Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the seventh chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the battle on the 74th Floor. Just so you don't get confused, Kirito revealed his dual wielding on the 73rd floor instead of the 74th. On with the story!

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

Chapter 7: The Shadow Blade

74th Floor

'2 years have passed since 10.000 players were trapped in Sword Art Online, a game of death. Now, around seven thousand remain. I wonder how Kayaba Akihiko feels, watching us from the shadows. What does he feel about this world? About the fact that he killed three thousand humans?' thought Kirito, walking through the Labyrinth of the 74th Floor. He had changed his attire, wearing a pitch-black coat made of dragon leather, with gray lining going down the sleeves. Underneath it, was a black V-neck shirt, black pants held by a belt with silver buckle and black boots with metal plates. Behind him was the Elucidator, the sword he gained at the battle of the 50th floor, which looked exactly like the Boss's blades and Dark Repulser, a sword made by Lisbeth using a rare metal. It was a one handed longsword, made of an aqua-coloured metal. The grip was straight, with a darker colour. It had a crossguard that looked like two joined daggers, with a large gem in the middle. It was almost as good as the Elucidator, their statistical difference slim. He could wield two blades, thanks to the Unique Skill he gained, called Dual Wielding. He gained it after the battle of the 53rd Floor. But he only revealed it to the battle of the 73rd Floor.

Flashback

" Keep attacking!" yelled Asuna, as they were fighting the boss. 30 players, composed of Asuna, Kirito, Agil, Klein and his guild, along with 10 players of the DDA and the Kob, were battling inside the room. The Boss before them was a large knight, standing at 7 feet, wearing blood-red armour, holding an enormous two handed sword. It was a tough boss due to it's durability if anything, as it was slow and it's attacks could be dodged easily. They were battling for twenty minutes and so far they were doing well. The raid group was composed of the most powerful of the Clearers, excluding a few solo players. Agil and Klein roared, driving their weapons in the knight's stomach, getting it's health to red. However, they weren't expecting his eyes to glow and with otherworldly speed, to punch them both and send them flying. 2 DDA soldiers charged at him, only to appear behind them and cut them in half. Kirito widened his eyes 'His speed, is too much. I have to use it.' he thought. "Everyone hold him for ten seconds!" he yelled, getting nods. The four remaining members of the DDA-only party, rushed at the boss, holding it, but dying as a result. Kirito growled "Step back everyone!" he said, rushing and blocking the knight's sword with the Elucidator. However, to the shock of everyone, a blue blade appeared from behind him, as he strook the knight's helmet, causing it to stumble back. The knight recovered and attempted to cut Kirito in half, only for him to block the blade and push it back. He looked at the boss " Starburst Stream !" he said, as he struck the boss repeatedly with his blades, at high speeds, finishing by forming a V- strike on his chest, going from stomach to shoulders. The boss roared, before bursting into green particles.

Flashback End

His trip down to memory lane was interrupted, when he heard a sound. He noticed that he had arrived to the forest of the 74th floor. Turning, he narrowed his eyes at a part of white fur sticking out of a tree. He took out two Throwing Picks and threw one, causing a white rabbit with red eyes to come out, only to die from the second.

Algade

"A R-Ragout R-Rabbit? The rare S-Class Item?" Agil asked with wide eyes as Kirito nodded. They were in Agil's shop in Algade, where Kirito went to sell the item. "You're not in any need of money are you? Why do you want to sell it?" he asked. Kirito sighed "It's not like I can cook it. Either of us would burn it to a crisp." he said, getting another sigh from Agil. However, he felt a pat of his back and a cry of "Kirito-kun.". Turning, he saw Asuna and a member of the KoB. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail, black eyes and wrinkles on his face that made him look old. He was wearing a regular KoB uniform. Ignoring him, he grabbed Asuna's hands "Chef captured." getting a raised eyebrow from Asuna and a frown from Kuradeel.

Letting go, he smiled "Fancy seeing you here Asuna. I never would have thought you would visit this dump." he said, getting a glare from Agil. She huffed "I wanted to see if you were alive. The next raid is approaching." she said, as he raised an eyebrow "I am on your friends list aren't I?" he asked. "Well, I know for sure now. Anyway, you said something regarding a cook?" she asked. He nodded "What's your Cooking Skill Level?" he asked as she smirked "Maxed out." she replied, getting a wide-eyed look from Agil and Kirito.

"In that case." said Kirito, showing her the meat. She widened her eyes "I-Is that the rare Ragout Rabbit?" she asked as he smirked. "If you cook it, I will let you have a bite." he said, only to gulp as she grabbed him. "I-want-half." she spelled out, getting a nod from Kirito who was sweating. He turned to Agil "Well, it's no longer for sale." he said, leaving the store and ignoring the cries of Agil regarding friendship and sharing.

"So, where will we cook it?" Asuna asked, as he begun to sweat. "You don't have the utensils in your place do you?" she asked, as he lowered his head in embarrassment. "Well, in that case and out of respect for the product, I won't mind inviting you to my place." she said, as she then turned to Kuradeel "You're dismissed. Thank you." she said. He narrowed his eyes "I don't approve of you inviting such a suspicious man to your house Asuna-sama." Kuradeel said. Kirito narrowed his slightly at him "Background aside, his skills are certain. He is at least 10 levels higher than you, Kuradeel." Asuna said. Kuradeel narrowed his eyes "You mean to tell me I am inferior to him? Wait, he is the beater?" he asked, as Asuna narrowed her eyes. "That's right." Kirito said.

Kuradeel approached her, forming a scene "Asuna-sama! Guys like this only care about themselves! You will only get into trouble by being with-" he was stopped, fear overlapping his senses, as in a quick motion, Asuna had the tip of her rapier at his throat "So, the man I love the most in my life, who cared for me more than anyone else, is trouble? You mean to tell me the East Swordsman, whose power is second only to our leader is trouble, Kuradeel?" she growled with narrowed eyes. Kirito sighed. After Naruto's disappearance, whoever talked bad about beaters was an enemy in Asuna's eyes. "You're dismissed. That's an order from your Vice-Commander." she said coldly, sheathing her blade. Kuradeel bowed, sweat dripping from his forehead, as Asuna dragged Kirito away.

Selmburg

Kirito and Asuna were currently at the latter's house, located in Selmburg, the main settlement of the 61t Floor. It was a spacious house, with beautiful decorations for the interior. According to Asuna, it costed around 4 mega Cor, which was pretty expensive. They were sitting on the dining room, drinking tea, after enjoying a beautiful stew made from the Ragout Rabbit meat.

"Ahhh. I never tasted an S-class ingredient. I am happy I survived this long." said Asuna with a content sigh, getting a nod from Kirito. "You know, I keep thinking far less of the real world. Even our numbers have dropped in half" she said, causing Kirito to nod. "Me too. And I believe players have become used to it. That's why." he said. She nodded "Indeed. But I still want to go back. I still have a lot to do there." she replied. He nodded and took a sip from his tea "Yes. And it would be a waste to give up. All the sacrifices the worker class players did for us would be meaningless." he said. She raised her arm "Hold on. Usually a wedding proposal comes after this." she said, causing Kirito to choke on his tea. She laughed "You're not around girls a lot huh?" she smirked. Kirito huffed "It doesn't matter. I am a Solo Player. Besides, Naruto would kill me if I did that." he said. Asuna smiled sadly, looking at the ground.

He sighed "It's been almost a year right?" he asked, as she nodded, frowning. She looked up to him "You think something-" she was about to say but Kirito shook his head. "No. He might have removed us from his friend list, but he is still alive. He loves you too much to die, you know that right?" he said. She nodded, wiping a few tears that started to form "I know. I love him as well." she said. She then thought of something "Party with me. For old times sake." she said. He coughed "B-but your guild?" he asked. "They won't hold me. And I will ditch my escort." she said "And if you think I'm weak, I will plunge my fork in your head." she said with a smirk. He shook his head, sweat forming on his face. She smirked victoriously, before sending a party requests. He accepted it 'For old time's sake.'.

Labyrinth

Kirito and Asuna were in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth had obsidian walls and numerous pathways of different colours. Sometimes, you could see pale white trees. They had mapped out the Labyrinth, going so far as the Boss Room. They peeked inside, seeing the Boss. It was a demonic-looking monster, with blue skin and bluish-white eyes. It had a goat's head, with thick yellow horns, twisting backwards. It also had a purple cobra as a tail and wielded an enormous Zanbato, along with what appeared to be a mace with a goat head on the top. It had four HP bars and it appeared to be the first Demon type monster they encountered. It stood in a circular room, made of blue stone, with large torches lit with blue flames. They figured they would need a strong vanguard for it.

As they left the Room and started to eat lunch, they encountered Klein and his guild, the Fuurinkazan. After greeting each other, 13 soldiers entered. They were members of The Army, the largest guild who protected the 1st Floor. Their leader, a Colonel named Kobatz, greeted them and demanded their map data. After Kirito gave it to him, they went away, ignoring Kirito's warnings regarding the Boss. Kirito, Asuna, Klein and his guild then tried to get to the Boss Room, clearing through players, when to their surprise, they found they attempted to fight the boss. Even more, the Teleportation Crystals weren't working. They saw Kobatz falling in front of them, muttering "Impossible." before dying.

The beast raised it's Zanbato, attempting to kill a soldier, before Asuna charged in with her rapier drawn, screaming "NO!". She jumped on the Boss's back, striking it 10 times simultaneously. The boss turned, swinging the sword, as she barely blocked it, only to be sent back by his mace. Kirito charged, unsheathing both blades " Starburst Stream !" he said, hitting the boss with all his might, causing enough damage to take out one HP bar. However, it wasn't enough, as the boss used his mace on his stomach. Kirito twisted his blades, before attempting it again, this time much faster, only for the boss to send him flying. Kirito rose in pain, seeing his health going to yellow. Klein charged the boss, only to be sent back easily, as Asuna used Star Splash on him, effectively removing the second HP bar. However, she got hit in the chin by his mace. She fell to the ground, as the boss released a purple light from his mouth, surrounding the entire room. When it left, they widened their eyes, as they were paralyzed. Asuna looked up, seeing the Demon raising his sword, aiming at her. Kirito and Klein struggled to stand, as Kirito screamed "ASUNA!". The sword lowered his sword, as the last thoughts of Asuna were 'I'm sorry Naruto-kun.' A clang of steel meeting steel echoed throughout the room. Asuna looked up, only to widen her eyes "Shadow Blade…" she whispered, as everyone looked on with widened eyes.

The Shadow Blade. A player who gained fame around the 61st Floor. No one knew his true name or his username. That, or no one ever said it. He was only called the Shadow Blade due to his dark clothing and because he used a Tachi black as night. She looked at him. He was tall and muscular. He wore pitch-black, black steel-toed combat boots, with black pants that had grey lines to the side. Above that, he wore a long-sleeved skin-tight shirt, with black fingerless gloves with black steel plates above. He also had a chestplate made of pitch-black steel with shoulder pads, along with vambraces. Finally, his entire face was covered by a black cloth, with his eyes hidden behind a black visor. Behind his back, was an empty sheath. His arm was raised, holding the tachi. It was made of black steel, with an oval guard. The handle was wrapped in black cloth. He looked at Asuna "Sorry I'm late." he said. She widened her eyes, she knew that voice. He turned to the boss, before pushing the blade back, before vanishing.

He stabbed the boss directly in the center of it's chest. The boss roared, attempting to hit him with his mace, only for him to disappear. He reappeared above the boss, cutting deeply into one shoulder, before reappearing and cutting the Demon's sides. The boss roared, swinging the Zanbato, only for the player to jump over it, before slicing the Demon's feet. He rushed at the boss, before he disappeared and appeared behind the boss, his blade unsheathed. He sheathed it, as fifty slice wounds appeared all over his body, causing it to roar in pain, as it lost one HP bar, along with 30% of his last bar. Naruto stayed still for a few seconds, before disappearing seconds before the mace hit his position. He appeared above the boss, on top of the ceiling. He pushed himself forward, diving on the Demon's head. He unsheathed his sword in mid-air, cutting off one of the horns, as the Boss roared, his eyes going red, along with his HP. He crouched, as Naruto rushed at him with a sheathed sword. However, to his surprise the snake appeared from behind and spat out acid on his face. He felt his mask sizzle, taking it off. Everyone, except the Army, widened their eyes, as short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes appeared. Shadow Blade roared, unsheathing his sword, cutting the demon in half. Green particles erupted everywhere, as he sheathed his blade.

Asuna looked in shock, standing up "Naruto-kun…" she whispered.

Naruto sighed, turning, locking eyes with her. He smiled "Hello Asuna-chan, it's been a while." he said. She rushed at him and hugged him, crying "Naruto-kun." she cried. He hugged her back, as tears fell from his eyes "I missed you." he whispered. She looked at him, as he looked back, He saw the kindness, the love, the warmth and the sorrow, all swirling in a whirlpool of emotions in his eyes. She smiled, before to everyone's surprise, kissed him on the lips. He widened his eyes, before returning it, holding her even tighter. They kept going for a few seconds, before releasing. He smiled "I promise you I would return when I could protect you. I keep my promises." he said. She smiled "I know. And I love you for it." she said. Before they could continue, they heard two coughs.

Turning, they saw Kirito and Klein. Naruto smiled, letting go of Asuna, before walking towards Kirito. Kirito smiled "I had a feeling it was you when I first heard of Shadow Blade." he said. Naruto smirked, hugging him, as Kirito returned the hug "Welcome back." he said. Naruto nodded "It's good to be back. Thank you for protecting Asuna." he said. He turned to Klein with a smirk "How are you pal?" he asked, raising his fist. Klein fist-bumped him "Good! I missed the heart-warming one!" his grin turned into a frown "Why did you leave me with the gloomy one?" he whine, as everyone laughed, while Kirito glared at him.

Asuna then punched Naruto's arm "Where were you?" she demanded with a pout. "Training." was his cheeky reply. "Training indeed! You took down the Boss like it was nothing! What is your Level? Wait, I know! You're Level 120 or so right?" Klein asked. He shook his head "Wrong." he said, showing his level to everyone "I am Level 289." he said, getting wide-eyed looks from everyone. "L-Level 289?! How did you get so high! I am only Level 96!" Kirito shouted. Naruto scratched his head "Well, first I challenged every Secret Dungeon Boss repeatedly. Once I gained enough Levels, I started Soloing Floor Bosses. Solo battling one and beating it gives you enough XP for three levels, while a Dungeon Boss can give enough XP for two Levels. I used to complete one floor every week, before repeating Dungeon Fights for another week. I reached Floor 90, even defeating it's boss. After that, I stayed in the Floor 90 mostly, defeating the Field, Dungeon and Floor Boss repeatedly, to increase my skills. Any Skill I have, it is maxed out." he grinned. Kirito crossed his shoulders "You soloing all the Bosses was the most stupid thing I have ever heard." he said. Naruto smiled "It was a sacrifice for a girl. A girl worth fighting for." he said, turning to Asuna, who blushed.

Klein sighed "Ah young love." he said, making his way to the group. "We shall activate the crystals. Kirito, wanna come?" he asked, getting a nod. As they walked away, Kirito smiled at them "Take care!" he said, before leaving. Naruto smiled, turning to Asuna, who had her arms crossed "You still owe explanations." she said. He smiled "Want me to come to your house and talk?" he asked, as she nodded.

Selmburg

Naruto and Asuna were sitting at the dining table, drinking tea after some grilled meat. Naruto was wearing a black muscle shirt, with black track pants and black boots, while Asuna wore a blue skirt, a green shirt and brown ankle boots. She looked at him "What was that sword you used? The armour too, I have never seen anything like it." she asked. "The Boss of the Floor 90 is a Giant Dwarf statue made of Black Metal. Ironic, I know. Anyway, it is a giant dwarf who uses his bare fists. It is incredibly strong, tough and despite it's weight, it is pretty fast. When killed, it drops one of many items. It drops armour for everyone made from the same black metal as him. And depending on your Weapon Skill, you get a chance to get a weapon for your skill as well. Mine is Juuchi Yosamu, the most powerful Tachi in the game." he said, as she widened her eyes. "Amazing." she said, getting a chuckle from Naruto. She looked down "What will happen now Naruto-kun?" she asked. He looked at her intently "Well, I was thinking to stay with you tonight, if you would like that." he said, as she widened her eyes, then smiled "Indeed. I would like that." she said.

Naruto looked at Asuna's sleeping form with a smile, love filling his eyes. She was sleeping under the covers, her face peaceful. He removed her hair from her face, as she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I am sorry. I woke you up didn't I?" he asked, as she shook her head "It is fine. I had the same dream as always." she said. "About the chance of all this being a dream?" he asked as she nodded. "Yes, I don't want it to be a dream. These two years are precious to me. I want to return, but I want this to be real." she said, as he nodded. She rose, covering her form with the sheets "Naruto-kun? Can we stay away from the frontlines for a while? I feel like something bad will happen if we return. Maybe I am just tired." she said. He nodded, looking outside "I am tired too." he said. He stopped for a few seconds, then begun speaking, turning to her as he rose from the bed "There is a lake on the 22nd floor, surrounded by a forest. I have a house there. Let's move there together and-" he said, kneeling in front of the bed "Let's get married." he said, as she widened her eyes. Tears coursed down her cheeks, as she nodded "Yes!".

Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I hope you did. So, Naruto returned, took down a more powerful Gleam eyes, you can tell it from the fact I changed it's attacks, added a weapon and because it held off a Dual Wielding Kirito, got together with Asuna and proposed to her. Pretty good progress if I say so myself. Smooth Naruto. Anyways, I hope you understand how OP I made Naruto, as he is 200 Levels above players. If Kirito versus Titan's Hand was unfair, what is this supposed to be? Now, for those who ask, I got the idea for Juuchi Yosamu from someone who reviewed (Won't say names.). That person suggested I used the Honjo Masamune. However, when I thought of it, I considered the Juuchi Yosamu a better choice as it is a black blade and fitted better with the title. Still, thumbs up pal. Your idea was cool. But for the other people who have suggested different weapons, I have kept them in mind and I will find a way or two to use them in this story. Now, next Chapter will feature everyone's beloved Yui and prepare for the fight with the 75th Boss. Until next time, Thunderito out!