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Within a minute, the wound was completely gone, leaving Krista's stomach smooth, as if she'd never been injured. Only then did Annie, Reiner, and Mikasa stop holding her down.
Krista gasped for air, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the color slowly returned to her face. Ymir sobbed openly, wrapping her arms around Krista, pulling her close as if she feared letting go.
"Thank you, Naruto," Ymir whispered, her voice trembling with emotion as she clung to Krista.
Naruto stood there silently, his eyes dark and distant as he rose to his feet. His hands shook slightly, still stained with the memory of what he'd just done.
"...Naruto."
He turned, finding everyone staring at him—confusion, amazement, and, in some cases, fear etched into their faces. Only Eren, Mikasa, and Armin walked up to stand beside him, their expressions supportive.
Jean stepped forward, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, his usual bravado subdued by the strangeness of what had just happened.
"...Naruto...what the hell was that?" Jean asked, his voice tinged with a nervous laugh, trying to make sense of the impossible.
Naruto felt a small sense of comfort with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin by his side.
"I don't really know," Naruto admitted, his voice hoarse. He winced at the weak answer, wishing he had something more to offer.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jean's voice rose, frustration cracking through his nerves. "You just healed a bullet wound, Naruto! That's not something people just... do."
"Shut up, Jean," Eren snapped, stepping protectively in front of Naruto. "My brother doesn't owe you an explanation."
"Oh, really?" Jean shot back, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Because from where I'm standing, we just watched him healKrista from a gunshot wound, and I might not be a doctor, but that's not exactly... normal."
"Is it really that important?" Everyone turned to look at Sasha, who seemed a little insecure, before speaking out with more strength. "Is it really that important?" she asked, glancing at the others before standing taller. "Naruto saved Krista. He saved her life. She would have died without him, and now you're all acting like he's done something wrong."
Her words hung in the air, and slowly, the group's accusing looks softened. Many of them looked down, shame creeping into their expressions.
"I'm not saying he did a bad thing," Jean muttered defensively, though his tone had lost some of its edge. He turned back to Naruto, his gaze more earnest. "I just... I want to understand. If this is something that can be taught—do you know how many people you could save? This could change everything."
"It can't be taught," he said firmly, cutting through the hopeful silence. His gaze flickered toward Krista, who still seemed in shock. Her eyes were unfocused, and her hand hovered near the spot where the wound had been as if she could still feel the pain.
"It cannot?" Marco asked, his voice tinged with disappointment.
"I don't really know how it works," Naruto admitted, his voice quieter, tinged with sadness as he absently touched the pair of eyeglasses hanging from the rim of his shirt. "My father was a doctor, and even he didn't understand it. But he taught me everything he knew about the human body, so I wouldn't mess it up if I ever needed to help someone... or myself."
Everyone quickly realized why Naruto wanted to become a doctor above everything. Unlike all the other doctors out there. Naruto had something they all didn't have, he could perhaps heal any kind of wound, maybe even heal someone who is missing limbs.
"For how long have you had this ability?" Reiner's voice broke the silence, though Naruto noticed something strange in his tone. And even stranger, Annie was eyeing him with an intensity he hadn't seen before. Her usual cold, distant demeanor was replaced by something sharper, like anger. But why would she be mad?
Naruto scratched the back of his head, uncertainty creeping into his expression. "Honestly... I think I've had it my whole life," he said, his voice thoughtful. "My father said I was only two when Eren cut his finger by accident, and somehow, I healed him." He pointed briefly at Eren, who nodded in confirmation.
"Two years old?" Reiner blurted, his voice incredulous. "But that's not possible. That would mean it's been thirteen years since you—" He was abruptly cut off by Annie's hand clamping over his mouth, silencing him.
"What Reiner meant to say," Annie interrupted, her voice clipped, "is that it's surprising no one noticed this earlier." She shot Reiner a cold glare that seemed to silence any further objections.
Armin narrowed his gaze at them; as far as he knew, Annie hated Reiner's guts for whatever reason. She always refused to explain, and he never really bothered to ask for an explanation, but now, how could she know what Reiner wanted to say, and why would she interrupt him like that? If that was what he wanted to say, why not just let him say it?
Naruto didn't notice the tension. He accepted Annie's explanation without question. "Well, my father always told me to keep it a secret. So I made sure not to show anyone," he explained, shrugging. Many of them nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"So that's why your head healed so fast," Annie spoke up again, her voice carrying an edge. Naruto blinked, remembering the incident during the ODM Gear training when he'd bashed his head against the ground.
"Yeah, that's what happened," he replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
But Annie didn't let it go. She stepped forward, her eyes locking onto his with a mixture of interest and something more—something darker. "And what about the incident in the forest? You were in the hospital for a month. Why didn't you heal yourself then?"
Her voice was sharp, almost accusatory, and the subtle anger behind her words made Naruto flinch. Mikasa moved closer to Naruto, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Annie, silently warning her to back off.
"I'm sorry if I worried anyone," he began. "But after the doctor checked me and told Shadis that it would take a month to heal, I knew if I suddenly got better, it would raise too many questions. So I decided to just let it heal naturally."
"Naruto, can you regrow limbs?" Connie asked out of nowhere, sounding excited.
"I...I don't know. I never really tried it, and I'm not in the mood of trying it now." Naruto answered before turning to speak to all of them. "I'm sorry I kept this a secret, but can you keep it a secret for now."
"Secret? I don't understand why you want to keep it a secret. The King would hire you the moment he hears about this." Marco said excitedly, but he quickly noticed the grimace on Naruto and Eren's faces.
"That's the whole reason why I'm telling you all to keep this quite, Marco. I understand you might think the King is some great man, but there's a reason why talking about the outside world is considered a taboo. Even my father told me that if the truth about my ability were to be revealed, there's a chance they would send someone to...silence me." Naruto explained grimly, making them shudder at the thought, especially Marco, who seemed like he wanted to protest.
"But why would the King do that? He is-" "Marco, Naruto is right." Jean interrupted him with a serious look, catching Marco off guard. "I don't know much about the King, and I don't care about him, but I'm smart enough to know that Naruto's ability will raise many eyebrows, and many of them won't be the good kind of eyebrows to raise." Jean added with a grim look, and Marco's shoulders slumped down in defeat.
"Thanks Jean." Naruto said with a smile, before looking at everyone else. "What about you all?"
"My lips are sealed." Sasha responded immediately, miming a zipper across her mouth. Despite her playful gesture, Naruto knew food might be the only thing that could pry her secret loose, so he made a mental note to keep her well-fed.
"You saved Krista, Naruto. I'm not saying a word." Ymir's voice was firm, her arm wrapped protectively around the blonde, who had been silent up until now.
Jean shrugged. "I'll keep quiet." Connie nodded in agreement, though his expression remained thoughtful.
"I won't say anything." Marco finally said, though there was still a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Annie, standing slightly apart from the others, crossed her arms. "I don't care about your secret, so whatever." Her tone was dismissive, but Naruto caught a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
Bertholdt, as always, looked uncomfortable. "I... I won't say anything either, Naruto," he said, offering a weak smile.
Reiner gave a small laugh, clapping Naruto on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't say a word." His tone was light, but Naruto couldn't help but feel a strange tension in the way Reiner spoke, something hard to pinpoint.
Finally, Naruto turned to Krista, who had remained unnervingly quiet. "Krista?"
She flinched slightly, but after a moment, her voice came out, barely above a whisper. "...I won't say anything, Naruto. You saved me."
Naruto's face softened. "Does it still hurt?"
"Only a little," Krista murmured, her hand pressing lightly against the spot where the wound had been.
"Thank you," Naruto said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "And... I'm sorry. I don't think we have to keep this secret forever. Until we finish our training."
"So... how long do we have to stay here?" Connie asked, breaking the silence as his stomach growled loudly.
"We already sent up the flare. All we can do now is wait for them to get back," Jean replied, his voice tinged with irritation. They began to gather around, but Naruto felt detached. He needed space.
Without a word, he stood and began to walk away, his head bowed low.
"Naruto, where are you going?" Mikasa's voice called out, concerned as she watched him head toward a small path that led down to the river.
"I just... need some time alone," Naruto muttered, not looking back. "Please don't follow me. I just need to be by myself for a while."
Mikasa opened her mouth to argue, but the heaviness in his voice stopped her. She watched as Naruto disappeared down the hill, leaving the rest of them behind in silence.
Mikasa looked at his fleeting figure with sadness. She wanted to follow him and make sure he was alright. She knew how much he valued helping people, and she still remembered the way he killed those people who tried to harm her; she was grateful for his help, but she knew how much this was weighing down on him.
She took a step forward, intent on going after him, when a gentle hand grasped her arm. "Mikasa, he said he wants to be alone," Armin whispered softly. Nearby, Eren was attempting to start a fire with Jean, but their efforts quickly dissolved into bickering.
"You have no idea how to start a fire, you suicidal bastard!" Jean snapped.
"Look who's talking, coward! You probably don't even know what fire looks like!" Eren shot back, his eyes flashing with irritation.
Mikasa sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Reluctantly, she nodded at Armin and moved to join the others around the small, flickering flames. An uncomfortable silence enveloped the group, each person lost in their own thoughts. Mikasa suspected they were all pondering Naruto's ability to heal. She was relieved they didn't know about his power to grow trees; that would only invite more questions.
Minutes ticked by, the silence stretching taut. Finally, someone cleared their throat, breaking the quiet. "Eren, your brother... can he heal sickness too?" Reiner asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Eren replied without hesitation, a note of pride in his voice. His green eyes reflected the dancing firelight. "Naruto's always been special. I wasn't there to see it myself, but he told me about patients he helped—people suffering from illnesses, not just injuries."
"Huh, strange," Reiner muttered under his breath. Mikasa and Armin exchanged glances, noticing the odd tone, but before they could question him, Jean spoke up.
"I never thought of him as someone different from the rest of us," Jean admitted casually, poking at the fire with a stick. "To be honest, I always thought Naruto was just average—not particularly special."
Eren's gaze snapped to Jean, a sharp glare in his eyes. "Naruto is special," he said firmly, his voice louder than before. "Unlike me, he is not driven by anger and rage. That's not who he is. Healing people is not what makes him special, no, his view on life and people is what truly impresses me. That's why he is special." Eren said with a bright smile, catching Mikasa off guard.
"Naruto is the one who will be the future of Humanity. People like him are what this world needs for the future. I will kill all the Titans out there, but he will be the one to lead us all to the new future." Eren finished his speech, and silence fell over everyone.
"Are we talking about the same Naruto?" Ymir scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Because if we are, you're sorely mistaken."
Eren's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Ymir, don't speak about him like that."
Krista leaned forward, her expression pleading. "Please, Ymir. There's no need to be harsh."
Ymir met their gazes with a fierce intensity. "I'm not joking," she said, her voice grim. "You two don't understand yet. This world will change anyone who lives long enough. You will see just how cruel this world can be. Naruto's optimism is to be admired but is foolish. His way of seeing the good in everyone, that kind of mindset will get him killed in this world. If he's half as smart as I think he is, he already knows it. This world doesn't spare the merciful."
Eren wanted to say something back at her, to defend his brother, as did Mikasa, but before the two could come up with something to say...
Sasha glanced around the circle. "Hey, where's Annie?" she asked, her tone puzzled.
Everyone looked around, realizing for the first time that Annie was absent. Reiner and Bertholdt exchanged uneasy glances, both appearing genuinely surprised.
Mikasa's eyes widened slightly as a thought struck her. She's with Naruto, she realized
Naruto
"Why do you want to be a doctor, Naruto?"
The river's gentle sound grew louder as he wandered toward it, lost in thought, barely noticing where his feet led him. His hand grasped tightly around his father's eyeglasses, a comforting weight amidst the storm raging in his chest. He breathed heavily, the memory returning like a bitter reminder.
"Because I want to help people. What other reason would I have?" The words rang hollow now, mocking him.
Naruto's eyes squeezed shut as he reached the riverbank, the cold stones beneath his feet shifting slightly. He opened his eyes and looked at the flowing water, but all he saw were the faces of the dead—blood dripping from their lifeless bodies. Their screams reverberated in his head like a relentless drumbeat. He had killed them. He had butchered them like animals.
The horrifying memory played out again in his mind, unbidden:
' "You are not going anywhere!" Naruto said with a much deeper voice before disappearing from view. For a split second, nothing happened until the giant man exploded in blood.
His screams echoed in the night as Naruto raised him in the air with a hand on his throat; his left leg was nothing but a stomp, and blood poured out like a waterfall as Naruto smiled in satisfaction at the dying man.
"Now, is there anyone else out there?"Naruto said in a deep voice, holding the man's throat firm. He opened his mouth to answer when a silent gasp escaped his throat, and his body went numb.
Naruto's hand sank into his stomach; the blonde smiled in triumph before pulling out his hand and throwing the dying man away. Naruto slowly turned to face the other two. He chuckled with a sneer as they were trying to reload their muskets.
"If you don't attack me, then allow me."Naruto disappeared from view, appearing before one of them; the man screamed in fear, trying to crawl away when Naruto gripped his head hard, raising him in the air until his head exploded in his hand.'
Naruto's breathing quickened. He dropped to his knees beside the river and plunged his hands into the cold water. He scrubbed, desperate to wash away the blood he still felt clinging to his skin. But no matter how hard he scrubbed, the blood remained.
"I want to help people."
The words taunted him now, like a cruel joke. He felt like a rock sinking to the bottom of a lake—heavy, forgotten. No one would pull him out.
I killed them. I killed them... The thought repeated in his mind, each time more suffocating than the last. I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to... His father would be ashamed of him now. A doctor who kills is no doctor at all.
Naruto's heart clenched painfully in his chest. How can I ever call myself a doctor when I caused the death of four people? He thought, horror gripping him like a vice.
If only he hadn't done it if only he hadn't lost control if only those people had never attacked them.
Naruto's mind went to the strange fox he remembered meeting so many years ago. It was so long ago that he had convinced himself that it was all a dream, and that fox had been nothing but his fucked up imagination, but tonight, when he lost his control. The power he felt in that dream, it was the same power he felt when he killed those people.
The power to dominate. The power to fight back. The power to kill.
He stared blankly at the water, the cold biting into his skin, his mind swirling in dark thoughts.
"Naruto."
His eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice, sharp and unexpected. He turned, blinking as Annie stood a few feet away, her face unreadable. She was watching him closely, almost as if she'd been standing there for a while.
Naruto's face hardened. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice flat, void of emotion.
Annie raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with mockery. "Why are you sitting here like this, Naruto? Crying?" she asked, her tone daring him to deny it.
"I'm not crying!" Naruto shot back, turning his head away sharply, refusing to meet her gaze.
"Oh, really?" Annie's voice was cold, almost clinical. "Because all I see is a little boy running away from his problems. Why don't you go back to your mummy? You're clearly not cut out to be a soldier."
"Shut up," Naruto growled, his voice trembling with something darker, a fleeting distortion like two voices speaking at once. His eyes flashed red for a moment before turning back to their usual color. "You don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, casting a brief glance over his shoulder at her.
Annie scoffed, the corner of her lip curling. "I know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm just surprised. I didn't think you'd be this much of a coward."
"I said, shut up!" Naruto exploded to his feet, his eyes burning with anger, but Annie didn't flinch. She stood her ground, her gaze steady and unyielding.
"I never thought," she said, her voice unnervingly calm, "that you'd rather see your sister get raped than get your hands dirty with their filthy blood."
Naruto's breath caught in his throat, her words hitting him like a physical blow. He stumbled back, his eyes wide with disbelief. It felt like someone had punched him square in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs.
"No," he whispered, his voice shaking. "No! I would never let that happen!" The thought of his sister being harmed sent a cold, sickening wave through him, and he dropped to his knees, staring blankly at his reflection in the river.
The moonlight glinted off the water, distorting his reflection as his mind replayed that moment—the instant he lost control, the split second he chose violence.
Annie sat beside him on the rocky shore, stretching her legs out toward the water. The cool night air brushed against their skin, the full moon casting silver light across the rippling surface. She said nothing at first, just watched the river flow, as though waiting for the right moment.
"You fear that you've disappointed your father," Annie observed, her voice even.
"But I have." Naruto's shoulders tensed, and he exhaled sharply. "I killed them. I was supposed to become s Doctor. I have healed people. I have helped people. I'm supposed to help People. Now. I have killed people. What kind of doctor am I?" He stared up at the moon, his face a mask of self-loathing.
Annie was silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the river's gentle flow. Then, she placed her hand on his shoulder—catching him a little by surprise, Annie was never one to make contact like this. "You remember when I told you that my father trained me since I was a little girl?"
"...Yeah."
"My father expected a lot from me. He told me, 'This world has no mercy for weakness. It will stump on those who are weak. You are weak. I will make you Strong.' and then he trained me every day. I wanted to make him proud. He was my father after all. But he was never proud of me. One day, Berholdt appeared, he wanted something from my father for his father, and I saw the way my father talked with him. My father who not once smiled at me, he smiled at him. I was angry. That desire to make him proud turned into anger, and one day. I became Strong." Annie said with a stone look, Naruto couldn't tell what she was feeling.
"What happened then?" Naruto asked, his voice low.
"I beat him. I broke his leg and to this day he can't walk without help. I know what is like to want to make your father proud. And you, Naruto." She turned to look at him, her blue eyes staring back at his. "You protected Mikasa from those animals. This is how this life is. You kill people to protect your loved ones. That's all we can do. You might think this will change you, but you will wake up tomorrow, and it's still you. You are still Naruto, but there will be a new side of you. A side that was hidden before, but it's still you." Annie said with a look that Naruto couldn't quite place, but he liked it, he reached up and placed his hand over hers that was on his shoulder.
Naruto felt relief. He reached up, covering her hand with his own. "Thank you, Annie. You are kind."
Annie turned her face away, her expression unreadable. "I'm not kind," she muttered, but there was a softness in her voice that contradicted her words.
"Yes, you are, Annie. I don't know why you would think otherwise. You try to hide your heart behind a wall of ice, but I think you do that because you feel too much." Naruto said, his voice soft yet firm. Annie's eyes widened slightly; she inhaled sharply, her hand still lingering on his shoulder but not retreating.
"You fear losing those you like, those that you consider friends. You hide yourself behind that wall because in your mind it's easier. It's easier to forget for people you have never known. But I know what is behind that wall. A good person." Naruto continued, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"You have no idea who I am, Naruto. I've done horrible things. If you knew..." She turned, her gaze icy once more. "You'd see me as a monster," she finished, her voice flat, hoping to push him away.
"Then allow me to decide that. Allow me to decide myself if you are truly a monster, or someone I want to get to know more." Naruto said softly, reaching up and touching her cheek, causing her body to tense for a moment before relaxing against his touch.
Her gaze locked with his, and for a moment, neither could look away as they leaned in closer...
"Naruto!"
They both jerked back, standing abruptly as they saw Mikasa running toward them.
"Mikasa? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, his tone light but puzzled.
"You were gone too long. We got worried," she said quickly, her eyes darting from Naruto to Annie, noting the proximity between them.
"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized, pulling Mikasa into a reassuring hug. "I'm feeling better now, thanks to Annie. She helped me," he explained, smiling gratefully at Annie.
"She did?" Mikasa's voice was tinged with skepticism.
"Yeah, let's head back before Eren and Jean turn camp into a battlefield," Naruto joked, stepping past Mikasa. He didn't notice the tension brewing between the two women behind him.
As Naruto walked away, Mikasa stopped Annie with a stern look. "I don't know what you want, Annie, but stay away from him," she said, her voice icy.
A sly smile crept across Annie's face. "And what if I want to be near him." Mikasa's face remained emotionless as Annie turned to face her fully. "He told you all to leave him alone, yet he accepted my company. What if he wants to be near me? What will you do? Tell him to stay away from me. You know that will make him angry with you, and you don't want that." she countered, her smile widening.
"I'm his sister. He listens to me," Mikasa retorted confidently.
"Not anymore," Annie whispered back triumphantly, turning to follow Naruto to the camp.
Mikasa watched her walk away, her fists clenched at her sides. She didn't trust Annie's motives, and she was determined to protect Naruto, no matter what it took.
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