Naruto: The Chosen Undead

[theaceoffire]

He raised two fingers, tapping beneath his eyes. "Give me two Hyūga jutsu. One for each eye I won't have."

Click to shrink...

You know, I still have two daughters and both seem to like you...?

//DAD!

Oh right, right, the political marriage thing is bad stuff. Sorry.

 

[Zenth]

Really looking forward to the normal people dealing with what Naruto has become.

 

[Adamos_Amet]

Chapter 71: What Is Owed and What Is Feared

---

"A dragon is prophesied to destroy Konoha."

The words landed with deliberate weight. Jiraiya looked between Kakashi and Hiruzen, letting the silence do the work for him.

Hiruzen drew in a long, measured breath through his pipe. Smoke filled the room as he exhaled, slow and controlled, the way a man did when he was forcing his temper down rather than letting it surface.

No one could blame him.

Danzo was a constant pressure at his back. Orochimaru was a shadow that refused to stay buried. The other villages were circling like carrion birds. And now this.

"Define prophesied," Kakashi stated. "I want specifics before we start panicking."

"The Great Toad Sage can see fragments of the future." Jiraya paused, then continued more quietly. "Years ago, he foresaw that I'd take on a student who would become either the savior of the world… or its destroyer."

"The Child of Prophecy," Kakashi said.

"Minato told you."

"He trusted me," Kakashi replied simply.

"Well," Jiraiya said, grimacing, "the Sage says the original vision is unstable now. It might still happen, but right now there are other futures that are coming through more clearly."

Hiruzen's shoulders sagged a fraction as he released another breath.

"And one of those is a dragon attacking the village."

Jiraiya nodded once.

Silence settled again, heavier this time.

"When?"

"The Sage doesn't know."

Kakashi frowned. "So it could be tomorrow. Or ten years from now."

"Exactly," Jiraiya said. "Which is about as helpful as you'd expect."

"At least that means we're not on a countdown. Small mercies."

"There's more," Jiraiya added.

Of course there was.

"Fukasaku believes the dragon could be related to the Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave who have long pursued draconic ascension. If Orochimaru succeeds, the prophecy could be referring to him."

Hiruzen's expression darkened.

"I thought the same, but there is another possibility."

Jiraiya turned to the Hatake.

"There's a chance the prophecy isn't about Orochimaru at all," Kakashi said slowly. "Naruto's connection to Lordran complicates things. He's encountered dragons. Fought a hydra. And, whether we like it or not, his physiology isn't entirely human anymore."

"You think the dragon could be from Lordran."

"I think it's reckless not to consider it," Kakashi replied.

"So the threat could be Orochimaru… or something far worse."

Jiraiya nodded, his expression grim. "That's my read."

Hiruzen shifted in his seat. "Anything else to add to our massive pile of problems?"

Jiraiya hesitated. "The elder gave me a prophecy he got from the future."

He glanced between the two of them, then began to repeat the words exactly as the toad sage had spoken them.

---

When the Darksign burns three times,
And the thrones of the old lie empty and cold,
They shall rise.

The First shall wear the face of a Dragon.
Born from chaos, raised in calamity.
They will know too much, feel too deeply,
And be called monster by those who fear the truth.

Do not lie to the Dragon.
For it sees through all things.

The Second shall wear the chains of the Giants.
Silent, crowned in rust and old echoes.
They will walk the paths of the dead,
And the earth will remember every step.

Do not fight the Giant.
For it has already endured more than war.

The Third shall fall on hollow wings,
An Angel whose tears burn instead of fall.
Where they go, sorrow will burn cities,
And love will leave only ash.

Do not fear the Angel.
For their grief is older than gods.

Three shall rise.
Not born, but forged.
Not chosen, but burdened.
They will pass through fire, through shadow, through loss.
And they will not turn back.

And in their wake, two worlds shall tremble.
One will try to forget.
The other will relive it again and again.

Three times shall the veil between them shake.
And all that was left behind
Shall walk forward once more.

And at the end of all things, when the stars grow quiet,
You, Dragon.
You, Giant.
You, Angel.

Will you not meet again at the ramen stand at the end of the universe?

---

Kakashi and Hiruzen exchanged a look, then both turned back to Jiraiya as if silently asking whether they had heard him correctly.

"…How likely is it," Kakashi asked carefully, "that the Great Toad Sage has finally gone senile?"

"Respectfully asked and still insulting. Impressive." Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck. "I know how it sounds. I can't even tell if what he saw was literal, symbolic, or something in between. A future that doesn't quite want to stay still."

"And the prophecy itself is frustratingly vague," Kakashi added. "Almost like it wasn't meant for us to understand cleanly."

Hiruzen frowned, tapping ash from his pipe. "A ramen stand at the end of the universe," he repeated slowly. "That part still bothers me."

All three of them paused.

"…That does sound uncomfortably connected to Naruto."

Kakashi coughed. "Lord Hokage, correlation doesn't equal causation. Just because Lordran has dragons and Naruto has an unhealthy emotional attachment to ramen doesn't mean the prophecy is pointing at him." He gestured vaguely, as if brushing away a bad thought. "We already learned the hard way what happens when we start assuming connections. Especially where Naruto and Lordran are concerned."

"You're right. We can't afford to jump at shadows." Hiruzen straightened in his seat. "For now, we narrow our focus. Whatever this prophecy means in the long term, the immediate concern is a dragon attacking Konoha. We plan for it the same way we would a potential bijū assault. That gives us a framework without chasing speculation."

"What if we tell Naruto?" Jiraiya asked. "If he knows there's even a chance Lordran is involved, maybe he'll stop going there."

Kakashi shook his head without hesitation. "No. He won't."

Both men looked at him.

"That place means too much to him," Kakashi continued quietly. "Minato sensei. Kushina. Oscar. Lordran isn't just a battlefield to Naruto. It's family, memory, and purpose all wrapped together. He won't abandon it over a possibility. And like you said, Jiraiya, the future isn't fixed."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to argue, but Hiruzen raised a hand, stopping him.

"I know you're worried. I am too. But we don't act on fear alone. Lordran is one possible source of this prophecy, not the only one. What we can do is prepare. Prepare thoroughly, and hope that when the storm comes, we're strong enough to endure it."

"Yeah… yeah. Fair enough."

A moment of silence followed.

"Well," Kakashi said at last, stretching his arms behind his head, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to relax at the hot springs. Now that we're back in Konoha, Naruto can't possibly get into anything insane."

Hiruzen chuckled softly. "Knowing him, he's probably just eating ramen right now."

If only that was true.

---

Hiashi wanted to bang his head against the wall.

He didn't, of course.

A Hyūga clan head did not indulge in such vulgar impulses, no matter how tempting. Instead, he sat perfectly straight at the head of the council chamber, hands folded within his sleeves, expression calm and unreadable.

Inside, he was grinding his teeth.

The Hyūga council chamber was filled with tatami mats. They lined the floor in precise geometric patterns. Shoji screens filtered the moonlight into soft blues. Incense burned faintly at the corners of the room.

Seated before him were the elders of the main family, men whose spines were straight despite their age, robes pristine, eyes sharp with calculation.

They had been discussing this topic for the better part of twenty minutes.

"Hiashi sama," Elder Masanori began, "perhaps we are overcomplicating matters. The boy is not unreasonable. Offer him land and coin in exchange. A generous stipend, perhaps a rural estate. Even an Uzumaki would understand the value of stability."

Hiashi's jaw tightened imperceptibly.

Another elder nodded. "Indeed. And we must remind him, gently, that Hyūga techniques cannot be properly utilized without the Byakugan. The Gentle Fist, the Eight Trigrams, all of it relies upon sight that he simply does not possess."

That, at least, was not a lie.

Theoretically, a shinobi could memorize the entire chakra network. In theory, one could strike tenketsu blindly, guided by instinct and experience alone. In practice, it was madness. The human body was not a static diagram, and even a fraction of error meant the difference between a disabling strike and wasted motion.

Without the Byakugan, the Gentle Fist was a shadow of itself.

"How about a compromise?" Elder Jūbei interjected, tapping his fan thoughtfully against his palm. "We petition the Hokage for two A rank techniques from the central archive. A generous offering for a genin. That should appease him."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber.

It was, by the average standard, an absurdly generous offer.

For the average shinobi, access to jutsu was a rigid hierarchy. Genin were restricted to D rank techniques. Chūnin might get C rank. Jōnin alone had routine access to B and A rank jutsu, and even then, it depended heavily on politics, lineage, and contributions. S rank techniques were forbidden outright unless the Hokage himself granted permission.

For the Hyūga clan to leverage their influence to secure two A rank techniques for Naruto Uzumaki was no small thing.

"I cannot believe you're all entertaining this," snapped Elder Rokuhara. "That boy sent the head elder to the hospital. Months of recovery. And we're discussing awarding this boy?"

"Elder Rokuhara, might I remind you that we are in this situation because of the former head elder's actions."

The room stilled.

"The destruction of his Byakugan was a small consequence. Upon recovery, he will be stripped of his formal elder status."

That set the chamber buzzing.

Faces that moments ago had worn carefully neutral expressions now held thinly veiled interest. Some hid their reactions better than others.

Politics was not a game of honor or loyalty. It was a game of timing, patience, and knowing exactly when to look sympathetic while sharpening the knife.

"Very well. Then the question remains. What do you intend to do about Naruto Uzumaki?"

All eyes turned to Hiashi.

"As you are all aware," Hiashi said, "my daughter Hinata shares a close bond with Naruto Uzumaki. One of friendship and admiration."

The elders exchanged glances.

"There exists a high likelihood that Naruto Uzumaki will, in the future, become Hinata's betrothed."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Where moments ago the discussion had centered on safeguarding Hyūga secrets from an outsider, now the framing changed entirely.

A future son in law.

That altered the calculus.

"Ah," Elder Jūbei said thoughtfully. "If that is the case…"

"Then courtesy must be observed," Masanori added. "One does not treat family as one would a stranger."

"Still, we cannot simply hand him our sacred arts."

"Nor is that what I propose," Hiashi replied, leaning forward slightly. "We will offer techniques that can be used without the Byakugan, but whose true potential can only be realized with it."

Silence followed.

"That narrows the field considerably," Elder Shin'emon said at last. "The Twin Lion Fist is the only technique that comes to mind."

"And even that would be… unconventional."

"Unconventional times," Hiashi replied.

Around him, the elders nodded, some reluctantly, others with careful calculation.

---

Meanwhile, Naruto sat cross legged at the low dining table with Hinata, Hanabi, and Tsubaki.

Oscar occupied a cushion near Naruto's side, happily gnawing on a strip of meat with crystal teeth that clicked faintly as he chewed.

"I thought Oscar could only eat metal?"

Hanabi slipped another piece of meat onto the small dish in front of the crystal lizard. "But, he really likes it."

"Don't encourage him. He'll start demanding seconds."

Oscar chirped proudly and kept chewing.

"He can eat both organic and inorganic stuff," Naruto explained, reaching for his cup. "But I found out that he mostly absorbs the minerals. The rest just… passes through."

"You figured that out how?"

Naruto was about to say that he'd tossed Oscar's poop into his inventory and read the item description when he took a sip of the milk Hinata had poured for him.

The taste hit him like a punch.

"…What the heck is this?"

Tsubaki covered her mouth with a smile. "That would be fermented horse milk. A traditional Hyūga drink."

"You people drink this on purpose?"

"It's good for circulation," Tsubaki said serenely.

"Right," Naruto muttered. "Horse contract clan. Should've seen that coming."

With a faint shimmer, the cup vanished into Naruto's inventory.

"You stored it?"

"Emergency rations," Naruto said gravely. "For my enemies."

Tsubaki laughed softly. "To use space time techniques that casually at your age… that's impressive."

"Uh, thanks. Though I'm actually sure the inventory is something else."

Something he still didn't fully understand.

Tsubaki's gaze lingered on him for a moment. "So, Naruto," she said lightly, "what's an interesting and mysterious boy like you doing spending so much time with my daughter?"

"M Mother!"

Naruto looked genuinely confused. "Huh? We're friends."

Hanabi smirked. "Sure you are."

Hinata was now actively trying to melt into the tatami.

Tsubaki gave Naruto an amused eyesmile, her attention drifting between the two of them. Hinata sat a little closer to him than she probably realized, shoulders relaxed in a way that spoke of trust.

Affection.

But affection went two ways.

Tsubaki wondered, quietly, what Naruto felt in return.

Dinner wound down not long after, the dishes cleared as the conversation softened into comfortable quiet. The sliding doors opened, and Hiashi entered the room, posture formal, expression composed. In his hands were two scrolls sealed with the Hyūga crest.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi said, stepping forward. "As promised. Two taijutsu techniques of the Hyūga clan."

Naruto straightened immediately.

"The first is the Twin Lion Fist," Hiashi continued. "The second is the Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm."

Naruto accepted the scrolls with both hands and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

They weren't what he would've chosen if he'd had free rein, but they were more than enough for him.

Hinata clasped her hands together, eyes bright.

"Naruto kun, if you'd like… I could help you practice."

"You sure?"

"I don't know them perfectly, but we could learn together."

Hanabi's and Tsubaki's eyes sparkled with mischief.

Hinata knew exactly what was coming later.

"Sounds good to me," Naruto said easily, giving her a thumbs up.

Oscar crawled up Naruto's shoulder and settled on his head like a crystal crown.

Hiashi stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Thank you. For everything."

"Hey, you don't gotta..."

"No," Hiashi said quietly. "I do."

Naruto scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed. "I'm just glad I could help a friend."

Tsubaki rose gracefully. "It's getting late. Why don't you stay the night?"

Naruto hesitated. "I'd like to, but… I have some stuff to do back home."

Hiashi nodded. "Be cautious. News of your return will spread quickly. Many will wish to see the son of the Fourth Hokage."

"Yeah. I figured."

"Why don't I walk you out?"

"Sure."

Hinata and Naruto headed toward the gate together, their footsteps fading down the hall.

Behind them, the rest of the family watched with varying degrees of amusement.

"Big sis is getting pretty bold."

Tsubaki hummed thoughtfully at Hanabi's statement. "Maybe not bold enough."

"What do you mean, Mom?"

Hiashi responded calmly. "Naruto grew up as an outcast orphan. Children learn how to recognize and interpret affection through observation and attachment models, usually from their parents."

Tsubaki nodded. "Naruto never had a secure reference point for romantic or familial love. Praise, concern, kindness, even loyalty, all blur together for him."

Hiashi continued, voice even. "Which means any hints Hinata drops are likely filtered through that lens. To him, it's friendship, trust, and safety. Not romance."

Tsubaki sighed, then shot her husband a sharp look. "And then there's Hinata."

Hiashi winced slightly.

"She waits like she doesn't believe she's allowed to stand beside him yet. Like she has to become 'enough' first."

Her eyes lingered on Hiashi pointedly.

Hanabi waved a hand dismissively. "You two are overthinking it."

They both looked at her.

Hanabi grinned. "Big sis'll figure it out. And Naruto's not as clueless as you think. He's just… slow. Don't worry, Nee chan. I believe in you."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata walked side by side beneath the lantern lit paths of the Hyūga compound, the night quiet except for the soft crunch of gravel under their feet.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Hinata startled slightly. "I… was it that obvious?"

Naruto and Oscar nodded.

"I'm sorry. You just got back to Konoha, and you haven't even had time to rest because of me and my family's troubles."

Naruto waved it off immediately. "Hey, don't worry about that. I can manage." He flexed his arm with exaggerated confidence. "See? Totally fine. So… what's going on?"

Hinata smiled faintly. Naruto always did that. He made things sound simple, manageable, like problems could be solved just by facing them head on. And yet, somehow, she always felt like she was the one struggling to keep up.

"I've been having nightmares," she admitted quietly.

Naruto slowed his steps.

"They're… strange. I wake up scared, but I can never remember them clearly. It's like my mind refuses to hold onto the details. Just feelings of witnessing something horrible."

Naruto's expression darkened. "Shit."

"Naruto… do you know what's going on?"

The boy hesitated, jaw tightening. "Do you remember when we saved Haku from Guren's captivity?"

Hinata nodded at first, then paused. The memory felt… incomplete. Like a page torn from a book. Her brow furrowed, and suddenly pain spiked behind her eyes.

Images flickered of a red mist and a vibrating sound.

She gasped, clutching her head as a migraine slammed into her. "Naruto!"

He was beside her instantly, steady hands on her shoulders, rubbing her back in slow, grounding circles. "Easy. Easy. Breathe."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "What… what happened? I can see it, but I can't. Why can't I remember?"

Naruto exhaled slowly. "There were a lot of shinobi guarding Haku. I wanted it to end fast. So, I used a magic enhanced wind cloak to kill them all."

Hinata trembled.

"You saw it," he continued quietly. "And it was too much. The violence, the speed… it wasn't something you could process. So I used a Great Heal Excerpt to heal your mind. Guess, the heal didn't fully work."

Hinata swallowed hard, then nodded. "Thank you… for telling me the truth."

They stood there for a moment, the weight of it settling between them.

"I could try again," Naruto offered gently. "Use a stronger miracle. No nightmares at all."

Hinata wiped her tears with her sleeve and shook her head. "No." Her voice was soft, but firm. "I want to overcome them myself."

"Alright. But I'm here. Whenever you need help."

She looked up at him, eyes shining. "Naruto… why are you willing to go so far for me?"

"Because you're my friend."

It really was that simple to him. Healing her mother. Standing against the elder. Protecting her mind from things she wasn't ready to face. None of it had been done for gratitude, obligation, or reward.

Naruto did it because Hinata was his friend.

The knight stepped forward, moonlight catching in his red hair. He looked like someone moving relentlessly toward a future that kept growing larger, brighter, farther away.

Hinata opened her mouth.

She could feel the words pressed against her chest, begging to be spoken.

But they wouldn't come.

The distance between them felt enormous, like a canyon she didn't know how to cross. Naruto's life was changing so fast. His power, his world and his burdens. Sometimes, she wondered if she truly knew him anymore, or if she was just watching him from behind, always a step too slow.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

"…Goodnight," she whispered.

She stood there long after he left, hands clenched in her sleeves, heart aching with things she wasn't brave enough to say.

Hinata looked up at the sky and made a silent promise to herself.

One day, she would be strong enough to stand beside him without... fear.

---

In front of Naruto's apartment building, a rough semicircle of stone barricades had been erected. It wasn't elegant, but it was effective enough to keep people from rushing the entrance. A handful of genin stood watch behind it, clearly out of their depth, while a tired-looking chūnin paced back and forth, barking orders and trying to maintain some semblance of order.

It wasn't working.

"Is it really him?"

"I heard he's back. The Fourth Hokage's son, living right here."

"Does he look like Lord Minato? He has to, right?"

"I just want to say I saw him once. That's all."

"Imagine growing up as the Fourth's kid… must be incredible."

"Come on, let him show himself! We waited all day!"

"I brought my kids. They should see the Yellow Flash's legacy."

"Legacy, yeah… that's what matters. Not like we'll ever talk to him."

"Do you think he's as strong as his father already?"

"Doesn't matter. Just knowing he exists is enough."

"Minato's son… like he's some kind of living monument."

"Stars don't belong to themselves," another voice muttered, half-joking, half-serious. "They belong to the crowd."

And mixed in between the noise, quieter voices lingered.

"I hope he's doing okay."

"I wonder if he even wants this."

But those were drowned out quickly, buried beneath curiosity, spectacle, and the hunger to witness a name rather than a person. The voices overlapped into a noisy, restless mass. Civilians pressed forward, some craning their necks, others standing on crates or railings. A few off-duty shinobi watched with thinly veiled curiosity, pretending they weren't interested while very obviously being interested.

The chūnin sighed. "Back up! I said back up! This isn't a festival!"

A genin leaned toward another, whispering loudly, "Do you think he'll come out?"

"No way. If I were him, I'd just disappear," the other replied.

Naruto watched the whole scene from a nearby rooftop, crouched beside the edge with Oscar curled around his neck. The night air was quiet up here compared to the chaos below.

"…Yeah," Naruto muttered. "Disappear sounds about right."

He rested his chin on his palm, red hair catching the moonlight as he stared down at the crowd. His expression wasn't angry. It wasn't happy either. It was something muddled in between.

"So this is what it's like," he murmured. "Not 'that demon brat' anymore. Just… the Fourth's kid."

Oscar yawned, a low chirp slipping out as he stretched one limb.

"Don't get me wrong," Naruto continued quietly, more to himself than to Oscar. "It's kinda nice not being hated. But this?" He gestured vaguely at the crowd. "This feels… loud and performative."

He watched a civilian woman clutch a letter to her chest like it was something precious. A man argued with a genin, insisting he needed to meet with the 4th's son. Someone else shouted that they wanted Naruto to hear their story, their thanks, and their apology.

"I don't think I wanna deal or be seen by these people tonight."

Oscar responded by falling asleep.

Naruto snorted softly. "Yeah. Same."

He lifted his sorcerer's catalyst as pale sparkles of light flared briefly around him and Oscar before fading entirely. Their forms blurred, bent, and vanished from sight.

Invisible, Naruto rose to his feet and hopped lightly from the rooftop. He landed soundlessly near his apartment, slipping past the barricades with ease. The genin guarding the area shivered slightly as a breeze passed them, one of them glancing around nervously.

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Naruto reached his front door and paused.

There were a lot of letters.

Stacks of envelopes, some neat and some hastily scribbled. Small wrapped boxes. A basket of fruit. A crudely carved wooden charm. A bouquet of flowers that had definitely seen better days.

Naruto stared at the pile.

"…Hn."

He unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him. The apartment was dark and still, the familiar emptiness greeting him like an old friend. Even with the door shut, the muffled noise from outside bled through the walls. Oscar stirred slightly as Naruto placed him on a pillow from the couch. He leaned his back against the armrest and slid down to sit for a moment.

"All my life," Naruto murmured, eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling above him, "I just wanted people to look at me and not see something else first. Just… Naruto. A kid from the village. Someone who's allowed to exist without having to prove it every single day."

He let out a slow breath. "But it looks like that was never really the deal, huh? First I was the demon brat. Now I'm the Fourth Hokage's son. Different labels yet the same cage."

Oscar nudged the back of hyis head with a gentle little boop.

Naruto smiled faintly and scratched the lizard's head. "Hey. It's fine." The words were soft, but steady. "Let 'em see whatever they want. A monster. A legend. A legacy. It doesn't really matter. Because the people who actually know me? They don't need a title. To them, I'm just Naruto. And that's enough."

He stood and brought his hands together, forming a seal. Shadow clones popped into existence around the room, stretching, yawning, and taking in the mess. "You guys grab everything and dump it into the inventory. We're crashing somewhere quiet tonight. And no snooping."

"Yes, boss."

Another tilted his head. "You know we're literally you, right?"

"Still. No snooping."

The clones got to work, furniture and belongings vanishing in faint shimmers as they were stored away. Naruto himself headed for the bedroom, intent on grabbing another pillow. Oscar liked being sandwiched between them, and it helped block out noise.

He lifted the pillow and froze.

A red envelope laid on his bed.

Naruto's stomach sank.

A letter from Shimura Danzō.

---

It was close to eleven at night when Sasuke finished brushing his teeth.

His house was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed in on your ears if you weren't used to it. Sasuke rinsed his mouth, set the cup down, and turned toward the hallway.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The front door rattled.

"Sasuke!"

He froze for half a second, then scowled. He knew that annoying voice.

Sasuke walked to the door and yanked it open. Naruto stood there, eyes a little dull with exhaustion, holding two pillows stacked together like a sandwich. Oscar was wedged between them, tail flicking lazily.

"Yo."

"…Why are you at my house?"

Naruto shifted his weight. "So, funny story. There's like… a lot of people in front of my apartment."

"Define 'a lot.'"

"Enough that I decided not to open the door," Naruto said. "They're yelling stuff about the Fourth Hokage and asking to see his son and..." he waved a hand vaguely, "...ya know. That."

Sasuke's expression tightened. "So they're not there for you."

Naruto snorted. "Oh no. Definitely not. They want the idea of me. Not the actual me." He bounced the pillows slightly as Oscar let out a tiny chirp. "So, I figured I'd crash somewhere no one goes. And this place is basically abandoned."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "That's your reasoning?"

"Also you're my friend," Naruto added quickly.

There was a beat of silence.

"What about Sakura?"

"She lives in the middle of the civilian district," Naruto replied. "Which is where half the crowd probably came from."

"And Kakashi."

"Not home. Plus… the Uchiha compound is far away from the rest of Konoha," Naruto said, then added a joke, "It's almost like no one wanted you guys too close to the village or something."

Sasuke glanced past Naruto at the empty compound, frowning slightly. He'd never really thought about why one of Konoha's founding clans had been placed so far from the village proper.

"But it works for tonight. So, can I stay at your place?"

"There are empty houses everywhere in the compound."

"No water. No electricity. And what if they're haunted?"

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "Ghosts don't exist."

"Yes they do," Naruto said immediately. "I've fought them in lordran."

"…Of course you have."

Naruto nodded like that settled it.

Sasuke rubbed his temple, then stepped aside.

"Dude, you're the best."

Naruto slipped off his sandals at the entrance without being told, lining them up neatly before stepping inside. He glanced around as they walked, taking in the long wooden hallways, the polished floors that creaked softly underfoot, and the paper sliding doors lining the walls. There was very little furniture, just low tables, folded cushions, and shelves that had clearly been cleaned but rarely used.

"Your place is huge," Naruto said.

"It used to be full," Sasuke replied.

Naruto didn't respond right away.

They passed a room that looked like it had been hit head-on by a fireball.

"That was Itachi's room," Sasuke said before Naruto could ask. He didn't stop walking. "I did it. After I finally accepted that the Uchiha massacre wasn't some nightmare I'd wake up from."

"…I'm sorry," Naruto said, then paused, choosing his words carefully. "But why stay here? Wouldn't it be easier to live somewhere else?"

"The Yamanaka medic and the third hokage said the same thing that leaving would help."

Sasuke looked back at the ruined room, jaw tight.

"But if I leave, then what? I forget it happened? I wake up here every day because I don't want to forget. This place reminds me why I train. Why I get stronger. If I ever stop remembering, then… it really would all be meaningless."

Naruto understood that feeling more than he wanted to admit.

As they moved on, Naruto's gaze caught on a framed photo resting on a shelf. Sasuke, younger, standing stiffly between his parents. One side of the picture, where itachi would be, was torn clean away.

"So, you think my mom and yours ever knew each other?"

"Maybe."

"Kinda makes you wonder how our lives would've turned out if… you know. If none of the bad stuff happened."

Sasuke broke the silence first. "You'd probably still be an idiot," he said flatly.

"Wow. Thanks. And you'd still be a jerk."

"Correct."

That earned a small smile from Naruto anyway.

Sasuke slid open a door and flicked on the light to an empty clean room. "You can sleep here."

Naruto snapped his fingers and, with a soft shimmer, a bed materialized out of thin air and settled neatly into place.

"…You know, normal people carry futons."

Naruto gently placed the sleeping Oscar on the bed. "Yeah, but normal people don't have an inventory."

"Show-off."

"Jealous."

Sasuke turned to leave. "Good night."

"Night, teme."

Sasuke closed the door then opened it again.

"…If things were different," he said, not quite looking at Naruto, "we probably would've known each other back then. Our parents ran in the same circles. You'd probably be blonde gremlin. I'd still hate crowds. But… maybe we would've rivals."

Naruto blinked, surprised, then smiled. "Yeah. I think that would've been cool."

"Don't read into it."

"I won't."

A beat.

"Also," Sasuke added, "go wash up. I know you don't shower before bed. You smell like sweat and… something else."

Naruto gasped. "Excuse you. This is the smell of the great Naruto Uzumaki."

"You smell like shit."

A pillow flew.

Sasuke caught it with one hand, unimpressed. "Good night, idiot." He shut the door for real this time.

"I don't stink," Naruto muttered, rolling onto his side and pulling Oscar closer. The little creature chirped sleepily and settled in.

For a brief moment, his thoughts brushed against the red letter tucked away in his inventory.

Tomorrow's problem except Danzo had made sure it wouldn't stay that simple. Along with the letter, there had been two attachments.

The first was a photograph.

Kushina Uzumaki stood dressed in a traditional white wedding kimono. Her long red hair was pulled back neatly, a pale flower tucked near her temple. She wore a smile that wasn't quite polished, soft and slightly crooked, as if she were holding back a laugh she didn't trust herself to let out.

There was a brightness in her eyes that made the expression feel earned rather than posed. The kind of look that said she was still a little stunned it was real, still grounding herself in the moment.

Naruto had his mother's wedding photo but not his father's.

He remembered that the previous letter had promised more about his mother, but this didn't feel like that. It felt like a cruel joke dressed up as sentiment, or worse, bait carefully chosen to make him take the hook.

On the back of the photo, etched carefully into the paper, was a storage seal.

He activated it.

A small puff of smoke curled into the air, revealing a tightly rolled jutsu scroll.

Naruto stared at it for a long moment.

Clearly, whatever Danzo wanted would make more sense if he actually read the letter. But the day had already wrung him dry.

Not tonight.

He slid the scroll back into storage, hesitating only a second longer. A faint sense of unease tugged at him, the feeling that he had forgot something important.

Then he shrugged it off.

If it mattered that much, it would still be there tomorrow.

Naruto turned onto his side, pulling Oscar closer. The little crystal lizard shifted and let out a series of soft, rhythmic chirps, oddly soothing in the quiet room. And with that gentle sound as white noise, Naruto Uzumaki finally let himself fall asleep.

---

Meanwhile, Jiraiya slipped into Naruto's apartment through the window with the practiced ease of a man who had broken into far too many places in his life. He landed silently, straightened, and flicked on the light.

Silence.

The apartment was empty.

Every piece of furniture was gone. Naruto's garden was gone. The freaking toilet was missing. Jiraya stepped into the kitchen and the sink was missing. There was a clean, rectangular hole where it used to be, pipes capped off like someone had politely said goodbye before leaving.

Jiraiya stared at it for a long, quiet moment. "…Why would you rip out the sink and take it with you?"

Elsewhere in the village, Naruto sneezed in his sleep, rolled over, and pulled Oscar closer like a pillow. "Someone must be talkin' about me," he mumbled, and went right back to dreaming about being a ramen dragon.

---

Author's Note:

And with that, the chapter is finished. Let's get into everyone's favorite section… the Q&A. Woooh.

---

1. Is the inventory infinite storage?

Honestly, this is a tricky question.

Canonically, the inventory is linked to an item called the Bottomless Box.

Description: A peculiar bottomless wooden box. Its origins are unknown. Some deride it as a symbol of unbridled avarice. Any number of items can be deposited into the box, and items can be managed while resting at a Bonfire.

As the name and description imply, the Bottomless Box can hold an unlimited number of items. Those items can be retrieved from any Bonfire.

Functionally, it works like Stockpile Thomas from Demon's Souls. However, unlike Stockpile Thomas, it doesn't separate every weapon or item type into different NPC menus. Instead, it uses tabs for consumables, upgrade materials, weapons, armor, ammunition, and rings.

That said, there are limitations.

The Bottomless Box cannot store souls, and it can only be accessed while resting at a Bonfire. This means its primary purpose is inventory management rather than being an all-purpose pocket dimension you can abuse mid-combat.

So whether you interpret the inventory as a literal infinite pocket dimension or a Bonfire-linked storage system is kind of up to you.

One thing I forgot to clarify earlier: most Dark Souls characters like Andre, Siegmeyer, and others are implied to use the Bottomless Box as their form of inventory management. Naruto is different because he accesses the same functionality through the system itself.

---

2. Why did Danzō give Naruto a jutsu scroll?

This plot point took place before the Wave arc, so if you don't remember it, here's a quick refresher.

Danzō made Naruto a deal. If Naruto kept their interactions a secret, Danzō would give him a photograph of his mother. On top of that, I planned for Danzō to give Naruto a Wind Style ninjutsu as a way to test his character.

Now for a question for you guys.

What new Wind Style jutsu would you like to see DS1 Naruto use?

So far, he has:

Wind Style: Vacuum Blade

Wind Style: Wind Bullets

Wind Style: Wind Cloak / Fist of the Peregrine (Shisui's Wind Cloak that reduces air resistance)

That's it for now. If you have any canon Wind Style jutsu you'd like to see adapted, or even fan-made ideas, feel free to drop them below. I might add one in the future. Who knows?

---

That's It… For Now.

And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on Feb 7th! You can read ahead to Chapter 110 on Patreon.

As always, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read, comment, and follow along with this story. Your feedback means more than you know, and it helps push me to make each chapter bigger, sharper, and more true to the worlds of Naruto and Dark Souls.

Until next time, Praise the Sun.

—Adam

 

[theaceoffire]

Because it is my sink and it belongs to me.