The heat of the bonfire washed over him, carrying the smell of smoke and charred bone. The crackle of flames mixed with the clang of distant hammers, that steady rhythm that always seemed to echo through this place.
For Naruto, it was like stepping back into a home he had not realized he missed until he returned. The familiar warmth of the fire seeped into his skin, pulling away the lingering weight of Konoha's politics and conflicts.
Oscar chirped, his facets catching the bonfire's light in glittering blues and silvers. Naruto gave him a quick scratch on the head before scanning the familiar path ahead. His eyes immediately caught the empty space near Sen's Fortress.
Seigmeyer was missing. The round knight's usual spot, right by the massive gates, was deserted.
Where could Onion-senpai have gone?
Oscar let out another curious chirp, as if echoing the thought. Together they made their way down the narrow stone steps toward the workshop.
Inside, Andre was hunched over his anvil, bare arms slick with sweat, hammer rising and falling in practiced rhythm. Sparks flew in bursts of orange light, briefly painting the old blacksmith's face in fire.
Andre glanced up when Naruto stepped inside. His sharp eyes immediately caught the boy's long crimson hair. The smith gave the faintest pause… then went right back to hammering as though nothing had changed.
"Really? That's your reaction?"
Andre's hammer rang once more before he set it aside with a grunt. "Hah. You again. Always stumbling back with something strange. Well, out with it then. But mind, I'll be finishing this shield first, then I'll drink, and then I'll listen. Easier to pretend I understand it that way."
"Don't worry. It's nothing too complicated this time."
Andre hummed in disbelief, setting the finished shield onto a rack. "You've been gone a while. Something happened, eh?"
"A lot happened," Naruto admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry for not swinging by sooner."
Andre waved it off, washing his hands in the bucket of water outside the workshop. Steam hissed. "Bah. Long as you're breathing, that's enough. Weapons can be reforged, but you? Don't get yourself killed out there."
Footsteps echoed from the doorway leading to the Darkroot Garden. Andre glanced toward the sound, and his lips curved in the faintest smirk. "Well, speak of the devils. Knight of Catarina. Princess. Your knucklehead's back."
"Really?" Dusk's soft voice lit with joy as she rushed into the workshop.
The boy was in the middle of trying and failing to sneak a mead bottle back onto Andre's shelf. He froze like a deer caught in headlights.
"I was just… testing my height," Naruto blurted.
Oscar chirped to confirm, like the little partner in crime.
Dusk, however, wasn't even looking at the bottle. Her gaze was caught by the sight of Naruto's long, vivid red hair. She stepped closer, her hands clasped lightly in front of her, wonder shining in her eyes. "Your hair… it has changed."
"Cool, right?"
"May I?"
The Uzumaki leaned forward without hesitation, letting her fingers run through the crimson locks. The strands glimmered faintly in the workshop light, catching both red and gold hues.
"It is a beautiful shade," Dusk whispered, awe in her voice. "How did you manage to dye it so perfectly?"
Behind her, Seigmeyer let out a long, thoughtful hum. "Mmm… Hrmmmmm… Oh-hoh! If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say… yes, a mixture, perhaps… walnuts, henna, and saffron. Yes, saffron, from the distant kingdom of Jugo! Quite the tricky process, I imagine. Hah hah hah hah!"
Andre barked a short laugh. "And how in the hell would you get saffron from Jugo?"
Naruto laughed. "I didn't dye it. It's the Uzumaki clan's legacy. I awakened it not long ago. This is what my real hair was always supposed to look like."
Dusk's eyes widened further, curiosity mingling in her expression. Seigmeyer gave a satisfied "Mmm! Oh-hoh!" and nodded enthusiastically, as though Naruto's explanation had been exactly what he expected.
Andre just shook his head. He grabbed the mead bottle from the shelf and shoved it towards the boy. "Hah. Didn't catch a word of that. But if it makes you fight harder, that's good enough for me. Take this. Gift of congratulations."
Naruto and Oscar both sweatdropped in unison. It was the same mead bottle he had tried to sneakly drink earlier.
"This is the same one I opened already, isn't it?"
"Aye. Now it's yours proper. A gift… and a lesson. Don't touch a blacksmith's shelf without asking. Hah hah hah hah!"
"Not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Thanks, old man."
"Congratulations, my friend!" Seigmeyer boomed, slapping Naruto on the back with a gauntleted hand that nearly knocked him forward into Andre's workbench. "A knight must always remember their roots, you see. Now tell me, have you considered engraving the crest of the Uzumaki upon your armour? A proper knight wears his heritage with pride! Hah hah hah hah!"
"I… I didn't even think of that!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "That's a great idea, Onion-senpai. Thanks!"
"Mm! Splendid!"
Andre snorted under his breath but already had his worn notebook in hand, charcoal scraping quickly as he sketched out a rough spiral design. His tone was steady, as if discussing the forging of a sword rather than the crest of a clan. "Simple enough. A mark like this has weight. Just be certain where you want it, boy. Once it is set, it's not coming off without tearing the whole plate apart."
"Put it on the back," Naruto said without hesitation. "That's where most of the Konoha jackets carry their clan symbols. I want it there too, so everyone can see it."
Andre's eyes flicked up, gauging him, then dropped back to the sketch. "Hmph. Bold. But it suits you. Everyone who sees your back will know the name Uzumaki still walks this world. Fine choice."
"Wonderful! Yes, quite wonderful! Mmm… it will be a sight to behold. Now then, I plan to sit and wait at Sen's Fortress a while longer."
"Seriously, Senpai? I thought you finally stopped with that. Weren't you going on an adventure?"
"No, no, my young friend. Not just yet. The princess has asked me to escort her to the mushroom family in the Darkroot Garden. But having done that I must not shirk on my adventures! So, as ever, I wait. And while I wait… I think. And while I think… well, perhaps the gate will open of its own accord! Hah hah hah hah!" With a cheerful wave, the round knight lumbered up the stairs.
Naruto watched him leave and sighed heavily. Man… I really need to find a way to open Sen's Fortress for him. But how? If I just attack it, the magic lashes back. Maybe if I used enough clones to push the gate all at once… but am I really strong enough for that?
Andre's gravelly voice cut through Naruto's thoughts. "Quit daydreaming. Here. Look at the sketch." He shoved the notebook into Naruto's hands. The spiral crest was already refined into clean lines, bold but elegant.
Naruto leaned over it with furrowed brows. "Looks good, but… make the spiral sharper here. And maybe add a notch at the edge, so it looks more like the swirl rather than just a circle."
Andre adjusted the drawing with a few quick strokes. "Right then. Crest on the back. Anything else?"
"Actually, yeah. I've got this new jutsu that lets me use my hair as a weapon. Problem is, with a full set of armour, the helmet keeps it locked up unless I take it off. And that's not really an option mid-battle."
"So you want modification to the helm."
"Oh! Oh, I have an idea!" Dusk's voice chimed suddenly, bright with excitement. She was seated nearby with Oscar nestled in her lap. "Why not a knight's helm with a… ponytail hole? I've seen illustrations in the old books, you know. Knights with grand plumes streaming behind them. You could do the same, but with your own hair!"
Naruto and Andre both turned slowly to stare at her.
Her cheeks turned pink under their gaze. "I… I mean… it was just a thought." She ducked behind Oscar, clutching the crystal lizard like a shield.
"What you're talking about is a panache. Decorative. Feathers, not hair. And for ceremony, not battle. Hah. Pretty, maybe. But no soldier worth his steel would put his head at risk for decoration."
"Yeah, but she's got a point though. It'd look awesome. Dattebayo."
Andre grumbled but began sketching again, lines carving across the paper with purpose. "Fine. We make it practical. A large slit at the back of the helm, with a plate and latch. Big enough for your hair to flow out when you need it, sealed when you don't."
"I don't know, Old Man Andre," Naruto said. "The Lion's Mane jutsu generates more hair than usual. If there's a plate at the back, even one with a latch, it's going to obstruct the flow. I need the hair to move freely, like a weapon."
Andre grunted and scratched his beard. "Then show me the damn jutsu."
Without another word, Naruto stepped into the open part of the workshop. He drew in a breath, settled into the hand signs, and focused his chakra. His red locks writhed, surged, and thickened. In seconds, they snapped outward, extending like living ropes. At the apex, they twisted into the shape of a lion's roaring head, flickering with a faint, chakra-fed sheen.
"Hmph. You're right. Can't box that in. We'll need something more flexible than a latch. Maybe a segmented opening."
Thus began their work for hours.
Naruto offered notes from a shinobi's perspective. Andre provided the hands of a craftsman, knowing where to cut, where to reinforce, and how to shape steel that would not snap under stress.
Meanwhile, Dusk sat near the embers, threading red and white silk through the armor's overgarment. Her needle danced with precise flicks, stitching the Uzumaki spiral crest with care and grace.
And hours later, the boy enjoyed the fruits of their labour.
Naruto turned slowly before the mirror. The spiral red crest gleamed like a brand of pride on his back.
Naruto grinned. His red mane fell down his back from the opening in his helm like a cape. "I love it," he said.
Oscar chirped in agreement.
"I'm going to test it out in the Darkroot Garden," Naruto added, already adjusting the new helm.
Andre stifled a yawn and waved him off. "Go on, then. Just don't come back in pieces. I'm taking a nap."
Naruto turned toward Dusk, who was playing absentmindedly with Oscar as he skittered around her. "Dusk, want to come with me?"
"I suppose I have no pressing obligations."
She rose to her feet and with a fluid motion cast the spell Hidden Body. Her figure shimmered, then vanished completely, save for the faintest shimmer of displacement in the air.
"I would rather not be targeted by the ents," she explained from the emptiness.
Naruto grinned and summoned a shadow clone. It darted ahead into the garden, carefully digging up a glowing flower with a kunai, potting it, then sealing the container into a scroll with ease.
Naruto raised a hand without turning. "Wait."
From the shadows ahead, a vine lashed out, thick and fast.
Naruto spun, raising his shield in one hand while his other formed a rapid sign. His hair surged forward, splitting into tendrils that snapped around the vine midair. The chakra-infused mane twisted, forming a leonine mouth that tore through the ent's limb in a burst of splinters and sap. A pale white soul burst from the wreckage and vanished into his chest.
"Let's head toward the basin. We can talk there."
The trio jumped from the cliffside of the garden to the basin.
"What did you want to talk about? Is something wrong?" Dusk asked quietly. Her tone had shifted, soft but uncertain.
"I guess. A lot happened back in Konoha. I needed to talk to someone. Someone who'd understand."
"You did not speak to Sir Siegmeyer or Master Andre?"
"It's not something I wanted to drop on them. This is about legacy."
"I understand."
"You do?"
"You do not want to carry so many legacies at once," she said, her voice formal now. "In that case, I relieve you of the legacy of Oolacile. As princess, I release you from all duty to it. Please, Sir Naruto, carry only your Uzumaki legacy."
Naruto stared at her, stunned into silence.
He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally managed a weak chuckle. "That's… not what I meant, Dusk."
Dusk blinked. "It isn't?"
"I'm not trying to abandon Oolacile's legacy. Your spells, your culture, the things you've shared with me… they're part of who I've become. I treasure them. I just…"
He paused, reaching into his inventory and drawing out his catalyst. He crouched and gently tapped Oscar on the back. "Hidden Body."
Oscar shimmered and vanished instantly. A tiny yip echoed in the air before the faint sound of claws on stone scurried down to the side of a cliff.
"See, I am not giving up the legacy of Oolacile."
Dusk opened her mouth but no words came out.
"It was precisely the legacy of Oolacile that helped me regain my own. Without it, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror. I'd never be proud of what I've become if I abandoned what you entrusted to me."
A faint noise escaped Dusk, somewhere between a gasp and a nervous laugh. "I see… forgive me. I misunderstood you."
"So… want to know what I really wanted to talk about?"
Dusk bobbed her head quickly, still visibly flustered.
Naruto chuckled to himself and started walking again, letting the moonlight lake stretch out before them.
He told her everything.
About the civilians of Konoha. About the sudden shift from hatred to admiration, shallow and hollow. He spoke about Jiraiya. He talked about his heritage being dangled in front of him like a prize he needed to earn. About how people pretended to be friends just long enough to manipulate him.
He did not dramatize it. He did not cry. He just spoke the plain, raw truth.
And Dusk listened. She did not interrupt. She did not offer platitudes. She walked beside him quietly as they descended into the basin where Oscar, now covered in faint blue dust, finished shooting the last of the crystal golems into powder.
They found a rock ledge overlooking the water and sat together.
Naruto removed his helmet and placed it gently atop Oscar's head. Then he bent forward, resting his forehead against his knees, letting the silence settle.
"Sorry for talking your ear off."
"Sir Naruto, I could hear it in your voice. You are certain of what you want. But you needed to be heard. That is all."
Naruto looked up at her, the barest hint of a smile touching his face. "Of course I'm going to fight tooth and nail for my legacy. Be it my clan's or my parents'. But I know I'll need to be stronger and smarter."
Dusk tilted her head. "Is that why we are here?"
Naruto reached into his inventory and pulled out his pipe. He lit it with a flicker of fire chakra and took a long, slow drag.
"Yeah. The Darkroot Basin is perfect for what I need. A whole valley to myself. A waterfall, flat terrain, crystal beasts, and no one watching every move I make. I can fill this entire basin with shadow clones."
Dusk and Oscar both stared at him in disbelief. Neither spoke.
Then chakra burst from Naruto's body in waves. Blue light shimmered across the water and the grass, and in an instant, the lake and surrounding cliffs were flooded with movement.
Hundreds of Naruto clones appeared like a rising tide. They lined the banks, the high ledges, the shallows of the lake itself. They stretched their limbs and cracked their knuckles, each of them fully aware and ready.
Naruto waited a moment, drawing on the chakra regeneration of the Grass Crest Shield strapped to his back and the weed's smoke still warm in his lungs. He focused again.
Another wave of chakra pulsed outward.
And another until a thousand clones filled the basin.
Naruto took one more pull from his pipe, then shouted across the valley. His voice boomed unnaturally loud, laced with chakra to carry across distance.
"LISTEN UP!"
The sound rattled the trees and sent ripples through the lake. Dusk covered her ears, eyes wide. Oscar let out a startled chime and flattened himself against the stone.
"You're all going to be split into multiple groups!" Naruto bellowed. "Each group will train a different aspect of what we need."
The clones straightened in perfect sync.
"Every group will have a hundred clones. Each will have a group leader. Dusk, pick five random clones. Oscar, you too."
Dusk blinked, still overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all. Never had she imagined a single person could manifest an army like this. She looked across the endless crowd of Narutos and for a moment thought, He is not just a knight. He is an entire battalion encased in one soul.
She hesitated, then pointed toward five clones scattered across the crowd.
Oscar, meanwhile, scurried across the water, tapping five clones with his tail before scrambling back to Naruto's side with a proud chirp.
Naruto nodded, satisfied.
"Alright. Squad leaders, step forward. Everyone else, stand by for assignments."
The clone army stirred like a living thing, already beginning to divide into units.
Dusk turned to Naruto. "You command your own army. Is this how you train every time?"
Naruto grinned as he flicked the last of the ash from his pipe. "Usually I only make twenty clones, maybe two dozen on a good day. Any more than that, and the memory feedback becomes too much. Feels like my brain's trying to digest a library all at once. Hurts like hell."
Dusk, still seated beside him, tilted her head thoughtfully. "Then why summon this many now?"
Naruto exhaled slowly, letting the tension bleed from his shoulders with the effect of his weed kicking in. "Because from this point forward, I need to push myself to the limit. If I want to survive… no, thrive in the months ahead, I can't afford to hold anything back. Playing safe won't cut it anymore."
Dusk glanced once more at the sea of clones below them. "But… if the feedback is so dangerous…"
"I'm not planning to pop all of them at once," Naruto replied. "I'll dispel them in batches, let the memories flow in waves. After each group finishes, I'll make more. Think of this entire valley as a living machine, running on cycles. Train, dispel, absorb, repeat."
Oscar and Dusk's jaw parted ever so slightly as she processed the magnitude of it.
"This… this is madness," she whispered.
"It's training. Now then… time to divide the machine into parts."
Naruto raised his hand and pointed down toward the basin, his voice sharpened by the wind. "You, group on the eastern cliffside. You're focusing on the Blade of Wind jutsu."
The clones began to shift, breaking into groups, forming units. Each received the command with a nod and moved into position like pieces of a greater strategy.
Naruto kept issuing orders.
"You over there. I want all of you to focus on chakra control drills. Leaf balancing. Water walking. Surface tension testing. You're going to bring my fundamentals back to where they were before my Uzumaki chakra started changing everything."
Another batch of clones broke off, already pulling leaves from trees and stepping onto the surface of the lake.
"Three of you," Naruto said, pointing to a group near the rocks, "you're going to work on the Lion's Mane jutsu. Control and manipulation only."
"Understood!" one of the clones barked.
[Item: Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists]
[Description: A secret Hyūga art that shapes chakra into lion-headed shrouds over the hands. The slightest flaw in control causes collapse, making it a feat only possible with the Byakugan. The lions seize and drain an opponent's chakra on contact, their strength equal to the precision of the wielder.
Only those who master control over every breath of chakra may command these beasts without being consumed themselves.]
"Now that's a challenge."
Naruto tossed the scroll toward one of the remaining clones.
"You're going to study that jutsu. Don't worry about copying it perfectly. The goal is to learn how the jutsu works. Then we'll see if I can create something similar that doesn't rely on the Byakugan."
The clone nodded and darted off toward a clear patch of ground, already unrolling the scroll and preparing to work.
Behind Naruto, Oscar let out a questioning chirp and glanced up at Dusk, who was still watching the clone army with wide eyes.
"Sir Naruto," Dusk asked quietly, "what would you have us do?"
"Oh, I was hoping you could help me with the magic side," Naruto said. Then he turned to the shimmering creature at his side. "And Oscar, give me just a second. I'm going to help you make some clones to train with."
Oscar chirped curiously, unsure what his role was supposed to be, but intrigued nonetheless.
Naruto finished issuing his final wave of orders to the thousand clones scattered across the Darkroot Basin. Then he scooped Oscar up and focused. Chakra surged through his body, and with a rapid set of hand seals, he used the Shadow Clone Jutsu once more. This time, forming not only copies of himself, but shimmering duplicates of Oscar as well.
In an instant, half a dozen crystal lizards skittered across the moss-covered rocks beside a squad of Narutos, light scattering from their prismatic hides. Oscar blinked in shock… then let out an excited, sharp chirp and bolted after them, leading his new platoon toward the other side of the basin.
"Alright, buddy," Naruto called after him. "Remember Guren? We're going to work on those advanced crystal jutsu she used in that fight. Hinata copied the chakra flow and hand signs with her Byakugan-Sharingan hybrid. She wrote it all down for me. Now it's time to learn."
Oscar answered with a warbling screech of excitement as he bounded across the rocks, his clones trailing after him in near-perfect sync.
Dusk clasped her hands together and smiled warmly at the sight. "That is so cute," she said, watching the real Oscar jump playfully across the boulders, leading his fake siblings like a proud older brother. "It's rare to see crystal lizards act so… animated."
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, he's come a long way. Maybe I should try to find more crystal lizards. Let him have a proper family."
He paused, glancing at Dusk with a smirk.
"What do you say, Princess? Up for a pet of your own?"
"That would be lovely. I have always admired magical creatures. Perhaps one that doesn't disappear when startled."
Naruto leaned back, catching himself before his imagination spiraled too far.
He was already picturing Oscar lounging across his bed like he owned the place, a dozen other crystal lizards scattered everywhere. One knocking scrolls off the shelf just to watch them fall. Another curled up in his ramen bowl, chirping when disturbed. A third somehow trapped inside his ceiling light fixture, blinking at him like this is fine.
He groaned. "I'd never get any jutsu practice done. They'd be chewing on my kunai and napping in my flak jacket."
He paused.
"...Still worth it."
Oscar chirped somewhere in the distance, and Naruto smiled.
"Right, back on track."
He settled cross-legged on the grass and looked over at Dusk. "So, about the magic side. You mentioned once that I could cast spells without needing to attune them. I didn't really understand what that meant at the time."
Dusk sat down across from him, placing her catalyst gently in her lap. "Yes. I admit I'm surprised you don't know this. Most seasoned sorcerers don't rely on attunement for every spell. Many perform magic purely through will, memory, and control."
"Then explain it to me," Naruto said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "All of it. I want to understand."
"Of course. Let us begin with the foundation."
She raised her catalyst, and with a soft breath, channeled energy. A single orb of light shimmered into existence above them, hovering like a miniature sun.
"Attunement," she said, "is the process of linking a spell to one of your core soul attributes such as strength, intelligence, or faith. This connection allows a spell to draw directly from your essence. The stronger the attribute, the more potent the result."
Naruto nodded slowly. "Right. That matches what Alexander told me. The crestfallen warrior mentioned that attuning a spell makes it draw from your stats."
"Correct," Dusk said. "But that is only the surface. When you attune a spell, your soul learns its rhythm. You breathe with it. Think with it. Eventually, casting becomes instinctual. In battle, this means you can react without hesitation. The spell responds to your intent without thought. It becomes a reflex."
Naruto considered that. "So it's faster. Cleaner. But there's a catch, right?"
"Several, in fact. Attunement is extremely limited in humans. Most can only attune one or two spells at a time, perhaps more with great discipline or rare artifacts. You must choose carefully which spells to keep close and which to release."
Naruto frowned slightly, knowing the Uzumaki clan buffs to his stats practically made it harder for him to get more attunement slots.
"And there is a greater flaw," Dusk continued. "Attunement often kills creativity."
That made Naruto blink. "How so?"
"My mentor once said this," she replied. "When a sorcerer attunes a spell, they tend to pick their strongest. But by doing so, they stop refining it. They stop experimenting. The spell becomes a tool, not a canvas."
She raised her catalyst once more.
This time, instead of a single orb, dozens of tiny lights appeared around them. Each one a delicate sphere the size of a firefly. They floated gently, swaying through the air like a school of glowing insects.
"They are the same spell," Dusk said, "but each one shaped differently. Smaller, lighter, altered mid-flight. This is possible when you don't attune it. Your will becomes the casting. Your imagination becomes the limiter."
Suddenly, under the silver glow of the moonlight, Naruto saw Dusk raise her catalyst once more.
This time, the Cast Light spell did not form a single orb. Instead, dozens upon dozens of tiny spheres shimmered into existence, each one no larger than a firefly.
The orbs moved with no pattern, slow and graceful, suspended in the cool night air. Some bobbed gently above the grass. Others hovered near the stone, flickering against the moss. One drifted close to his face, close enough that he had to squint.
More rose up around them. Some nestled in the branches overhead, casting dappled starlight onto the ground below. Others twirled lazily over the lake, leaving ripples of light across the still surface.
Naruto sat still, barely breathing.
He wasn't in a forest anymore. He was floating in a galaxy. A sea of stars had wrapped itself around him, and for a moment, he forgot entirely about jutsu, about war, about training, about Konoha.
"...It's beautiful," he whispered.
"Indeed. Just as attunement allows for near-instant execution, non-attuned casting bears its own burdens. It demands full concentration, deliberate control of the soul's flow, and in the heat of battle… that pause can be fatal."
"Yeah," Naruto muttered, exhaling through his nose. "But if I can figure it out, I can mix and match. Keep miracles attuned for emergencies and throw spells on the fly without needing a slot." He grinned. "That's gonna help a lot."
"Sir Naruto, it is said some miracle casters can perform invocations without attunement… I suggest consulting a trained cleric or a paladin, if one may be found."
"Then until I find one, you're my sensei, Princess."
Dusk blinked, then smiled politely. "Yes… of course."
For the next few hours, they worked. Dusk observed closely while Naruto experimented with spell after spell, attempting to cast them unaided. He summoned clones who each took a different spell, attempting to feel the rhythm and weave of sorcery without attunement.
The spells sparked. Flickered. Fizzled. Some built up halfway, then shattered in the air like broken glass. The more he tried, the heavier his limbs felt, like the chakra in his body was locking horns with the sorcery he tried to mold.
At the end of it, Naruto sat in a lotus position, still and silent as all of his clones popped one by one, their experiences rushing back into him like threads weaving into a tapestry.
"I am sorry, Sir Naruto. I fear my knowledge of magic's deeper principles is insufficient to aid you further."
Naruto cracked one eye open and smiled gently. "No need to apologize. You're not even a trained sorceress. Just a princess who knows her kingdom's magic. Honestly, you've been amazing already."
Dusk's cheeks turned faintly pink, though she quickly regained composure.
"Besides," Naruto added, stretching his arms, "we both know chakra messes with how magic works. Maybe my body just fights it by default. Who knows?"
He paused, then gave her a mischievous look. "Okay. Plan B. Wanna help me test some jutsu enhanced with magic?"
Dusk blinked twice. "That sounds incredibly unsafe."
Naruto chuckled. "I've got Great Heal attuned. What could possibly go wrong?"
She looked unconvinced, but nodded slowly. "Very well. But if you turn into a featherless chicken again, I shall blame you."
"Deal," Naruto said as he stood, brushing off his pants. "Now let's try this…"
He took a steady breath and brought his hands together.
Ninja Art: Lion's Mane Jutsu.
At the first seal, his scalp tingled. At the second, his hair rustled unnaturally. At the third, he felt the weight of chakra push outward, and then the resistance hit.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, focusing his intent. His chakra flared and the moment he performed the final seal, a small system prompt blinked in the corner of his vision.
[Warning: Spell requires Liquid Humanity]
His eye twitched.
Still maintaining the one-handed seal, Naruto reached into his inventory. He pulled out a few black shards of humanity. Without hesitation, he crushed them in his palm.
The effect was immediate. He felt it seep into his skin and rush through his veins. His hair stirred as if caught in a sudden breeze, even though the air around him remained still.
Then came the shift.
It began at the roots, a strange pulse crawling across his scalp like a ripple across water. The liquid humanity didn't just vanish. It melted into his strands, twisting through each lock like ink soaking into silk. The weight of his hair deepened. Texture changed.
It didn't feel like hair anymore.
It moved.
Each strand seemed to shift of its own accord, bending and flexing slightly, as though testing its surroundings. They brushed against his shoulders, coiling ever so slightly as they slid together like threads of rope pulled taut. There was a subtle friction now.
Dusk's hand flew to her mouth. "Sir Naruto…" she whispered, wide-eyed, already reaching into her satchel. She quickly pulled out a small bronze mirror and handed it to him with trembling hands.
Naruto took it, confused, and angled it toward his reflection.
What he saw nearly made him drop it.
His usual red hair was gone. In its place were dozens of long, gleaming snakes, each one the same crimson shade, coiled and slithering gently across his head and shoulders. Their eyes blinked softly. Some flicked out tiny tongues.
Naruto's eyes widened in pure shock.
And so did the snakes.
He blinked.
They blinked.
He frowned in confusion.
The snakes mirrored it.
"It's like… they're copying your emotions," Dusk said, her voice caught between wonder and curiosity.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, then raised one hand slowly. One of the serpents lengthened and slithered into his palm, curling up like a resting cat. He turned it this way and that, inspecting the scales, the glimmer, the texture. It didn't feel like a jutsu. It felt more like—
"They're extensions of me."
He focused, willing the snakes to move. They shifted at once, some rising defensively, others playfully curling around his arms. He hummed in thought and raised the one in his palm again.
Up close, the snake's head looked oddly familiar. Not in shape, but in presence. Like a miniaturized, less horrifying version of the Hydra from the lake, only now crimson red, scaled in lacquered sheen, and somehow adorable.
Dusk reached into her bag and pulled out a ribbon. Without asking, she gently tied it around the base of one of the snake's necks. The snake cocked its head but allowed it.
"I knew it would look cute," she said with a small, triumphant smile, booping the snake gently on the nose.
Naruto sweatdropped. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"It is a fascinating result," Dusk replied. "I imagine your magic animated the hair jutsu, and the humanity… gave it a form of life bound to your soul. It reflects your emotions because it is part of your essence."
As Naruto tried to process that, a familiar chirp echoed from behind. Oscar, having returned from his own training, scampered over with curious urgency. His eyes caught the shine of the snake-hair immediately.
"Hey, bud," Naruto greeted, crouching. "What do you think of the new look?"
He leaned forward slightly, allowing a few snakes to stretch out toward the crystal lizard. Oscar sniffed one. Then another. Then, with zero hesitation, opened his tiny jaws and bit the ribboned snake.
"Gah!" Naruto flinched. "Dude!"
The snake, still very much attached to Naruto's scalp, lifted off the ground. Oscar dangled from it like a stubborn child clinging to a rope.
"Buddy," Naruto said slowly, voice deadpan, "I'm not in danger. It's just a magic-enhanced jutsu. Nothing to panic about."
Oscar refused to let go.
Naruto tried gently shaking the hair. Then he sent another snake to poke Oscar in the side. Then two more. Nothing.
The sight was utterly ridiculous. Naruto standing there with a lizard hanging from his hair, trying to tickle him off with animated serpents.
"I think Oscar is jealous," Dusk offered helpfully.
"Jealous?"
She nodded. "I believe he thinks your hair is a new pet. And the ribbon? That might have been the last straw."
Naruto blinked. "Wait… he's mad you gave the ribbon to the snake?"
Oscar let out an offended noise.
"Oh, come on," Naruto sighed. "You're still my number one. You've got your own armor. Your own weapons. I even let you ride on my shoulder when we storm boss fights."
Oscar chirped insistently.
"What do you mean you want a hat?" Naruto asked, staring.
Oscar chirped again, tail flicking.
Dusk tilted her head. "Did… did he just say he wants a hat because your hair snake got an accessory before he did?"
"Apparently," Naruto muttered, defeated. "Our little genius here is offended he wasn't dressed first."
Oscar gave another chirp, still hanging like a gremlin from the ribboned snake.
Naruto groaned. "It's not really alive, Oscar. It's just animated chakra. Magical hair. It doesn't need clothes."
Oscar squeaked, unimpressed.
Dusk stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Oscar's back. "Little Oscar," she said gently, "we'll ask Master Andre to make you a hat."
Oscar chirped again.
"I could make one too," Naruto muttered. "Is that better?"
Oscar gave a short, approving yip. Naruto winced as the ribboned snake twitched. He felt it deep in his scalp like a nerve being pinched.
"Okay. That's new," Naruto said, placing the lizard down. "Note to self. Snake hair shares pain receptors. Fantastic."
Oscar strutted a few steps away, satisfied. Naruto just stared after him and shook his head.
"What am I going to do with you?"
Oscar glanced back and made a soft, rhythmic vhorp sound.
Dusk leaned closer. "What did he say?"
Naruto sighed. "He said, Love me. Feed me. Never leave me."
He rolled his eyes, then chuckled as the snake hair gently lifted Oscar up and gave him a light peck on the cheek.
Naruto, then without warning, tossed him toward Dusk. Before she could react, Oscar landed squarely in her arms with a surprised chirp. Dusk huffed but didn't drop him, though her disapproving glare followed Naruto as he walked away toward the open stretch of the Darkroot Basin.
"You could have given some warning."
"I could have," Naruto called back without turning. "But where's the fun in that?"
He kept walking until he reached the edge of the valley.
Behind him, Dusk instinctively took several steps back, putting as much distance as she could between them and whatever Naruto was about to unleash. Oscar, as always, was unfazed. He had pulled out a titanite shard from somewhere and was now nibbling at it slowly.
Naruto inhaled deeply. He raised his left hand, chakra forming in his palm with practiced ease. But the moment the bellowing Dragoncrest Ring began channeling magic into it, everything changed.
Thin white wisps rose from the grass around him.
They flowed into the spinning sphere of chakra in his hand, one after another, disappearing into the spiral as if being devoured.
The Rasengan pulsed softly, pure white and edged in silver, with thin trailing strands orbiting it like a comet's tail. Naruto watched it, mesmerized, feeling the weight of something unfamiliar within it. It wasn't just spinning chakra. He could sense it.
Souls.
He did not know where they had come from. Maybe they had been drawn from the forest, or the air itself.
Without another word, he looked toward a nearby tree and hurled the orb.
The Rasengan flew in a curve, adjusting mid-flight. Like it could smell the soul of its target.
It struck the tree silently.
A bloom of white light erupted from the trunk, expanding for a second like a quiet explosion, then folding inward and vanishing as if it had never been there.
When the light faded, the tree looked untouched.
Not a scratch.
Dusk narrowed her eyes. "Did it… fail?"
Naruto walked up to the trunk. He placed one hand gently on the bark. Then, without warning, he flicked it with his finger.
The leaves fell.
All of them.
They didn't burn. They didn't shrivel. They simply dropped as if they had been disconnected from the very idea of life. A slow wave of decay crept through the branches, turning green to grey and wood to dust.
Naruto turned to face her. His expression was unreadable. "Looks like the magic-enhanced Rasengan hit the soul of the tree. And shredded it."
Dusk winced. "That is… deeply unsettling."
"Yep," Naruto replied casually. "Alright. Fireball next."
"You're moving on already?"
"Learning. Keep the pace, Princess."
Oscar popped the last of his titanite shard into his mouth and made a small approving noise. Dusk looked down at him. "Is he always like this?"
Oscar gave a nod as they watched Naruto trying to perform the Fireball Jutsu.
Naruto was honestly nervous. Fire Release was already volatile on its own, and magic had a tendency to amplify elemental chakra in unpredictable ways.
Wind, when enhanced by magic, had amplified the slicing nature of wind chakra.
Fire, when enhanced by magic, amplified combustion. This time, it all came out in the form of plasma.
A sphere of blistering, ionized gas took shape, held together by a tight shell of spinning chakra. Its light was nearly blinding white-hot with a blue edge that flickered violently. Electricity crackled across its surface in short arcs, like miniature solar flares escaping the sun. The ball spun rapidly, emitting a low, hungry hum. Around it, the air shimmered with distortion, creating rippling mirages from the sheer heat it radiated.
A faint halo of violet light pulsed at its edges as gases ionized on contact. Sparks danced along his fingers. Naruto's mouth and skin went dry, from the sheer dryness in the air around him. It was already cooking the oxygen.
He had created a star.
And his body was standing too close to it. So, with a grunt, he hurled the plasma fireball toward the cliff wall.
The fireball struck the cliff.
The impact was not a boom, but a flash.
A searing burst of white light consumed the far end of the basin. The cliff face glowed white-hot, then red, then black as its surface liquefied, turned to slag, and peeled away in chunks. The detonation sent out a concussive wave that blasted dust, rock, and leaves in every direction.
Naruto's hair reacted before he could even think. In the blink of an eye, it wrapped him in a tight cocoon, shielding his body from the worst of the backlash yet being vaporized in the process.
His Elite Knight armor held, but barely.
The two armors absorbed just enough of the blast to keep him alive, barely.
Across the field, Oscar created a wall, layer upon layer of crystal blooming outward in a dome. Each layer cracked and shattered under the heat, only to be replaced by another. Dusk stood behind him, shielded entirely, watching the hellfire pass over them like a wave.
It ended as quickly as it had begun.
Silence fell.
Then the lake's surface trembled, waves rippling outward from Naruto's impact.
He hit the water hard. He sank beneath the surface, eyes wide as pain flared through his arms and chest. The heat was still in his skin, his chakra network twitching violently.
The water boiled around him.
Gasping, Naruto burst back to the surface, steam rising around him in thick columns. He unequipped his half-melted armor immediately.
He lay back in the shallows, barely conscious, vision blurry.
Chakra reserves? Gutted.
Lungs? Burned raw.
Every joint in his body throbbed like it had been punched from the inside.
From the edge of the basin, Dusk screamed his name.
Naruto barely had the strength to lift a hand. He gave a limp thumbs-up. "Still alive… barely."
The princess and the lizard reached him together, Dusk dropping to her knees beside him, shoving the Estus Flask to his mouth in pure panic. The warmth of it touched his skin, but it barely registered over the afterburn still sizzling in his blood.
"You need to stop," Dusk said, her voice trembling. "This is too dangerous. You are pushing your body beyond its limits. Your armor is destroyed. Your chakra is nearly gone. Your skin… your hair is—"
"I'm fine," Naruto wheezed. "Mostly. A little crispy."
Oscar let out a furious chirp, jumping onto Naruto's chest and staring directly into his eyes with absolute judgment.
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I know. No more plasma bombs without prep."
He leaned back again, floating, arms spread as the water finally cooled the heat radiating off his body. The sky above was still peaceful. The stars hadn't moved. The moon looked down like it had seen worse.
He stared up at it for a long moment.
Then smiled.
"Man," he whispered, voice hoarse, "I really wonder what magic-enhanced Water Style would look like."
Dusk groaned in horror.
Oscar faceplanted into Naruto's soaked chest and let out a drawn-out sigh.
Naruto laughed, even though it hurt.
Because despite everything, this was discovery.
And he was just getting started.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Seeing the mental exhaustion settling on Dusk's face, Naruto made a quiet decision. Training could wait. Magic experiments could wait. For now, rest was needed.
They made their way back through the Darkroot Basin and past the bonfire, returning to Andre's workshop. The old blacksmith welcomed them with a grunt and some hearty stew, and the trio shared a quiet dinner beneath the soft glow of the bonfire. Afterward, Naruto and Dusk rested, just long enough to let the edge of fatigue wear off, before setting out again.
This time, their destination was the cell of Rickert of Vinheim.
Naruto hadn't seen the Vinheim blacksmith in what felt like ages.
They passed through the Undead Church like clockwork, dispatching hollows with ease. Naruto even paused to fence with the Balder Knights. After clearing the last of the resistance, they took the elevator down into Firelink Shrine.
"Looks like Reah and her two bodyguards are off to the Catacombs," Naruto observed, glancing at the empty corner where the trio had once stood.
Oscar chirped and suddenly picked up speed as they crossed the shrine's bonfire. Naruto noted with mild disappointment that Griggs was gone too. He had wanted to ask the sorcerer for advice about non-attuned magic.
But Oscar's excited sounds snapped him back to the present.
The little crystal lizard darted forward, chirping joyfully as he reached the female crystal lizard Naruto had given to Anastacia. The two creatures circled each other in tight, playful loops, their tails flicking with giddy energy. The air around them practically shimmered with delight.
"C, Crystal, behave…"
Naruto paused. For the first time since he'd met her, he saw the Firekeeper seated outside of her cage. She was no longer shackled by silence, nor did her posture carry that same heavy burden of sorrow. She sat straight-backed, hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed on Naruto's red hair.
"How's everything going?" Naruto asked as he stepped closer.
"It… it has been peaceful," she said, almost surprised by her own words. Her eyes lingered on the red of his hair. "I stroll around the shrine now. I play with Crystal. And… the silence is not so heavy anymore. What of you…?"
"A lot has happened," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let me tell you about it."
He dropped down beside her as the bonfire crackled nearby. Oscar and Crystal darted across the grass, tumbling over one another with an infectious energy. Naruto spoke a lot of his adventures. Anastacia listened without interruption, a serene smile playing across her lips.
They laughed quietly, tossing folded paper kunai into the air for the lizards to leap after. Crystal managed to catch one and refused to let it go, which made Oscar chase her in dizzy circles.
Naruto sighed with contentment. "This has been nice… but I should get going. Rickert and I have a lot of catching up to do."
"Wait… before you leave," Anastacia said, her voice more hesitant. "You once told me… that you could take me to a place where even the gods would not reach me… what did you mean…?"
Naruto blinked. "You mean when I had Oswald absolve your sins?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes. That moment has stayed with me. I have never been forgiven… until you."
Naruto took a breath, settling beside her again. "I come from another world, Anastacia. And… for some reason, I can still return to it."
Anastacia's breath caught in her throat. Her hands, folded in her lap, trembled slightly. "So… you wish to bring me to this place…?"
"Only if you want to go. The choice is yours. I would never ask it of you otherwise."
Anastacia's lips quivered with the beginnings of a smile. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Th, thank you… truly. You absolved my sins when I believed no one would. Now you offer me a future…?"
She looked toward the shrine, her eyes distant. "But… I am still a Firekeeper. I must remain until the Chosen Undead rises."
Naruto nodded slowly. "What about after that? Once your duty ends?"
"I… I do not know. Perhaps then, I am free."
Naruto reached out and nudged her arm with a warm smile. "Well then… when I become the Chosen Undead, would you come to Konoha with me? Maybe share a bowl of ramen?"
Anastacia's eyes widened in quiet awe. Her smile was brighter this time, almost tearful. "I… I would like that. Very much."
Naruto turned to Oscar. "Alright, buddy. Kiss your girl goodbye. It's time to go."
Oscar and Crystal stopped their chase. They stood still for a moment, then slowly leaned into one another. Their foreheads touched. The moment was so dramatic, so painfully emotional, it felt like watching a scene from a stage opera.
Naruto groaned. "Seriously? Now I feel like I'm tearing soulmates apart."
Anastacia giggled behind her hand. "Let them say farewell. They are not so different from us, are they…?"
With a final nose-nuzzle and a small chirp, Oscar reluctantly turned and waddled back to Naruto's side.
Naruto took a few steps forward before glancing back.
Anastacia was seated again, clapping gently as Crystal spun in wild circles chasing her own tail. Her smile was soft and free. She looked happy.
He wanted to remember her like this.
Then he turned back toward the path, toward New Londo, and let his steps carry him down the winding stairs. With every footfall, the warmth of the shrine faded. The weight of the world returned.
Even if I became the Chosen Undead today, it still wouldn't be enough.
Konoha isn't safe. Not for her. Not even for me.
Not yet anyway.
He clenched his fists at his sides.
"I need to get stronger."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The elevator rattled to a stop, creaking as it opened into the New Londo Ruins.
Naruto stepped out, boots scraping softly against the old stone, the sound echoing through the sunken city.
Around him, the air was still eerily so. A handful of praying hollows that had once knelt in silence near the broken ruins suddenly turned their heads. Then, without warning, they scrambled away from him in fear. Some even started praying to him.
"...What's up with them?"
Oscar gave a clueless chirp.
Naruto's gaze flicked to a hollow lying near the edge of the stairwell.
Its hollowed eyes were locked onto the gaping hole in New Londo's ceiling, the faint light of the world above filtering in. Slowly, the hollow turned its head and met Naruto's eyes.
Then, just as slowly, it looked back to the hole.
"Okay…" Naruto scratched the back of his head and exhaled. "You think they're sensing the… dragon scale on me?"
Oscar gave a very clear nod.
Naruto sighed. "Great. Rickert's probably going to freak out too, just like Griggs."
A devious little grin formed on the lizard's face.
"Oh? Got something on your mind, partner?"
The crystal lizard began to giggle.
Naruto grinned wider. "Alright then. Let's prank the poor guy."
They fist-bumped.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Rickert was humming to himself, tapping a stray piece of metal against the side of his anvil, eyes half-lidded with boredom. He had long since accepted the stillness of New Londo, the weight of isolation, and the way time flowed like the dripping water around him: slow and unbothered.
Until something changed.
He paused mid-hum, brows furrowing. He reached out gently with his Spirit Zone. And something felt… wrong. Or more precisely, absent.
Like staring into the void.
"That… can't be right," Rickert muttered.
Then, just beyond the cell bars, a figure came into view.
Rickert squinted. The clothes were familiar. Too familiar. Vinheim Dragon School uniform, modified for practical use. And that ring was the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring, there was no mistaking it. Whoever this was, they were no minor scholar.
But what unsettled him wasn't the outfit, or even the unmistakable magical presence radiating off the man. No, it was the snakes.
Crimson serpents writhed and twisted across the man's head, coiled down his shoulders, covering most of his face. They hissed softly, almost as if sensing Rickert's confusion.
Rickert's hand crept toward a weapon. Is this some kind of unknown monster…?
The snakes opened their mouths.
Rickert acted on instinct. He grabbed his gun, flicked the safety, and fired. The shot rang through the cavern, echoing off stone and water.
The bullet pierced the figure but it dispersed in a flicker. Just an afterimage.
From behind the upper side came a familiar chirp, and a voice that made Rickert groan aloud. "I don't think you'd really shoot me, dattebayo."
Rickert's brow twitched. He scowled. "I know that obnoxious voice…"
Naruto stepped into view, grinning. The serpents on his head slithered aside, parting to reveal his face. "Hey! My voice is not obnoxious. It's like an angel's!"
"You're delusional," Rickert deadpanned. "And you got shot."
"In my defense, it was a prank. You weren't supposed to actually shoot me," Naruto said, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.
"You showed up looking like a cursed horror from the Abyss. What did you expect?"
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Okay, fine, maybe that one was on me. Let's just say this prank failed."
"Spectacularly," Rickert muttered. "And what's with the jutsu? Why are you still transformed?"
Naruto tilted his head. "What transformation?"
Rickert blinked. "You're taller. Your eyes are different. Your hair is red snakes."
"Ohhh… right." Naruto scratched his neck, looking sheepish. "You might want to sit down for this."
"It can't be that bad."
"I grafted an Everlasting Dragon scale onto my soul," Naruto said quickly, and then smiled like he hadn't just said something insane.
Rickert stared blankly. Then he slowly raised his hand and slapped himself in the face.
"Not a dream," he mumbled. Then louder, panic rising, "Oh, gods, this is real."
"Hey, hey, calm down," Naruto said. "It's not that big a deal."
Rickert looked ready to throw something. "Not that big a deal? Do you hear yourself when you talk?"
Naruto flinched, then picked up Oscar and held him out like an offering. "You need a hug."
Rickert blinked at the lizard. Oscar chirped and blinked back.
"Yes. Yes, I do," Rickert said, taking Oscar into his arms like a lifeline. He cradled him for a moment, visibly calming.
"You've gotten stronger," Rickert said, feeling the magic pulse through Oscar's crystalline body. "It's remarkable."
"Yeah, he's been training. He's got a few tricks now, like being able to transform into his adult crystal lizard state," Naruto said proudly.
"Alright. I know I'm going to regret this… but just tell me what happened."
"Okay, so the day I was born—"
"Not that far back, you idiot."
"Right, right. Just kidding. Anyway…"
Naruto leaned against the bars and began recounting the stuff that happened since the last time he had seen Rickert. The blacksmith listened, resigned, shaking his head every few minutes, already regretting letting the idiot speak but unable to stop listening all the same.
By the end of Naruto's explanation, Rickert looked paler than the ghosts that haunted the flooded halls of New Londo. He sat there, wide-eyed, his face blank with disbelief as he stared at the boy who was somehow more chaotic every time they met.
"You are something else, brat," Rickert muttered, rubbing his temples as though the headache Naruto had given him was a physical object he could knead away. "How in all of Lordran did you manage to become an incomprehensible whirlwind of madness and chaos?"
"Well," Naruto grinned, oblivious to the blacksmith's suffering, "if it makes you feel any better, I brought you a gift!"
He pulled out a shimmering ember, its glow soft but unmistakably arcane. "I got this enchanted ember from the princess of Oolacile."
Rickert's eyes widened as he reached forward and gingerly took it into his hands. "Hey, hang on… is that… a sorcery ember? I've never seen one like that, not even back in Vinheim. What a brilliant flame! This… this is exceptional."
Naruto scratched his cheek, a little sheepishly. "Thought you might like it. Sorry for not visiting sooner, by the way. I know I said I'd stop by from time to time."
Rickert waved off the apology, still mesmerized by the ember. "No worries. This beauty right here has done more for my nerves than any visit would have. Thank you. Truly."
"Glad you like it. Think you can use it to make me some enchanted weapons?"
Rickert nodded. "Of course. But it's a process. First, we reinforce a weapon to plus five. Then we'll convert it into a magic weapon, which needs green titanite shards. Only after that can we ascend it into an enchanted weapon."
Naruto let out a groan. "I hate green titanite shards. I bring these cool, one-of-a-kind embers to both you and Andre, and somehow that stupid ore still blocks me from unlocking ascended weapons."
"Glad to see that after all your transformations and trials, you're still the same loudmouth idiot."
Naruto stuck out his tongue like a petulant child, and the blacksmith rolled his eyes. "So, what are you planning next?"
"Not sure. A few paths are open. I could go into the Catacombs and catch up with Reah. Or maybe hit the Depths and meet up with Solaire. There's also Blighttown through the Valley of Drakes."
Oscar gave an enthusiastic chirp.
Naruto nodded. "Oscar votes for the Depths. That works. I did ring the first Bell of Awakening with Solaire, might as well ring the second one with him too."
"The Depths are dangerous, but there's a known path from there to Blighttown," Rickert said. "If you're going down there, stay sharp."
Naruto gave him a confident smile. "Always."
As he turned to go, Rickert called out, "Naruto. Wait."
"Yeah?"
The blacksmith leaned forward slightly, voice more serious now. "Please… keep yourself safe. And for the love of the gods, next time you show up, do not bring another cursed surprise with you like an eye in your right palm."
Naruto chuckled. "Too late. I already got one in my right palm. If I get one on the left too, I'll just creep up behind you and pretend I'm a blind monster who sees through his hands."
Rickert let out an exasperated groan as Naruto ran off laughing, Oscar chirping beside him.
"You ready to head into the Depths, bud?" Naruto asked.
Oscar chirped again, full of excitement.
With a wave to the distant Rickert, who was now muttering to himself and burying his stress in the study of the ember, Naruto ascended the path. Another step into the dark unknown, another adventure just ahead.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The entrance to the Undead Burg came into view faster than expected. Naruto and Oscar were already sprinting up the path when a sudden volley of arrows rained down, pelting the hollows ahead. A second later, beams of light tore through the air, vaporizing the rest. The ambush was so precise it left the undead staggering in smoking heaps.
Naruto and Oscar stopped at the edge of the chaos.
"I got four out of the six enemies," Naruto said smugly. "So I win this challenge."
Oscar chirped back a sharp retort.
"What do you mean it's not over?"
Oscar turned and fired a pinpoint beam of sorcery toward a nearby tunnel. Then came the distant squeal of a rat meeting its end.
"Oh. Right. The undead rat," Naruto clicked his tongue. "Guess that makes our kills equal… but if I take out the undead assassin near the Depths entrance, that'll seal the win for me."
Oscar chirped confidently.
They raced toward the shortcut through the sewers to the Lower Undead Burg. But as they approached the staircase going down to the entrance to the Depths, both of them skidded to a sudden halt.
A hollow crouched behind rusted cell bars, the water of the sewer sloshing beneath them.
"Hmm… you still have your senses about you?" she asked, her voice buttery smooth with a creeping undertone.
"Wait… you're the female merchant Griggs was talking about."
"Ah, yes. That sorcerer lad. I helped him get down here for right price, of course. Oh, he was polite. But not as cute as you, dearie. Now then, why don't you buy some moss? Freshly peeled!" She let out a sharp, rasping laugh that bounced off the stone. "Vee hee hee!"
Naruto and Oscar glanced at each other.
"Okay, I've got a question. Can I smoke the moss?"
That sent the old hollow into another fit of wheezing laughter. The sound was eerily reminiscent of the male Undead Merchant. The same pitch, the same energy, just a little more musical. It gave Naruto a chill up his spine, and yet he couldn't help but laugh along with her.
"Nee hee hee hee hee!"
"I haven't had a laugh like that in ages," the merchant cackled, her bony fingers drumming against the rusted iron bars. "Not only are you cute, but also funny. If I wasn't in need of souls, I might've given you a discount. Vee hee hee!"
"Well, let's take a look at your wares."
"Of course, of course. I welcome all customers. Always so good to see fresh faces, still attached to their skulls." Her eyes gleamed under the torchlight.
Oscar peered around Naruto's leg and chirped softly, eyeing the wares with interest. The female merchant looked at the little crystal lizard with mild surprise.
"Oh my… what a shiny little thing you are. Quite the companion, dearie. I suppose you're the muscle of the pair?"
Oscar puffed up proudly.
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, he does all the heavy lifting. I just show up and look good."
She leaned in as close as the bars allowed, shadows wrapping her face like a second skin. "Mmm. It's been a long while since I had a good chat. Most customers either grunt or scream. But you? You talk. And laugh. And that hair! Looks alive."
"It is alive," Naruto said without missing a beat.
There was a long pause.
Then came a giddy burst of laughter that echoed through the dank corridor. "Vee hee hee! Oh, wonderful. Oh, deliciously weird. You'll fit right in down in the Depths, dearie. Right in with the crooks and liars and things that slither when no one's looking."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Naruto muttered.
"Do! Now… will it be moss for poison, moss for bleeding, resin for fire, or all three? Or perhaps something to throw at your enemies when you're feeling dramatic?"
Naruto smirked. "Surprise me."
"Oooh, a gambling soul, I like that. Let's make this a transaction to remember. Vee hee hee!"
Oscar groaned.
[ Items ]
[ Bloodred Moss Clump – 300 Souls ]
[ Purple Moss Clump – 500 Souls ]
[ Blooming Purple Moss Clump – 1,000 Souls ]
[ Poison Throwing Knife – 100 Souls ]
[ Dung Pie – 200 Souls ]
[ Alluring Skull – 500 Souls ]
[ Charcoal Pine Resin – 500 Souls ]
[ Transient Curse – 4,000 Souls ]
[ Rotten Pine Resin – 1,000 Souls ]
[ Homeward Bone – 500 Souls ]
[ Prism Stone – 10 Souls ]
[ Humanity ×1 – 5,000 Souls ]
[ Purging Stone – 6,000 Souls ]
[ Ammunition ]
[ Fire Arrow – 100 Souls ]
[ Poison Arrow – 100 Souls ]
[ Standard Arrow – 10 Souls ]
[ Large Arrow – 50 Souls ]
[ Wooden Arrow – 3 Souls ]
[ Standard Bolt – 30 Souls ]
[ Heavy Bolt – 100 Souls ]
[ Wood Bolt – 10 Souls ]
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Author Note: Well, that's that. Sorry for the late upload guys, I had to deal with an ear infection which had me bedridden for the last few days. Now enough of that, let's get into the Q and A.
1 – What is Magic enhanced Fire Style Jutsu?
Let us take magic enhanced wind jutsu for reference. Magic enhanced wind chakra is a vibrating chakra that decreases the bonds of anything it hits to be easier to cut.
Magic essentially made the wind's cutting aspect stronger.
So let's apply that to fire. What about the fire jutsu straight up turning into plasma?
Okay, so we know that plasma is ionized gas, meaning the electrons are stripped from atoms, creating a superheated cloud that behaves differently from normal fire.
1. Extreme Temperature: Plasma can reach temperatures in the tens of thousands of degrees. A plasma fireball would burn far hotter than any normal katon. Instead of just scorching, it melts and vaporizes. Even stone would crack and glassify on contact.
2. Conductivity: Plasma conducts electricity, so this jutsu could disrupt electronics, seals, or even interact strangely with lightning-style chakra. A lightning user might accidentally fuel it instead of blocking it. So Naruto and Sasuke can do some combos, and Naruto can even use Lightning Spear with this jutsu.
3. Magnetic Response: Plasma responds to magnetic fields. A Magnet Release user could potentially bend or redirect it, making for some wild counters. Gaara and Shukaku could definitely be a problem for Naruto.
4. Ball-like Behavior: Because plasma expands evenly and holds its shape under chakra containment, this "fireball" would form as a sphere rather than scatter like ordinary flames. It would be thrown like a compressed star, piercing and burning through defenses instead of splashing outward.
Weaknesses:
– Insanely chakra intensive. Even Naruto with his Uzumaki clan reserves would feel out of breath.
– Hard to control. If the user cannot stabilize the plasma, it could explode prematurely before reaching the target.
– Wind Release destabilizes plasma, scattering the cloud before impact. This means wind plus fire combos are not possible.
A few more weaknesses using the science of plasma:
– Plasma can exceed 10,000°C, comparable to the surface of the sun. Even if Naruto projects it outward, radiant heat travels in all directions. His skin and lungs would absorb some of this, leading to severe burns, dehydration, and blistering. Think of how welders need protective gear to avoid burns from indirect plasma arcs—now multiply that by a hundred.
– Plasma arcs superheat and ionize the surrounding air, splitting oxygen molecules and producing ozone and nitric oxides. In a confined space this would poison or suffocate Naruto. Even outdoors the local air quality would drop, making breathing harder for him and allies.
– Superheated plasma causes air to expand explosively. Think of thunder from lightning, which is a plasma shock. Releasing a plasma fireball would create blast waves that Naruto could feel in his chest and eardrums, possibly stunning or disorienting him if overused.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
2 - What is magic enhanced Rasengan?
Rasengan was honestly one of the more important jutsu that I wanted to tackle especially considering how iconic it is. And thank you for all the people who gave suggestions, it has helped me a lot to formulate my idea for magic enhanced Rasengan.
Normally, the Rasengan is pure chakra shaped into a sphere of destructive rotation. When Naruto enhances it with magic, he is no longer just shaping chakra. Rather he is opening the Rasengan to external energy sources and letting the surrounding environment bleed into it.
Think of the Rasengan as a rotating vacuum. Its spinning nature creates a pull, and with magic acting as the medium, it can draw in energy that is naturally present in the environment. Instead of being fueled only by Naruto's chakra, it siphons power from whatever domain it is formed in.
Honestly, I was also inspired by how in the movies Naruto has these special one off Rasengans that are implied to be because of the area he is in.
People thought OG Naruto had a lot of Rasengan variants. DS1 Naruto will have a lot more. But hey, at least unlike OG Naruto, DS Naruto's Rasengan variants will actually behave and look different.
For example, if Naruto used magic enhanced Rasengan in Konoha, it will pull in raw nature energy. What that looks like will be explored later on when Naruto goes back to Konoha, probably next chapter.
Okay so using the Nature Energy Rasengan as a reference:
My idea for magic enhanced Rasengan is that the environment changes its effect.
Basically, in Lordran it will be different than Konoha, and unlike Konoha, the same type of energy does not exist everywhere. For example, if Naruto went to the Abyss, his Rasengan will be a bleeding red color with the effect of distorting space time. If he was in Nito's domain, his Rasengan would be a miasma ball that induces the effect of death to all. Or if he was in Seath's domain, his Rasengan would be crystallized.
What do you think?
Now, what should a regular magic enhanced Rasengan in Lordran be like?
So we know that souls permeate a lot of Lordran.
Using the basis of the Blinding Bolt from DS2:
A miracle that creates a giant soul mass and transforms it into a lightning spouting orb of light.
Crafted in ancient times by the God of Sun, but later forbidden by the same deity. Was it to protect the world from hatred, or sorrow?
So similar to the Blinding Bolt miracle, Naruto creates a soul mass Rasengan which compresses souls into the Rasengan. And basically, Naruto can throw this Rasengan as a ranged attack. The attack also hits the soul of the target.
Now the downside is that Naruto needs setup, i.e. he needs a lot of souls to permeate through the area. Like if he kills a crowd of hollows, he can use their souls to do this Rasengan, but in doing so he loses the souls that could've been used to level up or more.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
3- How did Naruto give life to his hair? And why do these hair look like a hydra?
Well, because Naruto is a dragon and he got his dragon scale from a hydra, so I wanted to make a reference to that. Also, hydra have 9 heads, so when Naruto has 9 snakes on his head like Medusa, it can technically be perceived as a reference to the Kyuubi, which is cool in my opinion.
Plus imagine, Naruto uses 9 snake heads coming out of the back to attack.
Also, if you want a visual as to what Naruto's new helmet looks like, search up the Elden Ring Banished Knight set and look at its back to get a reference.
Now, how did Naruto give life to his hair?
Simple, he used humanity to give them an animated form of life similar to a puppet, where they act more like his organs with a degree of consciousness, but they mostly obey Naruto's conscious will.
Do these hair go to sleep?
Yes, if Naruto isn't wearing his magic ring, the snake hair go back to being normal hair.
Also, they don't die unless Naruto dies and loses all his humanities that stabilize the process of the snakes coming to life.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
4- Why did I give Twin Lion Fist to Naruto?
A lot of suggestions from you guys came in on the Hyūga clan chapter. They were awesome, but let me tell you why I chose this jutsu over something defensive like Heavenly Rotation.
The Twin Lion Fist is a jutsu that works by the user changing the shape of chakra released from both hands into large guardian lion shaped shrouds. Doing so greatly increases range and destructive power. The lion heads drain the chakra network of those they touch. It is an extremely difficult ability to learn, as the slightest mistake in chakra control will lead to failure, meaning it is a feat requiring the Byakugan.
Let's leave behind the idea of the chakra drain and look at the destructive power of the fist attack. And gentle reminder that Dark Souls Naruto knows boxing and Pose Breaker, which sends shocks to stun an opponent. Now imagine this side of Dark Souls Naruto's fighting style being amped by this jutsu, and I think you guys can see my vision.
Now, similar to Lion's Mane, Twin Lion Fist will visually be more dragon like, both as aesthetic traits and as an indicator of how much Naruto changed the jutsu in his own way rather than following the original technique.
Reader Kurotanbo: Yo, Adamo, where's the Shoryuken? Naruto should be able to perform that bro, c'mon.
Answer: Naruto will transform the Gentle Twin Lion Fist into the Dragon Fist and do the Shoryuken. So I hope you are happy with this.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Anyways, I think that was all that needed to be covered in this Q and A. If you have any questions, ask in the comments, not the community tab, since I don't get messages about the community tab for some reason.
That's it for now!
As always, I appreciate you all taking the time to read, comment, and come along for the ride.
Adam