the lost one naruto x attack on Titan

A shadows regret

Pixis sat above the now 'repaired' gate of Trost, drinking from his flask as he looked out over the field held by the titans. The scarred land beyond was clearly evident by the massive craters and charred grass. It was here that the commander of the Southern Garrison witnessed the slaughter of hundreds of titans in the blink of an eye. The Angel of Death... and now the Female Titan.

"What are your orders, commander?" Rico asked, still saluting the sitting man. Pixis was still lost in thought as to what was going on in that black garbed man's mind. Why would he save the Female Titan? Why would he work with the Grays? Pixis didn't believe that Naruto would go against humanity without a very good reason. Even then, if the Angel of Death wanted to, he would be able to tear down these walls and kill many along the way. Pixis's eyes hovered the craters in the field below, further proving his theory. The older man was grateful that nobody else watched the carnage in the fields besides himself. If they had then Naruto would be viewed in a very different light right now. "Sir?"

"You say the Angel, along with the Female Titan, are currently residing at the Gray's base in the southern swamps?" Pixis questioned once more.

"And they are working together, yes." Rico responded. "He forced us to retreat when they emerged from the forest."

"Did you attempt to engage?"

"... No." Pixis chuckled as he took a sip of his beverage.

"Smart move. Where are your men now?"

"They're reinforcing the eastern bulkheads in an attempt to slow down any titan advance, but there doesn't seem to be any massive waves. Was there really a breach?"

"Hmm..." Pixis let the wind wash over them as he thought of what to say next. "No, there hasn't been one, but Eren has been captured by two more hybrids. The Scouting Legion, along with some Military Police, are giving chase to them now."

"What about the titans still inside the wall? Where did they come from?"

"When you return to your post I want you to begin sweeping the area for any stragglers that may still be within the walls. As for where they came from... still unknown."

"And what of Naruto? What are we going to do about him?"

"..." Pixis knew that he was in the best position to confront the man that seemingly betrayed them, but... "We'll leave him be for the time being."

"What?! But-!"

"That's an order Rico. Focus on the titans within the walls. We'll come up with a plan to deal with Naruto afterwards." The silver haired soldier paused before nodding her head. Her commander was right. The titans needed to be dealt with first, then they could focus their efforts elsewhere. "Good. Now go kill some titans. I'll be waiting for you when the three of you finish your assignments at hand. Don't keep me waiting too long."

"Sir, yes sir!" Rico said before turning and leaving. Pixis sighed as he returned his gaze to the field beyond. He could only hope that his gut instinct about Naruto was correct. Otherwise humanity would be paying a fatal price...

XxXxX

I walked through the dark mist, Annie following behind me at a safe distance. She was scared. Scared of the madness that continued to rake my mind. That was her first experience with my past, and it must have surprised her. Unlike her own blank past, it would seem that mine wanted to haunt me to no end.

The sound of our boots sinking in and out of the muddy ground was the only sound that could heard between us. "Your words hurt me Naruto-kun." My teeth ground together in annoyance. Why wouldn't she just leave me alone? "You remembered part of my past, didn't you? That's not fair! You can't remember one part of me without remembering the other!"

"Shut up." I said, making my blonde companion look at me in confusion.

"Did you say something?" Annie asked.

"No, just thinking out loud." I replied, but the shade seemed upset at this.

"What? So you'll talk to her, but not me? That's just cruel Naruto-kun."

"I said shut up! Why are you even here?!" I shouted back, making Annie and the shade jump at the harshness of my voice.

"Because I love you..." The shade responded.

"No you don't! You don't love me! You can't! You're just a figment my imagination!" The shade seemed to grow smaller at my words. "If you really loved me than you'd still be here..."

"That doesn't change-."

"Naruto...?" I looked back at a somewhat scared Annie. Her eyes were wide and she wasn't moving.

"..."

"Who are you talking to?"

I released a low growl before looking over to where the shade once stood. She was gone, hidden within the confines of my subconscious. "..." I turned and continued walking into the mist. This couldn't be an ongoing thing. I need to keep this thing caged, lest it completely drives me insane.

Annie decided not to pursue the question as another rumble could be heard deeper into the mist. Brandishing my hooks, a massive mouth about half the size of the titan before, one that would be seen at the end of leech, protruded out in an attempt to eat me. Jumping back, I latched the hooks onto the inside of its mouth as I moved backwards. 'Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu' I voiced within my mind as I ran through the handseals and releasing a fireball towards its mouth. The leech attempted to close its mouth, but I applied lightning to my chains numbing its jaw and forcing it to leave its mouth open. The fireball entered its mouth and exploded in the creature's stomach, but the leech remained alive. Before I could continue my attack, however, Annie appeared next to it in her titan form with a hardened fist. It fell down onto its back, splitting the creature in two and sending dark purple blood spraying all over us. Walking up to the dead creature, I removed my hooks from the inside of its mouth and glanced up at Annie, who was looking at me in concern.

More rumbles could be heard as I began looking around. At the edge of the blanket of mist six more leech like creatures could be seen poised to strike. Gripping my hooks tighter, I positioned myself next to Annie just as the monsters attacked us.

XxXxX

"I don't know if we should do this. What if something happens to you? I have never done this before and anything, and I mean anything, can happen." I said as I looked over my notes.

"But if it does work than you will have a powerful tool at your disposal. Even if you can only use it once than it should be enough to turn the tide in your favor." The older man said as he moved towards the center of the circle. Around him were seal upon seal etched into the ground in a circle with a single red and black scroll opened up in front of him.

"Yes, yes, I know what the implications are, but what about you?"

"The reward far outweigh the risks, Naruto." The older man smiled as he sat down at the epicenter of the massive seal. "You have suffered so much since agreeing to watch over our world. This small task is miniscule compared to what you will have to endure." I frowned as I stared at the older man. "No matter what happens, you will always be my best friend. From now until the end of time. Always remember that."

Nodding my head, I activated the seals that surrounded my friend, and I watched as they began to glow a dark red. His body began to steam as the seals went to work on their described tasks. "Are you okay?!" It looked like it was beginning to hurt.

"I'm fine! Just keep going no matter what!" I frowned as the light from the seals began to glow brighter and brighter, forcing me to cover my eyes. Then a scream of pain erupted from the epicenter of the light, making me wince at the heartbreaking sound. Keep going... no matter what.

Finally the screams ended, and soon after the jutsu was complete. Slowly I lowered my arm, but my eyes widened in shock at what appeared before me. The scroll had been completed, but my friend... my best friend...

Falling to my knees, I stared down at him in utter shock. Was the scroll truly worth the price that was paid?

XxXxX

Annie stared at the flickering flames as they danced in front of her eyes. Its orange glow bouncing off the walls, giving light to the otherwise dark room. How long has it been since they've entered this godforsaken place? It has felt like an eternity, but in reality it has probably only been a day or two. She has since lost track of time once they entered this dungeon, and since entering the creatures they've had to kill have made chills run up her spine. Spiders and rats the size of bears. More weaponized titans, all of whom seemed to recognize her silent companion. Beasts made of fire and sludge that would only be heard of in the nightmare stories of youth. These beasts all changed from what she could only guess was a titan at one point.

Her eyes rose to the man that has stayed silent since his feat of madness at the beginning of their decent. The blonde hybrid was, for the first time since traveling with the man, worried about his health. It was clear that Naruto's past was... painful. Without knowing anything about him, Annie could tell that his life was shattered, torn apart even, by forces that alluded her. What sat before her, silent and ever observant of the dancing flame, was a broken man trying to help humanity with what remained of his sanity. Much like herself, Naruto seemed to have lost his grasp on who he was, but images were plaguing him unlike her. Pulling her knees closer to her chest, Annie continued to stare at the man. She wanted so desperately to know more about the cloaked man, the urge to get closer to him was only growing stronger as they traversed these dark caverns, but she knew that it would have to wait. Wait until they could leave this horrid place.

Taking in a shaken breath, the girl's eyes looked over his appearance. Covered from head to toe in crimson blood, Naruto seemed unfazed by the fact that his cloak was drenched in the life force of the creatures that they've slain. The blood was slowly steaming away, but it takes a much longer time for this blood to disappear, compared to the titans on the surface. This only pushed her theory that the creatures in this dungeon were created by the same means as all the other titans.

"Naruto?" The man slowly looked over to the girl, who shrunk slightly under his intense gaze.

"..."

"I..." What was she about to say or ask? What she wanted to do was comfort him in the same way he did her. To show the same kindness that he showed her, but how? She has never cared about someone in such a way before. Where would she even begin? "I..." Has he been ignoring the voice that he talked to when they first entered this place? It would explain why he was so quiet.

"..." Naruto's eyes lingered for a brief moment before returning to the fire before them. She could tell they were about to move once again. This was probably the third time they've rested in a small room such as this and made 'camp' around a small fire with whatever rations Naruto had within his bag. Each time they spent their time in silence, contemplating their own issues. Her companion's, however, seemed to be much more serious than her own at the moment...

Standing up, Annie moved towards the angel and sat down next to him, his eyes following her as she did so. She wasn't good with words, and she wasn't good at expressing her feelings, but... "I don't know what is happening here. I don't know what these creatures are, or how they are all connected to you." Annie then looked up into the veil that covered his eyes, trying her best to convey her feelings as best she could. "But I want you to know that, no matter what happens, I won't be going anywhere. I'll have your back as long as you have mine. We'll fix our past's... together." Why was she saying this? Annie wasn't even sure if she could trust him, but for some reason she felt... comfortable when she was in his presence. Like no matter what, through hell and back, Naruto would always keep a promise...

The man stared down at the girl, slight taken aback by her bold words. He apparently wasn't expecting her to say that. His even mouth twitch upwards ever so slightly before nodding his head. "You're right. We'll get through this, together." This, for some reason, made Annie smile. No matter the hardships, or the horrors that awaited them, they would stick together.

XxXxX

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Annie whispered as we slowly crept through a tunnel that had glowing red roots running along the walls. Said roots were beginning to glow brighter and brighter as we moved deeper into the rather small cavern. After giving her a funny look, the uncomfortable titan shifter sighed. "Of course you don't."

"These things may recognize me, but that doesn't mean I remember exactly how to navigate this place." I responded as we came upon an old double door. The wood was decayed, but still held firm due to the iron hinges along its side. Its design was plain with no visible decorations to be seen.

"This door seems... smaller than what I expected." Annie commented as she looked it over.

"Expected something bigger?"

"After everything I've seen it's a relief to see a door so small." After running my hand along the wood I pressed against the door and opening the gateway into the next room. The room was pitch black with only four glowing purple pillars standing near the corners of the room. My eyes danced along the pillars as convoluted memories pressed themselves against my head. "Can you sense anything?"

"Not really, but those pillars feel strange. They're giving off some sort of-." I said as we slowly walked into the room, but then something exploded in my head. A sharp pain followed by a soothing warmth blanketed my thoughts. I fell to my knees as I tried to repress this feeling from completely taking over, but I couldn't stop its progress.

"Naruto?!" I heard Annie say as my mind began to drift. "Naru...!"

XxXxX

My eyes opened to see a creature standing in front of me. It had a single massive eye and no mouth that I could see. Its blue skin was complemented by a dirty white robe that covered up the remainder of its small body. The creature came up to my hip in height and looked as if it could never win in a physical fight. Around us was a dark musty library filled with old books and scrolls on many different topics.

"Hmm..." The tiny creature hummed out a noise as it looked me over with its single eye. "Your eyes are different than before." I furrowed a brow at this. "But your mind is still in pain about a clouded past. Interesting." The creature stumbled towards me as it picked up a notepad that sat on a stack of books close by. Tearing out the scribbled pages on the notepad, the creature found an empty page and produced a pen from inside its robe. "Care to share?"

"Who are you?"

"So you don't remember who I am? Hmm..." The creature scribbled something down onto the notepad before returning its gaze to me. "My name is Iosefka after my mother. Although I doubt you'll remember her either. Given your... unstable position. Tell me, how much do you remember?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your memories. How far back do they go?"

"And why should I tell you?"

"Because I only want to learn about your past, and maybe help you remember who you are. Or was is a better diagnosis from the looks of it."

"..." I stared at the creature for a time before answering. "This place is an imprisonment seal."

"Yes, and you put me here. I've been trapped here for three hundred years, and the only way you're getting out of here is if you help me."

"You know how to get out of here?" Isoefka nodded his head. "Then why haven't you left?"

"Why would I? This place has everything I could ever want. You did a very good job in providing everything I asked for." He said as he ran his small hand along the books that lined the wall. "But... there is one thing that isn't here amongst my endless racks of books, and that's you."

"If you were so curious then why didn't I tell you before?"

"Because those memories were too badly damaged due to decay to get anything useful. The human mind will purposefully forget or block certain memories in an attempt to protect you from going insane.
This happens naturally without you even recognizing that it is happening." Isoefka explained. Apparently he knows that I'm very old, so I must have divulged in him at least that much. "Only the most important information would have been retained after such a long time."

"... What is it that you want to know?" I carefully inquired.

"I want to know what you did during your time alive that shaped our world. The certain points in time that brought the world to an apex in change." Isoefka said as his eye finally set on me. "And maybe we can learn a little about you as well." I remained silent as he continued. "If you do this then I will let you through this room without raising a finger."

I knew that, despite his stature, that Isoefka was immensely powerful. Within this seal he was akin to a god and I didn't need another enemy within a dungeon of creatures all wishing to tear me apart.

"Fine. Lets see what we can learn, but only if you keep what you find a secret."

"Of course. Who else is there to tell?"

"So, how are we going to do this? You said that my mind was severely decayed. How are we going to learn of my childhood?"

"That is the case, but now something is different. You see, now we have a catalyst that could possibly bridge the gap."

"And that would be?"

"I'm not sure, but it's originating from your stomach. Whatever it is, it must have had some impact on your past."

"Well... you were the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

"Right..."

"In any case." Isoefka continued, regaining my attention. "This energy inside you should help regain some of the memories of your past and then hopefully some more further on down the timeline. Whether or not we can obtain everything is... doubtful at best, but we should at least gain some knowledge of your early years." Nodding my head, the creature known as Isoefka sat down in front of me with myself following suit. "Okay, so what I want you to do is close your eyes and try to think of something important that you did when you were younger. From my end, along with the energy inside you, we should be able to recreate some of your past."

Before I could respond two wet suction cups clasped onto my temples and the world around us melted.

XxXxX-FB1

"So this is the first time you've shaped your world?" Isoefka asked as we floated down towards a massive crater in the ground surrounded by destroyed buildings and dead bodies. "Where are we?"

"I don't really rememb..." Then information began to trickle into my mind of the place we were floating down towards. "This was my... home."

"Hmm..." Isoefka scribbled down some more onto his notepad as we finally landed atop a gate overlooking the shambled entrance of the village. "So what did you do?"

"I defeated someone that had destroyed my home, and managed to convince him to bring the people he killed back to life." We watched as a large crowd had formed below us and were all eagerly awaiting for someone to return.

"He brought people back to life?"

"His name was... Nagatoi if I remember correctly, and yes. He did."

"Fascinating." The creature began to scribble some more down onto his notepad when suddenly they heard cheers from below. The two looked down and saw a single blonde approaching the gate. "I assume that would be...?"

"That is me, yes. Today was the day that people actually began to look at me differently. The day people saw me as a human being." I watched as I was hugged tightly by a pink haired girl as she cried onto my shoulder.

"Interesting. Let us continue." Isoefka said, but stopped when he saw me simply staring down at the group. "What is it?"

"I just... I just can't remember their names. These people all know me, but I can't remember who they were."

"It would seem that whatever energy we're using as a catalyst can only recreate events and not the people." Isoefka theorized. "Or maybe it's you don't want to remember." I looked at him in confusion. "Remember, your mind is always actively trying to protect you. It's possible your mind is pushing the memories of your past friends away in an attempt to save you from any more emotional trauma because, like a flood gate, once you remember their names it will all come flooding back in."

"But what about the painful memories that have already come back?"

"Some things manage to slip through the cracks. I'm sure there will be some things we will see that will hurt you coming up. You're human, making your mind imperfect. It's only trying to do its best." I returned my gaze to the cheering below. Isoefka was probably right. No matter how much I wanted to remember these people, it was probably best that they remained a mystery. "Now lets continue on. I'm sure there is much more to see."

Without a word the world around us once again melted away.

XxXxX-FB2

"You've told me about chakra and how it works, but this?" Isoefka said as he looked around the area. The world was moving along at a semi fast pace and four combatants could be seen fighting a single woman with white hair with three eyes. The one eyed creature stood in awe as he witnessed the sheer destructive power of the jutsu being thrown around. "I had no idea it could manifest itself into something so destructive."

"This is the place that we fought against Kaguya, who was the very first of us to properly wield chakra as can you see before you." I stated, ignoring Isoefka's comments.

"The first of you chakra wielders. What was her purpose in returning?"

"She wanted to enslave humanity and put them in an infinite dream world. We fought her and won using all our strength, but..." The world around them sped up drastically until they were now watching a purple samurai and an orange fox smash into each other over a massive lake. "My final fight was against someone with completely opposing ideals than my own. Once the immediate threat of being enslaved was solved, there was one last obstacle to overcome."

"What were the ideals being fought over?" Isoefka asked as we watched the two forces clash against one another.

"My opponent believed that he alone could shoulder all the hate in the world and then fade into darkness. Taking all the hate with him and destroying it completely." My eyes then moved towards myself and they narrowed somewhat. "While I believed that everyone could come together and work towards a brighter future."

"I assume you won?" I nodded my head as the battle came to a close. "Did the world turn out like you envisioned?"

"I certainly hope not..."

XxXxX-FB3

We reappeared within a room completely bleached in white. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure, but this is the place where I agreed to live as long as I have." I replied as we looked over to see me standing in front of a floating man with black balls hovering behind him. "It was this day that nine of my friends sacrificed themselves to give me a chance to fight a darkness that was going to wipe out humanity."

"Are the titans this menace of which you speak?"

"Probably, but I'm not sure. I can only hope it's soon as the titans are slowly gaining ground on the remaining humans." I responded as I watched as my past self argued with the floating old man.

I wonder what it would have been like if I refused this mission and lived my life normally? How would things have changed if I was taken out of the picture of all the future events that I played a major role in?

"How interesting." Isoefka said as he scribbled some more onto his notepad. "So you agreed to live eternally because you wanted to protect the world from a coming darkness. Noted. Lets continue."

It would seem that Isoefka was only interested in what actually happened and not why it happened. This was good because I could barely remember the reason why anymore.

XxXxX-FB4

"Get on your knees!"

"What a horrid position to be in..." Isoefka said as he observed the situation. This was the time where my family was murdered in front of me...

"..."

"Those people in the image are your wife and children, correct?" Isoefka asked as he ran his hand through the image of the people in front of me. Indeed they were just images projected before my past self. He looked over towards me, but found that I wasn't going to answer. "Right... this memory must be particularly painful." The creature noted that in earlier memories that the past blonde was very happy and carefree. He would run in without a second thought and not think of the consequences. Unfortunately, even though the man before him was probably one of the most power people in the world, this short sightedness finally caught up to him. The masked man took advantage of this weakness, and used it to finish his... masterpiece.

"Can we please..?" I voiced. Not wanting to stay here as I watched the man walk over to the small girl on the table.

"Sure."

XxXxX-FB5

"How can you hope to defeat me?! I've finally evolved my eyes to a point that no other shinobi can ever hope to match me! Now that those beasts are sealed away you are just an average ninja!" A man with glowing blue eyes exclaimed as he laughed hysterically.

"You... killed her..." I said as I kneeled before the crumpled form of a woman in her mid-forties. Her hair was black with natural pink highlights on the end of her shoulder length hair. It was happening again. I fell in love again and now...

"Of course I killed her! Her puny doujutsu could never compare to my own!" His mouth twisted into an evil grin as a thought came to his mind. "And once I'm finished with you I'm going after your children next."

Something in me snapped as I approached a pillar of fire in my mind and a sudden surge of chakra spread throughout my body. "I..." I softly whispered as I stood up from my kneeling.

"What did you say?! I can barely hear you!"

"I..." I said slightly louder, but then I quickly looked over at the man with different eyes. My right eye was now a shade of yellow and my left a shade of green. "I'm going to smear the world with your blood!" With that I dashed towards the now stunned Hyuga.

"..." I stared at the scene before us as my past self went on the offensive. This was all new to me, but my heart still hurt just as much as it did before. So someone managed to convince me to love again, only for it to be shattered in my hands once more.

"To arrive to the scene of your wife being killed again." Isoefka stated, reminding me that he was here in the first place. He now saw why my disposition has changed so radically, and so did I. Was this why I was so distant now? Why the furnace in my heart went cold? "I'm beginning to understand now. Lets see if we can continue further."

"..." I didn't respond. My heart was breaking even further for a reason that disappeared from my mind. I loved her with all my heart, and seeing her dead...

XxXxX-FB6 (First person from past Naruto)

I can't really remember the last time I've slept. A week? Two weeks? A month? Breathing in the crisp night air of autumn, my eyes sat fixated on the massive tree in front of me. It clearly stood above all the other surrounding trees by leaps and bounds. The blue moon reflected its sunlight onto the earth, giving an almost surreal feeling. A cold wind blew across the golden grass that surrounded the massive tree, swaying my gray cloak in the breeze as well. Behind the tree was a sheer drop into the ocean where the soft laps of water onto boulders could be heard.

Tonight was the night that my plan would finally reach its end. For the last three years I've been desperately putting the pieces together, racing against time to prove to it that an alternative could be found. Of course, this compromise that I had managed to barely cobble together did not go over well in the elemental nations. The five great kages, along with their respective councils, saw it as a plot to destroy the very thing they held most dear, but it was either this or the even worse alternative...

Sighing, I felt the presence of several chakra signatures approaching from the woods on the opposite side of the golden clearing. At every turn I've been opposed by the combined efforts of the Allied Nations, not that I could blame them. What I was doing, what was going to happen regardless of the outcome tonight, was seen as stripping away their deep rooted traditions and power. I could only hope that everyone would eventually forgive me for this... or at the very least forget.

"I was beginning to wonder if a group would find me before midnight." I said aloud to the newly arrived group, my back still facing them. There was four of them, and they were all from Konoha. "You had me worried."

"Shut your damn mouth you crazed lunatic." One of the females of the group said. Sighing, I turned my body to the four young adults. They were between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. The one that had spoken had black hair and onyx eyes, meaning she held the blood of an old acquaintance of mine. She wore the Uchiha garb that I remember Sarada wearing in her early days. Rie was her name, and she hated me with a burning passion. I don't blame her, after what happened to her family...

"Don't get so fired up Rie. This is him that we're talking about." Another female said with concerned eyes. A member of the Hyuga clan, the clear eyes devoid of any pupils clearly marked her as a part of the famous clan. Wearing clothing that reminded me of... my eyes narrowed when I saw her short hair.

"Let her, Aiya. This bastard deserves all the ridicule that he's shoved onto himself." The third person of the group said with a menacing grin. He had silver hair with turquoise eyes. His name was Koji Hatake and a prodigy in his own right.

"But what about..." Aiya said, looking over to the fourth member of their group. My eyes finally drifted to the last of their group, and I frowned at the sight. A girl, with black hair with blonde highlights on the ends stood off to the side. She had onyx eyes and wore a black sleeveless kunoichi garb. The last of the group, and one of my biggest regrets.

"Hii-ojiisan..." The girl said, her hair shading her eyes as she trembled. Tears nearly came to my eyes as I stared back at my great-granddaughter, but luckily the hood that covered my head shielded this from the group. I knew her name. She was my great-granddaughter, how couldn't I? But seeing her here, now, hurt more than any blade ever could. Her name was Kazue Uzumaki... and I loved her dearly. "Why?"

I didn't have a great answer. I was barred as a traitor to the Hidden Leaf Village, along with every other village, once I came to them with my plan. Hardly anyone was willing to support me, not even my own family. So, I then had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life... and disown my family so they wouldn't be caught with the backlash of my choices over the past three years.

"Because he's crazy, Kazue! You, of all people, should know that!" Rie replied venomously, but Kazue wasn't convinced as she stared me down. Since leaving my family three years prior, Kazue has been the only one trying to bring me back to how I was. To show me the 'correct' path and bring her beloved grandfather home, but this was something that I could not waver on.

"He's not crazy!" Kazue shot back, anger evident in her eyes. "Hii-ojiisan has always had a reason for everything he's done, and that still hasn't changed!" She still thought she could change me, after three years of chasing and fighting me... I'm so sorry Kazue.

"Oh? Has he now? So he had a reason for sitting back and watching as my entire family was killed?!" Rie shouted back, her once onyx eyes morphing into a shape that I haven't seen for many years.

'The Mangekyo Sharingan?' It had six black outreaching points that violently cut to the right at a ninety degree angle at the very ends.

Kazue became quiet as she looked to the ground in sadness. "This isn't the time to be arguing you two." Aiya said, keeping her eyes trained on me as she talked.

"Aiya's right. Naruto is allowing us to argue so we have less time to take him down." Koji said as his hands tightened into fists. I raised an eyebrow at the group as they finally figured it out. All I needed to do was wait until the effects of the seals I placed around the world connected to the tree. After this happens then there will be no stopping it. The only way to stop this process is to either force me to destroy one of the many seals, or kill me. Looking up at the positioning of the moon I would say they didn't have long before they all connected.

"I'm going to kill him and avenge my family. If it's the last thing I do." Rie said before walking towards me, extending a blade out in front of her as she did so.

"You remind me so much of Sasuke, it almost hurts..." I whispered, but her eyes visibly narrowed when I said this.

"Don't you dare speak of him! Not after you've forsaken us!" Rie shouted before sprinting towards me.

"Rie, wait!" Kazue shouted, but the Uchiha was too blinded by her rage to hear my great-granddaughter.

I stared back at Rie's Mangekyo Sharingan with uncaring eyes. I knew what those eyes could do and what abilities they held. Every one of them held something different, an ability that marked them as a unique shinobi. I wonder what hers was?

It was then that I felt a chill run down my spine. I then saw Rie's left eye begin to stress itself, making me frown slightly. 'That's one of your abilities.' Just as I thought this the world around me melted away into a black and white world. The ground was black and the sky a pure white.

"So you have the Tsukuyomi embedded into those eyes of yours." I said, before a blade pierced through the back of my shoulder. Never flinching, I looked behind me as she prepared another blade. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Do not speak to me as if you already knew. I've been preparing for this day ever since I learned you could have stopped my clan's destruction." Rie replied before shoving another blade into my back and out of my stomach.

"I assume that's what the Hokage and the Council has told you?" I replied, making the girl hesitate for a second before continuing her work of sticking blades into me. "I thought so..."

"Would you just shut your mouth and let me- guh!" Rie was broken from her speech as I clasped a hand around her throat and lifted her up into the air.

"Maybe one day you'll learn the truth and throw away your ego, Uchiha." I said before erupting into nothing but smoke. Rie blinked and returned to reality, only to see my body erupt into smoke here as well, but as she neared the smoke of the destroyed Kage Bushin a fist emerged.

"There you are!" The Uchiha exclaimed as she ducked and smashed a quickly formed Chidori into my body. I smiled as the body she connected her lightning jutsu with began to glow.

"So predictable." The clone said before exploding, sending the girl flying backwards towards her teammates. Her smoldering form finally stopped at the center of the field.

"Rie!" Aiya exclaimed before rushing towards her friend. Kazue, along with Koji, appeared between myself and Rie with kunai drawn. As Aiya began healing Rie, a breeze from the nearby ocean blew away the smoke to reveal an unharmed gray cloaked figure standing exactly where he stood before.

"I'll tell you this one final time." I said, my eyes moving to each one of them before continuing. "The Kages and their respective councils are lying to you. I'm not planning to-"

"Shut your mouth." Koji said with a sneer, effectively cutting me off. "We all know you're the one lying to us, to everyone. Do you really think that anyone would believe you? Especially now? After all you've done?"

I sighed and shook my head. When did everyone stop believing in me? When did my word become so meaningless? "I suppose it doesn't matter now. After midnight tonight everything will be over and the world will move on to the next stage of its life."

"Not this again." Aiya said, rolling her eyes. "Like we're going to let you have your way."

"Then come at me. If you truly wish to cling to this world then come at me." I said, lowering my hood as I did so.

"Fine then! Kazue, lets buy Aiya some time to heal Rie!" Koji exclaimed as he dashed towards me. Kazue hesitated for a moment before following her comrade into battle. Koji shot a paper bomb strapped to a kunai at me, but I countered by throwing my own kunai at his, the two collided midair before exploding. I felt their chakra signatures split into two directions from behind the smoke made by the paper bomb. One underneath, and the other to my left.

'So he's using earth style to dig underneath... smart, but they still have much to learn.' I began spinning chakra in my right hand just as Kazue erupted out of the smoke. In her hand was a similar spinning blue ball. She was the one that paid the closest attention to my teachings when I lived in our little compound in Konoha. To be able to use the Rasengan at the age of sixteen without the help of kage bushin is extremely impressive.

"Rasengan!" We both exclaimed, our jutsu colliding at the palms of our hands. Kazue's onyx eyes drilling into my blue ones before the explosion sent us both shooting backwards. Skidding to a halt, I barely had time to catch my bearings when two stone walls protruded up beside me and began shooting towards me at high speeds. On each of the stone slabs was a wall of explosive tags.

"Doton: Suramu Totsuzen!" I heard Koji say, my eyes narrowing as the walls came closer, but just as the walls were about to clamp shut an explosion erupted. Lightning poured out of the hole in the wall and at blinding speeds Koji was smashed in the stomach from a sharp kick, effectively digging him out of the dirt. The silver haired boy was sent rocketing back towards Kazue, who stood wide eyed at the sight. Behind me the two walls erupted into a massive explosion, sending debris every which way.

"Jinton: Borutosāji." I had whispered under my breath. I doubt the others could hear me between the stone walls, but thinking fast, that was one of the less destructive jutsu I could have utilized to get out of the situation.

"H-How did you move so f-fast?" Koji asked, a trail of blood dripping down from the corner of his mouth.

"It's his Jinton kekkai genkai." Kazue said as the silver haired boy stood up while wiping away the blood. "It allows him to combine the lightning and wind elements to make swiftness. With it he is easily one of the fastest shinobi on the planet if he completes the handsigns for the jutsu."

"Kekkai genkai? Then shouldn't you be able to use it too?" Aiya asked from across the field.

"I... no. Natural kekkai genkai are ones that people are born with and are easily able to obtain. Since Hii-ojiisan has lived a very long life, due to the seal, he's been able to master both the wind and lightning elements through training alone. A normal person would never be able to obtain this because of old age, but with Hii-ojiisan..." Kazue explained. 'But even then there still needs to be an affinity for its combination within his blood. What did you do to obtain it? You never spoke of it back then.'

"So how do we counter it? If he's so fast that our eyes can't track, how do we catch him?" Koji asked. Kazue closed her eyes before breathing in sharply.

"Do you remember when you told me about my eyes, Hii-ojiisan?" Kazue asked, making me stare back at her emotionlessly. "You said to never use them unless I absolutely had to and to never fall prey to the same curse as our brother clan." The young woman opened her eyes to reveal crimson red iris's and three black spots circling them. "I've followed your words to the letter. Never using the Sharingan unless I was left no other choice." I began weaving my hands together, using the various forms to push together the lightning and wind chakra. "I'm sorry, Ojji-san."

"Jinton: Buraindosuraisu." I vanished from my place and nearly a second later I was to Kazue's right, but to my surprise she was looking at me with a kunai blocking my own. I blinked in surprise, but carried through with my momentum, pushing her away. Kazue landed several yards away, but she disappeared from my vision when Koji appeared between us breathing in heavily.

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" The torrent of water smashed into me, sending me into the massive tree. That jutsu hurt a little more than what I was expecting, but I shrugged it off and looked at my grandchild and the Hatake. I was surprised that Kazue had managed to block my Jinton jutsu, so surprised that I left myself open to a counter attack. Righting myself, and brushing my cloak off from any water droplets that may have stuck to its surface, I looked at Kazue's sharingan. I shouldn't have been surprised seeing her block it, seeing as how she has now activated those eyes. The ability to track movements, even those that happen within the span of a second, is the hallmark of the sharingan's abilities, but what caught me off guard was how much strength she possessed when our kunai connected. Looks like she does have a bit of the Uzumaki blood in her.

"Where are the others? Surely they'd send more of you to 'stop the end of the world'." I asked as Aiya stood up with Rie.

"The others are still trying to deal with your friends. You know that." Koji spat with a confident grin. He must be feeling good of himself after landing that last jutsu on me. I hope nothing bad happens to them when this is all over.

"Are you finally ready to work with us, Rie?" Kazue asked, her eyes trained on me while she talked.

"If we work together then we can take him down." Aiya said with a nod of her own, her work on healing Rie completed as she did so.

"Hn, fine, but only because we're on a time limit. If there wasn't one then I would eventually win." Rie said.

"Then lets go with Position Delta! If he goes to use a Jinton jutsu then cover for your teammate Rie!" Kazue shouted as she and Koji dashed to my left.

"I know! Lets go Aiya!" Rie shouted before running to my right with the Hyuga.

'So they are keeping a Sharingan user with both of their teammates to predict my movements if I use a Jinton jutsu. Smart. Looks like I'm going to have to change my fighting style.' I grinned as chakra began spinning in my hand. "Fūton: Rasenshuriken." I then looked to Rie and Aiyo before slinging the spinning ball of death towards them. The jutsu was flying towards its intended target before the other pair was upon me.

Backpedaling, two kunai embedded themselves into the grass where I once stood. Koji landed above the kunai and swiftly sent one of the two embedded kunai towards me once again. I produced a kunai of my own from inside my cloak and blocked the projectile just as the explosion erupted from my Rasenshuriken. Undaunted by the explosion, Kazue grabbed the kunai that was in the air from being blocked by my own weapon and swung it down towards me, but her eyes widened when my kunai sliced through hers. Just as my wind enhanced kunai was about to touch Kazue my cloak began to burn from black flames, making me stutter my attack. Using this opportunity, Kazue slammed her foot into my chest and kicked me away. I stumbled backwards and looked over at where Rie and Aiya had once stood. Covered in a dark green chakra that resembled a skeleton, stood Rie and Aiya.

Quickly pulling off my cloak I tossed it to the side to reveal black clothes that vaguely resembled what the ANBU wore. My eyes narrowed as a droplet of blood spilled from Rie's right eye. 'So she can also use Amaterasu and the Susanoo. Her hate for me must burn deeply.' Rie then began straining her right eye once more.

"Your Amaterasu won't work a second time." I said before dashing to the side. Black flames exploded behind me and followed me as I circled around the Uchiha. The black flames stopped as Rie fell to her knees grabbing her right eye. Grasping the opportunity, I dashed towards the downed Uchiha, but Aiya jumped in between us.

"I've got you now! Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!" Aiya shouted, her body dipping low as I neared. My eyes widened as the first two gentle fists pierced my left arm and shoulder. Gritting in pain, four more pierced my left shoulder and chest before I grabbed Aiya's throat with my right hand. Her assault immediately stopped as her hands clamped onto my arm. The pupiless eyes with veins pulsating around them stared back in shock.

"Surprised that I managed to retaliate so quickly? Expect the unexpected little Hyuga." I said, venom laced in my voice as I said her last name. Throwing her away, Aiya slammed into Rie and the two collapsed to the ground. 'I can't move my left arm. Looks like I'll have to make do until my chakra pathways reconnect.'

"Naruto..." I looked over to Aiya who was slowly standing up. "What happened to your wife..." My eyes narrowed at the mention of the person in question. "You can't keep hating the Hyuga's because of her death. It wasn't our fault that Yu-"

"Shut your mouth Hyuga. I know how my wife was killed. Not everyone in your clan are as righteous as you want to believe." I replied, my eyes cold and narrow. I had long given up on trying to root out the corruption within the Hyuga clan. Taking a step towards the two downed shinobi, my senses quickly picked up someone coming towards my right.

"Rasengan!" My eyes landed onto the swirling ball of blue chakra, my own Rasengan forming in my functioning hand, but spinning in the opposite direction as hers.

"You still have much to learn, Kazue!" I shouted as we slammed Rasengan against one another once more, but this time it had the opposite effect than what she was expecting. The two swirling balls of death evaporated as soon as they touched each other. Surprise evident in her eyes, she was unable to block my kick to her stomach sending her backwards. Before I was able to follow up my attack a rock spike erupted from the ground, making me jump to the side where a very angry Koji waited.

"You're mine traitor!" Koji exclaimed as he sent a punch towards my head, which I nimbly dodged. Sweeping one of my legs across the ground, Koji jumped up into the air and jabbed a kunai down towards my exposed leg. I quickly threw a kunai towards Koji's, making the trajectory of his kunai shove into the dirt just before my sweeping kick. Carrying through with my momentum, my leg swiped his hand away from the kunai that was now embedded into the dirt. Koji jumped backwards just as Kazue appeared to my left with Rie's sword drawn behind her.

Leaping forward I grabbed onto the kunai that was stuck into the ground and slammed it into the blade that was now bearing down onto me. "Hakke Kūshō!" An invisible crushing force smashed into my side, sending me flying across the field until finally my back hit the massive tree on the edge of the cliff. This tree keeps saving me from falling over the edge. I suppose I should be somewhat thankful...

"Thanks Aiya. He was beginning to overpower me." Kazue said. "Is Rie okay?"

"She used her Mangekyo Sharingan too much and passed out from chakra exhaustion and the strain. She's still not used to using the Mangekyo Sharingan." Aiya said as she moved next to Kazue.

"How about you? That last kick looked pretty nasty." Koji said as he positioned himself on the other side of Kazue.

"It hurts, but I'll be fine. I've taken worse hits before." Kazue replied as she rubbed her stomach.

Standing was hard, but I needed to live until the sealing process was complete. "Let me lend you my aid." A voice in my head said softly. My eyes widened at the sound of the voice, but before I could respond two tree limbs wrapped themselves around my head.

"You should be concentrating on the seal, not lending me your aid." I responded within my mind.

"If you die then everything you've strived to accomplish will be for nothing." The voice said as chakra pushed itself into my eyes. "And if you die then I will return to my original plan. I don't think you would want that, now do you?"

I growled at the comment. The entire reason why I was going through this in the first place was because I wanted to avoid its original plan. "Fine, if you insist. What are you giving me?"

"You already know the answer to that question." The voice responded, more chakra pouring into my eyes. It felt like somebody was pouring lava into my eyes. "But I'll only have time to transfer a single path and a single ability to you. What is it you desire?" Thinking it over, I grinned at the applications this could provide.

"What in the world is the tree doing?" Koji asked, a chill running down their spines. Aiya's eyes picked up that chakra was entering their enemy's eyes at a quick rate.

"I'm not sure, but there's a large amount of chakra going into Naruto's eyes." Aiya commented. Kazue's eyes narrowed before she readied her sword.

"Well whatever it's doing we can't let it complete its task. Lets go!" Kazue exclaimed, dashing towards the tree. She was quickly upon me, the sword in her hand moving to pierce my chest. Just as it was about to press against my body, the blade stopped. As if it hit an invisible wall. A split second later and Kazue found herself flying backwards towards her teammates in shock.

"Just note that you will return this power to me. Do you understand? If you fail to do so then..." The voice said with a threatening tone.

"I understand, but this helps more than you ever know." I replied as the tree limbs slowly unraveled from my head. I looked over to the three with cold and uncaring eyes. "Now there's you three."

"T-That's i-impossib-ble." Koji said, his eyes completely wide at what he saw.

"How c-can someone o-obtain that?" Aiya asked, her hands beginning to tremble. Kazue's eyes were also wide in complete shock as the sword nearly fell from her hands. In the eyes of their opponent was the feared Rinne Sharingan.

"Did the tree give you those eyes, Hii-ojiisan?" Kazue asked as they stared at the crimson eyes. There's no other way someone can just get those eyes over the course of a few minutes, let alone at all. In the past only two people have ever obtained that eye and that was Madara Uchiha, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Even then they only had one on their forehead! It had to be the Divine Tree's doing.

"Isn't it obvious? The tree want's exactly what I want." I lied. The Divine Tree didn't actually care if I win or lose, but if my plan worked then it was a lot less of a hassle for it in the future. "Now come. Let me see what these eyes are capable of." Lifting my hand, I pointed my palm towards Aiya, and soon after the Hyuga began feeling the pull of gravity.

"H-Help!" Aiya shouted as the pull became stronger, but before the others could reach her, Aiya was flying in the air towards me.

"Aiya! Damn it come on Koji!" Kazue exclaimed as they quickly chased after their friend, but they were too slow. Aiya's neck slammed into my hand and before she could retaliate I smashed her into the ground. With her breath knocked out of her, I proceeded to kick her in the side. Sending her tumbling a some meters away in a crumbled mess.

"If this is the best Konoha could muster then you will surely lose." I replied, my eyes returning to the two charging shinobi.

"You're going to pay for that! Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" Koji shouted as a water dragon erupted from his mouth and was soon flying towards me. I stared on with uncaring eyes as the dragon smashed against the invisible wall that was the Shinra Tensei. Unable to see past the water, Kazue burst through the water with a Rasengan pointed at my face, but to her surprise Kazue's wrist was soon enveloped by my hand. Shoving the Resengan up into the air, the swirling ball of chakra dissipated into the air above us.

"Hii-ojiisan..." Kazue said as she stared into my eyes. We were nearly face to face and she could fully see my new eyes. The water from the jutsu began raining down onto us as we stared at one another. "Why are you doing this? Don't you remember all the times we spent together? All the times you spent with my parents? What happened?"

I didn't reply. I had no answer to her questions because there was nothing more to say. Trying to convince them now was futile, even if I wanted to. It would only do more harm than good. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she felt gravity begin pushing her away. This would be my answer. To push her away from me and allow her to find comfort in the lies of the kages.

Kazue's sword flew out of her hand as she was slung backwards, allowing me to catch it in midair before it fell to the ground. It was a simple design, much like Sasuke's was back in the day. "Take this you piece of-!" Koji shouted as he appeared next to me, but my sword was already flying towards him. Shocked by my swiftness, he brought up his kunai to defend, but my wind empowered sword sliced straight through his kunai. Still, the momentum of my attack pushed him away, but not without a deep slice embedding itself into his chest. Crimson blood sprayed from his wound as he crashed near a slowly standing Aiya.

"The gap in power between us is clearly visible. Do you honestly believe that you four can defeat me?" I asked as I began walking to my right. The other three were all breathing heavily as they watched me walk, all trying to catch their breaths before they tried again. "Or are you trying to wear me down before reinforcements arrive? If that's the plan then your 'reinforcements' vastly underestimate my teammates abilities."

"And you vastly underestimate us, Hii-ojiisan." Kazue replied, rubbing the arm she had landed on from being pushed away.

"Is that so? Then what will you do to stop me from killing a teammate?" I asked as I stopped my initial walk. Her eyes then traveled downward, but widened as she realized who I was standing over. To my right was the unconscious figure of Rie.

"O-Ojii...san?" Kazue questioned. Aiya was doing her best healing Koji, but they were still conscious and watching what was transpiring.

"The last three years have not treated me kindly, Kazue. I've had to do some things I'm not very proud of to complete my objectives." I said with a cold tone. Reversing the blade in my hand so I was holding it in a reverse grip, I held it above the unconscious Uchiha, ready to strike. "The killing of innocent shinobi is only one of them."

"But you would have never-!" Kazue exclaimed.

"You are a strong kunoichi, Kazue. Probably one of the strongest in the village, but the actions of myself and my group have largely been classified as to not incite panic amongst the people." I strengthened my grip on the blade being held above Rie. "Let this be an example of how serious I truly am."

"NO!" Kazue shouted at the top of her lungs, but there was nothing she could do. My eyes remained on my great-granddaughter as I brought the blade down onto Rie. The Uchiha's eyes quickly opened as the blade pierced her lower abdomen. She opened her mouth as if to scream, but nothing came from her mouth. Her onyx eyes looked up at me in shock, and after another second I looked down to her as well.

"If this was your plan for revenge then you had a long way to go, Uchiha." I said as her eyelids began to grow heavier by the second. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was the red Rinne Sharingan staring back.

"You bastard..." An ominous aura blanketed over the clearing as I returned my attention to my great-granddaughter.

"You and Rie must have been close if you unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan by witnessing her death." I stated as a thick white aura blanketed Kazue. In her eyes was a pinwheel with five curves pointing outwards. Inside the black pins was a red three pointed shuriken with a black dot at the center.

"I'll make you pay for that!" Kazue shouted, a skeleton appearing in her aura as her anger began to heighten. A wind began to swirl around her, blowing against me and making me squint my eyes ever so slightly.

"Kazue wait!" Aiya shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears as Kazue shot towards me. Sighing, I waited until she was right in front of me with one of her skeleton fists aimed at my head before I activated my jutsu.

"Shinra Tensei." The effect was instantaneous as Kazue was sent backwards, but she landed like a fine kunoichi and prepared for another attack. "You're forgetting the information on the Deva Path, Kazue. Running in blind will not do anything for you." My comment only served to anger my great-granddaughter further. 'No self-control. And here I thought you had grown up over the last few years. Must be the Uchiha blood in you...' Grabbing onto the sword still embedded into Rie, I yanked it out and swiped the dripping blood away. "Lets have this be a little training session, shall we?"

"What are you talking about?" Koji asked as he stood up beside Aiya.

"The Deva Path, when was it that we learned its true weakness?" I asked as I slowly paced towards Kazue, her white Susanoo transforming into a cloaked creature.

"What does that matter, traitor?!" Koji exclaimed in anger.

"During Pain's attack on Konoha." Aiya said, trying her best to control her anger while also ignoring her comrade's outburst.

"Very good, and I'm sure that you've noticed at a few points during this fight that I was forced to dodge or block a few of your attacks after I received these eyes, correct?" I asked, but Kazue couldn't take it anymore and charged towards me once again. And, just as before, she was repulsed just before making it to me. This time she smashed into a few trees that lined the edge of clearing. "Are you even listening to me, Kazue?"

"Shut your damn mouth you piece of-!" Kazue shouted, but was cut short of her outburst when a hand clasped around her throat and Rie's sword piercing her thigh. She stared at me with wide eyes as I now stood within her Susanoo with my hand around her throat, but it could be clearly seen that the pain of being stabbed was affecting her. "H-How did you...?"

"Revenge will be the end of you, Mago. If you let anger consume you then you'll end up just like your friend, while also hurting those still with you." I stated as my hand became even tighter. Kazue's eyes glanced over at Koji and Aiya, who stared back with worry reflected in their eyes. Seeing her eyes soften, I released my vice grip from around her throat and, with one swift action, yanked the blade out of her thigh and kicked her towards Koji and Aiya, Kazue's white Susanoo disappearing as she flew towards them. Her two remaining friends catching her before she hit the ground. "If you run in alone like Rie then you'll end up just like she has, but I suppose it's too late now..."

'What is he talking about? We still have plenty of-.' Kazue thought, but just as the thought ran through her mind her grandfather melted into the ground.

"A Mizu Bunshin? He knows Suiton jutsu?" Koji asked.

"No, that wasn't a Suiton jutsu. It was..." Aiya began to say.

"Genjutsu." Kazue finished, her Mangekyo eyes widening as she stared at the place where their enemy had been standing.

"But can't you detect, and break, any genjutsu with your Sharingan?" Koji asked.

"That's what I thought too." Kazue said before a gasp could be heard from behind them. Quickly turning, Koji and Kazue eyes widened in horror at what they saw. A blade could be seen sticking through the chest of Aiya. Her pupiless eyes held shock as she slowly looked down at bloodied blade sticking through her. Just as the others began registering what had happened, I slowly materialized behind the Hyuga with my hand on the blade.

"A-Aiya...?" Kazue said, her eyes wide as I peered over the Hyuga's shoulder with cold, dead eyes. The Rinne Sharingan glowing bright red while the tomoe spun wildly.

"Don't hesitate, Mago. Or..." I said from behind Aiya's dying body.

"You'll lose another friend." I said from behind the shocked pair. Kazue didn't even have time to turn her head before Koji's own head fell to the golden grass, separated from his body. Not a moment later blood shot from his neck like a fountain, some spraying onto the grass below, and some onto her horrified face.

Sliding the blade out of Aiya's chest, I stood up and stepped over the now dead Hyuga. "T-This has to be a genjutsu. There's no other way." Kazue said to herself as she stared at the blood soaked ground, her arms hanging at her sides while on her knees.

"Then why hasn't your precious Sharingan picked up on it then?" The me standing behind her asked.

"..." Kazue racked her brain for an answer, but nothing came to mind.

"It's because it's real, Mago." I said before stopping in front of her.

"No... it can't be real. You would never-."

"Kill someone?" I asked. "I don't take joy in the killing of others, but I'll do it if it's to complete my objective."

"I don't believe it. After trying to convince you to stop everything you've been doing for such a long time." Kazue said as my hand grasped her collar before proceeding to lift her up until she was level with my eyes. "I guess you really are gone." I didn't respond as I lifted the bloodied blade up and pointed it at her neck. "I'm sorry Ojji-san, but I think it's finally time." Just as the words left her mouth the world around us began to distort and change. Like someone had dropped food coloring into a glass of water, the world in front of Kazue continued to change color. And then, all at once, the world exploded in a grand explosion of water. Inhaling a deep breath of fresh air, Kazue slowly opened her eyes to the bright moon above. Leaning up her body, Kazue looked around to see Aiya and Koji still knocked out from the genjutsu over to her right.

"How did you break my genjutsu...?" A voice asked, making Kazue turn towards its source. Now on my knees, I stared back at my great-granddaughter in surprise, but my eyes were twitching in pain. "Nobody has ever broken the Jimoto Tsukuyomi. It should have been impossible. Gah!" I quickly pressed my hands against my eyes as the pain only intensified. 'Is this the backlash from someone breaking out of the genjutsu? This pain is unbelievable!'

"Hii-ojiisan..." Kazue said, a depressed tone to her voice. 'He must have cast the genjutsu on us after he stabbed Rie while also regaining the motor functions in his other arm around that time as well. Did breaking that genjutsu really hurt him that much?' Looking at my great-granddaughter I could see her walking towards me at a steady pace, but I could clearly see that she was exhausted as well. The genjutsu must have taken a lot out of her. Then the pain erupted again at the core of my eyes, making my vision blur.

"I won't lose. Not now. Not after I've come so far!" I then pointed one of my palms at Kazue while pressing the other into one of my pain stricken eyes. "Shinra Tensei!" The effect was immediate, but it wasn't nearly as powerful as I would have liked. Kazue was pushed backwards, but she never lost her footing and began marching towards me once more. I grinded my teeth together in annoyance as I pulled more chakra to prepare another gravity enforced push, but a whisper entered my ear as I began to do so.

"Anymore and you'll lose the connection between the other seals. Are you sure that's what you wish to happen?" The voice asked, making me growl in annoyance. "And it would seem you're nearly out of spare chakra. Can you really win?"

Breathing in heavily, I began to shakily stand, but the weight of my pain only intensified as I did so. The Shinra Tensei is only as strong as the amount of chakra put into it. With most of my chakra put into the final seal before the battle, and the massive amount of chakra required to cast the Jimoto Tsukuyomi, there was little that I can do now.

"I'll be the one to take you down, Naruto, and stop this crazy plan of yours!" Kazue exclaimed before dashing towards me. My blurred eyes was barely able to read her movements as I jumped to my left just as a resengan smashed the earth where I once stood. Lifting up my arms to cover my head in a cross formation, I soon found Kazue's foot kicking my away. Skidding across the ground, I finally stopped just short of the massive tree.

"I guess... I can't win." I said softly, breathing in as another ripple of pain shot through eyes and down into the rest of my body. I sat back against the tree and looked up into its leaves. A frigid breeze swept through the clearing as the distinct sound of a swiping sword came to my ears. Looking down, my blurred vision focused in on Kazue as she walked towards me with the bloodied sword that was once stuck in Rie. "After all I tried to do. It looks like I'll die a traitor to the village I once served."

"What you're trying to do is kill millions of people, Hii-ojiisan. Can't you see that?" Kazue asked as her slow pace stopped just before me. I chuckled weakly at her words.

"You know I would never do that, Mago." I replied, my eyes closed as I propped my head against the bark of the tree.

"Then what are you trying to do?! Why won't you tell me the truth?" Kazue exclaimed.

I smiled while shaking my head. 'Because if I told you the truth, you'd believed me. Then you would turn your hatred onto someone else. The kages will almost certainly keep their mouths shut on the truth of my plan... when did the position of kage become so watered down?' "It's best that it dies with me."

"But Hii-ojiisan..." Kazue said, tears nearly coming to her eyes as her grip tightened around the sword in her hand.

"The only way to stop the seals from connecting is to kill me." I said, finally opening my eyes. It was only then that the weight of the situation finally dawned on Kazue. What she had been trying to do all this time, her mission, the very reason she came here, was to kill her great-grandfather. And it was now that Kazue Uzumaki hesitated. Memories of the time we had spent together flashed before her as the sword in her hand began to tremble in her grasp. "Even after everything I've done. The pain and heartache I've put you through, you still can't do it." She slowly shook her head as tears freely slid down her cheeks. Smiling, I lifted my hand and pointed my palm towards her sword. "You were always such a kind girl, Kazue. Never lose that." The sword in Kazue's hand began to be pulled towards my chest as my arm fell to my side.

"No! Please don't make me do this!" Kazue exclaimed as she tried pulling the sword away, but the tug from my Shinra Tensei was too strong. "Please! Hii-ojiisan!"

"Take care of the family, Kazue. I love you." I whispered as the sword plunged into my heart, Kazue's trembling hands still holding on.

"Naruto!" Kazue shouted as she tried to yank the sword out of the lifeless body of her great-grandfather, but all the strength that she thought she had left her when the blade was plunged into my chest.

"Huh... what happened?" Aiya muttered, the genjutsu lifting from the two with its caster dying. Looking over at Koji, Aiya blinked a few times before her eyes traveled to Kazue. "Kazue!" Quickly standing, the Hyuga made her way over to her friend only to see her desperately trying to remove the sword from her great-grandfather. "Kazue..."

"You've got to help me, Aiya! Maybe we can still save him!" Kazue exclaimed frantically, but Aiya was only staring at her with hurt in her eyes.

"Kazue... I'm sorry, but he's-."

"Shut up!" Kazue shouted, looking at Aiya with her Mangekyo Sharingan blazing, but the impact that those eyes held were diminished by the fountain of tears streaming down her cheeks. "Just... please help me. Please..."

Aiya frowned, but walked over to help her friend anyway. Out of the corner of her eye Aiya caught movement and proceeded to grab onto Kazue and yank her backwards with her. "Watch out!" The two fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"What are you doing?!" Kazue exclaimed, but her anger quickly subsided when she saw limbs from the tree slowly wrapping themselves around the body of her great-grandfather. "Is it... protecting him?" Activating her Byakugan, Aiya traced the flow of chakra with her eyes.

"The Tree of Life and Naruto are melding together into one." Aiya said.

"..." Kazue didn't respond as she watched her grandfather completely disappear into the leaves above, the sword being discarded on the way up. A loud coughing noise erupted behind them. Coming from the direction of... "Rie!" The two quickly made their way over to their previously thought dead teammate. "Can you heal her?"

"I'll do the best I can, but we need to get her to someone more qualified as soon as possible. The stab is deep and there's a lot of blood. I can only subside the bleeding for so long!" Aiya said as her hands began to glow green around the stab wound.

"Good, I'll go wake up Koji. Get ready to move!" Kazue shouted as she ran over to her still unconscious teammate. "Wake up you retard!" A foot soon found its way to his thigh, jolting the shinobi awake.

"Huh? What happened?" Koji asked as he looked around.

"Later! We need to get Rie to a medical team as soon as possible!" Kazue exclaimed as she ran back over to their other two teammates. Sensing the urgency, Koji quickly made his way over and picked up Rie while Aiya was doing her best healing her while on his back.

"Everything is ready. Lets get moving!" Koji shouted before running into the forest with Aiya at his side. Kazue dashed after them, but stopped at the edge of the clearing. She stayed like this for a moment, her back facing the Divine Tree before turning around fully. Tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall. Kazue then bowed deeply to the empty clearing.

"Thank you for all the happy memories you've given me, Hii-ojiisan!" Kazue shouted at the top of her lungs. A feint breeze blowing through the clearing as the words left her mouth. "And... if you can hear me. I love you too!"

And then she disappeared into the forest. A few minutes went by as the clearing remained quiet.

"Are you sure this is the path you wish to take?" A voice asked. The world began to distort and morph until fully cracking away into a world that looked just like the last except a man stood at the base of the tree staring at where the four shinobi had just left. Tears were freely falling down his cheeks as the red Rinne Sharingan morphed back into a pair of ocean blue eyes.

"It's for the best." I replied, but my answer wasn't very sincere.

"If you say so." The voice stated just as the seals connected. "You have returned my power and the contract has been completed. Good luck with your future, Uzumaki Naruto."

I remained standing in the clearing as the connection between us was severed. What was I to do now? Everyone thought I was dead and the world branded me a traitor. But even so...

I needed to live. Even if I had to live alone and away from the peering gaze of the world, I had to live until I was needed again.

No matter how long it took.

XxXxX

"So what exactly were you planning that took three years to complete?" Isoefka asked as we floated above the golden field from which we had the perfect vantage point to observe the battle. "I'm sure that whatever you were planning wasn't going to kill everyone like that silver haired boy accused you of."

"I'm not sure what exactly I did over the last three years, but I do know this is the day that I began taking away everyone's ability to form jutsu."

"Explain."

"I made a deal with the Divine Tree to return most of the chakra that had been stolen from it so long ago, and in return said tree wouldn't take it back forcefully like it had planned before I talked to it."

"How did you accomplish this?"

"By placing a series of elaborate seals across the globe so that it would slowly drain everyone's chakra and return it to the tree." I commented as I landed near the base of the tree. "This process would take hundreds of years to complete, mind you, as the people would never notice that their chakra reserves would be gradually growing smaller with each generation until only the necessary amount of chakra to live remained. Excluding me of course."

"And you believed that this was the best course of action?" Isoefka questioned as he soon landed next to me while writing into his notepad.

"Possibly. I didn't want to fight the Divine Tree as it only wanted what was stolen from it, but I was also looking further into the future apparently." I replied as the images of my mindset continued to flow into my head. "It's hard to completely understand what I was thinking, but I think that I believed that if this future threat didn't have access to jutsu then I would have the upper hand."

"So you were thinking long term?"

"Very long term if I had to guess."

"Hmm..." Isoefka looked up at the massive tree in front of us with his single eye reflecting curiosity. "Is this tree still alive?"

"Probably."

Isoefka sighed as he shook his head before turning towards the golden field behind us. "Then I suppose we should return then."

"...?" Knowing what I was thinking just by my disposition, Isoefka decided to explain.

"This is as far as we can go before your memories become too distorted. What happens next will remain a mystery to time."

"I see."

"There are more instances where you changed the world beyond this point, for better or for worse. I'm curious as to what you did, but I must thank you for your help in showing me how you alone ushered humanity into at least two new ages. An impressive feat that I believe nobody else has been able to do." Isoefka nodded his head in recognition. "This will be logged into the history of our world and preserved in my archives. Again, thank you for your compliance." I nodded my head as the world around us began to melt once again. "I hope we may meet again and you can further indulge me in your adventures through time."

"You know that isn't very likely." Isoefka softly chuckled at my words.

"Very true, very true, but I wish you all the best in fixing your mistake." My eyebrows furrowed at his words before the world around us melted away completely.

XxXxX

"...uto!" I heard someone's voice as my senses began to return to me. Was that Annie? "Naruto!" Slowly leaning up onto one of my arms, my eyes slowly adjusted to the room.

"Ouch..." I said as a dull thud banged at the front of my skull. So that's what's it's like to be sucked into a seal.

"Are you okay?" My eyes turned to see the concerned face of my companion.

"Yeah. Just had a little chat is all." I responded as Annie helped me to my feet.

"A little chat? What happened to you? The moment we walked in here four purple chains shot out of those pillars and connected with your head. You've been out for like ten minutes." Annie explained as she tried to compose herself, but there was still concern in her voice and eyes.

"My mind was connected to a seal. Inside the seal a creature wanted to talk. After explaining a few things it decided to let me go, and..." The door on the other side of the room slowly creaked open to another hallway. "It decided to let us through."

"It's just going to let us through? No strings attached?" Annie asked, clearly not trusting Isoefka's intentions.

"That's right."

"I don't buy it."

"Good." I said as I walked towards the door with Annie supporting me. "Then it's on you if anything sneaks up on us."

"Jerk..." I chuckled as we slipped out of the room and deeper into the catacombs.

XxXxX

I slammed my hooks into a massive wolf made out of the skin of a titan before drawing a deep breath. These hallways and corridors, tunnels and arenas, all held something horrifically different. Titans that have been morphed into animals, or other things that made them more efficient at hunting and killing humans. "The deeper we go, the more deadly these things become." Annie removed herself from her titan shell and approached the decaying titan that sat in front of me. The thing was massive, larger than nearly any titan I've seen before. Well... minus the colossus titan of course.

"It's like they were made for this very purpose. To kill anything that came into this room." Annie commented as she looked around the arena. Dead trees and bushes covered the room, allowing the now dead wolf titan to hide amongst the brush and attack where it deemed safe. "Are you sure this information is down here?"

"No, I don't, but that's why we're here. To see if it is." I replied as I removed my hooks from the dead creature. Hopefully these things weren't made to keep something in, rather than the other way around.

"And if it's not?" Annie asked.

"Then we will leave empty handed." Annie did not look too enthused by my answer, but what else could I say? I knew something pertaining to me is down here, but what it was remains a mystery.

"Lets just hope that there aren't many of these things left." Annie said as we walked towards a pair of massive double doors on the other side of the room. "I want to see the sun again." I could tell that this place was wearing her down both physically and mentally. Nobody, not even Annie, should have to witness some of the horrors that we've seen down here. I'm just glad I had someone to keep my head on straight outside of Kurama...

"Well this big door looks promising." I said as we approached the door, but a massive lock sat at its center. The old door had several engravings etched into its side, none of which was recognizable after such a long time of wear and tear.

"It is much larger than the other doors we've previously come through, but there's a lock on it. How are we supposed to-." Annie began to ask, but when I touched the door a loud audible click resounded throughout the room. The massive metal object creaked until violently falling to the ground, making me jump backwards as to not get hit. "Oh..."

I furrowed a brow at how easy it was to open, but shook my head at this train of thought. Everything down here, the creatures, even the plants themselves, seemed to react to me in some way so why wouldn't this? "Ready?"

"I've come this far. Why stop now?" Annie questioned with a grin. Nodding my head, we pushed against the massive double doors making them slowly open. The hinges groaned against being opened after such a long time of being closed. Dust and dirt fell from the various cracks that riddled the massive door as we kept pushing. I was tired of this place. Tired of the constant fighting and killing of these creatures. Like Annie, I wanted to see the surface again and breathe in its fresh air.

Finally shoving the doors open, we were once again faced with another massive arena that was larger than the one we were just in except there was a noticeable absence of foliage littering the room. It was a circular shaped room with six massive pillars built into the walls. A blue hue softly radiated from the cracks that ran up its side. Glowing red roots hung from the ceiling above with a single large root falling to the center of the room. Lanterns hung from the stone walls, giving light to an otherwise dark room. My eyes finally landed at the base of the root system were a large dark figure sat on the ground, his back against the massive root system behind him. This entire place... it reeked of... me?

Taking several steps into the room, Annie cautiously followed me as I approached the large dark human looking figure. He wore a rusted silver knight set with a helmet that covered his head and face from view. Once fully inside the arena, the doors swiftly slammed shut behind us.

The being slowly stood fully from his sitting position against the large root system, dust and debris falling from his body as we took in just how large this man was. Standing at nearly fourteen meters tall he looked to be the size of Annie's titan form. Between the slit in his helmet two glowing red eyes appeared looking at us in anticipation. The massive creature bent down and stuck his gauntlet covered hand into the ground before pulling upwards. A sword, fit to his size and stature, was pulled from the ground.

"Is he...?" Annie whispered into my ear.

"I don't know, but like everything else down here prepare for the worst." I responded in an equally hushed tone. We moved slowly into the arena, awaiting any response from the titan, but his eyes remained fixated on me. "Who are you?"

He never responded. Like everything down here, they would simply attack us without rhyme or reason. Releasing a loud bellow, the titan dashed towards us, the crimson root attached to his back being torn off in the process of his reckless charge. Annie and I separately jumped away from the creature, but as he slid by us he aimed his sword at me. The massive piece of metal ripped up the ground, sending chunks of cobble and dirt flying up into the air just as my hooks blocked the attack. Still, the momentum sent me flying backwards until I came to a skidding stop on the other end of the arena. This creature was much faster than any titan that I've come across. Even faster than the hybrids such as Annie and Eren...

Looking to the side, I saw Annie connecting cables to a crevasse in his armor before shooting around to find a better angle in which to attack, but the creature seemed to be aware of this and thrusted his sword towards her. Annie's eyes widened in shock at how fast the creature was moving and positioned herself pointing upwards before using some gas to dodge the attack. The sword barely missed her, but then a metal gauntlet smashed into her side. Sending her shooting off into one of the blue glowing pillars.

"Annie!" I shouted in worry, but this only made the creature turn his attention towards me instead. Not having any time to worry about my wounded companion, I jumped to the side just as he brought down his sword onto the ground where I once stood. Growling, I began forming hand signs as he removed his sword from the indention he had made in the ground. "Katon: Gouryuuka no Jutsu!" Breathing in, I released seven dragon headed fire balls towards the creature. The creature sliced through the first fireball, but then raised his arm as he took the remaining six directly. The smoke soon cleared to reveal a slightly charred set of armor.

Bellowing in anger, his red glowing eyes only intensified as he dashed towards me once more. Jumping up into the air just as the sword nearly took my head off, I brought my hooks down upon the creature, but just as I was about to make contact he grabbed onto me with his free hand. Not giving me time to think, the creature threw me as hard as he could across the arena. I rolled across the ground before finally coming to a stop near one of the walls.

'This titan is fast...' I thought as I stood up and began shaking the sore feeling from my body. 'Much faster than anything I've fought in a very long time. How can a titan like this even exist?' The armored creature began slowly walking towards me, his eyes fixated on me. 'Looks like I'll have to get serious.' Just as I thought this the massive creature leapt into the air with his sword aimed towards me. A blue glowing ball then appeared in my left hand, making my hood blow about and the wind around me swirl at its power. "Rasengan!" I shouted as I jumped up to meet him.

XxXxX

"So this is where you've been hiding all this time." A voice said, making the blonde hybrid stir from her forced slumber.

"Ouch... my head..." Annie said as she slowly stood, but then memories of what happened in the dungeon came rushing back. Quickly standing, Annie brandished her swords, but then she realized that she was no longer within the confines of the arena. Surrounding her was a thick black mist that blocked her vision. "Where...?"

"After all this time." Annie looked behind her, but nothing was there. Feeling uneasy about the situation, Annie slowly began walking through the mist, but then something dashed by. Jumping backwards, she held her swords up in a defensive position. "You are a fickle one, aren't you?"

"Who are you?" Annie asked, still in her defensive posture.

"Such a strange question, but I cannot blame you for the situation that was thrust upon you." The voice responded from behind her. "Taken from your home, you were made to believe that humans were the barer of all evil." Looking behind herself, a set of eyes appeared before disappearing within the mist once more. "But in reality you were made a pawn. A weapon to be used and discarded when you became obsolete."

"And what do you know? Who are you?!" She was beginning to become annoyed at how this thing spoke to her.

"Well that's an easy question to answer." Something then appeared in front of her, but what came nearly made Annie fall over. "I'm you."

"...?!" Annie was currently looking back at a younger version of herself. Shorter, long hair, happier... "But... how...?"

"You can't remember, can you? What happened when you were born into this world." The younger version of herself asked, a frown gracing her features.

"I thought I did, but then someone asked if my past was true or just some images that were shoved into my head." Annie lowered her weapons as the memories of her youth remained vacant. As if they were blocked specifically so she was unable to recall anything.

"Someone asked you about your past?" Annie nodded her head at the question. "Who was it?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." The younger version of herself frowned at the name.

"He asked you of your past?"

"Naruto made me realize that something was wrong, fabricated even. He made me question whether my mission to break down these walls and capture Eren Yeager was truly what I wanted." Annie looked up into the air with a slight smile adorning her features. "In a way he's letting me make my own decisions."

"Is that why you're following him down into this place?"

"It's because I chose to be here. Not because he's forcing me, and..." Annie then frowned as she remembered the dead expression on her companions face. "Naruto's more like me than I realized."

"...?"

"He can't remember some of his past as well. As if he was forced to forget who he was, but I think he's older than we think he is."

"I see..." The younger version said as she looked to the ground, but then she smiled. "As long as you are following your own path, and not one forced upon you, then there's no need for me to be here." She turned and began walking back into the black mist.

"But wait! Who are you really?!"

"Maybe another time. When you finish the path you are on now. Until then good luck." The younger Annie said before disappearing into the mist. Annie went to give chase, but then her body began to fade until she was no more.

XxXxX

Do you remember the days of old? The days that went by when we knew who was bad, and who was good? When dark and light could be easily split from one another? There was no murky gray area, at least in our mind. We would always rush into a problem without thinking of a plan ahead of time, but as time passed we began to lose that sense of blind justice. That feeling of devotion to everything that was good. We became the very thing that we thought we'd never become. We became...

Gray.

Growling as I slid away from the massive creature, I straightened my back as the blue steam dissipated from my hand. The creature moaned as he too stood from his kneeling position. That was the fifth Rasengan that I've smashed into his body, and it has again and again withstood the attack. Fire, lightning, wind, every Rasengan he took it looked like it did minimal damage. It was like his body could repel most of my chakra based attacks. Still, it looked like the damage that I have done was still having a lasting effect.

Shouting once more, the creature charged towards me with his sword ready for battle. "Why don't you just die?!" Quickly running through some hand signs, lightning began arching over my arms and wind flowed around me. "Jinton: Borutosāji!" Disappearing from where I once stood, lighting spears began smashing into the creature from all angles making him shudder at the explosiveness of the attack. Reappearing nearby, I watched as he began falling to his knees as smoke drifted from his body, but just as he was about to fully fall to the ground he caught himself with a firm foot. Shooting forward, he swung his massive sword at me as to catch me off guard. Without having time to think I brought my hooks up and blocked the attack, but the sword still shot me across the arena and in front of the massive root system that hung from the ceiling.

I stood up with a heavy breath as we stared at one another once again. With everything I've thrown at him, every justu and attack that I've smashed into him, a normal titan would have fallen long ago. What was making him continue on like this? What was giving him so much strength? Brandishing my hooks once more, I readied myself as he was beginning to attack me, but just as his foot left the ground a fist was smashed into the side of his face. Making the creature tumble over until he finally fell to the ground. Looking over at the source of the attack, I saw Annie lifting her fist to the side as she admired her work.

Her work, however, was short lived as he quickly stood and dashed towards Annie at a speed she was not expecting. Lifting up her hardened arms, the sword smashed into her defense. It was heavy, and Annie was struggling to hold the attack back. So heavy that she fell to one knee under its crushing weight. Not wanting to keep my companion waiting, I dashed towards the attacker with hooks flying behind me. The creature glanced towards me, those red glowing eyes analyzing my movements, and released his pressure onto Annie. Before Annie could understand what was going on he slammed his foot into her unarmored stomach, making her fly backwards. Lifting his sword into the air as I jumped up above him, I charged lightning into my weapons as I flew towards the armored giant. Metal met metal as lightning coursed down his sword and eventually covering his body, but the giant held strong. With my weapons hooked around the sword, however, I flew over him while using this motion to fling the sword into the far wall. The lightning chakra was just enough to loosen his grip on his weapon so I could successfully disarm him. Now disarmed, I turned to see Annie throwing a fist at the massive armored man.

Doing his best to fight Annie in hand to hand combat the creature threw a punch back at the hybrid, but this was easily parried. Using his outstretched arm as leverage, Annie slammed the creature into the ground while subduing him by pulling his arm behind his back. She glanced to me as I walked towards them. I nodded my head in recognition at a job well done. Only thing left to do now was finish him off...

Just as the words went through my mind the creature bellowed loudly and began struggling against the hold that he was put under. Annie pushed harder, but this only seemed to make him struggle more. Finally a loud crack was heard and Annie was flung off the back of the creature. Quickly standing, the armored giant dashed towards his sword with a lifeless left arm dangling from his body. Recognizing what he was attempting to do, I began forming hand signs as I dashed towards him.

"Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu!" Ten wind blades shot towards him as he was running, each meant to halt his advance towards his weapon, but this did not seem to deter the giant as each blade either left deep indentions into his armor or cut into the sections between his plating. Grabbing onto his blade with his functioning hand, he quickly removed the weapon from the wall and turned towards us ready for battle. Annie was a little ways behind me, breathing heavily from the battle that ensued. It wasn't just this battle that had taken its toll on us, but everything that had accumulated up to this point. With very little rest between the last three engagements the breaking point was fast approaching for not only Annie, but me as well. Its heavy breathing, coupled with its multiple bleeding wounds underneath his armor, and nonfunctioning arm, meant that it was about to be finished as well.

Then I saw it. A pulsating orange glow between one of the cracks in his chest made by my earlier wind technique. Was that...? I turned to see if Annie had noticed, and with a swift nod she understood what that glowing meant. A weak spot.

With a similar mindset, we dashed towards the creature. Me taking the left, and Annie taking the right, the armored giant prepared himself for anything and everything. Deciding to take a more aggressive method, the creature dashed towards me.

"When I grow up, will father be there to see me?" A young child asked to a person unknown.

"Your father will be very proud of you. He'll love you for all the good that you'll spread across this land, and when he sees the people you've helped then he will return." The unknown woman responded. The child smiled at her words.

"Just you wait father! I'm going to become the biggest hero that this world has ever seen!" The child shouted to the heavens.

Ducking underneath his sword, I was swiftly shot backwards as his knee smashed into me. Sliding to a halt, I looked up just in time to see the clone I left behind explode underneath him. The giant took the brunt of the damage, but before he could attack once again his feet was swiped out from underneath him. As he was falling, Annie sent a hardened knee into his back shooting him up into air. Seeing an opportunity, I dashed towards the flying figure and began spinning in the air with my hooks rapidly picking up speed until finally they caught onto his chest. The two hooks dug into the crack in his armor and sliced deeply into the pulsating orange glow. Blood was coughed up by the creature as I pulled sharply down, making him shoot downwards. He slammed into the ground, but I quickly jumped into the air while pouring lightning chakra into my arm.

"Chidori!" I shouted before falling down towards the immobile creature. My arm pierced the crack and directly into what I assume is his heart. I could feel his heart begin to slow as I simply stayed like this, waiting for it to finally stop, but then I heard something from underneath the helmet. It was a whisper? Pulling my arm out, I positioned myself so I could see into his helmet. The glowing red eyes was no longer there, but replaced by a deep blue. A pool of blood then rose from the ground near the glowing red roots at the center of the arena. The red energy flowed from the root above and into the pool, giving it a soft glow.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." He whispered, a cough making him spasm once again.

"...?" I looked into the darkness of his helmet, only to see tears streaming from his eyes.

"D-Dad... I'm s-so sorry... f-for everything." My eyes widened as the words left his mouth.

"W-what did you say?" I responded as I stared down into his eyes, but his body was slowly fading away into ash.

"I love you... dad..." He said before his body fully disappeared. A glowing blue wisp rose from where he once was and moved into my body.

"D-Did he just-?" I said to myself, but then images pressed themselves against the forefront or my mind. Falling to my knees, each broken image flashed before me, each scene scratching at the edge of my consciousness. "Please! Stop!"

"Naruto?! Are you okay?!" Annie exclaimed as she removed herself from the titan shell and ran towards me.

"No! This can't be right! None of this makes any sense!" I shouted as more images appeared in my head. They were fragmented, and not cohesive at all, but one point was being drilled into my head over and over again.

"It's okay Naruto! I'm here! You have to calm down!" Annie shouted as she slid in front of me and began shaking my shoulders. Then the images stopped, and what followed was a deep silence. "Naruto?"

"All of this..." I stared up into the air, my eyes wide in shock. "No... It can't be."

"What? What do you mean?" Annie asked, her wide eyes looking into my blank ones.

"I..." Looking down into Annie's eyes, a single tear traveled down my cheek as the images finally settled. Annie growled as she shook my shoulders to move me from my deep thoughts. "Annie I'm..." I shook my head as I cleared my head of the images that appeared in my mind. "Lets get out of here then I'll tell you. We don't have much time." Clearly not liking my answer, I stood up with Annie following suit.

"Then we have a long walk ahead of us." Annie said as she looked to the closed door. She also took note of my quieter than usual tone.

"Follow me." I said as I moved towards the root system at the center of the room. A glowing pool of crimson blood ringed the now dying root system.

"What are you-?" Annie went to say, but when I grabbed her hand she immediately stopped talking.

"Follow me." I responded as I walked into the pool of blood, pulling Annie as I went. Once the blood was up to our knees, I turned to my blonde companion with the glowing crimson blood reflecting off us. "Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand."

"O-Okay..." Annie stuttered out. Nodding my head I began pooling my chakra into the blood until we began to slowly sink into the pool. Initially shocked at what was occurring, Annie began to struggle against what was happening.

"Annie." I said, making the blonde towards me, panic in her eyes. "Relax."

"But-!"

"Annie..." I said in a soothing tone. Her eyes lingered with mine as we continued to sink into the blood. "Focus on me and everything will be okay." Not taking her eyes off mine, Annie began to calm down.

And then, within the blink of an eye, we were consumed into the pool and away from the hell that we endured.

XxXxX

"I guess I'm not that normal then."

"You're far from normal if you hadn't noticed." Petra said in between laughs. The blonde chuckled at the laughing soldier as he waved his hand back and forth in front of him.

"Right, right." Our laughter slowed down after another couple moments. We sat in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company in this house that was way too fancy for either of our tastes.

"You know... after watching what you just did. I think I can trust you a little more." Petra said, her gaze on the ceiling itself. "D-did I just say that out loud?!"

"Afraid you did." He responded, a sly grin appearing on his face.

"W-Well I take it back then!" Petra said, crossing her arms in front of her chest before looking away with a pout. He grinned at her playful attitude before going into deep thought.

"Hey Petra..." This made the female soldier look over at the blonde in question, but her playful attitude dissipated when she saw his thoughtful aura. "I wonder..."

"What is it, Naruto? What do you wonder?"

"I wonder... how much I can trust you."

Petra growled as she remembered the conversation she had with Naruto that night. 'So much for trusting me.' It has been three days since the Survey Corps has retrieved Eren from the clutches of the Armored and Colossal titan's, and ever since that time Petra has continuously asked Levi if she could form a squad to find and monitor the Angel of Death's current location. Each and every time this was brought up, however, it was shot down. The world around them was in chaos because of the news of the titans within the walls. Once the word that the titans had been dealt with the people gradually began to return to their homes, but even so there was unrest amongst the populace. It was this, coupled with Commander Erwin being unconscious, that forced Levi to decide that Eren and Historia were far more important than a rouge element such as Naruto. The plan to dethrone the king was their primary focus at the moment, but the orange haired soldier couldn't remove her thoughts of the mysterious cloaked man.

"Commander!" Petra said with a salute. She was standing in front of the acting commander of the Scouting Corps, Levi, in the makeshift office that was made in a larger town based in the countryside south of Wall Sina.

"What is it Petra? I'm busy trying to get everything sent to the safe house." Levi responded as he continued scribbling ink onto the parchment below.

"I-."

"And if this is about Naruto and Annie then you know my answer." Levi said as he looked up at his only remaining squad member with a dark look adorning his eyes. "Now what is it that you want?"

"Sir, I would like to track Naruto down and-."

"Petra!" Levi shouted as he slammed his fist into the desk. A silence flowed through the room as Petra was surprised at his sudden outburst. This wasn't like Levi at all. "Why...?"

"Why?"

"Give me your reasoning for wanting to find the Angel and Female Titan." Levi said as he directed his cold eyes towards Petra.

"I feel that they pose a direct danger to-."

"No." Levi said, interrupting the ginger girl once more. "Give me the real reason that you want to find him so badly." He stared into her eyes as Petra hesitated to say anything, making the cold man continue with his observations. "The two of you grew close when you were with him, didn't you?" Petra's eyes saddened at his words as he continued to talk. "Because of this bond that was created, when he stole Annie away from us you felt directly betrayed."

"Yes... I did."

"You were always the softest one in the squad, Petra." Levi said he began thinking back to the days he spent with the Special Operations Squadron. "You're the one that everyone warmed up to quickest, but you were also the most devoted to the squad as a whole. In a way you were the glue that held us all together."

"I miss them..."

"I do to, but they are dead and we are alive. We need to carry on their memory and do what must be done. No matter the cost, and that cost right now is to follow my orders without question."

"And what of Naruto? What will happen if he disrupts our plans involving the king?" Levi's eyes narrowed, clearly the thought had passed through his mind once before. "Are we just going to let him run about and do as he pleases?"

"..."

"Sir, please, let me track him down. I'm of no use to you here, and putting me in that cabin won't help."

"What if you find them? What will you do then? Are you going to confront them? I know how emotionally invested you are into this if I do send you on a recon mission."

"I'm not that stupid. I will only observe from a distance and survey the situation. Nothing more."

"Can I trust you not make any abrupt choices that may put your life in danger?"

"You can trust me. I won't confront them."

"..." Levi's cold eyes scanned Petra for any hesitation before finally shaking his head. "You have two weeks. You are to track them down and report back to me with their location. Nothing more, do you understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Petra said with a salute before turning towards the door.

"And Petra." This made the orange haired soldier stop near the door. "I'm trusting you on this. Do not engage if you find him, okay?"

"I promise that I won't engage." Petra said before closing the door to the office. Leaving an acting commander debating whether he just ordered his last squad member to her death.

XxXxX

"You okay?" Armin asked as he walked through the entrance to Eren's room. They were currently hidden away somewhere in the forests of the kingdom. Their cabin was small, but it did its job sufficiently enough.

Eren was looking out the window and into the forest beyond. He hasn't been himself since the Stohiess operation, and since his rescue Eren's mood was quiet when compared to before. "I'm fine. Just thinking is all."

"What're you thinking about?" The blonde asked as he closed the door behind him and sat on his bed.

"..."

"Is it about our last operation, or...?" Eren flinched when he finished his sentence, confirming his suspicion. "Look, I think-."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about him." Eren interrupted. "Thinking about how he showed up. How he helped us retake Trost. The fond memories Petra recounted to us when she returned to us. Then I think back to when he took Annie away."

"I've been doing that as well..." Armin murmured under his breath.

"Something doesn't make sense. He wouldn't just betray us without a reason. I want to believe so badly that there's something else going on. That he really isn't our enemy. That his reasoning for rescuing Annie was for a hidden plan to help us in the end, but then logic sinks in..." Eren's eyes grew hallow as his mind began spinning. "I guess it's just a hard pill to swallow. He was the person who brought me back from my rampage in Trost, and the first person to fight by my side while I was a titan. When I was training my titan powers I would sometimes begin to go on rampages, but then I was able to reel myself back in when I thought of him. Since he was the first one to break my rampage I knew that if I thought of him that it would calm me."

It stung Armin somewhat to see Eren put such deep trust into someone that wasn't Mikasa or himself, but the intelligent boy understood his friend's position. Eren was scared and lost when everyone was suddenly reliant on Eren's unknown powers that he was unsure he could control. As much as they relied on Eren at the time, his best friend turned to Naruto for help. For all the pressure that they put onto Eren, the hybrid leaned just as hard onto the mysterious man for assistance.

"I guess he's just another friend that's betrayed me." Eren whispered.

"..." Armin watched as his friend's face returned to the blank stare that it held before. Just like Petra before, he wanted to so badly to tell him that Naruto had some grand plan to reveal to them, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything because what if he was wrong? If he was and he told Eren of his farfetched theory than his friend would be devastated once again. So for now he kept his lips sealed.

"You're a smart one, Armin. I'm sure you can figure it out."

XxXxX

Annie awoke in a spurt of coughing and violent flails as she grasped at the air around her to fill her lungs. Tumbling to and fro, she soon found herself hitting a wall forcing her to open her eyes to a dark room. Light could be seen shining in through the cracks of the old wooden boards that qualified as a wall. Dust lingered in air as Annie scanned the room, but it was empty save for a large flay bowl built into the floor of the room. Attempting to stand up, the blonde found that her entire body ached from the otherworldly trip she had just endured, but she pushed through the soreness and was soon on her feet.

'Did we just sink into a pool of blood?' Annie thought as she moved towards the single door that served as the room's entrance. Once fully removed from the small room Annie found that there was a slightly larger room with a hammock, table, chair, and fireplace all destroyed from neglect strayed across the room. Two broken windows with vines crawling their way in was the only source of light for the otherwise dark and dusty room. An open door was another source of light as well, and if one listened closely the chirping of birds played at Annie's ears. Excitement built up as the girl moved towards the open door and out into the light of the blazing sun.

The sun was blinding for a moment, but when her eyes adjusted she could see wilderness around her. The tall trees and slight breeze welcomed her back to the surface after such a long time away. Her excitement, however, was suddenly twisted into a feeling of panic. Where was her companion? Thoughts of something happening to him during the transportation, or maybe even Naruto being transported somewhere else plagued her mind as she began moving down the barely visible path leading to a place unknown. Her speed increased as her panic continued to rise. She needed to find him. Needed to find the only person that didn't see her as a tool, or an enemy. She needed to find her frie...

Annie's mind stopped when she heard the soft lapping of water against a shore and a different type of bird singing their heavenly song. Her movements slowed until finally she broke the underbrush of the thick forest canopy to see a massive lake sitting before her. The midday sun glistened off the water and the soft breeze became ever present against her being. The earlier panic simmered somewhat at this tranquil setting, but still she needed to find Naruto.

Just as she was about to return to the shack to search for clues regarding her companion a dark dot caught her eye. Looking to the side, she found the source of her panic calmly staring out over the lake. Naruto was sitting against a tree with his hood down reading a small red and black scroll. Her panic quickly transformed into relief as she approached the person that traversed hell and back with her.

She stopped next to the shadow and simply slumped to the ground, the exhaustion that was felt earlier overtaking her. Leaning against a tree next to Naruto's, the hybrid simply stared out over the water with a new found calmness overtaking her once panicked mind. The only sound that transpired between them was the nature that surrounded them, and for once she was happy to hear the natural world and all its beauty.

"Sleep well?" The figure asked as he continued reading the scroll in his hands.

"Don't disappear like that again." Annie responded as the scroll was neatly rolled up and secured away.

I sighed as I looked out over the beautiful landscape before us. 'The Land of the Misty Lake.' The lake was long, so long even that I couldn't see the ends on either side, but I could see the other side of the lake directly across from us, but it was fairly far away.

"Figured it would be best not to wake you." I glanced over at the girl and she was giving me a hardened glare, making me sigh once more. "Right, I won't disappear." This seemed to be enough to satisfy my companion as she returned her gaze out to the lake with a softer look.

"What was that?" Annie finally asked after a moment of silence. "We sunk into a pool of blood and then..." She looked over to me with a confused gaze. "Teleported here?"

"The images that shoved themselves into my head. It's what showed me that it was possible to transport us here with that large root at the center of the room."

"And those images..." She saw that my face saddened somewhat at her words. "They seem to have shaken you up a bit."

"Yeah, but they aren't complete. The titan's mind had decayed to a point where he could only remember essential things. Memories that had persisted past the point of madness."

"..." Annie looked... petrified at the thought of losing oneself to madness like that, but then another thought crept into her mind. How long was that titan down there for? How long has those catacombs been idly sitting there under the swamps? Was her companion suffering from the same decaying mind as that titan? "How old are you?"

"I don't know." I responded, this prompted a confused expression from the blonde shifter. "Or, to be more precise, I don't remember. Hundreds of years? Thousands? Long enough to remember the last kingdoms crumble beneath the sudden emergence of the titans."

"... How?" She was in shock at this revelation.

"I can't tell you how, per say, but I can tell you this." My eyes grew cold as the memory with that floating old man came back to me. "It wasn't worth it."

Annie remained silent as my words sunk in. Sitting beside her was a being that has outlived everyone on this planet. Some would affiliate him with a god, but to her... "Why did everything down there seem to react to you? Every titan, every monster that we fought recognized, or at least showed some form of recognition to, who you are."

"That's because I put them there. Including that titan that gave me what was left of his memories." Annie gave me a strange look, making me continue. "I'm not sure why, but..."

"Dad... why?" The titan asked as he watched a dark cloaked figure slowly walk towards him. He was sitting against a massive root system at the center of an enclosed arena. He was tired, sore, and done with fighting.

The figure never responded as he finally placed his hand onto the root system, and after a second of watching the roots began to glow a crimson red. Everything from the ceiling to the hanging plants began to glow.

"Wha-?" The titan began to say, but then a piercing pain radiated from his back. The cause coming from the roots embedding themselves into his body. "This... isn't you. What did they do to you?"

"Your sentence begins now, and will continue indefinitely." The man stated as he moved in front of him. "Now tell me where the last two are hiding."

"We trusted you... we loved you! No, I won't. Not with that leash around your neck."

"Then you will lose yourself to the madness." The cloaked man said before turning and walking towards the exit. Once past the crest of the door, said doors slowly creaked closed and sealing his fate.

"Did you build that place?" Annie asked, recognizing the fact that I wanted to move away from that subject.

"No. At least I don't think so, but I did put them down there." I sighed as one memory continued to plague my mind.

"..." Annie then remembered what she heard from at the beginning of their decent. "You lost someone. Someone you loved very dearly." I frowned at her words as the memories of the two people I fell in love with lay dead in front of me.

"Long ago I felt love towards another, but then they died." The pain bombarded me again and again as I thought of their deaths. It felt like it happened just moments ago, but in reality... "Sorry, but can we not talk about this? It still hurts."

"Sorry..." Annie said, but seeing his cold face turn to pain and sadness, for some reason, made her feel pain as well.

"I guess it's my turn to ask you some questions." Naruto said, trying to pull the conversation in another direction.

"You want to know the names of the people I worked with?" Annie responded. I nodded my head, but this seemed to make her grow uncomfortable.

"Are you sure about this? Once you tell me their names..."

"There was two people that I had semi-regular contact with while we were within the walls. Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover. Reiner being the Armored Titan, and Bertolt being the Colossus Titan." I stared at her as she breathed in heavily before releasing the air from her lungs. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"If I remember correctly my clone made contact with them within the HQ at Trost." My mind went back to when I helped Armin make it to the HQ safely. I wonder how the Scouting Corps has been fairing since the outbreak? "And there is nobody else? It's only you three?"

"There is another. Someone above Reiner and Bertolt, but I never met him." She then looked to the side in annoyance. "Or I don't remember. Just like everything else."

"You'll find the life that you've lost. Just give it time." Annie's annoyed look slowly changed to that of a small smile as we both continued looking out over the water. We remained like this for some time, simply basking in the sun and breathing in the fresh lake air. It was nice...

"So where to next?" Annie asked.

"In a rush?" Annie chuckled at my words.

"No, but normally you are. I thought maybe you'd be in a rush to get moving again."

"I suppose you're right, but for now lets rest a bit. I think you've earned it."

"I think we've both earned a little rest." Annie placed her head against the bark of the tree that she had sat against and closed her eyes. "Wake me up when you're ready to move."

"Will do." I responded as I leaned against my tree as well, but a frown graced my features when the titan's images returned to my mind.

Was me being here a mistake?

XxXxX