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Dust hung thick in the air of Trost, mingling with the acrid stench of blood and smoke. Naruto Yeager moved swiftly across the rooftops, his eyes scanning the ruins below. The once-bustling district had transformed into a graveyard of shattered buildings and abandoned dreams. Four soldiers followed his lead.
Mom would be devastated to see the marketplace like this, Naruto thought, his hand instinctively reaching for his father's glasses hanging from the hem of his shirt.
"Squad, keep your eyes open," he called out, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them. "We need to clear a path toward the boulder."
Commander Pixis had entrusted him with this squad—four soldiers who now looked to him for leadership. Naruto wasn't sure why the commander had chosen him, but he wouldn't let these people down.
His eyes caught movement between two collapsed buildings, slow, shambling steps that could only belong to one thing.
"Captain, on your left!" Tannaran's urgent voice cut through his thoughts.
Naruto's gaze snapped to the left just as a seven-meter Titan emerged from behind a crumbled storefront. Its grotesque face stretched into that perpetual, mindless grin as it lumbered toward Mikkel and Dorando, who had paused to check their gas levels.
Damn it! Naruto thought, his heart racing. They're not paying attention.
"Mikkel! Dorando! Look out!" he shouted, but the roar of distant cannons swallowed his warning.
There was no time for subtlety. Naruto dropped from the rooftop, landing hard on the cobblestones below. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his ankles, but he ignored it, slapping his palm against the ground.
Focus, he commanded himself, channeling that strange, warm energy that had always lived inside him. Not too much. Just enough.
The ground beneath his palm trembled, then erupted. Thick wooden vines shot upward, snaking around the Titan's legs. The creature stumbled, its momentum carrying it forward as the vines tightened their grip. With a thunderous crash, the Titan toppled face-first onto the street.
"Mikkel, now!" Naruto shouted.
The soldier snapped to attention, his momentary shock replaced by training. With a burst from his ODM gear, Mikkel launched himself upward, blades gleaming in the dim light. A clean slice across the nape, and the Titan lay still, steam already rising from its corpse.
Naruto pulled back his hand, feeling the drain from using his ability.
"That was too close," he said as the others gathered around him. "Mikkel, Dorando—I need you focused. One distracted moment is all it takes to end up as Titan food."
Dorando nodded, his face pale. "Sorry, Captain. It won't happen again."
"Good," Naruto replied, his eyes already searching for the safest route forward. "Everyone stay sharp. We're heading east toward the gate. Tannaran, take point. Mikkel and Dorando in the middle. Brenner, you're with me at the rear."
As they moved out, Tannaran fell into step beside him. "That thing you did with the wood," she said quietly, "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Let's focus on the mission."
"Yes, sir," she replied, though curiosity still lingered in her eyes. "But... how do you do it?"
I wish I knew, Naruto thought, the weight of his father's glasses suddenly heavy against his chest. All those years of Grisha warning him to keep his abilities secret, and now here he was, using them openly. But what choice did he have? If they were going to survive this hell, he needed every advantage.
"It's something I was born with," he finally answered, keeping his voice low. "My father... he was researching it before he died."
"It could change everything," Tannaran said, her eyes wide. "If you could teach others—"
"It can't be taught," Naruto cut her off.
"Sir, three Titans approaching from the west!" Brenner called out, pulling Naruto from his talk with Tannaran.
"Everyone up!" Naruto ordered, firing his grappling hooks into a nearby building. The squad followed, using their ODM gear to reach the relative safety of a rooftop.
From their elevated position, Naruto assessed the situation. Three Titans. One five-meter and two ten-meters were shambling toward them, drawn by their movement or perhaps their scent. Whatever attracted these monsters, it never seemed to fail.
"We need a different approach for these," Naruto said, studying the layout of the street below. "I'll trap the five-meter. Tannaran and Brenner, you take that one." He pointed to the first ten-meter. "Mikkel and Dorando, wait for my signal, then take the other."
Naruto took a deep breath, feeling the warm energy flow through his veins again. This time, he directed it differently. Instead of vines for tripping, he needed something more substantial.
"Stay behind me," he warned before jumping from the rooftop.
As his feet hit the ground, Naruto slammed both palms against the cobblestones. The warm energy rushed from his body into the earth, and wooden spikes erupted from the ground, forming a cage around the approaching five-meter Titan.
"Now!" he shouted, his voice strained from the effort.
The squad moved, their ODM gear launching them into deadly arcs around the Titans. Blades flashed, and soon steam rose from three corpses.
Naruto stood, wiping sweat from his brow. Using his abilities in such quick succession left him feeling drained, but they didn't have the luxury of rest.
"Everyone good?" he asked, glancing at each squad member.
They nodded, though Tannaran was giving him that curious look again. "Sir, your nose... it's bleeding."
Naruto touched his face, and his fingers came away red. He quickly wiped it away. "It's nothing. Happens sometimes when I use my abilities."
"We keep moving," he said, adjusting his father's glasses on his shirt. "The mission isn't over until we reach the gate."
As they pressed forward, Naruto's squad was joined by another Garrison team led by a grizzled veteran named Klause. The reinforcements brought welcome firepower, but the grim set of Klause's jaw told Naruto all he needed to know—things at the front weren't going well.
"Heard you've got some special tricks up your sleeve, kid," Klause said, falling into step beside Naruto as they moved across the rooftops.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. News traveled fast. "Just doing what I can to keep people alive."
"Well, whatever it is, we could use it. The gate's a bloodbath. Titans pouring in faster than we can put 'em down."
They didn't have to wait long to test their combined strength. As they rounded a tall church spire, a cluster of Titans came into view, three seven-meters and a squat five-meter, all meandering between collapsed houses.
"Perfect chance to see this 'trick' in action," Klause muttered, signaling his team to hold position.
Naruto nodded, then turned to address both squads. "I'll immobilize them. When they fall, hit the nape immediately, don't hesitate."
He descended to street level, choosing his position carefully. The cobblestones felt cool beneath his palm as he channeled his energy downward. Just enough to trap them, he reminded himself. Don't waste it all.
The ground trembled, then erupted with wooden vines that shot toward the nearest Titan. They coiled around its ankles like serpents, constricting with force. The monster toppled forward with a thunderous crash that shook the surrounding buildings.
"Now!" Naruto shouted.
Tannaran and one of Klause's soldiers launched from their positions, ODM gear hissing as they spun toward the fallen Titan. Their blades sliced clean through its nape, and steam immediately began to rise from the wound.
Without pausing, Naruto repeated the process for the remaining Titans. Each time, the soldiers struck with precision, their movements becoming more coordinated as they adapted to Naruto's strategy.
"This is too easy!" Mikkel shouted, his earlier fear replaced by exhilaration as he delivered the killing blow to the fifth Titan they'd encountered.
Naruto didn't share his enthusiasm. Each use of his ability left him more drained than the last. A dull ache had settled behind his eyes, and his breathing came in shallow gasps. The warm energy that flowed so readily at first now felt sluggish, resistant.
"You're pushing too hard," a voice whispered in the back of his mind, deep, rumbling, and unmistakably not his own. Naruto ignored it.
By the time they'd dispatched their ninth Titan, the soldiers were riding high on success, but Naruto felt his knees threatening to buckle.
"You alright, Yeager?" Klause asked in a quiet voice, ignoring the cheering soldiers.
"Fine," Naruto lied, straightening his posture through sheer force of will. Dad, I could use some of your wisdom right about now.
The thought of his father reminded him of their quiet evenings in the study, poring over medical texts together. "The body has limits," Grisha would say. "A good doctor recognizes those limits before they're reached."
Naruto wasn't being a very good doctor to himself today.
As they approached the gate, the full scale of the destruction came into view. The massive stone gate structure that had protected Trost for generations now lay in ruins, the gaping hole like an open wound. Beyond it, fields that had once held farms and orchards now swarmed with Titans, all shuffling inexorably toward the breach.
"There's too many," Brenner whispered, his voice tight with fear.
"That's why we have the boulder plan," Naruto replied, his eyes scanning the terrain.
But as he stared at the ragged opening, another possibility occurred to him. Maybe...
"Everyone, stay back," he ordered, moving closer to the breach.
"What are you doing?" Klause called after him.
"Something stupid, probably," Naruto muttered to himself. Aloud, he said, "I'm going to try to seal it."
"With what?" Klause demanded, but Naruto was already kneeling at the edge of the breach, both palms pressed firmly against the ground.
This would require more power than anything he'd attempted before. Naruto closed his eyes, drawing on every reserve of energy he could muster. The warmth flowed through him, stronger than before, tinged with an almost painful heat.
"Yes," the Kyuubi's voice purred in his mind. "Take more. Take it all."
Naruto gritted his teeth, pushing back against the fox's influence even as he pulled on the power. "Not yours," he whispered. "Mine."
The ground beneath his hands erupted. Massive wooden vines, thicker than a man's body, shot upward and outward, intertwining as they grew across the breach. The wood creaked and groaned as it expanded, forming a dense lattice across the opening.
Behind him, the soldiers let out cheers of amazement.
"He's doing it!" someone shouted. "We won't even need the boulder!"
"Is this even possible?" Klause breathed, watching as the wooden barrier continued to grow, sealing more and more of the breach.
Naruto poured everything he had into the effort, sweat pouring down his face, his entire body trembling with exertion. The barrier was nearly complete now, just a few meters left to—
A massive fist punched through the wood from the outside, sending splinters flying. Another followed, then another. The Titans on the other side tore at the barrier, their inhuman strength ripping apart Naruto's creation as if it were paper.
"No!" Naruto gasped, trying desperately to reinforce the wood, but it was no use. The Titans' relentless assault shredded his barricade, and within moments, the breach was open once more.
Naruto slumped forward, exhaustion washing over him in waves. His nose was bleeding again, worse than before, and black spots danced at the edges of his vision.
"Yeager!" Klause was suddenly beside him, dragging him back from the edge as a Titan's hand reached through the remnants of the wooden barrier. "Fall back!"
As the squad retreated to a safer position, Naruto stared at the shattered remains of his attempt. The wood hadn't been strong enough. He hadn't been strong enough.
"It was worth trying," Klause said gruffly, helping Naruto to his feet.
Naruto wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. "It wasn't enough," he said bitterly. "We still need Eren and the boulder."
And that meant they needed to clear the area of Titans, exactly as originally planned. Back to square one, but with Naruto already dangerously depleted.
"Weak," the Kyuubi mocked from the depths of his mind. "So very weak."
Naruto adjusted his father's glasses on his shirt and steeled himself. There was no time for self-pity. The mission hadn't changed.
"Everyone reload and check your gas," he called out, forcing strength into his voice that he didn't feel. "We've still got work to do."
"Listen up," he said, his voice steady. "Nothing's changed. Our mission is still to clear the Titans near the gate so we can start the second phase. Eren needs a clear path to move the boulder."
"You really think that plan's gonna work?" one of Klause's soldiers asked skeptically. "After what we just saw with your wood trick?"
Naruto's jaw tightened. "It has to work. We don't have another option."
"The kid's right," Klause interjected. "Retreat isn't an option. If we don't seal that breach today, Trost falls, and Wall Rose is next."
"Tannaran, Mikkel, and Brenner, you'll take the eastern approach," Naruto continued. "Klause, your team covers the west. I'll—"
A thunderous crash interrupted him as a building collapsed nearby. Through the rising dust, a massive shape emerged. A fifteen-meter Titan, its body disproportionate and bulging, with arms that dragged along the ground. Its eyes, vacant yet somehow hungry, fixed directly on their position.
"Scatter!" Naruto shouted as the Titan lunged forward, its hand swiping at the rooftop where they stood.
The soldiers dispersed in all directions, ODM gear whirring as they sought safer positions. Naruto launched himself toward an adjacent bell tower, his mind racing. This Titan was too big for his usual strategy.
I need to hit it directly, he thought, analyzing the creature's movements. It was powerful but slow, its massive body limiting its agility.
"Distract it!" he called to the others. "Keep it looking up!"
Tannaran and Klause immediately responded, firing their hooks into buildings on either side of the Titan. They swung in front of its face, careful to stay just out of reach as its massive hands swiped at them.
Naruto positioned himself on a ledge halfway up the bell tower, conserving his remaining strength. He needed perfect timing for this to work.
"Just a little closer," he muttered, watching as the Titan shuffled toward Tannaran, who was expertly keeping its attention.
When the monster was directly beneath him, Naruto leapt from the bell tower, aiming for the street next to the Titan rather than the creature itself. The moment his feet touched the cobblestones, he slammed both palms against the ground.
"Now!" he shouted, channeling his energy almost with desperation.
The ground around the Titan's feet erupted as wooden spikes shot upward with tremendous force. They spiraled around the creature's massive body, constricting like serpents as they climbed higher. The Titan thrashed wildly, but the wood continued its relentless ascent until the sharpened tips pierced through the nape.
The creature froze mid-motion, then crumpled to its knees as steam began to rise from the fatal wound.
Naruto remained on one knee where he'd landed, his arms trembling from the effort. The burst of power had cost him dearly, leaving him lightheaded and struggling to catch his breath.
"Behind you!" Mikkel shouted.
Naruto turned to see two more Titans approaching, eight meters, moving with unusual speed. Abnormals. There was no time to rest, no time to recover.
Drawing on reserves he didn't know he had, he brought his hands together, focusing his remaining energy.
Wooden spikes erupted from the ground, impaling the first Titan through its legs and chest. The creature thrashed wildly, but the wood held firm as Tannaran swooped in to deliver the killing blow.
For the second Titan, Naruto was ready to use more of his power to protect himself but the Titan was too focused on him, that he didn't see the slash of silver, the Titan let out a screech of pain, before collapsing on it's knees, his face falling on top of a small house, destroying it.
The soldiers regrouped on a stable rooftop, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"How are you doing this?" Dorando asked, staring at Naruto. "Growing trees out of nothing? It's not natural."
"I've never seen anything like it," another soldier added. "Not even the Scout Regiment has weapons like this."
"Is it true?" Mikkel pressed, his voice dropping. "What they're saying about you becoming some kind of red demon during the first Titan attack?"
Naruto tensed. That part of the battle was still a blur to him, fragments of rage and heat, the Kyuubi's voice louder than it had ever been before.
"I don't remember," he said quietly, which was mostly true. "I just knew Eren was gone, and then... everything went red."
"Leave him alone," Tannaran cut in sharply. "Whatever he did, it saved lives. That's all that matters right now."
Naruto shot her a grateful look, but the questions had reopened wounds that were still raw. What was he? What was this power, and why did it come with the constant presence of the fox in his mind?
Naruto took a moment to catch his breath. His hands were shaking, and not just from fatigue. Using his power this extensively felt like walking a tightrope over an abyss. On one side was exhaustion; on the other, the Kyuubi's influence growing stronger with each use.
"You need me," the fox whispered, its voice like smoke curling through his consciousness. "You're too weak to finish this alone."
"Shut up," Naruto muttered. "I don't need you."
After dispatching another cluster of Titans, Naruto surveyed the battlefield from a damaged bell tower. His body felt like it was moving through mud. Blood had dried around his nostrils, and his hands wouldn't stop shaking. But they'd cleared a significant portion of the area around the gate, not enough, but it would have to do.
"Dorin, Meyers!" Naruto called to two soldiers from Klause's team. "Get to the wall and man those cannons. Focus fire on any Titans approaching the gate."
The soldiers nodded and took off, using their ODM gear to scale the wall.
Klause landed beside Naruto; the concern on his face made him appear older. "The eastern section is still crawling with Titans," he reported. "We're making progress, but slowly."
Naruto wiped sweat from his brow, trying to think of what to do now. Time was running out, for the mission, for Trost, for him. He was getting tired, and he could feel the Kyuubi growing more restless in the back of his mind, like a predator sensing weakness.
"We need to start the second phase now," Naruto said abruptly.
Klause stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Now? There are still at least seven Titans near the gate!"
"And more coming through every minute," Naruto countered, pointing to the breach where fresh Titans continued to lumber in. "If we keep fighting them like this, I'll be completely drained, and your teams will run out of gas. We need to act now."
"It's too dangerous," Klause argued. "Your brother won't make it to the boulder with that many Titans in his path."
"People will die," Naruto acknowledged, trying to sound like a leader, trying to sound like his father did. "But if we stay here, everyone dies. Wall Rose falls next. Then Wall Sina. Then humanity."
Klaus gave him a long look, then he looked back at the gate, before cursing under his breath.
Klause raised the flare gun and fired. A streak of green light shot into the sky, lingering there like a prayer.
"It won't be easy," Klause said quietly, giving Naruto a meaningful look. "Your brother will need all the help he can get."
Naruto nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. Despite his depleted state, he'd have to keep fighting, keep using his abilities until there was nothing left to give.
For several long, tense seconds, there was no response. Then, from the far side of Trost, an answering green flare lit up the sky. The second phase had begun.
Naruto's eyes found the massive boulder that sat in the central plaza. It was larger than most houses, the key to their desperate plan. In the distance, he could make out figures approaching it, a small team with their ODM gear. Among them, he recognized the flowing black hair of Mikasa and, beside her, Armin's smaller form. They were escorting Eren.
"There they are," Naruto breathed, hope flickering in his chest for the first time in hours.
The squad watched in tense silence as Eren approached the boulder.
A blinding flash of golden lightning split the sky, striking where Eren stood. The ground shook with the impact, and steam billowed outward, obscuring their view momentarily.
"He's transforming!" someone shouted.
When the steam cleared, a fifteen-meter Titan stood where Eren had been. Muscular, with long dark hair and fierce green eyes that were unmistakably his brother's.
"He did it," Naruto whispered, a smile breaking across his face despite his exhaustion. "Come on, Eren. Grab the boulder."
But something was wrong. Instead of moving toward the boulder, Eren's Titan turned around, fists clenched at its sides.
"What the hell is he doing?" Klause demanded.
Before anyone could respond, Eren's Titan lunged forward, not toward the boulder, but toward a nearby large house. His massive fist smashed through the roof, sending debris flying in all directions.
"No, no, no," Naruto muttered, his heart sinking. "Eren, the boulder! You need to move the boulder!"
Eren's Titan turned, but not toward the boulder. Instead, he raised his fist and punched himself directly in the face. The impact was so powerful it tore away half his features, sending his massive body crashing backward against the very boulder he was supposed to carry.
Steam rose from his destroyed face as Eren's Titan lay motionless, slumped against the rock that was meant to be humanity's salvation.
"What's happening?" Tannaran asked, her voice tight with fear.
A red flare streaked into the sky. The failure signal.
"Failed again," the Kyuubi's voice mocked in the depths of his mind. "Your brother is as weak as you are."
Around him, panic spread through the ranks. Soldiers exchanged frantic glances, some already looking toward the inner gate, toward retreat.
"The plan's failed," one of Klause's men said, his voice cracking. "We need to fall back while we still can."
"No," Naruto said, his voice firm despite the despair threatening to overwhelm him. "We're not done yet."
Panic spread through the ranks like wildfire. Soldiers were already moving toward the inner gate, the instinct for self-preservation overriding their training.
"Fall back! The mission's failed!"
"We need to regroup!"
"It's over. We've lost Trost!"
Naruto slammed his fist against the rooftop, the pain jolting through his exhausted body. "No!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Listen to me! All of you!"
The soldiers paused as they turned toward him.
Naruto forced himself to his feet, ignoring the trembling in his legs and the pounding in his head. "This isn't over," he said, his voice carrying across the rooftop. "Look at me. I'm still standing. Are you going to run while I stay and fight?"
"But the plan failed," someone protested. "The Titan isn't moving the boulder!"
"Plans change," Naruto replied firmly. "But our mission doesn't. We protect Trost. We protect Wall Rose. We protect humanity." He gestured toward Eren's fallen Titan form. "That's my brother over there. He's still alive, which means there's still a chance."
"A chance for what?" Klause asked, though Naruto noted he hadn't moved toward retreat. "He attacked himself instead of moving the boulder."
"Something went wrong with the transformation," he said. "But Armin and Mikasa are with him. If anyone can reach him, they can."
He surveyed the tired, frightened faces around him, searching for the words that would keep them fighting.
"I know you're scared," Naruto continued, his voice softening. "I'm scared too. But think about what's behind us, your families, your friends, everything humanity has left. If we retreat now, we're just delaying the inevitable. This is our chance, maybe our only chance, to strike back."
He pointed to the breached gate, where Titans continued to pour in. "Every minute we fight is another minute for Eren to recover. Every Titan we kill is one less threat to the people we love."
Naruto took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his next words. "I can't order you to stay. But I'm going to keep fighting until I can't move anymore. Who's with me?"
There was a moment of silence. Then Tannaran stepped forward.
"I'm with you," she said simply.
Klause nodded, a grim smile on his weathered face. "Beats running away to die another day."
One by one, the others stepped forward, their fear giving way to resolution. They might die today, but at least they'd die fighting. Die with purpose.
"Klause, take your team and protect the western approach," Naruto ordered, a plan already forming in his mind. "Tannaran, you're with me. We need to reach Eren and find out what's happening."
With renewed determination, they launched from the rooftop, ODM gear hissing as they soared toward Eren's position. Titans had congregated around the fallen Titan-Eren, drawn by some instinct Naruto couldn't understand.
Do they know he's one of us? Naruto wondered as he watched a seven-meter Titan lumbering toward his brother's prone form. Or do they sense he's different, like they do with me?
He didn't have time to ponder the question. Dropping to the ground, Naruto pressed his palm against the cobblestones. Wooden spikes erupted beneath the approaching Titan, impaling it through the chest and toppling it sideways. Tannaran swooped in with a perfect strike to the nape, and steam billowed from the creature's corpse.
As they neared, he could see Mikasa standing protectively near Eren's Titan form, her blades slick with steaming blood.
"Mikasa!" Naruto called as he landed beside her. "What happened?"
Mikasa looked relieved to see him again. "Eren transformed successfully," she explained between labored breaths, "but instead of going for the boulder, he turned around and attacked."
"Attacked? You mean he tried to hit you?" Naruto's blood ran cold at the thought.
She nodded grimly. "I tried talking to him, but he wasn't responding. He swung at me again, but I dodged, and his fist hit his own face instead." She glanced at Eren's steaming form. "He's been like this since then."
"Damn it," Naruto muttered, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "What do we do now? We can't move the boulder without him."
His gaze swept the battlefield, assessing their increasingly dire situation. Titans continued to pour through the breach, while others converged on their position. The cannons on the wall provided some cover, but not enough. They were running out of time, out of options.
Movement caught Naruto's eye. Armin, using his ODM gear, lands directly on the back of Eren's Titan neck.
"What is he doing?" Naruto asked, alarmed.
Naruto watched as Armin knelt on Eren's neck, seemingly talking to the Titan.
"Naruto!" Armin called, noticing him. "I need time! I think I can get through to him, but I need you to protect us!"
"What are you doing?" Naruto shouted back.
"I'm trying to reach Eren's consciousness!" Armin shouted. "He's still in there. I know he is! Just give me time to pull him out!"
Another Titan lumbered toward them, its grotesque face twisted into that eternal, mindless grin. Naruto's muscles screamed in protest as he dropped to one knee, pressing his palm against the ground once more.
"You've got it, Armin," he called back, trying to channel what little energy he had left. "Do whatever you need to do. We'll keep you safe."
But something was wrong. The familiar warmth that usually flowed through him came as barely a trickle now. Wooden sprouts emerged from the ground at a painfully slow rate, growing only knee-high before stopping completely.
"What the—" Naruto gasped, staring at the pitiful barriers in disbelief.
The approaching Titan simply stepped over them, crushing the fragile wood beneath its massive foot. Behind it, more Titans were converging on their position, drawn by the cluster of humans.
"Naruto!" Tannaran shouted in alarm.
"I can't—" Naruto tried again, slamming both palms against the ground with desperate force. This time, nothing happened at all. His power had finally given out.
"Weak," the Kyuubi taunted from within. "You refused my help, and now they'll all die."
"Mikasa, Tannaran. We need to defend this position," Naruto ordered, his hands shaking, and the pain he felt. "Anything that gets close to Eren or Armin, take it down."
"And you?" Mikasa asked, her eyes narrowing at his clearly deteriorating state.
"I'll..." Naruto swayed slightly, his vision blurring. "I'll do what I can."
Klause's team had moved closer, engaging the Titans that approached from the west. Naruto watched as they executed the strategies they'd practiced all day...strategies that relied heavily on his ability to trap the Titans first.
"Watch out!" he tried to shout as a Titan swiped at one of Klause's men, but his warning came too late.
The soldier's scream was cut horrifically short as massive teeth closed around his torso. Blood sprayed through the air as the Titan bit down.
"No!" Naruto lurched forward, firing his ODM hooks into a nearby building. But his exhaustion made him clumsy, the hooks embedded unevenly, sending him into an uncontrolled spin.
Another soldier from Klause's team tried to save his comrade, but without Naruto's wooden traps slowing the Titans down, he misjudged the creature's reach. A massive hand closed around him mid-air.
"Naruto! Help!" the man screamed, struggling in the Titan's grip as it raised him toward its gaping mouth.
Naruto fired his hooks again, trying desperately to reach him, but his gear sputtered, the gas supply running dangerously low. He landed on a rooftop, watching helplessly as the Titan devoured the soldier.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, bile rising in his throat. "I'm so sorry."
All around, the scene was rapidly deteriorating. Without his ability to trap and immobilize Titans, the squads were finding out just how outmatched humans truly were. Years of training were proving insufficient against the raw power and numbers of their enemy.
"Klause, fall back!" Naruto shouted, seeing the veteran soldier engaged with two Titans at once.
Klause had just dispatched one when he spotted Tannaran in trouble. A Titan had cut off her escape route, and she was frantically trying to find another path.
Without hesitation, Klause redirected his ODM gear, shooting toward her position. He intercepted the Titan's grasp, pushing Tannaran clear. But the momentum carried him directly into the Titan's waiting hand.
"NO!" Naruto screamed, but there was nothing he could do. Klause's final look of grim acceptance would be forever burned into Naruto's memory as the Titan's jaws closed around him.
Mikasa was a blur of motion, cutting down Titans, but even she couldn't be everywhere at once. She saved a young soldier from one Titan's grasp, only to see another soldier fall victim seconds later.
"Naruto," she called, landing beside him on the rooftop. "We can't hold this position. There are too many."
Naruto's heart felt like it was being crushed in his chest. These deaths were on him. They had all believed in him, trusted in his abilities, and now he couldn't protect them.
"I can't..." he choked out, his voice breaking. "I can't do it anymore, Mikasa. I tried, but I've got nothing left."
Mikasa's expression softened for just a moment before hardening into resolve. "Then I'll protect all of you," she said, her blades gleaming with steaming Titan blood. "I'll protect Eren. And Armin. And you."
Before Naruto could respond, she was gone again, launching herself into the fray with deadly purpose. She was incredible, worth a hundred soldiers, just as people said, but even Mikasa had limits.
Naruto turned his attention back to Eren's fallen Titan form, where Armin was still desperately trying to reach his friend's consciousness. It all came down to them now. If Eren couldn't be awakened, they were all dead.
Just a little longer, Naruto thought, adjusting his father's glasses on his shirt with trembling fingers. Please, Eren. We need you. I need you.
Through the chaos, he kept his eyes fixed on Armin, still perched precariously on the back of Eren's motionless Titan form. Whatever Armin was doing—talking, pleading, shouting—Naruto couldn't hear from this distance. But he could see the desperation in his friend's movements, the way his entire body seemed to tremble with the effort of reaching Eren's consciousness.
"Come on, Eren," Naruto whispered, his voice hoarse. "We need you, big brother."
Mikasa landed beside him momentarily, her breathing labored. "Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes scanning him for injuries.
"I'm fine," Naruto lied, though they both knew better. His uniform was soaked with sweat, his face pale beneath streaks of dirt and blood. "How's Armin doing?"
"Still trying," she replied, her gaze shifting back to Eren's Titan form. "He hasn't given up."
Before either of them could say more, the ground beneath them trembled violently. Naruto grabbed the edge of the roof for support, his exhausted muscles barely responding.
"What was that?" he gasped, looking frantically for the source of the disturbance.
Mikasa didn't answer. She was staring, wide-eyed, at something beyond Naruto's field of vision. He turned, following her gaze, and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat.
Eren's Titan was moving. Not just moving, he was on his feet, the massive boulder now balanced on one broad shoulder. Steam continued to rise from his regenerating face as he steadied himself beneath the enormous weight.
"He did it," Naruto breathed, a fragile hope flickering back to life in his chest. "Armin got through to him."
The very earth seemed to shake as Eren took his first step toward the breach. The boulder, larger than most houses, shifted precariously on his shoulder. Each footfall sent shockwaves through the ground, rattling windows in buildings that still stood.
BOOM!
Eren's second step was even more powerful, his massive body adjusting to the boulder's weight. Cracks spiderwebbed through the cobblestones beneath his feet.
BOOM!
"He's moving!" someone shouted, and the cry was taken up by other survivors, spreading through the ranks like wildfire.
"Protect Eren at all costs!" Ian's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos with clear authority. "Everyone to positions! This is our last chance!"
The remaining soldiers rallied, finding new strength in the sight of Eren moving steadily toward the breach. Even the Titans seemed momentarily distracted, many turning toward the massive figure with the boulder.
Tannaran and Jonah landed on the rooftop beside Naruto, their faces streaked with blood but eyes bright.
"What do we do, sir?" Tannaran asked, her voice steady despite everything she'd witnessed.
Naruto forced himself to think like a leader, even as his body screamed for rest. "We need to clear Eren's path," he said, scanning the area between Eren and the breach. At least five Titans were directly in his path, with more approaching from both sides.
"Tannaran, Jonah. Focus on the Titans to his left. Work together, just like we practiced. Don't engage alone." Naruto adjusted his father's glasses on his shirt. "I'll..." He hesitated, knowing he had almost nothing left to give. "I'll help where I can."
In the distance, Mitabi's squad had launched a desperate gambit. They were on the ground—actually on the ground, running between buildings to draw the Titans away from Eren's path.
"What are they doing?" Jonah asked in disbelief. "They're going to be slaughtered down there!"
"They're sacrificing themselves," Naruto said quietly, a lump forming in his throat as he watched the brave soldiers dart between the Titans' legs, firing off occasional bursts of gas to stay just out of reach. "Drawing the Titans away from Eren."
The distraction was working. Several Titans lumbered after Mitabi's squad, their grotesque faces fixed on the easier prey. But it came at a terrible cost. One by one, the soldiers were caught, their screams echoing across the battlefield before being abruptly silenced.
Naruto forced himself to watch. The least he could do was bear witness to their sacrifice.
"Let's go," Tannaran said, determination hardening her voice. "We can't let them die for nothing."
She and Jonah launched themselves into the battle, moving with practiced coordination to take down a Titan that had strayed too close to Eren's path. Naruto watched them go, wishing desperately he could join them.
"You still could," the Kyuubi's voice slithered through his mind, tempting and venomous. "Just let me help you. Let me in, and you'll have all the power you need."
"Shut up," Naruto hissed, pushing the voice away. He wouldn't surrender to that darkness, not after what happened last time, when he'd nearly attacked his own friends.
Instead, he forced his aching body into motion, dropping from the rooftop to the ground below. His legs nearly gave out when he landed, but he steadied himself against a wall. He needed to reach a position where he could still be useful, even in his depleted state.
As Eren continued his inexorable progress toward the gate, Naruto followed at a distance, staying in the shadows of buildings. Twice, he had to press himself flat against walls as Titans lumbered past, too focused on Eren or the other soldiers to notice him.
When he reached a small plaza about fifty meters from the gate, Naruto dropped to his knees, placing both palms against the ground. He was too far from Eren to directly protect him, but maybe he could still help clear the path ahead.
"Just one more time," he whispered, digging deep for any remnant of his power. "Just... one... more..."
The familiar warmth flickered weakly through his veins, like the last embers of a dying fire. Wooden tendrils sprouted from the ground ahead, painfully slow but still growing. They weren't the robust barriers he'd created earlier in the day, but they might be enough to trip a Titan, to slow it down just long enough for someone else to strike.
Three Titans were approaching the gate from the other side, directly in Eren's path. Naruto poured everything he had into guiding the wooden tendrils toward them. His vision blurred, blood running freely from his nose, but he held on.
The wood snaked around the legs of the nearest Titan, barely thick enough to be noticeable. But as the creature took another step, its foot caught in the wooden trap. It stumbled, just enough to throw off its balance, and crashed into the Titan beside it.
Mikasa was there in an instant, her blades flashing as she took advantage of the opening. Two quick strikes, and both Titans fell, steam rising from their necks.
Naruto's arms gave out, and he collapsed forward, his forehead pressing against the cool cobblestones. He couldn't do any more, his body simply had nothing left to give.
But as he lay there, struggling to remain conscious, he felt the ground tremble with Eren's approaching footsteps. Each BOOM was closer now, the vibrations traveling through the stone beneath his cheek.
With tremendous effort, Naruto lifted his head. Through blurred vision, he saw his brother's massive Titan form silhouetted against the sky, the boulder still balanced on his shoulder as he approached the breach. Mikasa and the remaining soldiers formed a protective ring around him, cutting down any Titan that came too close.
Naruto's lips curved into a weak smile. "You did it, Eren," he whispered. "You really did it."
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Naruto drifted in and out of consciousness, the world around him a blur of sound and sensation. The ground continued to tremble with Eren's footsteps, each impact jarring him back to awareness for a few fleeting seconds.
BOOM!
His eyes fluttered open to see soldiers rushing past, their shouts muffled as if coming from underwater.
BOOM!
Blood trickled into his mouth, metallic and warm. He couldn't remember if it was from his nose or if he'd bitten his tongue when he fell.
BOOM!
The Kyuubi's voice was there in the darkness, whispering promises that slipped away before Naruto could understand them.
A sharp cry cut through the haze, familiar enough to snap Naruto back to consciousness. With supreme effort, he pushed himself up to his hands and knees, his head lifting to identify the source of the sound.
Then came a sound unlike anything Naruto had heard before—a roar that was somehow both Titan and human, filled with rage and determination and pain. Eren's roar, as he prepared for the final effort.
Then came an impact so massive it bounced Naruto's limp body several inches off the ground. The sound was deafening, stone grinding against stone, the crash of the boulder fitting into the breach like a massive cork in a bottle.
For a moment, there was perfect silence.
Then a single flare streaked across the sky. Bright green against the smoke and clouds. The success signal.
Somewhere nearby, a voice—Rico's, Naruto thought—shouted words that would be remembered for generations: "THIS IS HUMANITY'S FIRST VICTORY!"
A ragged cheer went up from the surviving soldiers, their voices hoarse with exhaustion but alive with triumph. They had done it. Against all odds, they had sealed the breach. Trost would not fall today.
Naruto felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, though he couldn't be sure if it actually formed or if he just imagined it. They had won. Eren had done it.
But even as the cheers continued, Naruto's fading consciousness registered a new threat. Through half-closed eyes, he could see Titans still moving within Trost, still hunting. And they were converging on a new target: Eren's fallen Titan form.
No, Naruto thought desperately. Not now. Not when we're so close.
He tried to move, to call out a warning, but his body refused to respond. He could only watch as two massive Titans approached the spot where Armin was trying to extract Eren from his Titan form.
Rico was kneeling over Eren's Titan form, her blades slicing through the fibrous tissue that bound him to the monster's body. Steam hissed from the severed connections as she worked.
"Careful!" Armin's voice is high. "He's too hot!"
Rico ignored the warning, cutting deeper. With a final slice, Eren's unconscious body came free, tumbling backward with Armin onto the ground below.
Naruto tried to call out, to warn them, but his voice was gone. All he could do was watch as two Titans approached his friend and brother.
Just as the first Titan reached for Armin, a blur of movement cut through the air—too fast for Naruto's exhausted eyes to track. A small figure spinning like a deadly top, blades extended.
The Titan's nape exploded in a shower of blood and steam. Before the creature had even begun to fall, the figure had redirected, shooting toward the second Titan with impossible speed. Another flash of steel, another spray of steaming blood, and the second Titan collapsed.
The figure landed lightly between the fallen Titans, and Naruto could finally see him clearly. A short man in a green cape emblazoned with blue and white wings. The Survey Corps emblem.
"Oi, brats," the man said, his voice flat despite the chaos around them. "What's going on here?"
Naruto had never seen anyone move like that. This wasn't just a soldier; this was a legend come to life.
Captain Levi of the Survey Corps. Humanity's Strongest Soldier.
Armin seemed frozen in shock, but Rico stepped forward. "Sir, the operation to seal Wall Rose has been a success. We were just extracting Cadet Yeager from his Titan form."
Levi's eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed Eren's unconscious form, then the sealed gate beyond. Whatever he might have said next was interrupted by a movement behind him, a third Titan, smaller than the others, had somehow slipped past the defensive line.
No, Naruto thought. Not after everything we've done.
With a desperation born of absolute necessity, Naruto pressed his palms against the ground one final time.
Miraculously, the ground trembled beneath his hands. Wooden vines erupted from the earth, weaker than before but still growing with desperate speed. They snaked around the Titan's ankles, tangling around its legs as it reached for Levi.
The captain spun at the sound, his expression unchanging even as he registered the threat. But the Titan was already immobilized, its momentum arrested by the wooden bindings that continued to grow, wrapping around its arms and torso.
With the last of his strength, Naruto formed a final wooden spike, driving it upward through the Titan's spine and into its nape. The creature shuddered, then collapsed in a steaming heap.
Levi's eyes widened fractionally, the only indication of his surprise, as his gaze tracked the wooden vines back to their source. For a brief moment, his eyes met Naruto's across the plaza.
"So be it," the Kyuubi's voice whispered in Naruto's mind, sounding almost impressed. "You did it your way, brat. But next time..."
The voice faded as darkness rushed in from all sides. Naruto felt his connection to consciousness slipping away, the world around him growing distant and muted.
The last thing he saw was Mikasa rushing towards him as unknown people grabbed Eren and were using their ODM Gear to reach the top.
We did it, Dad, Mom, Naruto thought as his eyes fluttered closed. We sealed the wall. Eren saved Trost.
Then Naruto Yeager slumped forward on the blood-soaked cobblestones of Trost, his consciousness fading away even as victory rippled through the ranks of humanity's defenders.
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