Kabe no Shinobi
Chapter 11: Life in the Survey Corps, Part 1.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Attack on Titan, or any of the characters.
Eren stepped out of the dusty old castle that was the new Survey Corps HQ, stretching the kinks out of his sore back after hours of rigorous cleaning. The midday sun shone bright overhead, its warmth making his skin tingle pleasantly.
He watched a few birds soar by high in the sky and smiled. Briefly, he wondered where they were headed. Maybe somewhere safe? Not that they had anything to fear. Titans didn't eat birds. And even if they did, they couldn't reach 'em. Lucky bastards.
Perhaps they were flying just because they could. He imagined what it was like – to be a bird. To soar high above everyone else, with not a care in the world. Exploring the outside world.
He touched the blue and white emblem of the Survey Corps on his jacket's chest pocket and smiled. The Wings of Freedom. With the expedition coming up in a month's time, he would finally get to see it. The outside world. He would get to go out there, where there were no walls. Take his first step towards their dream.
Soon enough the birds were just dots on the horizon, barely visible at all
He strolled for a bit, just checking out the premises and getting acquainted with the surroundings when he came upon a small hill with a lonely tree on top.
A memory hit him, then. One of him, Armin, and Mikasa as children, during fall, racing towards a lone tree on a hill overlooking Shiganshina.
He approached it, a soft breeze ruffling his hair, and sat down underneath its shade. He leaned back against the thick trunk and let out a content sigh. Closing his eyes, he was about to drift off to sleep.
"Eren?"
Eren startled at the unexpected voice, blinking his eyes quickly and looking around to see where it'd come from.
They, whoever they were, chuckled. "Up here."
He craned his neck up and blinked again, making sure he was seeing right. "…Naruto? What are you doing up in a tree?"
Naruto sat snugly on a tree branch, back towards the trunk and legs stretched out on the branch, staring down with a wry grin. "Just relaxing." He slid his legs over the edge and plopped down beside Eren. "You?"
"Eld said to take a break." Eren answered.
Naruto nodded and they drifted into a peaceful silence. Eren found himself curious about the other boy. He didn't look all that strong. A bit strange maybe, what with his spiky hair and peculiar facial markings, but otherwise he looked like any other teen their age.
Yet, the things Naruto had done lingered in Eren's mind. Just magically growing a wall out of nowhere. He'd thought that was impossible. Then Armin and Mikasa had told him of how Naruto had rescued the cadets when they'd been stranded and hopeless, and of the ease with which he'd slaughtered titans during the chaos of the breach. Hordes of them, with his bare hands.
If I had that kind of strength… I could do it, Eren thought. Wipe out the titans and take back humanity's freedom. And then he and his friends would explore the outside world.
He looked down at his hand – the one he had lost when he'd tried to save Armin from being swallowed – and clenched it. The memories from his first transformation were still outside his grasp. As if a haze had descended upon them.
He could recall one thing though.
Rage.
The smoldering anger and resentment that'd thrummed with his every heartbeat. It had consumed him. Flooded his veins. He hadn't felt like that since… since his mother had died.
The memory came with a spark of anger but died down quick enough, drowned out by overwhelming sadness. He was ashamed to admit it, but the image of his mother's face was beginning to fade, becoming increasingly foggy with every year that passed. The thought filled him with dread and guilt.
Eager to distract himself, he turned to Naruto who was running his hand slowly, softly through the grass.
"Hey, uh, Naruto." Eren began awkwardly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Atop the wall, when we were coming up with a plan with Commander Pixis, you said you weren't from inside the walls. That… you were from another world or something. That there were no titans where you come from. What's it like? Your home, I mean." He'd been burning to ask that question ever since the battle. No titans. What would that even look like? He tried to imagine it, a world without walls, and his imagination came up short.
He looked at Naruto, who had a small smile on his face as if replaying a happy memory, eyes focused on the grass weaving through his fingers.
"I'm from a village called Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves."
"Leaves?" Eren asked, puzzled. "Like on a tree?"
"Remember I said I came from a place called the elemental nations?" Eren thought back to their brief encounter atop the wall, then nodded. "Konoha's located inside a country called the Land of Fire. It's mostly huge forests and massive plains, and Konoha is surrounded by forests on all sides. That's why it's the hidden leaf village." A chuckle broke past his lips, "I used to go out there all the time as a kid to explore. Looking for cool beetles and kunai and stuff. Small adventures."
Eren listened silently. Imagining vast, green forests as far as the eye could see, stretching out past the horizon, like the oceans Armin had told him about. There had been no forests within Shiganshina.
Naruto looked up at the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting by lazily in the gentle breeze. "During the day, the streets are packed with people going about their day. Like how it was inside Wall Sina. And there's the Hokage monument, this long cliffside, where all the faces of our previous village leaders are carved into the stone, overlooking the entire village." Naruto's smile stretched into a full-blown grin, "I used to paint all over them, and Iruka, my teacher, would catch me in the act every time. Made me clean it all up, too. Though he'd always buy me some Ramen after." He laughed, and Eren couldn't help the genuine laughter that bubbled forth.
"And the ocean. Have you seen it?" Eren asked eagerly, leaning closer, eyes alight with childish interest. The previous awkwardness entirely forgotten.
"The ocean? Yeah, 'couple of times."
It was said so nonchalantly that Eren gaped. "R-really? What's it like! Is it all saltwater?! Does it really stretch as far as the eye can see?!"
Naruto watched Eren's reaction with some surprise, taken aback by the sudden onslaught of questions, and fervor. "Well… Yeah, the ocean is really big. As far as the eye can see doesn't even come close. I bet you could run for months and still see nothing but ocean. I think it's like seventy percent of the world or something. Not too sure. Might be different here, too."
"Wow." Eren exhaled, leaning back on his arms and looking up into the sky. "It's really true…"
Just as Naruto was about to continue, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears.
"Ah, there you are! I've been looking all over the place." Petra complained as she came up the hill looking mildly annoyed. "Naruto, Commander Erwin asked if you could come by his office sometime today. He said he had a few things he wanted to discuss with you."
Deciding he had nothing better to do, Naruto climbed to his feet and gave Eren a nod. "See ya around, Eren."
Eren smiled in return. "Yeah."
[Erwin's office.]
Erwin sighed as he finished another form pertaining to the upcoming expedition. He signed off on an order for steel cables, compressed gas cylinders, and blades made of ultrahard steel. He still had to come up with a viable strategy that would include both Naruto Uzumaki and Eren Yeager. Honestly, the thought excited him. With those two, his father's dream didn't seem so far away anymore.
A polite knock interrupted his musings, "come in.", and Naruto stepped through, clad in normal civilian attire.
"Naruto." Erwin greeted with a polite smile. Pleasantly surprised by his quick arrival. "Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."
Naruto took the proffered seat with a nod.
"How do you find the base so far?"
"It's nice. A little secluded, but peaceful."
"Yes," Erwin affirmed "an old castle we remodeled some time ago, yet it's far from both rivers and walls, so it remained unused. Now, it's the perfect site to house Eren."
Naruto nodded understandingly. The government would want Eren as far away from any cities or civilians as possible. If their worst-case scenario came true and Eren turned out to be an enemy, keeping him out here was their best bet. It would at the very least buy them some time.
Eren's genuine amazement when they'd talked earlier came to mind. And his actions during the battle for Trost. I can't really see him being an enemy. Or, if he were, why he would go to such lengths to help people.
With no forthcoming reply, Erwin continued. "As you already know, there is an expedition planned in thirty days. Eren's present circumstance is only a temporary measure. If the expedition is successful, it will go a long way towards convincing Centre that he's a benefit to humanity. Otherwise, we'll have the Military Police after us again."
"And what about me? Those Military Police guys looked like they wanted to get rid of me, too."
"Yes, but there was little to no evidence to suggest you were anything but a potential ally. There were numerous reports from soldiers detailing how you'd saved their lives… You also claim to hail from the outside world, and if that holds true, then you're the one and only lead for over a century that humanity might have persevered outside these walls. You are too valuable to lose. Zackly understood that."
He took a breath. "Eren's case was complicated. While we knew him to have fought against titans and sealed the breach at Trost, it was undeniable that he could transform into the very thing that had terrorized humanity for a hundred years. With witnesses to attest that he'd tried to attack a comrade. Those were things Zackly could not ignore, no matter how useful an allied titan might be." Naruto bobbed his head. He hadn't considered that they might have a legitimate reason to fear Eren. Not everyone was able to look past their fear.
"It is also why I proposed this mission. As a way to show them that Eren is truly on our side and can be used to aid humanity to great effect." Erwin continued. "Our objective will be to establish a route to wall Maria by setting up resupply points. The one we'd been working on these past years has been made inaccessible through the sealing of Trost."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And my role would be?"
"Yet to be determined. We would need to know what you're capable of in order to utilize you fully. That is, in part, why I wanted to talk to you. A demonstration of your powers so that we might plan accordingly." Erwin knew it was a reach, considering the lengths the boy had gone so as to stay hidden.
A pause.
To his surprise, the boy nodded.
"Do you want to do it now, or?"
Keeping his expression carefully neutral, in the off chance his surprise would give offense, Erwin shook his head. "I'll arrange for a meeting. Hange and Levi should be there at least. Levi's second in command, and Hange is the head of the research department. Maybe some others too if that's fine with you."
Naruto left the office with his hands firmly in his pockets, mind abuzz with thoughts.
It had occurred to him to deny Erwin's request. Honestly, he wasn't too keen on sharing his skillset. What with being a shinobi. But he also wanted to help these people. They were fighting desperately, pushed to the edge of extinction by beings that sought only to satiate their own endless hunger.
And he'd read about the so-called mission to recapture wall Maria.
A fifth of the population sent to their deaths. Two hundred and fifty thousand people. Men, women, elderly. Probably even some children. Of course, he could understand the reasoning. It had been a fifth or everyone. It was harsh. But that sacrifice had saved a lot of people in the end.
Then he'd seen the slaughter at Trost. It was one thing to read about people dying, hearing tales of gruesome deaths. It was another thing entirely to see it with your own eyes. People devoured by gigantic, terrifying monsters. Ripped limb from limb and torn to pieces. Hearing their screams, seeing the fear in their eyes. There had been so many corpses.
And the funny thing was. That to Naruto, they were nothing. The titans that had pushed humanity to the very brink of extinction posed absolutely no threat to him whatsoever. They were about as threatening to him as an academy student.
He shook his head. He'd decided to help them. Showing off some of his techniques wasn't such a big deal anyway.
Besides, this expedition could actually be likened to shinobi missions.
Like in a shinobi squad, it was integral to know each individual's strengths and weaknesses in order to come up with a viable strategy for battle.
And even though Naruto knew his mere presence would save lives whether they knew what he was capable of or not, nothing was guaranteed in battles.
He thought back to his travels with his godfather when Jiraiya had told him that plans never survived contact with the enemy.
"What? Then what's the point in making a plan in the first place?" Naruto asked, perplexed.
"Plans help keep order on the battlefield, kid. Battlefields are chaotic. People dying all around. The screaming, the blood, jutsu flying overhead. Confusion and disorder can be as lethal as any Jutsu. That's why Genjutsu users are so valued." Jiraiya explained as Naruto listened intently. The pervert rarely talked about war. "Plans give each person an objective to focus on, helps them keep a cool head. Without a plan, you're left floundering thinking 'what the hell do I do?'. When you have a plan, you know that 'this is what I have to do'. Still, nothing is guaranteed in battle. Errors keep piling up. Which is why shinobi have to be able to adapt to anything, and why plans need to be flexible. Contingency plans for contingency plans, as Kakashi likes to say."
What did he stand to lose anyway? These people weren't shinobi. It wasn't like he was sharing information with an enemy village.
Besides, he didn't have to tell them everything. He'd share some info about the Jutsu people had seen him use. And it'd make things easier for him, too. Seeing as he wouldn't have to worry about some idiot getting in the way of his Jutsu and getting themselves killed.
[Later, in the evening. With Levi Squad.]
"It's safe to assume our standing orders will stretch into next week," Eld spoke. "but word through the grapevine is we're gearing up for a big mission a month from now… And that we'll be taking the new graduates with us as well."
Oluo snorted. "A bunch of wet-behind-the-ears graduates. Slated to be our main backup."
Gunther put his cup down. "That can't be right. Why do something like that? The cadets have been through enough with the last Titan attack. Why subject them to that kind of danger again? And so soon at that."
"Is it true, Captain?" Petra asked, brows knitted worriedly.
"Mission planning isn't my responsibility, it's Erwin's. But knowing him, he's got every angle covered."
Resting his elbows on the table, Eld propped his chin on clasped hands, contemplative. "We lost the route we'd been working on to retake wall Maria. But then we got hope in forms that no one expected. Ones that we're not even sure how to deal with…" He looked at Eren.
A little uncomfortable with all eyes suddenly on him, Eren looked down.
"I still have trouble believing it… What do they mean when they say you can turn into a titan, Eren?" Eld asked.
"… I don't really remember what happened. My memories from back then are hazy. Kinda like I was in a trance… It triggers when I hurt myself in some way. Like biting my—" He stopped. Wait... How do I know this?
Levi watched him carefully. "You won't get anything out of him that isn't already laid out in the reports." He sipped, then exhaled. "Not that that's going to stop her. You'll be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lays into you. 'Course, it's only a matter of time."
Eren felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. "Um, her? Who're you…"
*Bang* "Ow!"
Eren jumped in his seat. None of the others seemed surprised though. Petra dutifully walked over and removed the wooden bar. In stepped Hange.
"Yo, Levi Squad. How're you enjoying the castle?"
"You're early." Levi replied, completely unperturbed.
"Am I? S'pose I couldn't help myself."
Eren eyed her with a hint of surprise. "Squad Leader Hange?"
"Hey, Eren." She walked over. "In case you hadn't pieced it together already, it's my job to spearhead the Scout Regiment's research. Essentially, I poke and prod our captive Titan specimen. I'd like your help with tomorrow's experiments."
"My help? In what way? Like, what would I have to do?"
"Join me, of course!" She was in his face suddenly, staring intensely into his eyes. "On a quest of scientific discovery!"
He pulled away, trying not to fall out of his seat, taken aback by her close proximity. "Well, uh... I'm… happy to help. It's not up to me, though. I'm- I'm under restriction orders."
She turned to Levi. "What's Eren doing tomorrow?"
.
.
"Cleaning the courtyard."
"Excellent. It's settled then!" She took Eren's hand in hers, smiling. "I'll see ya tomorrow, partner."
"Ah… Alright... But, uh, just so I'm clear, what exactly will we be doing?"
"Hm?"
"… what exactly will we- "
"-Oi, stop. Don't ask." Oluo hissed.
"Ah. I knew it." Hange had a manic look in her eyes, excitement making her voice wobble. "You possess a singularly curious mind, don't you? Well, my inquisitive friend, if you insist, why not lay it all on the table, hm?"
Levi and his squad left the table quietly.
[Next day.]
Naruto woke the next morning to the sound of screaming. He jolted up from bed and onto his feet, bed bouncing, eyes scanning the room for any immediate threat.
"Tell me it isn't real!" a pained voice shrieked outside, sounding suspiciously like that Hange woman that'd been pestering him yesterday.
Frowning, he approached the window and shoved aside the curtains. Nothing visible at first, but then he opened the window and the murmurs of a crowd washed over him. He craned his neck to the side, where walls of cloth stood erected to hide the ongoings inside from prying eyes. Not that it stopped him. From his second-story room, he could see a bunch of soldiers gathered around two steaming piles of bones. And Hange on her knees, wailing.
Well, that can't be good.
Now clad in the brown pants and grey shirt courtesy of the Corps, he approached the crowd to get a closer look. He'd actually been curious when he'd heard some soldiers complaining about Hange planning to conduct experiments on the captured titans.
Seeing the Special Operations Squad at the front, he wove his way through the crowd.
"Look… she's gone nuts." Oluo was saying, a smirk plastered on his face, for which he received an elbow to the side from Petra.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked, stopping beside them. They startled at his sudden appearance.
Recovering quickly, Eld answered, "The titans we'd captured during the battle for Trost… Someone killed them. Just before dawn, apparently. By the time the guards noticed, the perpetrators were gone."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "A soldier did this?"
Gunther nodded, frowning, "Those were valuable subjects… we lost people getting 'em. Why would they do this?"
Levi watched calmy, next to a stunned-looking Eren. "Let it go. This is a matter for the Military Police." He turned and walked away.
Erwin appeared by Eren's shoulder, speaking quietly. Whatever it was, it seemed to have caught Eren off-guard. After a moment, he left, Levi by his side.
Naruto watched them go, curious, but ultimately decided to turn back to the others.
"Poor Hange," Petra was saying, "she's devastated."
"She's crazy is what she is." Oluo groused. "We're supposed to kill titans. Not mourn them. Besides, she was going to put them through torture. Whoever killed them did 'em a favor."
Petra shot him a glare, making Oluo flinch back in preparation for another well-deserved elbow. While she scolded him for his lack of sensitivity, Naruto approached the steaming pile of bones, halting next to Hange.
She had tracks of tears running down her cheeks, and the runny nose made him wince slightly.
"So…" he began awkwardly. "Do they always just disappear like that?"
Hange looked up with glassy eyes, "What?"
Taken aback by his sudden question, it took her a second to compose herself enough to answer. She wiped her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her uniform and stood. "W-well, after death, their body heats up immensely. Well above the boiling point. The steam can be attributed to the blood vaporizing. Not warm enough for flesh and bones, though. We- we haven't been able to figure that one out yet."
Naruto knelt and poked a steaming bone curiously. "That's really hot. But why would they heat up after death, doesn't the body usually shut off at that point?"
"We thought so too at first, but it's different for titans, I guess. Where they come from, why they eat humans, why they die when the nape is cut. It's just another thing about them that makes them so mysterious. Though, we suspect that they're not made up of the same stuff as we are. That their 'flesh and blood' isn't the same as our 'flesh and blood'."
He looked up at her curiously. "What makes you think that?"
"The main reason is their size. We know that the mass of an object depends on its volume. And usually, the bigger someone is, the more mass they have."
Naruto nodded.
"But!" She held up a finger sharply. "Muscle power doesn't increase with volume. No. Muscle power is dependent on its area." She smiled at him as if expecting him to catch on.
Sadly, he wasn't known for his academics, "I'm not sure I get it."
"Think of it this way." She continued indulgently, "Imagine a cube where all the sides are exactly one meter in length. Now, the area and volume of that cube would also be exactly one, correct?"
Naruto nodded.
"But what if we increased the length of all the sides to two meters? Now, the area is four meters, and the volume is eight meters. The relation is this; when the length of an object increases, let's say by x units, the area will increase by x squared, and the volume by x cubed. It's called the square-cube law."
She took a deep breath. "So, since muscle mass and power are dependent on volume and area respectively, it means that even though they have more muscle due to their size, they won't necessarily have the strength to back it up. A titan twice the size of a human will only be half as strong as a human of that size if the square-cube law didn't apply."
"It's actually the same reason why ants and other small insects can carry many times their body weight." She added, and despite her rambling, Naruto found himself listening attentively, intrigued.
"Anyways, this means that the titans, the bigger they are, should by all rights be weak and fragile and slow, or unable to stand at all! Sure, they're not the fastest creatures around, most don't even run, but they can stand. And they're definitely not weak, nor fragile."
Naruto rubbed his chin, "How come?"
"Same reason why we think our flesh and bones and theirs are different." She grinned. "Because of their weight! They don't have the muscle power required to support a normal human body of that size, but they can anyway! Because their flesh and bones weigh much less than ours!"
He took it in and pondered how that could be. I wonder if it's the same for Gamabunta and the other summons?
Oblivious to his musings, Hange chuckled. "On my first expedition outside the walls, after cutting off the head of a smaller titan, I kicked it in frustration. And the head shot through the air like a ball. It didn't even hurt my foot! You know how crazy that is? The head is literally the heaviest body part of a human!" She laughed at that, and they descended into a comfortable silence.
After a minute, he spoke up again. "So, what're they made of? Do you know?"
She sighed. "Nope, nothing. We might've if we could procure samples, but whenever a part of a titan is disconnected from the whole, it just evaporates. Maybe if we could figure out a way to preserve them..." She trailed off. "Ah, well, I need to get back to my research. See ya around, Naruto."
"Yeah, later."
She trotted off. The blond guy always following her around giving him a short nod and a smile.
As Naruto walked back towards the castle, Petra fell into step beside him. "That was very nice of you."
"Hm?"
"Cheering up Squad Leader Hange." She clarified, smiling. "She can be pretty eccentric at times. And most people think her obsession with titans is creepy, so they tend to keep away."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "…I was just curious about the titans."
"If you say so."
Naruto walked down the winding forest road, admiring the way sunlight filtered through the canopy. Berries lay ripening under the leafy dome of the forest, and scurrying squirrels searched for food under bristles of wispy moss. The fresh, organic smell, tickled Naruto's nose, and he smiled contentedly. It was all so reminiscent of Konoha. And while it served as a reminder that he was separated from everything he loved; the peacefulness was still soothing.
Before long he reached a clearing that had a small river of glistening freshwater cutting through. Naruto eyed the group of gathered people. Erwin himself, alongside Levi and Hange, as well as a few others, all observing him with varying expressions.
"Naruto." Erwin greeted as he approached, Levi and Hange flanking him on either side.
"Erwin." Naruto greeted in kind. "Hange, Levi." He nodded to the two as well. Most of the faces in the crowd were unfamiliar to him, except the tall weirdo from the trial that had tried to sniff him, Mike, if he remembered correctly.
"Naruto! I almost couldn't believe it when Erwin said you were going to be demonstrating your abilities! I can't wait to-"
"Hange, stop shouting."
"-see what you can do! I'm so excited! I can't wait!" Levi was thoroughly ignored, and Naruto couldn't help the slight upward twitch of his mouth. Instead of responding, he turned to Erwin.
"The maps. When are we going to go over those?" He'd been patient, even indulged this little demo of Erwin's, but he wanted the man to make good on his end of the deal too.
Erwin didn't even bat an eye. "Unfortunately, between the invasion of Trost, the subsequent trial, and the upcoming expedition, I've had a lot of paperwork to fill out. And we're not quite finished relocating headquarters, either. It was all on very short notice. I apologize for the delay. Of course, you'll be informed when they arrive."
Naruto nodded shortly. He was aware of how much responsibility came with positions of leadership. Tsunade baa-chan had complained about it often and loudly… Mostly while in a drunken stupor.
After a moment of silence, Erwin turned and gestured to the onlookers. "All those gathered here are veteran soldiers. All trustworthy. From right to left is Moblit, -"
A wave.
"- Dirk,"
A nod.
"- Marlene,"
"Nice to meet you."
"- Keiji,"
"Hello,"
"- Mike,"
*Sniff*
"- Darius,"
Another nod.
"- and Ness."
"Hey!"
Naruto nodded to each in kind. "Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya."
"So," Naruto began awkwardly, not sure how to proceed, "this demonstration thing, how do you wanna do it?"
"How 'bout we start with that vanishing act of yours." Levi proposed, arms crossed over his chest.
Vanishing act? What…? oh, right, shadow clones. Once again, he had to remind himself that these people knew nothing about chakra. Thinking back, it must've freaked them out; someone just disappearing into thin air. Maybe they thought he could teleport or something? The idea was amusing.
Erwin agreed to Levi's proposal.
As he was about to perform his signature jutsu, the memory of Eren and his friends, and that Garrison commander, all gaping in utter bafflement flashed through his mind. An idea formed in his head. He stretched his arms in preparation, feeling a hint of excitement.
At the unspoken agreement, they stepped back. And the rest of the crowd went silent.
He made the seal and was quickly engulfed by a cloud of white smoke. He heard some gasps, and feeling the clone by his side, he grinned mischievously.
[Erwin POV]
They waited in suspense, watching the smoke cloud for any changes, for the boy to come out and reveal how he had managed to escape them so easily all those months ago.
He had thought of Naruto frequently over the past year. The inhuman strength, the speed, the ability to walk on walls and disappear without a trace during broad daylight. The boys' powers kept returning to the forefront of Erwin's mind. Now, he would finally have some answers.
Next to him, Hange observed quietly. Present was that spark in her eyes that she got whenever confronted with a mystery. And even Levi watched attentively, for once not bothering to hide his curiosity.
The clearing was quiet. But then the sound of footsteps could be heard, a dark shadow amidst the smoke. It parted around the figure. Erwin held his breath, heart beating just the faintest bit faster.
Naruto walked out leisurely, stopping just outside the smoke. Hands shoved down his pockets, a glint in his eyes, and a cocky grin plastered on his face.
.
.
Erwin's eyes narrowed, searching carefully. Was he missing something? He looked no different from before.
Around him, the others mimicked his confusion.
"Did… Did he do something?" He heard Moblit ask.
"…I'm… not sure." Marlene answered.
Some other mutterings reached his ears, but he ignored them.
He was about to voice his confusion when the smoke rippled yet again, revealing another figure. Erwin's eyes widened, and he felt his jaw go slack. It can't be… this is…
Levi's hands fell limply by his side and Moblit dropped his notebook.
Erwin stared wide-eyed as another Naruto strolled out of the smoke, halting next to… himself and resting an elbow on his counterparts' shoulder, lips quirked in amusement. "Yo."
Their faces were the picture-perfect description of flabbergasted and stunned. Their mouths hung open and their eyes had the look of an owl – wide and unblinking.
All was silent for the briefest moment as their brains tried to comprehend what they'd just witnessed. And then the dam broke.
"My god…"
"How the f-!"
"-HOLY SHIT!"
"…impossible…"
"He- But that's-! What?!"
At once Naruto was barraged by a thousand questions. How had he done it? How was it even possible? Could he make more? They crowded around him, each shouting louder than the last. It was overwhelming, and suddenly Naruto wondered if it had been the best idea to show people who didn't even know anything about chakra that he could make a person.
Hange had gone completely catatonic. The contrast to her usual hyper self was almost unnerving.
Erwin was the first to get a hold of himself.
"C—" He cleared his throat, voice taking on his usual commanding tone. "Calm down! QUIET!"
His command cut sharply through the ruckus, bringing his ranking officers back to their senses. They took several steps back, though their faces remained incredulous, gawking at the two Naruto's in the clearing.
Erwin let his eyes drink in the impossible sight before him.
"How is this possible?" Levi breathed, taking measured, careful steps around the two Naruto's. As if looking at it from another angle would somehow reveal it to be some cheap trick.
"Chakra." Naruto said matter of factly, and the clone gave Levi a wave.
Meanwhile, Hange finally came out of her stupor.
She crept closer with unblinking eyes. "Naruto?" She asked uncertainly, looking between the two.
"Yeah?" He answered, and she turned him.
"Are you…?"
He smiled. "I'm the real one."
"Then he's?"
"A clone. A copy of me made from my energy."
Her eyes went back to the clone. She extended one shaky finger, arm trembling slightly, and poked it in the chest. At the contact with flesh, she jumped as if burnt.
Clone. Her mind tasted the word. A copy made using… chakra.
She met the clones' eyes, searchingly, and his blue eyes met hers unfailingly.
She'd studied titans for years now. Fascinated by every aspect of their being. She could honestly say that she was obsessed with them, and she'd spent many a night performing experiments and documenting results until Moblit had to drag her bodily away.
Titans were such mysterious creatures. Gigantic in size, yet lighter than they had any right to be. Able to survive without sustenance, but their life's purpose to devour humans. They could even regenerate from the most fatal of wounds, like beheading, but cut their nape a little and they would disintegrate into nothingness.
Yet all of that paled in comparison to the thing in front of her.
She lifted her hands, framing his face, tracing the bones, the lips, the ears. Examining every detail of his face. Her hand slid down to the neck and found the pulse. She watched his pupils dilate, his face growing hot.
He'd said it was a clone. Made of chakra. But in front of her stood, for all intents and purposes, a person. Created just a second ago. Made of flesh and bones, warm-blooded, with a pulse, and very much alive. As real as Erwin, and Levi, or- or herself.
And his eyes… She could see the intelligence behind those eyes. Human intelligence. Not like a titan; an empty husk that lived for the sole purpose of satisfying their one desire. This one she could instantly tell had complex thoughts of its own.
"Um…" The clone spoke up unsteadily with a trace of embarrassment and discomfort, unsure of what to do in the face of her intense scrutiny.
She blinked, and suddenly the real Naruto was between them, pushing them away from each other, cheeks a curious shade of crimson. "W-what are you doing?"
"I was examining him." She answered completely unabashed, confused at his reaction. "You said he was made of chakra, but he seems all flesh and bones to me. His temperature is right, and- and he even has a pulse." She shook her head, uncomprehending and utterly lost. "…How?"
Quickly cooling down, Naruto turned to his clone. Though he had wondered about how real a clone was, if they had feelings or thoughts of their own, he hadn't actually ever taken the time to check stuff like a pulse, or warmth, or anything else.
"Well, I'm not too good at all that theory stuff, but I know chakra is made of spiritual and physical energy, which is where the clone gets its body and mind from. It's not really a person, if that's what you're thinking. At least not an individual. It's more of an extension of myself. I split some of my physical and spiritual energy from myself and shape it into a human form. And since it's my energy, it takes on my appearance. It only lasts as long as I have the energy to sustain it, and it doesn't need food or drink or anything else to survive. Besides, a solid hit'll make it disappear." Naruto explained.
"But—" Hange tried to continue her line of questioning but was cut off by Erwin.
"How many of these clones are you able to create?" He asked, eyes assessing the clone, mind awhirl.
"At once? Hundreds, though I've never counted."
Erwin whipped around to face Naruto, eyes shining. Mind swirling with endless possibilities. Such a jutsu was invaluable on the battlefield. His mind conjured the image of a hundred Levi's devastating the battlefield, leaving a sea of titan carcasses in their wake.
Behind him, the onlookers gasped.
"Hundreds?!" Dirk shouted, barely believing his ears.
"Astounding..." Keiji muttered.
"And they can all do what you do?" Levi asked, watching Naruto warily.
"Well, yes, technically they can. But thing is, I don't have infinite chakra, and when I make a clone, my chakra is split evenly between us. They're made of chakra, which means when I make more clones, each clone gets less chakra. And since we need chakra to do all the other stuff too…"
Erwin nodded understandingly. Of course, such a powerful technique would have its downsides. "So, more clones aren't necessarily the best option. While making many would assure the advantage in numbers, having fewer would mean that each individual clone would be far more capable."
"Wait, other stuff? Like what?" Darius questioned, fishing for information.
"Mostly Jutsu." Naruto answered succinctly.
"Jutsu?"
"What's that?"
Naruto scratched his forehead. "What I just did. The clone. It's a Jutsu. The shadow clone Jutsu to be exact."
"MOBLIT!" Hange screamed, and the guy in question almost jumped out of his skin. "Write all of this down!"
"R-Right." Moblit scrambled to pick up his notebook, patting himself down for something to write with.
Hange coughed into her fist, clearing her throat while organizing her thoughts.
"Hange." Erwin cut her off again just as she was about to begin. "We gathered for a demonstration, not a lecture. You can discuss the science behind his abilities later." She looked ready to protest, but let the matter go. She would definitely be grilling Naruto for details later on.
He nodded at Naruto and Naruto sighed. What do I show them next? He thought about it for a moment and came to a decision. Stretching out a hand, palm face-up, he channeled his chakra. Rotation. Power. Containment. The steps came easy to him now. As natural as breathing.
The spinning ball of raw, condensed energy churned to life in the palm of his hand, humming softly.
"Wow…"
"…Amazing."
"W-what is that?"
"This," Naruto began, "is the Rasengan."
They gathered closer, leaning in to get a better look.
"Careful." Naruto warned, and they drew back quickly. "You don't wanna touch that. Look." The forest floor crinkled as he walked toward one of the trees in the clearing. The trunk was thick, dark brown, with antler-shaped branches reaching towards the sky, and sprouting pine-green leaves from every limb.
Legs apart for proper balance in preparation for the usual recoil, he swung the Jutsu hard. Raw, grinding force met solid wood. The Rasengan went through the tree like a hot knife through butter, eating away relentlessly at its target.
With its belly gone, the top half fell to the ground, landing roughly with a booming thump, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and creaking of branches.
"Rose above!"
"Holy fuck…"
Levi narrowed his eyes. "That… that's what you used that day wasn't it." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "When we first saw you outside the walls, by the forest of giant trees. I knew I saw something in your hand when you killed that titan, but it was faint, and I couldn't make it out properly from that distance."
Naruto nodded slowly; he wasn't entirely sure if he remembered that. But it probably had been. Rasengan was pretty much his go-to when it came to fights. And especially effective against titans since they were too dumb to dodge.
"A powerful technique, to be able to get through a titan's abnormally tough flesh and skin." Erwin said.
The demonstration went on for a while longer. Naruto showing them his chakra-enhanced speed and strength and answering some of their questions.
In the end, Erwin brought the meeting to an end despite his own curiosity and interest. They all had duties to attend to. He thanked Naruto for his willingness to share his abilities, and they all went back to their respective posts.
As he marched back to base, Erwin stewed silently in his thoughts. Chakra. Extraordinary. Versatile and powerful. Reality defying. Naruto Uzumaki… Eren Yeager. He grinned. He felt a sort of excitement he hadn't felt in years. As if a fire had been reignited in his heart. Yes. He could see it. With those two in the survey corps, surely, it would be the turning point for humanity.
AN:
Well, I'm back.
Sorry for the long wait. Just finished my last year in electrical engineering, handed in my bachelor's thesis, and all that. Now, I'm finally free to write as much as I like. I've already started the next chapter and fixed up where I want this story to go. I'm not sure exactly how long it's going to be until I upload again, but I'll try to get it out as fast as I can without the quality suffering for it.
I've also laid out some blueprints for two new stories I want to write, one is a Naruto fic, which diverges from the canon plot pretty much from the night of the Nine-tails attack on Konoha. I've tried to fix some of the plot holes and issues I found. I've already written the first two chapters (prologue) and am working on the third. I'm gonna try to write out as many of those chapters as I can before actually uploading any.
The other story is a League of Legends Gamer fic. I have high hopes for that one. There aren't any LoL fics that stand out to me right now, except 'Legend Reviving', which I think is perhaps the best LoL fic out there. LoL has so much potential, the world is huge, with exceptionally well-crafted characters and interesting stories.
I've also written some on my other fics, Izuku the Phoenix and The Watchers On The Couch. The game of thrones fic is gonna take a while, the drive just hasn't been there since that season 8 fiasco. Izuku the phoenix on the other hand might be updated soon.
That about sums up what I've been doing lately.
I hope you enjoy this chapter; I know it's short and not much happens, but the next few chapters are gonna be like this. I want Naruto to interact with the AoT characters during day-to-day life, and build some connections before we jump into all the action.
Do leave a review, I read every single one. And I check PMs daily, so if there's something you want to ask or tell me directly, don't hesitate to send a message. I might even make a discord server one of these days.
Q&A is right below this AN, so check it out, might have answered some of your questions there.
Thank you all for the support and positive feedback.
~Zenix404~
Q&A:
Sazi94: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
TheChamp123: Thanks. I'm not sure if I'll include a pairing. I haven't written any romance before, and I often see authors trying to write romance, and ending up with a lot of unnecessary drama. I don't want to mess up the story or anything. The focus will always be on friendships, interactions, action, and adventure. If I do romance, its gonna be a secondary thing. And I do like Hange a lot. I don't exactly know how she would do with Naruto, but I won't rule it out. Ya never know.
Amaterasu of The Black Flames: Back again… haha… Oh boy. Well, better late than never, am I right?
DarkShadowRaven: Hm, I don't know about the whole sending women to sleep with Naruto. It's not that it isn't realistic, cause stuff like that did happen in real life. It's just that I wouldn't know how to go about writing it. And I don't want to go too deep into the romance drama stuff. That doesn't mean its out of the question. They could still awkwardly flirt, doesn't necessarily have to be because of orders. Naruto's a good-looking guy ya know.
Anyway, thank you for the review. The longer the better, I say. Ideas and constructive criticism are always welcome.
Mr. KR-18: I completely agree that Naruto would have helped them anyway. It's in his nature to be helpful. I doubt he'd every turn his back on people in suffering. But Erwin lives in the AoT world, where people like Naruto are few and far in-between. He had no way of knowing if Naruto would stay without motivation. And even the most helpful people don't always want to give up their own goals to helps others with theirs. Thank you for the review!
Problemchild667: Oh, you liked that chapter? Here, have another!
Papilionem: Hi! I'm glad you think I made a good choice with regards to his shadow clones and stuff. A lot of people seemed to disagree. But it is what it is. I, too, think its boring when Naruto has infinite god like powers. And it just wouldn't be interesting in an AoT setting. He'd literally destroy all the titans in a day and subjugate the entirety of Marley within a week of arriving. It's just so boring.
Hope I understood your review right. I don't speak Spanish, so I had to use google translate haha.
Riba Nyabom: Thanks.
Ita123: No problem. Here's another.
Noahbadoah: Yeah, the people present during the trial were the same as those in canon. I usually rewatch the relevant episodes a couple of times to get a good feel of the setting and dialogues when I write a chapter. Thank you for the review!
Serpentacodex: You're absolutely right. That's why I tried to make a reasonable explanation as to why he didn't. Thanks for the review, bud.
Shadowmaster0304: Yeah, he does have his sage mode here. Wrote it in one of the first few chapters, though I don't remember exactly which.
Yatelo106: I'm definitely going to be including Kurama and Sage mode in the later chapters.
Okami776: Thanks, glad you liked it.
R-king 93: Thank you!
Stokaza45: Well, that's not exactly how I said it. It's more that I thought that Kishimoto messed up with how he made the Shadow clones. Making it so that the experience goes back to the user is a good idea. But then it doesn't make sense why Kakashi or Jiraya never had Naruto use clones for his training. He could've learned a hundred times more jutsu and stuff if he'd actually used the shadow clones. And I know some of you might say he couldn't because of the mental backlash or something like that, but there's actually never any backlash like that mentioned in canon Naruto. Which is why he so conveniently used it to learn Rasen shuriken in Shippuden. Anyway, I think it's a cool jutsu. It's just poorly thought out in my opinion. That's just my opinion though.
Destroyer10m: Thanks, here you go man.
2n2kas: Well, I have to disagree with you slightly there, buddy. Because canon doesn't ever really say anything about mental strain. Which is why Naruto used it for days on end during Shippuden when learning the Rasen shuriken. Also, it IS stated that a person dies when they run out of chakra. As you remember from the Wave arc, Kakashi literally passed out and was unable to do almost anything for days just because he was low on chakra. Meaning that there is a threshold for how low you can go. And besides. I seriously doubt anyone would make enough clones to go down to even 1% chakra, when they know that they die if it gets down to 0 haha. Those are just my thoughts though. (And what you say about the chakra cost for the Rasengan is correct. I actually forgot about Konohamaru.)
Thank you for the review. I appreciate it. And the way you worded so politely is very welcome. I'm glad you've enjoyed this story so far, and I'll endeavour to keep it that way :)
Uiobok 21 veka: Thank you! I'm makes me happy to know that you've enjoyed it so much.
Kurama49: Yeah, I know he did get tired and stuff. But come on, he said 'I'm tired' then went on to make 5000 clones and shoot 300 rasengan right after like its nothing not five minutes later. Personally, I just didn't find it interesting at that stage.
RimK10: Yeah, Erwin is the GOAT.
Legend7860: Nah, I'm pretty sure the Naruto wiki on shadow clones says that they split chakra evenly. There's even a bit about it in the manga if I remember correctly.
Webslinger12: Here I am, safe and sound, with another chapter. Enjoy!
Gr4vityJuli4n: True. The shadow clone technique was a forbidden jutsu for a reason. If anyone can make clones without any real repercussions, I don't see why it had to be forbidden. The only reason I can see why it needed to be a kinjutsu is because too many could lead to death.
Laxard: Oh, I just googled what the vein system in our bodies was called, and it came up as cardiovascular system. I just thought the chakra system was kinda similar to how the blood and veins in our bodies work.
And I guess its true that he doesn't really have a way back. But I thought of it more of him not being sure about making such a big commitment. Naruto is a man of his word, it's his nindo, after all.
Regarding your thoughts on pairings, I agree wholeheartedly. Ymir or Sasha are the best choices. Maybe Hange not too far behind. But she's older.
Thanks for the review. I appreciate your thoughts.
Vansmoke: You'll just have to wait and see man. It will all be revealed in due time.
Kitsune No Hi 75: That's some high praise! Thank you!
trollkingNO.1: Your wish is my command.
: Thank you. Bachelor's degree is finally finished. Just waiting for grade.
Dippytrippy122: Eyyy, Katarina! Glad you liked it!
RedMamba24: Don't worry, haven't forgotten about Kurama.
Rairi Valeria: H-hey! Don't write me off so casually. Damn. People thinking I'm dead, sheesh.
Midnight Spectacles: No problem. And thank you for your review.
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Word count: 6,907 (Does not include author notes or Q&A)
(12th of June 2022.)