[Started on January 29, 2021]
[23:29 hours, Philippines]
IMPORTANT:
I'm using the spelling found on the AOT wiki for "Bertolt Hoover".
Reviews are very much appreciated and will be replied via PM for Users, and in the author's notes for guests/non-users!
=== (Game of Gods) ===
A little blonde boy walks around a place that can only be described as a "void". He notices that even with the lack of a solid surface, his footsteps can still be heard. "Wait, forget about that," he thinks. "I'm even walking?"
And then a voice greets him. "You said you wanted power."
"Who—"
"And you shall receive power." It cuts him off.
"Wait—"
"The Titans are more than they seem." It cuts him off again.
"Can you please—"
"Your father is dead, Naruto Namikaze."
The boy freezes.
"His last wish was that you live with the power I bestowed upon him that I now bestow upon you."
Naruto's words come out as a whisper. "What do you mean he's dead?"
Unfortunately, "I've stayed idle in this game for too long," the voice gives no answer.
"HE WAS JUST ALIVE A WEEK AGO! I SAW HIM! AND MOTHER!"
"With my power, you will surpass the power bestowed upon the Titans."
"ANSWER ME!"
"This is the Game of Gods, Naruto Namikaze. Survive. What you do with my gift is now entirely up to you."
"DAMN YOU! A GAME?! IS THAT ALL LIFE IS TO YOU?!"
"I will give you one hint, Son of My Son."
That causes Naruto to pause. "What?"
"The power I give is limited only to your imagination. Use it wisely."
"Wait, what did you—"
"Avenge my son. Avenge your father."
"WAIT! —" And in a blink, the world goes dark.
=== (Chapter Three: Shadow Regiment; Training) ===
It is now one week after their encounter with their special commanders. One week after saying yes to the invitation from one of them. One week… after being introduced to Naruto and Satsuki's special training.
"Annie! Again!" Satsuki shouts as a thud resounds and a light dust cloud rises from Annie Leonhart's fall. "I told you, that move you were taught would work on anyone else, but not us!"
The girl in question, Annie Leonhart, pants as she lies on the ground. She did not—nay, she does not understand. Her skill in hand-to-hand fighting was always superior to those she encountered! It was, after all, taught to her by her father. Eren can barely defend himself from her! "Was" being the keyword as Mikasa is, in fact, the only person who she will openly—yet begrudgingly—admit to being her equal in hand-to-hand combat.
Yet now, she lies, panting, as Satsuki—who now wears a black military uniform of the Shadow Regiment without the jacket—towers over her fallen form.
Satsuki, a woman who is only slightly shorter than Annie, watches Annie with her hands behind her back. Clearly, she—Satsuki—is far from what people label as "strength-oriented", yet she more than makes up for it in terms of speed, and something that Annie is currently experiencing called skill.
In fact, the two of them have been training for no more than an hour. The only thing Annie finds annoying is how she is sweating. While Satsuki is as calm and rested as ever. A fact that she chooses to voice. "Commander?" She gets up and dusts herself whilst ignoring her dirtied back. "Why… why are you never tired?"
Satsuki snorts. "Cold to her peers, respectable to those stronger than her, and indifferent to those in command. Annie Leonhart. A piece of work, you truly are," she thinks to herself before deciding to amuse her underling. "Because Naruto poses an even greater challenge than you. A challenge far greater than any of you can even conceive until you see him in action."
"Satsuki!" Naruto calls making the girls turn to see him and two other recruits in tow walking towards them. "These two here," Naruto says motioning to the two recruits behind him, "are interested in joining."
The two recruits salute the female commandant.
"Cadet, Sasha Braus! Sir!"
"Cadet, Jean Kirstein! Sir!"
Satsuki smirks and places a hand on her hip. "Hoh?" She takes a glance at Annie who gives a blank look in return. "You, call Eren and Mikasa," she orders and whilst Annie rushes behind the two potential recruits to carry out her orders, the other commandant notices how the male recruit stiffens ever so slightly.
"Something the matter, Jean?"
"S-sir?"
"I asked if something's the matter."
"N-no… No sir!"
At this moment, the adoptive brother and sister duo arrive alongside Annie and, after meeting Satsuki's stare, they stand at attention.
"So," Naruto says, not giving Jean the chance to even notice the arrival of the three. "What made you decide to join us?"
"S-sir?"
"Last I listened, you said you wanted to be part of the Military Police," Naruto shrugs.
"I…" The recruit swallows. "I have someone I want to protect, sir."
"Is that right?" Naruto muses before nodding behind the boy. "Mikasa!" He smirks as Jean flinches.
The Ackerman in question strides over and salutes the special commandant. "Sir! Cadet Mikasa Ackerman! Ready for orders! Sir!"
The blonde boy nods. "You and Jean will spar. If he can beat you, he joins. If not, he's back to the regs." He doesn't even wait. "Begin!"
THUD!
Jean Kirstein lies on the dusty ground, mouth agape, and body stiff. "What—"
"Back to regs," Naruto says coldly. "I don't care if you want to try again. As the Shadow regiment, we are both Assassins of the Crown, and are currently attached to the Scouts." Here, he pulls Jean up to stand, places his hand on the boy's shoulder and says, in a very silent whisper that only the boy can hear, "There's no point in joining with your reason. The person you want to protect is stronger than you, boy. That and you don't join a military branch for a crush. Love? Maybe. Crush? Grow up," and then he pulls back. "Now, off you go."
Jean salutes. "S-sir!" and walks away.\
Trembling.
"What about Sasha?" Satsuki asks as she walks over to Naruto. "You'll make her fight, too? Ask for her reason?"
"Huh?" Naruto glances at the new potential recruit before smiling. "Oh, no, no, she can stay. Her endurance is already something. Her skills are regular, but her endurance? We'll make something out of her. And I don't really care for her reason. She can leave if she wants to, but something tells me she'll stay."
Satsuki nods. "You heard him, Sasha Braus. Get training. Your sparring partner will be me. Eren!"
"Sir!"
"Your partner is Naruto."
The brown-haired teen gulps while Naruto simply settles into a stance. With a smirk, of course.
=== (Game of Gods) ===
A once peaceful and relatively quiet day in the weapon workshop of a certain girl is broken as a male teen enters with a grinning shout. "YOOOO! TENTEN!" Naruto brings his hand up. "How've you been doing?!"
"Naruto!" Tenten—a girl who wears the all-black uniform of the Shadow Regiment—laughs and gives him a high-five before her eyes sparkle at the woman behind him. "SATSUKIIII!" She immediately rushes over to the girl and gives her a near-bone-crushing hug. "Are you two finally dating?!" Her eyes sparkle.
Satsuki snorts. "As if."
In response, Tenten pouts. "Let me dream, why don't you?"
The Uchiha rolls her eyes. "You mean like you and Neji?" at which point, Naruto cuts in; "Actually, I'm the furthest from Neji, at least I'm not a real asshole—" to which Satsuki cuts him off and says, "Yes, but you're even a more feared special commander than he is."
The blonde teen hangs his head while muttering lines similar to "I don't even want to play the ass but it's the only way to get them to obey you," or something of the sort.
"Hey, hey," Tenten pats his back making him perk up. "I've got that new weapon I've been working on. Care to try it? I'm working on another one now, but I think this one is pretty neat!"
Naruto's smile beams as Satsuki sighs behind him… before smirking.
Both say in sync, "Let's."
And so, they head out into their private testing field as Tenten hands over an object wrapped in a brown cloth to one Satsuki Uchiha. "I think you'll like this one," she says as Satsuki unwraps it. "This one is called a bolt-action rifle."
Naruto hums with interest while Satsuki tests out the mechanics. "If what Gramps said is true, this should help us keep up with the times outside the walls."
Tenten smirks at him, her arms crossed, and a satisfied smirk resting on her face. "Well, having a demi-god for a leader is also a pretty nifty perk," she comments to which Naruto waves her off and replies, "I thought I told you to stop with that demi-god bullshit." The woman, of course, rebuts. "And I told you, that whether you are or aren't, normal people will call you that at the least—"
"Call us that, at the least," Naruto corrects. "What I can do, you can too—"
"Yeah, but you and Satsuki are the most skilled at using your grandfather's gift when compared to the rest of us—"
BANG!
The attention of the two noisy Shadow Regiment members snaps to Satsuki who smiles at them while holding the rifle onto her shoulder. "I like it." Her statement causes Tenten to squint as she looks at the target while Naruto simply smiles.
Two hundred metres.
Dead center.
More than enough for facing Titans.
Satsuki chooses to bring them back on track. "You said you had one more?"
Tenten's eyes sparkle as her smile beams. "Oh! Right! This one, I think, is something you and Naruto will love. I think that only a select few should be using it though."
"So? Where is it?" Satsuki asks as she starts to dismantle and clean the rifle.
"I'm still making it. The design is rather unique for me to make right away, but right now," Tenten rushes back into the workshop and comes out a second later with a new rifle, one that neither Satsuki nor Naruto can quite comprehend just yet. "The blueprint Master left me called this a carbine. I think Naruto should try it out," she says and hands the weapon over to the blonde while Satsuki stops what she's doing and watches.
For his part, Naruto takes aim, controls his breathing, and then…
BANG!
…
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! PING—the clip flies out!
At the end of it all, Naruto can be seen grinning while Tenten holds an "I told you so" look on her face while Satsuki gives a silent prolonged "oh" at the display.
The weapon's maker then explains. "It reloads itself, and while this one uses bullets that I had to make myself, I think Naruto here can think of a way to make our chakra create bullets or something like that." Her statement causes the man to hum before he nods.
"I'll have my clone work on something like that, sure. I still have a few years left of teaching and recruiting, but clones should make it manageable," he agrees with a thoughtful look. He then smiles and high-fives the weaponsmith. "I say Neji's got himself a winner."
The woman giggles. "Flatterer." She watches with a teasing smile as the two co-commanders head back to the workshop. "Hey, Naruto!" The blonde turns. "Maybe you two should get it on!"
The Uzumaki shouts his reply. "She wouldn't say yes!"
SMACK!
"DON'T GIVE HER IDEAS!"
Tenten laughs as she watches Naruto playfully submit to his best friend who she notes is now fuming red. She can't tell if it's because of anger, embarrassment, or both. But while she might not tell, she goes with Naruto's advice. "If you can't tell between two situations, it's probably a bit of both," his words echo in her head. "Yep," she muses to herself, "probably a bit of both."
=== (Game of Gods) ===
"Again!"
SMACK! THUD!
"Again!"
SMACK! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! THUD!
"Again!"
WACK!
"Do you give up, Ackerman?" Naruto eyes the now bruised and bloodied face of one Mikasa Ackerman while off to the side, Sasha, Annie, and Eren, stand exhausted, and just as bruised and bloodied.
"Never!"
Naruto nods. "Choose a partner," he says making the black-haired girl look to her three fellow recruits to the side. "Oh, and you can't choose Eren."
Mikasa sends a glare his way but freezes when Naruto looks at her with wide eyes that can put the hollow glare of a certain Keith Shadis to shame. Not seeing much of a choice, she looks towards the three recruits, her eyes examining each of them. After a while, she chooses the strongest one. "Annie Leonhart, Sir." Her belief? She decides it to be best to prove to him that she can go on and fight the most skilled recruit aside from herself even after his beating.
Little does she know that Naruto has other plans.
"Good." The blonde turns to his fellow blonde. "Annie!"
"Sir."
"You and Mikasa pair up. For the next two weeks, try to come up with a plan to beat me or Satsuki." He then looks to Sasha and Eren and says, "You two, pair up. After those two weeks, change partners." He then walks away from the Ackerman as the sun begins to set. "Change partners again after another two weeks. Make sure you pair up with everyone. Do this for the entire year until you can either beat us… or we deem it enough."
Woosh. Tap. Tap.
Eren and Sasha stare wide-eyed as Naruto now stands stock still, hands out, palms open, for he simply spun to block two fists from hitting him courtesy of their fellow Shadow Recruits—Annie and Mikasa, while merely using open palms to stop them en route to his face and stomach.
"Very good," Naruto says with a soft smile that shocks both girls. "It's a start. In war, there is no verbal signal unless you're stupid and suicidal. Eren! Sasha!"
"S-sir!" the two partners reply in sync.
"Learn from them! Another rule of warfare is that unless you're a one-man army, everyone works as a team. Understood?!"
The two recruits reply, "Sir! Yes! Sir!" While two others stare in silent hate.
Mikasa and Annie then find themselves helped up to stand straight. Confusion is sown on their faces, one that is displayed clearly on two of the most stoic people in the One-O-Fourth Training Corps. It grows even more as Naruto pats them on their heads.
"You two did great. Now help those two out." Naruto smiles and removes his hands from their heads. "Oh, and by the way, Mikasa," he says before turning to leave. "I've been so busy I forgot to praise you for something you did on the first night of training," he says and begins to walk away, "Nice job telling Shadis that Sasha farted."
The usually stoic Mikasa blushes. "I-I-I… Th-thank you, sir."
Naruto waves them a casual goodbye and leaves the four recruits to their devices.
=== (Game of Gods) ===
"Annie, Eren, Mikasa, Sasha," Satsuki calls as the sun beats down on them while they stand in attention as the regulars practice hand-to-hand combat behind her. "You've all improved. It took you three months, but you all did well today." She then looks two recruits in their eyes and smiles. "Especially you, Eren, Sasha," she praises making the two once-weaker recruits beam at the praise. "You've caught up with the other two through hard work while they are both talented. I can see why my co-commander chose to have both of you join."
A single-word question comes from Mikasa as she voices confusion at her Special Commander's words. "Sir?"
Satsuki humours the girl. "Mikasa, Annie."
"Hai!"
"Both of you are talented. You remind me of myself." Satsuki smiles as she slowly unbuttons her black shirt, fully aware of the surprise of her three female students, and the blushing of the male student who swallows hard doing his best not to look. "I'm not saying you didn't work hard. It's just that both of you take to things easier than these two. But their improvement over the last three months after constantly switching partners is far greater than the both of you. Just like how Naruto was." She then looks past them, ignoring the blushing Eren, as she removes her black shirt and says, "Isn't that right, Naruto?" all the while showing her well-toned torso which is covered only by a black sports bra.
The recruits instinctively turn and face their rear in fear and salute the man who chuckles at them.
"Relax," he says with a disarming smile. "This quick improvement has earned you our respect. You no longer have to greet me and Satsuki if it's just us." He then smirks at them while keeping his pace. "But remember what the Shadow Regiment is."
"Sir, meaning we have to blend in with the other recruits, sir."
"Eren, huh? He composed himself fairly quickly." Naruto smiles as he eyes the boy. "Good. You've become more confident. Your next assignment is to improve your mental strength and strategy. War isn't just made of brawns." He looks towards Satsuki and rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on, you're getting the attention of the regs too, you know?"
"What? Want me just to yourself?" Satsuki teases making the blonde look at her with an amused hum. "Let's spar. Let's show these amateurs just how far behind they really are."
Naruto grins.
And vanishes.
The recruits didn't even blink. "HOW—"
"Eren, take care of this for me, will you?" The blonde's voice comes from behind them causing all of them to turn and see Naruto simply dropping a pair of now neatly folded shirts onto Eren's arms.
A Naruto that now stands shirtless showing his also well-toned body making his three female students blush while Eren looks at him in awe.
"Well, would you look at that? Two stoic girls actually blushing." Satsuki teases causing Mikasa and Annie to harden their gazes while still holding their blush on their cheeks. "I thought you'd just be mine?"
Naruto snorts. "Speak for yourself." He glances behind Satsuki to see that all the regs stopped their training and are now looking at both of them. "Well, then again, I'm the only guy who can handle you," he says with a grin.
Satsuki grins back. "Prove it."
In a blink, the two special commanders meet at the centre with Naruto sending a roundhouse kick to Satsuki's head while the woman in question flips back to send a kick to Naruto's chin which the blonde blocks with his forearm and then…
"I'm not letting you grab my foot, dumbass!" Satsuki grins.
Naruto pushes her away just in time to dodge an arch of fire which causes all the recruits, special and regular, to stare in awe. To which the blonde sighs. "Looks I have more catching up to do," he mumbles.
Before appearing behind the woman and sending a punch to her face.
Unfortunately, she catches his arm and throws him forward using his momentum before sending a kick to her right as another him appears to try and tackle her. She is then flung from behind courtesy of another tackle, this one succeeding, thanks to another Naruto appearing.
The woman gives a 'tsk' in annoyance. "You and your Shadow Clones. Really."
The real Naruto grins before heading back into the fray while using only four clones as Satsuki uses all elements available to her—earth, water, fire, air, lightning, all used in tandem and grace that keeps Naruto at bay whenever he has the upper hand, while the blonde himself relents not in his attacks.
It continues for five minutes with the regs watching in astonishment, but the four special recruits watch in realization.
"Because Naruto poses an even greater challenge than you. A challenge far greater than any of you can even conceive until you see him in action."
"Another rule of warfare is that unless you're a one-man army, everyone works as a team."
Satsuki's and Naruto's words echo in their minds, and indeed, Satsuki has the power of a one-man army. Naruto is the embodiment of a one-man army, and is giving Satsuki a lot of trouble—
BOOM!
The four Shadow Recruits are torn from their thoughts as their eyes stay glued to the blonde commander—who is now twenty metres in the air.
A fact that shocks everyone.
It is also a fact that scares three people among the recruits.
Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun, and Bertolt Hoover, all have their eyes wide in fear. How can they not? For before them is a man—
BOOM!
And now also a woman… who just jumped twenty metres into the air. Without the famed OMD.
A unified thought crosses their minds.
"Did we choose the wrong people to go to war against?"
=== (Next time) ===
"Chapter Four: Graduation, Decisions, and Attack"
Please review!
[Finished on February 12, 2021]
[13:09 hours, Philippines]
[Proofread on February 12, 2021]
[18:13 hours, Philippines]
