A/N: Alright! After being pestered for so long I've finally dug my claws into this idea, into Sword Art Online. Now y'see, I didn't know where or when to place it at first, didn't want to alter too much. But then it hit me. What does it have no short of? Ideas! Almost anything can happen in this game ya know? Now, screwing around with canon is one thing. But messing with it as a whole...

...now that's a whole new can of worms. Off we go! This is also my first attempt to write a first person story. There will, of course, be third-person increments as well, but Naruto's perspective will mostly be told in the first for this story after this chapter, unless I get a massive outpouring saying it should be otherwise. So...

...please be nice! On another note, there might be a few .Hack characters in this! And remember, I own nothing! To answer a question-yes, Laughing Coffin was founded early in this game. They've also been wiped out to the last man this time. No survivors. That's what happens when you cross Naruto lol. I've also made a change to the three sword bit. Too mainstream and already used. This is Naruto we're talking about. A shinobi he may be, but he's the very definition of overkill, is he not?

You'll soon see what I mean...

"I wiil find a way out. And when I do...I'm coming for you."

~?

Leader

By comparison to slaughtering an entire PK'ing guild, facing down the first boss was easy. Dealing with my growing group of friends? Talking with them? Laughing with them? Crying with them?

Learning to open myself -my heart- after locking it and throwing away the key, trying to feel again after so many years? You'd think, that in a game like Sword Art Online, where the impossible becomes possible, that would be a trivial task. I wasn't expecting the outcry that followed our one-handed slaughter of Laughing Coffin, nor could I predict the ripples of infamy that would catapault Asuna and I to near celebrity status, even back then. Would I go back and change things, if I could?

Not a chance...


"You're sure this information is accurate?"

"Of course it is!" Came the reply. "C'mon, Naru-bou, you know I'd never sell you false intel~!"

"Because we're friends, or 'cuz ya know I'd hunt ya down for pranking me?"

She colored.

...erm, both?"

The ghost of a smile pulled at my whiskered face.

"Good answer."

This is Argo. Argo the Rat, as some called her. Another fellow beta-tester; another friend. I seem to have more and more of those, lately. Something I once feared, loathed, and abhorred, doesn't seem quite so dreadful anymore...although the fact that most of these friends happened to be women hadn't gone unnoticed. But back to what I was saying earlier.

Argo is a nimble-looking player who has browneyes and curly auburn hair. She wore full-body cloth and leather armour, a hooded cloak and also has whiskers on her face-originally a mark from a failed quest-but now a makeup of her choice. Her weapon of choice are a pair of nasty-looking claws, which she hangs at her left waist. She also uses Throwing Picks, which she hangs on her right waist. She's an information broker, someone who both buys and sells maps, data, and all manner of things, save the names of her fellow beta testers.

And she is, quite possibly, the strangest girl I've ever met.

"What's with that look?" I should've thanked her after that, dimissed her, and walked away. Instead, I made the mistake of holding my tongue. "Ohoho," her mousy face crinkled frowm a frown beneath my penetrating stare and warped into a cheeky grin. Eyes flashing, she put her hands on her hips and leaned forward a little, grinning beneath the shadows of her hood. "Finally thinking of asking me to be yer girl?"

Urk.

See what I mean?!

Now it was I who flushed. Loneliness wasn't something I liked to admit, but I felt the keen jab nonetheless. Alone. Was I alone? Sure, I had a few friends but...that? Real life was not a topic seldom broached in SAO-and the idea of romance was even more foreign. There were very few girls in the game as it were, and with the terror of being trapped in the game still so fresh in everyone's mind, few if any were pairing up. Grimacint at it-this foul thought that'd pierced the usually dense fog of my mind, I jerked my eyes back to my menu screen.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!"

"Hehe," she grinned, "You act all tough, but deep down you're really shy, aint'cha?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

I felt the slightest of frowns crease my face as I re-read the data, scanning for any flaws, and finding none. Listed before me was the information on Illfang the Kobold Lord; the boss of the first floor whom we would be tackling in just a few short hours. Sadly, Alkaid was still nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't the beta." I said, closing the screen with a swipe of my fingers. "Its likely that he'll wield something other than a talwar. Perhaps another weapon entirely."

Argo blinked.

"What makes you say that?"

"Akihiko strikes me as the type who likes to surprise his victims-chances are that Illfang will be wielding a different weapon entirely once he gets into the red." Only a few days in, and I already had a fair idea of who "Akihiko" truly was. The number of my enemies stretched into the thousands back in the day; but, the only ones who actively knew of my immortality were few and far between. The men and women capable of such sinister strategies, as well as a knowledge of the clans from the Shinobi era, could be listed on the fingers of one hand. If it was even someone I knew at all. The idea that this might be a stranger, someone whom I'd never met, was...bothersome, to say the least.

"Neh, Naru-bou, maybe you should try forming a guild?"

There she went, throwing me off my pace again!

"Guild?" I blinked, trying to keep the distasteful expression off my face. "Why would I do that?" It sounded too much like a village for my liking. Something I wholeheartedly wanted to avoid. I wasn't capable of leading others. I was broken. I'd failed Konoha, stood by as Obito and Madara burned it to the ground. The idea of leadership was as anathema to me as a party was to Kirito. I didn't think I'd be able to handle losing anymore comrades than I already had. In my eye it didn't matter how many friends I had; just so long as I kept them alive.

"Baka~!" Argo sing-songed, as though sensing that very thought. "Why not? You've already got a huge following after what you did yesterday!" her elbow nudged me conspiratorilly. "Say, didn't that smith girl make those new knives for you?"

"J-Just come here from now on, i-if you need anything. Alright?"

"Well, yeah, but," I blanched helplessly at the memory of Lisbeth's words, my hand straying to the amber-colored daggers held in my belt. Liberators. She'd forged them for me as thanks for rescuing her from Laughing Coffin, despite my insincere sarcasm. They weren't the best weapons in my inventory-standing only a few points higher than the silver daggers I'd been wielding originally. But I could tell that she'd given it her all when she'd crafted them out of those ingots; pouring her heart and soul into these tiny blades. The rational part of me insisted they were nothing more than pixels and polygons in this deathgame, there was no way someone could leave a part of themselves behind in a weapon, no matter how real it might seem.

The other part...

Shaking that treacherous thought away from my brain proved easier said than done. I shot a glower at Argo, refusing to display my thoughts. She grinned.

"Of course, I'd tell you about the perfect piece of real estate...

My right eye twitched.

"For a small fee, of course."

"Naturally!"

"Cheapskate." I deadpanned.

She gave me a sneaky smile.

"Aw, you know we so well, Naru-bou!" Then she blinked, standing on her tiptoes. For a second, I thought she was going to try and flirt with me again. But no, she merely peered up and over my shoulder,

"Looks like you have company."

Someone poked my shoulder from behind.

"Naruto."

It was a woman's voice. There weren't many female players who would call me by name. Wait a second. Actually, there were. Alkaid, Kirito, Asuna, maybe even Lisbeth if she wasn't feeling cranky, but in this situation, there was only one. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Instead, I quickly grabbed the hand over my shoulder and spoke, smiling as I swiveled around.

"Caught me a redhead."

"Wh-What do you mean?" she asked, trying to retreat with her hand still clutched in mine. She only succeeded in tugging uselessly at her arm. My strength stat eclipsed hers by a wide margin; she couln't escape unless I let go. And I had no intention of doing that as I gazed upon her.

Hair red as fire, skin the color of alabaster, black leather armor that gleamed like enamel, two shortswords strapped at her back. My heard leapt at the sight of her. Alkaid. She'd come back. Without thinking I stepped forward yanked on her hand, pulling her into my chest with such force that she actually lost a little HP. "You idiot! Where the hell did you go?! Did you have any idea how worried I was?!"

Alkaid squeaked, squirming in my embrace. Then, realizing where she was, she went still. So did I, finally realizing my reckless actions. As one, we jerked backwards. As if we'd been burned. Perhaps we had. Argo gave a small laugh, concealed by the palm of her hand. Her eyes held mine, and I caught a tiny glimmer of understanding there, hidden in their dark depths. Then she spun on a heel.

"I'll leave him to you, Al-chan." she said, walking away. "Have fun, you two!"

"What?! Hey! Traitor!"

Alkaid did a little dance on her feet as the information broker departed, coloring to the roots of her scarlet hair. Then she seemed to remember I was there, and the angry demeanor vanished. She fidgeted restlessly as she turned towards me, wriggling beneath my gaze. When she finally spoke, her voice seemed to have jumped an entire octave.

"Sorry!" the word jumped from her lips, startling us both. "I didn't mean to run off like that, I just...aargh! Why did you do that, huh?!" Before I knew what was happening, she stepped forward and shoved me. I barely budged. She didn't seem to notice. "You can't just go up and hug random girls like that, baka!"

"Does it make you jealous?"

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said that. But I was still sore at her for simply leaving the party and vanishing without a trace. I didn't know that she'd gone to buy new weapons and armor; I'd been afraid of the worse case scenario. That she'd gotten herself killed.

"O-Of course not, baka! Its just weird!"

"I told you, last time was an exception-

"Suuuuuure," she drawled in sarcasm, every word dripping with derision. "An exception. Right, right. And now that exception follows you around like a lost puppy!"

"Its not my fault!" My voice rose, anger warping my words as I loomed over her. "Would you rather I just left her like that?!"

"Maybe!"

Something snapped inside of me, blotting my vision with scarlet. I recalled Asuna's haunted gaze when I first met her. Then later, the pain, the tears in her eyes as she stared down at the shattering corpses of the men of Laughing Coffin. Her desolate expression as they vanished one by one from the world of SAO-and life itself-these murderous men and women she and I had killed. Orange players they might have been, but she'd still taken her fist life that day. I remembered holding her as she cried, whispering soft reassurances into her chestnut hair, telling her she'd done the right thing. That she wasn't a murderer.

And Alkaid was telling me I should've left her like that?

"NO!" I stepped forward, towering in my rage. "I will never, ever, leave someone in need!" To my surprise, she was actually cowed.

"W-Well, maybe that's your problem!"

"Maybe its yours!"

"Baka!"

"Troublesome woman!" My voice rose, drowning her out. "Why do I put up with you?!"

"I have no idea!" she shouted back, her voice rising in a crescendo over mine.

"Gah, I hate this!"

"I HATE YOU MORE!"

The two of us flinched at the same time. Great. We were having the same arguement all over again. I realized that. So did she.

There was an awkward silence between us both.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." The Twinblade exhaled audibly and colored to the roots of her hair once more, her face turning a pretty pink. "Look, I'm sorry I ran off okay?" she reiterated. "I...won't do it again, alright? However," Just like that, the fire was back in her eyes, roaring high in defiance. "Just so you know I'm persistent," With those words she stepped forward and up stood upon her tiptoes. Her nose brushed mine like the touch of a delicate fower, her breath warm on my face. The subtle scent of sweat and lilacs filled my nose; it was a heady, intoxicating mix. "And I never, ever give up."

...hai?" I blinked as she stepped backward, flushing. I was thoroughly, hopelssly, terribly confused.

What came next baffled me even more.

Someone tugged on my sleeve.

"Naruto-kun."

I blinked, noticing Alkaid shooting ramrod straight in the corner of my eye. Was it just my imagination, or did a scowl darken the corner of her mouth? Did her hand twitch toward her sword? At the time, I was sure I'd simply imagined it. Looking back, I find it all funny. She was jealous. And who could blame her?

I found myself staring back at a small, cherubic face; one I knew all too well. Pleasingly enough, she had divested herself of the cloak since I'd seen her last, her red-white light armor full exposed to the light of day-her chestnut hair forming a loose curtain behind her back. A small, confused smile pulled at my lips.

"Asuna-san?"

She didn't let go of my sleeve.

"We're about to hit the boss." she said." I came to get you."

"Shit, is it time already?"

She nodded, a swift, jerky bob that sent her hair bouncing. "Diavel-san gave me a corridor crystal, so we won't have to walk." My eyes widened slightly. Corridor crystals were rare teleportations crystals; allowing for a set destination to be programmed on the other end. You could only get one from a rare drop or in one of the more expensive shops. It wasn't cheap but it'd save us a large amount of potions if we simply arrived before the boss's doorstep. Even so, to just toss one of those out straight out of the gate-

"...rty with me?"

"Hai?" I blinked, coming back to myself.

Asuna colored visibly. "I-I asked if you'd form a party with me, again."

"Together?"

She gave my hand a tentative squeeze.

...yes. Together."

"Well, sure." I shrugged, not seeing the harm of something so innocuous as a party request. "I don't mind-

"HEY!" Alkaid, pushed to her limit, chose that moment to barge between the two of us. "What about me?"

"What about you?" Asuna blinked, as though only just now noticing the redhead. Perhaps she had. "Are you a friend of Naruto-kun's?"

"Ara? I'm certain I know him better than you." she snapped, voice dripping with vitriol. Before I could stop her, she grabbed hold of my arm. "And he's forming a party with me. Tough luck."

"I asked first." Asuna tugged me back towards her by the hand. Alkaid sputtered.

"I knew him first!" she shot back.

"Me."

"Me!"

"ME."

"RELAX!" I cried out with a gasp, fearing they might tug my arms off altogether. "I'll form a party with both of you, so calm down!" A quick downward swipe of my fingers made it so. Alkaid gave an exasperated grunt, one that Asuna mirrored with eerily similarity. They glared bloody red daggers at one another, sparks shooting from their eyes. With a simultaneous "hmmph!" they spun away from one another, leaving me wondering what the hell'd I had gotten myself into.

Little did I know, but they'd just declared war on one another.


"Alkaid! Asuna! Switch!"

I stepped back, retreating as my party members swarmed forward to fill the gap I'd left for them. Alkaid short forward like an arrow loosed from a bow; Asuna jolting into the fray like a bolt of lightning. Like a flash. In an instant they were at the front lines and I was at the back, allowing me a much-needed opportunity for my skills to cool down. I cast a glance back at the rest of the raiding party; we'd had a surprisingly large turnout given the fact that most of us were beta-testers.

Ruin Kobold Sentinels swarmed around us, shrieking and crying out. In the distance, the boss howled in anger.

Illfang the Kobold Lord looked much the same as he had during the beta; a massive red kobold with an axe and buckler, bearing four bars of hit points. I was content to let Diavel organize the group; I wasn't keen on a leadership role. Better that no one knew of my secret than I distinguish myself. Of course, that was my initial thought; but, once the battle began, all thoughts of restraint fell to the wayside. I fought with a ferocity that made others cringe, my daggers carving crimson streaks into my enemies with an almost reckless abandon.

One swat from Kirito's sword sent one sprawling, from mine, another. Behind us another guarded our flank, his silver hair dancing as his lithe body

Haseo.

He called himself an Adept Rogue-despite their being no such class in the game-someone who specialized in wielding three different weapons. Not at once, of course. That was impossible. Currently, he favored a large broadsword, its spiny edge cutting large swathes in the enemy ahead of him. The five of us, possessing the highest levels, were leading the charge, the rest of Diavel and Kibaou-annoying little fuck!-providing support when our skills needed to cool down.

Slowly but surely, we whittled its health down to the last bar. Illfang yowled and tossed its weapons aside, reaching for the shadowy shape on its back. I tensed. Now I would learn if my suspicions were correct. If that was indeed a talwar, I had little to fear. But if it wasn't-

"Stay back! I'll finish it!"

Diavel answered that question for me, darting forward as Illfang reached for its secondary weapon. I recognized it immediately.

I wanted to reach out and slap him. I almost did. The fucker was going for the last hit. But what he didn't realize-what I'd failed to mention-was that the Kobold wasn't wielding a talwar. It was a nodachi. Kirito must've realized it at the same time; because a cry rang out a split second before mine.

"Don't!"

"Idiot, step back!"

Diavel heeded our warning too late; one heavy blow sent his HP into the red zone, and another finished it off completely. I saw Kirito dive towards him as he toppled to the ground in a heap, immediately dismissing the boss in favor of the fallen."What are you doing?!" I shouted at her, suddenly finding myself alone against the sentinels. "He's already dead! Get back over here!" My focus shifted, locking onto Kirito. Just for a second-

That was all it took.

A loud clang greeted my ears; then something flung Asuna into me. The impact sent us both sprawling, depleting a fourth of my hit points. She tumbled off of me with a groan, her health flashing into the yellow zone. I felt a glimmer of relief that she was still alive. Unfortunately, it was short-lived.

That was when I saw Alkaid. My Search skill wasn't very high, but I could just make her out across the boss's-chamber, lying sprawled at The Illfang's feet, struggling to rise up and move. She had only a third of her hit points remaining, the red color a silent wanring as to what would happen if she took another hit. Somehow, her eyes met mine, even as her body was swallowed up by the shadow of the beast's blade.

In that insant, a thousand words seemed to pass between us. Only one stood out.

Sorry.

As my mind raced, time seemed to slow. Alkaid wasn't going to make it in time. Another hit would kill her. Death. Had I my real body, that wouldn't have been a problem; I'd revived countless lives this way. But within this world there could be no revival without a special item, one I, and the other clearers lacked. She was going to die. A cold dread trailed its fingers down my neck. No.

"ALKAID!"

There was no hesitation; my body simply moved. In that instant, I surpassed the system's speed. I didn't so much move as I did vanish. I blinked. As though reacting to my will, my body shot forward; an arrow loosed from finely drawn bow. One moment I was standing across the chamber screaming at Alkaid to move, the next; I was standing between her and certain death, swalllowed by shadow. Kobold Lord's weapon was bearing down at me with frightening speed. No time to move. Nothing to do but shoulder her out of the way and hope to hell I could block.

My left hand rose-trading my silver knives for the amber colored Liberator's Lisbeth had made for me. The chances of stopping a strike like this were minute at best but I tried anyway. If I don't, who will? No one. I was the only one who could do this...I had to do this...

Pain exploded in my head, like a thousand flares bursting in my brain.

Clang.

And then, to my great surprise, it worked. A trickle of strength flooded into my body from nowhere, momentarily sending my strength stat through the roof. The boss staggered backward, momentarily replused by what should have been a weak defense. I thought I caught a glimmer of confusion in its beady eyes.

I fought down a smile; realizing what had happened. Chakra -my chakra?!- from my real body, had found its way through the brain-distancing waves of the game and find its way to me. The Ten-Tails still existed within my physical body after all. I'd had centuries to tame and make it my ally. Perhaps it had sensed my moment of duress and tried to help me in the only way it knew how, sending chakra surging through my brain. That'd explain the headache, the crippling pain in my limbs.

I was defying the System. And I was paying the price.

I barked out a harsh laugh at the thought, using the last of my newfound strength to lunge at my foe in an explosive burst of speed. It was just a touch-lasting for all of an instant and fading even as I looked on-but the temporary increase was all I needed. I lunged forward with a howl, discarding my knives and equpping a greatsword in midlunge. Anothe rarer perk of being a shinobi; you could change weapons instantly, with virtually no lag or penalty. My weapon of choice wasn't a very sturdy weapon; shattering in my hands even as I slammed its bronze edge into the Kobold's belly. I didn't care. It had served its purpose, staggering my foe.

Fast.

Liberator danced in my hands once again as I cast the disintegrating weapon aside with a flick, the twin knives flashing like greased lightning as I struck. I couldn't stop. If I stopped I was dead. She was dead. Everyone would be dead. Ennervation crept into my body, exhaustion sinking tiny insidious fingers of doubt into my veins. I ignored it.

Faster.

No pain. Only the enemy. Only the blade. Only the offense. There was no try. Only do.

Fastest.

My mind blurred as I weaved in and out and around those deadly sweeps; never resting, always striking, always attacking, the very boundaries of the game seeming to come apart in my peripheals. There was no usage of system or swords skills. No pretense of defense. I simply attacked. The sheer ferocity of my assaullt drove the boss on its back foot, until it was desperately trying to weather the storm behind its giant blade. Looking back it was probably foolish of me to press on with such aggression but in that instant, seeing Alkaid sprawled out there at my feet, I knew I couldn't-wouldn't-allow her to die.

I didn't want her to die.

"Gwoooooaaaah!"

The boss roared and swung down at me with its nodachi, trying to squash me flat. Too slow. Agility was my highest stat; in the time it took for it to swing the longsword down at me like a club, I'd already leapt upward in a streak of blue to meet it. Sonic Leap. A skill that allowed a player to shoot upward in a rising attack. And I did just that. But instead of taking the attack head on, I alighted on its edge. For a terrifying instant I was motionless, crouched there, knives drawn and gleaming behind my back. It thrashed around, trying to shake me free from the sword and cut me apart; against any other character, it would've succeeded.

But I had something possessed only by a few other beta-testers. Chakra. With that chakra, at the cost of a few hit points, I glued my feet to the blade. Became part of it, for so long as I was willing to sacrifice HP for a boost in traction. I didn't care that in doing so I essentially revealed myself as a beta-tester; all that mattered was that I killed this fucker.

Not again, I resolved to myself, staring it down. I wouldn't let someone die on my watch.

The blade slammed down on me as I leapt away. Pain flashed through me. I ignored it. Wouldn't lose anyone. Couldn't.

Never again.

I knew the Kobold Lord was nothing more than an AI wrapped in data and pixles but I thought I saw a glimmer of hate behind those eyes, felt its malice as its teeth parted, maw rippling in a furious snarl. I roared back, my voice rising in a bestial howl all its own, the twin words of a single, solitary command filling my mind. I short forward, declaring my attack-though uneccessary-with a savage crosscut to the chest, punctuated by the up and down vertical slice across its portly stomach, leaving it reeling.

"Knife! Blitz!"

Illfang staggered, stunned just for a moment. Perhaps it knew it was about to die; that I was about to kill it. Maybe, in that last, fleeting instant, it felt fear. Whatever it was, it hesitated. That was all it took.

Then I unleashed hell.

Knife Blitz, a relatively unimpresive, un-shinobi-like skill that hints at what happens next; overwhelming your adversary with a series of swift, savage stabs. Its only a three hit skill. But its true power lay in its potential to combo; that is, to chain a series of strikes together for increasing damage. When you connect with Knife Blitz-even if its just one hit-the damage for each attack will be increased exponentially by a multiplier, two for each successive hit. This skill had resonated with me since the beta, and I'd worked hard to master the many uses it might have in combat.

I think we've established that, even at my low level, I was a master at combinations. I'd landed all three hits, and was riding a wave of pure rage and adrenaline, my stamina soaring high. Each strike landed now would possesin eighteen times the damage that it had before, and that only increased as I rained down blows on the belligerent beast. End result?

I tore Illfang apart.

We ripped into one another, the boss giving as good as it got; but I didn't stop. Couldn't. My knives sank into its stomach, shot upward towards its head, streaming scarlet pixels as they went. Pain flashed through me once more, but I barely felt it. There was only the fight. Only the victory.

"Seya!"

Its head rolled forth from its shoulders toppling to the ground, where it shattered in a sea of pixels. The rest of its body soon followed-its corpulent form falling to the ground and dissolving into a sea of light. Experience flooded my screen, leveling me up twice in an instant. Then, before our very eyes, a series of large purple letters formed where Illfang had fallen. I'd never been so happy to see them in all my life.

CONGRATULATION! BOSS CLEARED!

Cries of joyous disbelief went up from the raiding party, some slumping to the floor in exhaustion, others wept. I sheathed my knives, eyes rising to my own health bar. A tiny glimmer of red stared back at me. A laugh tore out of my throat. I had exactly one hit point left. Another hit, and, ten innocents would've died. For my stupidity. I chuckled bitterly. I could barely recognize my own mortality, the senselessness of it all. Then, my legs gave out. Someone caught me.

Soft arms encircled me from behind, pulling me into a lap. Through a crimson haze, I caught sight of scarlet tresses. A healing crystal was pressed to my chest, a tearful, frantic voice exclaiming:

"Heal!"

My vision cleared, exposing Alkaid teary face hanging above me. Despite my better judgement, I grinned.

"Yo." I coughed. "You're alive, right? Because I'd hate for this to be a dream after all I-

Whap!

Alkaid slapped me. Hard. My head snapped to the right with a grimace. Good thing she'd healed me. All around us the chamber had gone dark, the lights fading with the death of the boss and his sentinels. But before I had a chance to speak, she spoke for me.

"Why did you do that?"

"Dunno...guess I just couldn't let you die...

Asuna found us in the next instant; crowding to bury her head into my chest seconds later. I froze up, stiffening as her hair tickled at my nose; the soft sound of her sobs slowly trickling into my ears. Soft. But I daren't say such a thing after the beating I'd taken. Numbly, stiffly, I patted her on the head. It only made things worse.

"You...reckless idiot!" she sniffled. "Stupid! Baka! Baka baka baka baka...

"Gomen." I muttered into her hair, her words trailing off into a soft cry. "I was reckless."

"Damn straight you were."

I glanced up to find Haseo-reclusive, anti-social, leave me the hell alone Haseo-glaring down at me. His tan and black armor had taken a bad beating since I'd seen him last; but it'd done nothing to queel his anger. An emotion somewhere between pride and fury twisted his visage. He hummphed and looked away even as I tried to formulate a reply, leaving me shaking my head.

"Stupid," someone else muttered.

Then I noticed Kirito. Her expression warred with her typical aloof nature, more shock than anything else, startled by my ferocity. I didn't blame her. Or them. These were my friends, after all. Ha. Friends. I'd fought to keep myself distant to others, but I always seemed to get sucked into their own pace...

"He did it!" A cry went up!

"That guy took down the boss!"

"Just who the hell is he?"

I took a long moment to listen to the rest of the raiding parties, basking in their cheers. It was a relief. I'd done something. Something good. Although the idea of bonds still terrified me, I felt that anxiety subside-ever so slightly-as I gazed upon the lives of the players I'd saved. They were alive because of me. Because of us. Perhaps I wouldn't make such a bad leader after all. A small smile fell across my face. I opened my mouth so speak-

"Why?"

-and the words turned to ash on my tongue.

A pall fell over the group.

The crowd parted, exposing Kibaou, on his knees. Tears gleamed in the eyes of the spikey-haired player.

"Why did you let Diavel die?!"

I rose slowly, giving him an odd look, ignoring Asuna's attempt to keep me on the ground. His demand made no sense.

"Let him die?" my blank tone caused them to back away. They knew me better than I knew myself; they knew what was coming.

"Of course!" he cried, thrusting a finger at me. "You knew the last technique that the boss used! If you'd told us about that up front, the boss wouldn't have died!" I saw the realization dawn in his beady little eyes as I picked myself up, standing slowly, woodenly. "You-you damned beta tester!" the swordsman continued to rant as I began walking towards him, heedless of the danger. "You knew all the boss's attack patterns, yet you didn't tell us anything! Neither did you!" He leered at Kirito. "I bet those other four are beta-testers too-

Thwack.

I walked over to him.

Then I hit him.

Hard.

My fist found his face almost before I knew what was happening, my strength stat catapaulting him backwards with a devastating hit. The blow took a fifth of his hit points and tossed him backwards. I lowered my arm, glowering. Kibaou scrambled upward, clutching at his dented cheek as though it were made of glass.

"W-What the hell was that for?!"

"He was the idiot who charged in alone!" I growled, a touch of killer intent suffusing his tone. Leech. Parasite. Worm. He blamed others for everything that befell him, yet never took responsibility. He was no better than that damned feudal lord I'd once served in the elemental nation. "Did it ever occur to you he might be a beta tester too?! Yet he took responsiblity for you lot, sheltered you-willingly gave you information-and led you to this very point! You demean his death with your words. And us!" I gestured to myself, Alkaid, Haseo, and Kirito. "We came here to help you win, and you accuse us of letting him die?!"

Just like that, the tension, so angry and thick, changed.

"He's right...

"They did fight for us...

"Maybe they're not so bad after all...

My blade, once sheathed, flashed out at Kibaou's throat.

"Get out of my sight, leech. If you value your life."

Fumbling with a teleport crystal, he gated before I could make good on my threat.

I selected the item, Coat of Midnight, considering it for a moment. Nah. Black wasn't my style. Then I manipulated it in my inventory and sent it off.

"Here."

"E-Eh?" Kirito blanched as it appeared amongst her items. "Why are you giving me this?"

"I don't want it."

Without another word, I turned and strode away. "You guys coming?"

There was a collective silence. Finally, Asuna broke it.

...what do you mean?"

"We've got work to do."


Another month passed.

In those thirty days, a glimmer of relief arose amongst the players. The first floor boss was dead. The game could be beaten. Suddenly there was hope. A candle lit in the dark. More and more high-level players began to pop up; some of them were even former beta-testers, like me. And one of the first guilds sprang up. It started with a core group of only a few players, but within a week, its memberhip numbered in the dozens. By the time half a year was out, they numbered in the hundreds. The name of this guild, you ask?

Hokage. In literal english, it meant Fire Shadow.

It was my guild.

And in that guild, I met the most shy, seemingly hopeless girl...


"Ano...

Sachi watched him nervously, trying not to cower behind her shield as he instructed her for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Are you sure I'm doing this right?"

"It's simple," he said. "Now, I could show you how I usually work, with stealth and a single kunai, but hey, where's the fun in that?" A finger swiped at the air, manipulating his menu. "Alright, lets see here; one of you, and some of this, a little of that...oh," he turned towards her, smiling sheepishly. "Keep this a secret, will ya? I don't want anyone to know about it, yet."

With a flicker of pixels a sword appeared.

Naruto quietly tapped the edge of his blade against a boot. Flicking his fingers, he palmed one blade to his hand, then another. Slowly-lazily-he opened his mouth and placed a third within, his teeth biting down against the leather hilt, holding it cross his body in a horizontal weave. His hands flicked twice more summoning another pair of blades to his already full hands. But instead of simply clutching them, he shifted the hilts to each other, one between each knuckle, three for a hand. Like the claws of a dragon, she thought to herself, staring at the gleaming red steel in either hand.

She counted six in all.

Seven, when one counted that blade in his mouth. That shouldn't be possible. As if he were defying the system itself. Yet a few swipes of his blades showed that they glowed with swords skills, deepn, ebon and orange streaks lghting his katana as he swung them, adjusting the blades, until he felt comfortable. Swords skills. So the system did recognize it...

With a start, she realized what she was looking at.

His own Unique skill for the game. Nantoryu. That is, seven sword technique. Not a shinobi skill but something far deadlier. An elite sword skill, probably the only one in the game. And this one belonged to him. No one knew just how you acquired a Unique Skill; you simply did. With that many blades, she had no doubt that the blond was capable of inflicing an obscene amount of damage. Azure eyes swept across the field, targeting a nearby monster. Hollow eyes of bone turned to regard him. Naruto growled.

"See," he began slowly, words muffled by the hilt, "Don't do everything yourself. Just line up the motion, let the system take over and...KAPOW!"

His katana flashed a violent shade of violet, his body flying into the skill as he pounded down the unlucky dead. Three strikes. Vertical square. Then Horizontal. As he reamed into the beast it tried to strike down; only to find itself bissected by the trio of blads raining down on it. That was all it took-then the monster shattered into angry red pixels. Sheathing his blades as one he turned to his charge-grinning like a chesire cat. Sachi colored. Being part of-working with-a guild was proving to be an...interesting experience.

"Ready?"

She gulped, regarding another of the eerie creatures in the maze. "I-I don't know. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course it is! C'mon, get in there!" A swat on her back sent her stumbling forward.

"Alright-eep!"

One hit from the monster slashed her HP in half and knocked her flat on her back. Sighing, the Undying strode forward and dispatched it with a swift swing of his blade. Naruto cringed as he tossed her a healing crystal, restoring her hit points once more.

"Well, that could've gone better.

"Sumimasen...

The blond laughed quietly; it was a quiet croak of a sound.

"Sachi...what am I going to do with you?"

A/N: Its been awhile, hasn't it? I've been pestered for ages, to do this, haven't I? And yes, for those of you familiar with .Hack GU, Alkaid is in this story. I sincerely hope that isn't a problem? As a another note, if you're wondering about Naruto's armor, for now, its a variation of the Anbu attire, only orange. He'll get better equiptment-and plenty of girls!-as time drags on. I want to try and make this as real as possible, no leaping into relationships straight away. Naruto's essentialy forgotten what it means to love; and he'll be forced to relearn that emotion as he goes on...

...and ah, what a story this'll be!

Just in case ya'll are wondering about my intentions to update this story, rest assured I plan to stick to this and them all! I'm sure many of you have seen my most recent update for the Crimson Prince, after all. That's right, baby! I'm back, all healed up, and ready to update my fics to your heart's content. If there are any particular ones ya'll want update, feel free to give me a shout! So that now its been said...

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly...? Should Naruto work with others, or be forced to slog all the way through on his own? And of course, enjoy the preview! Remember, if you're not at least familiar with Sword Art Online, you'll be hopelessly confused! The preview is in third person for now! Fair warning...ITS SAD!

(Preview)

Naruto felt his jaw click open wordlessly. A lone tear rolled from his eye. He struggled to speak, but his tongue defied him. The body in his arms began to shimmer, wavering, so much like her smile. No matter how hard he tried to hold ont her, she only seemed to become more and more insubstantial. Her health plunged from green to yellow. Then red. Then...it vanished. He clamored for a potion, realizing too late he had none. Before his very eyes she began to fracture, coming apart at the seams. Words finally found him. But it was only one.

"No," he changed the word over and over like a mantra. "No, no, no."

Numbly, her lips parted.

"Hey."

He choked, holding her hand so tightly he thought it would shatter. "Hey...

"Naruto," she whispered, her eyes turning glassy. Empty. A hand rose, fumbling fingers cupping at his cheek. "I'm sorry...

"Don't be sorry," he held tight to her, as though his arms could somehow keep her from falling apart. "Please don't be sorry."

...kay." she murmurred softly. Her eyes rolled upward, staring at the stars. "They're so pretty. I'm glad I got to see them with you."

"Oi, don't talk like that. You'll be fine." He cursed himself, the tears rolling down his cheeks. "Just hold on a little longer."

She looked up at him with such adoration that his heart threatened to burst. Still, she smiled.

"I love y-

Then her body shattered into a thousand shards of glass taking her words with it. Exploding before his very eyes.

She was gone...

GONE.

R&R! =D