Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Sword art Online or any of their characters; they are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Reki Kawahara respectively.
Chapter 1: Death Game
"And we are back with this week's MMORPG sword art online, created by none other than Kabuto Yakushi, genius inventor and game programmer; at the moment we can see the people lining up in stores to buy the game, it is said to be one of a kind, this is what players have been waiting for, according to the comments…" said a reporter as she explained to the uninformed viewers the features and contents of the game.
He was reading the latest issue of the magazine gamer informing about new games and developers, his mind half-focused on the streaming video while contemplating his following actions.
The day had finally come.
After all of those monochrome days left waiting in the void for the opportunity to release his mind from the shackles of the ever-growing stillness.
Charcoal eyes observed leisurely the room bathing in shades, the only light coming from the monitor of his computer.
The contrast between that world and the next were like the earth and sky. His eyelids lowered until his eyes remained closed for a few long seconds, dark locks of hair moving slightly with a tilt of his head.
He closed the magazine and put it safely on his desk before standing and moving closer to his bed.
He turned his head to the left, his gaze falling onto the white helmet lying soundly on the covers. It's familiar features eliciting an emotion he could only classify as anticipation.
With careful movements, he leaned and took the object in his hands, the single cable connecting with the wall outlet to prevent it from using its internal battery.
He put in on wordlessly before moving onto the bed, lying on his back. His eyes closed for a brief moment as he prepared mentally for his return into that world.
It was time.
opening his eyes, he stated the command that would transcend his reality "Link Start" his voice flowing deep and cold.
As soon as the words were uttered he felt his mind traveling through a kaleidoscope of bright lights and colors before ultimately arriving at an absolute white space.
The infiniteness around him was disregarded for the unique digital manifestation before him, the registration box.
At this point his patience had vanished in its entirety replaced by sheer anticipation, his conscious mind filling rapidly the blank spaces in the box.
The change was instantaneous after the "ENTER" button had been pressed. Darkness conquered his five senses in a preamble of beginning.
The image that greeted his eyes as he opened them was nothing short of majestic.
A gargantuan structure stood before him, its massive walls and pillars pigmented a silver-ebony that proudly proclaimed it as the Black Iron Palace.
It was a place that had become borderline symbolic to the many players that had been standing in his shoes.
The plaza where he was currently standing was surrounded by an elaborate set of arches and columns that resembled the the most beautiful parts or roman architecture.
The care and effort that had been put on the modeling and construction of the program and the artwork was obvious to his eyes.
He took a moment to contemplate his surroundings as he lifted his left hand for his gaze to set on.
A beat passed and he gripped his hand into a fist tightly, digital signals informing his brain that his sense of touch functioned appropriately. He couldn't help a smirk from forming on his lips at the excitement.
"Finally" he said gruffly, his charcoal eyes turning to the exit of the plaza where other players and npc's could be seen roaming around.
Endless faces and bodies crossed his gaze as they went about their business, eagerly sharing words and companionship with their friends and acquaintances as their voices traveled through the air, creating a cacophony of sounds that easily reached his ears.
Tuning out their presence completely, he took a step in the direction of the exit, his mind running through all the plans he intended on carrying out as soon as he left town.
Not a moment later he dashed forward in a relentless sprint disregarding the looks of shock and confusion that came his way.
He passed through the merchants' area where Npc's and players traded materials, armor, gems, and other equipment. Tents and workshops were stationed on the sides where vendors merrily went on with their transactions.
As he ran, a voice calling made him stop in his tracks, he turned his head in the direction where the voice was quickly growing louder and closer.
"Hey man, I thought you weren't going to stop" said a blond man with blue eyes, seemingly in his mid-twenties, wearing a red bandana and what seemed to be scars on his cheeks resembling whiskers, giving him the appearance of a young fox.
He was dressed with the default equipment, a long-sleeved orange sweater, and simple black pants. He carried a broad-sword strapped to the left side of his waist revealing he was right-handed, he briefly wondered if he was experienced with it before returning his attention to the man himself.
He was breathing heavily with his hands in his legs, probably caused by his attempt at catching up to him.
"Anyways you look like you've been before, where you in the beta test?" He said grinning as if he had found a treasure buried in the sand.
He lifted an elegant eyebrow at the forward attitude of the man, not very used to such boldness.
"Yeah, what about it?" replied a raven haired man monotonously, annoyance dripping from his tone of voice.
His eyes the color of midnight scrutinized the man before him in a relaxed position as he waited for his response. His figure stood tall and broad-shouldered, his age not greater than nineteen. With a rather handsome face he casted a decent image, dressed in a long-sleeved blue shirt covered with his default gear, black pants, and grey boots as he subtly narrowed his eyes at the strange guy.
"Really? That's great, then could you teach me some of your moves, I bet someone like you knows many things about abilities and stuff" said the blond in elation as his grin grew larger, his sapphire eyes gleaming in a particularly annoying way.
"I don't have time for that" the raven-haired man replied intending to end that encounter as soon as possible, turning on his heel to renew his path towards the exit of the town.
"Wait man, please come on, will ya?" pleaded the blond with his hands together, casting a rather sorry figure.
"I'm Naruto by the way, it's nice to meet ya" he continued with the grin back in his face, as if the previous events hadn't even occurred.
The raven took a moment as he observed the man now named Naruto. His expression was earnest and he couldn't detect any hint of maliciousness coming from him.
He was not commonly kind or even remotely friendly, and he didn't want to waste time with pointless chitchat, but he supposed he had more than enough to humor the guy for a while.
He sighed already regretting his decision before addressing the other man. "Fine, let's go" he then turned around and started walking "My name is Sasuke, just so you stop calling me 'man'" he said with an annoyed glance at the following blond.
Naruto chuckled in victory and stepped beside the raven leisurely "Well good to meet ya Sasuke" he said and put his hands behind his head.
Sasuke gave him passive glance before turning forward once again "Hmph, let's hurry or someone will take the good hunting spots" he said eager to complete the task as fast as he could, and not waiting for the blond to reply before he dashed to the exit at full speed.
As he ran, he could feel the Fall wind running through his hair, making it sway backwards from the speed he carried, his cheeks heating from the morning sun.
He could feel his heart beating strongly from an unexplainable emotion, vaguely labeling it as joy or satisfaction, yet neither seeming to fit the role.
On the way out of town he noticed the detail in the trees and forests, the barks of the trunks looking as sturdy and strong as those of the outside world, the petals soft and silky Lined with ridges and pointy ends.
It really was a sight to see, a giant orb could be spotted in the sky, hanging far away from the onlookers, surrounded by an amalgam of reds and yellows that complemented the visage. It resembled a moon, white and shining steadily as the wind blew fragrances pertaining to the different plants in the area.
He stopped slowly as a figure entered his field of vision, just as the forest's border began. He recognized it as a boar level one according to his scanner "here, you can test your skills with this boar" he said motioning to the creature as he turned to the man that had been following close behind him.
"Man, thanks" the blond replied without sarcasm in his voice, only managing to slightly raise his irritation.
Sasuke's brow twitched with the last comment, perhaps the blond was doing it on purpose, he folded his arms and waited for the him to begin his attacking motion.
Naruto turned from the raven to look at the boar, his face contorting into a serious mask that almost made him believe he was more competent than he let on.
His scanner read the creature's data: health points 221, no energy based attacks.
It seemed to be rather simple. With that in mind he took his sword from his sheath and with a war cry he charged after the monster.
Sasuke observed the battle going on before him with a raised brow, if it could be called that.
The blond didn't seem to know the basics of the attacks and combos, and for the look of things, he didn't know about the charge attacks either.
His sword swung wildly trying to parry the disgruntled Boar's attacks, steel clashing with the iron-hard horns.
The blond fell on his butt after a particularly strong push as the boar took distance from him, the animal already preparing to launch an attack at his defenseless prey.
Sasuke calmly approached and passed the young blond on the floor as he closed in on the boar before stopping a few feet away from it.
Drawing his sword from the scabbard on his back with his right hand, he held his gaze unmoving from the monster "in this game you have to use the motion of your body to access the techniques and combos in your arsenal, with different swords and different weapons players have commonly different techniques and styles to use, but all you were doing is moving your sword from left to right like an idiot. First, calm down and concentrate, your brain will be slowly picking your movements conducting you closer and closer to your default style, you can even develop your own after mastering the former." He talked before spinning his blade around his hand once and engaging the charging monster.
Naruto listened attentively as he observed the clash before him.
His movements flowed smoothly, casually parrying and deflecting blows that to Naruto had seemed rather violent and unpredictable.
As the boar clashed with his sword, he effortlessly fended off the monster before spinning his blade furiously through is fingers in an exposition of incredible dexterity and sheathing the blade back into it's scabbard before addressing his companion once again.
"Let yourself feel the attack charging in your sword, like a cup of water that is quickly being filled. when it reaches its maximum point of energy let it go" Sasuke explained to his new acquaintance, motioning again at the far away boar.
The blond looked at him confused for a few moments before realization seemingly hit him, allowing him to understand the meaning of the raven's words.
"Right. I got this" he said confidently, an excited grin forming on his lips.
He raised his sword to level with his shoulders, his elbow sticking backwards as he took a fighting stance; his feet apart and legs half-flexed. Soon red light engulfed the blade as the boar quickly dashed to its target.
Naruto waited patiently for the right time where the boar would be in his strike zone, his cerulean eyes steady and focused.
As soon as he was close enough, Naruto launched his attack propelling forward and splitting the charging boar in half, its body disassembling into digital particles.
The red light faded from his sword as he stood his full height.
"Yeah, I did it! did you see that? I was awesome" exclaimed the blond as he bumped his fist in the air, his energy and elation flowing in waves.
"Yeah, not bad Naruto, but you should know that this kind of monster is like slimes in other games" the raven said with a smirk, weirdly sharing the joy at eliminating a monster before him.
He looked to the sky and felt the wind hitting his face. At that precise moment he felt at peace, he turned his gaze to the blond who was jabbing and slashing the air with his energy charged sword "pretty fun isn't it? To use your body in your attacks"
"Hell yeah, even if this game doesn't have any magic, this totally makes up for it" Naruto replied grinning widely at the raven.
"Shall we continue then?" the dark haired teen asked his companion with a fair amount of amusement leaking out his voice
"Of course" replied the eager blond pumping his fist in the air once more while grinning at him.
"Hmph, then come on" Sasuke said as he continued forward down the forest followed by the loud blond.
Four hours later…
"Ah! yeah that's what I'm talking about" said a blond man as he let himself fall on his back in the grass exhausted after the day's trials.
"I'm so lucky to have been born in this era, the man who made this game is a genius" he continued as he grinned to the man standing near him.
"Don't make such a big deal out of it" said the raven as he looked in the horizon, his midnight eyes gazing serenely where the sky had turned orange and in the far distance the birds flew freely without care, a small current of air moved along with his hair caressing his face.
"Give me a break man, it's my first Full dive" whined the blond in the floor before turning to Sasuke with curious eyes "when you were in the beta test, how far did you go?" he asked his friend
"in two months, I got to the eighth floor" he replied, pride flowing through his voice as he locked eyes with Naruto directing a smirk at him "this time, I'll do it in half a month" he finished confidently before returning his gaze forward.
"You are really into this aren't you" the blond said with a teasing smile, amused at the obscene amount of confidence the raven seemed to possess.
"During the beta test, the only thing in my mind was SAO, day and night, in this world where one sword can take you anywhere you want; in many ways I feel more alive here than in the real world" the raven said as he took his sword out of his sheath and slashed through the air.
"Well then" he said as he put his sword back in its sheath and turned back to his companion "are you up for another round?" he asked as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Hell yeah" said the blond excitedly as he got to his feet, his intent being halted by the intense growling of his stomach "But it seems I need to recharge my batteries" he said with a nervous chuckle.
"The food here only serves to satisfy your virtual self, it will by no means 'recharge your batteries'" Sasuke told Naruto with a blank face.
This time the blond laughed loudly "what I meant to say is that I'm logging out. I ordered a pizza that is going to arrive at five thirty at my place. My grandpa is probably still peeping at ladies in the hot springs and he might get home late after all, so I gotta feed myself" he continued grinning happily at the other man who in turn only raised a questioning brow.
"Are you for real?" he asked drily earning himself another chuckle from the blond. "well then I suppose we part ways here" he finished looking straight at the horizon.
Naruto stood up, dusting off his clothes as he approached the raven teen "Yeah, thanks for everything man, It was a great help. oh hey I'm meeting with some friends of mine later, so do you want to befriend them too?"
Sasuke eyed him briefly before turning his gaze to the landscape once more "No" he said definitively "I don't have time for that"
Naruto looked at him oddly "Alright, no worries" he said returning to his previous mood "Thanks again, Sasuke" he smiled at him.
The raven faced him wholly as he said "See you around, Naruto" giving him one smirk, before turning in the other direction with the intention of leaving.
Naruto quickly opened the command screen and started looking for the log out button; he eyed it quizzically when he found no sign of it "what the hell?"
Sasuke turned to him once more when he heard the blond's voice. Judging by the tone he used he was clearly confused "what is it?" he asked curious as to what caused such reaction.
"There is no button to log out, I can't seem to find it" he replied still looking at his mini-screen and scratching his head in confusion.
The raven was slightly surprised, there was no way to miss the log out button. It was the last command of the general options; curious, he opened his own screen looking for it as well, his surprise grew when he saw the place where the log out option had been only to see a blank space.
He was certain it was supposed to be there, he had seen it and used it one too many times already. Something was wrong, alarms started ringing in his head.
They hadn't received any notice, and it was unlikely that it was a bug since the choice had disappeared from both their command screens, perhaps a game malfunction? No, there would have already been an announcement alerting the players, something was definitively off.
"Have you contacted the game master yet?" Sasuke asked the blond as he closed his menu, there was no point in looking further for something that was clearly gone .
"I tried but nothing's happening, huh" said Naruto as a foxlike grin appeared in his face "it's probably a bug, imagine how many people must be freaking out about this right now" he continued as he released a loud chuckle "it does make for a pretty good prank, I'll admit"
"you too, soon are going to start panicking" Sasuke said with a blank face, still trying to understand their current predicament.
"How so?" asked a confused Naruto Sasuke simply pointed to the clock on the top of the menu screen, revealing that it was 5:25 pm already.
The effect was instantaneous, the blond fell on his knees and with both fist extended upwards while yelling dramatically "My ramen flavored pizza!"
Naruto quickly stood up and eyed him with what the raven assumed was hope "are there any other ways to log out?"
Sasuke quickly though about the question coming rapidly with an answer "No, in the beta test that was the only instrument given to us to log out. The manual didn't have an emergency log out system either"
"No way!" said the blond with determination in his voice "there's got to be a way to get out of here" he suddenly started running around making poses with his arms and body yelling things like "open sesame", "to the infinity and beyond", "time to escape".
The raven eyed him with increasing irritation. That man older than himself was acting like a complete fool. Then he recalled the process of creating an avatar 'he must be younger than me then' he thought drily, probably an eight year old trying to pass as a grown up.
Regardless, he would observe more carefully first, there was no use in making wrong conclusions later.
"Oh that's right, I just have to take out the NerveGear" Naruto said as if it was the most obvious thing in existence, reaching with both hands for his head and trying miserably to lift an invisible helmet that was not there.
"You can't, idiot, every electrical impulse sent by our brain to control our body is intercepted by the NerveGear, making it real in this world, but not in the outside world. Which means no matter how much you try to move around you won't be able to move your physical body." Sasuke explained apathetically as he tried to focus on the problem at hand.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked the blonde, abandoning his attempts in favor of facing his companion.
"We have to wait until the game master notices and evacuates the players, or for someone on the outside world to remove the NerveGear for us, whatever happens first" replied the raven with indifference masking his face.
"Man, it means I'm stuck till the pervy sage comes back home, what a bummer, what about you? do you have anyone to get you out?" Naruto asked curious.
"Yeah, don't worry about it" Sasuke replied without giving it much importance.
He looked around expecting something to happen but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The alarm bells kept going off inside his head, he was sure something was seriously going on and yet he couldn't figure out what.
This had never happened to him before, he was a genius for Crying out loud. He quickly quieted his thoughts and an alarming revelation came abruptly to him, it was so obvious he briefly wondered why he didn't think of it before.
He was going to present his thesis to his friend, when a familiar sapphire light engulfed their bodies from head to toe and extracted them from that specific location.
They were materialized back inside the town of beginnings, where several lights pertaining to the game's forced teleportation gleamed brightly, signifying the arrival of the remaining players.
Sasuke opened his eyes grimly before scanning his surroundings.
He recognized instantly the place he was standing on as the plaza in the town of beginnings.
Massive amounts of people whispered and murmured in confusion and uncertainly, surely wondering the reason for this unexpected affair.
Bright lights kept flashing continuously everywhere, bringing more and more players inside the ever contracting space.
His suspicions seemed to growing exponentially more probable by the second, but he remained patiently waiting for the grand revelation he was sure would come before making his move.
If he turned out to be right, he wanted to hear the words from the man himself, and what reason he could possibly have to put forward this chain of events. There was only one thing he could be sure of though, this would definitively be interesting.
Someone not far from him on his left pointed out a strange thing in the sky, his index finger shaking slightly as his voice cracked faintly from the mental strain.
The raven did not hesitate and turned his gaze towards it.
Up there, higher than the great columns they were surrounded by and the Black Iron Palace on their Northern side, a red marking hovering in the air made its presence known, the word warning written clearly on the center.
It looked as though the man was ready to begin. He waited expectantly for the show to begin, his gaze focused on the red sign unyieldingly, his usual mask of indifference covering his handsome features.
He was not disappointed when countless more markings identical to the previous one appeared out of nowhere, connecting tightly to one another and filling out the sky turning it red.
The players were startled beyond measure as red light irradiated their skin, when he dared sharing a glance at them. Fear and apprehension dominated the emotional climate, easily slipping onto their faces and body language as they somehow understood the gravity of the situation.
He glanced back at the screen as a red fluid started leaking out of the through the borders of one of the markings with the words System announcement written on it, transforming itself into a humanoid figure covered by a red hood and its tunic concealing the entirety of his body with the exception of his hands.
Sasuke found the resemblance of this figure with the game master picture in the calling button not surprising, but rather amusing. The dramatic elements to man's personality were hard to ignore.
Murmurs once again filled the plaza, voices traveling through endless questions and complaints, wondering if the figure above was the game master.
He had the sudden desire to scoff at that, they were either slow of paid no attention to their surroundings.
Sasuke tuned out the voices around him and gifted his sole attention back to the silent figure, it was fairly obvious the man himself was about to explain their circumstances, so it was not necessary to wonder pointlessly. Though, he was now rather certain he had been right about his suspicions.
"Welcome to my world, players, my name is Kabuto Yakushi. I am the man who created this world, and the only one who can control it" the figure said ominously, his voice reverberated through the plaza drowning out any other sound in the vicinity.
"I'm sure you've noticed that the log out button is missing from the main menu" he continued "this is not a defect in the game, I repeat, this is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of SAO; let me elaborate, you cannot log out of this game by yourselves, and people outside cannot shut down or take the NerveGear of your heads, should they try, the transmitter inside it will emit a powerful microwave destroying your brain and ending your life instantly"
Shocked and terrified gasps propagated everywhere.
Sasuke noticed the hesitance to believe such statement coming from several players, including his blond companion, but he knew that this guy was serious. It wasn't a threat, it was a fact. That much was obvious.
Kabuto Yakushi was a genius, he had no doubt the man had already gone through preparations for everything he needed or he would possibly need to carry out his game.
At this revelation, the strongest emotions coursing through him were fear and excitement. It was the most bizarre combination for such a situation.
The knowledge that there was no way of escape until the game was cleared made his blood boil in unhidden passion, a challenge of that caliber was unlike any he had experienced before and that somehow made things much more interesting for him.
He kept listening attentively not willing to waste any information he could get his hands on.
His gaze turned when he heard a couple trying to get out of the plaza when they suddenly collided with an invisible wall, thus impeding their escape.
So they were trapped, he thought, the guy really wanted them to remain here for some reason. His gaze went back to the floating figure as he waited quietly.
"He's got to be insane right, Sasuke? there is no way this guy can do something like that" said a disbelieving blond to his right.
The raven eyed him blankly before replying "you should never underestimate that man Naruto, he isn't lying. The NerveGear has the capacity to fray our brains with the energy it possesses, and it works just like he said. It's not surprising since he invented it, he just has to bypass the security limiter and that's it"
Naruto looked surprised "this is nuts, what the hell is going on?" He said, his eyes widening in dismay and his hands rubbing his blond head in frustration.
Sasuke watched him with a moderate amount sympathy, the Blond's attitude contrasting greatly with his own inner feelings on the matter. He turned to the mocking figure in the sky and addressed his companion "Shut up and listen, I'm sure he'll tell us now"
"Unfortunately, many of the players' parents and families have dismissed my warnings and attempted to extract the NerveGear, as a result two hundred and thirteen players have abandoned Aincrad and the real world, never to return again" continued Kabuto, his ominous voice gathering back the attention of the onlookers.
"News about the deaths are flowing through the media, making sure it won't happen anymore. Therefore, I want you to relax and focus on clearing the game" he said with a wicked smile
Sasuke narrowed his eyes in disdain at him. He objectively understood his drive to create the game, to test it out, and even making sure that the lab rats (as cruel as it sounded) didn't escape, but he seemed to be enjoying the fact that those people died, and that pissed him off beyond words.
"However, I want you to hear this and remember it clearly, because it may very well be the difference between dying and surviving. There is no longer any means of reviving someone within the game, once your health points have reached zero your avatar will be forever lost, and the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain in the real world." Kabuto spoke once more, his heinous words penetrating the deep corners of the players' minds.
Sasuke's eyes were wide with surprise, the probability of death had just skyrocketed. The stark realization that it wasn't a game any longer chilled him to the bones.
As his mind recalled the numerous times he had succumbed to death in his previous campaign during the beta-test his eyes narrowed in frustration, his mind racing with plans, schemes and ideas to stay alive.
He knew the towns, hunting spots, quests, dungeons, pathways, he had everything he needed at his disposal. But he had to be extremely careful, one mistake and it would all be over.
"The only means of escaping is to clear the game. As of right now, you are located in floor one, the lowest of Aincrad. As you fight the bosses of each floor, you will open a path to the next one until you reach the floor one hundredth, defeat the boss of that level and you will have cleared the game" the figure continued talking, despite the horrified murmurs of the crowd "Also I've added a special present from my part to your storage. Please take a look"
Sasuke's brooding halted in favor of examining his storage for the apparent gift his jailer had provided him with.
He opened the command screen and carefully materialized a single new object that was secured in it. Surprise marred his factions when he came face a pocket mirror, 'a mirror?' he thought in puzzlement.
He had no time to ponder its possible meaning or function for several bright lights flashed in his peripheral vision.
His gaze turned in surprise as the players were engulfed in shining sapphire, completely unrecognizable to him. He ruled out teleportation for obvious reasons, but there didn't seem to be any other possible justification.
The same sparkling light covered Naruto's body, briefly making him worry about the safety of his companion.
He immediately turned to his new acquaintance "Naruto!" he said, urgency lacing his call. Giving a step forward, his attempts to get to his friend were frustrated when the same light covered his own body, he did not feel pain but he could tell something was happening with his body.
When the lights finally subsided, he pushed all thoughts regarding his tuned up body away for time being. His need to confirm Naruto's safety taking priority.
"Hey dumbass, you there?" he asked, turning to look for the blond man who had been standing beside him. Strangely, the long, golden locks of hair were nowhere to be seen, making him turn his gaze from left to right scanning for him among the crowd.
"Bastard what did you just call me?" Replied a fuming voice coming from his south-eastern side. A spiky blond-haired teenager turning his head left and right as if looking for someone.
Sasuke noticed immediately all the changes that transpired in Naruto's appearance, and he was sure that kid was Naruto. There was no one else who would fall for that at a such a crucial moment.
The blond stood at about 170 cm, a few shorter than his own real body. His previous mid-long blond hair was shortened significantly and his face looked rounder, more childish, though he the whiskers remained the same.
Apparently he had been wrong about his real age though. He was definitely on his mid-teens.
"It's me idiot, right here" he said, calling out to him. The blond turned to him in surprise before he looked at him strangely, as if studying him.
He didn't mind as much as he thought he would, either because he was getting used to it or the whiskered teen was the exception, he didn't' know.
Either way Naruto was probably just confused by Different the appearance of his companion.
Naruto turned when he heard the voice of the raven bastard, however he did not expect what he saw next. A teenager with wild spiky hair on the back and long locks of hair falling on the sides of his face stared mirthlessly at him. his blue-raven hair contrasted starkly with the ominous red of the sky, and his coal black eyes reflected little emotion beyond grim sympathy.
He looked to be about the same age as him, though he noticed irritably that the raven bastard got even more better-looking than before, his features resembling those famous marble statues crafted to perfection. He had to wonder what had possessed the guy to tinker with the avatar creating system, when he had looks like that.
He approached him apprehensively at first, not entirely sure this was the man with whom he had spent the last couple of hours with "you are Sasuke, right?" his voice falling a little lighter and with a slightly higher pitch.
"Yeah, it seems that this 'gift' we were given turned our avatars to an identical version of our outside world selves" the raven said turning his gaze to the enormous figure in the sky
"How did he do that?" the blond asked surprised
"The NerveGear has a scanner in the visor that captures all our facial expressions; I believe that's how he managed to put our faces flawlessly" Sasuke replied blankly.
"And I suppose he got our bodies when we calibrated the system right?" Naruto asked annoyed, a frustrated sigh coming out of his lips.
"Indeed" the raven swordsman said, pondering the purpose this action could possibly have.
"Why the hell is this nut doing this?" the blonde asked turning his gaze too to the man in question
"If you'd shut up then probably you'd be able to hear your answer, look he is going to speak" the raven signaled before Naruto had a chance to interrupt.
"I'm sure you all must be wondering why I did this, why the inventor of the NerveGear and sword art online would do such a thing; well the truth is I already have achieved my goal, I wanted to create a world that I could control, interfere, I wanted a world where I was a god, and now I am, it is complete. This is the end of the tutorial, and the inauguration of sword art online, good luck to you players, you'll need it" he finished with a sinister chuckle that reached everyone's ears, and then he disappeared just like he came, in a flowing red liquid that turned to smoke.
For an instant, there was a deafening silence. Everyone was still trapped processing the words the mad scientist and creator of the game had left behind.
It died out in the form of a terrified shout coming from the crowd, a teenage girl falling on her knees and weeping hysterically as her arms contorted tightly around her body in an attempt of self-comfort. The effect was instantaneous, masses of people began yelling, sobbing, pushing, damning everyone who participated in that twisted incarceration of innocent people. They continued steadily disrupting any order the crowd had left, advancing ever closer into complete chaos.
Sasuke watched indifferently at the scene unfolding before his eyes, there was nothing they could do but to accept their new reality. Those who couldn't adapt, wouldn't last for very long. In his mind the top priority was survival. Therefore, when he noticed the barrier that had been caging them disappearing, he turned on his heel ready to rush out towards the exit.
The face of his new acquaintance made him halt on his tracks, his petrified features revealed how scared he truly was, just like the rest of them.
He grunted frustratingly at the other man, he had no time to lose, and so he yanked him by his forearm and rushed quickly to the exit, their departure going unnoticed by the disorganized crowd.
They ran unimpeded through the empty streets, taking advantage of the commotion in the plaza before they stopped in a deserted alley, the shady mantles of the arriving night coating their forms.
Naruto looked surprised but he didn't have time to explain his actions.
"Listen, we are going to the next town. In this game the resources are limited, and we need to get stronger in order to survive. The fields surrounding the town of beginnings will soon be wiped clean, I know all the roads and paths to take for us to reach the next town even at our level, and some really good hunting places. Let's go, the earlier we reach, the faster we can start leveling up" the raven said turning from him ready to go.
"I…I'm sorry man, I can't go with you" Naruto replied avoiding his gaze "my friends are still there in the plaza scared and confused, and I don't plan on leaving them any time soon." He finished with determined eyes.
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he regained his composure "I see" he said, his features returning to their usual indifference.
This effectively meant that he was on his own, just like before. It was unfortunate, but it was probably for the best, that's how he was going to survive. There was no use in crying about it now.
"I'm sorry man; I really appreciate everything you've done for me, I can't ask anything else from you, so don't worry about me go to the next town and get strong. I may not look like it, but I was actually a guild leader in some other games. I can handle it, believe it" he said grinning widely to him
He closed his eyes in contemplation for a few seconds; It was settled then.
His eyes opened slowly and he turned to the exit of the alley "alright" he said nodding one last time as a good bye.
"Hey" Naruto said, getting the attention of the raven-haired teen before him, his face adorning a bittersweet smile "good luck"
Sasuke looked at him one last time before disappearing into the darkness.
Through the gates of the town of beginnings a lonely figure ran with amazing speed, getting farther and farther away by the second.
As he approached the dark-stricken woods a creature stood in his path growling menacingly at him, sharp fangs and red eyes casting a threatening figure.
Without stopping, Sasuke unsheathed his sword, his blade ready to inflict mortal damage upon the beast.
Abruptly, the creature began its charge intending on tearing his body apart, its growl spreading through night in wild ferocity.
The raven leaned aside, evading effectively before bringing his sword up in a diagonal slash that beheaded the creature instantly, leaving its remains to turn into nothing more than pixelated data.
He stopped unperturbed, his face indifferent to the events that had just progressed. To the game of death, he welcomed the challenge.
A/N: Greetings, everyone. I have been having the worst writer's block of my entire young career. I've been trying to move forward with my other stories, but I'm just not satisfied with the quality of the content. So I came to visit this old friend and almost died of embarrassment, I seriously couldn't write for shit not long ago, well, I can't now either but you get the point. I'm still not entirely satisfied with this new entry but I wanted to get my brain back to wordsmithing. If you enjoy it feel free to say so and if not then say so either way. Till next time folks.
