Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.48 A Hollow Intelligence

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I need to improve my stats.

That was the singular thought dominating Naruto's mind after his brief spar with Rock Lee. His senses could keep up with Lee's speed, but his body couldn't. He felt it with every block, every dodge, every strike Lee landed.

And with their first real mission on the horizon, Naruto knew he couldn't afford to stay the same. He had to take this seriously.

Excusing himself under the guise of going to the bathroom, Naruto slipped away into the world of Lordran.

The flickering flames of the second bonfire greeted him, the heat warming his face despite the ever-present chill of the world around him.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, standing and stretching his arms. "So sitting at different bonfires really does change where I wake up. I wonder if my clones can connect to the bonfire too..."

He trailed off, shaking the thought away. There was no time to get distracted. He had work to do.

Stepping out of the small room housing the bonfire, Naruto moved with purpose. First, he needed to collect his souls from his last death. Then, maybe kill a few more hollows, gather resources, and level up.

"They should've returned by now, right?" Naruto muttered. He thought back to his first experience in the Northern Undead Asylum. No matter how many times he cut something down, it always came back. Nothing ever stayed dead.

The thought gnawed at the edges of his focus. Why don't they stay dead? Was it because of some magic? Or was it just the nature of this world? The questions multiplied in his mind, spiraling out of control. Why did things die in Konoha? What even was the purpose of life?

For a brief moment, the enormity of the question almost stopped him in his tracks. The purpose of life is eating ramen!

"Wow," he muttered aloud. "I sound like those philosophy club losers."

His voice echoed faintly in the silence, bringing with it a memory from his academy days. Clubs were a big deal back then—everyone wanted to be part of something. Naruto, of course, hadn't been allowed to join any of them, but he still remembered the philosophy club. A bunch of nerds having heated debates about life, existence, and other stuff he used to think didn't matter.

Now, walking through Lordran, those same thoughts seemed inescapable.

"Is it my increased intelligence making me think like this?" Naruto wondered aloud. "Or... maybe I just want answers for once?"

He exhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders as he walked. Whatever the reason, Naruto was strangely glad for the change. It was proof, he figured, that he'd matured. A version of himself from a year ago wouldn't have bothered to ask questions like this. Why would he? No one had ever bothered to give him answers anyway.

But now?

Now he was starting to ask, even if he had to find the answers on his own.

And the answer he found when he stepped out of the bonfire room: Something is wrong.

There was no crossbow-wielding hollow waiting near the edge. No hollow on the stairs. He glanced up toward the rooftop where firebomb-wielding hollows—only to find their crumpled bodies scattered across the platform, arrows protruding from their armor.

Something—or someone—had cleared the area before him.

A faint whistle snapped him out of his thoughts.

Naruto's instincts screamed, his head jerking to the side just in time to see an arrow hurtling toward him. It was fast—far faster than the clumsy shots fired by the hollows he'd encountered before. His hand shot up instinctively, snatching the arrow out of the air.

His eyes darted down, catching the faint glint of something tied to the shaft.

"A firebomb?!"

Flooding chakra into his arm, he hurled the arrow high into the air, watching as it exploded in a burst of heat and shrapnel above him.

The air crackled, and the heat singed the back of his neck. Naruto ran and pressed his back against the stone staircase, hiding himself from view. His breath came quick, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The boy's gaze locked onto the bridge overhead.

No soul drop. Must've taken it and leveled up. Now they're targeting me.

Naruto's jaw tightened. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Goddamn, is this Petrus or something?

The thought wasn't comforting, especially when he remembered the undead hunts.

Whatever, he thought, trying to steady his nerves. He darted down the stairs, his plan forming quickly. Get out in the open, use the Substitution Jutsu to dodge, find the enemy's location—

Suddenly, he froze.

Way of Focality flared to life as he found something gleaming in his peripheral vision—a spear.

Naruto twisted his torso, narrowly avoiding the spear as it whooshed past his side. The young shinobi spun on his heel, his eyes locking onto the source of the attack.

It wasn't a person.

It was a hollow.

What the hell is going on?

The hollow reared back its arm, preparing another spear thrust.

Naruto's left hand shot out with precision, gripping the spear mid-thrust. Chakra surged into his arm, fortifying his muscles as he locked the weapon in place. He could feel the hollow's resistance, the weapon trembling under its struggle, but Naruto held firm. With a sharp push, he forced the hollow backward, positioning it between himself and the unseen archer.

Perfect timing.

Twang! An arrow sliced through the air, aimed directly for him. The hollow staggered as the projectile struck its chest, embedding itself with a muted thud. Naruto barely had time to brace as the firebomb strapped to the arrow detonated. The explosion tore through the hollow's body, the force ripping apart its armor. The blast's shockwave brushed past Naruto, but his meat shield absorbed the worst of it, leaving him shaken but unharmed.

Way of Focality flared again—a hollow approaching from behind, sword raised high for a killing blow. He barely had time to think. His fingers blurred through the hand signs, activating the Substitution Jutsu. In an instant, he found himself standing behind the hollow instead of in front of it, kunai in hand as he slit the hollow's throat.

Naruto looked on in disbelief. A spear-wielding hollow had been shoved forward—kicked—by the crossbow hollow standing behind it.

It's like a human barking orders to a dog. The crossbow hollow growled again, and the spear hollow moved forward, its movements carrying just enough intent to follow the "command."

"The crossbow hollow… it's the closest to my soul drop," Naruto muttered as he glanced at the ledge above. "It must've absorbed my souls and leveled up."

So it increased intelligence too?

"Oi, thief! Give me back my souls!"

The crossbow hollow gave him a response by firing an arrow.

Naruto replied by hurling a kunai.

The two projectiles collided mid-air with a sharp clang, the force of the impact deflecting the arrow off course.

The smoke bomb attached to the kunai's hilt detonated with a loud pop. Thick, choking smoke billowed out, engulfing the area and obscuring the hollows from view.

Naruto wasted no time. He made two shadow clones, one of which crouched low, lacing its fingers together. Naruto stepped onto its hands as the clone launched him high into the air.

"Up here!" Naruto yelled, drawing the hollows' attention upward.

The crossbow hollow turned, aiming its weapon at the airborne Naruto.

From within the smoke cloud below, unseen by the hollow, Naruto's clone hurled a fuma shuriken. The massive, curved blade spun silently as it cut through the dense smoke, hidden from view. It arced wide, hugging the bridge's edge in a sharp curve before emerging from the fog without warning.

The shuriken struck with a deafening crunch, slamming into the crossbow hollow's weapon. The force shattered the crossbow instantly, fragments of wood and metal scattering in every direction as the hollow staggered back, momentarily disarmed.

The original grinned as he descended from above, the air rushing past him. Years of prank-filled escapades had made falling an art form for him. He angled himself perfectly, landing with both feet on the crossbow hollow's shoulder. The impact sent it crashing onto the concrete floor with a loud thud.

Naruto didn't hesitate. He raised his fist, chakra surging into his arm, ready to bash the hollow's skull in when he saw the jaw clicked open, revealing a firebomb lodged inside its mouth.

Seriously? Naruto's eyes widened, and he reacted instantly, equipping the talisman in his hand. As the hollow bit down, the firebomb detonated.

Boom! The explosion sent flames and shockwaves rippling outward.

Naruto acted on pure instinct, activating the Force miracle. A burst of energy erupted from his talisman, creating a shockwave that pushed the fire away from his body. The air hissed around him as the flames dissipated harmlessly, leaving him unharmed.

As the smoke cleared, Naruto glanced down to see the hollow's broken, lifeless body. The faint glow of a soul orb floated upward from its remains.

"Not so smart after all, huh?"

But the moment of triumph didn't last. He heard guttural growls and the heavy clank of metal. Turning his head, he spotted the spear-wielding hollow charging through the smoke cloud, its weapon raised for another strike.

Naruto smirked, casually tossing the talisman between his hands.

"Watch your back!"

The hollow paused, but before it could react, Naruto's shadow clone lunged from the smoke behind it. The clone swung the Zweihander in a heavy, overhand attack, the massive blade slamming down onto the hollow's head with a sickening crunch.

The clone popped in a puff of smoke from the force of the strike, but the hollow staggered, disoriented and off balance. Naruto seized the opportunity, gripping his own Zweihander tightly as he followed through with a heavy attack of his own.

Naruto exhaled, resting the Zweihander on his shoulder as he surveyed the area. The smoke was beginning to clear, and the battlefield was eerily silent once again. But something caught his eye.

Hidden against a stack of crates, partially covered in shadows, was a narrow staircase leading downward.

A grin spread across Naruto's face as he adjusted the grip on his sword.

"Why not?"

Without a second thought, he smashed through the crates, sending splinters and debris flying. There was something fun about it, something childlike and satisfying about just… breaking things. He swung his arms like a kid knocking down sandcastles, laughing a little as the wood shattered around him.

"That was fun, dattebayo!"

With a skip in his step, Naruto made his way down the strange concrete staircase. The room he stepped into was dim and dusty, lined with old wooden pillars that led to a balcony on one side and a hall on the other. His eyes scanned the place, catching movement behind a set of rickety shelves. A hollow was crouching there, probably thinking it was hidden.

"Hey, geniuses," Naruto called out. "If you're gonna hide, maybe try crouching lower. Might work better."

Not that he expected a response.

He got a mischievous idea, something a little old-school prank style. With a grin, he pulled out a firebomb and tossed it right at the shelves. Flames licked up the wood, engulfing the hollow. Naruto waited for some kind of reaction—a scream, a dance, anything. But the thing just burned, unfazed. Guess the dead really don't have a funny bone, he muttered, rolling his eyes at his own joke. Lame.

The half-burnt hollow charged at him with a massive axe raised high. Naruto twisted just in time, dodging the swing and hearing the axe thud against the ground. Before it could pull back, he planted his foot on the axe's blade, channeling chakra into his foot to hold it steady. The hollow struggled, trying to yank it free, but Naruto wasn't budging.

"Just pull harder. I know this is very embarrassing for you, but you're dead, so…"

Then, with a grunt, the hollow jumped back, releasing the axe and lunging at him bare-handed. Quick as a flash, Naruto grabbed the axe by the handle, swinging it up and into the hollow's face. The blade struck its open jaw, driving the head straight into the doorframe. He pressed harder, splitting its head like a piece of wood.

Naruto laughed, holding up his new weapon triumphantly.

"New weapon! Now we're talking!"

"Can you… shut up?!" a voice hissed from the balcony, making him jump out of his skin.

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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 24, 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!