A/N: EDIT: Looking back on this, I was awfully cringe when I was younger...

Argh!

I blame Rikudo-75 for this!

Here I was, content to update all my old stories, then HE has to go and suggest a new idea! I was happy! I was content! And then I was introduced to what I know regard as possibly one of THE best animes of all time. Shingeki no Kyojin. Otherwise known as Attack on Titan. A powerful script, beautiful music and damn good acting. I've already become acquainted with all of the anime, and am up to the most recent chapter of the manga. Naturally, an idea occurred to me.

In that regard, I'm fairly certain no one has dared to try this before. And with that, I proudly present to you...

...the first ever Naruto & Attack on Titan crossover!

"A human can only do so much. A shinobi, however...

~?

Prologue: Savior

Humanity.

Weak. Strong. Loving. Loathing. Kind. Cruel. Loyal. Disloyal. They can be all these things and more and yet, in the face of great adversity, when faced with insurmountable odds, they have managed to overcome all and triumph, time and time again. Be it strength through numbers or solidarity they have always proven their mettle. Always ascertained their worth and existence. The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it completely. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests; seasoned warriors garner fame from impossible victories.

But no warrior or pilot nor even the greatest minds the world had to offer could've predicted the rise of the Titans. No one could've foreseen the walls humanity would built around itself to keep these terrible titans away and the terrible complacency that would ensure. A hundred years of peace-shattered by their subsequent return after so many years. None could've known what was coming. None could have known that the enemy did have a weakness; one that could be exploited, albeit at great risk.

Nor could anyone have prophesied the coming of one who just might be able to wipe all of Titan-kind from the face of the earth...

(.0.0.0.)

She ran.

Mikasa Ackerman ran; as hard and as fast as her legs would carry her, chest heaving and hitching for breath, sobs tearing at her throat, tears scouring her eyes raw and red. Her hair kept getting in her eyes when she ran but she daren't stop to bind it up for fear of being discovered.

She absolutely did not dare.

All around her, Shiganshina District-a town of the outer most wall, Maria, was in chaos. Because that wall had been breached. Everyone was being slaughtered, eaten, devoured. And they, as humans-as people-were all but helpless to prevent it. There were simply too many.

All around her, the town burned. She didn't care. The death of her adoptive mother-Eren's mother-was all too fresh in her mind, blotting out all else. Devoured by that titan, her body bitten in half, swallowed in a single gulp. She'd tried to keep it together. She really had. But she'd just been so frightened. So...scared. And so she had run. Run, and Eren with her, run-from everyone else that might've been able to protect them. They were only nine! There was no way they could possibly fight against any of these monsters! There was just no way-

Boom.

Heart pounding, Mikasa dared to risk a glance over her shoulder, eyes wide. A titan stood there in the distance, towering over a nearby building, eyes narrow, its mouth gawping wide. Beside her Eren gasped, mirroring her thought. Had it seen them?

"Graaaaaaah!"

It had!

Slowly, then with ever-increasing frequency, it started to pound after them, the earth shaking with each step. Still Mikasa ran and Eren alongside her-knowing they couldn't possibly outrun this monster and yet knowing they must.

Live!

Eren's words from long ago echoed in her mind, telling her to run, demanding that she run that she escape. Then she stumbled and fell, her foot catching upon a cobblestone, which sent her skittering into Eren, in turn sending them both sprawling. The impact must've knocked him out-he must've struck his head-because her adopted sibling didn't move after that. But Mikasa had no time for such thoughts because the Titan was nearly upon them now, its footfalls growing closer with each step, its giant fingers splayed wide-

Time itself seemed to slow.

In a motion that seemed to last several minutes rather than a single second, a black and orange blur descended upon the titan's unprotected backside and swarmed up its hide. A man? Twin knives-kunai-glittered in his hands, their purpose obvious; their deadly edges singing a song of death as their owner seemingly ran up the slippery slope that was the titan's back before leaping upon its shoulder. Recognizing the sudden weights on its back the behemoth began to turn, but it was already too late.

The man reversed his grip on the daggers and struck. Twin knives plunged into supple flesh, once, twice, three times. The assailant struck down without brutal precision, slashing across the beast's only vulnerable spot in a series of brutal cross-cut that left the titan reeling, clutching at the gaping wounds, the one area it had forgotten to protect.

Neck.

Looking back, everything only appeared to be moving slowly.

In reality, the man had struck seven times in less than a single second, faster than the human eye could comprehend. And yet Mikasa, with adrenaline surging through her young veins, had seen it all. She saw him kick off the titan's shoulder and launch backwards, his body contorting in a flawless flip. He wasn't wearing motion gear. But...that...was...absurd! He'd taken down the titan with only a pair of knives! Impossible! Ridiculous, even! There was just no way he could have-oh.

Oh.

Mikasa's mind went blank as the titan's corpse teetered, rocking back and forth on its heels, as though it couldn't decided which began to fall. Its jaws still hung open, as though determined to devour her in its last seconds of life. She knew she should run, that she ought to flee from this place before she was eaten and meet up with Eren, but her mind was inexplicably filled with fear as she looked into the hate-filled eyes of her would-be killer.

Just then, she caught sight of that strange blur in her peripherals again.

"Get down!"

Her knees scrapped against the ground as her body rolled and tumbled across the cobblestones; sending a hot flash of pain through her legs. Pain. That meant she was alive, then. That she hadn't been eaten. Her mind was only just now catching up with what she'd seen; her brain processing the impossible death of the fifteen meter beast. Gradually she became aware of arms wrapped around her, a body shielding her from harm. He let go of her then, and she scrambled backwards, her mind awhirl. What was happening? How was she still alive? Why was she covered in blood? Where was-

"Easy there." A rough voice soothed her thoughts. "You've had a nasty fall."

Slowly-warily-Mikasa craned her neck upwards, turning her head in the direction of her savior.

He was young; Mikasa was certain of that much. Couldn't have been more than seventeen years old, maybe eighteen at the most. Ragged blond locks shaded his whiskered face, concealing bright, sapphire eyes and an overly gracious smile deep beneath his bangs. And yet his eyes seemed old somehow Jaded. Hollow, even. An old, traveling cloak hung over his shoulders, beneath which the ruined remnants of an old black and-orange jumpsuit could be seen, wafting in the breeze summoned by his arrival in the courtyard. And he was covered in Titan blood. It stemmed from his sternum and shoulders like a fine mist and thankfully there was none upon his face but still...

He must've finally seen the fear in her eyes; because he began to clean himself with his cloak. Only then did she notice Eren, slung over his shoulder. Finally when their rescuer seemed certain there was no longer any blood on his personage he bent to a knee and faced her, unshouldering her sibling. When he turned, the light of the setting sun glinted of the metal plate wrapped around his head. It was a headband, worn by many of his kind, but Mikasa didn't know that. Not yet.

So instead, she held her breath and braced for the worst. Imagine her surprise when he nodded, checked his pulse and sighed.

"He'll be fine." were the first words she heard out of his mouth. Then he turned his attentions upon her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Trembling, Mikasa managed a nod.

"No need to act tough," he observed with a small smile. "What's your name?"

"M-Mikasa."

"Mikasa?" The man's smile grew another inch. "That's a nice name. Mine's Naruto. Nice ta meetcha." His gaze shifted to Eren's slumbering form. "And this is...?"

"Eren."

"Your brother." It was not a question.

"Hai." Mikasa could feel an icy calm settling over herself; her fear replaced by a cold certainty. "You killed that Titan back there, didn't you?"

"Titan...?" His face crumpled in confusion. "So that's what they're called?" He hazarded a look at the still-steaming corpse. "There were a ton of them out there...so is that why you have all these walls? To keep these things out?" He indicated the still-standing perimeter of stone that surrounded the city a wall that had protected them for many years. For all the good it'd done them thanks to the colossal titan. Everyone was dying because of that brutal beast and its mindless machinations; because it had let those other titans in! Then his words stabbed at Mikasa's psyche, penetrating her cold fury.

"Out there?" she blinked, curious, despite her ire. He wasn't from beyond the wall...was he? "Did you come from outside?"

"Well I certainly don't live in here!" Naruto flung a hand for the destruction surrounding them. A knife fell from his sleeve and clattered to the floor at her feet with a clan of steel. It was one of the very same knives he'd used to butcher the titan with before. Mikasa grabbed it almost on instinct.

"You dropped this." she offered, handing it to him.

"Oh, that?" The blonde laughed at that; it was a soft, amusing sound. She rather liked it. "You can keep it. I have plenty of 'em. And on that note-

Without pausing to even glance over his shoulder, he flung a kunai backwards. The kunai simply materialized in his hand, flung and thrown before Mikasa even recognized the weapon. Before she could think to ask just what he was doing, Naruto did something with his fingers and suddenly there were more of them. Many, many more. She was about to say he'd wasted his weapons when a massive titan lumbered into view, stumbling right into his line of fire. It staggered as the kunai struck it in the back of the head, blinked, turned its gaping maw-

"Katsu." Naruto whispered as he crouched over Eran and Mikasa, making a fist with his right hand.

BA-KRAM!

Mikasa felt, rather than saw the actual explosion. Everything shook around her, threatening to throw her from her feet, were it not for Naruto. The blonde's body was the sole shield against the fire and flames that rose up to swallow them whole; leaving the inferno to ripple harmlessly around them. When the smoke finally cleared they were covered in soot and silt but still very much alive and for the most part, unharmed. At least the unconscious Eren and Mikasa were. Naruto, however...!

"Ah, Kami...these are gonna leave a mark...

Mikasa barely stifled a scream when she saw the ruined state of the blond's back; shards of sharp stone wedged between flesh and bone. His visage was set in a tight grimace as he stood; with a grunt he reached down and began pulling the deadly spikes out of his back one by one, seemingly uncaring for his own gaping wounds.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Naruto was hissing by the time he pulled the last stone spear from his spine. "That's what I get for using so many explosive tags...!"

When Mikasa tried to get a better look at his injuries she lost her breath. In place of what she'd thought to be gaping wounds there were now only the slightest of cuts and even as she looked on those too began to heal as though they'd never been. The only proof that they'd ever existed were the gaping holes in his cloak and she half-expected those to vanish as well. This was all so surreal!

"Stop gawping." Naruto thumbed her mouth shut. "Its rude. You act like you've never seen a jinchuuriki before."

Mikasa hadn't! She didn't even know what a jinchuuriki was!

Another explosion of cannonfire lit the city square before she could speak, showering them in smoke.

Naruto frowned.

"Let's get you and your brother out of here, Misaka-chan." he decided. "I'd hate to have you get eaten after going through all this!" Without breaking stride Naruto bent down and scooped her and Eren up into his arms, pulling them tight to his chest. "Hold tight now!" That chest-alongside the entirety of his body-was abruptly engulfed in a strange golden glow, stemming from head to toe. Their rescuer grunted a warning, and then the world fell away from the three of them. Indeed, the landscape itself seemed to blur in and out around them; it took Mikasa several seconds to realize her eyes weren't playing tricks on her; Naruto was simply running at an insane rate of speed.

Fast!

This was Mikasa's only thought before the air was subsequently sucked from her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath. It came back to her in short order only to be taken away yet again at the sight unveiling before her young eyes. Because Naruto was running. Leaping. Catapulting them forward.

It didn't seem possible that a human being could move so swiftly yet here he was, vaulting over buildings as though they were naught but pebbles in his path. They swept past hundreds of titans in the span of several seconds, blurring by them before the behemoths could even think to reach out and pluck their prey from the rooftops.

In some cases Naruto simply barreled right through the enemies, his golden cloak serving as an impenetrable barrier, an almighty shield that thrust towering titans aside whenever one of them dared to bare their path. At other times his cloak sprouted arms and appendage which he used to vault over the cruel creatures, ending their lives in the blink of an eye.

Out of the corner of said eye-she couldn't quite see what with her Naruto blocking her vision, but she was fairly certain made another strange gesture with his hands, crossing both fingers before him even as he held them with his arms. And as Mikasa Ackerman looked on she bore witness to yet another miracle; out of the air, appearing from nothingness, were dozens of Naruto's, twenty-four in number. But how was that possible?! He'd simply...made more of himself!

If Naruto noticed her confusion he did said nothing. Instead he barked orders at his clones-there could be no other word for them-issuing commands in the blink of an eye. Some he dispatched to aid in the evacuations, others were sent to exterminate the titans. The remaining seven gathered around them in a protective phalanx, their golden bodies a shield against whatever dared come their way. They advanced more slowly now, the shinobi's agility was just a memory now compared to their current pace. Mikasa continued to look on; unable to give voice to the sudden swell of emotion surging in her chest. Why, was this stranger saving them? What did he possibly hope to gain from their safety? And why did her face feel so hot-

Thankfully, Eren chose that moment to stir, forcing the thought to be broken.

"Ara?" Naruto skidded to a halt, the sudden momentum of which nearly jarred the two children from his arms. "You awake, kiddo?"

Eren muttered something incomprehensible, to which Naruto frowned.

"Come again?"

...donwannawakeupyet...

Naruto's response was to strike him over the head with an open palm. "Oi, kozo! Speak properly so I can hear you!"

It wasn't a hard blow by any means, but it was more than enough to return her brother to the world of the waking. Eren jerked free of Naruto's grasp and flopped to the street, clutching the rising welt upon his head. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Mikasa might've found it funny. As it were, she continued to watch the conflict unfold from Naruto's grasp. It simply hadn't occurred to her to ask to be put down yet, that was all! It had nothing to do with wanting to be held!

"Ittai!" he yelped, glaring bloody red daggers at the blonde. "What was that for?!"

"To knock some sense into you." Naruto's deadpan was barely concealed. "Can you walk? Good." Without further adue he began to usher her brother along ahead of them. "This way, this way...

He ushered them under the gate ignoring the confused glances of the military as the portcullis ponderously edged ever closer to closing. An errant glance caused the clones to slow-then stop altogether. Much to Mikasa's disbelief, the dopplegangers moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women; the last line of defense against the oncoming titans. Mikasa murmured her thanks as he finally lowered her to the ground and ushered her onward after Eren. They were nearly there, edging past the guards, almost to safety-

"Good evening, gentlemen." Naruto inclined his head politely as he stepped inside the arch. "Its a fine day to die, isn't it?"

"Who are you?!" One of them challenged him, reaching for their blade. "Ally or enemy?!"

"Me?" the blonde tilted his head aside. "Hrm...I guess you could call me a friend." He made as if to move past them; uncaring of the hostile gazes fixated upon his back. Abruptly, he paused.

"Why aren't you out there?" he asked one of the guards.

"Huh?"

"I said, why aren't you out there?" Naruto continued. "Isn't it your job to protect these people?"

The men shrank back from his gaze.

"B-Because it's safer here...?" Someone murmured.

It was like flicking a switch.

Like an iron trap, Naruto's gaze locked onto the man's own, stifling all warmth in the air. The sheer intensity of his stare-the sudden ice in his expression-was enough to silence the entire room. Nothing moved. Nothing at all. And then he spoke, voice black as pitch, eyes cold as the coldest winter.

"Tell that," he growled, "to the children dying in these walls."

Without another word he continued onward, leading them out of the darkness of the arch and into the light. Despite her best efforts to remain calm, Mikasa started at the sight. She could see the boats! She could even seen Armin on one of them! But they were too far away, much too far, and at this rate-

"Alrighty then." Naruto grunted, hoisting her up by the scruff of the neck and into the air, an errant glance confirmed he had done the same with Eren. "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready...

Mikasa blanched; Naruto, he wasn't, he couldn't possibly be planning on...

"And here we go!"

...he was!

"Two more!" Naruto bellowed, and before Mikasa could think to protest, he flung her and Eren. Hard. They'd just enough time to see the river blur beneath them before they struck the hard, unyielding decks of the boat landing in a tangle of arms and limbs. A cry of surprise went up from her brother; he hadn't been expecting this ! Neither had she! Armin was suddenly there beside them, quick to help them to their feet even as Mikasa struggled to get her bearings.

"You made it!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah," Eren replied sullenly. Mikasa sympathized; now that the chaos was behind them she truly had time to think about it...the death of their mother. It pressed down on her like a weight now, a heavy burden, harsh and cruel, threatening to obliterate all thought. All save one.

"Naruto?"

"Over here!"

Clamoring to her feet, she scanned the many faces crammed into the boat, half-expecting to see Naruto amongst them. But the blonde's whiskered face was nowhere to be seen. In fact-his voice had sounded incredibly distant just now...

Eren was likewise searching for the blonde, but for different reasons than Mikasa's own. Where the hell was that bastard?! How dare he throw them like that and dispensary! He owed him a kick to the shin!

"Naruto!" Mikasa called once, expecting him to pop up at any moment. But he did not.

"Isn't that him?" Armin pointed out. Mikasa wanted to ask just how her friend knew Naruto; but that train of thought found itself obliterated seconds later. Imagine her surprise when she finally caught sight of Naruto in the distance...standing on the shore. He stood there, tall and proud refusing to turn his back but at the same time, making to no move to distance himself from the growing chaos behind him. Wait a minute?! Wasn't he getting on the boats?! If he didn't hurry he'd be left behind!

"Sorry, this is where we part ways!" He waved back at them with a kindly smile. "It's been fun!" He craned his head and looked away. That kind smile and those tattered rags did nothing to distract her from what came next, however. The wall burst, as if he'd expected it to, and a massive titan came barreling through. Unlike its other brethren its body was sheathed in armor from head to toe. And it was coming closer! Pounding forth in a rising cloud of debris of steam, it showed absolutely no sign of stopping, nay, it could not, would not stop...

...and Naruto stood right in its path.

Mikasa marveled at him as he doped a bracing stance, spreading his legs apart, sandaled feet burrowing into the concrete. And then it happened. She felt a change in the air; had she been closer she might've seen his eyes narrow into the golden slits and orange eyelids that so defined his favorite technique.

Sage Mode.

Without pause or preamble he raised a hand, palm upright. There was nothing significant of the gesture, no massive exuding of power. He simply extended his right arm, held it there. And the armored Titan found itself stopped in its tracks. Cold. Naruto budged not an inch; though the street burst beneath their feet and showered them in debris-though the massive monstrosity strained and snorted at him his body stood strong and all too still; an immutable pillar that refused to move or bend to his opponent's will.

"Oi oi oi..." his voice rose over the chaos, growing louder with each passing second. "Killing innocent people, butchering little children...just what the hell...do you guys...

The blonde raised his gaze then and even from here, Mikasa realized something was wrong.

...THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

With a colossal heave, her savior grabbed the titan and heaved, flinging the behemoth over his shoulder as though it weighed no more than a child. The vicious judo throw served its purpose; Naruto's sudden counter sent the armored titan crashing to the ground, well away from what had once been the gate. The survivors screamed at the sight, scrambling away from the clash even as the titan struggled back to its feet. Naruto was there, rising in the air to greet it; a single punch sent his adversary careening back towards the gate in a shower of stone. How had he done that, Mikasa wondered? He'd done something no man should be capable of, a feat impossible for a mere mortal; he'd knocked a titan back with his bare hands?!

"Ora!"

At the sound of Naruto's scream, Mikasa's head snapped back and forth like a puppet severed from its strings.

"Naruto...?

"Yosh," the blonde murmured, bracing himself for the worst as his opponent dug itself out of the rubble. "Lets do this, Kurama! Not at full size, though. Don't wanna crush everything!"

Golden light engulfed him as before, but this time it didn't stop there. It shot upward and outward from him like a beacon, blanketing the setting sun in seven different shades of crimson and saffron. Mikasa looked on helplessly, awed as the blinding radiance took hold of the blonde's form and shook it, warping his body into something massive. Something monstrous. Sapphire snapped into scarlet. Fangs grew where there had once been teeth, spreading his visage into the muzzle of a beast. Hair changed into golden fur and grew rapidly cover his skin, leaving him to droop onto all fours. Nine tails of pure, nascent energy sprouted from his back and flayed the earth to ribbons, claws dug deep into the soil and ripped up great gouts of earth, flinging chunks of it into the air, one of which reduced an unlucky man to a mere stain upon the land.

All the while Naruto was growing, changing, until he towered over them, so much like the armored titan itself. Mikasa gawped up at it, this beast that had once been a man. Was this really Naruto? How had he become such a beast? How had he gone from a mere man to something so monstrous?

"RYAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The fox -for it could be nothing else-opened its mighty maw and roared; an earsplitting cry that shook both heaven and earth. Not one to be outdone, the armored titan answered the fox's cry with another of its own-a deafening knell rising up beneath his causing everyone to clench their ears in a vain attempt to stifle the sound. Unaffected by the blast the beast that Naruto had become rose, standing on its haunches to appraise its armored adversary. Row upon row of razor sharp teeth splitting in an eerie grin.

"Hello, dinner." it snarled.

There was a moment of stern silence as they beheld one other.

And then the fox pounced.

One moment it stood stationary upon the soils of the land; the next, it erupted upward with a mighty lunge of its hindquarters, rising to tackle the titan up and into the hole through which it had first emerged. The earth groaned beneath their impact, sending guards scattering from their cover, uncertain as of whom to attack. Both monstrosities were up in an instant, and it was then that Mikasa realized just how much at an disadvantage Naruto's bijuu form truly was. Although he was clearly much more nimble than his larger adversary, he lacked the armored platings and the endurance that marked his opponent. He seemed to realize this even as she thought of it and bounded forward again, swarming his opponent before it could break into another bone-jarring charge.

It all happened so fast.

One moment they were rolling around on the ground, clawing and tearing at one another. The next, the fox's fangs finally found purchase upon the titan's right arm; biting down with enough force to shear clear through the armor and muscle to the bone beneath. And then it was over. Mikasa recognized the sick pop-pop-pop of dislocation and then the monster's arm was simply gone, flopping away from them in a shower of gore. The titan spat something unintelligible at him, its eyes wide with anger...and perhaps a touch of fear.

They circled one another, titan and fox, fangs bared, neither willing to make the next move. In the end, the jinchuuriki did.

Naruto/Kurama cannoned forward, slamming into the titan like a freight train. There came a mighty "oomph" as the monster's armored spine slammed into the West Wall, leaving it stunned, but not out of the fight by any means; it could still recover and continue. Naruto didn't give it those means. Even as his armored adversary struggled to right itself, his fox-like form was already there, looming overhead like a fierce, implacable Kami come to wreak righteous judgement. Despite its own fear, his opponent puffed out its chest and roared.

"Graaaar-

The Titan never finished that roar.

Jaws of pure, coalescent energy closed around the beast's neck and proceeded to shake it like a ragdoll. The armor upon its neck began to boil and crack, splintering away beneath those man-sized teeth. It seemed to recognize its own impending doom the titan did; because its remaining arm struck at the kitsune time an time again, armored knuckles stabbing into the fox's unprotected snout until finally, Naruto was forced to let go, lest he risk the breaking of his own nose. Yelping he seemed to retreat, momentarily cowed by his opponent's strength. The armored titan chose its moment to advance, and the beast that Naruto had become loosed a roar of his defiance, presenting the giant with a terrible view of the rising tide of black fire in the back of its throat.

To its credit, the Titan tried to draw back from the blast. It really did. Naruto simply wasn't having any of it. Nine tails coiled around the beast's remaining arms and legs, drawing it forward, holding it fast. Four paws clamped around its torso-and still the Bijudama swelled larger in the back of the blonde's throat. Incredibly, he locked eyes with Mikasa in that moment before he unleashed hell upon the titan and himself. She could see the other titans crowding in and around him, grasping at his body, at his form, but despite that the kitsune held fast. Despite that, despite the titans tearing at its fur and devouring its flesh, the kitsune smiled.

A voice plucked at her thoughts, whispered into her mind.

"See ya around, Mikasa-chan."

And then he was gone into the fire. Her last sight of him was that of the explosion; it consumed both kitsune and titan alike, the sheer shockwave of which rocked the boat even as it rounded the bend and left what'd once been their home far behind. Eren watched it go with tears in his eyes, still lost in the memory of his dearly departed mother. Damn those titans! He hated them! HATED THEM! Why did they have to ruin everything like that, devour everyone for the sheer pleasure of it! He'd...he'd get them! One day, he would kill them all!

'I swear...I'll annihilate all of them!'

His sister's thoughts dwelt on a different subject as their home drifted further and further out of sight. A touch of sorry plucked at her heart. Naruto was dead. Had to be. There was no way anything, titanic or otherwise could've survived a blast of such proportions. Even now she could see the flames roiling high into the distance. Naruto was gone. And even if he wasn't, he was trapped in a city surrounded by titans. There was no ways he, even with all his formidable skills could survive. Yes, he was probably dead. Just like her mother. Just like...

Silent and bereft, she laid her head down upon the deck, uncaring of the hardwood floor. Despite her grief, sleep came quickly, ensorcelling her in the sweet mire of her dreams. She dreamed of happier times, of a time before the titans, when she thought the world was a kind and gentle place. And so Mikasa Ackerman slept and she slumbered, quietly wondering at the young man's fate...

...unknowing that she'd soon see him again.

A/N: BEHOLD! Naruto's here! How exactly, hmm? Well...that's a secret! The pairing is obviously up in the air. Maybe NarutoxMikasa in the future, because for the life of me, she's the only heroine in Shingeki no Kyojin besides Sasha that I actually LIKE. Or perhaps Annie? Hmm, decisions, decisions! Regardless, this world is going to be quite a touch different with Naruto around...just think of all the good he could do with his abilities, garned from the Fourth Shinobi War, not to mention the unfortunate agelessness he's acquired from it! And with that little tidbit, I bid you adieu, dear readers!

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Review...Would Ya Kindly?

(Preview)

Naruto laughed as he peered down at the recruits. His recruits. He'd since swapped his tattered garb for that of a miliaty uniform, and he looked perfectly at home in it. And then there was a gleam in his eye;s one that said these next few years just might be the most painful days they'd ever endured. And the instructor did nothing to question his prescence. If anything, Keith Shadis seemed to welcome it. Hell! That was a slight smile on his face.

"Naruto?" Mikasa exclaimed in disbelief. She'd thought him to be dead!

The blonde flashed her a grin that looked more at home on a demon than a man.

"I'd rather ask forgiveness than permission, maggot!"

Oh, she had the succint feeling she wasn't going to enjoy this...

...not at all!

R&R! =D