Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.39 Change is Inevitable

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Did that… actually just happen?

Naruto barely had time to process the absurdity of seeing a dragon when a sudden, searing pain exploded in his leg. His knee buckled, fire shooting through his entire limb, up his spine, and straight into his skull.

He stumbled, his eyes snapping down, and there it was—an arrow. Lodged deep in his knee.

"Great," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Now I've taken an arrow to the knee? What even is my life?"

The pain was blinding, unbearable. For a second, the world around him blurred. He shook his head, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek to stay focused.

The fury came fast, replacing the shock and pain. Without hesitating, he grabbed the arrow shaft with both hands and yanked it out in one harsh pull. His teeth clenched, and he bit back a scream as blood spurted from the wound, staining the ground beneath him.

"Stupid hollows and their stupid arrows!"

His hand fumbled for the Estus Flask strapped to his side. He gulped the glowing liquid down, feeling its warmth spread through his body like liquid fire. The wound in his knee began to knit itself back together, the pain dulling with every passing second until it finally faded to a manageable throb.

Naruto exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as he stood back up. He flexed his knee experimentally—it still stung, but at least it worked again. "Good as new," he muttered. "But I'm never letting that happen again."

His gaze snapped up, locking onto the hollow that had dared to shoot him. The soulless creature was running toward him now, its skeletal frame rattling with each awkward step.

Naruto felt his anger surge, hot and unrelenting. "Oh, you picked the wrong target today," he growled.

The hollow didn't stop. Neither did Naruto.

If it wanted to shoot at him, it had better be ready to deal with what came next. Because arrow to the knee or not, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't about to let anyone—or anything—get the last laugh.

Gripping his Zweihander tightly, he lunged forward, swinging the blade in a brutal downward arc. The impact sent a satisfying crunch through his arms as the blade cleaved the hollow in two, a splatter of blood marking the stones beneath it.

But just as he took a moment to catch his breath, something whizzed past his neck, close enough to graze his skin—a second arrow, barely missing him. His head snapped up, fury igniting as he caught sight of the archer.

Naruto barely had time to process it before two more hollows rushed him from the sides. He brought up his Zweihander, blocking their strikes as the metal screeched against his own blade. But he couldn't focus entirely on them; every few seconds, another arrow came hurtling toward him, the archer clearly intent on skewering him alive.

These guys are really pissing me off.

Naruto clenched his teeth, fighting back with one hand while his other reached for an explosive tag. With one quick movement, he slapped it onto the nearest hollow's chest, pushing back with all his strength as he leaped away. "Fuin!" he barked, triggering the tag.

The explosion tore through both hollows, bits of bone and dust scattering in the air. The blast gave him just enough cover to sprint up the stairs toward the archer, his eyes set on the damn hollow that had the nerve to shoot him.

As he got closer, he could see it fumbling with its weapon, hands barely steady as it tried to notch another arrow. The thing was holding a battered crossbow, the kind that looked like it had fallen apart ages ago and been haphazardly pieced back together. Its bony fingers struggled to attach the arrow to the crossbow's string, its entire movement slow and clumsy.

Naruto didn't waste a second and went in for the kill. But then, his Way of Focality screamed at him, and he instinctively ducked as a firebomb came flying from above. He cursed under his breath.

If I ever find the bastard who invented firebombs, he thought furiously, I'll shove a dozen of these things up his ass and light the fuse. Let's see how he likes it!

With no other choice, he lunged forward, tackling the hollow with his shoulder and slamming into its frail body with all his weight. It staggered, but instead of falling away, its hands clamped onto his armor with a death grip. He tried to shake it off, but its bony fingers wouldn't budge. With a jolt, he felt them both tumbling off the ledge.

Welp, I'm dead, he thought, bracing himself for the worst.

But luck was on his side.

They landed hard on a balcony just below, his armor clanging against the stone as the hollow squirmed beneath him. He wasted no time, slamming his Zweihander down, pinning it through the chest. The hollow's body went limp, but he wasn't finished.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a humanoid corpse slumped against the wall, a wooden shield clutched in its lifeless hand. The shield was long, oval-shaped, with a simple design carved into the wood. Its surface was worn and rough, the faded lines barely visible.

"Thanks," he muttered to the corpse, prying the shield from its stiff grip. With a growl, he bashed the still-twitching hollow under him until it was nothing more than scattered bones.

Great, a new shield. That I'll probably never use.

With one last breath, he stood up and headed back to the stairs, determined to find the remaining hollows. He climbed up, his eyes scanning every shadow, his muscles tensed with anticipation.

Alright, where are you, firebomb-throwing assholes?

Reaching the top, he finally saw them. A few hollows perched above, each one fumbling with firebombs, their lifeless eyes fixed on him. His blood boiled as he prepared to strike back.

But then, something caught his eye—a familiar, hopeful glimmer.

An unlit bonfire, hidden in a small room just to the side. His heart skipped a beat, and a grin spread across his face.

Yes! He didn't have to restart from Firelink Shrine. He darted into the room, the flames flaring to life under his touch.

With renewed energy, Naruto turned his gaze back to the hollows perched above. His hand instinctively reached for the firebombs hanging at his side.

The hollows had been hurling firebombs at him for what felt like forever, and now it was time to give them a taste of their own medicine. Kunai and shuriken alone weren't enough—this time, he'd bring the heat. Firebomb by firebomb, he'd make sure every last one of those undead bastards paid.

"Bring it on."

Almost ten minutes later, Naruto stood amidst the wreckage, his breathing slightly labored, his armor caked with grime and soot. The once-perched hollows now lay scattered and broken, charred remains decorating the shattered stones beneath the ruined battlements. Smoke hung in the air, the acrid scent stinging his nostrils.

He wiped a smear of ash from his cheek, the faint embers still smoldering in a nearby hollow's ribcage catching his eye. A slight grin tugged at his lips. Serves you right.

His stomach growled loudly, breaking the eerie silence of the aftermath.

"Man, I'm starving," he muttered, walking back toward the bonfire, the familiar golden glow already pulling him in like a moth to a flame. He dropped onto the hard ground beside it with a soft clink of his armor.

The fire pulsed, gentle and alive, and the familiar menu appeared before his eyes:

[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]

[ Level: 10 ]

[ Souls: 687 ]

[ Required Souls: 900 ]

Naruto stared at the numbers, his brow furrowing slightly. 687 souls. Just short of the amount I need to level up. His hand flexed reflexively, itching to summon another shuriken or firebomb, but he knew better. There wasn't another hollow around that hadn't already been skewered, burned, or broken by his earlier rampage.

"Great," he muttered. "Not enough souls, and I'm too hungry to keep going."

His stomach growled again, loud and insistent, and he groaned, dragging a hand down his face. I should just go back, Naruto thought, glancing at the broken bridge not far off. The comforting glow of the bonfire flickered in his peripheral vision, but it wasn't enough to drown out the nagging thought in the back of his mind: If I go back now, I'll drop my souls.

The memory of the last time he'd returned surfaced—Alexander had protected his souls that time.

He considered the ring of sacrifice tucked away in his inventory. For a measly 600 souls? Yeah, no. The ring's too valuable for something so minor.

Naruto exhaled sharply, his hunger gnawing at his resolve. "Fine, it's just 600 souls. Does it really matter that much?" he muttered to himself, though the words tasted bitter.

He stood, brushing off his armor and stretching his arms over his head. His gaze shifted toward the edge of the broken bridge, the yawning void beyond it waiting for him.

"See you soon, Lordran," he said under his breath, a faint smirk tugging at his lips despite the weariness settling over him.

Without hesitation, he stepped to the edge and leaped into the darkness.

The wind whipped past him, cold and biting, pulling at his tattered cloak as he plummeted. He didn't flinch; the falling sensation was almost comforting now—a strange, grim reminder that in this cursed land, death wasn't the end. The world blurred around him as the blackness swallowed him whole, its void-like embrace as familiar as the bonfire's glow.

And then, silence.

A faint red message etched itself into his vision, the words cutting through the darkness like an unwanted friend:

[ You Died ]

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Back at the bonfire, the flames danced quietly, their warmth a sharp contrast to the desolation surrounding them. Slowly, the world began to reset. The hollows Naruto had slain clawed their way back to unlife, their battered forms shuffling aimlessly across the ruined landscape. Bones clicked back into place, broken weapons reformed, and lifeless eyes lit up without any purpose.

Among them, the crossbow hollow stirred. It stumbled toward the place where Naruto had jumped, its movements slow and mechanical. There, nestled among the shattered stones, was a faint, glowing soul drop.

The hollow hesitated, its head tilting slightly as if sensing something. Then, with a jerky, almost reverent motion, it reached out and absorbed the soul. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, its posture straightened. Its movements became… different. More deliberate. More alive.

In Lordran, time always returns to its stagnant state. Death becomes life, and life becomes death, in an endless, unchanging cycle.

But change… change is always inevitable.

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 18, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!