra from now on!'

"Hai, hai, whatever you say...

Unaware of the internal arguement raging inside the blonde's skull, Mikasa clawed herself onto her hands and knees. Gradually, the feeling began to return to her arms and legs, leaving her awash in a sea of stiff, sore muscles and bruised bones. Had Naruto's chakra really damaged her this much? It didn't seem possible...

"Try not to move so much." Naruto warned. "You've had a rough time of it.

"I'm...fine." she insisted.

Naruto's eyes widened a bit, but he did not contest her decision.

"Very well." he said shortly. "Get some sleep when you can. I'll see you tonight."

Without another word he turned his back on her and moved on down the line. Somehow, his silence stung more than anything. She watched him move onto the next volunteer and wondered why she had been the one to suffer under his chakra so much. All the while she pondered over it.

"Um...might I give it a try, sir?"

"You sure about that, potato girl? It's gonna hurt!"

Naruto turned to regard Sasha over his shoulder; an almost predatory gleam in his eye. She'd fallen silent ever since he'd prevented her punished at the hands of Shadis, but now that she'd finally finished savoring her stolen snack, she appeared to have mustered up her courage. The only question was...would it last? There was only one way to find out. Sheathing his hand in chakra, he started forward, advancing at a relentless pace meant to frighten and intimidate. He had to be certain she wasn't a coward before he did anything.

"I'll endure it!" Sasha gulped nervously.

"So be it!" Naruto stepped forward and thrust his hand into her stomach.

"Itai!"

Sasha yelped and promptly fell over like...well, a sack of potatoes.

Christa gasped.

"Is she...

"Nah," Naruto drawled,nudging her with the toe of his boot. "She'll be just fine. I only gave her a short jolt as a precaution. Wait till nightfall; she'll be up and running with the rest of ya. Let's see then...that makes four of ya now. Three girls...and only one guy! Sheesh!" She could see his narrow blue eyes, sweeping over the recruits, the sudden lack of volunteers after Mikasa's near-death experiences. "Tch. I still have two more spots left and no one left to fill 'em...isn't anyone willing to try this? Are you all a bunch of cowards!"

Slowly, tentatively, Christa raised her hand.

"H-Hai!"

Beside her, Ymir arched an eyebrow.

"Oi, oi, are you serious?"

Christa didn't have time to reply to her comrade; because Naruto was suddenly there, towering over her, casting her body into shadow. Blazing blue eyes bored into her-this slight, quivering girl standing beneath him in defiance of his disbelief. His face was expressionless, giving no hint whatsoever as to the pride swelling in his chest. He didn't even bother to touch her as he'd done to others, instead, his scouring gaze raked across her like hot coals before finally narrowing upon her stomach.

"Not bad." he admitted, patting her upon the head. "You've got some nice coils. This shouldn't hurt too much." He pushed a single finger into her stomach; Christa felt a slight twinge and then it was done. Just like that, the last shinobi stepped back from her; only now she could see the pride in his eyes.

"Get back to the barracks, cadet." he huffed gruffly. "I've got high hopes for you."

Naruto stepped past them without another word.

"Are you serious right now?" Ymir was hissing at Christa as he left them behind. "That coulda killed you!"

"I...feel fine."

"Like hell you do!"

"Awww, looks like the tall one has feelings for the short one." Kurama cackled. "This should be interesting."

'Indeed.' Naruto made no mention of the strange scent coming from Ymir; it was the same reason he hadn't bothered to inspect her for chakra coils. He had the succint feeling she didn't have any. But putting that aside he was already almost completely out potential recruits. That Armin lad might be promising, but he looked weak. Decisions, decisions...

"And you are?" he asked, halting just before the last members of the recruits in line. Inexplicably, he was drawn to one in particular. Cold eyes gazed up at him beneath slightly coifed flaxen hair, reflecting what most might've mistaken for boredom. She looked to be just around the same age as Mikasa and the others but her eyes suggested she was in fact, much older. Interesting. She was probably in her late teens already-what could possibly motivate her to become a soldier now? And then there was that faint scent lingering around her, just like Ymir's...

"Your name?" he repeated firmly.

...Annie Leonhardt." she replied at last.

"Not much enthusiasm there." Naruto noted. "How are you going to face the titans like that?"

"I could ask you the same thing." her words were soft, almost lacking in emotion, but even a fool could've sensed the challenge in them. "All you've done so far is show us a few cheap parlor tricks and poke or punch all of us in the stomach."

There was a silence, hanging over their heads like a guillotine, ready to drop.

"You insolent piece of-!" Shadis's face looked like it was about to burst open out from anger but remarkably, Naruto didn't snap at Annie. But what he did next shocked everyone. Instead of exploding into anger as they expected him to, the blond merely frowned and leaned forward, placing his hand on the back of Annie's head to steady her. Hold her in place.

"Oh, crap!" Connie hissed. "She's dead!"

But Annie was not dead; because the blonde didn't touch her after the fact.

Naruto inhaled slowly, drinking deep of her scent, breathing in then out. Once, twice. Three times he did this, much to Annie's consternation. Then his eyes narrowed suddenly at her, sapphire orbs becoming more akin to winter ice than the brighty afternoon skies for which they were so well known.

"Cheap tricks, eh?" his words were deadly soft now, meant only for himself and the girl whose head he was clutching in his hand. "That's big talk...coming from a titan shifter."

To her credit, Annie concealed her reaction well; her body stiffened only slightly. But in the end, it was her eyes that gave her away; those crystal blue orbs bulged so large she was almost certain they were going to fall right out of her head. He knew! She didn't know how, but somehow-someway-he knew that she could shift into a titan!

"You-

"Relax," Naruto soothed, placing his free hand upon Annie's shoulder, locking her in place. "It's not like I plan on telling anyone. Besides, you haven't done anything wrong. Yet. Then again," he mused, his grip growing tighter upon her scalp, "If yer planning on starting something, I could always just crush yer pretty littlle head right here, right now. No one would question my actions; hell...if anything, I'd save myself a world of worry about your motives, plans, whatever it is you seem to be up to. Should I do that, I wonder? Kill you now and spare myself the trouble, or take you under my wing and see how you turn out?"

Mikasa couldn't help but wonder; what were the two of them talking about? Whatever it was, Naruto's words seemed to have taken a toll on his fellow blonde; she was an absolute mess.

Annie couldn't bring herself to think or to foucs; she could barely even breathe! Her mind was racing, scrabbling for thought, clamoring for a conclusion. The jig was up. He knew. She didn't know how but somehow, this guy knew. And what was this about him being a Titan-Shifter? Was he bluffing? Maybe. But that didn't matter, not now. She couldn't decide whether to shift into her titan form and flee or simply stay put and play dumb hoping to bluff her way out of this situation.

No. It was too risky. This Naruto character was too shrewd. If she tried to lie her way out of this she'd likely lose her life. Even now, she was all too aware of those fingers digging into her skull; if she tried anything he'd crush her head without so much as a second thought. Indeedhe could probably kill her on a whim. That he hadn't done so yet-that she still drew breath-was for reasons unknown. Just...what did he want with her? More importantly, how much did he know? Did he know about-

"Oi, Shadis-san." Naruto spoke up suddenly, causing Annie to flinch, jarring her train of thought from its tracks. "I'll be borrowing this one for a bit. Keep the recruits here until I get back." Before either student or even the instructor could hope to prottest, the shinobi took his hand from Annie's shoulder and did something with his fingers. She didn't get a very good look at what he was doing, but whatever it was caused the ground to lurch beneath her feet. Everything bega to blur, leaving her eyes darting frantically back and forth in her head, then...

Blackness.

Annie woke to find herself bound and gagged.

Warm sunlight filtered down ont her face, a single shaft of brilliance stabbing into her left eye. With a start, she remembered what had happened. That blonde bastard! She lurched uprights with a start, gasping against the rag in her mouth, wincing as cold iron bit into her wrist. It was then that she realized her arms were shackled behind her back. Damnit. She couldn't shift if she was unable to infliict some sort of wound upon herself to begin with; Naruto must've known this and planned accordingly. Speaking of which, where the devil was he-

"Well, that was quick."

A cold shiver shot down the blonde's spine. Just now, she could've sworn she felt killer intent.

"I'm surprised." Naruto called out yet again, his voice echoing somewhere out of sight. "You were only out for about fiteen minutes there. Titan shifters...really are scary." Annie muttered a curse through the gag. She stood with wooden legs, not taking enough care for herself or her body, sparing only a percursory glance for her surroundings. What she saw caused her heart to plummet into her stomach. Trees stretched around her for miles on end, blotting out the afternoon sun, presenting no easy means of escape.

Escape. Ha! Even had she known how to utilize the Three Dee Maneuver Gear-and she didn't-she wouldn't have known which way to go. And if she tried to flee as she was, she'd probably be picked off before she even made it out of the forest...

"Have you calmed down now?"

Annie swung around, gasping as Naruto emerged from the bark of a nearby tree. He simply stepped out of it as though he'd always been there, the wood rippling before his passing. What...just what the hell was he? In the time it took for her to wonder it aloud, he was already standing before her.

"Welcome to the Forest of Giant Trees." The blond replied by way of greeting, indicating their surroundings with a broad sweep of his arm. "I've got my Hiraishin seals plastered all over this forest and since they never fade...its sorta become my own personal killing ground." Killing ground? Oh no. Oh no no no! No! He'd brought her out here to be butchered, then! That was why she was bound! So she couldn't escape! Yet again, the overwhelming sensation of fear crashed down on Annie, rooting her where she stood.

The slightest of smiles plucked at his lips; could he sense her fear?

"Which reminds me...I wouldn't go down there if I were you." He pointed towards the forest floor and a small flame ignited upon his fingertip; its light revealing a mass of writhing shapes just below their feet. Despite herself, Annie blanched. Here in the light of Naruto's candle, she could see shapes. Grotesque, monstruous shapes, trying to climb up and eat them. Titans! There were...there had to be hundreds of them! Despite the knowledge that they were safe up here-for the time being-she shivered at the sight of them.

"For some reason, I'm catnip to these guys." Naruto explained. "They're always trying to devour me. Maybe it has something to do with my chakra."

Annie refused to dignify that with a response.

"Silent treatment, eh?" he laughed at her defiance. "Fine then. You just sit there. I'll do the talking."

"Ya remind me of m'self when I was younger." Naruto continued, confiding in her with a glance. "Back then I was all alone, too. Although I wasn't exactly as cold as you." He whistled at her glare. "Ooh, scary! There's no need to make such a face. I just wanna talk, that's all." He patted the bough beside him, indicating that he wanted her to sit. Reluctantly, Annie complied. But that didn't mean she had to like it! Stubbornly she sat as far as she possibly could from him, refusing to look her captor in the eye. If he expected to get information for her...he had another thing coming!

"Would you feel better if I let you transform?" her fellow blonde offered. "If I made you fight me? Would you think about using your powers for the good of mankind, then?" Annie's head snapped towards Naruto's like a puppet severed from its strings. What on earth was he saying?! User her powers for the good of mankind? When she had a mission to complete?

"Well?" he prodded her verbally. "Is that a yes or no?"

Her only reply was a grunt; did he really expect her to answer with this gag on?!

"If I remove that, will you try to escape?"

She shook her head slowly. Of course she'd try to escape! But not just yet...

"Here." He reached around her head and untied the rag cloth. "Don't make me chop off your arms while I'm at it."

Clever bastard! She daren't transform without her arms; he'd have her pinned in an instant. Biting back a vitriolic retort, the blonde silently resolved herself to wait for her best opportunity. Now that he'd ungagged her, she had a chance to pry him for information. That information might aid her in her mission. And what better way to probe him for information that to attack his weakest area; the one thing she, as a felllow shifter knew that he hated beyond anything else?

"You're a shifter as well." she said. "Like me."

"Of course." Naruto tilted his head in continuance. "I may hate shifting, but I find it helps my selfcontrol if I have a clear goal in mind. For example, my goal today would be to stopping you from throwing your life away fruitlessly; because that's exactly what you'll be doing if I let you go down there right now." Annie hated to admit it, but he had a point there. Even if she ran away from here at top speed she'd eventually tire, and once she did they'd be on her almost immediately...but she wasn't about to admit that to him.

"You're so kind." the venom in her voice could've peeled rust off steel.

"Is that what you think I am?" Annie blinked and he was gone; then something-or someone!-grabbed her by the face, knocking her body sideways into the bough. Stars spangled before her vision as that someone held her off the branch and dangled her down, leaving her hanging over the blackness.

"I am not kind." Naruto hissed into her ear, his voice blacker than any pit, bleaker than even the scene below them. "I'm not even all that nice. I've seen things you can't possibly imagine; done things that would make your blood curdle in yer veins. My body count is higher than the walls themselves...what's one more body on that conscience, huh?! The reason I'm cutting you some slack here, the only reason, is because I know what it feels like to happen to be all alone, to do something you'd rather not. Don't make me regret that decision, girl. I could drop you right now and not lose a wink of sleep over it. In fact-

Abruptly, he released her head.

Annie barely had time to blink before she dropped towards the forst floor, towards the awaiting titans. Despite knowing she could transform, her mind was inexplicably frozen; filled with fear at the sight of those gaping maws filled with row upon row of slavering teeth.

"Oto!" Naruto reached down and calmly grabbed her by the nape of the neck just before she could fall into range of the arms. "Can't have you dying on me just yet." Exhaling in a long suffering sigh, he hauled her back onto the branch and tossed her over his shoulder him. Annie landed with a pained grunt, her ass bouncing off the branch, her chest hitching in a soft gasp as she realized she was still alive.

"You...insufferable bastard!" she sobbed. "What if you hadn't caught me in time?!"

Naruto laughed at her.

"Then I would've transformed and come to your rescue."

"But...you...I...

"You know...I think I've taken a liking to ya." he drawled aloud, his ever present grin widening marginally as she glanced in his direction. "That settles it! I've decided. Annie Leonhardt! You'll be my disciple." With a grin that looked more devilish than anything she'd seen in her life, Naruto reached down for her. His hand muffled her hair, surprising in his affections. This was her chance to escape; his guard was down, if she transformed now and attacked him, if she ran at full speed, she might just stand a chance of making it out of here alive. Wait. He was probably expecting that! She'd witnessed his speed firsthand; she'd be a fool to go agaiinst such power without preparing herself accordingly.

No, she would wait for her chance to strike at him. To strike at this insufferably cruel, unbelievably handsome bastard-aargh! I have to stop thinking like that!

If looks could kill...

"Hmm." Naruto seemed to consider her for a moment. "Again with that scary look. Just for that, I think I'll show you something...special." He made a motion with his left hand and a clone materialized behind Annie in a plume of smoke. Within an instant it had her, seizing her arms and wrists her before she could think to escape.

"Hold still." It sighed, taking hold of her other shoulder. "This'll only take a minute." She was forced to look on, helpless, as Naruto summoned still more clones and sent them down into the mass of writhing titans miles below their feet. Each doppleganger clutched a massive sphere of swirling wind in their hand, the design almost vaugely reminiscent of a giant shuriken. Before Annie could wonder at its purpose or its intent, a masisive explosion greeted her ears. Body parts flew in every direction as the Rasenshuriken's detonated.

He killed them all...hundreds of them...in only an instant!

"There we go." Naruto stared down at the smoldering crater he'd left behind, pleased by his handiwork. "I do so love it when a plan comes together. Now I'll have a chance to show you "it" in relative peace." Even as he said this, the clone tightened its grip on her shoulders; just befor the original launched himself off the bough. The clone leapt after him, dragging Annie with it. Almost immediately thereafter they were faliling, the three of them plummeting down into the darkness towards the forest floor at a breakneck pace, leaving Annie's eyes to water as they streaked through the black. She knew what he was going to show her, or at least she had an idea of what it might be, and it terrified her.

"Here we are." The shinobi clapped his hands twice as they alighted upon the forest floor; igniting a small light over their heads. Another of his jutsu no doubt.

"Watch closely now." Naruto cautioned, raising a hand to his mouth. "You'll only see this for a second." With that, he bit down. Hard.

"What?!"

The land burst as a lightning bolt descended from the heavens, shearng through the trees to strike him, shearing through the forest, sending her vision topsy turvy. Steam erupted between the two of them, threatening to scald her from head to toe. When something strode out from that cloud of steaming smoke, she felt her lungs drop into the pit of her stomach and she was literally unable to catch her breath. Naruto peered down an grinned at her, exposing row upon row of deadly teeth in this massive new form. Annie began to quiver at the sight of it. This titan...it could barely even be called such!

"But that's...not possible...

(Hours later)

Mikasa glanced up sharply as a swirl of leaves announced Naruto and Annie's return, their unannounced arrival nearly causing her to fall from the wires that kept her suspended. It was a crucial part of their Maneuver Gear training, and she was determined to master it. Others lost their concentration at the blonde's unnanounced arrival; flopping facefirst into the unyielding earth at their feet. Mikasa alone managed to presever her bodily balance; just barely,

Annie looked visibly shaken; as though her mind had been through a blender and back. She was trembling, eyes slightly wide, her knees all but knocking together. Mikasa had no way of knowing that this blonde alone had bore witness to Naruto's titan form; she didn't even know her saviour had such a form.

Annie did. She'd thought herself ready for it, but the mere sight of that...that thing had left her absolutely terrified. Not that she'd ever admit it, but to know something that large could move so fast and strike with that much power...it brought a frightening level of realism to her mission. If she ever tried to accomplish her task, Naruto would doubltessly stand in her way. And he would kill her. She knew that now; were she ever to try and face him in her titan form, she'd have to be well prepared. Because if she wasn't, she would die, just as all those titans had died.

"Did I frighten you?" Naruto was saying as she they drew within earshot, causing Mikasa to cock her head aside.

"You mentioned you could shift into something else." his fellow blonde grumbled back.

When Naruto jerked backwards and laughed no one expected him to do so; it was a deep, throaty sound that garnered everyone's attention and left them simultaneous shivering. Despite that the blonde had never felt better. Now was as good a time as any to get that elephantout of the room...and it would also serve to help keep Annie in line...for the time being at least.

'Shall we?'

"We shall!"

"Why, I'm so glad you asked, Annie!" A slow, sinister smile spread across the whiskered visage of her fellow blonde. "Allow me to show you!"

Suddenly and without warning, Naurto leapt long and high. His sudden lurch launched him into the air, leaving him hanging overhead. For what felt like an eternity he simply hovered there over their heads. Then, with a roare that could put the colossal titan to shame, he sank both incissors deep into his right hand. This time, he didn't bother to hold back. Kurama's chakra surged through him like a tidal wave, swirling around him in a an opaque sphere of sapphire and scarlet. His body was changing, morphing, even as gravity began to assert its hold.

By the time his paws hit the ground, his body no longer that of a mere man, but of a maginificent golden fox. It towered over them with a snarl, its feet gripping the outer edge of the courtyard, nine tails lashing at the air like a series of whips. Someone screamed, but a harsh hiss from Naruto-from the monster he had become-swiftly silenced it.

"There you have it." the fox growled down at them. "Is that answer enough for you, cadet?"

Numbed, Annie nodded. She hadn't been expecting this!

It had all happened so swiftly; Naruto had transformed into the kitsune in the blink of an eye. Mikasa gawped up at it-realized just how much larger the beast was compared to the fierce creature she'd seen three years ago to this day. She felt a snake of dread coil into her stomach; peering up at it was almost too much to bear. The damned thing was larger than a mountain! Had he been holding back...all those years ago? Surely, he must've; because their was no explanation for the immense discrepancy in his size from then to now.

"There you go." Naruto's deep rumble vanished in midsentence; his great fox form dissolving into the afternoon sky in a pilla of light. "I think that's enough of a demonstrations for one day. Now, dismissed! Return to your activities!"

"...fine!"

Naruto watched her go and warred with himself, fighting a smile. He was taking a gamble with Annie. Not just with his life, but that of humanity. He knew this. Common sense demanded that he eradicate her here and now,before she became a threat, and yet...he just couldn't bring himself to do that. He'd been bluffing back there when he'd said he would drop her. To kill an innocent-a sixteen year old girl-even if it meant protecting humanity...he simply didn't have it in him. He wasn't a cold-blooded killer. Not anymore.

"You're overthinking things." Kurama interjected. "Let's just wait three years and see what happens."

'You think I can get her to join our side? She'd make one helluva ally.'

"Kit, if its you we're talking about here, you could probably get her to scale the wall with her bare hands."

'Thanks for the vote of confidence.'

"No problem." the kitsune retorted. "After all, in three years, these girls will be fair game for us-OW! What did you hit me for?!"

'For being a fool!

"Says the fool himself!"

Naruto's lips quirked in a slight smile at that. Kurama had a point there. He wasn't God. Or the Devil. Or even a monster. It wasn't for him to decide these things. Not for him to determine the fate of these cadets, what they said, what they did, what paths they'd might take once leaving the military...it was all theirs to decide. He could only hope to prepare them as best he could, cand come what may.

'Yes, that's right,' he thought to himself. After all...

...I'm only human.

A/N: BEHOLD! Naruto's here! How exactly, hmm? Well...now you finally know! The pairing is obviously up in the air at th emoment. Maybe NarutoxMikasa in the future, because for the life of me, she's the only heroine in Shingeki no Kyojin besides Sasha that I actually LIKE. Or perhaps Annie? I like the pairing YmirxHistoria as is...so I'm afraid I'll be leaving the two of them alone to their own devices in that regard. Naruto and Annie already have some friction going! He knows she's a titan! How will this change the events of the future! And as to why Naruto didn't scent out Reiner or Bertholdt, well, let us just say his nose is more sensitive when it comes to women. But still...

Who will live, and who will die?!

Hmm, decisions, decisions! Regardless, this world is going to be quite a touch different with Naruto around...just think of all the good he could do with his abilities, garned from the Fourth Shinobi War, not to mention the unfortunate agelessness he's acquired from it! And with that little tidbit, I bid you adieu, dear readers! We get to see their training and one more three year timeskip, next chapter, and the events of Trost take place with a startling alteration! Look forward to it, ya know!

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Review...Would Ya Kindly? And of course, Enjoy the preview!

(Preview)

This was it, then; she was going to die. She could smell the warm, fetid breath of the titan, feel it on her face, swarming around her as she fell. Her hand scrabbled for purchase against the slick walls of its throat but to no avai; she was falling, plummeting down its gullet to her doom. Helpless to do anything but slide down its throat, it was then that Mina Carolina knew her end was nigh. No one could save her know. There was just no possible way...

Mina had just begun to close her eyes, to prepare herself for the end, when she heard it; a familiar roar piquing in her ears. Gradually it dissolved from meaningless to sound to a name; someone desperately screaming out at her and swearing a blue streak, spitting curse after curse after curse. And over those curses, she heard a single word being repeated over and over and over...

"Motherfuckingcheekydickwaffles-

Her would-be-killer must've heard it too; because the titan blinked once-its massive head turning a fraction of an inch, prolonging her life for just a sliver of a second. That, was all it took. A gold and white blur streaked across Mina's vision, interposing itself firmly between her and the titan's gaping maw, lunging into that black abyss to pull her back from the brink of oblivion.A hand locked around her wrist squeezing with enough force to fracture the bone. Mina found herself staring up at a familiar whiskered face and blazing blue eyes, the words drying up in her throat as she recognized that shock of blonde hair and the unmistakieable scent of warm bread. This was...?!

"Ora!"

His hand shot forth like a pulley even as titan's teeth snapped shut around them. Blood spurted into the air. But it wasn't Mina's blood. It was his. Her saviour stood firm and strong, one hand propping open the kyojin's mouth even as a booted foot arrested its lower jaw from moving any further. Try as it might the giant couldn't get its mouth to shut; its tongue wriggled wrestlessly as the man held its mouth open. A strong arm folded itself around Mina's waist and drew her up out of the dark, hauling her to safety. She could only gasp as they flung her out of the beast's mouth and into open air; her back greeted the outer wall with a dull thud.

"See," he began slowly, "This is why I hate titans. They're ugly. Stupid. Cruel. Brutish. But putting that aside...

His remaining palm raised itself up in silent offering, fingers clenched into a claw. Rasengan in hand.

The titan began to react to this sudden and more immediate threat, reaching a giant paw up at its mouth. Too little, too late. Naruto struck upward ith all his might, obliterating the titan's head and neck in a single strike.

"YOU ASSHOLES TOUCHED MY PRECIOUS DISCIPLES!"

R&R! =D