Hey everyone! Kitsune here once again!

I know I've been all over the shop lately and I apologize for all that. I'm working on getting better and sorting myself out while finding inspiration to write again now I'm on hiatus from FFXIV. I currently found a sale on PSN for SAO Re:Hollow Fragment and I decided to download it and play it. (Late, I know. Don't judge.) Completely found myself immersed in the game and enjoying it heaps!

So with the recent burst of inspiration, I decided to take a few attempts at a fic of my own and wanted to see how it would go from there. As always, there's an aspect of Naruto in there so it'll be (mainly) a NarutoxSAO crossover but there will be many elements taken from other games and anime (namely Final Fantasy and whatnot).

And now for my least favorite part. I own nothing but my own ideas and the crazy plot that seems to be stuck in my head. I also am a proud owner of a Nanaki 'Cosmo Guardian' tee which I absolutely adore!

So here we go with a new story... one I'll be keeping as I have a really good base plot for this one, this time! Here is the opening to 'Sword Art Online: Advent Children'!

"Hey! Lookie here!" - Talking!

"For goodness sake..." - Whispering!

"Eh." - Key Characters talking!

"I'm bored." - Key Characters Whispering! / Loud voices!

[Lucky 7's] - Items / Weapons Drops

Omnislash - Moves / Skills / Abilities in Reference

"[Twin Rising Moons]!" - Moves / Skills / Abilities in Use

~Chapter One~
~Deathgame~

Sword Art Online.

Those three simple words are enough to cause a worldwide effect. Three small words that would make up the title of the first fully-developed and tested 'Virtual-Reality Mass-Multiplayer-Online Role-Playing Game' (VRMMORGP) and has become the latest trend and most advanced technological breakthrough in and out of the gaming industry. It had been a project that had been talked about for decades by inspiring game-developers and top-tier names all trying to be the one to successfully launch the first VR-Game and claim an unmissable boost in terms of sales, prestige and reputation.

That honor would go to none other than Akihiko Kayaba; hailed as a genius for the past ten years for dedicating himself to researching, non-stop, for all the various equations, laws of nature; everything that would make his project so close to real life in terms of game play, right down to the laws of physics and even the weather changes and atmospheric shifts.

Regardless of the persona that had branded him as a 'madman' by those who think that his ideals and mannerisms were more... extreme; none could deny, nor could they disprove them man's brilliance. He had personally hand-picked the first one thousand players and gave them the golden opportunity to play as Beta Testers and sample the game before anyone else, in preparation for the official release. Underneath the title were three words that Kayaba had chosen to describe the game to the fans...

Scavenge. Slay. Survive.

... which is where our story begins.

~SAO:AC~

He chuckled to himself for a mission completed as he shifted the backpack over his shoulders slightly, continuing his ride home down the busy streets; his fully-tinted, top-brand reactors glinted under the mid-July sun as a soft smile soon appeared on his face. Why was he so happy, you ask? Well he had spent the past two months doing jobs; for neighbors, local businesses and even going as far to help with his grandfather's dojo if he had needed assistance (not that he was complaining; he loved spending time practicing there with him) to earn enough money to go out and buy two of the ten thousand limited copies of Sword Art Online.

Now one of the official rules upon the release of the "Full SAO Gear Packs" was that there were, under no circumstances, no pre-orders allowed and that you had to pay upfront before you received the item. The unspoken law was that you were only allowed to buy one pack, seeing as it was limited to only ten thousand possible players.

So imagine the reactions when one particular figure, grinning similar to that of a fox, had the balls to ask for (not one but) two sets. Originally he was only meant to buy the one copy for himself but while he placed his phone into his inside jacket pocket, he found himself lucky enough to have enough forgotten change in his jacket pocket that he quickly totaled up enough to buy two copies instead of the one. So he quickly decided to buy the second one as a gift to someone close to him. He quickly placed the items away into his backpack, albeit with a little difficulty, before he found his path blocked off by a mob of teenage guys threatening him to hand them over 'or else'...

... which they soon regretted when he stomped them to the curb with little effort. Deciding to not stick around for a second round, he quickly dashed off after his bike and quickly made it out of there before someone else decided to go down the 'threatening' route. So with complete setup packs, games and equipment tucked safely and securely in his backpack, he quickly cycled himself home to get everything sorted before having time to start the game.

As much as he would have liked to dive straight into the game and tried it out; he prided himself on his education and had promised that he would not let his grades slip as long as he played the game, and he had been known to have never broken his word when given. Those who knew him would know that he never went back on his word when made.

'Let's see... get home, have food, chores, homework, check emails and offers, then I should be good for an hour or two play.' he thought to himself as he quickly recovered from his trail of thoughts and his reflexes kicked in; swerving out of the way of a person who had simply stepped out of nowhere and almost caused him to run them over. 'Last thing I'd want to happen today. Like, seriously, do you not know where you're walking!? Try looking, you idiot!' he inwardly berated as he shook his head.

He redirected his thoughts to a friend of his who had been one of the lucky thousand Beta Testers that had sampled the game before the official release; which every Beta got a pack free-of-charge for their co-operation back in the testing stages. Yes, he was slightly jealous of his friend being one of the thousand but he couldn't bring himself to mind; knowing he can just fish (read: blackmail) the info from him when they play.

While having dabbled in video games from time to time, he knew very little about RPG's in general. The remedy for this? He had been given a handwritten guide to read a few months ago, just after the beta stages. The guide had given him some in-depth knowledge on how to play effectively as well as some pro-tips and useful pieces of information that would leave him slightly better off than most; he had committed the entire thing to memory.

Smiling once more, the thought of the man long gone from his mind, he continued to cycle down the road when he felt his phone vibrate in his black jacket's inner pocket. Slipping a hand into his collar, he slid one of the earpieces into his ear as he clicked the button that allowed him to accept the incoming call.

"Heeeey, buddy..." a rather nasal voice spoke up from the other end of the phone as the recipient gave a weary sigh; allowing himself to ride expertly off a ramp that had been placed there by workers as they continued making improvements on the road.

"Nope!" the male figure replied with some amusement as he shifted his bag on his back whilst turning sharply down to his right and pedaling a little faster, enjoying the sudden rush of wind that swept his sun-kissed blond hair.

"Oh c'mon! I haven't even asked-" the voice protested childishly before the cycling male shook his head in defeat with a playful grin on his face.

"Not happening, Kazuto." he responded, just as soon as the sights of his home came into view. Having grown bored of the same old routine over in the States and feeling like his progress and education were tapering off to a steady level, he had been offered by his grandfather (in all bar blood) if he would like the opportunity to move over here and stay with him in the Kanagawa province in the Kantō region of Japan; allowing him to learn from a new culture and learn things he could probably integrate with his, already impressive, knowledge.

His new place of residence wasn't over-extravagant but it definitely had some luxuries to it which most probably couldn't afford for a two-person living space; it was an elegant two story house with an impeccably-tended garden area that lead to the entrance of the house; a traditional Japanese house painted with a soft and bright egg-blue paint, giving a juxtaposition in terms of sight with the soft rosewood-red roof.

The main garden was a sight to behold in itself, thanks to the vastly decorated and impeccably-kept flora, giving a more natural feel to the house itself. He still couldn't help but admire the beautiful sakura tree that was just visible from the back of the house, knowing it was placed perfectly near the swimming pool out the back. He often enjoyed swimming with his 'housemate' on a warm evening as they were both surrounded by sakura petals.

"For the last time, that was an accident!" the other voice pleaded piteously to the rider, snapping him from his thoughts as he lifted his foot over so that both feet rested on the pedal. He steered expertly with his hands before slowly placing pressure on the brakes for him to jump off and keep running with his bike into the main patio. Taking a moment to lower the zip on his jacket, revealing the burnt orange top underneath, he smiled to himself as he noticed the tint in his glasses fade back to normal; running his hand through his windswept blond hair as a pair of clear cerulean eyes opened up and took in the view before him.

Smiling to himself that the whisker marks on his cheeks crinkled slightly, giving him a fox-like appearance, he shook his head as he walked his bike to the garage. "I don't care. The answer is still no." he firmly spoke, laughing at the whine he got in response. "On a plus side, I got the game." he grinned. "I got lucky and found enough money in my pocket to buy a second one."

"And yet again, your incredibly unfair luck factor wins the day again! I call a hax!" Kazuko fumed comically, sending the blond into a small burst of laughter. He couldn't deny his absurd luck factor as he had proven time and time again that he could not be beaten when it came to good fortune and luck. Many of his friends had spread the rumor that he had become the seducer and lover of Lady Luck, herself, and she had blessed him with her luck and her prowess in return for his devoted services. He couldn't stop that one; it was a pretty good rumor after all!

"Eh, you know me! May give it to Kazu-nee and see if she would like to play with me when she has the free time to do so." he shrugged as he reached into his bag and pulled out his bike chain and began tying his bike up in the garage.

"Nice! It'd be great to have your sister play with us man! We probably won't have many females in the game and she is pretty hot, man!" the voice smirked over the other side of the line.

"She's still off-limits, baka." Naruto creepily grinned over the phone, his hair shadowing one of his eyes and giving him a draconian visage as the light glinted ominously off his glasses. Apparently, it could be sensed through the phone if the whimpering was any indication.

"You going to log on later or no? Server starts at seven, officially." he asked, shouting to someone or something in the background before a small 'thud' echoed through the phone; the sound of a door being slammed closed or simply closed with force.

"I gotta run a few errands I still need but I should be able to get on by tonight before bed. If not, I'll be on tomorrow." the blond replied as he finished locking his bike up. Climbing the steps out of the garage area, he walked through the door and into the house itself. The interior immediately gave off a homely aura and had the effect of making you more at ease whenever you felt it. The rich wooden flooring that graced the hallway and the stairs just a little off to the right-side wall, finished with a soft-cream paint on the walls and ceiling. Taking a more Western twist, the lights were covered by cream orb-shaped lampshades and there was a small orange rug that was placed neatly at the bottom of the stairs.

Talking his shoes off and placing them in the box that had been placed there for him, courtesy of his sister, he marveled at how clean the house looked and knew immediately he had her to thank for it. He had noticed that there were a few bits out of place and assumed it was where she needed help and wanted him to do it. "Kazu-nee still needs help with the house so I'm gonna help her after food. Far as I'm concerned? She comes first." he told him, earning silence from his caller but soon gave way to a sigh.

"I know. You're a good guy, Naruto. She's got the best brother someone can ask for, despite being a prude who prefers to stick his head in the books and not stick his coc-" the voice replied with a hint of respect in his voice and a small dose of happiness and cheekiness before Naruto interrupted his crude remark snappily.

"And you're still an egotistical, nihilistic and possibly the most sarcastic isolationist that really needs to open up to more people and find someone to fall in love with. Hell, even if it means you get laid; someone other than my sister before you make a comment, hentai!" Naruto smirked from hearing a groan from the other end.

"Well played, you blond bastard. And I'll take your advice under consideration, Naruto. I'll see you later, hopefully." the voice admitted with a hint of pride before hanging up. Taking the earpiece out and letting it hang freely down his front, he quietly made his way to the kitchen to find a girl standing at the stove as she continued to cook. He could only smile as he recalled how things came to be as it is, now.

His name was Naruto Uzumaki, a nineteen year old who's longed to be free and explore the different things this world had to offer him and to enjoy life and his dream is to find someone special he could enjoy it with. Originally born in California, he had spent most of his upbringing having grown bored of the same old routine over in the States.

Naruto was orphaned from the young age of five years old; his mother and father, both, were involved in a car accident that had killed them both instantly. He could rest knowing there was no excess pain or any delaying; just a quick and painless death. As he would receive no income funding to take care of him, he had been placed into one of the government systems, thanks to a distant relative of his, which would grant him monthly funding that would immediately stop come his eighteenth birthday as long as he remained in full-time education and was earning grades over a certain standard.

It was on one of those days, back when he was thirteen, he had just finished his Math exam and was making his way home from school... before he had found himself curious about the 'weird-looking' building he walked past every day from school. To this day, he had no idea why it was that day he felt the need to go inside but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. So he decided to go inside and talk with the lovely woman behind the counter before finding out it was a martial arts dojo and decided to give it a go.

It proved to be one of the best decisions in his life as the tutors there found that Naruto was a natural prodigy for the art of combat; both armed and unarmed. In total, he had transferred to four different training academies because he had been able to pick up the lessons so much faster than most and still be able to perform them perfectly and naturally. He had managed to reach a stage in which he was able to qualify for becoming a tutor in the same four dojos and had earned a nice amount of money to place to one side should he need it.

Those six years had taught him several forms of combat; all including the uses of several categories of swords in combat; one-handed swords, Japanese katana swords and even two-handed great-swords. His sudden interest in Archery had him using a bow and arrow in non-combat and combat situations; and also using combat-gloves for his two fighting styles when he was unarmed. The one style he had created over the years and was based more on 'leading' the opponent with subtle body movements and feints. It was built around agility, misconception, evasion, trickery and leading opponents into situations where you hold the best advantage; and had named it the 'Fist of the Fox (Kitsune no Ken)' after watching said creature fend off a larger animal that tried taking its food using the same said conceptions.

Side note, it was after that incident that Naruto soon had a new pet fox that followed him home and stayed there. Another side note, he broke off from his thoughts slightly as said fox dashed up to him and started yipping in happiness from seeing him there. It was an unusual fox but the look was refreshing from normal foxes; the fur was a light vermilion flame that trailed off to the tips of his tails that faded into white. The paws also had white fur as 'socks' that also blended with the rest of his fur. The oddity was the crimson-slit eyes and the black markings that painted his eye sockets and trailed outwards up to his ears.

And yes, tails. Not believing that foxes were capable of more than one tail, he was pleasantly proven wrong when Kurama had gained a second tail in his sleep. He chalked it up to his absurd luck and knew he'd have to pay homage to his Lady. He was currently sitting on three tails and he blamed the Japanese Mythology for unlocking his third tail, which earned many laughs from his sister when she was told.

As stated, he had grown bored of the routine over in the States and he desperately needed to escape and go somewhere new, seeing as the funding had stopped and he now had the ability to go wherever he wanted to. He had returned home one day, a year and a half ago, after working in one of the dojos for extra money. He had received a letter offering him to go and live over in Japan but he had no idea who the letter was from, apart from a contact detail to use.

The two got to know one another better and began planning on the move, which wasn't as difficult as it seemed; his 'grandfather' (he had enjoyed calling him as he was the closest thing to family he had had since his parents) had offered to pull some strings with the four dojos he was currently working in and offered a 'Student Exchange' from his Dojo's Academy; in exchange for him.

While he was a natural intellect, it would be down to his combat skills where he would shine the most; thus being the best reason to send him over in exchange for a pupil who studied and trained at the world's most prestigious Combat Academy; the En'ō no Yama no Chōjō (Summit of the Monkey King's Mountain), lead and ran by the 'Kami no Shinobi', Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Excited by the prospect of seeing new sights, experiencing a whole new culture and learning new things, he immediately agreed and got the go-ahead from his four sensei and a promise to not let his skills deteriorate. A quick transfer later and he found himself with a one-way ticket to Japan with fox; assuring him that he would have a place to stay and that all expenses would be covered for while he stayed here. Thankfully to him, he would not be alone as Hiruzen had a granddaughter-figure he looked after, who was happy to be living with him.

Naruto let loose a nostalgic smile as he remembered having a chat with his mother once that most of the people in their family had natural red hair, and Naruto could've sworn she'd fit right in with her own. Tied into a ponytail that was held by a band decorated with two red baubles and white feathers, two bangs framed the front of her face and gave her amber eyes more of a glow. She was currently wearing a pink hoodie and a pair of black training shorts as she continued to cook before her head tilted upwards. This was his surrogate sister, adopted in all but blood, Kazuko Uzumaki.

Like him; she was orphaned at a young age after her parents took a weekend vacation alone up in the Tanzawa Mountains, when the hotel they were staying at was soon taken over by terrorists that threatened to shoot them if they didn't comply with their wishes and handed over their possessions. Her parents had put themselves in the firing line and took the bullets, allowing the one man to quickly take control of the situation and to knock them down and unconscious, ready for the police to arrest and take into custody. While she was proud of her 'mama' and 'papa' being heroes, it still hurt not seeing them again. She was soon placed into the care of Hiruzen and had raised her like one of his own daughters.

It came as a bit of a shock to her when she discovered that there was someone moving in with her, who was coming over from the States; but she couldn't bring herself to complain as it would be nice to have some company around the house. It did get lonely on times and she wished she had company there to make it much nicer to love there, despite the many friends she had made over the years. The moment they both saw one another; there was a connection they couldn't explain but it was there. It had only been after a week or so that two had finally settled down enough with one another and a bond formed between them; one more of a sibling bond but still.

Having her attention broken from the sudden yipping of their pet fox, a familiar scent hit her nose and quickly turned to the kitchen entrance to find her 'brother' standing in the doorway with a reminiscent smile on his face as he stared at her with Kurama in his hands. She quickly turned the heat down on the cooker before she bounded at him from across the room and straight into the welcoming arms of her brother and fox.

"Welcome back, Onii-sama!" she smiled warmly as she hugged him. She melted into his arms when he scratched the crown of her head, causing two dog ears to sprout out of nowhere, along with a red-furred tail that swung side to side languidly. "Haaaau~!"

"Hey, Kazu-chan. Food ready as always?" he asked with a cheeky smile as Kurama jumped out of his arms and onto the small cushion on the table. To this day, he never had to wait for food to cook as she had been able to time it spot on for the three of them. The girl in his arms nodded against his chest before letting go and making her way back to the stove to begin dishing food up for the two. Naruto grabbed a few pairs of chopsticks and took a seat at the table, giving Kurama a quick scratch behind his ear. They treated Kurama like any other person so it came to no shock he had his own place at the table and not on the floor.

"So! Did you get the game, hmm?" she asked as she deftly slid across the wooden floor in her sports socks and placed the two bowls of ramen and one plate of cooked meat down for the three of them to eat. After giving thanks for the food, they quickly gave a thank of 'Itadakimatsu' before digging in (with Kurama yipping a few times but they guessed it was his way of giving thanks). "I heard it's really popular!"

Finishing his bite, he turned to her and chuckled with a look of achievement in his eyes. "Yep! Since only ten thousand people can get hold of a copy, it's a really big deal. Being virtual reality means it's something completely new and it's taken the market by storm." he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Plus!" he grinned at her as he opened up his backpack and placed the two copies of the game on the table. "I found a lucky note in my pocket and I had enough to get you a copy if you want to join me."

He didn't prepare for the sudden flying tackle hug that hit him as he found Kazuko rubbing her face into his chest as she squealed. Food forgotten, Naruto simply smiled as she continued to hug him before he slowly returned the hug. He noticed she didn't loosen her grip and smiled warmly at her closeness to him as he rubbed her head again; dog features returning. Kurama's tails could be seen waving happily before he resumed eating.

"How way your day? Training go well with the old man?" he asked from the floor, deciding he can just reheat his ramen in the microwave if it gets too cold. He chuckled at the swat to his chest from her but it was his term of endearment for Hiruzen after all he had done for him. He seemed to take it in stride as well and didn't mind Naruto calling him that as it was, and quote, 'refreshing'.

"Hai!" she beamed. "Oji-sama's been teaching me to not waste energy with my katas and has also told me that he's willing to train me further with my naginata as it'll help with mid-range fighting." she trailed off. "He said it's similar to his staff but more focus on attacking than defending." she confessed as she looked up to him with such innocent eyes, her tail swaying softly behind her.

"Even though it's not my field of expertise," Naruto trailed off with a wistful smile, "I can always train you in what I know; if you want to and if I got time." he offered, not being able to hold back the chuckle from his throat when he felt her rub her face into his chest again. It was moments like these that Naruto was saddened he was an only child when he grew up. He never had this from of closeness with anyone but his parents and he had never found himself attracted by the females. He had found out that they went out with guys more for the prestige and popularity and very few ended up together because they found that special person to spend their lives with. It was also moments like these Naruto felt like all was well with the world because she had opened up to him so much and felt comfortable enough for this level of intimacy; something he relished dearly.

"Arigatou, onii-sama!" she thanked profusely, moving off him when she was prompted that their food was going cold. She blushed prettily as the two resumed their evening meal with a more homely feel in the room. They both cooed at Kurama as he was found sleeping with his three tails wrapped around him and an empty plate in front of him. "Ano, would you mind if I play with you later on?" she asked, earning a raised eyebrow from the blond. He smirked at her, feeling mischievous and in the mood to tease her, as he leaned in close so that they were inches apart from each other.

"Ooh? Does Kazu-chan want to do ecchi things with me and being bold to ask my permission first, ne?" he teased in a rather throaty voice, earning an atomic blush as she pulled away with such speed that she almost teleported. He laughed mirthfully at her, bursting into more when she called him a 'baka'. "Of course you can. You sure you're free for tonight?" he asked. He noticed the blush still remaining on her face but paid it no attention.

"I need help with a few things, first. If we can get those out of the way, I might be able to grab an hour or so on the game. Okay?" she teased back with a flirtatious smile that had him blush a little. She coo'd at him, earning a dig to her ribs now that she had taken to sitting right next to him. Naruto simply chuckled as he allowed her to lean on him as they both ate. Naruto inwardly cursed her effectiveness with the technique but could not bring himself to chide her when he took one look at her contented smile.

~SAO:AC~

~Uzumaki Residence: Kazuko's Bedroom~

The two lone occupants of the house were now converged in the female redhead's room; it had a cosy feel to it but it wasn't 'girlish' as many would think. Knowing her better than most, he wasn't surprised to see several famous martial artists on posters dotted around the room and several pictures she had taken with a few of them. If you asked her, though? Her most prized photo would be the one on the side cupboard with her and Naruto after claiming first and second place in their local MMA Monthly Mixed Gender Tournament, respectively. Naruto couldn't complain as he had branched out into different areas while she had only focused on unarmed combat and her fighting skill, so she would naturally have the edge over him.

That and her 'Inu-Akuma no Shi Rokku (Dog-Demon's Deathlock)i was a very painful submission move.

Overall, the room was a lovely shade of blue that didn't subtract from the 'female-vibe' in the room. On the floor was a rich cream carpet with a small red rug near the desk where all her writing equipment and computer rested. Her double bed tucked away in the corner and had a television feature that allowed her television to rise up from the bottom of her bed when a certain button was pressed. Unlike normal, though, there was an additional computer that had been brought in from Naruto's room and a cable that covered the extra computer and monitor to run on seamlessly.

"You know, I'm pretty excited for this!" Kazuko beamed with delight, having changed into something a little more lax and casual; a white tube-top that showed off her shoulders, followed up with a pair of red sport shorts that really showed off her soft rear. Naruto decided to forego a top and just turned up in his black and orange shorts, idly noting with amusement that she kept stealing glances at his body. She couldn't help smile, though, as she often found his gaze roaming her body and landing on her rear a few times as well, mentally cheering for her feminine charm coming through.

"I know right? It's nice to have a game I can play with you, Kazu-chan." he nodded enthusiastically. "According to Kazuto; you have to go through the calibration setup and create an account to play before we start the actual game. We both going to stick with our real names or use alternative names?" he asked her. She nodded to the first part of his explanation then paused for the question.

"It's not like many people will know who we are so I would say to just stick to our normal names." Kazuko nodded. Deciding that there was no harm in it, the two of them put their NerveGears on and laid down side by side as they created their accounts and log-in details. Naruto looked down when he noticed her hand in his and turned to face her. He could see the slight nervousness in her eyes and he softly smiled at her, squeezing her hand for support. The two glanced up towards the corner of the headset and noted the time reading six-fifty-nine in the evening. He locked his fingers with hers as the two prepared for the turn of the hour to finally begin their first gaming experience...

... right before her phone went off.

She had the decency to apologize while she quickly took the headset off and scramble over him to reach for the phone, not noticing the risque position that the two of them were in. Naruto blushed heavily when she reached the phone and sat down on his thighs with her back turned to him and she seemed too far out of it to notice it; willing his body to not react to the sight or the knowledge that she was too close to his crotch.

"K-Kazu-chan..." he groaned, earning the attention of the redhead as she turned to face him. He simply pointed to where she was sitting and time seemed to stand still as she looked down. She quickly noticed the slight bulge in his pants and that she was subconsciously rubbing her crotch on his bulge and quickly grew beetroot red as she vanished from her spot and started apologizing to him.

"G-G-Gomen!" Naruto tried calming her down but to no avail. "W-Who was on the phone?" he asked, hoping to change the conversation and calm his body down. It seemed to work a little as her face returned to normal while holding a noticeable blush to it.

"A-Ah!I-It was Oji-sama. He needed a little help with moving some of the equipment back and I offered to help him. He asked about you and I said you were trying the new game and it seemed to calm him down." she explained sadly; not being able to play the game with him as soon as she hoped. The look was reflected as Naruto sighed in disappointment as well but shrugged.

"No worries, Kazu-chan. I'll be here when you get back. I'll let you know how the game goes, okay?" he smiled, giving her a quick hug and kiss on her head. She froze for a second from the kiss but soon let loose a warm smile as she held the hug for a minute or so. She nodded to him with a bright smile before grabbing her things and head out.

He flopped back onto her bed and looked at the time in the corner of his visor, noting it now read six minutes past seven. He sighed once more before letting an excited grin come over his face, yelling the words that would change his life forever...

"Link... start!"

He quickly found himself assaulted with beams of colour rushing towards him as the first-time setup began, running through all the basic protocols and calibrations as the headsets attuned with his body functions. He quickly created his account and password and soon began installing the last patch that was needed before starting the game. Naruto was slightly confused when the avatar creation screen didn't pop up but was startled when he a pop-up screen that he hadn't have expected.

May your will and resolve to protect serve to see you and everyone else through alive till the end of the game!

The explanation had finished as the patch had quickly been installed in his NerveGear. That last message sounded ominous to Naruto as he had a gut-feeling that something wasn't adding up as he started the game; sending him into the world of Aincrad, the world of Sword Art Online...

~SAO:AC~

~Floor One: Town of Beginnings~

He appeared in a flash of blue light and quickly noticed the area he stood in; looking something eerily similar to a town square that lead outwards to a shopping mall, he noticed that the area was filling up fast with more players that were appearing in burst of blue pixels. He glanced up towards the middle of the area and took note of the large clock that stood out like a saw thumb, before being brought out of his musings when a player teleported near enough on top of him. He quickly side-stepped away from the new player and slowly walked around as he took note of the atmosphere around him; one of confusion and slight worry...

But for what reason?

Being his first time playing an MMO, let alone a VRMMORPG, he soon found himself on a tight guard around everyone and trying his best not to get noticed too much. He flinched when he saw a white text-box flash right before his face and took a moment to squint his eyes to read the text.

*You have new mail! Would you like to open? Accept/Decline?*

While not having any prior experience, he knew he should at least read what he had been sent; puzzled as to who could have sent him the mail so fast. He glanced back up to the clock, noting it now read seven-fifteen... so no more than a total of five minutes here and already sent a mail. Being wary, he clicked on the open button as new text appeared in front of him:

Sender: Kirito
Re: Yo!

Naruto! Kazuto here. Just saw your name come up and there's only one guy I know who has a lame-ass name that means 'fishcake'!

His right eye twitched as he re-read what his friend had just sent him and wondered whether to be thankful he was here or smack him for his smart-ass comment. He quickly received another notification that popped up in front of him and saw him send him a friend request, one he accepted straight away.

*Kirito sent you a party invite! Accept/Decline?*

Clicking on the accept button, he watched a little minimap appear in the upper right of his vision and noted a green dot heading on his position, rapidly. He turned around to the incoming figure and noticed a long black-haired figure appearing out of the crowd, decked up in a blue and brown-leather get-up. Before Kirito could greet him, there was one final chime of the bell (something Naruto berated himself for not hearing) and noted a red block flashing in mid-air.

"Kirito? What's that?" Naruto asked, pointing to said block. This had a domino effect as everyone was turning towards the said oddity and noted another red block appear above it, with the words; System Announcement, written in black letters appear... right before hundreds of similar red blocks blocked out the sky and covered the plaza in a red dome. Naruto's gut was screaming at him now that something bad was about to happen as he stood in the blood-red tint the blocks had placed over the players and the darkened sky now above them.

"Aaaand the sky is bleeding!" Kirito quipped out loud as Naruto noted another player standing beside him; a tall redhead whose hair was held back by a red-and-white striped bandana and followed up with a cream and brown-leather outfit, similar to Kirito's.

"They're really working for that M-Rating, huh?" the newcomer commented before noticing a blond-haired guy looking at him like he was the weirdest thing to have existed. "Oh hey man! Name's Klein!" he smiled, offering his hand out. Naruto smiled slightly as he took the hand into a shake, noting he had a firm grip on him.

"Name's Naruto. Friend of Mister Short-Dark-And-Broody, here." he quipped with a playful grin, earning a punch on the arm from said person.

"Shut up!" Kirito pouted, earning a small laugh from Naruto and Klein. They turned their attention back to the sky where the blood was all converging on a focal point, giving rise to a crimson-cloaked, gold-trimmed figure whose face was blacked out by the shadow of his hood. There were no body-parts, just more shadows as the ghostly-apparition floated before them all like an important figure. The three of them quickly picked up on the comments being made around them and his gut was starting to feel heavy...

"A Game Master?"

"Why doesn't he have a face?"

"Is this some sort of event?"

"Attention players. Welcome to my world." the figure started speaking in a deep voice, one that demanded attention and earned the attention of all the people standing in the middle of the plaza; spreading its arms out and silencing any more comments from the players. "My name is Kayaba Akihito. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world."

"Is that really him?"

"He must've spent a lot of time on this!"

"Akihito... that's not the same Kayaba Akihito that created this game, is it?" Klein asked to Naruto and Kirito, idly noticing that the latter person's eyes had widened considerably in shock. Naruto simply shrugged as he wasn't sure but the name did ring a few bells for him and knew he'd discover what it meant soon enough.

"I am sure many of you have noticed that the Log Out button is missing from the main menu. This is not an accident; it is a feature of Sword Art Online. I repeat, this is not an accident."

Like that, Naruto grabbed his sides as it felt like his stomach was about to physically drop to the floor. Kirito noticed his friend's actions and knew that Naruto would be feeling it worse than others; simply placing a hand on his shoulder as he continued facing the figure alongside Klein.

"You cannot log out of Sword Art Online by yourselves. No-one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear devices you are all currently wearing. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave and destroy your brain, thus, immediately ending your life."

On cue, mixed murmurs began spreading throughout the crowd as everyone seemed to be split into disbelief, annoyance and worry; some making a comment about it being a massive joke and others making comments about not believing what this 'Joker' has to say. Klein looked down to find Kirito now crouching down beside Naruto, who looked like he wanted to do nothing more than to rip himself apart from the inside out as he gritted his teeth.

"Is he alright?" he asked Kirito, who looked up at him with a hint of worry for his friend.

"I don't know. Long as I've known him, he's always had this slight empathetic-ability and he's affected more by emotions and moods more than you or me. It could be that what he's experiencing is putting too much stress on him and his body is trying to transmit that feeling into a bodily sensation. In this case? Like an anvil settled in his gut and screaming voices in his head." he explained, noting Naruto gripped his hair tightly and clenched his eyes shut.

"But Kayaba can't be serious, right?" Klein asked, wanting to move away from Naruto's pain.

"It's possible. If you deactivated the safety function, then it's possible to use the transmitter in the same way he just admitted." Kirito replied in all seriousness, shocking Klein who had just seen his 'asshole-personality' and this was a completely new side to him.

"This is crazy! What if we cut the power-" Klein began before he noticed Naruto get back to his feet, albeit shakily.

"Won't work. Each NerveGear must have an internal battery of some kind in cases of electrical blackouts, so it doesn't abruptly cut you from the game while you're still connected to the calibrations. If it didn't, the game could immediately cut out and you'd pretty much be a conscience trapped in a game and left brain dead." Naruto explained, earning an approving nod from Kirito and silence from Klein as he soaked this all in.

"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have chosen to ignore this warning and attempted to remove the NerveGears. Because of this, two-hundred and thirteen players have now been removed from Aincrad... and from the real world."Kayaba continued as pop-up screens began appearing around his frame and circling him like a centrifugal force of gravity. "News reporters and social media networks are reporting all of this, including the deaths. This is to assure the risk of external interference being reduced to near minimum. I hope you all relax and attempt to clear the game."

Naruto's heart sank as he had no doubt that Kazuko would have found out about this and is probably by his side, crying for him and what has happened to him. He closed his eyes as tears slowly slid down his cheeks from not being able to see his sister for however long it would be, unless she dived into the game; knowing the risks that would come with said decision and the consequences should she die in the game...

He couldn't let her take that risk and would prefer her to stay out of this. He would never forgive himself if she died and he could have prevented her death by not picking up that second copy of the game. He turned to Kirito and noticed he had gritted teeth and clenched fists; knowing he was probably in the same boat with his sister as well. He and Suguha had only met up a couple of times the few times he had been allowed to stay over and had found himself a sparring partner in her in the combat of swords, finding a small rivalry between the two of them.

"But I want you all to remember this clearly: there is no longer any way to revive a player within the game. Once your HP hits zero, your Avatar will be forever lost... and thus, the transmitter will destroy your brain immediately."

All that remained throughout the plaza was a stunned silence that held a reluctant acceptance to the situation they now found themselves in; trapped within a game where death was not an option. If they died here, then they would die in the real world thanks to the NerveGears. Family and friends have been warned and they can no longer do anything to help them apart from watching over them and taking care of their bodies while their minds continued to fight in the virtual reality.

"There is only one way to escape this game; completion. You are all currently on the very first floor of Aincrad, the first floor out of one hundred." he began explaining as a holographic figure of Aincrad appeared large enough for everyone to see it clearly. "By making your way through the dungeons and defeating the Boss monsters that resides on each floor, only then may you advance to the next floor. Defeat the final Boss on Floor 100 and you will all be allowed to logout of the game and return to your bodies unarmed."

"Clear?"

"What's he talking about?"

"Y-You're just making all this up!"

"Clear all one-hundred floors? That's impossible!" Klein shouted up towards Kayaba. "Not even the Beta Testers made it anywhere near that high!"

"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves." Kayaba spoke up, completely ignoring all the insults and questions being thrown at him. One by one, players checked their inventory spaces and noticed an item that had not been there before, a [Mirror]. Naruto had now clicked on as to why the avatar creation screen never popped up for him; because he had signed on after the official start of the server, he would not have had much chance to get used to it after being reverted back to normal. Nonetheless, he found one in his inventory and decided to keep it there as a reminder of many things.

He looked around him as flashes of blue caught his sight and covered the players over before fading out of view. In their place were people who looked completely different than what they looked like before; making him shiver when he saw girls transform into guys and good-looking guys changing into more... big-boned players. He noted there were a good number of female players despite all that had gone on and he held respect to those gaming girls. He turned to find the familiar face of Kazuto beside him and Klein had gone a small change; his hair now cut short and spiked back.

Confusion and panic swept through the crowd once more as everyone realized that they now looked like they do in real life and everyone began commenting on each other's looks and genders, idly noting Kirito and Klein not knowing who each other were until they overheard a girl really being a boy and a taller boy being a lot smaller and chubbier. He tuned them all out once more as his attention returned to Kayaba and noted the hooded figure was looking straight at him. Kayaba simply opened his menu and swiped a few buttons before Naruto found another pop-up.

*You have new mail! Would you like to open? Accept/Decline?*

Knowing who it was off and what he had done right now, he knew to keep this under wraps and simply dismissed the window without reading the mail. It wouldn't do him good to have suspicions on why the selfsame GM who had trapped them all in this deathgame was sending him a PM. He simply gave a short nod to the crimson-cloaked figure and received one in turn. Unknown to the blond, Kirito caught the movement and kept it under wraps until a later date.

"Right now, you're all probably wondering 'Why? Why would Kayaba Akihito, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGears, do this?'" he continued, ignoring the silence,"My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason... to create this world and intervene in it."

"Kayaba..." Kirito hissed lowly, Naruto agreeing with him as his thoughts went out to his sister.

"Now it is complete. This ends the tutorial for the Official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players."

With that last line said, red smoke began streaming from under his robes and out of all available gaps on his body and started travelling upwards to the hexagonal dome and through the small gaps that were there, removing all and any trace of Kayaba himself before the dome disappeared and returned the sunset sky to them all.

Pure, unadulterated silence was all that remained in that plaza. Everything had been explained to them. Everything was proven and they now had to come to accept the fact that the remaining nine-thousand-seven-hundred-and-sixty-six players were trapped in a Death-game. For the next undetermined amount of time, this would be their reality. They will live, breathe, struggle, fight to see another day in a game where you have one life and one chance only.

Naruto bitterly scoffed as the words now made much more sense to him now he knew why his gut felt so damn heavy.

Scavenge.

Slay.

Survive.

~SAO:AC~

~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~

After the tutorial had finished, there had been mixed reactions from everyone there.

There were a small group of people who had found themselves so utterly overwhelmed by the situation that they had found themselves in, that they had all walked to the edge of the city paths and fell down into the sea of clouds below. A small group who had committed suicide because they had given up hope on escaping this place, one day. Another eight-hundred-odd deaths to take away from the starting Nine-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

He knew it wasn't the full ten-thousand as he had checked the Memorial of Life (which had been the Room of Rebirth back in the Beta Stages, so he was told) and there have already been a good number of names crossed out; a reminder of those who have died to this nightmare. He knew there was another, much larger group, who had decided to wallow in their grief and sadness and take to the streets and wander aimlessly around with a lost look in their eyes. Naruto could immediately tell that these people would most likely stay on the first floor and become nothing more than beggars and peddlers because they would have spent their Col on alcohol and whatever else there would be in this game.

A reasonably-sized group of a thousand-upwards had decided to team-up and take up the challenge of fighting their way out. Several people had split up into parties and several parties had been tied together into an alliance; something he could see becoming Guilds once the feature would be unlocked.

Another smaller group had decided to take their hand to the several craft classes that were available to the game and provide the players with items and weapons to see them through the game and decided to sit down later and go through what skills are out there for him to take up; knowing that there was also a potential income to be made and ideas soon formed in his head of potential uses of a craft class. True, it would also land him in a fighter-crafter hybrid section of players and he knew he'd need to unlock his class as soon as possible so he could start providing for whatever this game would throw at them all.

Lastly, and second smallest to they fighter-crafter hybrids, the final group were the Solo-Players. Those who preferred to stay to themselves as they power-leveled themselves up and not have to worry about anyone but themselves.

The party of three had quickly rented three rooms out that were closed off from the rest of the rooms for added security. The NPC's were programmed to allow those who wanted a room for the night to have it completely free after the news being revealed from Kayaba, himself. Naruto thanked Lady Luck once more as he glanced around the room he had been given for the night. It was simple; wooden walls, wooden floor, wooden roof, tables and chairs and a small bed with a cabinet next to it. Naruto placed himself on the bed as Klein took a seat next to him, while Kirito took a chair and placed it in front of them. Kirito had explained on the way that the rooms were soundproofed so that no-one could listen into their conversation, unless having a skill that allowed you to do so... but reassured them that it was impossible to get on the first day.

"Right." Naruto spoke up firmly, remembering how everyone was running around in a panic like headless chickens. "What choices do we have right now?" he ordered, earning a serious look and response from the ravenette.

"I'm going to go solo." Kirito spoke up, earning a shocked look from Klein but silence from Naruto as he continued to glance up at the ceiling. "I'd rather go at my own pace and not have to worry about anyone else apart from myself." he explained.

"Well..." Klein trailed off, feeling uncomfortable, "I stayed in line with my friends to get this game and they're all here with me. I'd feel bad leaving them like this so I'm going to stay with them and work as a team and level ourselves up." he picked up, earning a small nod from the blond sitting down beside him.

"What about you, Naruto?" Kirito spoke up, knowing that his blond friend had a lot to think about. "What will you do?"

"Right now, I'm sitting back and I'm going to research a few things." he finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence. "I need to understand how this game works in terms of mechanics, gameplay and also in battle. Once I get a good grip on how far I can stretch myself, then I can plan things out and go from there." he nodded, earning respectful nods from the two players. "I'll need to decide what kind of weapon I'll want to use as well and go from there." he commented off-handedly.

"Stick to what you know." Kirito commented cryptically, earning a puzzled look from Klein but a glance from one of Naruto's cerulean orbs. "Choose one of them and go from there. I know there are a few you can't learn skills from until you've completely mastered a weapon but I have no idea where to start on that." he hinted, earning a grateful nod from Naruto.

"For now then, I'll keep to my fists. I may grab something from the store or see if my luck is transferred into the game and I get a weapon drop." he grinned, earning a foul look from Kirito.

"Wouldn't fucking surprise me." he spat out jealously.

"Uhhh, mind filling me in?" Klein asked politely, not understanding.

"Put it this way, Klein," Naruto started as he swung himself into a sitting position, "I'm that damn lucky that if there was a one-in-a-thousand chance to get an item from an enemy, I would probably end up with two or three at the end of the day." he commented, earning a wild look. "My friends spread the rumour that Lady Luck is my personal Mistress and she blesses me with her luck for my devotion." he grinned with wagging eyebrows, earning a laugh from the redhead beside him.

"Man, I'd get a piece of that!" he grinned alongside Naruto. "Here, lemme add you to my friends list. You seem like a good guy, Naruto." he smiled, sending a request over.

"Same to you, Klein." Naruto smiled in return, accepting the request. Kirito stretched for a few seconds before making his way out of the door, but not before stopping for a few seconds.

"Naruto."

"Hai?"

"When you come to a crossroads, the easier way would be to go left and it'd take you straight to the next village. The Right Path will likely kill you if you don't get your skills up in time but the rewards will be worth it." Kirito smiled as he walked out of the room with that last piece of information. Naruto made a mental note of it and stored it away for later keeping. Klein simply followed suit and decided to leave him be for the evening, something he greatly appreciated as he drifted back to the thought of his sister...

~SAO:AC~

(Uzumaki Residence: Kazuko's Bedroom)

Her mind was blank.

Her body numb.

Her heart void of any feeling.

She had heard the breaking news when she was cleaning up the equipment that those who had purchased and started playing Sword Art Online had now been trapped in the game by Kayaba Akihito for his own personal pleasure and that there would be no other way to get them out of there unless they remove the NerveGear... which would end up killing all those trapped within. She had dropped everything. She stood there numb for a few minutes before she saw Hiruzen rush out to her and offered to drive her back home to Naruto; they both knew was one of the many who was now trapped within the game. She bolted up to her room and she found her brother still on her bed, topless, and she immediately reached out to his face before she burst out crying. She was grateful that he would stay here for a week or so but her whole being was conflicted.

It was a simple choice but the weight of the decision would decide her fate on whether she lived or died.

She could not enter the game and do everything she could to take care of him and continued living her daily life. However, she wouldn't know if he would make it out alive and wouldn't know if he would be alive one moment and dead the next. That sudden possibility of him being taken away from her had scared her.

On the other side, and the most dangerous choice...

... was to dive into the game and fight alongside him. Even if it meant one false move would kill her.

Her mind was being rational and telling her she could provide and care for him from the outside. Yet everything else, her entire being, was telling her that she needed to jump into the game alongside him and support him from the inside.

She could do nothing for tonight as Hiruzen had already retired for the night and she would talk with him about what she would do, early in the morning. Knowing she could do nothing for tonight, she stripped down to her underwear and found herself staring at him lying there. She leaned over to him as several tears fell from her eyes and landed on his visor, placing her hands on his cheeks and shuddered at how cold they felt to her. She leaned down and gently kissed him on the lips before pulling away and moving over to the futon she had placed on the floor while he was in her bed.

"Be safe, Naru-kun."

~Chapter End~

Okay! That's one chapter done! Now, I'm expecting a few flames from this and I'm (not to sound harsh or uncaring) but I've recently come to terms about writing what I feel like writing and to try and stop trying to make a story fitting for everyone. I'll still make the story based on what you (the readers) want to see but I will keep to my storyline and be a bit more firm on it.

Chapter Fifteen of 'Enter the King!' has just been uploaded so go check it out if you haven't already. Until then, F/F and R/R!

Edit: 28/10/2018

Made a few adjustments and a few grammatical errors for this chapter. Also, after a small review and a discussion on Twitch with one of my followers for this story; I've decided to remove the unfairness of the three SCP's and stick to a story without them. Seeing as Naruto will gain some extra perks as is and I can easily find a way around the story and the game knowledge to implement several ideas and changes to the original plan that it shouldn't be too bad a hassle.

Also; a note had been raised about Naruto's (and Kazuko's) proficiency to fight bare-handed in a game that focuses on weapons. While understandable and a valid point to raise; you need to understand that the game version actually accounts for a bow for Sinon which shouldn't have happened in the game originally. Plus with the hidden connection with Naruto and Kaiyaba, it's not too far fetched that he would implement an unarmed fighting ability since it would still make sense. Plus, since I main Monk on FFXIV, I wanted to have an element of that in the game alongside the other Final Fantasy aspects I'm including (such as crafting, food buffs and the other added elements).

Edit: 16/07/2019

Just format edits, nothing too huge. xD

Kitsune~