The Wings of a Ninja

UPDATED- 12/30/13

Summary: "So what you're saying is that we're in a world where people live inside of walls, and that you go outside of these walls to kill these freaks called Titans, for the good of mankind? That's pretty messed up." "You think that's weird when you have people sticking to ceilings and giant talking animals popping out of nowhere?"

A/N: This is my first fanfic. I honestly don't know what'll happen, and I don't care if you review (it would be nice though). I don't care for flames, but if you want to write one, be my guest. Also, it's not going to completely follow the manga/anime. There will be minor changes, but nothing TOO drastic.

Disclaimer: You would think they'd know that I don't own either, since this is not happening for real. I'm poor, but at least I have a doggy to keep me company.

Chapter 1- This isn't Konoha…is it?

You've never lived until you've almost died. For those who have fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know.

-Guy de Maupassant

Pein was dead. Kakashi found it somewhat hard to believe that one of his own pupils had done it all by himself, but Uzumaki Naruto was always full surprises. He'd been thinking about it as he helped the hero. He was talking to his deceased father, when he suddenly found himself in rubble, sunlight shining on his face. Sakura was hanging over his head, telling him that he was dead. Now he was carrying his student on his back, towards the village. It was only minutes ago he was dead.

"After the attack, I decided to teach my team the tree walking technique-"

Kakashi was in the middle of telling his father about the mission to Wave, when he felt something on his face. It was cold, and wet. He put his hand up to his cheek, only to find his hand dry.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah, I think it was just my imagination."

Then he started to glow. A pale yellow light covered his entire body, and he felt his vision fading. His father gave him a soft smile. "I guess it's not your time yet." As the fire got farther away, everything got darker, and his face felt more cold and wet.

He opened his eyes to see Sakura overhead, tears spilling from her eyes. Her eyes were screwed shut, and he felt her hands on his chest, green chakra surrounding them.

"Sa...Sakura?"

Her teal eyes snapped open, and then she started crying even more. Her quiet moaning turning into loud, crying... Laughter?

"Naruto did it!"

"Did what?" Kakashi asked.

"He defeated Pein!" He could only see a silhouette of her face, but when her head moved over the sun, he saw a smile. "Thank Kami... Thank Kami..." She mumbled under her breath.

"Sakura, what happened?"

"Katsu told us everything. But Naruto hasn't come back yet. Once I'm done, can you go find him?"

Sakura looked like a wreck. No doubt other people are in the same state. She was worried for her teammate. Despite how she was when Sasuke was around, she grew more mature once he left. He gave her one of his eye smiles.

"Sure, Sakura. I was planning on doing that anyway." Her smile turned soft, and she continued healing him. The sounds of the villagers cheering the only sound in the barren, dirt field that was Konoha.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm fine. You can let me walk now," Naruto pleaded.

"Sorry Naruto, I don't need you collapsing on me." 'Especially with such a big welcome waiting for you.' Naruto grumbled some nonsense, and then went quiet.

Naruto didn't want to admit it, but it was a nice feeling, being carried. Having never feeling it as a child. He blushed lightly, remembering seeing his father. For his dad to be the Fourth Hokage, his hero! It was hard to believe.

"Sigh, looks like Pein lost. He was always weak-hearted anyway."

The familiar voice made Naruto's warmth disappear and his blood run cold. Kakashi and the blonde turned their heads upwards to see Uchiha Madara standing on a tree branch.

The forest seemed to go still, even the wind stopping. Naruto fixed the orange-masked man with a hard glare. "Kakashi, you can let me off now." Kakashi lowered him, and they both got into fighting stances. "Well Madara, why come now?" The blonde shouted. He was pissed. "Pein just died and you don't give a damn! He's your leader, isn't he?"

The Uchiha didn't reply immediately, but said calmly, "I came to get you, jinchuuriki. Pein was never the real leader of the Akatsuki." It was then that the masked shinobi whipped his arm out, and two familiar enemies came out of hiding.

'What're Sasori and Deidara doing here?!' Naruto knew that Sasori was dead; he saw the redhead's body when they got back to the Akatsuki hideout. Deidara was another story. The last time they saw him he was alive and with one arm. The blonde then noticed the thin lines crisscrossing across their faces.

"Naruto, be careful. They're Edo tensei."

Kakashi and Naruto got back to back. Neither of them was in any condition to fight; Kakashi being back from the dead, and Naruto using the Kyuubi's chakra and Sage mode.

"Sorry jinchuuriki, you'll be coming with us now." Madara raised his hand, and then threw it down, signaling to attack. Sasori took out several puppets and sent them towards the Konoha shinobi.

"Naruto, we need to get to the village! You can't possibly be ready to fight again!" Kakashi shouted as they dodged the poison-tipped blade on the puppet. Naruto nodded his head reluctantly, and followed Kakashi to an area where the forest was denser. Only feet from the edge, did the trees blow up.

They threw their arms up and blocked their faces from the flames and shrapnel. They both slammed into the ground, Naruto's ears ringing from the explosion. As their vision cleared, they saw that they were stuck in a ring of fire with the three Akatsuki members. Kakashi looked at his arms, looking like they were sliced up by tiny blades.

The heat was blistering; feeling like it was burning off their skin. 'Please let someone from Konoha notice...' Kakashi was silently asking. They turned their attention back to the undead ex Nin behind them. Deidara had already stuffed his hands back into the packs at his sides. Sasori lashed out with his puppets, blades shining in the firelight. A puppet flew past Kakashi as he dodged it, and pinpointed his chakra to the tips of his fingers, and sliced the strings. He was running past a puppet, when he felt chakra beneath his feet. He jumped out of the way of the explosion, more things hitting and cutting him. "Naruto, be careful. There are mines in the ground!"

Naruto was struggling. Not having much chakra right after the battle made him vulnerable. He hated that. It was worse how he had more puppets to deal with; it was always near misses with those blades. Another puppet joined the fray, and he was now taking on three. He had turned his head for a moment to knock one away, when he heard Kakashi yell his name. When he turned around, he felt a blade rip through his stomach, and saw blood fly. He blacked out.

Kakashi had to get over there, NOW. He knocked another puppet away and cut its strings, then sprinted over. Before he could start slashing at the ones surrounding the teenager on the ground, they jumped away. "I would have Deidara blow you up, but with you so close to the jinchuuriki; we'll just have to get you too." Madara said.

The air started to distort, and the jounin's eyes widened at the realization of the technique. As the vortex started to suck them in, Kakashi saw his limbs twist, along with Naruto's body. He had thought of something very risky, but it had to work. Kakashi started using Kamui, and the techniques clashed. He almost screamed in pain, with half his body feeling like it was ripping in half.

It was then that he saw the Kyuubi's chakra was leaking out of Naruto's body, only causing more problems. The jutsu grew, and soon the forest disappeared from Kakashi's sight.

"It was from over here!" Ninjas flew from the forest around the ring of destruction, the smoke from a dwindling fire around the outside, and came to a halt. "Where are they?" A man with a scar across his face asked. "Look at this!" Everyone turned their heads to the one who shouted, to see him holding a black, Konoha headband. Scratched and bloody, with singed string. "This is bad."

When Kakashi opened his eyes; he saw gigantic trees towering against the sky. This wasn't the Fire Country's lands. Sure, they we're known for their forests, but the area was quite unfamiliar. He looked up to the sky, only to see patches of sunlight peek through. He could hear birds twitter up in the branches. 'This is... Nice...' He almost fell asleep, but then remembered the other ninja. 'Naruto!' He pushed himself up, only to bring a pounding headache. He flinched, but still got up. After standing, he turned around in a full circle to find the blonde ninja. 'I swore he was with me wh-Naruto!' He saw the limp body of the ninja, unmoving. When he got close enough, he saw that Naruto's cheeks were flushed, and blood was still pooling from his wounds. 'He needs medical attention now!' But it was obvious there was nothing around for miles. It was all quiet except for the birds, the wind, and Naruto's heavy breathing. Kakashi ripped off a sleeve and a pant leg and pressed them against the wound. He felt Naruto tense up under the pressure, then his body relax.

The blood flow slowed down, but didn't stop. It was then that Kakashi heard something and felt chakra. 'Thud…thud...' He looked up from the body and into the woods. "Whatever's making that noise... Isn't human." He then realized it was time to move; when several of the strange presences were around the area were steadily getting closer. Kakashi wrapped the blonde's injury with the cloth, and heaved Naruto up onto his back, emitting a grunt. He looked down at himself and the cuts he had got. 'Why hasn't Kyuubi healed him yet? There must be something wrong.' The silver-haired ninja jumped up into a tree with a low branch, and jumped higher before he started moving forward. The wind blew through his ears and hair, Naruto's hair tickling his neck. As he flew through the trees, he saw something flash by, and then another one.

Curious, he slowed his pace and glanced at the thing that had the strange chakra. He felt his eyes widen at the thing in front of him. 'What...IS that?' The figure had short, brown hair and small eyes; it had to be at least 6 meters high. It didn't have any reproductive organs either. What chilled Kakashi the most was the smile. It was a grin that spread across his face, his teeth a tinge of pink.

The creature didn't notice Kakashi yet and kept moving forward. The ninja decided to follow it until it noticed, but felt warm liquid on his back. He reached behind and pulled his hand back wet and red with a tinge of dark purple. 'Dammit I forgot, Naruto's still poisoned!' He forgot about the monster and sprinted forward, everything blurring. As he jumped onto a branch with an open space, there was a pale mass. Kakashi halted, and paled at the sight. They were like the monster he saw just minutes ago, only being different heights and features. He craned his head to see what they were crowding on and felt his stomach lurch. The torso of a human was inside one of their mouths, the person the torso belonged to having a face etched in terror. The clothes were unfamiliar, being a tan jacket that ended at the chest, with a design that looked like blue and white wings. He was glad Naruto couldn't see this.

He continued on, the only sign that time was moving was the change in light. His vision was starting to blacken around the edges. Before he knew it, he tripped on a branch and crashed, Naruto flying from his back. He looked down at his body to see his wounds had started bleeding again. Kakashi dragged himself forward and grabbed Naruto's body before it could slide off, and propped him against the trunk. 'Sorry Naruto... I need a little rest...' His vision faded, and he fell against the branch.

The expedition was a failure, once again. They had lost more than they usually did, and no information was gained. Levi sighed, the horses pounding on the ground and kicking up dirt. The mood was solemn, no one speaking. "Commander, how many were lost this time?" He voiced. The commander, Erwin Smith, had dirty blonde hair, combed flat against his skull, his clothes the Survey Corps uniform. He was known to be able to keep calm for such measures. "We lost around sixty-five men, and seven carriages." He said it all with a grim look. They've lost so much that it wasn't worth crying about anymore.

They rode on for a while more in silence, until someone spoke up.

"Stop, I smell blood."

They slowed the horses and they whined softly. "Be more specific Mike, we're all covered in the blood of Titans, and our comrades." Levi said. The one who spoke of blood was Mike Zacharius, known in the Corps for having an excellent nose, and for sniffing people. "It's of neither, but I know it's human." Levi froze. How could other people be out here? When the walls came down three years ago, anyone out here would be bones or in a Titan's stomach by now. This was worth investigating. "How fresh is the scent, and where is it coming from?"

"Due southeast, 45 meters from here. The blood is fresh." Levi turned his horse in the direction told, Mike doing the same. "Petra, Eld, come with me. The rest stay here and guard until we get back." He whipped the reigns and followed Mike into the darkness.

It didn't take long to find the spot, though being quite the distance. Mike halted them, raising a hand in the air, and sniffing.

'Plop...plop...plop...' "It's coming from here." Levi turned his head to the tree Mike was pointing at, to see a puddle of blood, more dripping down. Mike then pointed upwards, and they all turned their heads to the source. If they looked hard enough, they would see a fingerless gloved hand hanging limply.

They got off the horses, and tied them to a branch. After that, they launched wires up to the branch that gripped them and dug into the bark. Gas burst from the gear, and launched them up the tree. What they saw was unexpected.

There was a bright blonde boy in a bloody orange and black track suit, and a silver haired man in a forest green vest and a dark blue shirt. They both were pale from blood loss, but the boy looked worse off. There was a rip across his jacket on the stomach, with blood still leaking out. He looked only sixteen at most, when the man looked at least twenty-three. The boy's eyes were half-lidded, an azure blue showing, and a line of blood trailing down his chin.

Petra and Eld walked up to the bodies and touched their wrists and necks for pulses. Petra whipped her hands away from the boy. "He's alive, but he has a high fever. It's amazing how he isn't dead yet." She said.

"This guy is too," Eld chimed in.

"We'll take them with us. But be careful with them, we don't know how badly injured they are." Levi replied. "The boy can ride with me, and the man can ride with you, Eld."

Eld nodded, then gingerly picked up the man and put him on his back, and gently climbed down the tree. Levi scooped up the boy in his arms, and also put him on his own back, and repeated the process. Once on the ground, Levi got on the horse, and had Mike hand the boy up, to sit in front of him. Eld put the man behind him, and wrapped his arms around his waist. Once settled, they galloped away from the spot.

After riding for a bit, Mike spoke up. "These people must not be from Trost, but that's the last of humanity inside those walls. I also wonder how they got so high up in the tree without any 3 Dimensional Maneuver Gear." Levi also wondered about that. No normal human being could ever get up so high in a tree without the gear. He looked down at the boy in front of him, then at the man.

A lot of questions needed answers, and only these two could provide those answers. Levi sighed deeply. Things just got more troublesome.

A/N:Levi just sounded like Shikamaru just now. I'm not sure this is okay, but you can review. Also tell me what pairings you wish for. I'm really tired, so I'm leaving.