Chapter 1 Prologue
Author's Note (Before You Start):
Hello to everyone reading. I hope you're having a wonderful day. Let me tell you more about this fanfic and what kind of story you're about to read.
You've already seen the title, summary, and cover, so there's no need to repeat all of that here. What matters most is this: this is a crossover between Naruto and the Dark Souls games, with a strong focus on Dark Souls 1.
Now, here's the question a lot of people probably have.
Do you need to play Dark Souls to understand this story?
No, you don't.
You won't be expected to know bosses, item descriptions, or deep lore. When something from Dark Souls matters, it will be explained in the story itself. If you've played the games or read the lore, you'll catch extra details. If you haven't, you'll be learning right alongside Naruto.
To give you a clearer idea of how this crossover works, here are a few examples.
Imagine Naruto wielding the Moonlight Sword against enemies like Madara or Pain. Or imagine the opposite: Naruto standing in the Dark Souls universe, charging a Rasengan and unleashing it against bosses like Ornstein and Smough.
But this story isn't just about cool matchups.
Every chapter matters. What Naruto experiences in Lordran directly affects who he becomes in the shinobi world, and what happens in the Naruto world changes how he survives in Dark Souls. Victories, failures, trauma, and growth carry over. Nothing resets, and nothing is forgotten.
One of the most important parts of the story is how chakra interacts with Dark Souls systems. What happens when chakra meets sorcery, miracles, or pyromancy? How does a world built on souls react to a power born from life energy and emotion? These interactions aren't just visual flair, they have consequences that shape fights, training, and the world itself.
Just as important is how the characters react.
Shinobi will notice that Naruto is changing, not just in strength, but in mindset, habits, and how he approaches danger. At the same time, characters in the Dark Souls world will be forced to react to a version of Naruto that doesn't fit their rules at all, someone who fights, survives, and grows in ways they've never seen before.
The chapters will alternate between the Dark Souls world and the Naruto world. Each chapter will have its own unique title so it's always clear where the story is taking place. If you end up more interested in one side than the other, the structure makes it easy to follow along.
This is also a slow-burn story. I'm balancing two separate worlds, their characters, their rules, and their lore. Power isn't handed out instantly. Growth takes time, and changes happen gradually.
Finally, I'll be including Author's Notes at the end of each chapter. These will go into more detail about Dark Souls lore, explain certain mechanics, and talk about my creative decisions for the story. If you're curious about how something works or why I made a specific choice, those notes are there for you.
If you're a Naruto fan who's curious but hesitant because of Dark Souls, this story is written to ease you in, not overwhelm you.
With that said, I hope you enjoy the journey and I hope you'll stick around to see where it leads.
Chapter One – Prologue
Giggles echoed through the dark forest, swallowed and returned by the trees. Naruto's knew how ridiculous he must have looked, standing alone beneath the moonlit canopy and laughing.
He didn't care.
After countless failures, bruised pride, and more frustration than he cared to remember, he had finally done it.
Naruto stared at the figure in front of him, barely able to keep still. It was him. The three whisker-like marks carved into each cheek. The spiky blond hair catching the pale moonlight. The bright blue eyes staring back at him in disbelief. Even the clothes were perfect. The orange jacket with blue shoulders and a white fur collar. The blue, open-toed sandals planted firmly on the forest floor.
"Great, with this I'll," he began, but the clone cut him off. "I'll take my first step into becoming Hokage."
Clones weren't supposed to talk. That was new.
Naruto reached out and poked it. He expected his hand to pass through, like all the failed illusions in the academy. But this time, his finger touched solid flesh.
"My clone is solid... and it can talk. You know what that means, right?"
The clone nodded, just as excited as he was.
"My clone jutsu is better than everyone else's."
The thought filled him with pride. He watched as the clone turned toward the forbidden scroll of seals nearby.
"What are you doing?"
"We have some time before Mizuki-sensei shows up. Let's learn another jutsu," the clone replied, voice eerily identical to his.
"Let's do it."
Naruto's excitement died the moment he opened the scroll. He had been expecting some powerful new jutsu. Instead, it was packed with dense, complicated seals designed to keep him away from anything actually useful.
When his shadow clone spread the scroll out across the forest floor, Naruto almost said it was pointless. He had never been good with sealing techniques, and he knew better than to mess with them. One wrong move, one mistake he didn't understand, and the whole thing could blow up in his face.
"It looks like a storage seal," the clone muttered.
The storage seal was a spatial fuinjutsu construct that generated a compressed subspace anchored to the seal formula. Access required a specific chakra input, which the seal verified before activation. Once unlocked, the supplied chakra temporarily stabilized and unfolded the subspace, allowing items to be stored or retrieved. When chakra flow ceased, the seal automatically collapsed back into an inert state, preserving its contents and preventing unauthorized access.
Judging by the size of it, the seal would probably need a ton of chakra. That wasn't a problem. If there was one thing Naruto never seemed to run out of, it was stamina. He remembered how even Sasuke, the academy's favorite show-off, ended up panting after the morning runs. Naruto never did.
"Let's open this up and see what cool item is inside."
They placed their hands on the center of the seal. The seal didn't just accept their chakra. It pulled on it. But something was off. The seal wasn't just absorbing chakra... it was draining it, faster and harder than anything he had ever encountered. The clone vanished in a puff of smoke.
Then it stopped.
The seal had taken what it needed. With a final, greedy gulp, it unlocked. A thick puff of smoke burst out.
For the first time in his life, Naruto felt true chakra exhaustion. His limbs trembled uncontrollably, his chest tightened, and every breath scorched his lungs. His body hit the dirt with a dull thud. The forest spun around him, swirling like ink in water.
The cold earth beneath him was the only thing keeping him grounded. He shut his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing.
The worst part?
The seal had opened to absolutely nothing.
"Bastard seal, you took my chakra, now give me your secrets!"
Naruto could feel the steady pulse of recovery, stronger than what most of his classmates could manage. He remembered how they always complained about chakra exhaustion, whining about how long it took to recharge. He smirked.
Guess their recovery speed isn't as great as the great Naruto Uzumaki!
That thought gave him a brief flash of smug satisfaction before his focus snapped back to the scroll. He wasn't finished with it, but he hadn't expected what happened next.
A glow stirred within the thinning smoke.
At first it was faint, barely there. The energy twisted upward in a slow spiral, moving with purpose, as if guided by an unseen hand. As it rose, the flames bent inward and took shape, forming a ring suspended just above the seal.
It pulsed steadily, expanding and contracting like a living thing drawing breath.
Gold shimmered along its edges while the center burned deeper and hotter, almost molten. The light washed over the trees, setting their shadows dancing across the forest floor. For a moment, it looked as though a fragment of the sun was being forged in front of him.
Naruto reached out on instinct.
The instant his finger touched the ring, the world vanished in a blinding flash.
Naruto opened his eyes and found nothing waiting for him. No light, no forest, no familiar shapes. Only an abyss stretching in every direction.
Where am I? Is this a dream? Did I pass out? What was that ring of fire?
No answers came.
"I'm pretty sure Ayame would be terrified of this place," Naruto muttered, trying to laugh. "Jiji, are you there?"
His voice echoed through the void.
"Is this because I knocked you out with the Sexy Jutsu? I said I was sorry."
He pinched his ears when apologizing. It felt silly. It wassilly. But the silence that followed felt heavier than before.
"Is anyone there?"
His voice cracked. He didn't like the way it sounded. Small. Afraid. It reminded him of nights in his apartment, when silence was all he had. Then light exploded across the void.
Naruto staggered back, throwing his arms up to block the glare. He squinted through his fingers and saw ten rings of fire. They floated in the air before him, flickering with the same orange glow as before. One ring pulsed brighter than the rest. As he got closer, the ring expanded. Inside it, an image appeared.
It was him.
Or... an illusion of him.
He wore armor. A chest plate, shoulder guards and metal gauntlets. In one hand, a sword. In the other, a round metal shield.
"This is so cool," Naruto whispered, eyes wide.
Is this showing me my future? Or is it just an illusion?
"Do I get the sword if I touch it?"
Pausing, Naruto turned to survey the nine remaining rings. A spark of curiosity lit in his chest. Just then, a scroll unfurled in front of him, as words shimmered across the surface.
[Warrior Class: Weapon expert. High strength, dexterity.]
He glanced back at his armored self, mentally piecing it together.
"I think I get it now, Dattebayo!" he exclaimed. "If I touch you, I get to be a weapon expert and be super strong and... dex-something."
The boy had no idea what dexterity meant, but high strength was more than enough to sell him on the idea. Still, something tugged at his attention.
The next ring revealed the Knight Class.
[Low-ranking knight. High HP. Solid armor. Not easily toppled.]
The illusion wore far more metal than the warrior, practically encased in steel from head to toe.
"What the heck is a knight?"
No answer came, just the flickering of quiet flames. He shrugged and moved on.
[Wanderer Class: Wields scimitar. High dexterity.]
This version of him wore a dark leather outfit with a hood. A curved sword which he guessed was the scimitar. A small shield hung from his arm, shaped suspiciously like a ramen bowl. Dressed in all black with that moody look, he resembled someone far too familiar.
"At least if I pick this class, I can use the shield as a ramen bowl."
The next class was Thief.
[High critical hits. Has master key.]
Thief Naruto held a dagger not much bigger than a kunai and a shield so small it looked like it belonged to a toddler. He wasn't impressed, though the part about the key caught his attention.
"What's a master key do anyway?"
No one answered.
Next up was the Bandit Class.
[High strength. Wields heavy battle axe.]
Bandit Naruto was huge. Towering muscles. Biceps thicker than both of Naruto's arms. His armor included a chainmail hauberk, padded trousers tucked into heavy boots, and broad leather straps crossing his chest. A thick belt wrapped around his waist. One shoulder was armored with metal plates, and he carried a massive, intimidating axe along with a spider-emblazoned shield.
"Do I get that body if I choose this class?"
Naruto wasn't scrawny, but Bandit Naruto was on another level. He imagined Sakura taking one look at him and completely forgetting about Sasuke. That thought alone made him giggle. Still, he forced himself to move on.
The next illusion was the Hunter Class.
[Bow-wielding hunter. Decent at close range. Weak with magic.]
Hunter Naruto wore rugged leather armor, with a bow slung across his back and a quiver of green-feathered arrows.
"Weak to magic?"
That part puzzled him. What did magic even mean? Was it like another word for chakra? The thought left him with more questions than answers. The scroll for the next class unfurled without warning.
[Sorcerer of Vinheim Dragon School. Casts soul sorceries.]
Sorcerer Naruto looked... weird. Big, floppy hat and robes that screamed "nerd." It was disappointing. The name had sounded so cool... Dragon school? Soul sorcery? It sounded like he was getting a new ninjutsu.
"Let's just move to the next."
Still, part of him couldn't stop thinking about it. Dragon school? Do flying lizards teach there or something?
[Pyromancer Class: Swamp pyromancer. Casts fire spells. Wields a hand axe.]
Pyromancer Naruto stood tall, holding a worn axe and a wooden shield. His armor however...
"You look homeless," Naruto muttered.
But the fire spell detail made his heart race. He still remembered Sasuke practicing those fireballs during training. Naruto had always wanted to do something just as flashy. Maybe this was his chance.
Then came Cleric.
[Cleric on pilgrimage. Wields a mace. Casts healing miracles.]
The illusion was bald.
"Nope. Not going bald."
And finally, the last class: Deprived.
[Unclothed enigma. Armed with a club and old plank shield.]
"Gaaa!" Naruto clapped a hand over his eyes.
Deprived Naruto was practically naked. Just a loincloth, holding what looked like a piece of broken fence for a shield and a wooden club. He stumbled back, shaking his head hard.
"There is no way I'm choosing that. Nope. Never."
He looked over the ten rings once more, arms crossed, weighing his options.
It came down to two.
The Bandit was awesome. Muscles, armor, and big axe. And the Pyromancer? He could throw fire and look cool doing it. One had strength. The other had flash.
"My fireball is going to be better," he mumbled, already picturing Sasuke's face when he showed up with flames of his own.
The thought alone made the decision harder.
He closed his eyes, held out a hand, and began to hum an old rhyme he barely remembered. His hand floated between the two rings, back and forth, until it stopped. When he opened his eyes, his palm hovered above the Pyromancer ring.
A grin split his face.
"I can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when they see my awesome fire jutsu."
The ring of fire shimmered as he grabbed it. Then, without warning, light erupted around him, swallowing the world in brilliance.
[ Class Selected: Pyromancer ]
[ Base Attributes Assigned According to Class Parameters ]
[ Starting Gift Added to Inventory ]
Naruto shielded his eyes, expecting the forest to return once the glow faded. But when the brightness dimmed and his vision cleared, he realized something was very wrong.
The boy gagged, instinctively pinching his nose shut as the stench overwhelmed him. The source wasn't hard to find. A dead rat, bloated and half-decayed, lay beside an old, wodden bucket that looked like it had been used as a makeshift toilet.
The smell made his eyes sting.
He'd seen plenty of unpleasant things in his short life, but this… this was on another level entirely.
The rest of the room wasn't much better. Moss blanketed the walls in slick, green patches that crept up from the floor to vanish into the arches above. The stones were damp and crumbling. A few slivers of light pierced through cracks in the ceiling. They barely reached the floor, casting long shadows that danced with the dust swirling in the gloom. Across from him stood a rusted iron door, bolted shut. From underneath it, a faint line of torchlight spilled into the room, glowing gold against the stone.
"I don't think I'm in Konoha anymore."
Naruto shifted to stand up, but a harsh clinking echoed in the room.
Thick metal cuffs were locked around his ankles, their ends bolted into the floor. Not only was he trapped, he was a prisoner. And he was no longer in his usual clothes. He wore the pyromancer outfit he'd seen in the ring of fire.
How? His thoughts spiraled. Why am I chained up?
Was this some punishment for stealing the scroll? The idea crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. The Hokage wouldn't do something like this. Not Jiji. He wasn't that cruel… right?Still sitting, Naruto forced himself to look away from the rat and the filth, focusing instead on the cold stone and the slivers of light trickling from above. He needed to think.
In the corner of his eye, a line of woodlice began crawling toward the rat's corpse, their tiny bodies inching along the floor like a living shadow.
"Where's a fire jutsu when you need it?"
The childish urge to solve everything with a fireball pulled his thoughts away from full-on panic. Naruto looked down at the pyromancer clothes again. Wait. I should have gotten a fire jutsu, right? I got the clothes... His brow furrowed. But where were the axe and shield that came with this?
Weird.
Deciding not to worry about it just yet, Naruto extended his hand toward the advancing bugs and shouted, "Fireball!"
Nothing.
He stared at his hand like it had betrayed him. "Where's my fireball? How am I supposed to one-up that emo bastard now? How do I change my status?"
The moment the word status left his mouth. A glowing screen appeared before him, floating just above eye level.
"Did saying 'status' summon this? What even is this thing?"
Maybe it could tell him what happened to his fire jutsu. Or better yet, maybe it held a clue on how to break out of these chains and escape the dungeon. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out toward the screen, half-expecting it to vanish the moment his fingers got close.
But it didn't vanish.
"Okay," he breathed. "Let's see what you can do."
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]
- [ Covenant: None ]
- [ Level: 1 ]
- [ Souls: 0 ]
[ Attributes: ]
- [ Vitality: 10 ]
- [ Attunement: 12 ]
- [ Endurance: 11 ]
- [ Strength: 12 ]
- [ Dexterity: 9 ]
- [ Resistance: 12 ]
- [ Intelligence: 10 ]
- [ Faith: 8 ]
- [ Humanity: 0 ]
[ Stats: ]
- [ HP: 573 / 573 ]
- [ Stamina: 93 ]
- [ Equip Load: 8.0 / 51.0 ]
[ Weapon Stats: ]
- [ R Weapon 1: 20 ]
- [ R Weapon 2: 20 ]
- [ L Weapon 1: 20 ]
- [ L Weapon 2: 20 ]
[ Defense: ]
- [ Physical Defense: 73 (20) ]
- [ VS Strike: 78 ]
- [ VS Slash: 73 ]
- [ VS Thrust: 73 ]
- [ Magic Defense: 73 (13) ]
- [ Flame Defense: 99 (21) ]
- [ Lightning Defense: 59 (16) ]
[ Resistances: ]
- [ Poise: 0 ]
- [ Bleed Resist: 104 ]
- [ Poison Resist: 194 ]
- [ Curse Resist: 35 ]
[ Miscellaneous: ]
- [ Item Discovery: 100 ]
- [ Attunement Slots: 2 ]
[ Attunement Slot 1: Fireball × 8 ]
[ Attunement Slot 2: Empty ]
Naruto blinked in confusion as he stared at the numbers and terms on the screen, not understanding what any of it meant. But his eyes locked onto fireball listed under something called an "attunement slot."
"Okay, so I have a fireball, but how do I use it?"
He tapped on the screen, hoping for some additional info to pop up, but nothing happened. Just as he was about to try something else, the entire room filled with a blinding light. He squinted upwards, shielding his eyes, and as his vision adjusted to the figure.
Naruto had seen armor before. Basic shinobi chainmail, the occasional flak vest, and even samurai armor displayed in the Hokage Tower.
But this was different.
Steel plates guarded vital points, layered over chainmail and thick padding, all bound together with worn leather straps. A blue surcoat hung over layers of chainmail and padding, its edges brushing against a mail skirt. A rounded bascinet helm concealed his face entirely, leaving only narrow slits for his eyes.
Scuffed greaves protected his legs. A Straight sword rested at his side while the shield in his other hand bore a golden lion, its surface scratched and faded as if it had survived more battles than Naruto could count.
"Hey, who are you?!"
"Oh, you haven't gone full hollow?"
"What does that mean?" Naruto shot back, but before the knight could explain, he threw down what looked like a corpse at Naruto's feet. The corpse's skin was pallid and sagging, its eyes hollow and lifeless, and it wore tattered clothes that hung off its frame like rags.
"Hey, weirdo! What's the big idea, huh?" Naruto yelled, his anger flaring up as much as his fear. The knight, unfazed, pointed toward a key hanging from the belt of the corpse.
A key? Yatta, I can finally go free. Oh, Jiji owes me a lot of ramen for making me go through this shit.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the entire room began to shake violently, dust and small pebbles raining down from the ceiling. It felt like something massive was moving above them. The knight quickly moved away from the hole in the ceiling through which a sliver of sunlight had been shining. Glancing up, Naruto saw something huge nearly blocking out the light, its massive silhouette ominous and foreboding.
"He needs my help!"
Should he use a clone to build a ladder? Would that even work? If only I had my grappling rope...
Right then, the grappling hook appeared in his hand. It was his. His name was scratched into the side.
"Where did you come from?" he wondered, but the thought was cut short when the entire roof trembled overhead.
Naruto clenched the old chain while drawing chakra into his palms and flooding it through his arms. The metal groaned under the sudden pressure.
With a sharp exhale, he twisted and yanked.
The chains snapped apart with a loud crack, fragments clattering to the floor.
Shaking off the last bits of metal, he flexed his fingers.
Naruto crouched down and grabbed the key from the corpse. He stuffed the key into his pocket but the second it was in, it vanished. Confused, he slapped the pocket, then turned it inside out. Empty.
"Where did it go?" he muttered, glancing around in case he had dropped it.
A deep, thunderous roar ripped through the dungeon, silencing his thoughts.
"I'll figure this out later. Dattebayo."
Naruto tightened his grip on the rope and hauled himself through the opening. When he emerged, there was no time to take in his surrounding mountains. His attention snapped instantly to the figure waiting for him.
The creature loomed over the platform, a grotesque mass of swollen flesh stitched together in uneven folds. Its skin was stretched tight and slick, as if it might split open at any moment, and every labored movement sent ripples through its bloated frame. Its face was a nightmare carved into meat. Red eyes burned beneath a crown of jagged horns that twisted upward like the dead limbs of a rotting tree. There was no confusion or hunger in that gaze, only malice.
In one enormous hand, it gripped a club so large it looked less like a weapon and more like a torn-up tree trunk, its sheer size promising that a single blow would be enough.
This thing was bigger than his entire room back in Konoha.
Every ounce of bravado drained out of Naruto. He had fought bullies, sparred in the academy, and faced classmates in training. But this was different. This was life or death. And all the loud words he usually threw around meant nothing here. He was terrified. The thought of that club smashing down and splintering him into pieces shut everything else out.
It can kill me.
Suddenly, like lightning, the knight moved. He slid between the demon's legs. The blade bit deep into the demon's calf. A fountain of dark blood sprayed out with a sickening sound. The creature howled, stumbling back as it swung its club in wide, panicked arcs.
Naruto's heart still pounded against his ribs. But he wasn't frozen anymore. This thing wasn't untouchable. And if it could bleed, it could be beaten.
[Name: Asylum Demon]
[HP: 2,000 / 2,195]
A glowing window appeared in front of him. Naruto blinked, barely able to register it before the world seemed to slow down. The Asylum Demon raised its massive arm. The weapon came up for a brutal backswing towards the knight.
Naruto formed the cross sign as fast as his fingers would allow.
Ninja Art: Shadow Clone Jutsu!
A dozen copies burst into existence across the rooftop.
"Get that ugly bastard!"
The clones swarmed the demon, punching and kicking from every side. But their attacks did nothing. One by one, they were smashed away, vanishing into puffs of smoke.
The knight looked around in disbelief, stunned by what he was seeing.
"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Naruto yelled while grabbing the knight by the arm, and swung them both toward the hole in the roof. The two of them dropped fast. The knight gripped the rope with all his strength, wrapping it around one arm to slow their descent, feet bracing against the wall.
They hit the ground hard, but not broken.
Naruto dropped to his knees and began scrambling across the floor, eyes darting.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to find the key! We need to get out of here before that thing..."
Naruto cried out, grabbing his head. Memories crashed into him all at once, like a wave slamming against a cliff. He saw every clone were destroyed. None of them had made it past a single strike.
He didn't even know that was possible. But he had felt all of it.
"Don't worry," the knight said, calm despite the chaos. "The demon won't come into the asylum."
"What?"
Naruto followed the knight's gaze.
The Asylum Demon loomed above the hole, staring down at them. Its massive eye locked on Naruto, burning with hate. It was measuring him. And it wanted him dead. But the demon didn't move. It stared a moment longer, then slowly turned and flew away.
"Are you alright?"
Naruto wiped his forehead and forced a grin. "Of course I'm alright. You think a fat ugly demon like that can scare the great Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," the knight repeated, rolling the name around like he was testing the sound of it.
"Yep. And I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage in Konoha!"
"You are a strange one, aren't you?"
"Well, this strange one just saved your life, Dattebayo!"
The knight chuckled and extended his hand. "That you did. I am Oscar, Knight of Astora. Pleased to meet you."
Naruto grabbed his hand and gave it a quick shake. "You're not from Konoha?"
"I know no such place. I am a knight of Astora, on pilgrimage to Lordran."
Naruto blinked. Lordran? Astora? The words spun around in his head, knocking loose every question at once. How did I get here? Where even is here? What happened to Konoha?
His pulse climbed, but he kept his face still. That alone surprised him. Usually his emotions poured out like an open faucet. But now, despite the storm building inside, he kept it contained.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," Naruto said quickly, though it rang hollow even to his own ears.
"Then, why are you still shaking my hand?"
"Oh... uh, right!" Naruto pulled back fast and rubbed the back of his neck, his face turning red. "Sorry, I just... I mean, with everything going on, it's a lot."
He stumbled over the words, then caught himself and pivoted. "Where's the key?"
The questions in his head could wait. Getting out of here came first. As Naruto turned, his eyes drifted toward the glowing system window still hovering in the air. And suddenly a thought hit him.
The grappling hook. It just appeared in my hand like it had been summoned. But I didn't carry it with me. I didn't see it on the ground.
His brow furrowed.
Could it be a storage seal? Some jutsu, I don't understand yet...
Curiosity burned through the panic.
"I wonder..." he whispered under his breath and focused on the thought. Item.
A new line of glowing text flickered to life.
"Okay... now we're getting somewhere."
[ Inventory ]
[ Upgrade Materials ]
[ Key Items ]
[ Spells ]
[ Weapons ]
[ Ammunition ]
[ Armour ]
[ Rings ]
Naruto opened the glowing window and navigated to Key Items. He focused on the Dungeon Cell Key and selected it.
A faint shimmer pulsed as the key had just appeared. Naruto held it up, still amazed by how the system responded not just to his actions but to his thoughts.
Oscar didn't comment.
Is this normal around here or something? Naruto wondered. He'd never seen any jutsu like this. Storage seals were one thing, but this was on a whole different level.
"Come on, let's get out of here," he said, shaking off the weirdness as he turned to the rusted metal gate. He slid the key into the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open with a long, low creak.
The hall stretched far ahead, the ceiling arching high above. Rows of prison cells lined the walls, their bars bent and broken like something had ripped them apart by brute force. Torches flickered in rusty sconces, casting long shadows across the stone floor.
But what made Naruto's skin crawl were the things standing in the distance.
Figures with their skin peeling away in patches, some revealing raw muscle and bone. Hollow sockets stared out from half-decomposed faces. Their bodies were hunched and malformed, and the only thing they wore were tattered loincloths. Each one dragged a broken sword hilt, moving with a strange, twitchy stillness.
"...What are these things?"
Oscar stepped up beside him, sword already drawn. "Hollows," he said. "The undead that have lost their purpose."
An undead that has lost its purpose...
Naruto didn't know why, but it hit something deep in his chest. He shook it off, and dragged his focus back to Oscar's sword.
He could use the kunai in his inventory, sure. But a sword?
"Man… maybe I should've picked a class that actually comes with one of those," Naruto said. "Could've saved me a lot of trouble. You might've even taught me how to use it, y'know."
"Very well," Oscar said, offering the weapon.
"Huh? Wait, really? I mean… I was joking. Mostly."
"You saved my life," Oscar said simply. "Teaching you is the least I can do. Besides, you should know the basics if you plan on surviving here."
Naruto grinned, practically glowing. He took the sword in both hands, feeling the cold weight of it settle into his grip.
Oscar nodded toward the hollows.
"They're empty and docile. Perfect for training."
No one had ever taken the time to teach him anything before. At the academy, Naruto was just the loud troublemaker. The kid everyone ignored or avoided. But here was this total stranger was offering to teach him something with no judgment and hesitation.
"This is the Astora Straight Sword."
The Astora Straight Sword was a straight, double-edged arming sword. The blade is moderately narrow with a shallow fuller running along its length. Its steel has weathered to a dull, matte finish, yet the edge remained clean and evenly honed. The crossguard curved slightly forward, forming hooked quillons. Fine engravings remain visible along the guard. A small green gem is set at the guard's center.
"So, what kinda special move are you gonna teach me?"
Oscar let out a quiet breath, almost a chuckle. "I remember thinking the same way when I was a squire. Always hunting for some secret strike that would win a fight outright."
Naruto stiffened, half-expecting a lecture. Instead, Oscar's tone stayed calm, almost thoughtful.
"But real fighting teaches you that there are no tricks that'll save you when steel is inches from your throat. What keeps you alive is discipline, structure and fundamentals."
Naruto straightened. I'm not wasting this. I'll take it seriously. Dattebayo!
"Forget spectacle," Oscar said. "Master the simple things, and they will carry you farther than any clever flourish."
He raised two fingers.
"I will show you two cuts. If you can perform these correctly, they will serve you in almost every fight you face."
Oscar drew his sword in one smooth motion, settling into a stance. His feet were shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and weight centered.
"First," he said, "the light cut."
He stepped forward and delivered a quick horizontal strike, driven by a turn of the hips and shoulders, the blade snapping back into guard almost immediately.
"That's looks kinda basic."
"Because it is. And because it works."
Oscar repeated the motion, slower this time. "This strike is about efficiency. One hand. Minimal commitment. You strike with the edge properly aligned, recover immediately, and remain mobile. Speed and control matter more than strength here. If your edge is wrong, or your balance is off, you are not cutting. You are waving steel."
Naruto nodded, eyes tracking the blade.
"Now," Oscar said, shifting his stance, "the heavy cut."
He placed both hands on the grip, raised the sword above his head, and stepped forward as he brought it down in a powerful vertical strike.
"This one commits," Oscar said. "You put your body behind it. Hips, shoulders and legs. It is slower, but if it lands cleanly, it can end a fight outright."
"And if I miss?"
"Then you pay for it," Oscar replied evenly. "A heavy cut leaves you open. If you overreach, if your footing is poor, your enemy will answer before you can recover. Power always comes with risk."
He stepped back and demonstrated again. A short thrust from guard. A rising cut. Then another controlled downward strike.
Naruto watched closely, absorbing every detail, but a question finally slipped out.
"Hold on," he said. "Why only two attacks?"
"That's enough."
"What about something cool like a spin slash or reverse grip?"
Oscar gave a short breath, almost a sigh. "You want to look cool, or stay alive?"
"Stay alive."
"Exactly. You can learn more when you're not surrounded by danger. Right now, I'm giving you what matters. Solid footing. Clean cuts. Read the distance. Keep your guard up. That's swordsmanship."
Naruto's grip tightened on the hilt. "Got it."
Oscar stepped closer, adjusting his hands. "Keep your elbows loose. Let the blade move. Don't fight it."
Naruto inhaled, then faced the nearest hollow. It just stood there, barely moving.
"Okay, light cut," Naruto muttered while swinging at the first hollow but he misjudged the distance. The sword barely grazed the hollow's side as he nearly tripped over his own feet. His heart pounding as he jumped backward, expecting the hollow to lunge at him.
But it didn't move, just stood there, swaying slightly.
"Failure is part of learning, young man. Don't let it define you. Learn from it and do better."
"Yeah," Naruto whispered to himself, raising the sword and focusing on the hollow in front of him. This time, he swung with more control, keeping his movements compact. The blade connected solidly, cutting into the hollow's chest with a clean motion.
"Excellent," Oscar praised. "Now, the strong cut."
Naruto turned toward the hollow at the end of the hall. He raised the sword high, gripping it with both hands. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, and then he swung down hard, using all his strength. The sword cut through the air and struck the hollow with a force that reverberated up his arms. It wasn't perfect, but it was a huge improvement from his earlier attempts.
The boy let out a breathless shout, his heart racing with exhilaration. "Swinging a sword is awesome!" He turned, ready to ascend the stairs, when Oscar's voice stopped him. "Wait, young Naruto."
"Oh, yeah. This is your sword. I should give it back."
But Oscar shook his head. "No, you forgot to claim your prize."