Note: Sorry for the very late update. I had a hard time getting motivated to continue, but this chapter is dedicated to tobi-mentally insane, BioHazard82, and all the others who encouraged me to continue on with this story! Thanks, you guys. Hope you enjoy this (longer than I usually ever write) chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Game of Thrones.

III.

Who You Truly Are

A gust of wind flung a boy into the air, tearing him from his slumber. Watching the ground rush up to meet him, he flung his arms in front of his head—but he was suddenly on stable ground. A broad expanse of grass surrounded him in all directions, the tall roots swaying like ocean waves. The boy panicked, twisting his whole body around left and right to try to find a way out of the field. Deciding on one direction, he lifted his foot to start running, but it felt like he was being held back in chains. It was a struggle to lift a leg to run; it felt like he was stuck in a pool of molasses. Feeling panicked, the boy cried out in rage, and his legs were free of fatigue. He was now sprinting at inhuman speeds, the grass parting like waves on both sides of him and blending together into green walls.

Suddenly, he was in a forest clearing. Everything was quiet except for the trees. It was a calming sound as the wind blew through the treetops, freeing leaves off their branches. The little leaves reflected a beautiful green hue in the sunlight, and they swirled in a whirlpool formation around the boy. The leaves surrounded the boy and rose high above him in a spiraling pillar. The boy was fascinated, and reached out to grasp one of the green slivers.

But as soon as he touched one, the whole pillar went from a calm swirl to a tornado of leaves; the green leaves now bleeding red. Then the ground started to give way under the boy and began twisting with the tornado into a dark hole. The pillar closed in on the boy who had no way out, and as he sank into the dark whirlpool, he shouted to the heavens a beastly roar.

Then everything was silent.

Except for little drips of water.

The boy was lying in inch deep water, and when he opened his eyes the lighting was very dim and he could only make out a stone ceiling. Sitting up, he came to the sight of a massive prison cell. Water soaked through his clothes and chilled his skin. Taking everything in, the boy could only breathe unsteady breaths. The whole setting was unnerving, but comforting at the same time.

For some reason, he felt he had been there before.

He slowly walked towards the bars, upsetting the water and causing small splashes.

When he got close, a booming voice cut through the metal columns and rattled him, "So… this is what happened to you, huh? How pathetic."

Naruto, or the new Naruto, jumped back and tilted his head back to look up at Kurama as the mighty fox rested on his paws. With a confused look, the boy shouted, "Y—You can talk!"

Seeing the kid like this was already giving the Nine-Tails a headache. Almost moaning, he snapped, "Shut up, kid. You're even more annoying than you were before."

Now the boy had a bewildered look pasted on his face, oblivious to his situation, "What are you talking about?" Then, a curious look came on his face, and he asked, "…Am I dead?"

From inside the cell, the fox laughed in amusement. "You're not who you think you are, boy. Far from it."

"But… I don't even know who I am now," the boy replied with his head down.

The fox peered down at him with a calm stare, contemplating something. Watching his host be an entirely different person didn't set well with him at all. This kid plainly lacked the fire Naruto had, and especially the guts.

He was the epitome of lost.

Looking back, the way the boy was beaten to near death by that hoodlum in the forest was enough to make the fox scratch at his insides. It was then that he decided that Naruto's making contact with him was of the utmost importance. Kurama remembered that the only thing he could do was heal Naruto with his chakra since it was only fractured bones and bruises. Luckily he had healed him back then before Naruto was speared. If he didn't, the boy would've surely died. As it goes, things were different in this world.

Kurama had heard of the aspects of the Forbidden Dimension Jutsu, but to be able to see someone succumb to their effects was morbidly fascinating. It was like the person was reborn, without being reincarnated. In all the years he had heard of people utilizing the jutsu, the stories were always told by other people. And why?

Because the very people that left never came back.

And now he knows why. If they had been sent to the user's default dimension, they were most likely imprisoned there until death. However, if they were taken to other dimensions entirely, there was no way they would've been able to remember who they were, let alone the actual person that sent them there. Besides, most people were banished to other dimensions, not sent.

So now, watching the most vivacious ninja he had ever met suffer through this abominable jutsu was pulling at the fox's mind. Although, he admitted that it was amusing to actually see something get the better of Naruto. There was nothing that he hadn't seen this boy overcome. Up until now, this kid was the one that could get through anything. Hell, he even got Kurama himself to warm up to him; no one does that. No one even wants to do that. But he did, and gained the fox's respect.

Something had to be done. It would have to be gradual, but he was going to make Naruto remember who he was one piece at a time. Kurama didn't want to risk hitting him with everything at once; he didn't know what it would do to him right now.

It wasn't just chance that Kurama went with Naruto to this new world; he was there to help him get back home.

Even more so, it was a miracle the boy reached him. Kurama was afraid he wasn't going to make it when he first slipped into unconsciousness. As soon as the arrow jammed into Naruto's back, Kurama knew he wasn't going to have enough time. Naruto may have forgotten who he was, but the fox inside him didn't forget a thing.

If Naruto didn't have Kurama inside him, he was a goner for sure. The language barrier alone would have been a nightmare in itself. Luckily the nine-tails knew a multitude of languages, and immediately recognized what language he needed to transfer to his host.

Naruto suddenly spoke while looking down at the water soaking his shoes, "So… You know who I am?"

Kurama hissed, "I know you're not the pathetic slouch you're being now. Pick your head up, boy; the real you would knock you senseless if he were here now."

This caused the boy to look up with watery eyes and shout back, "The real me? I'm me! I am dreaming, right? This is some kind of joke?"

"The only joke here is you, kid."

"Unbelievable."

The boy started to turn heel and walk away, but Kurama wasn't giving up yet. He could just hear the young boy shouting Believe it! in his head, and this caused him to let out a low growl. The splashes Naruto was making with his steps were drowned out by the booming voice of Kurama saying, "This is no dream, boy. You can't leave unless I kick you out."

"Yeah, sure. I'm sure you'll be able to kick me out once you get through those bars, yeah?"

A small growl ripped through the fox's teeth, and he softly spoke, "I wouldn't leave if I were you."

The boy turned around and narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

Before answering, the fox stared down at him. Red eyes buried deep into blue as the two had their own staring contest. This is good, the fox thought, Fight me. Grow a pair and face me. When the boy quit and walked away again, the Nine-Tails pulled his trump card, "I wouldn't leave the only one who knows my name just yet."

There was only silence as the boy froze in place.

"Robb, is he going to be alright?"

Across Bran's bed, the eldest Stark male looked at his younger brother grimly, "I don't know, but the doctors are doing what they can."

Bran looked down at his fur covers. "He saved me, and Theon shot him."

Quick to defend, Robb replied, "It was a matter of timing, nothing more. If the boy didn't save you, Theon would have. Best you thank him, too, you understand?"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the doorframe to get the Starks' attention. When they both looked at the door, Maester Luwin stuck his head in and whispered to Robb, "My lord, you have to see this."

Robb exchanged a curious glance with Bran before heading to the door. He heard his brother call out, "Robb, what's going on?" but shut the door before following Luwin.

Talking to the elder's back, he asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite, my lord; it's a miracle."

Robb didn't know what this meant until they got to the boy's bed. The elder turned to the Stark and explained disbelievingly, "We tended to the boy for no more than a few minutes before something strange happened. The wounds were healing much faster than I have ever seen. It was as if the boy was regenerating himself."

Robb frowned at the boy lying face down on the bed, the hole where the arrow was only a bruise. Peering at the wound, he stared in amazement. The flesh there was nowhere near the damaged skin it was an hour ago. Hell, even the blood on his coat was fresher than the boy's wounds…

Who was this boy?

"Maester Luwin," Robb spoke while observing the boy's back, "The wildling woman that we took back with us said this boy doesn't even know his name. What do you make of that?"

The elderly man scratched his head in response, "Well, I'm not quite sure. Either he has amnesia or he's hiding something."

"My thoughts exactly." The Stark Lord then stood up straight and walked to the door. "When he wakes up, don't let him leave this room."

The boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't know his name, but this creature knew what it was? How was that even possible? This had to be a dream of some sort.

So why was he able to think? Normally in dreams you remember what you say, but not your thought processes… So why we has able to think so clearly? Things weren't adding up.

But on the off chance that this wasn't a dream, and this creature really was telling the truth, shouldn't he at least see what the giant fox has to say? He has no grasp of who he is or where he came from. That fact pushed him to follow his heart more than anything.

After a solid moment of consideration, the boy fully faced the fox again, and gave it his attention.

"Fine. What do you know?"

Kurama was silent after his host gave him his attention again. Most likely, the boy was just seeing what he would say instead of treating him seriously. But no matter, he would be given his name back either way.

I have gotten soft. The fox cringed. If this were to happen a mere two years ago he would've just sat here laughing at his host's naivety the entire time. But things were different. He was different.

So he began, "I will only give you your name and nothing more for now."

The boy crossed his arms. "Yeah, sure. Name's enough for me."

Kurama eyes widened slightly at the boy's curt reply. This boy was nothing like Naruto. This boy doesn't remember strife, death, adversity. There was no ounce of the vivacious boy back home left in his eyes. What was in its place was apathy, and that was the most dangerous of all. Forget the scared little act he's putting on; if he wasn't even this concerned with learning his name, there was no hope in his finding his way back home. He left everything behind to save a whole other world for crying out loud! And for what? To become a weak, pathetic, good-for-nothing lump of human flesh.

And that crossed the line. To hell with being soft.

…You ungrateful son of a bitch. Kurama threw his head from his paws, rising as upright as he could. The kid flinched back a little at the reverberating sounds of the chains screeching across the floor, making Kurama scrunch his snout in disgust. Rising high to the ceiling, the fox's muscles bulged and his limbs looked more defined in the dim light. The beast's head was an even deeper red with anger and his claws were scraping the floor in his building rage. With a vengeance, the Nine-Tails erupted, "Not only do I know your name, but I know who you truly are. You are not the worthless piece of shit I see before me. You are not the person who allows a weak human to beat him to near death. You are not the person who sits by and watches a fight unfold. No. You are the one who despises pieces of shit; the one who never goes down without a fight, the one who fights for those who can't fight for themselves. You are Naruto Uzumaki, and you will get rid of that lifeless look in your eyes before I claw your fucking face off."

The boy could only drop his jaw before the mighty beast kicked him back to consciousness.

"Look, he's awake."

"Stay with him. I'll get Lord Stark here right away."

Osha then watched as the boy adjusted to his surroundings. His stark blue eyes squinted in the light of the lanterns by the bed, and he looked out the window to his left.

He went to sit up, but she placed a firm hand on his chest. "Easy. Your wound is still fresh."

"No, I'm fine, really. I don't feel anything," the boy insisted as he grabbed the hand from him and sat up. Looking at whose hand he grabbed, he caught her eye and gasped,

"Y—You're the woman from the forest!"

"Yeah, so?"

"You were going to kill me!"

His shouting was getting old fast. "I'm about to finish the job if ya don't lie back down." When the boy stared her down, she took the challenge.

Suddenly, the door opened and two men walked in. From what she gathered, they were Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy, the two that her and her now deceased partners ran into in the woods.

After the boy was shot down and insisted the arrow be ripped out of him, Robb carried his deadweight all the way back to Winterfell while Theon carried the smaller boy on his back. When they regarded her one last time, the Stark did something she would never forget: spared her life. She followed behind them as they rushed back to the village.

When they got there, the village maester was called immediately and Robb bolted to an open room in the castle. There was blood all over his clothes, but he only looked concerned for the boy's life. She was ordered to follow him, so she watched as he set the blond on the covers, watching with panic as the master wrapped his wound in cloth. They were then told to leave until they could properly take care of him, and Osha had been assigned cleaning duty since.

When the first news of the boy's miracle recovery came around, she was transferred to watching him while the doctor worked on someone who contracted the cold. She was shocked at the switch in duties, but she guessed that it was because they weren't aware that she almost killed him. They had asked her what she knew once they discovered she saw him before. She told them what he had told her, but she left out the minute detail of her holding a dagger to his throat during their conversation.

For the most part he had been silent, but there were times when his expression would change. She had watched the peculiar lines on his face move with his expressions, amused and fascinated. She almost felt something for the boy and his unknown identity. Was he lying when he said he didn't know his name? Or did he somehow lose his memory sometime before they found him?

Moreover, where had he have come from? If he was a wildling, surely she would've come across him before. But his clothes and skin were too clean to be a wildling's.

It was as if he was just dropped in the forest. Out of thin air.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the boy woke up from his slumber, and forgotten them entirely when he started shouting. How on earth could he already have so much energy after just waking up from a half day's rest?

A stern voice addressed the boy, "How are you feeling?"

Osha turned to Lord Stark when the boy did. The blond replied, "Uhh… Hungry."

All three people gave him strange looks before Robb stuttered, caught off guard, "Oh. Well, we're about to serve supper, but first I must thank you. For saving my brother's life."

The blond nodded, "I guess I should thank you for saving mine."

The Stark walked towards the bed. "Actually, the doctor told me that your body healed itself. Care to explain how?"

When Osha saw the boy's shocked face, she turned to Robb and asked, "My lord, don't you think you oughta get some food in the boy first? I bet he hasn't eaten all day."

Robb gave her a hard stare, but he obliged with a curt nod. Turning back to the boy, he asked, "Can you stand?"

The young man nodded and proceeded to get off the bed like he was never injured. When he had the covers off, Osha could see his bandaged figure.

She had never seen someone with muscles so defined. Every line was solid and the dim light in the room only served to make every contour in his body show. Maybe the kid was a blacksmith? That would've been plausible if he had soot under his fingernails and all in his blond hair. Speaking of blond hair…

Could he be a Lannister? Osha had heard of them before: the richest family in Westeros. Pompous pigs from the way people talk about them. And the boy had the hair, although it was a lot messier and stood up in some parts. He didn't have the green eyes, though.

This boy's giving me a headache just for wonderin' about him, the wildling scoffed.

Watching the faces of the other two men in the room, Osha concluded that she wasn't the only one eyeing his build. A boy with a Spartan figure comes out of nowhere? It was absolute nonsense.

Everyone was wondering the same question, but Robb was the one to ask it, "What's your name, boy?"

And without skipping a beat, the boy replied, "Naruto Uzumaki."

Osha and Robb glanced at each other, since both of them were aware of the fact that he didn't know his name a few hours ago. Osha could then see the look of distrust in Robb eyes on her, but she knew that she was telling him the truth of what she heard. Then, she wondered why the boy suddenly knew his name. Was it because he didn't trust her and trusted the Stark lord? Or was it because he wanted to cover up his real identity, which he did know? It sounded foreign. Was he telling the truth?

Watching his body language, Osha saw something entirely different. The boy was standing upright in a strong stance, and the vibe he was giving off felt nothing like the one he gave off in the Wolfswood. His hands were both clenched and his eyes were narrowed slightly. When she looked into them, she could only describe them as fiery.

This boy was becoming an enigma.

Food.

Lots and lots of food.

Naruto could barely contain his excitement in seeing the multitude of meats and pastries lined up on the tables. People were bustling around to out dishes on the wooden tables, and the scents wafting through the air were enticing. The boy smelled a plethora of spices, and could almost distinguish between the different smells in the meats. Scanning the food, Uzumaki was absentmindedly looking for something, but he didn't even know what. He just knew that he didn't find what he wanted because he felt a slight disappointment in his stomach.

But his thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see the man who introduced himself as Lord Robb Stark earlier, and he regarded him as the man spoke with a smirk, "If you stand there all day you won't get to eat anything."

Naruto gave him a small nod and rushed to get a seat. He heard the young man laugh behind him as he quickly grabbed a plate and plucked various things from the dishes and pots in front of him. The atmosphere was warm with people taking seats and conversing. It was comforting to Naruto before he heard someone behind him whisper,

"That's the boy, right? The one that magically healed himself?" It was the voice of a young kid.

A lower voice responded, most like their dad's, "Hush, lad. Don't speak of such things. We don't know what he is."

We don't know what he is.

At that moment, Naruto felt a deafening pain in his head, and he tensed up enough to fall from his table bench. His shoulder hit the ground as he gripped his head hard, and there were sounds of people getting up from their seats and gasping. Then his brain could only focus on the tense pounding as all other sounds ceased in his head.

What the hell is this?!, was the boy's only coherent thought. It hurts! Just then, images raced across his shut eyes.

Kids pointing fingers.

A park swing.

A school.

A monster.

Tears.

He was crying?

Someone was calling his name. "Naruto! … Naruto!"

"Naruto!"

The young man woke up with a gasp. His cerulean eyes flickered to him and Robb lifted some of the concern from his face. The dining hall had long been cleared by now, all the food and dishes cleared except for Naruto's plate. Robb was relieved the boy came to, and partly because his knee was starting to feel numb from the stone floors.

Bran, who was perched on the bench beside him and Naruto, breathed out a small sigh. After constant pleading, Bran was able to be brought to Naruto's side with Robb when he passed out in the hall awhile ago.

The boy looked white as a sheet. "What… What happened?"

Robb sighed, "You fainted before you could even swallow a bite of food. Between the amount of blood you lost and not eating, it was only a matter of time. My apologies for not letting you eat sooner."

Naruto gave him a look of disbelief, but he made to sit up. Robb let him, and he looked at Bran who then handed him Naruto's plate. Giving it to the boy, Robb spoke, "We saved your food. Eat while I go get you something to wash it down with."

After Naruto took the plate, Robb got up and went to the kitchens without another word.

Bran watched as the young boy in front of him wolfed down his food. He felt pity for him; according to the wildling that came along with them, he looked like he was just thrown in the forest and left there. There's no way he could've ventured from beyond the wall without an ounce of dirt on his clothing or on his person. There was no way.

But the one thing that irked him the most was that he looked exactly like the boy he encountered in his dream.

Same hair, same eyes. His clothes had been different, but there was no mistaking the lines on his face. He had never seen someone with those markings before.

He waited until the boy was almost finished before striking up the conversation he wanted from the beginning, "You said your name was Naruto."

The blond flicked his eyes toward him and swallowed his last bite. He nodded and replied, "Yeah. Naruto Uzumaki. What's yours?"

"Bran," the boy replied as he lifted an eyebrow. The blond's name sounded extremely foreign. "That woman you saw in the forest said you told her you didn't know what your name was."

The Stark boy watched the boy's expression, watching for any signs that this boy wasn't who he said he was. Upon inspection, the boy looked just as confused as he was.

Naruto reached behind his head and scratched it while saying, "I know this is going to sound weird, but when I was knocked out after being shot, I had some kinda dream." Bran narrowed his eyebrows in thought, and the boy continued, "I mean, it started out like a dream, but then it felt more than that. I saw a giant creature in a prison cell, and it told me that it knew my name…"

Bran's eyes widened. Could he have the same dreams I'm having? Is this creature like my three-eyed crow?

The young man on the ground looked away. "I know you probably don't believe me, but something tells me that it was real."

"Naruto… Have you seen this creature before?"

"Hmm?"

Bran then took a breath before explaining, "Lately, I've been having the same dream, over and over again. In the dream, I keep seeing a three-eyed crow. What I'm saying is: if you dream about this creature again, you might be like me."

The boy looked at him and gasped, "Really?"

Bran nodded, watching the boy battle with the thoughts on his mind. "If you don't mind my asking, what did this creature look like?"

Without pause, the boy replied, "It looked like a giant fox."

Bran's eyes widened yet again. Out of sheer curiosity, he blurted, "How big?"

This time, Naruto's eyes enlarged as well. His voice was a whisper, "Bigger than anything I've ever seen in my life."

Bran was about to say something when Robb showed up with a dulled chalice. He peered wearily at Naruto's empty plate and said, "Sorry I couldn't get back sooner. There was a small commotion in the kitchen."

Bran piped up behind his brother, "Robb, can Naruto stay in the room next to mine?"

As Naruto laid in the insulating covers, he was finally able to sort out his thoughts.

That incident in the dining hall got under his skin. Did he really pass out because of starvation and blood loss? Or was it because of what happened when he overheard the conversation beside him? And those images in his head—what were they from? Were they from his past?

It was as if there was some sort of trigger in that conversation that caused him to go into shock.

From thinking about that to thinking about what Bran talked about with him, he was slowly drug into a deep, dreamless sleep.

It was early morning when Robb went to get Naruto from his chambers. The pinkish hue of the sun's rays chased away the dark corners of the sky, and the birds chirped their morning song.

He had been wanting to test the boy's abilities ever since he saved Bran from certain death. His curiosity only amplified when he looked over the boy's physique.

Opening the door, he came to the sight of the boy already awake, leaning on the windowsill with his fur covers draped around him.

Naruto saw him as he entered and eyes the clothing in his hand. In his arms, Robb had a pair of thicker pants, a leather vest, and a fur coat. Robb handed the articles over. "I figured you'd need these. You must've been freezing yesterday."

"I can't take these," Naruto said in awe.

But Robb wasn't moving to take them back. "Nonsense. You'll catch a cold if you go out without proper clothing. Besides, these don't belong to anyone anymore." And technically he was right; they were his old garments.

The boy scrunched his eyebrows together and nodded. "Thank you…" He took the coat and handed Robb the covers to put back on the bed. While he was putting them on, the Stark Lord asked,

"How are you feeling?"

With a grunt, the boy replied, "Pretty much normal. Why?"

Robb straightened and put his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Would you like to train with me today?"

The boy's eyes went to the weapon under Robb's palm. "I'm not sure how good I am with a sword, but I would like to."

This confused Robb. Most teenagers his age should've at least swung a sword once in their lifetime. But then again, most teenagers didn't have arms that looked like a demi-god's…

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can teach you."

With a blank look, the boy eyed him. In a whisper, the boy asked, "Why… Why are you so kind to me?"

Robb didn't skip a beat in answering, "Naruto, you saved my little brother's life. What more reason do I need?"

They made their way out of the room after Naruto finished putting on his new garments over his old ones. Down the stairs, past the hall, and out to the courtyard.

When they got out in the fresh air, Robb spotted Maester Luwin frozen in the middle of the yard, a piece of parchment clutched in his hand. Beside him, Theon was also still.

A chill went through his bones. Something was wrong.

Naruto was by his side, watching his expression then turning to the men in front of them.

Robb walked a bit further before calling out, "Theon? Maester Luwin? What's going on?"

Theon looked at him before the man slowly turned to face them, his face fallen. "We should go somewhere private."

Naruto sat across from Theon, watching as Robb read the note that the old man handed him. He could see Robb's expression change from curiosity to pure rage as he bit out,

"Treason? Sansa wrote this?"

The old man replied quickly, "It's your sister's hand but the Queen's words. You are summoned to King's Landing to swear fealty to the new King."

Naruto could practically feel the disgust Robb was radiating. "Joffrey puts my father in chains, now he wants his ass kissed?"

"This is a royal command, my lord. If you should refuse to obey—"

"—I won't refuse. If His Grace summons me to King's Landing, I'll go to King's Landing," he then scrunched up the parchment in his hands and said, "But not alone."

Handing the note to the elderly man, he ordered, "Call the banners."

Theon looked up at Robb and gave him an admiring smirk. Naruto could only watch the situation, confused. Was there some sort of war going on?

With an air of urgency, the man asked, "All of them, my lord?"

Robb nodded. "They've all sworn to defend my father, have they not?"

"They have."

Robb paused before murmuring, "Now we see what their words are worth."

With a nod, the elder breathed out, "Yeah…" before leaving the three of them in the hall.

The Stark sat down with a shuddering breath before looking at Naruto, then Theon.

Robb's friend just gave a sniff and asked, "Are you afraid?"

Naruto flicked his gaze to Robb's hands over the table. When Robb saw his trembling fingers, he concluded, "I must be."

Before Naruto could say anything, Theon said in a convinced voice, "Good."

This time, the blond was cut off by Robb's question. "Why is that good?"

Both Robb and Naruto waited before Theon spoke again, "It means you're not stupid."

Robb gave Naruto a look, which he returned with a hard look of his own. The Stark then said, "Naruto, I want you to come with us."

The blond was about to voice his opinion before Theon cut in, "Robb, is this a good idea?"

Naruto looked at Theon when Robb replied, "He has good battle sense."

Theon gave a disapproving sound before whining, "You just met the kid. So what, he stabs a man to save Bran and you think he'll be a hero?"

Robb then put his hands on Theon's shoulders. "Listen to me, Theon. We're going to King's Landing. Tywin Lannister has numbers far greater than our own; we'll need every able-bodied man here."

Theon still didn't seem convinced that this plan was in their favor. He shoved Robb's hands off him before getting up. Looking down at Naruto, he addressed his friend instead, "How do we know he's not a spy? You know he looks like one of them. For all we know, he probably isn't even human."

Robb shot up out of his seat and Naruto clenched his teeth, but Theon was already walking towards the door of the hall.

The boy's hair fell in front of his eyes as he glared at the table.

"That's the boy, right? The one that magically healed himself?"

"Hush, lad. Don't speak of such things. We don't know what he is."

"For all we know, he probably isn't even human."

Out of nowhere, Naruto caught up to Theon, grabbed his shoulder, and clocked him right in the cheek.

Theon was flung to the ground from the hit, and he turned back to Naruto with wide eyes. From behind him, Naruto barely heard Robb call out his name.

Naruto stood above the tousled man, his fierce blue eyes boring into Theon's head. He seethed, "I'm not a spy, but I am a human being. You better believe it."

Suddenly, he realized something.

As Robb rushed to his friend on the ground, Naruto glanced at his reddened knuckles.

"Not only do I know your name, but I know who you truly are. You are not the worthless piece of shit I see before me…"

The blond's jaw dropped slightly.

"You are the one who despises pieces of shit."

The boy could only look at nothing when Robb turned to him and yelled, "Naruto, have you gone mad?"

"You are Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto's eyes were wide. His throat was plugged up, keeping him from saying a word to Robb and his fallen friend.

In a panic, the young man slowly backed up a couple steps before racing out of the room.

The doors flung open, and then slammed shut.

To be continued...

Note: I didn't account for how intensive summer school would be, so I'm just warning that updates will be irregular. My apologies! Chapters will always be this length or longer from now on, though. Hopefully next time I can get it to at least 10,000 words. Time to get my GRRM on!

Note 2: A lot happened in this chapter! I feel good about the flow of this story, so hopefully I can keep it up.

Edit: CAN'T BELIEVE I spelled Uzumaki wrong. That was just a bad mishap by me. Thanks to BioHazard82 and Eterguy for pointing that blatant mistake out.