[Started on February 2, 2022]

[00:26 hours, Philippines]

=== (User Reviews Area) ===

To the users/readers with accounts who reviewed, by the time this chapter is out, I have already sent you PMs as a reply. Thank you for the reviews, of course!

=== (Chapter Two: The Girl with Pink Hair) ===

Arriving home from their hunt, Mr. Ackerman and Naruto Uzumaki begin to prep the meat from their hunt. It takes them the rest of the day to skin the deer and properly harvests its organs before the man tells the teen to go ahead and wash while he finishes preparing the deer.

Dinner comes quickly and the family of five-plus-one are all accounted for with the twins, Mikoto and Sarada, falling asleep fairly quickly. One of the rare times, to be sure, but one in which their parents are secretly glad for. It is Naruto who brings them to their cradle located in his and Mikasa's room while the rest continue with their dinner.

As dinner ends, Mr. Ackerman clears his throat. "So, Naruto, are you going to tell them, or should I?"

The two females present look to the blonde in question. Tell them? Tell them what, precisely?

"Ah," Naruto lets out and nods. "I'm going to join the military." His eyes lock with the two Ackerman ladies and he smiles. "I'm of age," he tells the truth, "I want to see the world," a lie that comes as natural as breathing, "and maybe I'll even find my family," another lie that comes just a smoothly as the first. And then, Mikasa, who sits right beside him, blushes when he places his hand on her head. His hand is heavy… but not painful. It is… a loving touch. "And maybe I'll earn enough to bring you guys somewhere safer than this big open plain between Wall Maria and Wall Rose."

"But—"

Naruto ruffles the eleven-year-old girl's hair making her pout and look at him cutely. He smiles before saying, "they said the training will take three years. The first boat leaves tomorrow morning."

Mrs. Ackerman sighs. "Is this why I found your things packed already?"

"Yeah," The teen boy nods. "I have to leave by four o'clock."

"Don't go."

The eyes of the two adults give a curious glance to their eldest child.

"Don't go," Mikasa says again, this time tugging Naruto's shirt. "Stay."

"Stay."

The very same word Mikasa said to him two years prior. "Stay."

His heart churns… but his mind knows; he cannot stay if he is to free the trapped soul that God of Chaos told him about two years prior. And if his gut feeling is anything to go by, then he knows the only way to find it is… to prepare for war. After all, if it was a peaceful solution? "I doubt Mr. Chaos would bother choosing me if war wasn't part of it. Asshole even let me keep my powers."

And the only way to do that… is to join the military so that he will be able to kill titans as this world's humans do. Foolish for a shinobi to not blend in, after all. And yet…

"Stay."

Stay, he cannot.

"Sorry, Mikasa," Naruto says with a soft smile. "But I want to do this."

"But—"

"Mikasa, dear?" Mrs. Ackerman catches her daughter's attention. "Come here," she smiles whilst her daughter obeys, albeit hesitantly. "I want you to understand…"

Meanwhile, Mr. Ackerman looks to Naruto and nods. "Get some rest, kid. We won't stop you. My wife and I will explain to Mikasa why you should go."

Naruto nods—almost bows, even, then says, {"Thank you, Mr. Ackerman."} He receives a nod in return before he walks over to Mikasa and pats her on her head again gaining smiles from the girl's parents while the girl herself gives a blushing pout. "Oyasumi, Mikasa."

{"Good night, Mikasa,"} the girl's mind manages to translate. Giving the blonde teen a surprising hug, she causes her crush—AHEM—her 'brother figure', she clarifies, to almost fall.

Almost.

It takes a while for her to let go, but once she does, Naruto makes his way to their room and triple checks everything he needs before getting some last-minute shut-eye.

=== (Wings of a Butterfly) ===

Naruto stirs from his slumber as the feeling of constant poking on his cheek begins to annoy him. "Mikasa," he warns with his eyes still closed.

"It's already three-thirty, you know?" Mikasa deadpans.

Sighing and finally opening his eyes, he is greeted by Mikasa's blank and… annoyed stare? "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," he sits up, "who said you get to look at me annoyed. I'm the one who should be giving you that look for poking my cheek a lot," which he rubs. "I think it might be sore."

The small giggle that escapes her lips makes the boy smile.

"You good now?"

"Yeah."

"I'll return, you know that, right?"

"Yeah…"

Sighing again, Naruto rolls his eyes before putting his arms out, "Come here," and calling to her as a master does to a pet. "Oof!" He grunts and a chuckle escapes him as Mikasa practically tackles him. "You're getting heavier."

"I'm growing," she almost growls.

"I'm teasing."

"I know."

"I know you know."

"I know you know I know."

"I know you know I know you know times infinity."

"Shut up."

"Ha! Are you a sore loser? —Ouch!" Naruto rubs his chest and pokes Mikasa's forehead pushing her back. "No punching my chest," he deadpans.

Mikasa's reply is an innocent giggle. Getting off him, she locks eyes with him in her best attempt to give him the puppy eyes; puppy eyes that rarely affect the blonde. "It'll be cold without you, you know?"

The said blonde snorts in amusement. Still… if it will be some time before he sees her again… "I suppose I can humour her just this once." Going over to his packed luggage, he ignores Mikasa's dejected look and sorts through his things. Finding it shortly, Naruto repacks his luggage and walks over to Mikasa who eyes him curiously before… "Here," he wraps his red scarf around her neck and lower face.

The girl's face glows red; it glows even brighter when Naruto… pecks her on her forehead and places a caring hand on her head. "I'll see you soon. This should keep you warm when I'm not around," she hears; his words echoing in her head for a time causing her to blush up a storm that makes her face match the colour of his scarf—"no," she corrects herself, her scarf. The moment Mikasa returns to the real world, she realizes that the blonde is gone. Along with his things. Save his scarf around her neck.

And as the cool night breeze enters through the window, Mikasa clenches her hands over her chest. She closes her eyes with a sigh as she seemingly tries to bury her face into the scarf, his scarf, her scarf… and goes to sleep with a contented smile on her face, the blush staying for a good while as the realm of pleasant dreams take her.

=== (Wings of a Butterfly) ===

Morning comes far too soon for the blonde. He sighs as he plops himself down onto the boat being one of the earliest for the first ride. Granted, the boat is more of an ark connected to a wire or rope than anything else seeing as it only goes forward or back thanks to the gears and wheels attached to the wire or rope thing. A pully system of sorts, perhaps?

Shaking those thoughts away, he eyes the few people who bothered to wake up early just to catch this first boat.

Not a lot, to say the least. In fact… there are very few, actually.

It's the reason why he chose the first boat, it was and almost always is the only one where it isn't packed full of people. The only other boat that has the same effect is the last, but with the time-frame needed to get to the camp… well, best to keep early.

Now, as the seventh person arrives Naruto looks on in boredom at the regular people probably going to work in Wall Rose. Honestly, now, "am I seriously the only guy in this side of Wall Maria going to enlist in the military?"

A total of thirteen people now mingle around him. A total of fourteen if he counts himself. The conductor, meanwhile, looks at his watch and sighs. "Alright! Get rid of the plank! The last one's late, let's go!"

"So, there's supposed to be fifteen people, huh?" Naruto muses to himself as he stands to stretch. The boat-ark thingy begins to move. "Pity the late one," he mutters.

"HOLD UUUUP!"

Everyone's heads turn.

"HEEEEY! SORRY I'M LATE! COME OOOON!"

The source of the commotion is a girl with short pink hair, green eyes, and a face that Naruto still remembers as clear as day. As if the last time he saw her was just yesterday. "Sakura?" His eyes widen, his words coming out as a whisper. He does nothing as he watches her—garbed in a white button shirt, white fitting pants, brown knee-high boots and waist skirt, and a bag slung along her back—running alongside the now moving boat… panting? "What?"

"HEY, YOU! BLONDIE!"

"BLONDIE?!"

"YOU BETTER CATCH ME DAMMIT!"

While a thousand thoughts race through his mind, Naruto has his mouth agape at her words. "Doesn't she remember me? Wait… is she even Sakura?"

"HERE I COME!"

Immediately pulled from his thoughts, he sees the girl make the leap. "Shit! She won't make it!" His eyes widen in realization

THUD! "OOF!"

The blonde catches her (and her bag) on time. "Are you crazy?!" he pulls her up regardless.

"Haaaaaah," the girl pants, collapsing to the wooden floor, her bag lying beside her—just across Naruto's bag. "Crazy enough. I mean, I came to join the scouts!" She laughs before eyeing the teen who caught her. Standing and dusting herself, she puts forward a hand. "Sakura Haruno! Future Scouting Legion member, at your service!" The blonde's hesitation is not lost on her, but her smile widens when he shakes her hand.

"Na… Naruto Uzumaki," he says.

"Naruto, huh? I think we'll get along just well." She pauses giving him a confused look. "You okay there, mister? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Catching himself, Naruto shakes his head. "S-sorry, uhm… Can I be alone for a bit?"

"Uh… Okay?" She watches as the blonde who saved her from falling into the canal walks away to a far away rail by the edge of the boat. "Weird guy," she muses. It is here she notices the way he's dressed; a white button shirt, brown white pants, brown knee-high boots and waist skirt… the very same uniform as her own. Smiling, she jogs over to him. "Hey! Naruto, right?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinks. "Oh, y-yeah, uhh…"

"Sakura! Don't you remember? Sheesh! I just told you my name and you already forgot?" Sakura tuts.

"I didn't. Sorry though… just a lot on my mind."

Smiling, she rests a hand on her hip. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Anyway! You never said you were going to join the military!"

"Ah, that?" Naruto gives a sheepish look. "Didn't think it was important."

"Didn't think it was important? You're my age! You're supposed to know how important it is! Especially on which branch you plan on joining!"

"Huh?"

"Uh, hello? You look, what, fifteen? Sixteen, maybe? Fourteen if you're younger than me."

"Is she… really different from the Sakura I knew?"

"Hey! Mister! Are you listening to me?!"

"H-huh?! Oh! Y-yeah!"

"And what did I say, huh?!"

Sweating nervously, Naruto fidgets almost comically before admitting defeat. "Sorry, no, I was lost in thought."

"Lost in thought?" Sakura asks, a genuinely curious look on her. "And what in the name of the three walls could be far more interesting than pretty little me, blondie?" Naruto's disarming smile catches her off guard. She almost blushed! Almost. Okay… maybe just a little bit.

"You remind me of someone."

"Okay, scratch that," she thinks. "That's a really bad pick-up line you know."

Naruto merely laughs it off. "I mean it though," he says, unfazed. He had time to get better with word games since his stay in this world, after all.

"Oh, please, like there'd be any other girl with hair as pink as mine. Or a forehead as big as mine. Or eyes as green as mine." The last one has Naruto give her a look of amusement. "Okay, maybe there are some who have green eyes and some are greener than me, but I mean, come on! Who else has pink hair this side of Wall Maria!?"

"Pfft…"

"What?!" The pinkette grows irritated.

"Nothing," Naruto waves her off. "Just the fact you resemble her a lot. Just without the punching me on the head when she gets annoyed, embarrassed, or irritated—"

"By you?"

"By me, yes."

Sakura doesn't miss Naruto's reminiscent look. "Okay, how does she look like?"

"Like you," Naruto shrugs. No point in lying.

"Riiiiight, sure she does. And even IF she does look like me, why haven't I ever seen her before?"

"She's dead."

Sakura blinks. That came out flat. Direct. Bluntly so. "Oh." Well… this is awkward. "Nice going, you idiot!" Clearing her throat, she asks as 'shyly' as possible, "H-how… uhh… how'd she die? I-I mean! If you don't mind, of—"

"My best friend killed her."

"H-hah? W-what?"

"Let me clarify." Naruto crosses his arms and leans against the ark's wooden railings. "The bitch-ass bastard who I thought was my best friend killed her."

"Oh…" This is awkward… again. "OH MY GOD! SOMEBODY KILL ME NOOOOOW! AAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Don't worry. It's been four years."

"Oh, okay…" She gives a nervous smile. "Haaaah, that saved me. Wait, Can he read my thoughts?!"

"Yep."

"Oh, you can read my thoughts… Okay, yeah, that makes—WAAAAIT! Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait! WAIT! YOU CAN READ MY THOUGHTS?!"

"Pfft."

A tick grows on her forehead. "You—"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! I'm sorry," Naruto wipes a tear from his eye. "Your face just said it all."

Huffing, Sakura stomps away back to their bags. It takes some time before the boy calms down enough to just keep a shit-eating grin that still irritates her to a point… but enough for him to walk up to her and wave. "So, Mister I-can-read-faces," she looks him in the eye. "What was her name?"

The pause, again, is not lost to her.

The stare is short, but it feels far longer to her than it really is. She cannot help but look away.

"Sakura." Her eyes widen. "Her name… was Sakura."

They lock eyes—the pinkette about to accuse him of lying—but those cerulean orbs of Naruto Uzumaki convey a sadness she… is yet to understand; convey a longing she has yet to see; convey a reminiscing… that tells her that his words…

His words… "You're… not joking, are you?"

Naruto smiles. "She was… a healer, of sorts," he chooses his words carefully while his mind races a different train of thought. "You're really not her… and yet somehow, I think you are." He plops back down, next to his bag which he then uses as a pillow.

"Oh, well… I guess that's another coincidence? I mean, I did my best to study under Doctor Grisha."

"What?" Naruto shoots up to a sitting position.

"I know, right? She and I are both Sakura, we're both healers? By the walls, you even said she looks like m—"

"No-no-no-no-no, wait." Their eyes lock again. "Grisha Yaeger?"

"Yeah, why?"

"No, nothing, I only met him once. His kid's annoying though. Reminds me of me—"

"Myself."

"What?"

"Reminds me of myself," Sakura seemingly corrects.

"Reminds me of myself, Miss Grammar-perfectionist."

Sakura waves him off and rolls her eyes. "And then? Don't let me stop you."

Giving her the same eye roll, Naruto continues. "He reminds me of myself when I was younger. Just WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more angsty."

"Wait, which one, you or him?"

"Eren, if I remember the name correctly."

"Really?"

"Yeeeep."

"Huh… you feel way more mature though."

"Decisions were made, consequences were faced, and actions were forced," Naruto shrugs. "I was forced to mature quickly. Especially after Sakura's death."

"Hearing you say my name but mean a different person disturbs me a bit."

Naruto snorts out a laugh before toying with his thoughts. He voices them shortly after. "Hey,"

"Mmm?"

"Maybe you are her?"

"Hahahahaha! Don't be stupid. You said she died four years ago. Sorry for your loss, by the way, if I haven't said that already."

Naruto waves her off.

"How would that even work, anyway?" Sakura ponders aloud.

"Well, there are beings beyond our understanding. They're capable of many things."

"Riiiight, sure, sure, I'm guessing this is a god or something you're talking about?"

"Please, Titans exist and even we don't know much about them yet."

"I… okay, you know what? Fair point."

"I try."

"Sooo… what now?"

Naruto grins, this time lying back down. "Now… I think I'll sleep. I woke up early just so I could leave by four, you know?"

"Wow, that far, huh? Alright, lazy-boy, I'll wake you when we get there."

Smiling, Naruto covers his eyes with his arms again. "Thanks, Sakura."

=== (Wings of a Butterfly) ===

"Naruto? Naruto? Hey, Naruto!"

"Naruto! Wake up!"

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA?!"

"What the fuck was that?"

Naruto groggily looks around and, as innocent as a babe, he asks everyone looking at him like he grew a second head, "what was what?"

"Never mind," Sakura grumbles and pinches her nose to hide her blush of embarrassment. Speaking of embarrassments… "Just stand up, you embarrassing fool. You're way better awake than half-awake."

"Well, I guess that's the idea. Not much action when asleep or half-asleep, right?" Naruto slurs.

… A deep intake of breath…

"GYAAAAA!" Naruto jolts awake as he hops one foot. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"For being an embarrassment! Now come on! Let's go!"

Watching her storm off, Naruto looks around to see the other passengers and a conductor look at him with… judging looks. "Did I miss something?"

They all shake their heads in sync.

"Huh…" then he notices something. "Oh shit! Hey! Sakura! Sakura! Your bag!" He dashes after her, two bags in hand.

Meanwhile, the girl wonders how she even ended up befriending this idiot… before calling herself out on being one as well as he shouts for her to slow down. "Great, more attention brought to us because I left my bag."

"Sakura, your bag."

She snaps. "You're carrying it! Plus! It isn't even heavy!"

"Well, yeah, it's not heavy, but it's your bag. Why do I have to carry it?"

"Payment for being a walking embarrassment."

"You're embarrassed?"

"ON YOUR BEHALF! Yes!"

"Why?"

"What, 'why'?!"

"I mean, you're so serious. You gotta loosen up a little."

Sakura, remembering his earlier answer of "not much action when asleep or half-asleep," blushes up a storm at his last sentence.

"Where are we going, anyway."

"To the Military office, duh."

"Yeah, uhh… it's the other way around, right?"

Sakura stops… then storms down the—this time—correct path. Naruto simply follows her along… which leaves the girl wondering if the blonde is acting so casually in order to irritate her, or because of some other casual reason she dares not ask.

The trip to the office is short. Told to board the horse cart, the two get on and are soon joined by a third recruit.

A recruit that greets the pinkette with a beautiful smile. "Sakura! You made it! Did you manage to convince your parents?"

"Ino!" They hug. "And no, I had to sneak out." Grinning, Sakura points to the only male currently in the cart with them. "Only thanks to this guy, really. I had to jump to get on that damn boat, you know!"

Ino smiles. "Well, well, look at this catch we have here."

Sakura gives a light laugh. "Still the same as always," she comments… only for her to see Naruto's face.

"Hey, no need to be so shocked, handsome. Pretty girls like us are hard to find!" Ino says.

Sakura, however, ignores her. Because she knows that look plastered onto Naruto's face all too well. It is, after all, the very same one he gave her after he saved her from falling into the canal. "Naruto?"

"Oh, his name's Naruto, huh?

The male teen finally snaps back to reality as he nervously introduces himself… before telling the two girls, "Hey, uh… I'm a bit worn out so… do you mind if I sleep?" Receiving one curious affirmative and one cautious and concerned one, he nods to them gratefully before closing his eyes. And as his fellow blonde looks at him with curiosity, he can feel the… pitying gaze of the pinkette. All the while, his thoughts simply wonder… "How many more old faces will pop up in this world?"

=== (TBC) ===

=== (Announcements PART 1) ===

I'm thinking of tackling a "DOTA: Dragon's Blood" FANFICTION. Yes, NOT a Naruto Crossover, but a pure fanfic of that Netflix series. Because Marci and Lina deserve way more love than they were given. Shit left me sad.

ANYWAY! Uhhh… speaking of which!

=== (Request to you readers.) ===

Please give the story "High Priestess Marci" a read! It's written by "annbe11" and I told them I'd give making a fic with Marci as one of the focused characters a shot soon.

However, I need to rewatch everything, BUT! Their story is great! Different take on things, AND it shows a LOT of promise. So please give it a read? Because so far (as of February 12, 2022), it only has 4 FAVS and 7 FOLLOWS! It's a crime for such an interesting story to go under the radar

So please, give the story a read! It only has ONE (1) chapter as of February 12, 2022, AAAAAND it was published on January 19, 2022!

So yes, please go over there and give them a review! It's just one chapter and it's a short one too! And if you like it, send them my regards as well please; or just review it! AND of course, follow and fav if you like it!

Not being told to advertise this, by the way. It's just interesting and shows a lot of promise that I want it to succeed AAAAAND I think they're one of the authors who reply to each user review via PM as well! They replied to mine, at least!

=== (Announcements PART 2) ===

Lastly, I'm also going to continue my Naruto x Assassin's Creed story "Forbidden Love". Its next chapter just needs polishing before I post it. It's been sitting here for a few months now, honestly… And maybe almost a year? I wrote it on March 10, 2021, for crying out loud! Yeesh.

Game of Gods is also on my to-do list.

Chosen by a God might require a rewrite, or revamp, or whatever it's called.

Anyway, that's all for now! See you next chapter! OR in the reviews! Hint, hint? Yeah, please leave a review for me as well, please! BUT please be sure to review High Priestess Marci by "annbe11", super please!

Ta-ta!

(I'm sleeping before I post this because I still have to proofread it.)

[Finished on February 12, 2022]

[01:55 hours, Philippines]

[Proofread on February 12, 2022]

[11:31 hours, Philippines]