Hi Again, here's the latest addition to my story, enjoy!

~Strix

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

Updated: March 20, 2014

As I approached the training grounds I found that it wasn't completely deserted. There was a small group of people who appeared to be around my own age gathered on the field. These must be the new scouts Erwin was talking about. They gazed at me with looks of apprehension and curiosity as I walked by.

I was led into the wooden barracks that were stationed near the training grounds. The man, who I found out was named Mike Zacharius, brought me to a supply cabinet, taking out several leather straps and a short leather skirt. I was instructed in how to put on the strange equipment before we went back outside. We approached a strange piece of equipment which was tri-legged with two thick wires braced under the middle of the structure.

Wondering briefly about the function of the machine, I found out as I was strapped in. The small gathering of newly committed soldiers gathered around. I'm sure many thought this would be quite entertaining. I'm pretty sure that each of them had gone through a similar experience in their own training and couldn't wait to see the result of another newbie, even if said newbie was considered dangerous.

"All you need to do is retain your balance as I raise the wires," instructed Mike straight-forwardly. "This is a test that will allow me to see your potential in using 3D maneuver gear."

I nodded in affirmative as I was gently tugged upwards. I remained well balanced until a large gust of wind caused a break in my concentration. I suddenly found myself upside down, much to my chagrin.

Some of the cadets laughed, causing a small fire to engulf my face as I blushed. I noticed that a kid with the freckles was admonishing the guy next to him, who looked a bit like a horse. The guy I had noticed in the courtroom gave me a look of encouragement.

I concentrated on using my core muscles and slowly made my way upright, aided with a small amount of chakra. At this turn of events, the crowd gasped. It seemed like this wasn't a common thing to be able to do. Just what I needed; another freaky display of power that would make me stand out even more then I already did. I probably shouldn't have used my power but I couldn't stand being laughed at.

Mike simply nodded and let me down.

"Hmm, that's odd," he muttered to himself before checking my equipment. It appeared that one of the belts was damaged, which inspired greater acknowledgment from the crowd. It would seem that I had done something that was almost impossible.

After unstrapping me from the mechanism I was left among the crowed of young cadets while Mike went to get some gear. The boy who had shown me confidence in my abilities approached me first, along with a small blond-haired boy and a girl who looked of Asian descent.

"I'm Eren Jaeger," said the boy as he held out his hand.

I hastily took it. "Nice to meet ya, I'm Naruto," I answered, acting as sociable as possible. I knew that making a good impression would be the key to maintaining a secured status among my new peers.

Eren then pointed out his two companions. "This is Armin Arlet, the smartest guy you'll ever meet," as he continued causing Armin blushed at the compliment. I could see a quiet intellect in his blue eyes as he assessed the situation. I held out my hand to shake his. He reciprocated with a cautious smile.

Eren then turned towards the girl on his right. She had dark gray eyes and short black hair. She wore a red scarf around her neck which I thought was strange considering how warm the weather was. "This is Mikasa Ackerman, the most badass soldier in the legion, except for maybe Levi." At this Mikasa simply glanced at Eren with a slightly exasperated look on her face. She held out her hand and shook my own with a firm grip before quickly removing hers. Her face remained statuesque as she moved closer to Eren in a protective stance.

At this point the others made their way over for introductions.

"Hi I'm Marco Bodt and this is Jean Kirstein," said the boy with freckles and olive skin, a warm smile lighting his face. I felt myself unconsciously returning the grin. I liked this guy already. I examined Jean and found myself staring back into the forlorn eyes of the youth. They showed arrogance and dismay at my physical appearance.

"Just stay out of my way and we'll get along fine. We don't need any more trouble in this squad, we've lost plenty of people already and we don't need anyone else dying from stupidity. You don't exactly look like the smartest guy around," proclaimed Jean with a snarky tone.

"Yeah, like a need a guy with a horse face giving me lessons on intelligence," I countered as my anger got the best of me. Everyone let out a small cough of laughter excluding Marco, Armin and Mikasa. To my surprise, Jean didn't counter back. He looked back at me with what was almost a look of approval.

Next came a tall, muscular blond along with a taller guy with a dark complexion, who was coated in a sheen of sweat. I couldn't tell if it was from the heat or nervousness, but what I did know was that he needed a towel.

"I'm Reiner Braun," declared the giant of a man. He looked like he was a leader of sorts and one that could be trusted. He shook my hand in a rough grip before letting the taller boy introduce himself.

"My name is Bertholt Fubar" sputtered the boy as he took my hand into a moist shake. Trying not to cringe at the sensation, I smiled at the boy and replied with "nice to meet you". He gave me a small smile in response before resuming his place behind Reiner.

A girl eating a piece of bread dragged over a shorter guy with closely cropped hair. "I'm Sasha Braus and this is Connie Springer," the girl announced through the bread, causing her words to sound muffled. Sasha had long brown hair, tied back with a leather cord. She had dark brown eyes which glowed with happiness as she munched on her small loaf. Connie had small yellow eyes and a rather large head. His face showed annoyance at being dragged over by Sasha. Though he looked nervous at being near me, he managed to flash me a quick smile.

Finally, a small girl approached with a taller girl standing protectively over her. "My name is Krista Reiss and this is Ymir," explained the girl in a soft voice. She gave me a small curtsy after her brief introduction. I had no idea how to respond to this so I simply put one hand behind my head and smiled at the girl. She was pretty cute after all, with her long blonde hair and innocent blue eyes. As I thought this, I felt warnings being thrown at me from both Ymir and Reiner. I realized I had been staring for just a moment too long.

Turning my attention towards Ymir, I found that she had very short brown hair which was tied back in pigtails. Her eyes exposed no emotion but I could feel ill intent coming off of her in waves. She gave a diminutive nod of acknowledgement before moving closer to Krista.

At that point Mike finally came back with the infamous 3D maneuver gear and a new strap to replace my broken one.

"You need to get accustomed to the ins and outs of this machinery, your life will depend on it. This is how you will escape from the titans and how you will propel yourself high enough to reach their necks. Any questions so far?"

I shook my head, indicating a negative. He proceeded to teach me about the gear and what it was capable of while the other scouts went to talk amongst themselves.

"Why are we all here? We already know all of this stuff," complained Jean loudly while Mike was explaining how to replace the blades on the machine.

He quickly got up and approached Jean. Jean looked intimidated but stood his ground as the higher up came closer. He finally stood in front of the boy and said in a soft, but menacing tone, "fight me."

"What?" asked Jean in a slightly surprised tone.

"If you know everything there is to know then you will win, won't you?" asked Mike rhetorically. At this Jean simply looked down at the ground and stepped back, a blush appearing on his face.

"This goes the same for all of you. You may have made it into the scouting legion, but that doesn't mean your training is over. You need to stay fit if you want to stay alive." He said glancing at everyone to make sure he had their full attention. "It has become my job to train you so that you will not die at the hand of the first titan you encounter. You will need to remain strong if you are to face the challenges to come. You will need to be smarter and stronger. I have other important things to do and I don't need the extra task of dealing with incompetent fools who don't know the value of staying sharp. Do I make myself clear?"

At this everyone simultaneously replied with a "yes sir!" Satisfied that they were paying attention Mike resumed his lesson with me while the others patiently waited for further instruction. Once completed, I went to grab the equipment, wanting to try it out as soon as I could. Mike quickly snatched my wrist, preventing me from touching the gear.

"You still have to undergo more tests before I deem you fit enough to use this," with that he turned to address the rest of the group.

"You will all be taking these tests. I want to see for myself how qualified our newest members are. The first thing you have to do is run ten laps around the training field starting at my signal."

Groaning, the cadets lined up at the designated starting point. On Mike's signal we ran as one. After the second lap it became clear who still needed physical training. Connie lagged far behind with Sasha continued jogging next to him. It was clear that Connie was out of breath while Sasha retained an even breathing rate. Sasha had clearly stayed behind for Connie's sake, though he didn't seem to realize it.

Next came Ymir and Krista who remained about half a lap behind the vast majority of the group. They remained side by side as Ymir shortened her stride to remain near the petite blonde. Armin was a little ways ahead of them with a determined look on his face. Eren and Mikasa jogged together with Jean and Marco beside them. Reiner and Bertholt were right behind me as we continued down the track.

Eren and Jean glared at each other as they remained neck and neck. Around the fifth lap Marco began to lose some of his speed and fell behind. Jean gave a final, loathing glare to Eren before slowing down to fall into line with Marco. Eren and Mikasa ran steadily next to each other over the duration of the final laps.

Reiner looked ahead and saw me in the distance as I started the tenth and final lap. He looked determined to pass me as he began to speed up for the final stretch. Bertholt had no such ambition and remained at his established gait. I could feel Reiner gaining on me and we soon stared each other down as we ran the last four hundred meters of the track. I quickly put some chakra into the soles of my feet and darted towards the finish. Reiner appeared stupefied as he was left in the dust. He finished twenty seconds after me, breathing heavily. I was feeling great. I had barely broken a sweat during the run. As each person finished Mike recorded the results. Connie came in dead last.

Some appeared a little curious that I was not sweating or breathing hard. It came to me as a bit of a surprise as well. I suppose that from wherever I had come, this Konoha place, that I had needed to be fit. Mike simply looked around at everyone and walked towards the next trial.

Eren and Jean broke out into an argument about who was really the faster of the two. "I came in before you so that obviously means I'm faster," started Eren with a victorious smile on his face.

"That doesn't mean anything and besides that I had to slow down for… reasons…," countered Jean, glancing at Marco quickly before resuming his glare directed at Eren.

"Why, to stay near your boyfriend?" Eren asked snidely before realizing what he had said. Jean reached out and grabbed Eren's shirt with a closed fist, startling Eren. His expression appeared murderous.

"Oh boy, here we go again," commented Reiner in an excited voice, rubbing his hands in excitement. It seemed as if this was a common occurance.

"Reiner don't encourage them!" stammered Bertholt, who was glancing nervously between the two.

"Guys can't you just get along?" begged Krista.

"You know they can't help themselves Krista, they just don't have a love as strong as ours." exclaimed Ymir in a high falsetto that was both sarcastic and serious. Krista merely glanced up at her tall companion before turning her worried gaze back to the two boys.

Connie had a shocked look on his face. He glanced back and forth between Marco and Jean as if trying to decide if the whole boyfriend thing was true or not. Sasha looked around intently, now eating a potato.

Mikasa watched in silence with a slightly peeved expression on her face, aimed towards Jean. Armin held a hand to his face, shaking his head slightly.

Marco tried to calm Jean down by putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jean simply shrugged it off while he remained clutching Eren's shirt. Their eyes were locked on each other, waiting for the other to make a move. "You asking for a fight Jeager?" threatened Jean.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," stammered Eren, who looked around at his peers for help.

"Come on Jean, Eren didn't mean it," advised Marco in a calming tone. "Let's just continue on with our training, all right?" But Jean wasn't stopping without a fight.

He swung his right fist at Eren's face while Eren himself braced himself for an impact that never came. Mike had finally noticed what was going on. He held Jean's closed fist in his iron grasp.

Letting out an audible gasp Jean let go of Eren's shirt and stepped back. Eren simply straightened his shirt and waited for his punishment. Mike eyed the two menacingly to ensure that they wouldn't start up again. Satisfied, he let go of Jean's fist and opened his mouth to speak.

"What do you boys think you're doing? You're on duty as we speak. Soldiers do not fight amongst themselves. Explain yourselves!" demanded the usually calm man.

"Eren said… something…," Stated Jean lamely.

"I don't care if Eren insults your mother! You never raise a hand against a fellow soldier. You deal with it and move on. Understood?" At this Jean nodded and said "Yes sir," in a quiet voice.

"And you," exclaimed Mike, turning to Eren. "You never gloat over a victory. You only came in fourth place, that's not a win. It only proves that you need to work harder."

"Yes sir," muttered Eren downheartedly.

Mike turned from the two to address everyone else. "It would appear that we need some help with our teamwork. I will split you all into pairs of two before we begin our next task." With this Erwin's right hand man assigned us into pairs.

"Naruto and Arlet, Kirstein and Jeager, Braun and Springer, Reiss and Ymir, Fubar and Blaus, and Ackerman with Bodt," ordered the man as we scrambled to get next to our assigned partners.

Connie looked quite small standing next to his tall partner. Ymir appeared thrilled to be working with Krista. Sasha merely glanced up at Bertholt before resuming yet another potato (where did see hide them?). Marco gave Mikasa a smile which Mikasa reciprocated with a small one of her own before returning her attention to Eren, who was now glaring daggers at Jean. Armin gave me a shrewd look before giving a resolved nod. It seemed like he was still hesitant to accept me. I couldn't really blame him. I was a stranger with strange rumored abilities. I had to give him credit for even being able to work with me.

"Alright now that you have assembled we will begin. I have a constructed a series of tasks that each team must complete. Once you have completed each to my expectations you may leave." We all dispersed to our assigned locations to begin the various projects.

Among the tasks chosen we had to deal with several scenarios that we might deal with on missions, such as broken 3D maneuver gear or the loss of a team member. Armin excelled at this with his intellect while Eren and Jean merely argued until coming to a rocky consensus. Another assignment required us to build a machine that would be capable of carrying several heavy weights about two kilometers away. Once again, our team excelled. Armin was in charge of designing the structure while I provided the man power to move it. Jean and Eren's contraption fell apart almost instantly, though they resolved the issue quickly and came in before Bertholt and Sasha.

With each progressive task, the teams completed them more efficiently and effectively with several ties and close calls among the finishing teams. By the end everyone appeared exhausted, though in good spirits. Even I was feeling the drain. As Mike concluded the activities everyone headed towards the dining hall for a well-deserved meal.

At this point the teams broke off into their usual groups and joined the other members of the Scouting Legion. After I received my meal I looked around for a seat and was beckoned over by Eren. I grinned and turned to join his table.

Mikasa looked up from her food at my approach with a neutral face before eating again. Armin gave me a grin. It seemed like he trusted me a bit more now that we had worked together.

"So how did you manage to survive in the forest for so long?" inquired Eren before I had the chance to take a bite of my food.

"Oh, I found a… dead soldier on the ground and learned how to use the 3D maneuver gear," I replied knowing that I had to keep my abilities under wraps until I got the go from Levi or Erwin. "I must have gotten lost somehow and I wondered into the forest. Luckily I'm a fast learner or else I wouldn't have been able to live long enough to be found by the Scouting Legion."

They appeared skeptical at this, especially considering the fact that the gear needed a constant supply of gas in order to work, but they decided that I would tell them the truth eventually and let it go. "What about the strange power we heard about? From the rumors, I heard you looked like a demon." exclaimed Eren with an intrigued expression. The whole room went silent at this. I knew that some had seen me in Kurama's cloak though they quickly looked away. They were sworn under secrecy and couldn't reveal what they had seen.

"Oh that. That was just a bunch of rumors. I was just moving so fast with my gear that I appeared to be on fire. My old clothes were orange, hence the flames," I said looking down at my food. They could tell that I was lying. As much as I wanted to tell the truth I knew that it would only scare them away.

"Sure," said Eren with a disappointment. Before I had time to wonder at this Jean appeared in front of the table and leaned in close to Eren. "I decided that our issue will be resolved over a race, same time as usual. If you lose you have to promise never to call Marco my, you know what, ever again," whispered Jean.

"Sure," replied Eren with a grin, "but if I win I'll never let you live it down."

"Deal," said Jean who held out his hand. Eren smacked the proffered hand and Jean went back to sit near Marco.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Eren and Jean have a strained relationship," Armin explained. "They constantly try to outdo each other with their competitions."

"I really wish you would stop," commented Mikasa.

"That horse face doesn't stop though," shrugged Eren as he continued to eat.

"What exactly are you doing?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"We're going to borrow some equipment and race through the forest tonight," Eren answered, as if it was the simplest thing.

"What if you get caught though?"

"We won't, after all it's not like we're doing anything dangerous. Just a simple race," replied the boy.

"Count me in," I said as a wide grin appeared on my face.

Eren grinned back. After this we finished our meal in companionable silence as we waited for the games to begin.

Getting into the forest had been easy and, surprisingly, so was stealing the equipment. The 3D maneuver gear was kept under the watch of a single guard, who was found fast asleep, allowing us to easily get the supplied we needed. Armin taught me how to properly use the gear, assuming that I had been doing it wrong on my own before I was found by the Scouting Legion, and after a few tests I found that I had a natural talent for it.

As one, we zipped through the forest with ease, leaving the barracks far behind. Our small group consisted of Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Marco, and myself. The others decided that they were too tired to deal with a midnight excursion.

As I used the gear to latch on to trees to move forward, I found a certain thrill in being propelled at high speeds, using only the gear and my own talent to retain my balance and control my movement. My hair whipped back from my face and a wide smile lit my features, making me feel alive. I could tell that, though this adventure wasn't merely for the purpose of using the gear, that the others were feeling it too. Even Mikasa wore a serene look on her face as she gracefully swung through the air.

At last we came to a stop. A path where the trees diverged to create a narrow strip would create the track of the race. Eren and Jean both stopped and looked at each other with a fierce determination in their glares.

"May the best man win," called Eren as he looked intently down the track.

"I plan on it," answered Jean.

Eren gave one last look at Jean before Marco signaled for them to get ready. With their hands resting on the handles of their gear they stood, tensed against the tree branch they stood on. Marco called go and they were off in a flash.

They appeared to be equally matched from my perspective as we all followed in pursuit. Eren used a rougher tactic as he zipped through the trees, while Jean's stride was slightly more graceful. Whenever one moved a little ahead of the other, the competitor would increase their own speed to match. Nearing the finish line it became clear that the match would end in a draw. But that was when trouble reared its ugly face.

Just as Jean went to reattach himself to the next tree his equipment malfunctioned and he started to plunge towards the bottom of the forest floor. Eren didn't notice as he continued to the finish line and by the time he did, it would have been too late. The group following could only watch in horror as Jean approached the merciless ground. Mikasa advanced in a flash but it was clear that by the time she reached him it would be too late. There was only one option left.

I detached myself from the tree I had been attached to and plummeted down. Using my chakra I ran down the trunk of the tree. I reached the bottom of the forest floor and ran until I was directly under Jean. I grabbed his falling form and landed on top of him as I stumbled under his weight. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as I got off of him, but this was easily pushed to the back of my mind as I focused on the boy as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Naruto?" he questioned in a quiet voice, devoid of his usual sarcasm.

"You're safe," was all that I had time to say before the others joined us with Mikasa leading the small group. Eren finished the race but soon realized something was wrong. He made a quick descent through the trees and to the ground below to join the group.

Marco anxiously examined Jean before grasping him in a rough hug, tears coming out of his eyes. Everyone else looked from me and back to Jean in amazement. Then Armin's eyes widened as he pointed to my abdomen.

I looked down to find that one of Jean's blades was embedded deeply into the underlying tissues of my torso. Blood gushed out of the wound in a dark river, coating my shirt and pants in the maroon fluid. It must have happened when I caught him I thought as my vision began to blur.

Naruto, you need to pull the blade out now! shouted Kurama over the rush of blood that filled my ears.

Nice of you to drop by, I thought weakly back at the fox. Using the last vestiges of my strength, I pulled the blade out with a sickening squelch before collapsing on the forest floor. I slurred "don't let the others know," before giving into the darkness. The last thing I heard was the other cadets yelling before it all faded to black.

I woke up to early morning sunlight on my face. I found myself lying in a bed with blankets covering my body. I felt a significant weight on my torso and looked under the covers to find thick gauzy strips wrapped around my abdomen. Oddly enough, they appeared to be blood free. Glancing around I found Eren sleeping in a chair with Mikasa tucked in next to him. The other beds in the room were filled with the others who had been in our group. Jean and Marco were curled up next to each other with Jeans arms draped over Marco. Armin slept alone with an arm covering his eyes to block out the sun.

I cleared my throat to get their attention. Armin slowly came too while Jean nearly fell to the floor as Marco sprung to life. Mikasa opened her eyes to find Eren's face a few inches from her own. Giving him a gentle shake he opened his eyes and wiped away the drool that had accumulated in the corner of his mouth.

"You're awake," stated Armin hesitantly. Everyone got up from their respective places of rest and gathered around my bed. Some gazed at me in disbelief and others looked reluctant to be near me.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, unsure of the situation.

They gave each other strange looks before Armin spoke again. "Do you remember what happened last night?" He asked.

Then it dawned on me. Reaching down I gently unrolled the bandages while they all watched with in fascination. After removing the entirety of the bandages I found a small pink scar, about two inches in length on my muscular abdomen. I looked around at their faces and didn't like what I saw. Curiosity was etched into everyone's expressions. They would want answers. It wasn't like injuries like the ones I had sustained just healed magically overnight.

"Yes, I remember," I sighed. I had done exactly what Levi had explicitly told me not to do. I had exposed my power. He did say that people he trusted could know, but were these the kind of people he was talking about?

"Before I start could you tell me exactly what happened after I passed out?"

"You started glowing with this really strange red stuff. It felt… wrong. We tried to get near you, but when I tried to touch you I was burned," explained Eren, showing me faded burns on his hands. "Luckily I was the only one who tried, I heal pretty quickly and I guess you do too." As he said this he glanced at the small scar on my torso before looking away.

"You could say that." I thought back to when I had been training with Midori. It had become obvious that I healed quickly, thanks to Kurama's chakra which acted as a medium to mend my injuries. Larger wounds took longer than small scratches and they also took a lot more out of me. I found that after my accelerated healing session I was feeling the drain.

"Eventually it disappeared. We checked your wound but found that it was already healing. I carried you back and then we snuck you in here. Oh, uh, we had to take off your clothes, they were covered with blood." I looked under the covers once again to find myself in clean undergarments and pants, a slight look of embarrassment crossed my features as I wondered who had changed my clothes.

"Unfortunately Mike caught us when we moved you in here. He said he could smell the blood," said Eren, looking downcast.

"That's okay," I replied. "I guess you'll all want to know exactly what happened." I began, before Mike walked into the room. He glanced at everyone before stepping aside to let the rest of the 104th training squad pass. The room became quite cramped as the rest of the group entered.

"Listen up," started Mike as he addressed the group. "What you are about to hear is classified information. Commander Erwin gave me permission to allow Naruto to tell the rest of you. This information will remain in this room unless you want to end up in the military court."

Most widened their eyes at this, wondering why the information was classified. The others looked towards me, waiting for me an explanation.

I kept it brief, knowing that I couldn't expose everything. I told them that I had a special ability to control chakra, which allowed me to be useful to the military, hence the reason that I was here. I explained that I could, quite simply, defy some of the laws of the universe such as my ability to run down the tree, which had been in action seen last night. I also revealed that I had a separate chakra source which had been used to heal my wound. I added that I couldn't control this power yet but that I knew some techniques which were supposed to help. I warned them that I could be dangerous so that if they saw the red cloak they should stay away, at least until I mastered the ability. I didn't disclose any information about the organization or about where I came from. I think they had already formed the idea that I wasn't from here. There room rang with silence after I was finished speaking. It was quickly broken by Connie.

"Looks like we have another monster we can't control," joked Connie to break the awkward silence. Another monster? I thought to myself. Sasha promptly gave a little laugh as to not hurt Connie's feelings.

"This isn't a joke Connie! I thought Eren was bad enough but now we have this to deal with. I should have joined the Military Police when I had the chance," snapped Jean. Marco whispered silently to him which seemed to achieve the desired effect of calming him down.

Armin looked deep in thought while Mikasa looked at Eren, gauging for a reaction. Krista looked at me with concern in her eyes. Bertholt, Ymir and Reiner exchanged significant looks but before I could wonder about it Eren started to speak.

"I thought I was alone," whispered Eren in a quiet voice. "I'm not the only one who can't control their power." Eren looked ecstatic at this idea.

"Wait a moment, what's your power?" I asked.

"Eren can shift into a titan, he just doesn't have a good idea about how it works yet," answered Mikasa. This was one of the few times I had heard her speak while coming to the training grounds. She had a quiet voice but she emanated power, causing me to realize that she was probably the biggest threat in the room besides Mike.

I was surprised to hear this, shocked even. I couldn't believe that Eren of all people had the ability. Judging by the uneasiness in the room I could tell that this wasn't a common ability in this world.

"As you can see we have to keep this information contained, eventually people will attribute the mysterious power to rumor. With any luck they will disappear. Erwin has allowed you to be exposed to the information in order to help Naruto with his training. As of the moment both Eren and Naruto are the best weapons we have for restoring Wall Maria and potentially eliminating the titan threat." Mike explained this while gazing into everyone's faces. Most appeared thoughtful.

"Hold up, when I train I have to be alone or else you guys might get injured. I told you, I can't control my power yet." I exclaimed. I didn't want anyone besides the titans to be harmed by Kurama's chakra.

Mike glanced at me, slightly puzzled. "I thought you said you had ways of dealing with this."

"I do, but I still have to be alone when I train. I promise, I won't run away. I don't know how long I'd survive out there if I did." I said with a shudder, just thinking about those hideous creatures, picturing their teeth as they tore into flesh, ripping off limbs only to toss them away. The picture sent a cold chill down my spine.

"Very well, but I want you to work as diligently as possible in order for us to evaluate your true potential." Mike replied with a slight nod.

"What about me?" asked Eren, who also had uncontrollable power at his disposal. He looked a little annoyed at being ignored.

"You will only train with Hanji and the Special Operations Squad. Until you know how to control your power we don't want you to transform in a place where you might hurt people. Besides, Hanji personally wants to learn more about the titans in general and you're the perfect guinea pig. We don't need another Sawney and Bean incident."

"Who are Sawney and Bean?" I blurted out before I could control myself.

"They were two titan subjects that Hanji had, at least until someone killed them. Since then we haven't allowed her to have more. She's been rather depressed as of late with the one month anniversary of their deaths approaching. It seems that experimenting with Eren may bring her out of it," explained Mike.

Turning to me he asked if I was completely healed. I nodded in the affirmative. Mike turned to address everyone once again. "As you have learned, some of this group decided to steal 3D maneuver gear from storage last night. While we have no proof, I have been informed that this may have happened before. You will need to prepare yourselves for the hardest training of your lives as a punishment."

"But we didn't do anything!" shouted Connie, voicing the injustice of the situation.

"You work as a team. If anyone in the team is caught misbehaving you will be punished as a team. Now, get ready, I want you outside in five minutes, any delays and each minute will add on another hour of training." With that he turned on his heels and left the room.

It became a mad dash to get ready and assembled, but we made it on time. As we approached the field I had a strong premonition that even I would be exhausted by the time we were done "training". Reflecting on it, I can assure you that it felt more like torture than anything else.

By the time we finished night had fallen and we were all drenched in sweat. Taking quick baths to rid ourselves of grime, we all ate dinner and went to bed.

(End)

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for all of the reviews! I kept Marco alive because I don't feel like he got enough screen time to really reveal his full potential. Why he's still alive will be explained later on. The pairings that I exposed in this chapter will remain throughout the duration of the story. Sadly Naruto will not be paired with anyone for this story. As a first time author I don't think I would be up to the challenge. If anything doesn't seem to make sense plot wise please feel free to message me about it or leave it in the reviews. Thanks.

~Strix