Authornote: Howdy, everyone. Just a quick authornote. Starting next week I have some business to do and I don't know if I will be losing my access to the internet while doing this job. I have it set up to where a friend can post for me, but I just wanted to give a heads up as I will have no idea what will be going on till the first few days next week. Hence telling you all now as I have no idea if I can give a heads up before I know what is going on. If I don't lose my internet or this job is short, I will have a short authornote next week to announce it, though if I still have to do the job, my posting schedule might change due to it as well. However, hope you all enjoy this chapter! Auto out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Log Horizon. This is a fanfiction used to help with my writing skills and the fact I enjoy writing stories like these. All I own is the ideas and sub-plots used to make this fanfiction and explore Log Horizon and Naruto in a different way.
A gentle breeze whistled through the crops and their beds, making the droplets from the watering can sway. It gave a nice break from the warming rays of the sun beginning to get it's Summer bite.
"Ah, another lovely day in Akiba," Naruto chimed, enjoying the bits of wind that managed to get past the black feathery like robe he wore. The goggles around his neck clacking as he moved. He carefully watered the delicate flowers sitting in the growing area, a long room with netting over the holes in the walls where windows was once there. Hundreds of flowers and plants happily growing in large built up beds.
"Hm… I might want to use my next slot for the Carpenter subclass." Naruto sighed, looking at the room's structure. Even though the structure of the room was still stable, cracks and signs of wear were showing. "Winter took it's toll on my home this year. I hope for no typhoons or I might have to invest in a new home." Naruto said, continuing with his gardening.
"Still working, Na?" Naruto looked to the side, seeing an emotionless man with a white cape and glasses walk up.
"Ah, Shiroe, good to see you," Naruto chimed, looking back at the flowers. "Marriage season is coming up for much of Akiba. Thankfully, it looks like my farm will survive the coming storm, but I need to keep these rare ones well taken care of or else they might not survive. They are important for my research and research funds."
"I see. Florists can earn a lot of Gold with growing the rare flowers. I am amazed there isn't more of them on this floor." Shiroe said, his head barely moving around to look around.
"That's due to I am an Adventurer, just like you," Naruto scowled from behind the collar of his mantle. "Even with mounts and ports, I am sometimes forced to stay away from my home from weeks on ends for raids and such. Hiring proper help to keep my farm going takes a lot out of my pocketbooks just to keep meager assets alive. Hence I try to have break periods like this to just work my farm myself. Great for meditating."
"More like keeping yourself busy," Shiroe chuckled, though his face remained emotionless. "You wanted to hear about the expansion pack rumors?"
"Ah, yes. Let me finish this row." Naruto said, humming along as he speed up his watering a little. "Sorry about calling you out if you were busy. I just want to get a head start on my data collecting. Kind of the big reason for this break this time around."
"Always such a bookkeeper. I always wonder how you have all this time, Mr. Busy Body." Shiroe said, watching as Naruto put the watering can down and walked towards the bluish hair mage. "You're a NEET through and though with how much time you have on your hands."
"I'm not a busy body. My job is to be an Adventurer. Though, I wish I could log out like you when I want to rest. Would have saved me from some very awkward situations. The only thing I have similar to you puppeteers is I live two lives." Naruto sighed, leading the mage into the deeper part of his home. "Though, managed to pass the exam and now I have work in my other life. So, kind of can't keep calling me a NEET, Shiroe."
"That's good, but that means you won't be able to play Elder Tales as much anymore." Shiroe said, a slight hint of sadness in his voice.
"Dammit. Don't you listen to anything I have told you over the years. I live here in Theldesia as much as I live in the other world I am from. The only difference will be my sleep schedule will be changing up." Naruto sighed, snapping his fingers for odd candlesticks to instantly light up with orbs of light with entering a large, messy library. One of Naruto's many libraries tuck away within his home that he would escape into to do research or relax.
"Yet, for someone who has the time to turn background art into an actual zone, you sure keep it messy." Shiroe sighed, not that his face showed his disappointment.
"This background art is my home! And you're home is probably the same, right," Naruto grinned, getting a grunt out of the mage. "Thought so. Let me find my catalog first before we get started." Naruto said, sitting down at a table and pulling out a large book and opening it. "Alright, so what new stuff have you learned about the new Expansion coming. I heard it's called Novasphere Pioneers or something like that?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from the mage before he began to talk.
Theldesia, a world that was once shattered and brought back together millennia ago. A world that lost all it's history past roughly 300 years ago when a horrific war created the current world Naruto lived in as Na. In this world, the people of eight races who lived off the land were known as the People of the Land. Due to the horrific war with the monsters known as Demi-Humans, the People of the Land were almost wipe out.
However, the People of the Land's prayers were answered in the form of the Precursors and Adventurers appearing. The Adventurers were very strong and had immortal bodies that revived after being killed. It was only with the Adventurers that could balance the current world as they were able to keep monsters, which could also revive, at bay and under control to where the People of the Land could live. Though, many of the People of the Land never noticed the changes in their lands or the monsters when a spell Naruto knew as an Expansion or it's smaller cousin Patch happened. However, Naruto could see why as many of the changes were focused on purely monsters and Adventurers.
"I see. The level cap is rising and a whole boatload of new changes," Naruto groaned, but kept on writing. "I will be reworking my library big time. Especially if they decide to make overhauls on raid bosses. Though, that's kind of expected if they are jumping the cap to 100."
"True. However, you could be like everyone else and look up the game guides instead of using word of mouth to get all the information." Shiroe said, motioning to the books with a flat faces. "I mean, this isn't real. It's just pixels and data. You are a well known vet of 12, going on 13 years in Elder Tales, so I am getting a little worried about your future if you been playing this game so much to the point even the developers have flavor text and back story on you in the game."
Naruto simply gave a somber smile to his emotionless friend, "Shiroe, as I always keep repeating and will probably keep doing so, what you see as these pixels and data is real life for me. This so called game of Elder Tales you speak of is just the controls for you to control your Adventurers' bodies. Pretty damn clever system considering what I deal with being rez as an Adventurer. Though, I can get whoever or whatever set up this system in the first place would rather you all think it is a game." Naruto sighed, looking over the books in his library.
Then again, I am the black sheep of the Adventurers. Naruto thought, letting his anger sizzle out. Shiroe did not deserve his anger nor did the other Adventurers. It was just how things were. It took Naruto a long time to come to accept it. Especially with realizing the reason the world is set up in such a cruel, somewhat illogical way.
"Oh, yeah, tomorrow, you think you could spare some time for a quest with me?" Shiroe asked as Naruto worked on making piles with his books, sorting what he needed out and such on the table. "A good Druid would be nice."
"I'm a Bard. Though, if I had the choice of choosing my class again, I would have been an Enhancer like you. The Bard spells cast time take too long for my taste!" Naruto huffed, not even looking up from his books.
"This coming from someone who leveled to the max several subclasses," Shiroe sighed, a slight chuckle coming from his lips. "I'm referring to the arch-type of Druid, not the class. Players with a good mix of offensive, defensive, and support spells will get called a Druid no matter the class. Or in your case, combined class and subclass."
"Yeah, yeah. What cha need me to do? Kiting? Or just push me right off a cliff into a dungeon like the old days of the Tea Party as the decoy and scout?" Naruto sighed, looking at Shiroe with a blunt expression.
"No. It's just a pretty average quest. I thought it would be fun to spend time with a friend when new expansion being released." Shiroe said, though letting out a sheepish laugh. "Can't friends party together without issues?"
"And this is coming from the Villain in Glasses,"Naruto chimed with a grin, "Though, no problem. In fact, I might tell you of the other world I live in once I meet my sensei."
"Your sensei?" Shiroe asked, a bit of confusion in his voice. "Didn't you pass the graduation exam?"
"Yeah. But, now I am just an apprentice if I had to put it terms you could understand and believe. The next step is being assigned to a sensei to keep expanding on our skills. Much like you are my pupil and I am your Mastre" Naruto said before shrugging, "Though, if I told you what I was going to be doing in the other world, then you'll just say I was making the whole thing up."
"With how much you are into role playing, I would not be surprised," Shiroe said as Naruto heard the faint sound of a bell ringing.
"Oh, time for me to wake up on the other side." Naruto chimed, stretching his arms out before laying his head on the table. "Night." Naruto said, closing his eyes and warm darkness engulf him.
The sound of the bell grew loud as Naruto reopened his eyes, finding himself laying in a bed. "Heh heh," Naruto grinned, slapping his hand down onto his bedside alarm clock. "I just realized how great today is going to be! I get to learn who my Jounin-sensei is and there's the Expansion that will happen once I sleep tonight and return to Theldisa."
Naruto leapt out of his bed, rushing into the bathroom. "Need to be nicely groomed today as it's a big day! The first day of truly being a Genin!" Naruto chimed, turning on the water to wash his face and teeth. However, he stopped and looked at his reflection in the mirror. With focusing, menus came up to show his status: Uzumaki Naruto Lv. 16 Class ?.
My menus are acting up? Naruto thought, getting his toothbrush and brushing his teeth, The screens before him buzzed with static, seemingly shifting back and forth between his status bar of Uzumaki Naruto and his status bar of Na, the Lv. 90 Bard. Maybe it is do to due the Expansion setting up? I never seen status bars overlaying before...It doesn't matter to me. Especially now that I am a ninja. Naruto thought, continuing on with his grooming habits before donning his favorite orange jumpsuit.
Nowhere as comfy as my robes, but it's the best I will get in this world for now. Naruto through, touching his goggles he always wore. However, he then looked at the hitai-ate right next to them. "Ah, heh heh. Old habits die hard." Naruto chuckled, picking up the headband and tying around his forehead. "Need new goggles since those old ones will cover up my headband."
He stopped by the mirror in his bathroom one more time, checking to see if his headband was on straight. "Finally, I am really getting to the adventures on this side… Though, if I die here, would I still be alive as Na on the other side?" Naruto sheepishly laughed before shaking his head and walking out of the bathroom. Then I just need to avoid dying. I gotten pretty good with wanting to avoid Rez Lag as Na. Though, after living such an eventful life as Na, there's no way I am just going to sit safely away from the adventures as the ninja Uzumaki Naruto! Naruto thought, grabbing his wallet and keys before running out his door to the academy.
Naruto hummed one of the songs he learned from the People of the Land. He was still quite happy with finally defeating the cloning jutsu that always failed on him. Not his fault since it seems even with some of his skills carried over, the Bunshin no Jutsu would not work for him. Since ninjutsu was a whole new beast compared to what Landers referred to as spells, Naruto was only at best able to figure out the problem. Which the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu solved even though he did not expect to learn why he was discriminated in this world while finding a little adventure.
Ah, that's right! With how excited I been, I been forgetting to write in my journal on this side! Naruto thought, before smiling. I'll just write all I experienced on this world in the last few days in a summary later... Oh, I need to see if I can code the same pen on this world. Would help big time considering paperwork and me don't mix... And give one to the Old Man as I know his pain quite well. Naruto chuckled, getting strange looks from people before they ignored them. It was a commonplace stereotype Naruto knew about him; that he was Konoha's loony. Now loony Jinchuriki with what he had learned. He would prove them wrong with becoming Hokage and showing them the true wisdom of an archmage. Especially one who specialized in battles and politics, much to Naruto's displeasure.
