Naruto: The Chosen Undead-Chapter no.158 Dark Souls

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Chapter 158 Where the Puzzle Fits

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By nightfall, the stars hung like pinpricks in a sea of black velvet, and Naruto, after a quiet word to Hinata, vanished into the forest with Oscar in tow. The flicker of his space-time technique left a whisper in the air then silence.

Moments later, Kakashi stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, Pakkun trotting at his heels.

"I'm certain now," Kakashi said, his tone unusually light. "Naruto doesn't know about the summoning seal on that kunai."

Pakkun sniffed the ground, then looked up. "So? What now?"

"I'm going to take it back before he figures it out," Kakashi said casually, like he was talking about slipping a scroll off a desk.

The little pug raised a skeptical brow. "Or maybe… you could own up to it and apologize."

Kakashi paused. His single visible eye slid toward the dog. "Why would I do that?"

Pakkun sighed, the kind of tired, resigned sigh that only an old partner could muster. "Because you're not fooling anyone. Not me. Not yourself."

Kakashi said nothing, but his silence was telling. Pakkun continued, "Team 7… they mean more to you than you let on. Especially Naruto. You're proud of him... prouder than you've ever let yourself be of anyone. But you're afraid, aren't you? That if you show weakness, if you admit to this mistake, you'll lose what you have with him."

Still nothing from Kakashi. The breeze rustled the leaves overhead.

"You've spent so long trying to see beneath the surface," Pakkun added gently. "You've forgotten what it's like to just… face something head-on."

Kakashi's hands slipped from his pockets, resting by his sides. "Maybe. Or maybe I just know how easily things fall apart."

"So what's your plan?" Pakkun asked. He already knew the answer, but part of him wanted to believe his master wouldn't go through with it.

"I'll observe him for a few days. Look for signs. If nothing changes, I'll arrange a sparring session. Team 7 vs me. I'll push him... make him use every kunai he has. Eventually, he'll reach for the summoning one out of instinct. I'll retrieve it before he realizes."

Pakkun shook his head slowly. "You do realize this is a gamble. If it fails..."

"If I apologize, that's a gamble too," Kakashi interrupted, a flicker of tension slipping into his voice. "Naruto may be mature, but he's still a teenager. Emotional. Volatile. What if I lose his trust completely? What if he decides I'm not worth listening to anymore?"

Pakkun looked up at him with soft eyes. "And what if you lose his trust by lying to his face during a sparring match and manipulating him to cover your tracks?"

Kakashi looked away. "I won't fail," he said, quieter now. Firmer. "I can't."

The dog didn't answer. He simply padded silently beside Kakashi as they disappeared into the forest's shadowed embrace. But in his heart, Pakkun knew: Kakashi was gambling recklessly, maybe even desperately. Whether he won or lost, this choice would ripple outward, changing more than just one bond. It could shape the boy, the team… maybe the world. And when the consequences came, Kakashi would have no one to blame but himself.

Pakkun just hoped he wouldn't break under it. The man already carried too much guilt. Would he even know how to accept forgiveness… if it came?

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Naruto opened his eyes to the warm, flickering light of the bonfire, the embers dancing like fireflies against the dim stone walls of the chamber. A familiar scent of coal, ash, and iron filled the air, and a grin broke across his face. Without wasting a moment, he stood and bounded down the stairwell, his footsteps echoing eagerly through the forge.

At the base of the hall, Andre stood like a monument of iron himself, towering over a massive log embedded into the stone, reinforced with layers of metal bands and plates.

"Oh, you're finally here," Andre said with a glint in his eye.

Naruto's eyes locked onto the log and the tools nearby. "Is that it? Is it ready?"

"Of course," Andre rumbled. "Finally got it set up for the advanced stuff. Been waiting for you to catch up."

Naruto practically bounced in place, the excitement buzzing through his limbs like lightning. This was the moment he'd been working toward since the old man first mentioned the hidden depths of Astoran boxing.

Andre had once told him there were two paths in the art: one designed for dueling men and another, a far more savage and intricate style, forged in blood to fight monsters. But the second would only be revealed if Naruto proved he'd mastered the first.

"I can't wait," Naruto said, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Andre stepped aside with a grunt and motioned to the anvil, where two caesti sat gleaming in the firelight. They looked more like instruments of war than training gear.

The first was specially crafted for Naruto's prosthetic. Its form curved slightly to hug the contours of the metal limb, with interlocking clamps and jointed grooves that allowed full articulation without sacrificing stability. The palm area was padded with a thick lining of dark leather, while the knuckles were capped in overlapping plates of reinforced steel.

The second caestus, built for his organic arm, was no less impressive. Made from a hardened leather base wrapped in steel studs, it bore the classic design of traditional Astoran pugilism—heavy, direct, and unrelenting. Thick bands of studded hide were layered across the back of the hand and wrist, with the knuckles sheathed in a gleaming alloy that shimmered faintly in the forge's glow. It was designed not just to protect the user's hand, but to turn each punch into a miniature battering ram.

Naruto gently placed Oscar down beside the staircase. The little crystal lizard gave an eager chirp, tail swaying in rhythm like a tiny cheerleader.

Andre cracked his neck with a satisfying pop, each vertebra sounding like the grind of old wood. He rolled his massive shoulders like a war machine winding up.

"Alright, brat. Show me what you've learned."

Naruto exhaled. "Alright, old man. Let's dance."

Andre moved first. No wind-up, no warning... just a straight jab, fast and mean. Naruto ducked under it and slipped to the left, delivering a quick combo of a left hook and a right jab to the ribs.

Clang.

Andre barely flinched. "Cute."

His counter came in the form of a body shot with the weight of a mountain. Naruto managed to cross-block with both arms, but the shock rattled through his core, sending him sliding back a foot across the stone.

"Good poise," Andre nodded. "Again."

Naruto darted in, this time circling to Andre's right. He peppered the blacksmith with light jabs, testing the defense. His left fist cracked against Andre's guard, while his right prosthetic aimed for an uppercut.

Andre dropped his elbow to block, then turned it into a reverse backhand. Naruto barely raised his forearm in time, the blow glancing off with a metallic ring that sent sparks skittering.

They broke apart for a breath.

"Keep your feet grounded," Andre barked, shifting forward with sudden speed for a man his size. "You box like a monk, not a soldier!"

"I'm not a soldier," Naruto shot back, throwing a quick right feint and pivoting into a left cross that caught Andre across the cheek.

Andre grunted, surprised but pleased.

"That's more like it."

He launched a flurry of left, right, right, body, uppercut. Naruto blocked the first three, took the fourth to the ribs, and barely dodged the uppercut by sliding beneath it, dropping low with a sweeping leg to break Andre's balance.

But Andre didn't fall.

Instead, he stomped, cracking the stone, and forced Naruto back with sheer presence.

They reset.

Breathing heavy now, Naruto adjusted his stance, lowering his center of gravity. "You're not holding back anymore."

"Damn right," Andre said, grinning through a split lip. "You wanted to learn the advanced style. Then stop sparring like a street punk and start boxing like a knight."

Naruto gritted his teeth, chakra flaring through his legs as he blitzed forward.

Their fists collided in mid-air, gauntlet to gauntlet, the clang echoing through the hall like a bell tolling for war.

After a few minutes of sparring, it became clear to Andre that Naruto was ready. The blow came without warning, a blur of movement, a sonic whisper and Naruto barely managed to catch the fist with an upward block. But the moment their fists connected, it was as if a gong had gone off inside his bones. A shockwave rippled through his entire body, vibrating his ribs. His knees buckled slightly as he slid back from the sheer force of the impact.

His ears rang. His joints screamed.

But he didn't fall.

The Wolf Ring he wore glowed faintly, stabilizing him, holding his stance just enough to resist collapsing.

"What the hell was that, old man?!" Naruto coughed, shaking out his arm as if trying to dispel the tremor.

Andre flexed his knuckles, not a hint of strain on his face. "That, brat, was Astoran Advanced Boxing or as it's more commonly known: the Poise Breaker."

"Poise...?" Naruto repeated, blinking.

Andre nodded. "Everything has poise... armor, muscle, willpower, even a man's pride. Anything that helps you take a hit and keep moving. That's what poise is. And every bit of it can be broken."

He walked over to the reinforced log and patted its plated surface.

"Knights of old figured out that if you can't overpower your enemy, you break them where it counts, from the inside. You hit hard and fast enough to bypass their defenses, interrupt their stance, and mess with their nervous system. That momentary collapse? That's all the time you need."

Then, without a word, he pulled back and punched the log. The sound echoed like a cannon. A heartbeat later, a second, deeper sound followed as another dent forming in the reinforced metal.

Naruto's eyes widened. "You moved your fist so fast it created a micro vacuum... and when it collapsed, it caused a second shockwave. That's what messed up my nerves, right? It hits twice... once on contact, and once from the inside via the shockwave."

Andre froze mid-stretch, blinking. "When the hell did you get that smart?"

"I've always been smart!"

"Sure, sure. You'll be back to your usual dumbass self after I knock that noggin around," Andre muttered, cracking his knuckles again.

Naruto turned to Oscar and stage-whispered, "I think the old man's gone senile."

Oscar gave an enthusiastic chirp in agreement.

"Alright, brat," Andre said, fists raised. "Time to see if you're ready to break monsters."

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Naruto descended into the dim depths of New Londo, his body still aching from the brutal training session with Andre. He limped slightly as he reached the edge of Rickert's cage. The blacksmith looked up from the delicate device he was tuning.

"You look like you got run over by a cart full of anvils."

Naruto let out a breath and leaned against the bars. "Try going twelve rounds with Andre and see how you look after."

He rubbed his jaw, still tender from the older smith's latest lesson. "Pretty sure he cracked my skull. Twice."

"No thanks," Rickert said dryly. "I prefer my head unshattered. So… how's the greatbow treating you?"

"It's awesome," Naruto said with a grin. "Feels like launching thunderbolts. Oh... also, quick question. Why didn't you ever teach me about the Hawkeyes technique?"

Rickert paused, brows furrowing. "Because there are no hawks in Lordran."

"What?"

The Vinheim blacksmith turned fully toward him now, expression unreadable. "Where'd you even hear about Hawkeyes?"

"From Seigmeyer," Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. "He told me about it and even gave me the tonic recipe. Said it's from one of Gwyn's knights, Hawkeye Gough."

Rickert sighed through his nose and held out a hand. "Let me see the recipe."

Naruto fished into his inventory and handed over the parchment. Rickert studied it for a moment, then nodded. "Just as I thought."

"Alright, what's going on? And give it to me straight, none of that cryptic Vinheim nonsense."

"You want to know how the tonic works?"

"Obviously."

Rickert tapped the list of ingredients. "The tonic doesn't just enhance your vision through magic. It's a transmutation catalyst. One of these ingredients, specifically the essence powder, was originally derived from a hawk soul."

Naruto tilted his head. "So… you absorb a hawk soul… into your eyes?"

"Exactly," Rickert said, his voice calm but firm. "You alter the soul through alchemical infusion. And since the soul is the blueprint of the body: change the soul, change the flesh. That's how your eyes become biologically hawk-like. But..."

Naruto scanned the list again, realization dawning. "There's no hawk soul in this version of the tonic."

"Right," Rickert said. "Because we don't have hawks anymore. Most wildlife either died out, was hunted to extinction, or fled when the curse of undeath corrupted Lordran. No hawks. No true source. That's why I never bothered teaching you about it."

"So… why did Seigmeyer even give me this tonic if it doesn't have a hawk soul?" Naruto asked, frowning as he turned the parchment over in his hand.

Rickert leaned back slightly, arms crossed. "Because even without the hawk soul, the tonic still has value. It conditions your eyes... enhances visual acuity beyond what normal humans can reach. Not quite hawk-tier, but still impressive for a sharpshooter."

Naruto smiled at that but then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "My world has hawks. Tons of them. So if I bring back a hawk soul… I could complete the tonic. Actually develop Hawkeyes."

Rickert gave a quiet hum, then nodded. "That's a smart move. Just be careful... absorb a hawk soul no more than once a week. You're reshaping the soul gently, not trying to dominate it in one go. It'll probably take about a year to fully awaken Hawkeyes."

"A year?" Naruto muttered, not exactly thrilled by the long timeline but still, it beat tempting fate by breaking Lordran's rules. He'd learned the hard way that shortcuts came with teeth. At least Hawkeyes had a known, tested method. That was rare enough to be worth respecting.

His gaze drifted upward, curiosity flickering behind his eyes. "So if absorbing a hawk's soul sharpens my vision… what if I found something rarer? Like the soul of a lightning drake. Could I grow wings? Breathe lightning?"

Rickert's face hardened. "Don't."

"That bad?"

"You've already dabbled with magic, and your right arm is cursed. You, of all people, should understand that souls are not toys. You tamper with them too much, you lose yourself."

Naruto quieted. "…Then why is the hawk soul safe?"

"It's not," Rickert said flatly. "Absorbing any soul is a risk. When you take in the soul of a hawk, you're not just gaining its power... you're inviting its instincts, its nature, into your own. You'll have to fight it, deep within your soul, to make it yours. Win, and you take the first step toward developing Hawkeyes. But if you lose… the hawk's essence overwhelms your identity. You'll still look human, but inside, you'll be nothing more than a beast in a man's skin."

Naruto winced. "So either I get awesome eyes… or I turn into a freak of nature."

"Precisely," Rickert said.

Naruto sighed, crossing his arms. "Okay, then if something that small can do that, absorbing a drake soul would basically be suicide."

Rickert gave a single nod. "A violent, agonizing one."

"…Fair."

A silence passed between them before Naruto asked, "Then why am I able to absorb all these hollow souls without issues?"

"You're not," Rickert replied. "The Darksign on your soul is. It acts like a siphon, pulling raw energy into itself and converting it into stats. But that's different from direct absorption. You're not consuming the soul's identity... you're just taking its fuel."

Naruto's eyes widened as realization dawned.

"…Oh," he muttered, slowly lowering himself beside Oscar, who chirped and curled into his lap. Naruto chuckled, shaking his head. "That actually makes a lot of sense now. Like… a lot."

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Just shocked that all the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together," Naruto said, still smiling. "This world's insane, but it's got rules. Just… twisted ones."

He took a deep breath and looked up. "So, speaking of twisted… did you finish working on that magic gun I asked you?"

"You're speaking to the best blacksmith in Vinheim, kid. Of course I did."

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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 77, 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!