Hi again! I just have a couple of things I'd like to address before the chapter begins. I have had a couple of reviews now saying that people don't like the first person writing an to those people I would like to say sorry, but I personally enjoy writing from within Naruto's head. Also, I'm not sure if you noticed but I will be using a couple of original characters that will be important to this story. I will try to keep their parts brief as I know that many do not enjoy reading about new characters though I will try to make them as entertaining as possible. Last, but now least, I would like to thank everyone who has read my story! It means a lot to me, that as a first time fanfiction author, I have gotten so many hits so thank you and I will continue to write until this story is completed, which realistically, probably won't be until the end of this year so stay tuned! I hope you enjoy the new chapter and those to come.

~Strix

Disclaimer: I do not own either Naruto or Shingeki no Kyojin.

Updated: March 19, 2014

The first thing I noticed was the face that the room was quite small. It contained a large desk which sat stoically in front of a window. The walls were lined with many bookcases, filled with books of all sizes. A small painting of Zackely's family stood prominently on the desk. Other than that the room was rather non-descriptive and held few personal artifacts.

What really held my attention was the man who sat behind the desk. His face was striking. His dark red hair was almost black and would have appeared so if light had not been emitting into the room. A deep purple shined through where the sun lit the prominent spikes of his hair. Maroon eyes peered at me against his dark complexion. He wore a black cloak which covered his body from the neck down with long sleeves going down to his wrists. His long fingers were steepled on the desk. He merely looked at me in assessment before speaking.

"Do you an idea of who I am?" he asked me softly.

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I answered "You would be considered part of the organization Midori spoke about wouldn't you?"

A light of approval glimmered briefly in his eyes before quickly disappearing. "You would be correct in that assumption. I hope Midori hasn't scared you too much. I know she can be rather high-strung for most people."

"Well considering the fact that you're talking to a guy who was almost killed there can't be much that you guys throw at me that I won't be able to handle." I answered.

"Good. You'll need that type of attitude with what you must do next."

Oh boy. I didn't really need any further complications in my life. I already had an impaired memory and I was considered a dangerous outsider by nearly everyone in this strange place. I could only imagine what he meant by that. He raised a thin, expectant eyebrow, as if begging me to ask the question of which I obliged.

"What are your plans for me now? I mean, I know I owe Midori at least once or twice for saving me on the first day and now you for saving my life. If this continues I just might be considered in the organization's debt for the rest of my life." I said jokingly, trying to brighten the mode.

"Who's to say you are not already living in our debt? Perhaps we saved you from a terrible fate from hence you came. Have you thought about that?" he continued in the same soft tone.

I had not in fact thought about that. This scenario just keeps getting more and more troublesome as time passes. The word troublesome clicked somewhere in my mind and created a vision of a man with spiky hair, pulled back in a pineapple style. Ignoring this, I continued to ponder my situation.

"Naruto, you look conflicted. All will be explained in due time. Now let's get down to business." With this, he began to pull various objects out of a bag. The first object came in the form of paper tags with the character for seal on them. The second was a blank, leather bound book with the Scouting Legion crest engraved on the front. The third and final object came in the form of a necklace with a citrine pendent, crafted to look like a miniature fox with nine tails.

"You will need to keep all of these items on your person at all times, it is especially important that you don't lose this necklace. This will prevent the worst of Kurama's power from taking hold of your actions. You will need to build up your control of his chakra to succeed in your mission."

"What mission?" I asked before he had time to explain. This was one of the few chances I would have to gather information on why I was here and not in my place of origin. I couldn't stand being kept in the dark anymore then I already was.

With a sharp look from the man I was prevented from speaking further. "The mission will ultimately be up for you to decide. Our job is to simply aid you in whatever you choose. Your actions will narrow your options but in the end you will succeed." He emphasized the word will as if I had no choice in the matter, and I suppose I really didn't.

"Now, no more interruptions until I am done, is that understood?" he asked in that soft voice of his. I nodded an affirmative and he continued. "You need to be able to control the Kyuubi's chakra and these will help you to do so," He explained as he handed me the necklace and the paper tags. "These tags will instantly seal away Kurama's chakra. This will prevent you from harming yourself or anyone else unintentionally. Just a note of caution, they will only work until you have the third tail of the Kyuubi's cloak. After that you will need to rely on the necklace and your own will to master the chakra."

I nodded. I felt grateful to these mysterious people. Did I really need to be grateful though? It seemed like they had kidnapped me and erased my memory only to bring me to this dangerous world that was filled with giant monsters. Putting this aside for the moment I inquired about the book that still lay unexplained on the desk.

"This is where you will be keeping track of your time with the Scouting Legion. I find it important to keep track of my own experiences and I highly encourage you do the same." The way he said this left no doubt in my mind that I, once again, had no choice in the matter. I put on the necklace and put the other items into my pockets.

"As far as what you do with all this will be up to you. You will need to gain the trust of the people here if you want to survive. It would be a shame if your head were to roll after all the effort we've put into you."

"Thanks for that, oh by the way, what is your name? It would be nice to know the name of a person I owe a debt to."

With this he gave me a quick grin, flashing his pointed teeth. "Ah yes, and I will be collecting. You can call me Katsumi." He said resuming his indifferent attitude.

"Thank you for saving my life Katsumi," I replied with a grin. Compared to Midori, Katsumi was almost normal, albeit his nonchalant manner and his eerie red eyes. I only had to wonder what the other members of this infamous organization were like. "Oh yeah, what did you say to Zackley to stop my sentencing?" I queried.

"Oh yes that," he replied with a devious smirk, "I only told him that his, uh, manhood would mysteriously disappear if he resumed your beheading."

My only reply was to wince at this notion. Perhaps he wasn't as normal as I had previously decided.

"I was only doing my job after all. Just some personal advice, you might want to change those clothes, you wouldn't want people to think you were some kind of wild beast, now would you?"

With that I glanced down at my clothes. They were torn to tatters and stained with dried blood. After my brief evaluation I looked back up to see that he was gone. A knock sounded at the door as it was opened by the same soldier who had led me here.

"We must go and to the Scouting Legion headquarters now. I have informed Levi and Erwin that your sentencing has been revoked." With that said, he turned his back on me, leaving me to follow in his wake.

As I walked through the desolate halls of the military court I noticed the constant whispering and fingers being pointed in my direction. This started to grate on my nerves. I knew this feeling and I hated it. The accusation in their eyes as if I had done something wrong, and with that thought I was transported away.

(Flashback)

I was only around five or six years old in the vision. I was surrounded by adults who looked at me as if I had done something terrible. Tears glistened in my blue eyes as the adults whispered and pointed in my direction. Some even escorted their children away as if I posed a danger to them. Nine lengthy shadows, in the form of tails, were formed behind me which seemed to scare everyone away.

I was left alone in the court yard. I went to a swing that was tied under a tree and sat. I couldn't contain it anymore and I started to cry, taking long and shuddering breaths that shook my whole body. A long shadow appeared in front of me. Glancing up, I saw the face of an elderly man who wore a pointed hat with the word fire emphasized in the middle. A long white coat with red robes underneath covered his thin frame.

Looking down at me with a sympathetic face he said "There, there Naruto, what seems to be the problem?"

I slowly wiped the tears from my eyes with clenched fists before I answered. "They said I was evil and that I couldn't play with anyone. I got mad and I hit someone but I didn't mean to. I just felt really angry all of a sudden. Does that mean I really am evil?" I asked as tears started to fill my eyes once more.

At this point the old man kneeled in front of me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Of course not. We all get angry or upset every once in a while. We're only human after all. It's just that you are very special and need to be careful so that you don't get angry too often. Tell me, did you like hitting that child?"

Looking up with wide eyes I instantly proclaimed "No!"

"That proves that you aren't evil my dear boy. You can't be expected to be good all the time, heaven only knows that I wasn't at your age, but you have to try your hardest to be. Do you think you can do that for me?" I nodded yes.

"Very good" he replied with a wide smile. "How would you like to help me be hokage for a day?"

Gasping at the prospect I nodded my head yes multiple times as the man let out a chuckle. "Well then you know that all hokages need a hat." With this he reached up and took off his hat to place it on my own head. I grinned widely even though I could barely see out from under the brim of the large hat. The man then took my hand and walked me into a large red building, all the while talking to me about the duties that a hokage must fulfill.

(Flashback End)

Looking around I realized that we were now in front of a new building that held the Scouting Legion crest on the front. I must have resumed walking with the soldier on autopilot while in my memory world. Reflecting on what I had learned I realized that there would always be people who thought I was dangerous or untrustworthy, just for being an outsider or for being different, but then I remembered the old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of Konoha, and grinned. I now remembered my purpose. I wanted to be hokage and nothing would stop me from doing it. I had to get back to my own place of origin if I ever wanted to complete my goal. With this attitude I was able to approach the people who would be my commanding officers. Before I could say so much as one word I was promptly kicked in the face.

I stumbled back a bit from the force of impact. I was shocked. I glanced at Levi who looked steadily back at me. "What was that for?" I asked in a hurt tone.

"Next time you decide to say anything like that again I will personally make sure that the titans will be the least of your worries, are we clear?" He asked with a hard gleam in his eyes.

I nodded my head slowly, wanting to eliminate the chance on being kicked again. What was he talking about? The only thing I had done was tell the truth in the courtroom.

"Great, another helpless brat I have to take care of." Levi muttered as he walked up the steps of the building. Erwin, who had witnessed the whole thing, only shook his head in exasperation. I took this to mean that it was not uncommon for the corporal to abuse whoever he felt deserved it. Erwin gestured for me to follow as he followed Levi into the building. I hurried up the steps and followed after them.

The place was filled with people. Everyone wore what I know knew to be the military's uniform. The only thing that seemed to change were the shirts that people wore and their personal accents such as Levi's cravat or Erwin's bull tie. Some wore glasses with three leather bands connected to the ends to hold them firmly in place. The purpose of this was unknown to me but I figured it would become clear in due time.

We eventually approached an empty office, but before we entered Levi directed me to a bathroom. He looked me once over and then vanished. He returned with a bundle of clothing in his hands along with a pair of boots. "Before you come in I want you to bathe and change," he said eyeing me over, "you're filthy." And with that he walked into the office.

I went into the room the next door over and found that it contained a freshly prepared bath. I happily removed my soiled clothes and hopped in. I thoroughly scrubbed every inch of my body until it squeaked, lavishing in the feeling of grime being washed away. I jumped out of the bath and dried off before changing into the new clothes.

I glanced down at what was to be my new outfit. Aside from undergarments, it consisted of a pair of white pants with a button up white shirt. There was also a short tan jacket with the Scouting Legion crest over one of the breast pockets. They all fit perfectly which I found to be quite surprising, but then again it wasn't all that surprising considering the fact that Levi had picked them out. I pulled on the boots to complete the ensemble. I replaced the items Katsumi had given me in the pockets of my new uniform before discarding my old outfit.

I glanced in the mirror at my reflection for the first time since coming to this place. I hadn't changed much from what I had seen of myself in memories. My whiskers were more defined then they had been when I was younger and my eyes held more caution, but they still contained the joy and mischief that I had seen in my younger self. I smiled. I would be ready for anything that these guys could throw at me. Bring it on.

I walked out of the room and approached the office door. I knocked once before I heard "come in." Opening the door I found a wide office space that allowed plenty of sunlight to fall in through the tall windows. Erwin sat behind a wide desk while Levi leaned against a wall with his arms folded in front of his chest.

There was a lone chair in front of the desk which I assumed was for me. I quickly sat down. Erwin looked at me in evaluation before he began to speak.

"I have a series of questions for you. I need you to answer truthfully and to the best of your ability. Let's start with the easiest. What is your name?"

"Naruto" I answered dutifully.

"Okay Naruto, I have heard many accounts of what happed during the mission, but I want to know why you got involved in the situation and about the power you displayed. I would also like to know how you survived in the forest for so long without 3D maneuver gear" He said with an expectant look.

"Okay but it's going to take a while" I said before I began. I told them about my "special power" of controlling charka, which they responded to with disbelief until I sent chakra in my feet to walk up the office wall. After that they took everything I said seriously. I excluded everything about the organization. I hardly knew anything about it myself. I then told them that when I had been in the form they had found me in while hunting the titan I had been using a special type of chakra. I also included my inability to control it but told them I was learning, though they didn't look convinced. As to why my sentencing had been called off I explained that evidence had been found to disprove how dangerous I was. I left it very open ended, as to deny the existence of any involvement I may have had. All they knew was that a mysterious man had shown up and stopped my execution. Finally, I talked about how I had been taken to talk to this man after he had saved me, though he didn't tell me much. As I finished talking they looked at each other with a meaningful look before returning their attention to me. Erwin spoke up after a short pause.

"This charka ability you have, we would like you to prevent others from seeing it aside from those in the Scouting Legion that we trust. You can't show anyone your true potential or else they may deem that you are more of a threat then they have already decided. As a cover up we will say that you trained yourself to use 3D maneuver gear, which you found in the forest to avoid and kill the titans. As far as your appearance goes, we will blame it on rumors and will have everyone who saw you sworn under secrecy until you have mastered this strange ability."

He looked back at me for acknowledgement to which I nodded my head in response. Of course they wouldn't want anything more about me to be known, especially not my abilities. It was bad enough having a threat like me in this city, but it would be worse if they knew that I was more dangerous than they had previously thought. A question about the situation popped into my head, which I promptly blurted out.

"Wait, why is the Scouting Legion supporting me? Why wouldn't you just kill me and end the threat? You seem to be risking a lot more than just your lives."

At this point Levi ended his silence and spoke up. "You think we're doing this for you? Erwin and I can see the potential that you have in eliminating titans as a solider, nothing else. Don't think for one moment that we won't end your life if you make one wrong move," explained the corporal with a deadly expression. "The only reason we're protecting you is because you saved my squad from being eliminated, if it wasn't for that you would be long gone."

I looked down towards my boots at this statement. I had expected something along these lines and I knew it to be the truth. I was only kept alive as long as I remained useful and contained; the moment that changed I was a dead man. I nodded my head slowly in acknowledgement. "What do you want me to do?"

"We expect you to train with the Scouting Legion and go on missions with us as we see fit. We expect that with your… skills… we can cut back on the lives that are lost during our expeditions," Erwin replied.

"Okay, when do I begin?" I asked, knowing the sooner I started the more titans I would have the chance to slay.

"Immediately," said Erwin as a knock reverberated through the room. A tall man walked with short blond hair entered. His bangs were parted in the middle and he had sparse facial hair on his face. His eyes were brown and contained a quick look of calculation when he glanced briefly at me before looking back towards the commander.

"You called for me?" The man asked in a deep, steady voice.

"Yes, I would like you to escort Naruto to the training grounds. He needs to be taught how to use 3D maneuver gear."

The man nodded and held the door open for me. As I approached the door Erwin's voice stopped me from leaving.

"Naruto, I want you to try your hardest to fit in. We have many other new members of the Scouting Legion. I would like you to integrate yourself into them to the best of your ability. It may be crucial to your survival in our world." With that said he looked over at Levi and began to discuss logistics. Knowing that I was dismissed, I went out into the hall and walked, following the man who would lead me to begin my training in 3D maneuver gear, whatever that was.

(End)

Thank you for reading! Hopefully I will have a new chapter up by Saturday depending on my schedule! See you when I see you!

~Strix