Anime/Manga » Naruto » Outcasts
Author: Hellion Duo
1. Game Start 2. Shattered Glass
Rated: T - English - Drama/Hurt/Comfort - Reviews: 8 - Published: 08-15-17 - Updated: 03-18-18
id:12616012
Kamui: This idea was born from my waifu Ninjazzz's genius mind. We do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online.
WARNING: This story contains FEMALE NARUTO, character death, violence, foul language, and dark humor.
"The truth is everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
-Bob Marley
There was no such thing as having nothing.
Naruto Uzumaki was a sixteen year old girl who firmly believed this. She believed this because if she didn't, she was pretty sure life would continuously suck.
Naruto's parents were killed by a serial killer when she was only just a few days old, a man named Madara who would spend the rest of his numbered days behind bars. As a result of his actions, she'd lived the first twelve years of her life bouncing from orphanage to orphanage, to this person's home, to that person's home… beaten by him or her, on and on… being taken in and then discarded and shipped somewhere else.
And then she met Gaara…
He was living in the group home they met at after being let off on violent assault charges, and they just clicked. Two emotionally stunted and awkward brats became friends. Of course it'd taken awhile for Naruto to get Gaara to trust her, but after an incident with a gang of much bigger school bullies after school… they learned that watching each other's back made their harsh lives easier to endure. They learned how to endure together, that they were the same.
Naruto eventually learned Gaara's father had put him up for adoption at the age of six, having never stopped blaming Gaara for the death of his wife in the process of giving birth to him. Gaara's uncle, his mother's brother had taken him in, but he'd just abused Gaara, hitting him and locking him in dark places. His uncle was presently behind bars, sentenced to thirty years on death row. The law forces had found children buried in his backyard, all killed because the man had been trying to perfect his technique before he finally killed Gaara for "murdering" his sister.
From then on Gaara bounced from place to place, becoming more and more violent, traveling in and out of juvenile detention centers, and seething with silent hatred for the world. With hatred for himself... the one no one could love.
Gaara had an older sister and brother, Temari and Kankuro, but he wasn't in good contact with them. They sent letters from time to time, which Gaara respectfully responded to. They cared, but they didn't want to upset their father by getting too close to Gaara.
That's where Naruto came in.
She sends the occasional letter to Gaara's siblings as well, reporting on his well being and little things they'd been up to.
Gaara's siblings felt better knowing their younger brother had someone like Naruto by his side.
Of course… Naruto left out the trouble they sometimes got up to, because even if they were straightening out and Naruto had a part time job (at Ichiraku, an awesome little ramen bar), they were still kind of delinquents at heart.
Said troublemakers lived in the same apartment building, having been cleared by the government to live by themselves while they finished up high school.
Temari and Kankuro sent Gaara money to live along with their letters, and Naruto's god father, a man she hadn't met until she was thirteen, sent her an allowance as well.
It was his way of making up for not being around earlier, honestly having thought she'd have a better youth. Her god father Jiraiya sent her gifts as well.
Jiraiya was a big time reporter that traveled a lot, as well as a novelist on the side, so he had plenty of money to spare.
His habit of sending Naruto and sometimes Gaara really expensive gifts is actually what was starting to get the two friends out of the trouble that seemed to be in love with them.
A while ago, Jiraiya sent Naruto and Gaara both the extremely new yet popular game system called the NerveGear. Which is a helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, so players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds.
Along with the system, Jiraiya provided the teens with a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG), called Sword Art Online. Both the game and the NerveGear were created by Akihiko Kayaba, a man that Jiraiya knew personally, having been the reporter to put his system on the front page news. As a thank you for giving him such publicity, Akihiko gifted Jiraiya with two NerveGear, who then gave them to Naruto and Gaara.
The two friends tested out the game, becoming two of the one thousand people to beta for Sword Art Online. They became hooked, and the beta was closed.
Soon SAO was updated, and they began playing again, already equipped with great gaming skills from the previously closed beta.
Almost everyday after school Naruto and Gaara played SAO together, escaping for a short time from the reality that was constantly kicking them down.
They were regarded as outcasts and freaks at school, but in game, they were a team that was unmatched.
Well, Naruto liked to say so, if only to get Gaara to snort a small laugh.
"Yo Gaara, you gonna get on the game?" Naruto asked, pulling her keys from her jacket pocket, looking over to the blood haired boy that was doing the same to her left.
Sky blue connected with seafoam green.
Said green eyes stared unblinkingly at the wide blues across from them.
"It's Friday Naruto, you know what I'm going to do." The boy intoned.
Naruto shoved a wild tuft of sunshine behind her ear, lips lifting in a grin.
"Let's kick some ass today, ne?"
Gaara rolled his eyes but the grin was clear on his face, unlocking his door and pushing it open with an audible creak.
Naruto did the same, before turning back and extending her fist.
"Awesome!" She chirped. "See you there man."
"Mm." Gaara nodded once, knocking his fist against hers.
The two friends then turned, entering their homes and closing the doors behind them.
Naruto tossed her bright orange school bag onto the blue sofa centering her living room, toeing off her loafers before hopping about trying to pull off her tights.
She probably should've sat down as they were thigh highs. She slipped into a pair of her favorite pair of black sweat pants and changed into a simple burnt orange spaghetti strap tank top, (her favorite gaming pj's). She lied on the ocean blue comforter on her bed, and pulled the nerve gear on, the clock hit four nineteen and she smiled.
"Game start."
~Naruto~
My surrounding view changed from my ceiling with the glow in the dark stars, and painted tree tops to a beautiful blue sky with soaring birds, small shops, and stone paved walkways.
I can feel the wind blowing my hair and I can hear all the people starting to arrive. My avatar has blue eyes and shoulder length red hair. A hand is on my shoulder and I turn to meet eyes with Gaara. His avatar has green eyes and he kept his red hair. Originally I wanted us both to have red eyes because it would've been uber cool but Gaara told me to 'chill' and that we'd freak the competition anyways, so no need to do anything to our looks. I can understand what he means. Looking at Gaara his avatar is dressed in a crimson red shirt with black trim and black pants.
I'm clad in a pair of black slightly baggy pants, a burnt orange shirt with black trim. We're both wearing black fingerless gloves and combat boots. Bandages are wrapped around the forearms of my male avatar, and whereas I don a sleeveless black hooded jacket with a burnt orange trim, Gaara is clad in a crimson half sleeve hooded jacket. Both pf our overcoats fall to our knees.
"Ready to go Kyu?"
"Let's go Ichi."
Gaara, (sorry!) "Ichi" and I headed out towards the forests to get some cash and points in to try leveling up. Because the two of us were betas we knew this level better than the back of our hands, which came from many misadventures and the two of us getting into trouble. Why? Because trouble is practically married to us and it isn't our fault.
"Hey wait!" A voice calls from behind us.
I shoot a look to Gaara silently asking if we should stop for the person who I know is chasing us. Gaara sighs and we stop, the figure getting closer till they finally catch up to us. It's a boy, most likely a couple years older, he looks goofy with his short messy raven hair and stupid grin on his face. As he approaches one arm is scratching the back of his head and his eyes are closed in an eye-smile.
"You seem to know your way around. I'm a rookie mind giving me a hand?" His eyes open to reveal a onyx-grey.
I give a quick glance to my bestie and he shrugs uncaringly though his posture shows he's alert as usual, he and I aren't in any rush to get anywhere anyhow.
"Sure, I guess we can show you around. I'm Kyu, this is my friend Ichi. What's your name pansy boy?"
I can see Ichi smirk out of the corner of my eye.
"P-Pansy boy? That is so uncool. I'll have you know…"
I hold a hand up, holding back my grin, as I interrupt him.
"Let's go. We're burning daylight." With that I walk off, Ichi right next to me as the newly monikered pansy boy follows us. I grab Gaara's hand and he gives me a reassuring squeeze. Glancing at the guy's user out of the corner of my eye as we walk. Shunshin16. He keeps close behind us and I know it's setting my brother on edge.
"Why don't you walk next to us Shun?"
"Shun?" He echoes.
"Short for Shunshin." I explain. "That's your user right?"
"How'd you know?"
"Top right of your screen. You'll see our names too. Are you gonna walk next to us or not? Having you behind us is annoying."
He quickens his pace so he's standing next to me, Ichi in his usual overprotective mode is glaring at him and I have to lightly elbow him to tell him to chill and 'I'm not gonna leave you. No one will ever separate us.'
Because Gaara has only ever cared about himself and me. He's possessive of me in a brotherly way but because of his family he doesn't know, completely, how to deal with his feelings.
So, he becomes overprotective of me and doesn't like other guys getting close without his acceptance. We've both been hurt by men too many times in our lives to really trust them. Me by the man who murdered my parents and my foster parents, my god father by not being around all the time. Gaara by his brother, his father, and his Uncle. It's amazing I can trust Gaara as much as I do but he's so much like me it's impossible for me not to.
"It'll be alright nii-chan." I assure him. "It's only for a few minutes. Then we can go anywhere and do anything."
Ichi doesn't say anything but he nods slightly in agreement, placated.
"Really?" Shun exclaims, smiling. "Thanks so much! I don't know how I can say thank you for this."
"You just did." I point out, snorting under my breath.
"Oh yeah." Shun realizes, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head.
"Let's start with basics then." I say, leading my brother and Shun to a grassy field outside of the town we'd been in.
We spend a bit of time showing Shun the ins and outs of his user menu and how to use the katana that he's chosen as his primary skill weapon. It seems his avatars stats are based on speed, and he's also a quick study so it isn't a pain to teach him.
After a while Shun starts attacking wild beasts like boars to up his stats and get more skills.
"Awesome." I tell him, watching him kill the last of the boars he's been fighting.
Shun's hands are on his knees and he seems a little winded but I can tell he'll be alright.
"Alright. My brother and I are gonna take off now that you got the basics down pansy boy."
"Awe man." He whines, anime tears streaming down his face. "You're still on that? I thought after you saw what I can do now you'd come up with something cooler."
Sand starts swirling around his feet as he tries to glomp me.
"I suggest you don't try to touch my sister." A cool voice instructs him.
Sand grabs Shun's legs and pull him away from me, yanking him with a yelp off of his feet and leaving the pansy boy hanging upside down. I mentally laugh, nii-chan will always be nii-chan.
'I knew I shouldn't have called him by his user…'
"Sister?" Shun sputters. "That's got to be the most ripped chick I've ever seen!"
"He's a wicked cool big brother." I chuckle. "Protective but awesome. So don't pick on him or I'll have to hurt you."
"B-big brother!?"
"And I know I'm ripped. I'm just that awesome."
"As I said, do not presume to touch my imoto. You haven't earned the right." Ichi drops his head onto my shoulder as he half stands in front of me like a wall separating me from Shun.
"How are you even doing this in a peace zone?" Shun huffs, embarrassed.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Ichi and I are a little tech savvy? Meaning we found a few tiny loopholes we could exploit on certain floors? Oops.
My surrogate brother finally releases Shun so that the guy falls on his head into the grass.
"Oh ouch." I mutter.
Shun rights himself so that he's sitting with his legs crossed in the grass.
"Mean," He pouts. "But still, thanks you guys."
"No problem man." I shrug, offering an apologetic grin. "And, sorry I guess. That was kinda mean bro."
Ichi huffs slightly and pulls away from me to cross his arms. He's not going to say sorry but he is acknowledging what he did.
"We're gonna head out now. We wanna wander around, maybe cause a little chaos." I see Ichi smirk, sadistic bugger. "I think I'm going to head back into town. I was planning on meeting up with my brothers. They're good guys. Maybe you guys can hunt me down later on to meet them?"
I shake my head, no way would Ichi would like that idea. The man seems to pout before I see the figurative light bulb light up over his head. He moves close to me, kisses me, and runs off, amazingly before Ichi can kill him.
"Why would he kiss a chick that looks like a buff dude?" I wonder.
"That's what you're questioning?" Ichi demands, a dangerous aura that I know isn't really there radiating from his person as he begins to glare, his eyes turning red.
"You know, I think he only did it as payback for dropping him on his head." I say, unable to stop snickering.
Ichi sniffs slightly, turning his head away as if to say "I'm not sorry". I know my brother is plotting pansy boy's, (or should I say soon to be headless boy's) demise as we walk towards the forest.
"So, we're going to need to level up and get a nice amount of cash before we can build our place. Same forest?" I ask walking backwards to meet my brothers gaze.
"Hm." He nods, glancing at my cheek where I was kissed and I know the thoughts are getting more creative.
"Nii-chan calm down. It's virtual reality. You know I don't trust anyone the way I trust you so chill your balls."
"I know. With everything we've been through together. All the people who fucked us over. You're the only one who understands me. The only one who fully accepts me and my past because you know the same pain as I. So after having someone finally accept me like you do, I feel strange when other men get close."
"It's jealousy Gaara. It's normal. After all the men who hurt us through our lives, even I'm wary of men getting too close to me. But I at least let them breathe next to me without threatening to kill them with my eyes. Not all guys are the same bro, you know it and so do I."
"I'm well aware Kyu." Ichi hums, eyes meeting mine. "I apologize."
"Me too bud. I don't like going all 'mom mode' on you."
Ichi snorts and lightly shoves my shoulder. I grin at him insolently, and we both begin going on our way, this time looking for a little trouble to spice up our play time.
~Gaara~
About an hour and a half later, Kyu and I have made our way back into town, we're both a little on edge because thirty minutes ago we found that neither one of us had the option to logout of the game.
The sun is lowering behind the greenery of the forest, almost setting the trees alight like flames. The sky is an array of pinks, oranges, and golds above, clouds creeping across the sky with the small threat of rain.
"Ichi, what are we going to do?" Kyu whispers, voice holding steady but her eyes telling of uncertainty.
I see the worry in her avatar's bright blue eyes, and my stomach twists with dread because if Kyu is worried then there is something really amiss. I just shake my head slightly, a frown settling between my brows as my lips turn down.
"Let's head to the town square." I offer, taking the lead.
Kyu follows closely beside me, grabbing my hand as we make our way down the cobblestone road, between two buildings that form a shadowed alleyway.
"Hey Ichi," Kyu murmurs. "It looks like there's a lot of people in the square up ahead."
I do as she instructs and find that she's right, there seems to be a crowd of players already there, and from the sound of it, their chatters are very worried and confused.
"How much you wanna bet they can't find their logout option either?" Kyu mutters, grip tightening slightly.
I purse my lips and my eyes narrow as we draw closer. Kyu's free hand is resting on the katana at her avatar's hip and I'm ready to spring into action should any hint of trouble show itself, I can already feel my sand preparing itself to spring up and defend us from anything.
Kyu and I emerge from the shadows and make our way through the gaggle of players in the way.
"What's going on?" Someone demands.
"I dunno, but this sucks man I have to go to work tonight."
"Work? I have a final I'm supposed to be studying for!" A girl screeches.
I don't react as Kyu's gloved hand squeezes mine again. I'm not sure of what I am going to do as the chatters continue on around us, but the choice to do anything but lift my eyes to the virtual sky is all that I am left with when someone shouts "Look up!".
A glitch distorts the air high above everyone's heads, and I watch alongside my sister as a large being cloaked in hooded red robes appears in a flash above us. A man's voice echoes around us, chilling my bones as he starts to speak.
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba. This is Sword Art Online. As many if not all of you are now aware there is no logout button on your player menu."
Many people start muttering amongst themselves and a few people who apparently hadn't tried to sign out before now, now begin frantically checking their player menu.
"Shit. He's right. It's not here!" A man's voice shouts.
"How are we supposed to get out of here?" A girl shrieks.
"Please tell me you can fix this." A small voice comes from near us, a girl's voice.
"Silence. This is no accident. I have taken out the logout option from the menus. The only way to leave here now is by reaching the hundredth floor and defeating the boss."
"Wait, couldn't we just take the nerve gear off?" One man asks.
"No." I mutter. "The nerve gear would fry your brain if you tried that."
"Fuck that I want out!" A boy shouts, crossing his arms. "Why are you even doing this? You can't just keep us in this game!"
"Take a look." Kayaba intones.
Several news articles appear around the sky. A few videos play showing people crying as gurneys with white sheets covering a person are being carted away into an ambulance.
"Several people have already tried against the warnings I sent out to the families of all players. There are now five hundred less players than an hour ago."
"Oh my god." Someone whispers, voice ringing stark against the sudden deafening silence. "This man is crazy."
And then the panic spreads.
Everyone starts arguing amongst themselves, people are sobbing and begging, some are shouting angrily, others are falling to their knees in helplessness. But I don't focus on them, because I feel a tug on my arm.
I look at Naruto, tears are running down her face as she looks at one screen in particular. I look at the section that held her attention and was the cause of her tears.
"Ero-sennin..." She whispers, her voice breaking. I can practically feel her pain as the grip she still holds on my one hand tightens to unbelievable strength. Her god-father, the man who got us the nerve gear is on one of the screens, crying, punching the stone wall making up the outside of our apartment building. I see him walking inside and a chair goes flying out the window next. A camera crew is following him up, and I can't help viciously thinking 'vultures' to myself.
Jiraiya punches the wall leaving a hole, and begins throwing other chairs and a table at the crew once he notices them. I'm proud of him as he goes into the kitchen pulling a knife, or several, and expertly throws them at the crew. The camera turns showing the knife right next to where the man's head was, millimeters from where the camera lense ends. The look on the woman's face as she stares unbelievingly at the knife is priceless and I can't help but feel she deserves it.
'You just don't go into someone's house like that, not when something like this is going on and a man learns his god daughter is trapped in a virtual reality world, and he might not see her awake again.'
I can see him yelling at them to get out several knives accompanying his threats showing he meant business, and more than a few swears are likely being said by him right now, tears streaming down his face.
There's a headline under it reading "MAN SWEARS TO FIND AND KILL KAYABA."
'I wouldn't expect any less of him.' I think, wrapping an arm around Naruto, pulling her into me as she cries. My sand catches her as her knees give out and I hold her as she gives into her grief and fears.
'Jiraiya must feel responsible. We wouldn't be here if he didn't get us the nerve gear. And... he knows Kayaba.'
Jiraiya, being as emotional over Naruto as he is, must feel like complete crap, like his world just ended. But I know it isn't his fault, even without him Naruto and I would have gone out to get the nerve gear and game anyways. Naruto's head is buried into my shoulder by now but I can feel her try to pull back. I turn her head so she can't see the screen behind her, so she doesn't see Jiraiya like that because if she sees him like that one more time it'll break her heart, it'll destroy her.
I glance around the screens and I don't see my siblings anywhere, Jiraiya might be, no is, Jiraiya is the only man on the outside who would give a damn about me. But I do note Jiraiya breaking down the door to my apartment only for another chair to go flying out of a now broken window. I sweat drop.
'That man is going to destroy both our apartments in his grief.' I think, feeling a warmth in my chest at the notion that when we get out of this, because there's no doubt that Naruto and I will get out of here, both our apartments will be damaged and destroyed beyond repair.
"He cares for you too Gaara-nii. What you feel right now is love. You love Raiya-ji like family, just like me. I know he sees you as his family." She gives me a sad smile, and I squeeze her hand to let her know that I know.
And that's when I notice that I'm looking at Naruto, the blonde haired blue eyed girl and not Kyu, the towering red haired man of her avatar.
I look down and see that I am noticeably shorter than I was before, just as I am in the real world, the same average height as Naruto.
"We've reverted to our real bodies." I note.
My sister nods.
"There was a giant flash of light and suddenly everyone was turned back into their true forms." She tells me, voice soft.
As if on que, a teen hollers, catching our attention.
"What the hell? You're a guy!?"
"I can explain!" An old man in a revealing pink battlesuit exclaims, blushing as the younger man yanks his hand from his.
"Fuck you man, you're sick!"
"Wait no please!"
The teen storms off, disappearing into the crowd, and the middle aged man he apparently broke up with just stood there like the fool he was in his perverted armor.
I tear my eyes away from the hideous sight as Naruto snickers at my side. I smile softly, spirits slightly lifted now that I see that she can still smile.
"That guy really is messed up for that." She mutters.
I just shake my head.
"This is coming from the girl who's avatar is a six foot two man that looks like he eats nails for breakfast?" I smirk, eyebrow raised.
Naruto throws her head back and cackles, a nice contrast to the panic and anger that surrounds us. When she calms herself, she lifts her free hand to thumb away her amused tears.
"It was different when I did it dude." She says. "I wasn't using it to get hot chicks or hot guys. I did it so I could look like a badass."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I offer, ignoring the way she rolls her eyes.
I'm glad to see the earlier sorrow of watching her godfather grieve temporarily forgotten. Light slowly filtering back, her eyes are no longer the dim pools of blue they were when she watched her "Ero-sennin's" meltdown on tv.
"The journey of a thousand problems..." Naruto begins.
"Starts with a fucked up world and two outcasts." I finish our little saying. We've used it for as long as we've known each other. It always brings comfort when we say it.
"We've got a long road ahead of us." I tell her.
"Maybe," She allows. "But we're strong, ne brother? Let's do what we do best."
"Endure." I agree, nodding once. "And fight."
My sand swirls to life in agreement with us, playing with her golden hair making her smile a little as she softly laughs as we start heading down the road, picking up pace as we start to run.
"Come on, we should head to the next town and start earning money, gathering supplies. Think we should steal from the stores run by those virtually controlled people?" I ask.
"Don't know if the game will let us but it's worth a try."
I find myself nodding again, and we both leave nothing behind us as we set out on the beginning of another journey.
We will beat Sword Art Online. We will because we're Gaara and Naruto, and that's all we need to be to succeed.
"Wait for us, Ero-sennin." Naruto whispers.
I allow her this quiet moment as we move faster, just slightly closer to our goal than before. I feel determination welling up inside me as we move on.
It was the beginning of a new journey, and Naruto and I were ready to face it.
