Kabe no Shinobi

by Zenix_404

Summary:

He wakes up in a unknown forest, tired and unable to find civilization. In addition, there are dumb naked giants with no genitalia chasing him constantly. Damn, what the fuck is this place!
NarutoxAoT crossover.

Chapter 1: Lost

---

The ground was soft and damp beneath him, and he could feel the sun beating down on his aching body. Blearily he opened his eyes and immediately brought a hand up for shade as he blinked against the glare, until finally his surroundings came into focus.

Naruto was greeted with the sight of thick treetops, sweet summer breeze ruffling leaves. It roused something within him, a feeling of familiarity.

Slowly, he willed himself upright, leaning on his hands for support. His chest felt heavy, and every muscle wrung out.

He took stock out of habit. Jacket tattered, pants torn off a bit at the ankles. Mud and grime soaked into the back of his clothes, where he'd lain on the ground. His back pouch was light. A coil of wire, paper tags, canteen, and a couple of shuriken. His hip pouch held a pair of kunai too.

He rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly at the dull, throbbing pain. And then sluggishly rose up on two legs, eyeing his surroundings.

Cerulean blue eyes observed the forestry in silent fascination. The forest went up and up until his neck ached. Old growth—trunks thick enough to hide a squad, canopy knitted so tight the light fell green. Beautiful.

Looks like Training Ground Forty-Four… but cleaner. And nowhere near as creepy.

In the corner of his eyes, he caught movement near the bushes. A deer eased out of the brush and put its nose to a clump of berries, summer coat dappled, and ears tilted like cupped hands.

An image of a pineapple-haired teen popped into his mind, and he had to wonder if this was close to the Nara compound.

Taking a knee, he placed his index and middle finger on the ground. The familiar feeling of warmth enveloping him as chakra started to flow. It went down his arm and into the ground, warmth leaving as soon as the chakra left his body. Like a drop of water hitting the ocean's surface, a wave streaked through the terrain.

Nothing.

He frowned, eying the deer again. That’s weird.

It stood barely 20 strides away, nipping at some berries growing in the shrubbery.

… But he hadn’t felt it there. No energy. Now that he took a moment to think about it, he hadn’t felt anything at all, anywhere around him. The world felt… empty.

Strange he thought. He’d become better at sensing during his Senjutsu training. Usually, the world had a low hum under everything. Civilians were like torches, shinobi like campfires. There weren’t any people around now, but animals had chakra too. All living being did. Most animals were like candles, and birds felt like a spark at the edge of your awareness. Even bugs had chakra, small as a grain of sand.

All living beings have chakra. He might not have been the most attentive of students, but he could remember that much. He could see the animal, but to his senses, it might as well not be there.

The deer took notice of him, perked up suddenly, then bolted deeper into the woods.

He rubbed his forehead, choosing to ignore it for now. He’d just ask Sakura when he got back.

He jogged at the nearest trunk and coated the soles of his feet with the barest film of chakra. Even that pull made the back of his eyes ache. He took it slow, planting each foot like he was learning tree-walking again. At the top, the forest ran to every horizon in heavy green, uncut by roads or buildings or the watchful faces of stone.

“Yeah, definitely not Konoha.”

He licked his lips and took a swig of his canteen. The water was warm on his tongue, but it quenched his thirst well enough.

Naruto knew Konoha and its surroundings like the back of his hand. He’d spent months running and exploring back in the Academy, training to beat Kiba’s time. If this isn’t Konoha, then where the hell am I?

He jumped down from his spot to land on the soft ground, trying to figure out where to go. He didn’t even have the energy for shadow clones. God, I haven’t been this tired in a long time. The last time had been… against Gaara during the invasion maybe? Or against Sasuke at the valley.

In the end, he chose a direction at random. If he was lucky, he’d stumble on a road somewhere and walk to the closest settlement. Find out where he was and how to get home.

---

It didn’t take long until he found a road made of packed dirt. Time slowed down the way it does when you’re tired; the sun slid and the wind shifted, and next thing he knew the trees broke and he stood before a clutch of abandoned homes at the foot of the forest.

It was the little wrongness’s that settled in first. Roofs punched inward. Glass from shattered windows fanned out on the ground.

Naruto approached the nearest one and eased the door open. The hinges had rusted some and creaked horribly as he entered.

"Hello?" He called out. "Anyone home?"

No reply came and he made his way through the corridor to examine the interior, trying not to be too noisy.

The stale air tasted like dust. And no wonder. Everything was covered in a thick layer of it. A mouse scurried underfoot, having left its droppings on the floor. Sunlight illuminated a cone of rubble on the floor through the ceiling where the roof had caved in.

He knelt to inspect a bundle on the floor that was half covered in moss and dirt. Clothes.

They must’ve left in a hurry. Whoever had lived here didn’t strike him as rich. So why leave their belongings behind? Fleeing a raid or battle. Bandits maybe? No corpses though. They could have gotten warning ahead of time he supposed. But then why would the bandits go through the trouble of destroying the homes?

His eyes danced along the room, taking in everything and settled on a shelf where a small frame leaned sideways, half lit by the sun and half overshadowed.

He picked it up carefully. Charcoal lines, quick but warm: a woman sat on a chair smiling with a man, probably her husband, standing next to her.

"A drawing, huh? This place really is old." He stared at the drawing for a second longer and put it back carefully.

---

Having found nothing that would indicate where he was, he moved on to the next house, hoping he might stumble upon a map or something. What part of Fire country was he in now? Was he even in Fire country?

Thump!

The vibration quivered through bone. His thoughts cut off abruptly and he stiffened.

Thump!

The second impact came closer, deeper. Big. Heavy. Coming closer.

Thump!

The earth shook rhythmically, making dust jump off the furniture with each stride. Couldn't be a human. Then what? Maybe a summon? No, couldn't be. He couldn't feel any chakra signatures outside. Wait, nothing had chakra here, anyways. Damn.

Thump! 

Even louder this time.

It's approaching me or at least coming my way, he thought. Couldn't stay in this house; it would limit his area of movement. He had to get out fast, before he got caged in.

Thump!

He was already moving— out of the hallway, past the doorframe, into open ground where he had sky and plenty space.

…And promptly froze in his steps.

It stood about two houses off, sunburnt and wrong. Like something out of a nightmare. Its arms reached down to its knees. The gut was swollen and fat over narrow hips. An oversized head with dark hair tilted in dopey curiosity, and small wet eyes pinned him like an insect.

It grinned at him revealing a maw of yellowish teeth while saliva trickled down its chin.

It was naked. It was human-shaped. And it was fucking huge.

The giant started towards him and Naruto broke out of his stupor.

“Hey!” He yelled. “Who are you!”

It grunted and growled in answer.

"O-oi! I asked you who you are! Where are we?!"

Thump!

It came to a stop, looming over him with a kind of vacant but also hungry look that made his spine tingle.

“Can you talk?!”

The thing just grinned without understanding and raised a gangly arm.

“Don’t—”

The arm came down. There was a great crash. And there was now a big depression across the yard where he had stood just a second ago.

He gaped at the crater with wide eyes. “What the hell!”

RRAAHHH

It gurgled in disappointment, ogling its empty hand. The oversized head turned side to side, looking for its prey, and landed squarely on him.

Raising another arm, it tried to pummel him again. And again. And then again.

“Cut it out!” He snapped, dodging over and over.

It swung once more, clumsy and late. They were all sloppy attempts. Movements slow and easily predictable. A good thing too. He was too tired for this shit.

Still, it didn’t give up. Continuing its tireless assault.

"Last chance dipshit! Who are you and what is this place!"

When the naked giant ignored him in favor of playing whack-a-mole, he decided to get serious.

His hand came out palm up and chakra started swirling in Naruto’s hand, coalescing into a blue ball of destructive energy. The wind picked up all around, lifting leaves and dust.

He dashed forward while at the same time dodging another of the giant's futile strikes.

Rasengan

It slammed into the beasts bulging stomach. The flesh began ringing itself into a vortex, flesh rupturing at the contact with raw concentrated energy and blood sprayed all over the clearing.

GRRRaAHhh!

The monster screamed, stumbled backwards and fell on its rear. Blood stained the ground an ugly red.

Naruto landed a few feet away, panting.

"You ready to talk now?"

Those words had barely left his lips before steam started rising out of the wound. Light in all the various colors pooled around it, rapidly recreating lost tissue.

His smirk dropped into a scowl. "… you have to be shitting me; it can fucking regenerate?!"

Guess we’ll have to do it the hard way. He reached into the pouch on his back.

The hissing stopped and it lumbered slowly up on two legs as if it hadn’t just been hit by one of his strongest jutsu. Fed up with all of it, he rushed the giant and applied the paper tags square on its face and kicked off with a backflip.

BOOM

Flesh and blood exploded outwards in a hail of gore, staining the grass a deep crimson. Some splotches of blood hit his clothes, and he wiped it off in disgust.

It fell like a puppet with its strings cut and lay limp on the ground.

He was just about to turn around when it twitched. All he could do was gape. I just blew its head clean off!

This was like Kabuto all over again, damn it.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

His ears twitched to the sound of more footsteps and his head whipped around to see another giant approaching quickly—this one 12 or 13 meters by the looks of it.

“…Great, just my luck.” He muttered.

Headless fumbled about clumsily but Naruto just turned his back on it.

Short of a way to kill them off for good or immobilize them permanently, whatever else he did would be pointless. He couldn't keep wasting chakra fighting these things.

The second giant was getting close now.

He hurried back towards the forest. He could lose them there or just climb up out of reach. Either way, he needed to rest.

---

AN:

Hey! I’m back, but with a rewrite this time. I read the story aloud to myself and I just couldn’t get through the first couple of chapters without cringing. And there were so many missed opportunities. Hopefully, I’ll get it right this time. Let me know what you think.

~Zenix404~

 

Chapter 2: Wings of Freedom

 

---

Night pressed in close around the clearing, the kind of warm dark that made crickets loud and the fire sound larger than it was. Naruto lay on a bed of flattened grass with his hands laced under his head, letting the campfire’s heat lick one cheek while the other cooled in the breeze.

He closed his eyes. The world around him stayed blank. No background buzz of life. No sparks at the edge of sense. Just him, the wind, and wood settling as it burned.

Days in this backwards place had taught him a handful of things he wished weren’t true. Nature chakra sat as thin as mountain air; it took ten minutes of stillness to pull in what he usually gathered in one. His own chakra reserves were filling up quicker, thankfully. Not as fast as he was used to, but he’d take it.

Titans—giants, whatever they were—ignored anything that wasn’t human like it didn’t exist. One look at him though and they would come running, drooling for a snack.

By daylight they roamed; by night they sagged into restful slumber. One such sat just at the edge of the campfire’s light, slumped against the trunk of a tree. He’d pricked it with a knife a couple of times, even made a slice or two. Didn’t even twitch. Even asleep, the wounds mended themselves.

He watched the one at the edge of camp for a long time and saw no rise or fall of the chest, no fog of breath—mouth slack, but no air moving. If he hadn’t seen it try to eat him a few hours ago, he would’ve thought it was dead.

He scoffed at that. They don’t need to eat. Don’t need to breathe. Blow off their heads and they’ll grow a new one.

The fire cracked. Meat hissed on a spit—venison traded for trap wire and luck.

He twitched involuntarily when a squirrel came into the firelight, coal black eyes watching him curiously. In a normal forest, everything hummed a little; here, the silence felt like an answer withheld. There were sounds a plenty. Grasshoppers chittering and owls hooting. Just that without chakra, the world felt dull. It was like being surrounded by ghosts. Eerie.

He forced his attention away from it.

Scouting had come first: a couple of shadow clones searching the woods and its surroundings. There was nothing in a ten-kilometre radius. That was about as far as the clones could travel from the main body before their connection snapped and they disintegrated.

After resting a day or two, he’d gone on his own. Travelled due south for a while until he stumbled onto something strange. A wall that reared out of the horizon like a cliff turned sideways. Fifty meters, easy—and it went on and on until the curve of the world swallowed it.

A wall was generally built to keep something out or lock something in. There had been houses inside, which meant the wall was constructed to keep the giants out. But they had gotten in somehow. Though he couldn’t see how. They didn’t climb. Or at least, he hadn’t seen them manage it. And the wall was too smooth for them anyway.

That thought stuck like a fishbone until it turned into a plan. If the ring closed, survivors would have fled inwards. Which was how Naruto found himself back in the forest. Resting for the night before he went on looking for people towards the centre.

“Tomorrow,” he told the fire. Find people. Get answers. Get home.

He turned the spit.

Another thing he’d noticed was that the giants had insane stamina. And almost a sixth sense for sniffing out where he was. Maybe they’d traded their wits for enhanced hearing and smell.

He could sneak by them most of the time, but once one locked onto you and began its pursuit, others would take notice, and they’d all chase you to the ends of the earth. They just didn’t tire, not in any way that made sense.

Where do they get the energy? Sunlight, maybe? Some form of photosynthesis could explain most of it he supposed. Maybe they were like plants. So long as there’s sunlight and it rained once in a while, they’d just keep going.

Didn’t explain why they wanted to eat him though. What was the point? What happened once they ate a person? They didn’t shit either. Do they just throw it all up? …Gross.

Taking the spit off the fire, Naruto bit into the meat. A bit overcooked, but no less delicious for it.

He sighed and looked up through a gap in the canopy. Stars speckled the dark night sky like snowfall in space.

If only there was someone to talk to. It would have made all this much more bearable.

Lonely. He smirked. Given his childhood, one would think he’d be used to it.

He’d even gone so far as to enter his mindscape, stood in ankle deep water before looming gates of iron. The Nine-Tails was one rude bastard, but still better than nothing. The fox’s presence felt distant, however. And silent. No amount of shouting had gotten a response. And he wasn’t crazy enough to try walking into that darkness.

---

Morning came green and generous. Packing didn’t take long; cause’ he had nothing to pack. He put out the fire and patted himself down to make sure he hadn’t lost anything and then filled his canteen in a nearby stream.

Jiraiya’s voice drifted up from memory—not the lectures about women and seals (those had never stuck), but the practical rules learned in the long miles between towns: keep your feet dry, your blade clean, and your options open. He smiled without meaning to, then pushed off from the forest floor and took to the branches at an easy pace.

The training trip with Jiraya had taught him much. They'd travelled all around the Elemental Nations and experiencing the world.

From the scorching deserts of Suna to the vast mountain ranges of Kumo. They’d seen the canyons in Iwa, trudged through the swamps of Kusa. Sailed from island to island in Mizu.

This was child’s play in comparison. Big forest with plenty of wildlife and nice weather to boot. No problem at all.

A dozen strides into the trees, a thought snagged him like a thorn.

Before chasing answers inside the walls, he had better make sure this place held none. His eyes swept the hundred meters or so around him carefully. And then with a quiet mumble of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a dozen clones fanned out.

---

[With one of the clones.]

The clone heading the opposite direction of the boss finally made it to the other end of the forest, a pair of giants pacing below like dumb dogs at his heels.

His gaze flicked down to where the two clawed greedily at the bark of the tree he stood on. Their eyes were trained on him, and they wore the most disturbing expressions. Their eyes were blank. No intelligence behind those eyes. Like being observed by a hungry animal. One smiled at him like an eager child, while other looked furious. Drool dribbled down their chins, just waiting for him to make a mistake. Waiting for him to miss a step and stumble down into their gnashing teeth.

He turned away and shifted his weight, ready to make another quiet run when something out past the hills caught his attention.

Red smoke rose in a column into the sky. Then another, and another. Maybe a mile or so apart. Then again, but this time, it was green and much closer. He wasn’t sure he was seeing right. Maybe the heat was getting to him.

The giants below froze in place with a wet little sound and turned as one toward the smoke. Low growls rumbled in their chests.

What are they…?

Without a glance back, both lurched into a stiff run, leaving a shocked blonde behind. He blinked owlishly, until his mind caught up and started putting the pieces together.

He sprang to a higher branch for a better line of sight—and the view changed. A horse crested the nearest rise, then another, then a line of them poured into the clearing at a gallop, riders crouched low over withers.

The clone stared, gaze unwavering, as if they’d disappear if it as much as blinked. The knot in his stomach suddenly loosened, replaced by relief.

These riders wore white pants and shirts, brown jackets which exposed their midriffs, kind of like Sai's attire, green capes that fluttered in the wind, and were those… thigh high boots? What…?

To top it all off, there were some kind of metal, heavy-looking constructs hanging at their hips.

The one at the forefront, whom Naruto assumed was their leader, brought his hand to it and pulled out a blade.

Sheaths? What kind of sword needs a sheath like that? They’d be a liability, mobility-wise.

Two others surged ahead, one tall and blonde, the other short and black-haired.

They rose onto their saddles gracefully and fired grapnels in crisscrossing arcs into the giants that hauled them into the sky. Momentum did the rest. He tracked their paths with a shinobi’s eye for angles—no chakra, no Jutsu. The blonde took the nearer giant, hooking a circle around its shoulders; the dark-haired one knifed between the other’s reaching hands, lines singing as they reeled him close. Steel flashed. Both riders snapped past the napes and landed light while the titans’ heads lolled forward as if drunk. Steam boiled out of the wounds. Bodies toppled and did not rise. He twitched.

"…The fuck?" the words slipped out before he could stop them, equal parts awe and insulted pride at how easily they had dispatched them.

And as if the wind had carried his confused whisper, the raven-haired soldier looked up, and he could've sworn he heard the man echo his words.

---

~Zenix404~

 

Chapter 3: A Seam in the World

 

---

[Levi POV]

Horses stamped and tossed in the cool before-dawn. Leather creaked and steel rattled. The past few days had been busy. Erwin had convinced Premier Zackly to approve another expedition beyond the walls.

Farther down the line he could see Hange gesturing wildly at Moblit, most likely explaining another of her titan theories. Moblit kept nodding at regular intervals. He seemed to be doing his best to keep up with her, and failing miserably, judging by the look of utter confusion on his face.

Levi felt for the man. Just the thought of having to put up with Hange’s antics every day sent a shiver down his spine. And the way she would start drooling at the mention of titans… he shuddered.

Putting her out of his mind, Levi’s thoughts went over the years since the fall of wall Maria—the breach had turned the world small and mean.

The walls that had kept humanity safe for a hundred years had fallen for the first time and titans had invaded the outermost circle of humanity’s sanctuary. Thousands had died in the time it took to complete evacuations.

Refugee camps had sprung up all over Rose basically overnight. And people had been hysterical. Fights breaking out everywhere and thieves running rampant.

The military police, for once in their lives, had been forced to actually work for a living. Charged with keeping the king's peace and distribute food amongst the people in need.

Meanwhile, the Survey Corps, with considerable support from the Garrison Regiment, had led wide-scale retrieval missions in order to recover as much food and resources as was possible before all of Maria was overrun.

It hadn’t been nearly enough. There were just too many people to support. Too many with no homes, or livelihoods. Too many mouths to feed.

Which was why the royal government had declared that humanity would strike back at the Titans in a mission to retake their lost territory.

Levi scoffed.

They could call it whatever they wanted; it had been a suicide mission, plain and simple. Untrained civilians; unarmed and on foot. They’d never expected anyone to make it back. In fact, they’d depended on it.

250,000 people… Nearly a fifth of the population. Served to the Titans like pigs for slaughter.

The government had drafted the old and the infirm, those who were sick or otherwise too weak to work. All the useless mouths they could muster. And sent them off to die. There had been no doubt in anyone’s mind as to the true purpose of their mission.

…But they had gone anyway. With grim resignation, they had marched off to their deaths. They might not have retaken the walls or put up much of a fight. But they had his respect, nonetheless.

The government had been lax, grown overconfident and as a result, started cutting corners when it came to safety. Trusting that the walls would protect them forever. The worst disaster in human memory had changed all of that.

The reality of their situation had dawned on them rapidly. The Colossal and Armoured titans might return at any time to finish the job, they whispered. And terrified of another catastrophe, the military had had the proverbial fire lit under their asses.

Better cannons were installed atop the walls. Deep trenches dug around all gates, enough to trap several titans. Outdated evacuation plans had been revised after seeing how inefficient they had been when put into practice.

At Dot Pixis’s insistence, emergency granaries went up under military lock so as to avoid any future ‘reclamation’ follies. Recruitment age dropped from fifteen to twelve—and barracks filled up. Round-the-clock watches set up at every single gate, and military resupply posts established in every district as well as at regular intervals between wall Sina and Rose.

"Attention soldiers!"

Erwin's voice cut through the chatter, loud and clear, demanding their attention. He was dressed in the standard survey corps uniform, seated upon his white stallion near the gate, a look of determination burning in his eyes.

"Today we execute the forty‑fifth expedition beyond the Walls. This operation will lay the foundation which, in time, will allow us to retake Maria from the Titans. The years since the first breach have taught us a bitter lesson. The walls will not protect us forever. Should the Colossal and Armoured titans reappear, humanity might well be brought to extinction.” The steel in his voice had the soldiers straightening in their saddles.

"Our objective is the Forest of Giant Trees in southern Maria. There we’ll establish a resupply point from which to launch future ranging’s.”

“We have a three-day timeline, unless the situation demands otherwise—one to reach the forest, one to build and rest the horses, one to return.” He turned slightly in the saddle so each section could see his face. “Out there it is crucial we maintain the proper distance and report any hostiles by flare or courier; keep the lines talking. Do not pursue beyond your sector.”

He drew a breath that carried to the last rank. “Remember our purpose. Obey the chain of command. Keep your courage. Keep your heads.” A brief flicker of a smile. “Offer your hearts.”

They all saluted, fists over hearts.

Long‑range runs were the Corps’ ceiling; anything longer than a couple of days had a way of turning ugly fast. They’d pushed it in the early months after the breach and paid for the ambition—gas gauges slamming to empty, horses going lame, supply carts tipping into ditches and never coming back up. Too many variables; the world beyond the walls punished reach.

Erwin had told him once about an older gamble, back when the wings were new and the maps were blank—a volunteer detachment sent to ride “as far as humanly possible.” No flares returned. No bones were found. Just a line in a ledger that ended in a question mark no one could erase.

In all his time as a scout, he'd only been on three of them.

Inside the Maria, it was possible, there were villages with homes from which to use their gear. And they knew the terrain well. A day or two of riding, and you’d reach the next wall.

But outside the walls altogether was another story. There were no buildings there. Forests with giant trees, the ones they knew of, were few and far between

Nor did the survey corps have as many soldiers as they once used to. Too many expeditions came back with no real results and too high a casualty rate to inspire the people to join. Though these last years had seen a bump in recruitment.

Erwin nodded to the gate guards and reared his horse, so Levi mounted his own and rode to where his own squad waited patiently.

"Thirty seconds until we open the gates!" One of the garrison gate guards announced, his words ceasing all chattering and making everyone snap to attention.

"With this, humanity will take its first step towards reclaiming wall Maria! Show me what you can do!" One of the veteran soldiers yelled and eliciting a collective cheer from the men.

"Opening the gate!"

The gate climbed with the old groan of chain and brick spikes shedding dirt.

"ADVANCE!" Erwin commanded.

They passed the gate and the formation uncoiled through it into the open like a living thing. Levi took his place at the point without ceremony. Spearheading meant first to see trouble and last to be warned about it—nothing new.

---

[Hours later, closing in on the forest of giant trees]

Hours later, sun higher and legs numbed to a steady ache, the horizon lifted in a dark band: the forest.

It had been a gruelling day of hard riding. His backside was sore, and his hands were chafed from gripping the reins. Petra had shot the flare signalling that they had arrived at their objective moments earlier, so they’d slowed down to let the others catch up and regroup before entering the forest. At the moment, Levi rode in the front alongside Mike and Erwin.

Mike’s nostrils flared; his jaw shifted a fraction. “Two ahead,” he said, and that was enough. Erwin angled his horse back to shout orders down the line. Levi and Mike kicked forward.

He drew one of his blades and in a shout, addressed the rest of the men. "Upon entering the forest, start scouring for any titans that may linger nearby."

"Yes, sir!"

The pair at the treeline were busy worrying a trunk, big hands raking furrows in bark like children trying to climb a parent’s leg.

Tch, those bastards better not be learning how to climb. They were difficult enough to deal with as it was.

Once the riders came into view the faces turned, wide mouths splitting in wet delight. Finally, they were in range.

Levi rose. His cape fluttered in the wind, and he unsheathed his blades. The metal was cool and when he pressed the handles of his 3D manoeuvre gear, he was met with the metallic whirring of his equipment.

His hooks shot forwards, gas hissed, and the world became angles and arcs and timings he knew better than his own pulse. The first cut took the nape clean; steam rolled over him, hot and sour. When boots touched ground again, both bodies were facedown and quiet, the forest settling around the absence with a shrug.

Levi nodded to Mike.

He looked around to make sure there were no other dangers in the vicinity. One could never be too careful in this kind of environment.

Motion at the edge of vision pulled his gaze up. A figure crouched on a branch where the titans had clawed—small, far too high up to be a titan. He squinted his eyes in concentration. Not a bird… A person.

For a full second, everything narrowed—all he could hear was the white hiss of steam from disintegrating bodies as his mind made the connection.

A human… outside the walls…

He didn’t let himself blink.

Everything past the Rose had been labelled titan territory years ago; naming a human out here felt like lying to himself.

A survivor from the breach or from the mission to recapture wall Maria? No, probably a soldier left behind. Regardless, they would have had to survive for years alone in titan infested lands. Was something like that even possible? If it was, the forest of giant trees was perhaps the only place one could do it. Had they been waiting for the scouts to pass by and rescue them? No, that couldn’t be right, the survey crops had used this forest as a resting point on missions after 845. They would have come out of hiding at that point. Unless we missed each other…

He’d heard a rumour once that people in the underworld paid soldiers to hide or transport things outside the walls. But it seemed too far-fetched. Who’d risk their lives in titan territory for some cash. Besides, it was too easily discovered. One random check-up could screw everything and get them executed. If the titans didn’t eat them first.

His mind ran through a thousand possibilities. The most likely was that it was a soldier from a previous expedition, or some starry-eyed civilian with grand ideas of adventure, who’d paid the guard to let him out not too long ago.

Mike approached him, "Oi, Levi, what are you doing? You can't freeze out here, it’s dangerous—" He wrinkled his nose. He’d caught the scent no doubt.

Hoofbeats drew up. “Report,” Erwin called, trailed by a cluster of scouts.

Levi pointed. “There.”

Erwin followed his line and went very, very still.

“There’s someone over there!” One soldier yelled.

“What?!”

“Is that…?”

The figure dipped into a crouch. For one heartbeat Levi thought he’d climb down like a sane person. Instead, they stepped off the limb and into empty air.

The jolt hit all of them at once—a sharp, electric panic.

Thirty meters felt like nothing and forever. Someone managed a strangled “Don’t—” and then swallowed the rest because there was nothing they could do. No line would reach. No amount of running would get them there in time.

In their heads it was already done, soft body, hard ground, a bloody smear on the ground. The frustration was immediate and ugly—after all the times they’d risked their lives going beyond the walls, all the people they’d lost, and to finally see a person from the outside world and watch him waste himself right in front of them. The ground swelled up to meet him. Breath stopped. Every eye flinched, bracing for the wet, final sound that would, should, follow—

—and doesn’t.

No scream. No crunch. No splat as they hit the ground in a heap.

There was a chorus of gasps and sucked-in breaths behinds him.

“No way, that’s a 30-metre drop—!”

“How—without gear—did you see any cables—?”

“He should be paste,” someone whispered, as if speaking too loudly might undo what just happened.

He landed the way a man steps off a wagon—knees taking a polite share of the weight—and for a stretched, sour second the part of Levi’s brain that keeps score of gravity and bone simply refused to enter the numbers, because from thirty meters a body should crumple into a boneless mess.

The figure started toward their group at an easy run just as a titan appeared out of the woodwork, towering at a height of fourteen metres.

"O-oi, there's a titan chasing him. We need to help him!" Someone shouted. Others called out warnings. Levi was already moving, horse galloping towards the man.

The figure tossed a look over his shoulders, before crouching down, and jumping.

Levi’s eyes followed the figure through the air as he rose… and continued to rise… and then finally landed on a tree, hanging there like a lizard on glass almost twenty meters off the ground. Hung there for a breath, then kicked off hard enough to splinter the trunk.

He knifed through the air at the titan’s nape. There was a flare in the man’s hand — blue and whirling — and suddenly the back of the monster’s neck blew open, raining down blood and chunks of flesh. The titan took three staggering steps then folded.

“What the fuck…?”

He could hear Erwin calling out orders behind him, and then he was beside Levi. He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped.

“Mike and the others will head into the forest. Let’s go, Levi.”

---

Up close he was younger than Levi had thought — fifteen, maybe. Just a kid. The jumpsuit clung to him torn and filthy orange-black, a mesh vest glimpsed beneath. Hair bright as struck wheat, eyes sky-blue, and a big, stupid grin on his face.

Too pleased for where he’s standing…

He had no gear that Levi could see. It didn’t make sense. Filthy appearance aside, he looked completely unhurt.

That fall should’ve broken his legs. Then there was the fact that he had jumped 20 metres into the air. There had been no grapples or wire used. No 3DMG to boost him up there.

He knew for a fact that this guy hadn’t used any iron-bamboo blades. The titan’s neck had just exploded.

What then? Magic?

No one would ever describe Levi as superstitious, but this defied all reason.

He was no stranger to abnormal strength. Levi had never encountered a person he couldn’t overpower or outpace, despite his smaller stature and shorter legs. He’d heard his squad discussing how it shouldn’t be possible given his size. But this kid…

He couldn’t help but be wary, and as they approached, Levi made sure to put the boy fractionally off his centreline with Erwin, giving him a clean lane for steel should this turn violent.

“I am Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps. This is Captain Levi.” He gestured to Levi with an open hand.

The boy blinked and his smile slipped.

"Are you by yourself?” Erwin continued, “How did you come to be outside the walls?" His voice carried that polite edge he used when only the answers mattered.

The boys’ brows furrowed in confusion, as if the shape of the words were clear, but the meaning had stepped aside at the last moment.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Clearly hesitant or unsure of something. Levi scowled. They were wasting time. Standing out in the open like this would attract unwanted attention sooner or later. If a titan saw them, it would inevitably chase them. And it wouldn’t leave no matter what happened. Ignoring it would also be out of the question, since it would keep at their heels all the way back home, stomping and growling all the way, attracting even more titans. Which meant someone would be forced to deal with it. Someone would have to risk their life or lives to take it out.

"Oi, brat.” Levi said, trying to keep the sharp edge out of his words, though it still came out harsher than intended. “He asked you a question. We don't have the time to idle in the open."

The change was instantaneous. The brat tensed. His posture shifted ever so slightly. But even that tiny adjustment had alarm bells going off in Levi’s head. The image of a harmless teenage boy dissipated like fog at sunrise, quickly replaced by something different… something dangerous.

Yes, he hadn’t noticed at first, maybe because of the surreal situation they’d suddenly found themselves in, but it was clear now. The fabric of boy’s clothes was taut against his arms and chest. Clearly someone who kept in shape, and well-fed too. His arm never strayed too far from the small black pouch at his hip. There was a metal handle sticking out of it, a weapon of some kind? And his stance—ideal for countering, but in a way that could easily be mistaken for an opening. He’s trained, Levi decided.

Levi tensed and he knew Erwin must've made the same observations. He could feel his fingers twitching, inching towards the blade at his side.

Finally, the kid spoke.

"…W-Wakarimasen"

.

.

.

Levi stared, "… What?"

"Nani-o Itteru no ka wakaranai." the boy said, vowels round and clean.

Levi's eyes widened and Erwin's eyebrows rose into his hairline. They exchanged a look of disbelief.

"Erwin, any of that familiar?"

"No, I've never heard anything even remotely close to it."

It’s another language… it has to be…

He felt a fire ignite inside him. The abilities, not knowing their language. Everything was pointing towards this kid being from the outside.

For the first time in a long time, Levi was at a loss.

It had been years since he’d joined the corps in earnest. Since he had decided to follow Erwin and sworn never to regret that decision. Years of risking his life in an endless war against titans, to finally set humanity free. Watching his comrades die.

He’d learned long ago never to get your hopes up. But he couldn’t help it this time.

A person… from the outside world.

It would mean that the survey corps, at long last, had fulfilled one of its founding goals. Proof of life beyond their walls. Proof that there were other humans out there. That they weren’t the last of humanity, no matter what the government said.

He turned to Erwin, "What should we do?" he asked.

Erwin’s gaze bore into the teenager facing them.

“Oi, Erwin.” Levi snapped when the man just continued to stare, and the commander came back to life.

He worked his jaw with a hand, "I… I’m not certain… But, we can discuss that in the safety of the forest.” Then he addressed the teen. "Erwin," he said gesturing to himself and then, “Levi.”

“Naruto,” the boy answered, bringing a hand to his chest.

“Naruto, Erwin, Levi, go to forest. Titan, dangerous.” Watching the commander talk to the kid like a baby would have been comical if not for the fact that they could get swarmed by giant man-eating monsters at any moment.

The brat seemed to get the gist of it though. “Mori?” He looked towards the forest, “Ā, Wakarimashita! Mori ni tsureteitte hoshīdesu yo ne?” The kid said bringing his fist down on his palm.

“Do you think he understood that, Erwin?”

“Let's hope.” Erwin replied. He took two measured steps toward the forest and lifted a hand, inviting the boy to follow.

Naruto seemed to think on it for a second “Sokode aimashou, ne?” He then gestured to himself and them, before pointing to the forest.

“Yes, mori, forest, let’s go, we haven't got all day—”

The world snapped sideways on a dry, papery poof and a column of white smoke erupted where the boy had stood. The sound wasn’t loud, but it landed like a blow; Levi’s heart punched once, high under his ribs, and his hands were already moving—steel out, stance low, weight on the balls of his feet—before even thoughts could catch up.

His blood was roaring, heart pounding like a drum.

Levi readied himself for a fight. We were too careless.

But slowly the smoke turned on the breeze and unwound itself into thinning ribbons that left only trampled grass.

.

.

.

"Where’d he go?!”

---

Previous chapters have been rewritten. Let me know what you think.

~Zenix_404~