Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the third chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the Martial Arts Mission, as well as shedding a little light to Naruto's past. On with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 3: Martial Arts and Past

Urbus

The sun rose to the sky in the town of Urbus. By now, a larger amount of players had arrived, due to the teleportation gate working. Not only because all the Raid members arrived late, but because with the clearing of the First Floor, hope rose in many player's minds, who steeled their resolve and started preparing to join the frontlines, or going to increase their worker skills. Stores opened, as many started buying new weapons, armour and resources, getting ready to grind their skills, so as to quickly gain enough strength to find and defeat the boss of the second floor.

The light slowly illuminated the main room of the group's. The sun's rays fell on Naruto's face, who yawned, slowly rising. He opened his menu, checking the time and noticing it was still early. With a groan, he started stretching. While no matter how many push-ups and sit-ups he would do, they would make no difference in the virtual world, so he stuck to doing stretches. It made him feel more awake as he finished. He went into the bathroom and did the morning routine, bathing, cleaning his face, brushing his teeth and using the toilet. After 15 minutes, he came outside and went to the couch. He slowly placed the falchion on the couch, before going to the kitchen. Pressing a few buttons on cupboards and machines, he made some morning coffee. He poured some on a mug, when he heard the door open. He turned, seeing Asuna slowly approaching, sniffing the air. With a sigh, he poured coffee on a second mug, giving it to her "Here. It isn't very well made, as I am not a Chef, but it will wake you up." he said, as she muttered a thank you, before taking a sip. She moaned in content, as the liquid indeed woke her up. Even though it was just a pulse from the system that opened your senses, it still felt real and she enjoyed that. He took his own mug, taking a sip from it, before sitting down and placing the mug on the coffee table. He took out his falchion, observing it, as Asuna took a seat next to him. His eyes and hand slowly ran across each part of the blade, from the sharp curved edge, to the strong crossguard, to the round pommel. His eyes traced up and down the sword, looking for any irregularities.

Asuna observed him for a few moments in silence, before deciding to speak "Why are you doing that? It's a virtual sword." she said. He stopped, turning to her "Do you know what defines a good sword?" he asked, as she tilted her head "Um, how it is crafted?" she asked, as he smiled a bit behind his mask "Indeed. That is a way. But this is a sword from a virtual world, bought from an NPC store. It wasn't made from a player, so how will you determine if this sword is good for you? The type of the sword could help, but it might not be for you." he said, as she frowned. She thought for a few minutes, then sighed "I don't know." she said. He raised the sword, pointing forward, but not stretching his entire arm as his eyes told her to look at it "First, the material." he said, as he ran his other hand along the flat side "Each floor has better metals, whether in type, strength, density or quality. Knowing which metals exist in each floor, what is the best quality metal and what each metal's properties give, show you if the sword is for you. We usually split normal Weapon Metals in two types, Speed and Strength. If it's a speed type, it is made of a light metal, meant for speed over power. If it is a strength type, it is made of a heavy metal, meant for power over speed." he said, as she nodded "Makes sense." she said. He rose slightly "Pay attention to the swings." he said, swinging it around lightly. "The second factor you need to know is how strong and how flexible it is. You need to know how much damage your sword can take by a single hit and at the same time you need to know how flexible your sword is compared to it's type, otherwise bad results may occur in mid-swing." he said, as she nodded. "I see." she said. He sheathed his sword, then sat down "But I do it most of all because it feels good." he said, sipping coffee.

She glared at him, before noticing something "How do you drink with the mask on?" she asked. "I would like to hear that as well." said Kirito, drinking coffee, while Argo was next to him with a smirk, drinking a glass of milk from the kitchen. He shook his finger "Sorry not telling. Trade secret." he said, as Asuna pouted, Kirito chuckled and Argo whined "Come on Ruto-kun!" she said. "It is final." he spoke, as her head dropped. He gulped down the last of his coffee, before rising. He opened his menu "It is 8:30 am. In nine, we shall make our way to the place with the martial arts mission. You do remember how to go there?" he asked Argo, who nodded with a grin "I do." she said. Kirito turned to her "Anything wrong we should expect?" he asked, as she then started to sweat. Naruto narrowed his eyes "Argo… what happens during the quest?" he asked.

South Mountain

"Argo. I hate you a lot." said Naruto, as Kirito cried in anger at the task. They had to go to the other side of the floor, to find the task. It took them three hours, battling monsters along the way, as it turned noon, but they managed. Only to find they had to climb a very tall mountain. So they ate lunch, rested a bit, before climbing the mountain, which was a task by itself, as it took them over two hours. Finally, they reached the hut for the quest. But, to their displeasure, they found out that once they accepted, the old lady painted whiskers on their cheeks, then pointed towards two enormous rocks outside and told them to break them with their bare hands. The problem, beside the fact they were rocks, was that the particular rocks were almost as strong as an 'Immortal Object'. So, they were stuck for an hour trying to break the rock, under the giggles and laughs of Asuna and Argo.

"Oh come on Ruto-kun! It won't take long, I hope!" she said, before laughing, as Asuna couldn't hold herself, laughing as well. He growled, turning to the rocks. His own had light cracks on them, while Kirito's barely had any cracks. They were doing this for three hours. After thirty minutes, with a roar, he rose and took off his upper clothing, as Asuna blushed heavily. Then, with a roar, he fell into a stance and started punching the rock repeatedly with both of his hands, using all of his might. 'Faster. Faster!' he thought, his punches appearing as blurs, as to the shock of everyone, cracks started to forming, larger, wider and faster. Then, with a final punch, the rock broke in a million pieces, which turned to blue particles. He panted slightly, before grinning. The old lady came and removed the marks, while giving him the 'Martial Arts' skill, which he added to his free Skill Slot, along with enough experience to get him near Level 19. He clenched his hands a little, before curling his fingers into a fist, which gained a blue glow. Then, to everyone's surprise, he yelled " Senda !", before firing a quick uppercut in the air, so quick that even Asuna couldn't track it. He nodded to himself, before putting on his Upper Clothing.

He went and sat down next to Asuna, before giving Argo a bop in the head, causing her to pout. She then whelped as she felt another. She turned to him "What was that for Ruto-baka!" she yelled. "For Kirito." he said, taking out an apple and starting to chew on it. She turned to him "How did you do that? I thought the martial arts skill gave access to more weapons fighting styles and techniques." she asked, as he shook his head "No it doesn't. It is the only skill which allows you to use your arms and legs to cause actual damage. What I used was Senda, a basic uppercut." he said, as she nodded. He rose "Let us train for a while, until Kirito finishes. Argo, is there any grinding spot near here?" he asked, tossing her some Cor. She counted it and smirked "Go down that path. At 30 meters of descend turn left, to a thin passageway of rocks. You will find a cave somewhere near the end. Inside is a large clearing where Level 16 mobs spawn, called Jagged Worms . After defeating 10 of them each, there's a 5 percent chance of a Jagged Worm that is Level 17, which instead of being a greyish-white, is a greyish-pink colour." she said, as he nodded "Come on Asuna. We shall get you to Level 18 by the time Kirito finishes." he said, as a small feeling of dread encompassed her senses.

Urbus

A day had passed since Naruto, Kirito and Asuna went up the mountain so that Naruto and Kirito could access the Martial Arts Skill. Kirito spent all night punching the rock, until he eventually succeeded by the time the sun rose. They let him sleep until noon, then they took the long journey back to Urbus. However, it took them longer as during the afternoon, monster respawns started becoming faster. They were so many, that Naruto reached Level 20, Kirito reached Level 19 and Asuna was close to levelling up as well. But eventually, they went back to Urbus in the evening. After purchasing the same room for one more night, they sat with groans on the living room. The boys took a seat in the couch, the girl in the armchair. They had bought some sandwiches on the way, so they sat in the living room, eating them. Kirito bought two with sausage, cheese, tomato, lettuce and cream. Asuna bought one with Chicken, cheese, fries and cream. Naruto, he bought four. He bought one like Kirito's, one like Asuna's, one with ham, cheese, tomato and cream and one with minced meat, eggs, pepper and onions. When they turned to look at him, he shrugged and said "I need lots of food, because I burn calories at a very fast rate." he answered. And it was indeed true, as by the time Kirito begun his second and Asuna was almost at the end of hers, he had only one left. However, to their second surprise, he wasn't eating like a pig. On the contrary, he ate like nobility, but he quickly chewed anything that entered his mouth, even the sausage's ends, which were the toughest parts for Kirito. Sighing in content, he went to the kitchen to get some drinks, returning by the time they finished their meals. He gave each a glass of juice, which they took happily. Kirito took a few gulps, before turning to them "I think we should go hit the Labyrinth tomorrow. With luck, we will map out the entire floor and possibly find the boss itself." he said, as Asuna widened her eyes. Naruto nodded "That sounds like a good idea, but unless we got a fourth member, I would go against challenging the boss itself." he said, as they nodded. "Indeed, you're right. I suppose that is a plan." said Kirito.

Asuna then said something that surprised them "How dedicated are you two in Gaming?" she asked, as they both looked at her. They looked at each other once, then Kirito spoke with a smile "Well, as you know, we were the two greatest Beta Testers. I am also interested in computers in real life." he said. "What do your parents think about it?" she asked, as he frowned "The truth is my parents died when I was a baby. My uncle and aunt raised me, along with my cousin." he said, as Asuna looked sad "I'm sorry." she said as he shook his head "It's fine. I was a baby so it's not a very painful topic." he said. She nodded then warily turned to Naruto. He looked at her "I am Maelstrom, the best gamer in the world, as well as a Hacker, programmer and technology expert." he said, as Kirito smirked "He is the one who showed me where to get the best computer parts at the best prices." he said. Asuna widened her eyes, then narrowed them "I bet you're parents are always shouting at you." she said, as Naruto frowned, lowering his head. Kirito sighed "From what he told me, his parents are so busy they rarely spend time with him. He says he has only talked to his parents for around a quarter of his life, rarely seeing them for more than four hours a day and even then, they only ask for his studies." he said, as Asuna widened her eyes even more. She looked at him, as her eyes watered "I am sorry I made you-" she was about to say, only for a finger to be placed on her lips, as Naruto appeared in front of her. Slowly, he pressed his thumb under her eyes, wiping off the tears. He went back down and smiled "It is fine. I have grown over it." he said, though inwardly he was thinking what did they think of his condition. He assumed they placed him on a hospital and went on with their lives. But he was wrong.

Tokyo Hospital

An elevator opened in the third floor of the most advanced hospital in all of Japan and one of the most advanced hospitals in the world. From inside came a young man, around his mid-thirties, with spiky shoulder-length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a green business man outfit, with an olive shirt and a black tie. On his right arm was a briefcase made of black leather. He was Namikaze Minato, co-owner of NUC and owner of Triangle. Right now, he was walking through the corridors, until he reached room 199. Opening the door, he came inside a single hospital room. The floor was made of wooden planks and looked polished. A television was on one wall. Opposite, stood a large bed with life support machines. On the bed was Naruto, wearing a hospital gown, with the NerveGear attached on his head. Next to the bed, sitting on a chair was a woman. She was around her thirties, with long red hair and round violet eyes. She was wearing a female business outfit, with black pants, black shoes, a red shirt and a black blazer. She was Uzumaki Kushina, co-owner of NUC and owner of Whirlpool. At the moment she was sitting on the chair, looking down at her hands, which were holding something. It was a single necklace. The most noticeable thing was that instead of a stone, it had a white computer chip, on a gold plate. The gold plate had the engraving of U.K. It also had a small round heart. When opened, it showed on one side a family photo when Naruto was 12, the time they started spending the least amount of time with him. On the other side, was a small text: 'To the most beautiful and most kind mother in the world. Your son, Naruto.'.

She looked at Minato, as tears were flowing down her cheeks, as he approached her and held her shoulder. They both looked at Naruto, who was in the comatose-like state for over a month. She then looked down at the necklace "He gave this to me on my birthday when he was thirteen. Yet, all I said was a simple 'Thank you sweetie', then went back to work. Our work took away the most important years of his life. When he was very young, we were still busy, but we took care of him. I know he must barely remember those days, as he was young. He probably remembers some good times when he was ten." she said, as tears started hitting the necklace. "B-But after he became twelve, with the organization becoming the most successful in Japan and the third most successful in the world, we were too busy, we barely spent time with him. I only remember him at breakfast, lunch, dinner and when we talked about his life. We made him learn all those things, when all we should have done is spend time with him." she said, closing her eyes as she brought the necklace to her chest "I didn't spend time with him! I, his mother! I don't know what kind of girls he likes, I don't know how many friends he has! I don't even know if he has any dream we didn't make for him!" she was crying loudly now, before slamming her head on Minato's chest, who held her close. Tears were flowing down his eyes "I am his father, yet I haven't spend time with him. I never bonded with him as a father and son should. I never went out with him to see his interests. I failed as a parent…" he said. Kushina left his chest, before kneeling in front of the bed and crying on Naruto's arm "Come back Naruto-kun! Come back! I promise you! We shall be a family again! We will do whatever you desire! We will even leave the company! Just come back !" she cried out, as Minato rubbed her back, as his eyes were red.

Urbus

The morning sun shone brightly in Urbus, as the trio were once again getting ready for the journey to the Labyrinth. Last night, after learning about their families, they talked about their likes, dislikes and dreams. As it turned out, Kirito wanted to become a full-time programmer and Naruto wanted to be part of the military, while Asuna didn't have any. They also learned several likes and dislikes. But right now, they were preparing to go to the labyrinth. Naruto turned to them "How are you guys on supplies?" he asked, as Asuna responded "I got health potions for me, along with spares. I also have food." she said, as Kirito nodded "I am well. I brought extra food." he said, as Naruto nodded "Alright. I brought extra of both. We will hold." he said, as they exited the inn. They walked for a few minutes through the town, explaining to Asuna how they were going to clear the labyrinth, when they heard two shouts. They turned, seeing two girls approaching them. One had pink hair, being kept with a white hairpin and dark pink eyes. She was wearing a brown skirt, brown leather boots and a red shirt. She also wore light metal protection, composed of a breastplate, vambraces and greaves. Finally, an iron mace was at her side. The next girl was short compared to the first, with brown hair tied in two ponytails with red ribbons and dark pink eyes. She was wearing a red skirt, brown leather boots and a white shirt with red sleeves. She also wore a bronze breastplate and red white gloves with bronze plates upon them. Finally, a dagger was hanging from her white belt. The taller girl spoke first "Hello! I am Lisbeth and this is Silica! From your appearance, we can tell you're experienced players and we overheard you going to the Labyrinth. Could you take us with you?" Lisbeth asked. Kirito raised an eyebrow "What are your levels? Mine is 19, Naruto here is Level 20 and Asuna is Level 18." he said, showing them that they didn't want them to slow them down. Lisbeth smiled "Both me and Silica are Level 15. While we aren't close to your Level, we aren't that far either." she said. Naruto scratched his chin "We can take you with us, on the condition you help us with the Boss. Do not worry, he is weaker than the First Floor, not to mention doesn't have Minions. We will need you for support, or in case it has changed and there are minions." he said, remembering Illfang's nodachi. The girls looked at each other, before Silica spoke with a smile "We accept!" they said. Naruto smirked, as Asuna waved and Kirito added them to the party. After checking that the girls were prepared, they made their way to the Labyrinth.

Labyrinth

While they were called Labyrinth's, in reality they were dungeons with many hallways and mini-floors. But this one looked like an actual Labyrinth. On their way here, they found out that Lisbeth was a Hammer user and Silica was a Dagger-user, which brought versatility to the previously sword-only group. Naruto had explained through the guidebook about the Boss, which was called Baran the General Taurus. It had three HP bars, just like Illfang. It wielded a large gold hammer. It attacked with his hammer and had a paralysis effect when bringing down his hammer. If the same Debuff skill was used twice, the paralysis worsened. Also, it seemed to go into a frenzy when the last bar reached red. They formulated a simple tactic. Naruto and Kirito would draw it's attention, blocking it's hammer swings and keeping the Hate focused on them, while Asuna and the girls would slowly decrease it's life. They did it as Naruto and Kirito were tanks compared to the rest. With that in mind, they descended further in the Labyrinth.

It was a literal maze inside, with many twists, turns and different rooms. Throughout their exploring, they encountered monsters called Lesser Taurus Striker . They were bipedal beings, with a muscular upper torso resembling a human, but with legs, tail and head of a bull. It wore a leather cloth to hide his privates and strap-type armour that formed an 'X' on his torso. They were equipped with hammers and attacked like they were possessed. However, they weren't two hard to kill, being the same Level as Silica and Lisbeth. After two hours inside, both Silica and Lisbeth reached Level 16, while Asuna became Level 19. They also, to their happiness, found the boss room. It stood behind two large doors made of black iron, with bull engravings on them, while the handles were the heads of bulls. They were about to enter, when a voice stopped them.

"I should have expected you to be here." Agil said. They turned, looking at him. He hadn't changed much, except changing his leather breastplate into an Iron one. Behind him, were 3 people, all wearing light gear and holding weapons. They remembered them as they were some of the members of Agil's party in the First Floor Battle. Naruto smirked, shaking hands with him "How are you Agil?" he asked as Agil smirked "I am well." he said, as Asuna raised an eyebrow with a smile "What brings you here Agil-san?" she asked. He turned to her "I came with my pals to the Labyrinth to help map it out. But imagine my surprise when no mobs spawned in most places. I eventually followed routes and found you here." he said "So, you're taking on the boss?" he asked. Kirito nodded "Indeed. Would you like to join us?" he asked, as he nodded "Sure, count on it." he said.

Naruto nodded "Alright. Listen up everyone. This is our boss." he said, giving them information regarding it. "Now, we don't know if it's the same as the Beta, so we must be careful. We have to fight it with caution, while thinking it is still the same. Now, Agil, I want you and your group to draw it's fire. If you find a moment to strike seize it. My group will focus on the offensive, trying to find weak spots. When it's hate turns to us, we will hold it, giving you time to regroup, heal and if possible, attack. We will be switching in like that. If a need to change plan arises, I shall tell you then. Any questions? No? Good." he said, turning to the doors. He pushed them forward "Let's take down a bull." he said, as they all drew their blades and descended into darkness.

Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! So, Naruto and Kirito gained the Martial Arts Skill, Lisbeth and Silica made an early appearance and they will fight the boss, with the help of Agil. We also had a Minato/Kushina appearance. Now, I shall reveal a bit about Naruto's skills. As you can understand, in terms of offense, he can use both straight and curved blades. The only reason I added curved blades, was for him to gain the Katana skill. Once he does, he will remove the Curved Blade. He also has Martial Arts. And for defense, he will have his Light Armor. I won't reveal any combat or support skills. Now, after the next Chapter, there will be a timeskip, to show a very important event of the story, but I will show flashbacks of some events I consider necessary at the time. After the timeskip, two or three Chapters will appear, before that important event will kickstart a Second Time Skip. After that Time Skip, we will be around the time Kirito got the Dark Repulser. I am just notifying you. Now, as always, send me any questions you have. Until next time, Thunderito out!