A/N: The concept of this story was drawn from Sword Art Online, a really great anime. Man, I really miss the Aincrad arc. Don't you, SAO fans? =) Don't worry, no plagiarism intended. I'm just an innocent fan here. And now, Shinobi Sekai featuring Sasusaku!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way. If I did, I would have made Sakura hug a crying Sasuke in the rain (a random scene I pictured). It rightfully belongs to the great Masashi Kishimoto. I also do not own the original concept of SAO. Reki Kawahara was the smart one who came up with that, not an idiot like me. XD
Shinobi Sekai
Prologue
Dropping my bag onto the bedroom floor, I headed for the computer, sighing in exhaustion after yet another tiring day of school. I slumped onto the chair and dumped my school blazer onto the bed right next to the desk. Giving another stretch, I worked my fingers skillfully on the keyboard.
Turning on the computer to go online has practically turned out to be a habit by now. Since kids like me have so much pressure these days, everyone's probably doing the same thing around this time. And as usual, there would be one page all teens nationwide would visit.
The Shinobi Sekai social networking site.
No one remembered how the page came about, but it became a sleeper hit overnight. Soon, all teens in the country were using it, even some from the working crew who were of the younger generation. Most of them were only surfing the site to complain about how stressed they are working at their overly-competitive companies, or how their parents were bogging them down with homework, cram school and such – a very regular and plain sight these days. I honestly didn't remember competition to be so fierce between youngsters a few years back.
Those competitive parents. I shook my head and sighed, waiting for the page to load. Thank god my parents weren't as outrageous, but they were close. Peer pressure is practically drowning teens nowadays, and it's surprising how psychologists aren't getting a bigger pay check yet.
I logged in to the page, typing the password almost effortlessly. I ran my eyes down the lines of the words, getting the latest updates of the day.
XXX
S.H.I.N.O.B.I. – S.E.K.A.I.
SakuraH
InoXX: OMG! Parents freaking out like crazy!
Cho: Again? Didn't they do that yesterday? O.O
InoXX: Yeah, and not to mention the day before!
InoXX: And the day before…
InoXX: And the day before…
InoXX: And the day before…
Nara Shikamaru: Shut up Ino. We get it. Now stop spamming.
Cho: Must be tough.
Cho: My parents only lectured me about too much meat
InoXX: Again!? Don't parents ever get tired of lecturing the same things every single day?
...
KibaMaru: Darn it! So now I'm losing my freedom of speech too? =(
Cho: Hey, you okay? Watcha folks say this time?
BugsRule: Do not be discouraged. I'm sure they have their reasons to do so.
KibaMaru: Cho, Yeah I'm cool. They're like 'oh how can you vie for the position of the model student in class if you keep sprouting nonsense and all that vulgar' crap like that
KibaMaru: BugsRule, DON'T YOU DARE SIDE THEM, YOU BUGGER.
KibaMaru: Arghh…damn it those %*%!
BugsRule: And now I need to wash my eyes with soap.
KibaMaru: like you need to do that with those stupid shades of yours
KibaMaru: (the comment has been marked as spam and abuse)
...
1010: Tuition. Homework. Extra school. Competition. Gymnastic practice. A girl can only take so much damage to her delicate mind. /stressed
Lee: Chill. Everyone's like that. You should be used to it by now.
1010: I know…but urgh, she's yelling at me again. Chat with ya later
InoXX: I totally get you, Ten. They might as well let us rest in peace by suffocating us. Grr.
...
Shizune: Who do you think you are, just coz you're the boss? Stop threatening me about becoming jobless!
XXX
The recurring posts about their complaints stirred my boredom as I kept scrolling down the pages, feeling sorry for the poor saps who have terribly competitive parents or higher-ups. Getting tired of reading the same issues all over again, I refreshed the page, hoping to find something to interest me. Thankfully, something did. That one particular picture caught my attention within no time, and apparently already gained the attention of two thousand others online.
The picture was of a greyish-silver talisman the shape of the ancient ninja weapon…kunai, if I'm not mistaken. History classes were never my forte. There was a thin purplish lining around the weapon, and a metal chain attached to its handle. By the looks of it, it would be slightly bigger than the size of one's palm. The middle of the kunai had a small glistening diamond-encrusted gem connected to it. I peered closer to the screen. The gem was oddly-shaped. It wasn't like any other bead-shaped gem, nor was it in any kind of polygon. Instead, it was in the shape of a leaf, the central part curling inwards. As I was done examining the kunai, I proceeded to read the caption beneath it.
The two thousand viewed, five hundred twenty one commented caption of the picture read:
Sharingan: Good evening, dear users of Shinobi Sekai. I am the founder of the site, Sharingan. This is the Talisman of Shinobi, a wonderful talisman which is able to fulfill and grant any one wish. Its properties are certain, and its abilities assured. The power of the talisman is real, and anyone who gets their hands on it can have their wish granted. Only one wish will be granted however, and such a treasure is hidden within the heavenly grounds of the true World of Shinobi. Once you step foot into the real Shinobi Sekai, you will become a permanent citizen of it; once you leave the Shinobi grounds, you will never be able to return. Of course, I would not pull such a ridiculous trick on everyone just for the fun of it. Find it, fight for it, only one person may get their hands on the talisman, and the wish is yours to keep.
That's just ridiculous. I felt like laughing just for the amusement. A talisman which can grant any wish? That was too good to be true. So good that it was literally impossible for it to exist. I carried on to see what people thought about the preposterous lie the self-proclaimed founder of Shinobi Sekai blatantly put up.
DVF: What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?
XOX: Man, this is going too far
Xen: Dude Sharingan, did ur account get hacked or somethin?
InoXX: What? Are you serious?
BugsRule: This completely defies the laws of physics, as well as the very existence of logic.
KibaMaru: Freaking bastard! Did you think we didn't have enough to worry about!? Stop giving crap like that and get us a REAL solution to the stupid bogus system we have to go through every day!
Iru: KibaMaru, High 5, dude.
Lee: Yeah, you tell 'em, Kiba!
Psyc: Give it to them, KibaMaru! =DD
E152: Go for it, man!
Naru: Hey, I want that talisman!
E152: Go freaking die, Naru. You must be one of the lucky chinks who still have freedom in this world to talk like that. /disgusted
Hyuu: Shut up Naru. You're probably the only 1 in the planet who still has the time to care about this
Kon: Hyuu, your parents r givin u computer access? that's rare
Hyuu: No. Imma lockin myself in room and telling them Im going to bed
Kon: smart
Hachi: actually, that talisman/kunai looks pretty darn cool
Ju: IKR. and wouldn't it b really cool to get ur wish granted?
Hachi: if the Shinobi Sekai really existed, I wouldn't mind living there
Naru: Dang yeah!
I rubbed my eyes subconsciously. Reading all the comments were taking its toll on me, and I still had to reserve some energy for the 4-hour extra class later at night. Just as I was about to shut the computer off, a flashing pop-up appeared.
If you agree to leave to the Shinobi Sekai, head to the Suzuka underground station tomorrow afternoon at two.
I paused. Suzuka city doesn't have an underground station. As if understanding my concern, the next sentence wrote:
The following are coordinates to the station, as well as a GPS system to guide you there. I will be waiting for you with bated breath, my fellow shinobis.
Giving a small gulp, I leaned back against the reclining chair. Find a kunai shaped talisman, and you get a wish granted. Not exactly a bad deal. Probably wouldn't hurt to take a peek tomorrow. Besides, most teens seem to trust the words of Sharingan, regardless of its reliability. Not considering the consequences was a terrible mistake on my part; and it was really unusual for me not to. Nevertheless, this newfound 'quest' seems to be the key to a different future for us. Because we really need a change in this world. At that point, I already had a plan set in motion. If I get that talisman, I'll free the people of this world from the burden we were suffering from. I'll make sure the children will get a different future and lead a better and happier life.
As instructed, I followed the directions given by Sharingan's system and found myself at the Suzuka station. There is only one railway; I was sure of it. Where would they get an underground station out of nowhere? I've been questioning my decisions and actions continuously without fail ever since I left my house that day. I, Haruno Sakura was skipping school! Not to mention I was discarding the logical theories and perceptions tugging at my heart about that very incident – which, if I did not mention, was immensely odd for me.
Following the beeping red dot on my phone (from which I downloaded off of the SS page last night), I found myself led to a quiet corner of the station. As I went round the corner of the wall, and there, to my surprise, was a flight of stairs completely undiscovered.
My footfalls grew slower as fear and anxiety began to creep over me. What would happen if I go down there? Is this a scam to kidnap teens? I played all sorts of worse-case scenarios in my head, trying to be mentally prepared. I grabbed onto the edge of my crimson red shirt, the other hand gripping tighter to my phone.
'Oh Sakura, you've already come this far! Don't you dare chicken out now. It's too late to turn back.' Reprimanding myself was probably not doing my irregularly-thumping heart any good.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the silhouette of a guy – probably around my age – walk towards me (or down the stairs). I was just standing there staring at him, and it undoubtedly crept him out, because the moment he walked past me and down the stairs, he gave me a suspicious look and turned away. I felt my face heating up as I took a small gulp.
Watching his retreating figure, I recalled his features. Dark onyx eyes, spiky raven hair, and a…indescribable demeanor. Said guy was clad in a dark blue shirt and jeans with a few bandages down his upper arm. A delinquent? I shook my head as he disappeared down the dark flight of stairs. He was too refined to be one.
I sighed, mentally warning myself to stop doing that every five minutes. Sliding my phone into my pocket, I held on to the railing and tailed the stranger.
The stairs were much longer than expected, and it took a good seven-minute just to get to ground. The first thing registered about the basement was: noise. And a lot of it.
The dimly-lit basement was filled with the chattering noises of the huge crowd – the second thing I noticed. Gauging the numbers, it seemed like teens from all over Japan are assembled here. I could even see a minority of people in their twenties or thirties. Trying to weave through the mass, I wondered why I didn't get Ino or Hinata to come along. I was actually pretty surprised that so many people showed up; most people thought it was a mere fluke.
"I can't wait to go!" I heard a few guys chat in excitement.
"Hey, but are you sure we'll be okay? I mean, I don't even know what we're going to do here." replied another.
"True, but it's alright. It's probably better than living in that hell everyday."
The small group of friends nodded. "When I get that talisman, I'll wish for eternal freedom!"
"Hah. I'll wish for a successful life, since I'll be the one who'd get the talisman."
Most people just want to run away from their lives, it seems.
"Attention, my dear shinobis." the fuzzy announcement from the speaker silenced the crowd. "Thank you for coming."
The voice was deep but quiet, calm and composed. "And now, I will show you the path to the World of the Shinobi."
"All of you found yourselves here under the guidance of my navigation system. To get to SS, simply click on the top right corner of the navigation page and choose the option 'Shinobi Sekai'." Doing as instructed, there was a lot of murmuring among the teens. "When that is completed, a new page will appear, with three new options. Select the first – Teleport, and you'll be on your way."
"Teleport? Aren't the researchers still developing that information right now?" asked a black-haired teen. Looks like we have a couple of smartasses in the crowd.
Several people who proceeded suddenly vanished within a glow of white light, surprising those around them, including me. Gasps and screams could be heard all around the basement as panic ensued.
"Worry not, shinobis." 'Sharingan' assured. "They have been successfully teleported to the Shinobi Sekai, now having the upper hand to find the talisman."
Upon hearing that, more teens disappeared with the light. I turned to those around me and found them gone within seconds. Far off on my right, I saw the raven-haired guy I met earlier, his gaze transfixed on the speakers, seemingly uninterested to enter the Shinobi Sekai.
As another heap of teens vanished, I clicked on the 'Teleport' button and braced myself. My vision became blurred as the uproar of the crowd melted together into one big blob of deafening blare. Before I lost my footing on the greyish cement floor of the station basement, I heard a small whisper from the voice I recognized as Sharingan's.
"Be careful."
I blinked, only to find myself floating, surrounded by darkness. There wasn't a single speck of light in sight; the gloomy darkness bounded me wherever I looked. I couldn't even see my hands when I lifted them up. The abrupt appearance of a bright computerized screen startled me.
-Welcome to the Shinobi Sekai, the World of Ninjas-
-Hello, user! Please enter your name-
Should I use an alias? I faltered but thought against it. My fingers went to its touch-screen keyboard and typed my name in full katakana.
_Haruno Sakura_
As I selected 'enter' on the right side, the screen disappeared and was replaced with another.
-Age-
Give a fake age? Nah.
_14_
-Gender-
Okay, no questions here!
_Female_
-Select your ninja position-
There were a few choices: Academy students, Genin ninja, Chuunin ninja, Jounin ninja, rogue ninja, regular citizens. Who'd want to come here just to be regular citizens? And I bet only psychopaths would want to be rogue. I had no idea what being an Academy student was, so I suppose my best bet was…
_Genin_
-Select your Signature Ninjutsu Style-
Ninjutsu style? Hmm…Fire Style, Water Style, Wind Style, Lightning Style…some of them look really promising, but if I really want to find the talisman, I'll need something handy like…
_Healing Medic_
-Weapon of Choice-
Katana, shuriken, kunai, rapier…
_Kunai_
The talisman was in the shape of a kunai.
-Affiliated Village-
Village? What's this? Let's see, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Otogakure…I have no idea what this is…pick randomly, I guess.
_Konohagakure_
-Welcome, Medic Kunoichi Haruno Sakura!-
-Your Ninja Registration number is 012601-
-Your journey in the Shinobi Sekai awaits…-
That last screen faded away as an overly-blinding light replaced the darkness, alarming me in the process. I gave a gasp and subconsciously used my hands to block the light. Next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of a street looking decades old. There were shops on both sides of the street, as the people standing around me looked equally astonished. I couldn't help but giggle. The clothes they were wearing made them look as if they were living in the Meiji period, or the Sengoku period. Again, history was not my best. Wait, if they're dressed like that…
I checked myself. My clothes seem pretty okay, compared to those around me. I wore a red sleeveless tank top and a light-pink skirt with pants, my ancient-looking pink shoes revealed my toes. However, to my horror, what actually freaked me out was…
...the fact that I had pink hair.
End of Prologue
A/N: Warning – Try to read the rest of the fanfic with no common sense. Yeaaahhh… Please tell me what you think about this! Feel free to ask me any questions you have up to this point, I'll try to answer all of them (unless if they contain too many spoilers). Just to be clear, Shinobi Sekai (SS) is set in a virtual reality, just like SAO. Their bodies are teleported, but their minds are in a virtual reality. Will explain more on this next time.
That. New. Naruto. Chapter. /squealsfangirlishly/ about time everyone showed up. Chappie 611!