Authornote: Well, got good news and bad news. Good news, from the look of things, the business I had won't be an issue against my posting. Bad news, my router is deciding to be a pain. Hence posting Friday's chapters today in case it keeps up it's random periods of internet and no internet access. If this looks to be a long term problem, then my posting schedule might change due to I might have to result to using internet in town. I usually go either Monday, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. However, I am still planning to post on Friday, but wanted to get at least this weeks chapter up in case I don't make it. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
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 used to make this fanfiction and explore Log Horizon and Naruto in a different way. Also, don't own any of the games and anime I make reference to in this story, but still got to give homage to video games since this is technically a video game fanfiction as well.
"I apologize for my team being the one to assist the investigation, but with what happened, we were the only volunteers." Gaara looked at his sensei Baki as they walked through Konoha. "Even though whatever it was that killed those employees did not attack a hair on any other Suna civilian, many fear that being has the ability to truly kill people as we were unable to revive them like other civilians with resurrection techniques."
"I understand." The youthful man that was the Hokage said, nodding, "However, with the information we gotten from you, we at least confirmed what happened to eleven people who went missing during the May Incident and why several people's bodies changed like mine."
"Where are we heading anyways?" Temari asked, moving her blond bangs out of her face.
Do you know more as to why Shukaku died? Gaara thought, seething while walking.
A month ago, Garra found he was knocked out and memories he never had came into his head. Yet, he managed to meet Shukaku and find out that the demon was not his Mother. However, he was just as lonely as a soul like him and so every night, talked to him without the fear of possessing him with finding somehow the seal was fixed. Though Shukaku was still distrustful, Gaara found a grudgingly friendship with the tanuki. He began to see his fears and anger as just blinding him, though he was still distrustful to humans in general. They were just as fearful of him as he was of them, hence decided to stop being at the same level and try and get over his own fears of them as well as solely focus on killing for his existence.
Then Shukaku got weaker and weaker before dying. Now a tree is in place of where he once was. Gaara thought, anger building up in him. Even though he originally feared the demon and still mad with realizing the tanuki tricked him into avoiding other people, he wanted to know what killed his only friend just days ago. I will avenge Shukaku. He was the only one who accepted my existence and even tricked me to protect it.
"A-Ah, Gaara… Killer intent." Gaara blinked, looking at his brother Kankuro who was paled. He looked around, noticing the civilians giving him uneasy looks and Konoha ninja ready to attack.
"Sorry. Got too focused in my thoughts." Gaara mumbled, blushing while looking down.
"It's alright. Just control the killer intent. I rather not get on Konoha's bad side." Kankuro sighed, "Though, what's wrong? You seemingly… Er, more grumpy?"
"Smooth, Kankuro, very smooth." Temari said, shaking her head. "He hasn't slept well the last few days, so it could be his insomnia is coming back some. Stop being an idiot and focus on the mission."
"True." Kankuro said, before glaring at his sister. "Hey, I am not an idiot!"
Even though they were once scared of me, they aren't as scared now. I guess not being on their backs all the time makes them more relax around me. Gaara thought, pondering, Though, I find humans quite odd. All I did was make sure they stay in line and get their job done as ninja, yet they became super fearful of me. Now with relaxing my own fears, they also are less fearful of me… So complex...
"I see this team is already a bit experienced, but hopefully we will not need any combat skills for this investigation." The Hokage sighed while stopping in front of an apartment complex. "This is the home of the main suspect of the May Incident. However, as I said, we discovered now what happened to them due to your message and have to say Las Boss is more of a victim than a suspect."
"I see. So you managed to figure out the identity of Las Boss. It is a very odd name, so I just thought it was code." Baki said, amazement in his expression.
"No. It's the avatar name to his game character for Elder Tales, which now shows on his documentation. However, I am not surprised Naruto managed to establish several businesses without anyone knowing. He might be only twelve, but he is a genius at politics and business type skills that would be great to the village if he ever pass the Genin Exam." The Hokage sighed, making all three of Gaara's comrades sweat.
I roughly roughly know what politics and business is, but are they really such great skills to have as a ninja? Gaara thought as they went up the stairs.
"He's really that good, Sensei?" The white hair man, Jiraiya as Gaara remember, asked.
"Yes. He actually pays for this apartment himself since he was six so he could get out of the orphanage. He is usually modest with the investments him takes out, but even I can tell he could easily be making a million ryou a year if he was serious with it." Even Gaara's eyes went wide eyed as they reach the door of the apartment, which was being guarded by Konoha ANBU.
A-A million ryou! That's enough to easily live on for the rest of my life if I just ate my favorite food! Gaara thought, instantly feeling dread in his stomach. I was so stuck in my mind with fear that I never realize such a useful skill outside of using my sand and killing people!
"If he was that good, why he lived in such a small apartment?" Temari sighed as they entered the apartment and all four Suna native instantly shivered. "My lord! Turn on the heater! It's colder than nighttime in Suna!"
"Sadly, we can't. We kept most of Naruto's apartment untouched, including keeping his air condition on." The Hokage said, walking towards the back of the apartment. "Also, Naruto has a weird sense of efficiency I don't even get. Hence why he lives here instead of a house, though I think he was saving up for one."
"A weird sense of efficiency?" Baki asked as they ended the bedroom and realized what the Hokage meant. "Ah, one of those messy geniuses. Though, I never seen such technology before." Baki said, all of the Suna siblings and the two Konoha ninja with the Hokage shocked at the many monitor screens on the wall with various odd machines humming in the room. Lots of stacks of papers ranging from hand written notes to full illustrations littered the room. Even the bed had turned into a makeshift storage desk, covered with odd equipment made of plastic and art tools.
"Yep. He was in one of his binge modes from the fact it is clear before he disappeared that he hadn't slept for a few days. We managed to separate the trash from possible evidence, but kept most of it here with realizing it was best to keep it all in this cooled environment. His computers will overheat due to some many of them there are in here."
"But, still, how the hell can someone living in something this cold?" Kankuro asked before sneezing. "Ah, great, I hope I am not getting a cold from this."
"That is something I always pondered myself in my travels." The blond hair woman, Tsunade, sighed while walking up to the computers. "Though, you're right on wanting this kid as a ninja. He knows how to code, which is one hell of a skill with how technology has been growing the last decade here."
"Code? Like in cypher?" Baki asked, "Is that why his companies have been under the radar so well?"
"No, not that code. Computer coding. It's much like how we use hand signs for making a jutsu work, but computer code allows you to set up commands for a computer to follow and operate what you want it to do. It seem this Elder Tales game is basically one hell of a complex computer program made into a game." Tsunade said, not hiding her shock.
"How did you figure that out with just looking at it?" Kankuro asked, amazed at the blond.
What powerful skills have I neglected with focusing on killing only? Gaara thought, feeling very depressed of his own self-existence. I really was a nobody with just killing for my existence.
"He has this messaging program called E-mail up. Though, no wonder no one knew about his companies. They can send messages through the computers." Tsunade said, moving so they could see the box with messages within in on one of the computer screens. Everyone sweated, seeing several of the messages. "I recognized bug as a common term used by people who use computers when there is a problem with the code. Naruto was looking for a bug revolving this Alpha Server or Noosphere Server program before his messages stop, probably right when he disappeared."
"That lines up with what we gotten from Fishcake Electronics' employees before they died. They were saying somehow our world became the Noosphere Server, whatever that meant." Baki said, sighing before noticing something. "Hey, what is that?" Baki pointed at the screen, pointing at a lit up tab.
"Don't know. Let's check." Tsunade picked up an odd plastic object and moved it for a little white arrow character to move on the screen. She clicked on the tab for a new message to appear. "This is a new message, sent roughly two weeks ago with a few others."
"It must be that last contact message that the employees mentioned. We weren't able to get it due to whatever killed the employees destroyed their computers complete." Kankuro said while Gaara nodded.
This will lead me to what killed Shukaku. I know it! Gaara thought, his fists tightening.
"This lettering is odd… Let's see. 'Urgent message to all involved with Elder Tales. Please remain calm, however we have lost access to all servers including original North America Server, Japan Server, and the Alpha Server for the Noosphere Server for the other world. Also lost access to the Elder Tales website and forums. We been trying to get into the systems, but are locked out. However, to report, no more people have ended up in the game with using bots to force shut down all player computers who are not logged in. However, those working on Noosphere Server project, we need to know who messed with Boss's trailer for the new expansion and launched it on Ustube? We are already trying to keep people calm over here and not log into the game, yet the trailer is making people think the missing people is an advertising joke for the game. Also, what is with it as some of the content is not in the original stuff we worked on for content for Alpha Server launch? Link is below to UsTube video.'"
"So, they lost control of this game and that is why everything is weird?" Jiraiya asked, getting confused looks and shrugs from everyone including Tsunade who moved the arrow over the blue text.
"Ah! A new box opened up!" Tsunade gasped as everyone looked at the screen to see some kind of odd format in the box with several small boxes of image on the right and a large black box on the left side. "Ustube? What's this?" Tsunade asked before they jumped when the box turned white and a odd tune began to play.
"Nani?" Gaara said as he watched the screen. Something fell and hit the white ground, showing a oddly simplified character made of little squares. He looked like a fighter in dark clothes and a box on his back. Two more odd characters hit the ground, showing a blond hair woman in a dress and a man in dark clothing. All three did a hands up before beginning to walk and the white background turned into background made of other small boxes to form the picture. Amazing! Moving pictures!
"Is this that moving illustration thing you were talking about Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked before looking back and seeing the numbers "1998" on the screen. "Nani? What does that mean?"
The number began to go up and they watched as the characters walking on the screen and the background evolve, going from small boxes to odd planar characters to almost looking real which made the group realizing one of the characters. "Sensei! It's you!" Jiraiya said, realize the man in dark clothing to be the Hokage in ninja attire with a fully made figure running across the screen with a young blond hair girl and a white hair man.
However, then the music turned into full orchestra as the 3D images suddenly turned to drawing sketches that were running, more characters appearing drawn up before the screen burst into black showing the number "2018" with the Elder Tales logo appeared with the title "Homesteading on Noosphere" appeared beneath.
"Is this thing on?" Gaara raised an eyebrow, hearing a thumping sound before the black screen suddenly frizzed and an image of an illustrated face appeared. "Ah, that's better. Still figuring out mixing magic and tech again… Hopefully this will not go exploding on me again." The face zooms out, showing a study covered with paperwork, flasks, and other things of a mage from a fantasy story. "Well, many are probably wondering who I am. I just go by Boss where I come from." The mage sat down, showing his full body and showing who it was. It was a white hair man with odd blue circuit like markings on his body.
"Wait, that's Las Boss, Naruto's avatar… Damn. No wonder he was working with these people. They are light years beyond us with entertainment technology!" Jiraiya said, his mouth agap.
Mind blown. Gaara thought, still trying to process the image was moving, showing the man Boss pulling out several paper scrolls.
"You're probably wanting me to tell you want new things to expect with the new expansion and all, but I rather not talk about that." Boss sighed before grinning, "What I want to talk about is this!" The illustrated man opened up one of the scrolls which suddenly sprung to life with moving images. "Welcome to Noosphere! Okay, name is still pending for the world I am from, but come on, we only just discovered there is other people out there with us!" Images of the ninja villages along with sketches of ninja and weapons appeared on the screen.
"That's… Suna and Konoha. Is he the rumored man who has been gathering information on all the villages?" Baki asked, watching the images roll, even seeing the Suna Jonin and Chunin gear that Gaara recognized.
"He's a concept artist. What he was gather was basically stuff to properly represent the villages for this video game thing." Jiraiya said, though nodding in understanding the Suna Jonin's disbelief. "But, I think I know why they were saying Alpha Server was becoming our world. It's because they based it off our world, probably to sell the game to the villages and wanted properly to represent the villages to do so."
"A lovely place where samurai slice and ninja sneak. It's quite homey once you get past the war every few decades. Though, on my studies of lost technology that I discovered is the Alvs, I made an amazing discovery with my lovely wife and the leader of the village I work for: the world Theldesia."
The scroll reeled back up to show Boss. "Over the years I had fun exploring Theldesia and it gave the Old Man a good breather from office work. Not that I think the ANBU figured out where he disappears with me at times. Awesome party trick using the Intercity Transport Gates in front of those who don't know what it is."
"Honey? Who are you talking? Have you breathed in too much vapors again?" A female voice spoke up, somewhat annoyed.
"No! Sweetie! Just testing out a new piece of equipment!" Boss shouted before shaking his head. "Sorry. The misses always worried with all my experimentation. Thinks I am going a little loony. However, this is a very important message I got to get out to every Adventurer!"
"Naruto… is married?" Tsunade asked while the Hokage was pale.
What's married? Gaara thought, focused back on the screen as the man pulled out a different scroll.
"Well, on my little escapades in Theldesia, my comrades and I discovered a little bitty problem… Okay, huge one. Seems the Noosphere and Theldesia are going to collide." Bossed laughed as everyone's face went into shock.
"Did he just…" Tsunade said, the room's temperature dropped.
"Yes. I think our world is doomed." The Hokage sighed, shaking his head.
"Oh, sorry, must look like a loony laughing in such danger." Boss sheepishly grinned. "However, seems before being wiped out, the Alvs figured out a solution, hence why their technology can be found all over my world and their legacy still around since some of them escaped to Noosphere though the Alvs are rare here and lost a lot of our past documents, hence clueless of our full past like me. Heh heh. Hence why we are always looking to explore the past and revive last technology."
"That's good." All of the group let out a sigh of relief.
"Problem comes with how to activate the solution. So we need some brave Adventurers to join in one some epic adventures to help make sure two planets don't go kaboom with hitting each other. Would be a real shame, especially with so much new cool skills and spells, brand new monsters to fight, and epic new raids including a the brand new war raids. Especially now that with odd things happening in both worlds. Rumors from my fellow scholars in both worlds have found legendary heroes falling and mysterious things happening."
"Ah, almost forgot. Along with being able to create new items and spells, you can make your mark on both Theldesia and Noosphere's history just like these past parties and guilds!" Boss shouted, holding up a new scroll and new moving illustration showing a huge group of soldiers with a huge knight in armor with the message "D.D.D" and others before suddenly stopping on "Debauchery Tea Party."
"The bigger the pinch you overcome, the better the food tastes after!" A girl wearing traditional clothing chimed as full on moving illustration of over 31 people was showed. The Hokage and Boss being shown next to a black hair girl with auburn eyes and odd markings on her face, but wearing the blond hair girl's clothing together in the very group. A huge monster is shown before the group roared into action, charging straight at the monster the imagery went up in flames. The box then went dark before showing a quick shot of a scenery white place filled with trees and another of a odd beach in a night scene before completely going black and many small images appeared in the box.
"No way, he's talking about the monsters and such appearing here?" Kankuro asked before gritting his teeth. "That bastard did cause this!"
"Please note this is a moving illustration and the message said it changed." Tsunade said, Gaara actually having a chill go down his spine seeing her tense expression. "This is a lure to drag more people into this mess by making them log in, whatever that is." Tsunade exited out of the box and found something on the computer. "This should prove it." Tsunade clicked on it, for a new program to appear full of rough drawings.
"Ah, that's a story board." Jiraiya said, looking at it. "And you're right, this shows that is nothing like what we saw. But, then, who did the new video if all the people connected to this project is being killed.
"I don't-Ack! The mouse is moving!" Tsunade yelped, shocked when the mouse move, making a black line on the image below.
"Oops." Gaara sheepishly grinned as the others looked at him. He was holding a plastic tablet and pen. "This is neat." Gaara said, putting the pen to the tablet and everyone saw he was the one who moved the mouse, now drawing on the computer. "What is this thing? It's magic. I wonder if this Naruto person used this to make that moving drawing."
"Maybe. I never seen a tool like that to draw without paper." The Hokage sighed while Gaara focused on the computer. "However, we need to get that off the computer somehow. Even though it's a lure to trap, it has useful clues and hints we need in case things go badly. I mean, two worlds colliding together would be the end of everything."
"I don't think that will happen." Jiraiya sighed as Tsunade moved away from the computer and Gaara sat down to draw more, entranced by the amazing device. "Well, the two worlds combining into one is more like it. It would explain the odd things happening. Though, we are now up to three worlds in one day learned of. This is getting ridiculous." Jiraiya sighed, putting his hand to his forehead.
"That's no twith the other stuff. Though, what is this 'log-in' thing? Why is it the company stopping people from doing so?" Tsunade asked when Gaara accidently closed the window and clicked on the small logo of Elder Tales on the computer by mistake.
"Huh?" Gaara blinked, a new box appearing with the Elder Tales logo on it. Is this the Elder Tales game? Gaara looked to his sides, seeing everyone talking together and not looking at him. This is what is linked to Shukaku's death… Huh?
Gaara raised an eyebrow when seeing a message appear. Do you wish to change your class and race? Gaara used the tablet to move the mouse, clicking on the yes button and finding an screen coming up, showing him with various information. That's me! Ah, what's this? Races? Gaara clicked on the button with "Werecat" and his eyes lit up seeing himself turn into a cat person. I can become something other than a human! Does that mean there are now other beings outside of what Shukaku was and humans? Though, I don't like the cat me.
Gaara clicked on the other buttons, looking at various versions of himself before finding he liked the Wolf Fang and decided on trying the other bars and such. I can become a kid again? Gaara thought, finding he could shorten himself. Maybe if I become a child, people will be less fearful of me. Huh? I can change my class… Oh! So that's what a Guardian is. Defense is my specialty, so I should have this instead of the Assassin I chose before. Gaara clicked on Guardian.
"Though I want to report back to Suna right away, this information might cause a panic."Baki said, Gaara not paying attention as he found something that made his eyes widen. "Especially with how our borders have been expanding. What if the land is separated if fused with this other world?"
Shukaku! Gaara thought, finding a small box showing Shukaku's name and clicked on it. He was shocked to see he suddenly gain markings like the tanuki and his ears became like his. However, the character version of himself on the screen was now holding a halberd and shield also themed off the markers and oddly sand looking. An odd shadow formed behind the body, though he could not make out the shape except smaller than him. Is Shukaku still alive? And why does this thing have this option?
"I am more worried as to why the two worlds are fusing and what did that other world take from this Earth world?" The Hokage sighed, "Wouldn't having our world fit their needs from what I seen and heard?"
Alright. Finished. Gaara clicked on the finished button for a new box to appeared. "Are you sure? Your contracted summon and you shall be send to Akihabara due to level reset?" Gaara's eyes widen, his heart suddenly racing. Summon?... No way! Shukaku is alive! Did what happen in the seal simply just teleported Shukaku away and left that odd stuff? But, where is this Akihabara-No! I don't care! I have to find my only friend and see if he is alright!
Gaara hit the confirmation and instantly felt a shock through his body. Nani? I can't move!
[What memories do you wish to sacrifice for this early change?] Gaara blinked, seeing a green text box before him.
I have to sacrifice memories? If it is worth saving Shukaku, then I don't losing most of my memories. Though forgetting that my uncle trying to kill me along with all the painful lonely memories would be nice. Gaara thought before another box popped up, saying memories were chosen and his world suddenly went back.
"Gaara!" Gaara heard off in the distance before everything went silent.
Ah, I screwed up. Gaara thought before seeing one last message appear before him before the darkness fully engulfed him. "Unable to find beginner's area? Transferring to closest GM?" What the hell is a GM? Gaara thought, his mind going blank as he fell into a somber.