Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the eighth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features Yui! Enough said. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 8: A daughter
22nd Floor
The 22nd Floor was a beautiful floor. Filled with lakes and lush forests, it was a peaceful area, with few and weak monsters. In the southwest edge of the Floor, was a beautiful round cabin made of logs. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and from the top floor, you could see a beautiful lake. Asuna, wearing a brown skirt, brown boots and a white shirt, was currently on the balcony, looking outside with a smile. Naruto was next to her, holding her arm. He wore a black T-Shirt, black pants and grey boots. You could see the two gold rings in their fingers.
"It is beautiful." she said. Naruto chuckled "Don't lean too much Asuna-chan. You may fall off." he said. "I am glad Heathcliff allowed me to leave for a time period, despite the reckless bet you made." she said, as he nodded. After the night where they slept together, they went to the Knights of Blood and asked Heathcliff permission to leave for a while. Heathcliff was hesitant, but Naruto made a bet. If he could defeat the next boss all by himself, Heathcliff would accept it. Otherwise, Naruto would join the Knights of Blood. Heathcliff didn't want to pass the possibility of The Shadow Blade joining them, so he accepted.
Asuna raised an eyebrow at Naruto's serious face "What's wrong Naruto-kun?". "Asuna-chan, you don't think our feelings only exist in the virtual world, do you?" he pouted "Of course not silly. My feelings are real, game or no game." she said. Turning, she placed her hands on his shoulders "If I learned anything here, is to endure and preserve until the end. And you taught me that. If we return to the real world, I will find you and fall in love with you once again." she smiled. He smiled in return, wrapping her hands around her waist, as they kissed.
Three Days Later
Asuna yawned, waking up slightly. She rose from her bed, wearing a pink nightgown and looked at an asleep Naruto, who wore a black muscle shirt and black shorts. She giggled, seeing his blade right next to him. She went near him and hugged him "I love you Naruto-kun. Let us stay together forever." she said. He opened his eyes "Asuna-chan?" he asked, as she gasped and let go quickly. He rose slightly, smiling "I feel the same." he said, kissing her in her surprised state. She giggled after the kiss as he rose "So, what do you want to do today?" she asked. He looked at the photos they took then grinned "I got an idea. Dress up." he said.
They walked, fully dressed, down a wood-paved road, holding each other's arms, a smile on their faces. "So, where are we headed?" she asked. "It's a surprise." he said mysteriously. "Ehm, Naruto-kun? Could you carry me on your shoulders? I want to see things from a different height and with your strength it should be a piece of cake right?" she asked. He laughed "For you, anything." he said, kneeling. She raised her skirt slightly, only to gasp. She turned to him "If you turn around I will slap you, got it?" she said with a blush. He nodded "Yes Milady." he said, as she got on his shoulders. He rose, smirking as he heard her excited squeal upon seeing the lake. "Off we go!" he said, as she kept giggling.
They walked along the pass, stopping so that Asuna could grab a berry branch, gasping as a bee left it. She laughed "That surprised me!" she said, as he laughed as well. Turning, they saw fishermen on the shore, fishing, some of them waving at them. They waved back, as Naruto smirked "Hold on!" he said, as he run with Asuna on his back, as she laughed in happiness.
He slowed down, walking to a part of the forest far from the lake. "Why are we here Naruto-kun?" she asked. He stopped "To see ghosts." he said with a smirk. "G-Ghosts? You refer to astral type monsters?" she asked. "No. Actual ghosts. Souls that haven't passed on." he said, narrating the story of the woodworker, as she started trembling. Spotting something, she looked to the right with her tracking Skill, only to gasp. She saw a small girl walking, only wearing a pure white dress. She had long brown hair and crystal blue eyes. She screamed, getting off Naruto and hiding behind him. "What is it Asuna-chan?" he asked, as she pointed with a shaky finger at the woods. He raised an eyebrow, only to gasp as said girl fell to the ground. He rushed at her, picking her up, Asuna following him " A player?" she asked. He nodded "Yes. But the wierd is I can't see a cursor. A bug probably." he said, raising her bridal style, as Asuna approached and touched her face in sadness "Why is a small girl like her in SAO?" she asked. He sighed "I don't know. But let's take her back. We can find answers when she wakes up." he said, as she nodded.
They returned to the houses by evening, placing her on the spare bed next to their own, as they sat across her. "One thing is for sure. She isn't an NPC, as we brought her home." he said, Asuna nodding "And she can't be a quest trigger. The quest window is not updated." he finished. "You think she has a guardian? Someone watching her?" she asked, leaning on his shoulder. "Possibly. We will find out when she wakes up." he said, as they prepared to go to bed.
It was midnight when Asuna woke up, nudging Naruto, but he was unmoving like a rock. She frowned, before leaving their bed and going to the little girls. She touched her cheek 'What if she was alone this entire time?' she thought, going under the covers. She pressed her head above the girl's, whispering sweet dreams. Unknown to her, the girl smiled hin her sleep.
In the next morning, Asuna woke up with a yawn. She opened her eyes, only to come a across a pair of blue eyes that didn't belong to Naruto. Gasping, she rose "Naruto-kun! Get here now!" she said, as Naruto instantly woke up, jumping over to her "What's-" he stopped, noticing the little girl. "Thank goodness you woke up. Do you remember anything?" asked Asuna, as the girl looked around, before shaking her head. "I see, how about your name?" asked Naruto. She blinked "Name… my name… Yu-i? Yui.. that's my name." she said, in a sweet voice. Asuna smiled "Yui-chan huh? A pretty name. I am Asuna and this is Naruto." she said, as Naruto smiled. Yui blinked "Auna. Ruto." she said, as Asuna frowned "Yui-chan, where are your parents?" she asked. Yui shook her head "I dunno. I dunno anything." she exclaimed. Asuna looked down in sadness, only to feel a hand on her sat down next to her "Hey Yui-chan. I am Naruto." he said. "Ruto." said Yui. "Na-ru-to." he spelled it out, as she again failed to say it. "Well, I guess it's hard. Call us anything you like." he said. Yui tilted her head "Papa. Mama." she said, looking at both. Asuna thought for a second then grinned "That's right Yui-chan. I am Mama!" she said, as Yui smiled and hugged her "Mama!" she said. Asuna raised her to the air "You must be hungry Yui-chan! Let's have breakfast!" she said.
Yui looked at Naruto in curiosity, who was holding a newspaper on one hand and a chicken sandwich on the other. Asuna arrived, placing a plate of cake next to Naruto's plate "This is for you Yui-chan." she said. She looked at the cake, then at Naruto's sandwich "I want Papa's." she said. Naruto smirked, giving her his second "Alright. Open up!" he said, as she took a bite. She munched on it, some cream on her mouth, before grinning "Yummy!" she said, as he grinned "Alright. Tonight we got chicken!" he said. Asuna huffed "Like I'd cook that." she said playfully, as Naruto patted Yui "You heard her." he said, laughing as Yui copied him.
They looked at a fast asleep Yui. "Naruto-kun. She is like a baby. I don't want to…" Asuna started crying. He sat next to her, hugging her "I know. I know. Even if she spent little time with us, she made me feel like we had a true home." he said, as she nodded with a smile. "Besides, if she has a guardian he or she would be very worried about her." he said, as Asuna nodded again. She rose, wiping a few tears "Alright. We will get her to the Starting Town tomorrow." she said. He nodded, then turned serious "Be sure to be armed. We might come across The Army." he said, as she nodded. They turned, smiling at Yui, who whispered mama and papa.
Starting Town
Naruto, Asuna and Yui, sitting on Naruto's shoulders, teleported to the starting town. Naruto wore a pair of black jeans, grey boots and a grey shirt below a black leather jacket made of dragon leather. His blade, Juuchi Yosamu, was around his belt. Asuna wore a red skirt, brown boots, a white shirt with a thin red jacket above. Her rapier, Lambent Light, was around her waist. Yui wore a blue skirt, brown boots and a pink shirt. "It's been a long time since we been here." said Naruto, as he and Asuna remembered the events that transpired on the first day. "Yui-chan, remember any of these buildings?" she asked, as Yui looked around before saying "Not really.". Naruto laughed "Well, Starting town is freakingly big. Let's go over to the marketplace first." he said, as they nodded.
As they made their way through the Starting merchants, Asuna turned to Naruto "Naruto-kun. How many players are in Starting Town?" she asked. "Let's see. Around 6.500 players are still alive in SAO. If we include the Army, around one third of them are here. So, two thousand, give or take a few dozens." he said. "Yet, the streets look empty." she said, as he nodded. Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from the alleway. Rushing in, they saw a group of Army men standing between a woman and three children, demanding payment. To the Army's shock, Naruto and Asuna jumped above them. "Naruto-kun, protect Yui." Asuna said, drawing her rapier, getting a nod. The Army Officer took out his sword, only to gasp as Asuna struck him with the rapier twice, dropping him to the ground. "In Towns, HP won't drop. There will be a knockback effect. But fights are enough to cause fear." she said, with narrowed eyes, preparing to attack, only for the Army to run away in fright.
The children surrounded her, as the woman thanked her. Naruto turned to Yui "Mama's strong eh- Yui? What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her lift her hand to the sky. "Everyone, everyone's hearts." she said. Asuna approached "Yui-chan, remembered anything?" she asked. "I wasn't here, I was in a dark room. Everyone- AH!" she screamed, as a static shock wave coursed through everyone, as Naruto held Yui from falling off. Yui dropped asleep, as Naruto widened his eyes 'What was that?' he thought.
Next Day
Naruto, Asuna and a recovered Yui were inside the church, looking at a large amount of kids who ate happily. Next to them, was Sasha, the guardian of all these children. Sasha was a woman with shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. She wore rimless oval glasses and a long blue dress with a white collar. "Is Yui-chan alright?" asked Sasha, as Asuna nodded "Indeed. She got a nice sleep so she is well." she said. "Has anything like this happened before?" she asked. Naruto shook his head "No this is the first time. At least for us. We found her in the woods on the 22nd floor. She appears to have lost her memories. That's why we came to you." Naruto said, watching Asuna playing with Yui. "Well, when SAO started all these kids were traumatized. I brought them here and took care of them. But I never seen any girl like Yui." Sasha said, getting two sighs. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.
Opening it, they saw a woman before them. She was tall, with long silver hair tied in a ponytail and sky blue eyes. She wore a dark green coat below a grey cape, the Army colours. She also had a short sword on her right side and a curled up whip on her left. She bowed "Greetings. I am Yulier." she said. "Are you here to reprimand us for what we did to the Army?" Asuna asked with a frown. "No, on the contrary. I am here to thank you. I require your assistance." she said, getting raised eyebrows.
They led her to a table, as they begun to talk "You see, our leader Thinker didn't want to make an oppressive organization. He only wanted to freely distribute food and information. But the Army grew too big. A player named Kibaou gained too much influence." she said, Naruto narrowing his eyes at the name. "He monopolized hunting grounds and even kicked out citizens under the guise of tax evasion. But the growing discomfort forced him to send his best soldiers to the frontlines." she continued, as Asuna frowned. "After the terrible results, his power lowered. We were about to banish him, but he trapped Thinker into a dungeon." he said, as they widened their eyes. "What about crystals?" he asked, as she shook her head "Don't tell me?" Asuna asked. "He respected Kibaou's request to go unarmed, so he did. But he is trapped in a high-level dungeon and I am not strong enough to go. But when I heard two powerful players arrived, I came to ask your assistance. Please help me!" she said, bowing.
Naruto and Asuna started thinking, before they heard Yui say she wasn't lying. "Are you sure Yui-chan?" she asked. "Yes. I don't know how but I can feel it." she said. Naruto smiled "Well, I prefer to regret trusting her than regret doubting her. We're in." said Naruto, as Asuna nodded, smiling and Yulier thanking them.
Dungeon
The Dungeon of the first Floor was made of black stones and decorated with columns. Naruto and Asuna, in their uniforms, with Yui on Asuna's back, and Yulier walked through the Dungeon. Yulier and Asuna talked about the Army, while Naruto cleaned through wave after wave of mobs. "I really do apologise for not being able to help." Yulier said. "It's fine. For Naruto-kun this is not even a challenge. If they manage to give enough XP to get him to Level 290 I would be impressed." she said, as Yulier almost choked on the air "2-290?" she asked in surprise, as Asuna nodded "I don't know who is stronger. My Naruto-kun or Heathcliff." she said.
As they reached the Final Floor, Yulier rushed ahead, seeing Yulier. However, Naruto narrowed his eyes, rushing and grabbing Yulier, pushing her to the ground, inches away from a scythe about to decapitate her. He pushed her to the safe area, as Thinker caught her. Asuna approached him, as they looked at the Boss. It was massive skeleton with red eyes, wearing a tattered black robe with a hood and holding an enormous silver scythe. He resembled the Grim Reaper. They saw the walls gain a blue-violet shade of lighting. Naruto turned to Asuna "Stand back and protect Yui. This boss is as strong as the Boss of Floor 90. Only I can fight it." he said. "But-" "Now!" said Naruto, unsheathing Juuchi Yosamu. Asuna nodded, pushing her back, as she told Yulier and Thinker to go, with them complying. Naruto rushed at the boss, swinging his Tachi as the Boss swung his scythe. A shock wave was created, before Naruto disappeared, while the boss swung his scythe all around him, sparks flying. Naruto appeared above him, swinging his sword downwards and forming a large scar in the Boss's skull, only to be pushed back by a hit from the Scythe. He growled, feeling the damage, before disappearing, appearing above the boss, his blade sheathed. "Crescent moon attack." he said, as he disappeared, only for three slice wounds to appear on the Boss's robe, with Naruto appearing behind him, stabbing his blade at it's back, only to shout in pain and quickly unsheathing it. He jumped back, as a purple liquid destroyed his glove "Damn. It can release acid when hit." he said, disappearing and engaging the boss in a close range fight. A flash was seen, before both Boss and Naruto flew backwards, Naruto crashing into a column. Asuna rushed to his side, only to gasp as Yui stood between them and the Boss. The Fatal Scythe swung his Scythe at her, as Yui smiled at their shocked faces. Their shock grew, as the scythe bounced back, an Immortal Object icon appearing. Flames surrounded Yui's arm, forming an enormous greatsword made of fire. She swung it, destroying the Boss in one go. She turned to them, as the sparks flew down "I remember now." she said.
Naruto and Asuna were in the safe room, which was a square white room, with Yui sitting in the middle, on top of a black stone, which was a GM console. "You remember Yui-chan?" Asuna asked as she nodded. "Naruto-san, Asuna-san." she said, as they looked surprised when she said their names "SAO is run by a massive self-sustained system, called Cardinal. It operated without the need from Human maintenance. Everything, from the AI'S of mobs and monsters, to the drop rates, even the mental health of players, is all run by programs of the Cardinal. Mental Health Counseling Program. First Prototype. Codename Yui." she said. Asuna and Naruto widened their eyes "So you're an AI? But you lost your memories! Can that happen to an AI?" Asuna asked. "To be able to better become acquainted with players, I have the ability to emulate emotions. Even my tears aren't real. I am sorry. As for the second question, two years ago,the Cardinal ordered me not to meet any players. I simply monitored mental health, as nothing else was allowed. The results were terrible. Fear, mental breakdowns, desperation, all the negative emotions existed in terrifying quantities. Unable to do anything, I simply continued recording errors, till I broke. But then I met you two. You were peaceful, happy and in love. I wanted to meet you." she said crying "I am sorry.".
"Yui-chan. You're just like a human eh?" she asked. Yui shook her head, crying "I don't know anymore." she said. Naruto walked towards her and kneeled "Yui, you're independent now. You're not a controlled program. Tell us what you want." he said, smiling. She raised her arms crying "I want to always be with you, Papa, Mama!" she said. Asuna cried and hugged her "We will be together. Always." she said. Naruto hugged both of them "Of course. You're our daughter Yui-chan." he said.
She cried, but let go "It's too late." she said, pointing at the stone. This is an emergency GM console. I used it to kill the Boss. But now the system runs checks on my program. I disobeyed the Cardinal, so I am a foreign object, about to be deleted." she said. Naruto and Asuna were shocked "Can't anything be done?" he asked. She shook her head, starting to glow. Asuna hugged her, crying "No! This is the beginning!" she cried out. "When everyone is with you, they always smile. Keep it that way." she said, starting to vanish. "No! If you're not with me, I can't smile!" she said, as Yui held her cheek "Smile, Mama." she whispered, as she vanished completely.
Asuna held the air, before falling to the ground, crying. Naruto growled, his eyes turning red for a second, before rushing, using the GM keyboard. "What are you doing, Naruto-kun?" she asked. He shook his head, growling, as a black screen of coding appeared, running a bar. Once the bar was full, a blast of light appeared, as Naruto fell back. He rose, outstretching his hand and putting something on Asuna's arms. It was a light blue crystal shaped like a teardrop. "I used the GM console to override the system and transport Yui's program into an object. You're holding our daughter's heart." he said. She widened her eyes, smiling, tears dropping on it. "So, we will be able to meet her again?" she asked. He nodded "Yes. She is set to be stored in my Local Memory of the NerveGear. Without this world, it will be difficult, but not impossible." he said, as she nodded. "We shall meet you again Yui-chan." said Asuna.
Done! Hope you guys liked it! It was so heartwarming and sad at once. I always liked Yui's storyline. I changed her appearance to look more like Asuna and Naruto, but her personality is still the same. Also, you got a taste of Naruto's true power, as he was able to fight equally the Skull Reaper, something Kirito was unable to do. But you will get an actual taste next Chapter. Send any questions you have. Until next time, Thunderito out!