I Don't Own Naruto or Attack on Titan!
Royal Redemption - Chapter 4
The Shiganshina District was located at the outer most edge of Wall Maria; it acted an outer bubble to the main wall, and its people need only cross through one inner wall to be safe. The Colossal Titan had only broken through the outer wall of Shiganshina, so as long as people made it into the main area of Wall Maria, they would be safe. The commanding office of Wall Maria had sent out large ships by the river to deliver the people into the main protected area, and the population was slowly being evacuated…
"We have to bring Carla to the other side as soon as possible!" said Hannes as he carried the severely injured woman in his arms. "Let's get on the ships!"
Naruto was right behind the man with Eren and Mikasa walking by his sides. They have almost made it through the gates of Shiganshina; but there were a lot of people waiting for the main entrance and the ships. Children and severely injured civilians were placed in higher priority in the evacuation, so almost everyone would be able to get on the next available ship.
"Don't worry…you'll be on the other side soon", said Naruto soothingly to the two younger children next to him.
Mikasa held onto Naruto's hand as she looked around the crowded area. Never had the expansive land of her home look so barren and deserted; everyone was fighting to get into the inner walls. Some men were complaining about not letting adults onto the ships while glaring at the already frightened children and it made Mikasa a little angry…
All the while, Eren was staring at the 3D maneuvering system strapped onto Naruto's waist. He had seen the efficient technology many times before, but he had never seen someone so young wear it. It was astounding to the boy that someone just a little older than him could already be so strong. Even most of the older and official soldiers couldn't kill any Titans, but Naruto killed one with apparent ease.
"Naruto-san?" started the boy as he looked up at his family's savior.
The blond was broken out of his stupor and looked down at the boy. "What is it, Eren?
"Who taught you how to use that?" asked Eren pointing to the 3D maneuvering system. "I thought you had to be older than a certain age to join the military school?"
Naruto smirked and nodded. "Yes, but I never went to military school; it was an old man back in my home who taught me how to use it", explained the blond as Mikasa, Carla and Hannes listened in. "He was convinced that the Titans would one day break through the walls, so he trained me to get me ready just in case."
'So this kid really did take down that Titan by himself…' thought Hannes as he looked at the blond teenager through the corner of his eyes. 'Incredible…if he is so strong now, how strong will he be when he is full grown?'
"Can you teach me how to use it?!" asked Eren loudly, making his mother and Mikasa looked over at him. "I want to learn how to kill Titans too!"
"EREN!" cried Carla as angrily as she could in her injured state. "You are not going anywhere near those monsters again!" Mikasa was also looked on the scene, but one would be able to see the worry in her eyes.
Eren shook his head. "No, I am definitely going to fight back against those monsters!" The boy turned back to Naruto with a pleading face. "Please Naruto-san, can you teach me?"
Naruto looked down at the boy stoically and patted his head. "Sorry Eren, but if you really want to learn you would have to join the military when you are old enough…" said the young man as Hannes looked on the scene. "Training to use the 3D maneuvering system is very tough, and thinking back, I almost died a few times during training because I was too young…" Eren and Mikasa were both shocked to hear that. "I don't want you to take that unnecessary risk when you have so much time…"
Eren didn't look happy but nodded nonetheless. "Fine…I only have one more year left to wait anyway."
Carla wanted to lash out at her son again, but figured that it was not the time for it. The Titans were still too close in their minds for Eren to think straight; she would wait until they were further away from the traumatizing experience before trying to persuade her son to not join the military…
After another half an hour of waiting in line, the line of ships were finally back on their side. Hannes had placed the children and Carla in the front because of their condition, and they were slowly marched onto the ship. It appeared that there was already a friend of Eren and Mikasa's on the ship; the same one Naruto saw just seconds before the wall was attacked. The prince smiled at the sight of Eren and Mikasa reuniting with their friend; they must have been worried for him too…
"Get on the ship, kid!" said Hannes as he pushed Naruto onto the wooden flooring.
Naruto turned back surprised. "What?" he exclaimed, "I'm not going in yet; I can still help out!"
Eren, Mikasa, and their mother were looking on the scene with interest, they had always thought Naruto would join them in the ship; they had no idea that he wanted to go back and fight. Mikasa was particularly worried for the blond teenager; she was afraid that he won't survive the Titans the second time. She knew full well that Naruto was strong, but she also knew that he was only a teenager and might not be truly ready for the Titans…
Hannes pushed Naruto further into the ship. "You are just a kid…let the soldiers handle the situation; it is too dangerous for you out there!" Seeing that Naruto was about to push back, Hannes raised his hand. "I know you are strong enough to defend yourself, but there are many other people here who can too, so please wait in the inner wall with Mikasa and Eren, they might need you inside."
Mikasa stood and grabbed onto Naruto's arm. "Stay with us, Naruto-san…"
Naruto looked back between the soldier and the girl several times before he recoiled. "Fine…" The main threat was mainly over; if everyone made it over, Wall Maria would still protect them. "I'll get them to safety on the other side."
Hannes smiled and stepped back. "Thanks kid…"
The blond stepped fully onto the ship with the others and walked back to the area where Eren and his mother were lying down. Naruto still had a worried look on his face as he heard repeated shots on cannons being fire above the wall; most likely the soldiers trying to hold the Titans back before the evacuation finished.
"Naruto-kun…" said a weak voice.
Naruto looked down and smiled a little, "Yes, Carla-san?"
Carla bowed despite her condition with tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you so much for saving us…" The woman's legs were a little worse for wear, but she was still alive and well. Just twenty minutes ago, Carla had given up hope for herself and only prayed that her children would be able to live on, but the young man in front of her had saved her entire family.
The blond knelt down as to return the gesture. "No need to thanks me, Carla-san; I just did the right thing."
Carla was genuinely surprised at how mature and righteous Naruto was at his tender age. She had heard about him before when her husband described the boy who killed three men to save Mikasa, but the actually person was not at all like what she'd imagined. At first, Carla thought of the boy as a bit of a monster seeing that he was able to kill other people so easily at such a young age, but all of those thoughts were obliterated when he risked his own life to save them…
"Naruto-san…" said Eren as he sat next to his mother. "This is Armin Arlert; he is Mikasa's and my best friend!" Armin was a boy at about the same age as Mikasa and Eren, but he was shorter. He had blond hair and blue eyes; both in similar shades with Naruto.
"Nice to meet you, Armin…" greeted Naruto as he extended his hand out.
Armin looked a little nervous but reached out to shake the older blond's hand, "Nice to meet you too, sir."
Naruto chuckled as he pulled his hand back. "You don't have to call me "sir"; I am only a little older than you…"
The shorter blond chuckled nervously and nodded. "Okay…Naruto-san."
The prince sat down against the edge of the ship with Mikasa beside him, and the other across from him. The brief moment of peace allowed Naruto to rid his system of shock and fully come to understand the situation at hand. The fact that the Shiganshina District had been compromised had been sit in stone, and it looked like the problem ended there…
The first and foremost threat would definitely be the Colossal Titan that was able to break through the walls; if mankind doesn't deal with it soon, nowhere would be safe. Naruto planned to return to the palace and order the commanders of Wall Maria to immediately collect enough material to strengthen the other walls; they had to do everything in their power to prevent another leakage; religious heads be damned.
"Naruto-san…" said a sudden voice from next to the prince, "Are you okay?"
Naruto stopped thinking about the situation at hand and smiled at Mikasa with a nod. "I'm fine, what about you?"
The girl nodded with a smile. "I'm fine, thanks to you again…"
The prince really started to grow fond of Mikasa's smiles; they were truly beautiful. "You can always count on me, Mikasa-chan."
Suddenly, some loud rumbling caught the attention of Naruto, and the others soon noticed it as well. Looking down at the river, the blond saw that even the flowing water were showing signs of tiny shockwaves being sent through it. The prince stood up and looked back towards the gate of Shiganshina, and noticed that the rumbling was getting increasingly louder.
"What is that?" asked Eren as he stood up and walked beside Naruto.
Naruto shook his head with a worried expression. "I have no idea…"
Mikasa walked back over to her mother who was still forced to sit on the floor of the ship, and held her hands; it was a comforting gesture from the daughter to the mother. Armin likewise did the same thing with his grandfather. Soon everyone on the ship and the people on land were looking over at the direction of the gate…
Naruto had a very unsettling feeling in his heart as his hands grabbed onto the railings of the ship…
'That rumbling…they're footsteps!'
Suddenly, within a second, a deafening explosion could be heard from the gate along with a large dust cloud that gathered around the wall. The loud impact nullified any sound that was going into Naruto's ears for a few seconds, with a chilling high pitched whistle. But despite the pain he felt in his ears, Naruto's eyes remained locked on the dust cloud as he saw something that shocked him…
It was some kind of Titan…but it was like nothing he had ever seen before; in textbooks or otherwise. The dust still clouded most of its body, but it's obvious, yet unusual muscular build revealed itself blatantly. There was also something about its skin…it appeared to be plated somehow. But before anyone could see its full appearance, it seemingly disappeared like the Colossal Titan from before. Naruto would have been really worried, but he saw something that was much more disturbing…
"I don't believe it…" whispered Naruto to himself in disbelief, "It broke through the wall…"
The many soldiers that had been organizing the situation were running away from the hundreds of Titans that were rushing through the gate. The people waiting by the docks were jumping onto the already packed ships while crying out for help. Mothers, who knew that the ships were already packed, threw their children onto the ships hoping that they would survive, and some of them were already caught by the incoming Titans…
Mikasa and Eren were shaking in shock as they stood beside Naruto; it was an entirely different situation. Unlike before, when the Titans were only loose in Shiganshina, they were loose in the whole of Wall Maria, the largest human occupied area. The nightmare just amplified by a hundred fold; the devastation this will cause would be incomprehensible.
'Wall Maria…is breached?' thought Naruto on shock inwardly. 'What will happen now?'
Naruto's fingers were tempting to use his 3D maneuvering system to kill the Titans coming into the human area, but he knew that it would be ineffective. The main priority should be to evacuate as many people as they can through to the inner wall. The prince was having a huge inner debate as his fingers twitched as he held his blades tightly…
The prince could still feel someone holding into his right arm, and when he looked down he saw that it was Mikasa. The girl's eyes were locked onto the carnage that was happening a few miles away from them, and her hands were shaking a little. Naruto looked around at the others on the ship, and they were all in similar states. There were many children sitting on the ground a little ways from Carla, and they were all in tears while thinking about their parents who were probably dead…
There were also the soldiers. The most powerful humans around were all falling back, and the one guarding the ships were huddling around like a normal civilian…
'We were not ready…we can't beat them now.'
For the first time in his life, Naruto had no idea how to react to the situation. There was nothing he could do; every soldier in sight was cowering away from the Titans; the very beings they were trained to fight against. The towering monsters struck indescribable fear into every human in sight, and now that they had allies who could break through the walls, it would be impossible for the humans to come out victorious…
'What is this feeling?' thought Naruto to himself as he looked down at his blade. 'Why is my hand shaking?'
True to his thoughts, the usually steady blade in Naruto's left hand was shaking. Naruto was scared. It was the only logical explanation the prince could give to himself, but it was also the most unacceptable.
'How can I be scared…I wasn't scared before?' mumbled Naruto inwardly as he thought back to the three Titans he killed during the first fall of Shiganshina. "Is it because now that I know the walls are useless…I've given up on victory?' Naruto looked down at his other hand, and saw that it was not shaking at all. It confused him a little at first, but then he realized that it was because of Mikasa…
The girl's hands felt warm around his arm, and it oddly gave him a sense of serenity. The situation was far too vast for Naruto to comprehend in such short time, and Mikasa's gentle touch offered him the chance to block other thoughts from his mind. The prince didn't want to think about the situation now…so he focused on the girl beside him, and the comfort that she could offer to him; she allowed the prince to escape his torrent of seemingly everlasting thoughts by letting him concentrate on her.
"Mikasa-chan…" whispered the prince as the girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
With a blank expression, Naruto pulled the girl into his arms and hugged her as close as possible. He wanted to block everything out of his mind except for Mikasa; he focused all his senses on the one thing on his mind. From that moment on, Naruto only heard Mikasa's quick breathing; only saw her midnight black hair; only took in her light scent of cherries; only felt her soft cheek pressed against his own.
Unknown to Naruto, he was extending the exact same courtesy to Mikasa…
"My son…" said a booming erethral feminine voice from all directions. 'It is time…it is time for you to awaken your true power!'
Naruto had never felt so at peace ever before in his life. There was absolutely no weight on his body; it was as if he was floating in midair. Slowly, the prince opened his eyes and cringed at the bright light that surrounded him.
"Where am I?" asked the boy to no one in particular.
The prince's eyes finally adjusted to the bright light, and saw the stunning scenery in full. It was in paradise. His body was floating in the middle of a large lake with water as clear as the cloudless blue sky. Hundreds of healthy green trees surrounded the small lake as birds flew from branch to branch. Something was tickling the sides of Naruto's body, and he looked through the corner of his eyes to find out it was several small fish that had found an interest in his floating body…
The best thing was that there was not one Titan in sight; everything was pure serenity and peace. There were only sounds of nature around him; the birds' chirping, the wind blowing through the tree leaves, the soft brushing of soft waves on the lake, and the distant whistle of a sole piece of grass…
Then there was one last thing…the white erethral silhouette in the sky.
"My son…"
Naruto's eyes widened as he looked up at the silhouette that he heard speak in a powerful and loving voice.
"Who are you?" The soft twinkling in the silhouette gave Naruto a warm and nurturing feeling; it was something very peculiar that he had never felt before in his life.
"I am your mother… Ōtsutsuki Kaguya"
Naruto was once again surprised, but found himself believing the deity's voice without question. The young man was a very rational person, and wouldn't usually believe in something so odd so quickly, but there was something about the voice that made him believe unconditionally. The voice also sounded very familiar…it was as if he's heard it many times before…or every night in his sleep.
"You're my Okaa-sama?"
A soft humming sound came from the silhouette, which made Naruto think of the beautiful smile on the large portrait of his mother back in the palace…
"Yes, and I'm so happy to finally meet you", said the voice with clear happiness in her tone. "Even though I never got to hold you when you were born, I've been watching over you ever since, and I am so proud of you…"
Naruto felt happy and warm after listening to the voice; it felt very nurturing and loving. The prince had always wanted to hear his mother's voice for himself, and he had given up on the seemingly impossible hope, but it seemed that it was possible after all.
"I would love to talk with you every day, my son, but unlike yours, my powers have limits, and I can only go on for another few seconds…" Naruto was confused about what the voice was talking about, but listened on either way; he wanted to savor the warmth of the voice. "I was born a normal human, and I achieved transcendence by cheating the Shinju (God Tree), but you were born with the power of the Shinju flowing through your veins, and you shall become more powerful than any other being in the world."
Naruto was not in his right mind and couldn't find the intellectual power to process his mother's words. From Naruto's perspective, all he was aware of was the voice speaking to him. His mind was focusing on the serenity and love it carried for him, but was partially ignoring the factual details…
But suddenly, the world around Naruto started to fade away…
"Wait!" exclaimed the prince. "Don't go I don't want you to leave!"
"I will appear to you again, my son, but my power is running out today." The voice sounded a little sad. "Remember what I said to you…and know that I will always love you."
"WAIT!" cried Naruto as he extended his hand up to the sky…but nothing changed as darkness surround him again.
"WAIT!" Naruto opened his eyes in shock as light filled his surroundings again.
Just like the past two weeks, Naruto had woken up in a storage area within Wall Rose, and he was growing sick of it with every passing day. It was still very early in the morning, and from what he remembered, it had only been two hours since he fell asleep. The stress and burdens of reality came rushing back to Naruto, and the peace he felt in his dream was completely gone.
'All this bullshit is giving me weird dreams…'
Looking around him, Naruto saw that the storage area was pretty much barren; everyone was outside preparing for morning. It would be a day that would be remembered as long as humans remained in the world, and it would be a day that Naruto would forever feel guilty about…
"N-Naruto…" whispered a soft voice from beside the prince, and he looked down to see Mikasa sleeping peacefully in her sleeping bag.
The blond stared at the girl he had grown very close to in the past two weeks and felt a small tug in his heart…
"This may be the last time I will ever see her…'
With a sigh, Naruto got out of his sleeping bag and started to equip himself of his weapons and gear. After a week of paranoia and anguish, it was finally time…
Flashback starts…
"Naruto-san, are you okay?!" asked a worried voice from behind him, and the prince looked higher to see Mikasa standing above him.
Reality came rushing back to Naruto as he saw where he was sleeping in; it was a food storage that was already barren due to the sudden influx of people storming into Wall Rose. The children were organized to sleep in sleeping bags in the storage area while the adults had to find their own shelter. Luckily, Carla was injured so she was allowed a bed inside the closest hospital. For the past week, Naruto had been the one to take care of Eren, Armin, and Mikasa.
"I-I'm fine…" muttered the prince as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"We have to get going soon…" said Armin as he walked toward his friends. "Eren is waiting for us over there."
Mikasa nodded and stood up fully. "What is happening over there, aren't we going farming like usual?" The refugees of Wall Maria had been tasked to cultivate as much available land to increase the food reserves, but no one really knew if it was helping at all.
Armin shrugged. "I don't know, there is sort of announcement from the government."
Naruto stood up and stretched his arms; the prince was still in his combat clothes, which consisted of a black shirt under a black vest, and a pair of black pants. His blades were by his side, as well as the 3D maneuvering system.
"The government, why are the here?" asked Naruto to himself as he walked over to his friends.
The prince had planned to travel back to the palace as soon as Carla would be able to look after the children so he could help the government with the contingency plan, but it seemed that a decision had been made without him.
The group of three walked over to the large courtyard close to the storage, and saw that a huge group of people had already gathered there. There was a platform built in front of the crowd and there seemed to be some sort of government official waiting for a proper attendance. Eren had saved a few spots of his friends on the side of the yard, so the group walked over there to await the upcoming announcement.
"Eren…" said Naruto as he walked over to the boy. "Did they say what the announcement was about?"
The boy shook his head as he leaned back against a wall. "No, they've been standing up there for a while now, and haven't said anything."
Armin sighed as he looked up at the platform. "Let's hope it's something good…"
The slight feedback from the mic on the platform silenced almost all conversations in the crowd instantly, and made everyone look up at the speaker. The man was wearing a rather expensive looking business suit and had a disturbed look on his face, which already made Naruto worry a little. From the attire, the prince deduced that the man was sent from the internal law society, an organization that answers directly to the King…
"Hello everyone…" started the man through the loud speakers. "I am Saito Matsuda, the representative of the King's law society, and am here to announce the newest decree created by his royal highness!"
Armin grew very interested and stepped up a little. "Wow, made by the King himself…"
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the mention of his useless father making a decree. 'What is that old geezer doing now?'
"It has come to our attention that with the sudden influx of people from Wall Maria into Wall Rose, it would be impossible to gather enough food for everyone for longer than one month!" Eren and Mikasa grew worried at the man's words. "If the situation continues, the government predicts that there will be serious repercussions in the future, so we must settle this matter as soon as possible!"
Eren nudged Mikasa by the elbow. "Do you think they are letting some people into Wall Sina or something?"
Mikasa shrugged. "I honestly have no idea…"
"The King's solution for this problem is to launch a large scale campaign to retake Wall Maria!" A loud murmur traveled through the crowd as every grew wary of what was to come next. "The honorable task of reclaiming our lost land rests upon the 250,000 refugees that originate from Wall Maria!"
A huge commotion immediately broke out, and the soldiers along the sides of the platform drew their swords at the refugees. The spokesperson staggered back to the back of the platform with tears rolling down his eyes; he really didn't want to say such evil words to the others, but he was under strict orders from the central government.
"W-What did they say?" whispered out Eren as he looked at the platform with widened eyes.
"Oji-chan…" muttered Armin as he grew extremely worried for his grandfather.
Mikasa frowned at the imposing news and looked over at Naruto. "Naruto-san…"
The children looked over at the older teenager and were shocked to see the look of utter rage on his face. The prince was shaking in anger at the outrageous decree and wanted nothing more than to kill every single guard threatening to kill the refugees. Naruto had honestly never been so mad in his entire live. He was raging at the Titans, his father, the government, and himself.
Naruto's hand was grasping the golden medallion under his shirt, and was tempted to expose himself as the prince and heir apparent of humanity. If he were to do so, he would be able to at least stall the operation for as long as possible, but in the end it would be no use. It was a decree directly ordered by the King himself; even though he was the prince, he would have absolutely no authority over his father…
Then there was the one thing that made Naruto utterly livid…
He was starting to agree with the decree. His father was correct…using the refugees to fight for Wall Maria would be the best contingency plan for the entirety of humanity. For one, Wall Maria had the most people; they were used to the geography; they had the motivation to fight, and it would solve the food shortage problem.
The prince was shaken out of his stupor when the spokesperson walked up to the front again. "C-Children and severely injured refugees will not be subjugated to fight, but that is based on the day you all check in…any self-imposed injuries from now on will be considered treason!"
The voice of the spokesperson would forever be engraved into Naruto's mind…
Flashback end…
Naruto finished dressing himself for battle and looked down at the three children he had been looking after for their mother and grandfather. The prince had really grown fond of the few kids; especially Mikasa who had grown very attached to him as well. The group was really shook up with the government's plan to retake Wall Maria; especially Armin because his grandfather was ordered to fight as well…
Mikasa and Eren were not as devastated because Carla was still in the hospital and would be able to walk for a long while, so she was safe. But nonetheless, the kids had gathered a lot of frustration in the past week; everyone they knew around the refugee area would most likely die, and it bothered them greatly.
Naruto hadn't spoken about the attempt to retake Wall Maria ever since the spokesperson announced it, so none of the kids expect him to join into the battle, which was for the best. Knowing them, especially Mikasa, they would never allow him to rush into a suicidal battle alone, and would probably try to follow him, so it was a right choice to keep it a secret…
The prince looked down at Mikasa and felt very sad that he would probably never see her again…
"Goodbye Mikasa-chan…" whispered Naruto softly as he leaned down to kiss the girl on her forehead.
With that Naruto left the storage and headed towards the front of Wall Rose…
But unknown to Naruto, Armin woke up the moment he left…
"Naruto-san?"
The sun was just peeking over the horizon as Naruto stood on top of Wall Rose with his arms crossed across his chest. Unlike the usual days, the top of the wall was void of any garrison guards. Almost every soldier that belonged to Wall Rose was guarding the large group of refugees that were about to be dispatched into Wall Maria. The prince stare into the dim orange glow that started to light up his land, and for a few seconds, he was wondering what was beyond the horizon…
From where he was standing, Naruto had a very clear view of the land of Wall Maria; the very same land he spent the last two years of his life trying to fix. With his effort, the crime rates and poverty levels within Wall Maria had dropped to an all-time low, but all that was apparently for naught. In one day, the Titans devoured over 10,000 people within Wall Maria, and rendered all his efforts moot.
It baffled Naruto that life and society could be so fragile…
The sound of the main gate of Wall Rose opening could be heard, and Naruto looked down the steep wall. The soldiers of who were originally stationed in Wall Maria led the way on their horses; giving them a last chance for glory. Everyone had somber and hopeless expressions on their faces; having all come to the fact that they were to die for their world…
Naruto closed his eyes and sighed…before he slowly fell to his knees. For the next three minutes, Naruto prayed silently for his people; for the people who he was supposed to protect; for the people he had failed. Already, the cries of fear and anguish filled the air as the Titans started to feast of the thousands of human sacrifices…it was as if the King was offering his people to a higher being, and it made Naruto sick.
"I'm sorry…" muttered Naruto to himself as he bowed until his forehead touched the ground. "As your prince I was unable to protect any of you…" The cries continued to get louder as more and more Titans flooded into the area, and all Naruto heard from the Wall Rose side was the main gate closing. "But I will not stand idly by as you all sacrifice your lives for our sake…"
The prince opened his eyes and showed his palpable determination to the world…
"I will fight alongside all of you!" With that, Naruto jumped off of the wall and swung down to the ground using his 3D Maneuvering System.
Naruto felt oddly calm as he ran towards what many others would call an imminent doom, and slowly everything around him turned silent. The prince's eyes stared into the soulless eyes of two Titans right in front of him as they devoured one human after another. Using his own steady heartbeat to guide his footsteps, Naruto shot his cable at the Titan on the right side and used it as leverage…
"Why do you want to learn how to kill Titans, Naruto-sama?" asked Dallis Zacklay five years ago when Naruto first approached him.
"You said that they would one day break through the walls, so I want to learn how to protect my people from them…" said the young prince matter-of-factly back then.
Naruto could still remember the small smile that came onto his teacher's face when he heard what he said, and it told him that he was on the right track to becoming a great Kind. But it seemed to Naruto that he would never have that chance…
The prince's blade sliced through one Titan's neck as he zipped through the city from roof to roof…
"Onii-sama, come play with me!" cried a little girl as she ran up to Naruto with a smile only a child could muster.
Naruto ran up and lifted his little sister into her arms and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. The prince truly loved the little girl, and wanted nothing more than for her to live a peaceful and fulfilling life…
"Sure, Hikari-chan!"
"I'm sorry Hikari-chan…" thought the prince as he cut down another Titan. "I might not make it back by our three year mark…"
Naruto could feel his strength leave his body as he pushed himself beyond his limits. He had no idea how many minutes have passed since he jumped into battle, or how many miles he had traveled through, or how many Titans he had killed…all he knew was that he had to keep going.
A fifteen meter Titan charged at Naruto at its full speed, and its mouth was enough to swallow the prince whole three times over. They were in an alleyway, and Naruto didn't have enough room to swing above the buildings to his sides. The blond reacted quickly and shot his cable directly into the Titan's opened mouth, and pulled himself forward at full speed. All Naruto noticed was that the Titan's mouth really stunk as his blades carved through the back of its throat. The prince made sure to destroy the nape of the Titan's neck as he tore out of it, and he barely managed to land on the ground safely as the fifteen meter monster fell backwards…
"Can you stay with us, Naruto-san?" asked a slightly flustered Mikasa as she handed him some bread. "We really like having you with us…"
Naruto smiled down at the girl and patted her head. "Of course…I really like having you three with me as well!"
Mikasa sent Naruto one of her seldom bright smiles and nodded. "Thank you…I feel very safe when you are around."
The prince was surprised to hear the girl say that out loud, but was happy nonetheless. "You might not think so, Mikasa-chan, but you make me feel safe as well."
The girl blushed and looked up at her savior with a smile. "Then we should stay together so we can both feel safe…"
Naruto smiled and nodded. "I would love that…"
"I'm sorry Mikasa-chan…" muttered Naruto to himself as he twisted his body in midair to dodge a powerful hand from another fifteen meter Titan. "But you are going to learn to protect yourself…I won't be there anymore."
The prince felt weak…he was down to his last two blades and his gas was almost depleted. With the last of his strength, Naruto fell from a tall tower and sliced through the neck of the Titan. But Naruto found that he was falling to the ground faster than the Titan was…and like the Titan, he was dying.
The incoming footsteps of several Titans could be heard in front of Naruto, but he couldn't find the strength to stand up anymore. All he felt was the pain and fatigue in his joints, and the burning sensation of having steaming Titan blood all over his body…
Naruto's blue eyes strained to look up at the monster that was about to devour him…there was no fear in his eyes; the price would not allow the mindless creature the pleasure of seeing him cower. He would welcome death with pride; if 250,000 others were strong enough to sacrifice themselves for the sake of humanity, then at was the least he could do…
The giant hand of the Titan was reaching down for the prince…
"Hahahahahaha…" laughed Naruto as he felt the heat of the Titan coming closer. "I hope you have a strong stomach, because I will cut through it!" cried out Naruto with the last ounce of his strength…
…but before the Titan could actually touch him…something very fast sliced through its neck.
Naruto was shocked to see the Titan fall to the ground in front of him, and noticed a man standing on top of its head…
"You got guts kid…but I am cutting your battle short."
All the prince really noticed was the green cape on the man's back with the "Wings of Freedom" insignia on it.
The End!
This was a hard chapter for me to write, but I hope you all enjoyed it!
I gave a big hint about Naruto's connection with chakra in this chapter, and the people following the lastest chapters of the Naruto manga would know exactly what I am talking about! :P
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD