Naruto: The Chosen Undead

Read advance chapters of all my works or want to support me.

https/www.p.a.t.r.e.on/Adamo_Amet

Join us on discord:

https://di..scord.gg/h3kDw7ma

••••••••••••••••••

Chapter no.47 Dreams Aren't Found, They're Built

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"So…" Tenten's voice shifted, pulling Sakura from her spiraling thoughts. "What's it like being on a team with Sasuke Uchiha? All I've heard is that he's a genius, and judging by his form just now…" She glanced at Sasuke, still propped against a tree where Naruto had dumped him. "…I can see why people say that."

"Yeah, he's… well, he's Sasuke. Top of the class, good at pretty much everything, and totally out of everyone's league. He's intense, though. Always pushing himself harder than anyone else, like he's got something to prove."

"Sounds like Neji," Tenten said with a knowing nod. "He's got the Byakugan, so he has this insane perception advantage no one else can match. And it's not just that—he has techniques that only someone from his clan could even dream of learning. It feels almost unfair sometimes." Her gaze softened slightly. "But… I guess that's why he's my benchmark. He's always ahead, and I've been playing catch-up since the day we met."

"I know exactly what you mean! No matter how much I study or how hard I train, Sasuke's always ten steps ahead. It's like I'm running a race I'll never win."

Tenten let out a short laugh, but her eyes wandered. Her focus shifted to Naruto, or more specifically, the massive Zweihander strapped to his back. Her eyes widened slightly, captivated by the craftsmanship of the blade—the sheer size of it, the intricate details.

It's like looking into a mirror.

The older girl chuckled at the thought and shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the blade. "You know, it's kind of funny…"

"What's funny?"

"The similarities between our teams," Tenten explained, her smile turning thoughtful. "Both teams have the top student and top kunoichi from the graduating class. And then…" She smirked, glancing at Naruto. "The so-called 'dead-last,' who's somehow turned out to be one of the most surprising and capable members of the group."

Sakura blinked, her surprise obvious. "Wait… you mean Lee was…?"

"Yup." Tenten nodded, her smirk widening. "Lee was the one who couldn't perform a single jutsu—not even the Clone Technique. He couldn't do ninjutsu, couldn't do genjutsu, and he bombed academically. But…" Her gaze softened as it flicked to Lee. "He trained harder than anyone else I've ever met. And now? He's the only person who can challenge Neji."

Sakura stared, her disbelief clear. "That's… unbelievable." She looked down, her voice dropping to a quiet murmur. "At least you're strong, Tenten-senpai… I'm just… weak."

Tenten frowned and nudged her gently. "Hey, don't sell yourself short. You were the top kunoichi in your class, weren't you?"

Sakura's shoulders slumped, and her smile faded into something small and bitter. "Does that even matter when I'm practically the weakest link on my team? I mean, I can't even keep up with Sasuke or Naruto. It feels like… like I'm always going to be left behind."

Tenten tilted her head, studying Sakura thoughtfully for a moment. "Why do you have to keep up with them?"

Sakura blinked, startled by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Well… isn't that what being on a team is about?" Sakura asked hesitantly, her voice trailing off. "I thought we were supposed to all be equal…"

Tenten crouched down, brushing a hand across the dirt and drawing three interlocking circles. She looked up, motioning for Sakura to follow her gaze. "Think of a team like a machine. Each team member is a cog in that machine. What do you think happens if all these cogs are spinning at different speeds or if they're all just trying to outdo each other?"

"The machine… breaks?"

"Not exactly," Tenten said, meeting her eyes. "The machine might still work, but it won't last. All those cogs, competing and pushing against each other, will wear themselves down until they stop spinning altogether." She sighed. "Our team went through that. I spent so much time trying to keep up with Neji's natural talent and Lee's insane drive that I didn't stop to think about what I could contribute. I just kept trying to match their strengths. And you know what happened?"

"What?"

"We were a mess. We completely failed the Chunin Exams last year."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "You… failed?"

"Yep," Tenten said with a shrug. "And honestly, it was embarrassing. We were so out of sync that we almost got split up as a team after that. Things only changed because we stopped thinking of it as a competition and started figuring out how we could work together. Instead of trying to outdo Neji's precision or Lee's stamina, I focused on what they didn't have. I figured out how I could fill in the gaps, and that's when things started clicking. I stopped trying to be the cog that spun the fastest and became the one that kept the whole machine running."

Sakura stared at her, processing the words in silence. She thought about her own team—how she'd spent so much time worrying about how far ahead Sasuke and Naruto were. It had never occurred to her to look at things differently.

So… I don't have to be like them?

Tenten shook her head firmly, a kind smile on her face. "Not at all. You don't have to keep up with them. You have to be you. There's nothing wrong with being weaker than your teammates if it pushes you to find your own strengths. But if you waste all your time trying to be something you're not, you'll never figure out what makes you stand out."

Sakura's gaze dropped to the dirt, her fingers lightly tracing the circles Tenten had drawn.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You were the top kunoichi, right? There must have been something you excelled at in the academy."

Sakura hesitated for a moment, thinking back. "Well… I've always been good at chakra control. And I have a really good memory. I could memorize things almost instantly."

"Chakra control and a great memory? That's impressive. There are so many things you could do with skills like that—medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, barrier ninjutsu… You've got a lot of options."

Sakura blinked, a little overwhelmed by the possibilities. "What would you recommend?"

"That depends. What are you most confident in?"

"Well…" Sakura paused, remembering her shaky attempt at Kakashi's genjutsu test. "I'm not totally confident in my chakra control… but I am confident in my ability to study and memorize things."

Tenten nodded, her smile widening. "Then I'd suggest Barrier Ninjutsu. It takes a strong memory and chakra control—most people don't have the skill for it. But if you put in the work, you might be naturally suited for it."

"Barrier Ninjutsu? I've… never even heard about that before."

"See?" Tenten grinned. "You already have a unique edge. It's all about finding the right way to use it. And hey, if you ever want to spar, work on taijutsu, or even try kenjutsu, let me know. Us kunoichi have to stick together, right?"

"Thank you, Tenten-senpai."

----

Naruto turned to Rock Lee, a grin spreading across his face as he declared, "Rock Lee, you've defeated my teammate. I must avenge him!"

Lee's face lit up with pure excitement, his teeth flashing in a bright smile as he struck a dramatic pose. "Yosh! Come at me, Naruto-kun! Let us test the flames of our youth!"

Naruto smirked, sliding his helmet down over his head with a satisfying click. He reached back, grabbing his Zweihander and swinging it into a wide, sweeping arc as he charged at Lee. The massive blade sliced through the air with an audible whoosh, but Lee leapt into the air, twisting his body mid-spin as he came down with a powerful kick aimed at Naruto's shoulder.

GONG!

The sound reverberated across the training ground as Lee's kick connected with Naruto's armor. Lee landed a few feet away, flicking his foot as he eyed Naruto's armor with wide-eyed amazement.

"Never…" Lee murmured, flexing his toes. "Never have I encountered armor that could take the force of my weights without even a dent!"

Naruto hummed, shifting his stance. The Zweihander was too slow against Lee's incredible speed, so with a thought, he switched it out for his hand axe. The smaller weapon gleamed as he spun it in his hand, testing its balance. It wasn't as powerful, but it was faster—and Lee demanded speed.

"Naruto-kun! Show me your resolve!"

Naruto didn't hesitate. He darted forward, the hand axe swinging in a tight arc toward Lee's ribs. Lee ducked under it with inches to spare, pivoting into a lightning-fast palm strike aimed at Naruto's chest. Naruto twisted, blocking the strike with his forearm before retaliating with a sharp upward slash.

The axe's edge whistled past Lee's cheek as he flipped backward, his feet barely touching the ground before he launched himself back toward Naruto. His fist shot forward, but Naruto sidestepped it, spinning into a backhand swing of his axe.

Lee blocked the strike with his forearm, the force sliding him back a few inches as his feet dug into the dirt. He retaliated with a whirlwind of kicks, each one faster than the last.

The fight turned into a flurry of movement, the clang of metal against bone echoing across the training ground.

Lee darted in low, spinning into a sweeping kick aimed at Naruto's legs. Naruto jumped, the axe slicing downward midair. Lee flipped backward, dodging by a hair's breadth as the blade embedded itself into the ground where he'd just been.

Naruto landed and smirked. "You're quick, but…"

He suddenly feinted with the axe, shifting his weight as he unequipped it mid-swing. Before Lee could react, Naruto's fist shot forward in a straight jab. He poured his strength into it, his chakra enhancing the force of the blow.

CRACK!

Lee was flung backward, skidding across the dirt before coming to a stop. His arm dangled at an odd angle, and as he glanced down at it, a wide grin spread across his face. "Naruto-kun! You dislocated my shoulder!"

Before Naruto could respond, Lee grabbed his shoulder and, in one swift motion, popped it back into place with a loud pop. He rotated his arm with ease, the grin never leaving his face.

"I am going to take this seriously now!"

Suddenly, Lee vanished.

Naruto's eyes widened as he turned, searching for him. A kick landed against his back, but when he spun to retaliate, no one was there. Another kick struck his side, followed by one to his leg. Each blow came from a different angle, faster than Naruto could follow.

Well, Way of Focality easily tracked the boy's movements; it was just that Naruto's body wasn't able to respond quickly enough.

He reached back and re-equipped his Zweihander, raising the massive blade in both hands. He stood still, waiting.

Lee reappeared in front of him, his leg drawn back for another high-speed kick. But this time, Naruto was ready.

With a mighty swing, Naruto brought the Zweihander down in a downward arc.

A loud bang echoed across the training ground as a blur of green and silver clashed in midair. When the dust settled, Guy-sensei was standing between Naruto and Lee, his hand gripping Naruto's Zweihander mid-swing and catching Lee's kick with his other hand. His expression was stern, more serious than either Sakura or Tenten had ever seen before.

"Lee!" Guy barked. "This isn't socializing!"

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Sensei!" Lee cried. "A spar can be argued to be the most youthful form of socializing!"

"Uh… is it?" Naruto mumbled, scratching the back of his helmet.

Sakura and Tenten sighed. "Only on this team…"

"No excuses!" Guy's eyes blazed with fiery intensity as he glared down at his student. "If you are truly dedicated to the path of youth, you must accept the consequences of your failures! Now, give me one thousand laps around the forest!"

Lee's jaw dropped slightly, but he didn't argue. "Yosh!" He took off into the trees, his figure quickly disappearing into the distance.

Naruto lowered his sword, his excitement deflating as he watched Lee vanish. "Aww… I wanted to keep going," he muttered, clearly disappointed.

Guy turned to him, shaking his head. "Patience, Naruto-kun! Battles of youth must also teach us restraint!"

Behind them, Kakashi gave Guy a look. "Quite the speech, Guy. Really inspiring. Maybe you should also learn restraint."

"Do not mock the flames of my youth, Kakashi!"

Kakashi didn't bother replying, simply flipping a page in his book.

As the dust settled, Sakura found herself turning to Tenten, a question bubbling up in her chest before she could stop it. "Tenten-senpai… what's your dream?"

Tenten's face softened at the question, her gaze drifting into the distance. "My dream?" she repeated, her voice thoughtful. "I want to be a legendary kunoichi. Someone young girls can look up to, someone they can admire. Like Tsunade." Her tone grew steadier. "She's strong, brilliant, beautiful—everything a kunoichi can aspire to be. I want to be like that someday."

Sakura felt her chest tighten. Tenten's words were so confident, so full of purpose. It made Sakura feel… small. Tenten had a vision, a goal so much bigger than herself. Meanwhile, Sakura couldn't even picture her future beyond her infatuation with Sasuke.

"Th-that's a beautiful dream, Tenten-senpai."

"What about you, Sakura? What's your dream?"

Sakura froze, the question making her heart sink. She didn't know what to say. She felt… embarrassed. What could she admit? That her only dream revolved around a boy who barely acknowledged her?

"I… I don't know," she finally said, her voice quiet, almost ashamed.

"Are you ashamed of your dreams, Sakura?"

Sakura's head snapped up, her cheeks flushing. "N-no! It's just… I don't really have anything important," she admitted. "Not like you."

Tenten chuckled softly. "You know," she began, "my dream wasn't always so… noble. When I was younger, I thought my dream was to get Neji to notice me."

"You… you did?"

"Yup." Tenten gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Back then, I thought that if he noticed me, if he acknowledged me, then I'd feel like I mattered—like I was achieving something."

"What… what changed?"

Tenten's expression turned thoughtful, her gaze drifting again. "One day, I realized I didn't want to live my life in someone else's shadow. I didn't want my worth to depend on whether or not someone else saw me. I wanted to stand on my own, to have something that was mine. So, I let that go. I found a new dream—a bigger one. One that made me excited to wake up every day."

Sakura felt a pang in her chest. "But… what if I don't have anything like that?" she asked softly, her voice full of frustration. "What if I'm just… empty?"

Tenten reached out, placing a steady hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Dreams aren't always waiting for you, Sakura. Sometimes, you have to go out and find them."

"You think I'll find it by trying Barrier Ninjutsu?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"You'll have to start somewhere, right?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ 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 23, 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!