What if: Sorcery (Patreon)

Author’s Note:

Alright, today’s chapter is going to be a little different! As you can tell from the title, this is an extra chapter exploring what would have happened if Naruto had chosen the Sorcerer class instead of Pyromancer.

The idea came from the last chapter, where Naruto briefly wondered: “What would’ve happened if I had picked Sorcerer instead?”—and honestly, I couldn’t resist answering that question. Plus, once I started brainstorming, the possibilities were way too fun to ignore.

This chapter will pick up from the moment Naruto was deciding between Pyromancer and Bandit, so we won’t be copy-pasting the entire first chapter—just jumping straight into the chaos.

Enjoy!

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Naruto paced in front of the two choices, rubbing his chin like he was some kind of wise old sage. Bandit had big muscles and an axe, which was honestly pretty tempting. Pyromancer had fireballs, which meant he could finally one-up Sasuke and his stupid Fire Style jutsu. Both had their appeal.

“My fireball is gonna be better,” he muttered, already picturing the look on that smug jerk’s face when he blew his stupid duck-butt hair off.

But then he sat down, humming as he stared at the flickering rings of fire. Choices were annoying. He wasn’t used to having a bunch of options like this. Usually, his choices boiled down to either “do something dumb” or “do something even dumber” and hope for the best.

Leaning back on his hands, he thought it over—

And suddenly, he felt heat.

Right on his back.

He blinked, turning around, and his stomach dropped. He had accidentally sat in front of the Sorcerer’s ring.

The flames pulsed, responding to him like he had just given his answer.

“Wait—no, no, no, hold on—!” He tried to scramble backward, but before he could even blink, BOOM. A blinding flash of light exploded around him, swallowing everything.

Naruto didn’t know how to explain what happened next.

One second, his thoughts were normal—messy, loud, bouncing everywhere like usual. The next? Everything opened up.

It was like his brain had been trapped in a fog his whole life, and suddenly, the wind blew it all away. He felt… lighter. Clearer. Like he could see paths he had never noticed before.

He could feel the chakra inside him. Every tiny bit of it, moving like a river through his veins. Before, he had just used it, like throwing a rock into a pond and hoping for ripples. Now? It was like he could see the entire pond, every wave, every ripple, every drop of water.

Was this what it was like to be a genius?

For the first time in his life, he felt aware.

And then—

He braced himself for the familiar scents of Konoha.

Or maybe something even cooler—like, he didn’t know, a big fancy wizard school. If he had magic powers, maybe he had been teleported to some secret village of super-powered scroll-readers. Maybe he was gonna be some kind of ultimate ninja-sorcerer.

But when the light finally faded and his eyes adjusted—

He nearly threw up.

The stench hit him like a punch to the gut. Rot. Filth. Something worse than that time Kiba dared him to smell Akamaru’s bed after a rainy day.

He gagged, pinching his nose.

A few feet away from him, a dead rat lay bloated on the floor, its body swollen and leaking. Nearby, there was a bucket—and judging from the smell, it had been used as a toilet for a very, very long time.

Oh, gross.

Forcing himself to turn away, he hoped the rest of the place was less disgusting.

The walls were damp and covered in moss, the stone cracked and crumbling. The ceiling had deep shadows where the light barely reached, and the air was thick, heavy, cold against his skin. The only exit was a rusted metal door, the edges glowing faintly from the torchlight outside.

Okay.

So.

He was in a dungeon.

And, because his luck was absolute garbage, he was also chained to the floor.

Naruto stared at the iron cuff around his ankle. Huh.

…He should probably be freaking out right now.

Like, this was objectively bad. This was “Naruto, what have you done” levels of bad. But for some reason, he wasn’t panicking.

Which was weird.

Okay. Time to break this down.

He was not in Konoha. Or maybe he was, and this was some super-secret dungeon nobody knew about. He was dressed differently—dark robes, weird hat, uncomfortable shoes. He was chained to the ground.

Conclusion?

He had somehow been teleported. Either by that stupid fire ring or by some other weird jutsu.

Sitting back against the wall, he frowned.

If he had his kunai, he could pick the lock.

…And then, suddenly, his kunai was in his hand.

He blinked.

Wait. What?!

Naruto turned the kunai over in his palm. It was his. Orange bandages on the hilt, the tiny scratch from when he had dropped it during training—it was his kunai.

He hadn’t reached anywhere to grab it. He had just… thought about it.

His eyes narrowed.

Okay… let’s test this.

He stretched out his other hand.

“If only I had my jacket.”

Poof.

His bright orange jacket dropped into his lap.

He nearly screamed.

He had just summoned it from nowhere. Like some kind of invisible storage seal.

Oh, that was so cool.

Holding up his hands, his mind raced. This had to mean something.

If he had this, then maybe… maybe there were more answers inside.

He turned his kunai in his hand, using the reflective metal to check his face.

And that was when he actually screamed.

“WHY AM I UGLY?!”

His skin—red, wrinkled, like old leather.

His eyes—sunken, blackened, hollow.

His lips—blueish black.

He looked like a freaking corpse.

“What the hell?!” he shouted, running his fingers over his face. His skin felt dry and stretched, like it barely belonged to him. This wasn’t him.

Did the Sorcerer class do this to him?!

Frustrated, he threw his kunai at the bucket, watching it clatter to the ground and spill over.

It was empty.

He frowned.

That meant whoever was here before him didn’t use it.

…Which meant this body hadn’t been here long.

…Which meant this was still him.

He clenched his fists. His chakra was still there—huge, massive, same as always. His thoughts were the same. He didn’t feel different, except for that weird sense of clarity.

He was still him.

Just… in a body that looked like a human raisin.

Fantastic.

He sighed, rolling his shoulders.

Alright. Focus. He had a weird inventory ability. That meant there had to be more clues inside.

And if he wanted real answers, he was gonna have to find them himself.

Naruto flexed his fingers and took a breath.

“Give me my smoke bomb.”

He didn’t really expect anything to happen, but the moment he said it, there it was. Right in his hand, like it had been there the whole time. A small, round bomb filled with itching powder—something he always carried for pranks. His mind raced. So this weird storage thing didn’t just work with thoughts—it worked with words, too.

He could command it.

“Where am I?” he asked, testing a theory.

…Nothing.

He frowned. So, it could give him things, but not information?

“What did the Sorcerer class do to me?”

Again, nothing.

Huh. Okay. Maybe he needed to ask it differently.

Straightening his back, he channeled his inner Hokage voice and commanded: “Give me a status report.”

The moment the word status left his mouth, the air in front of him shimmered.

A black-and-gold screen materialized, floating in the dim light. It reminded him of something he once read about in a magazine from the Land of Snow—a video game. He’d never seen one in person, but he knew the idea.

[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]

- [ Covenant: None ]

- [ Level: 3 ]


- [ Souls: 0 ]

[ Attributes: ]

- [ Vitality: 8 ]

- [ Attunement: 15 ]


- [ Endurance: 8 ]

- [ Strength: 9 ]


- [ Dexterity: 11 ]

- [ Resistance: 8 ]


- [ Intelligence: 15 ]

- [ Faith: 8 ]


- [ Humanity: 0 ]

[ Stats: ]

- [ HP: 557 / 557 ]

- [ Stamina: 88 ]


- [ Equip Load: 7.0 / 48.0 ]

[ Weapon Stats: ]

- [ R Weapon 1: 20 ]

- [ R Weapon 2: 20 ]


- [ L Weapon 1: 20 ]

- [ L Weapon 2: 20 ]


[ Defense: ]

- [ Physical Defense: 64 (12) ]

- [ VS Strike: 68 ]


- [ VS Slash: 66 ]

- [ VS Thrust: 64 ]


- [ Magic Defense: 80 (11) ]

- [ Flame Defense: 45 (11) ]


- [ Lightning Defense: 56 (13) ]

[ Resistances: ]

- [ Poise: 0 ]

- [ Bleed Resist: 73 ]


- [ Poison Resist: 57 ]

- [ Curse Resist: 35 ]


[ Miscellaneous: ]

- [ Item Discovery: 100 ]

- [ Attunement Slots: 3 ]


[ Attunement Slot 1: Soul Arrow × 30 ]

[ Attunement Slot 2: Empty ]

[ Attunement Slot 3: Empty ]

His stats were listed out, but before he could make sense of them—

WHAM.

A blinding light exploded into the room. He squinted against it, raising an arm to shield his eyes. And then, when his vision adjusted, he saw him.

Armor of gleaming steel and worn leather, pieced together like patchwork but fitting him perfectly. A metal helm covered his face, slits for eyes giving him an unreadable expression. His longsword rested against his hip, a shield on his arm—one marked with a golden lion.

Naruto tensed, getting ready to move if he had to. “Oi. Who are you?”

Instead of answering, the knight tilted his head. “Oh. You haven’t gone full Hollow?”

Naruto blinked.

“What the hell does that mean?”

The knight didn’t answer. Instead, he tossed something at his feet. A corpse.

Naruto jumped back, his stomach twisting. The body was horrible—skin sagging, eyes hollow, clothes in tatters. The kind of thing you'd see in a horror movie.

But his attention immediately snapped to one thing. A key dangling from the corpse’s hip. He had no clue who this knight was or what was happening, but that key was his way out.

He opened his mouth to demand answers, but—

RUMBLE.

Dust rained from the ceiling. Something huge moved above them, its weight making the entire dungeon tremble. The knight backed away from the hole in the ceiling, shifting into a defensive stance.

Naruto glanced up—

And froze.

Something massive loomed above. A shape—grotesque, towering, unnatural. Its form blocked out the sunlight filtering through the cracks. He couldn’t see details, just a silhouette that felt wrong in every possible way. Snapping out of his shock, Naruto grabbed the key off the corpse, shoving it into his inventory the second he had it. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he made a Shadow Clone.

The clone crouched.

Naruto jumped onto its shoulders.

Another clone popped into existence below it. Then another.

A human ladder.

He shot up through the hole, flipping over the edge and landing on solid ground.

And that’s when he saw it.

Its body was a monstrous mass of bloated, glistening flesh—like it had been stitched together from too much meat. Its limbs were swollen, grotesque, barely able to support its own weight.

And its face.

A twisted mess of features, half-hidden behind a tangled crown of horns. Its eyes burned red, filled with pure hatred. It lifted a massive club, easily the size of a tree trunk. The entire thing was covered in spikes and wrapped in torn leather strips.

It swung down—

And the knight slid between its legs, his longsword flashing like silver lightning.

SLICK.

His blade tore through the demon’s calf. Black, putrid blood sprayed onto the ground. The demon screeched, its roar shaking the entire space.

[ Asylum Demon ]

[ HP: 2,000 / 2,195 ]

Naruto’s breath caught in his throat.

A window of information appeared in front of him. A health bar. A name.

And then—

Everything slowed down. The demon moved. Its arm raised high, muscles tensing for a devastating swing. The knight was exposed. Too slow to dodge.

Naruto didn’t think.

He threw a kunai. It hit the demon’s eye. It let out a guttural screech, stumbling back. He acted immediately, making five clones.

“HEY, KNIGHT GUY! MOVE!”

Grabbing the knight’s gauntlet, Naruto yanked him backward, bolting for the hole. His clones rushed the demon, attacking from all sides, buying them time.

Without thinking, he leapt into the hole, dragging the knight with him. He landed, rolling to absorb the impact. His chakra kept his knees from snapping in half.

The knight hit the ground next to him, his armor clanking against the stone. He immediately sat up, staring at Naruto like he had grown another head.

Naruto didn’t have time for that.

Scrambling toward the door, he took out the key.

“What are you doing?!”

“We need to get outta here before that thing—“

Naruto froze.

His head pounded as memories flooded in. Every clone’s final moments. None of them had even scratched the demon. It had wiped them out in one swing.

The knight stood, shaking his head. “Don’t worry.” His voice was calm. Too calm.

“The demon won’t come inside the asylum.”

Naruto frowned. “What? How do you know that?”

The knight gestured up.

Naruto hesitated, then followed his gaze. The demon loomed over the hole, its massive eye glaring down at them. For a moment, Naruto’s blood ran cold. It could kill them so easily. They were right there.

But… it didn’t move.

It just stared.

Then, slowly… It turned and it walked away.

Naruto let out a shaky breath.His hands were still trembling.

“…Okay,” he muttered. “That was terrifying.”

The knight let out a small chuckle.

“Well, no one ever said this pilgrimage would be easy.”

Naruto frowned.

“Pilgrimage?” he echoed, crossing his arms.

The knight—Oscar, apparently—nodded. “Yes. The pilgrimage of the undead.” He tilted his head, his expression unreadable beneath that helmet. “Surely, a young sorcerer like yourself is here for the same reason.”

That made Naruto blink. A sorcerer? Oscar thought he was a sorcerer? Right… he was still wearing these weird robes. But more importantly—

“My name’s Naruto Uzumaki,” he corrected. “And I didn’t come here for anything—I just ended up here. I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.”

Oscar was silent for a moment, as if chewing over Naruto’s words. Then, he muttered, “Naruto Uzumaki…” Slowly, carefully, like he was trying to taste it. Finally, he nodded. “Then allow me to inform you: you are in the Northern Undead Asylum.”

Naruto looked down, thinking hard.

That name meant nothing to him. He knew Konoha, the Elemental Nations, the lands of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning… but Northern Undead Asylum? Never heard of it.

That confirmed it.

He was far from home.

Oscar must’ve caught on to his silence because he let out a small chuckle. “I take it you’ve never heard of this place before.”

“Not even a little,” Naruto admitted.

Another chuckle. Then, to Naruto’s surprise, Oscar extended a gauntleted hand.

“I am Oscar, Knight of Astora. And I owe you my life.”

Naruto blinked at his outstretched hand before taking it, shaking firmly. The knight’s grip was strong, but not crushing.

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Naruto said, grinning. “At least now I got someone to talk to.”

With that, Oscar turned and unlocked the rusted metal gate, pushing it open with a long, groaning creak.

And that’s when Naruto saw it.

The hallway stretched out before them, huge, its walls arching high into the ceiling like the ribs of some giant, long-dead beast. Prison cells lined both sides, their doors broken, metal bars bent and twisted like something had ripped them apart. Torches flickered along the walls, casting dancing shadows across the stone floor. But what really caught Naruto’s attention were the things shambling in the distance.

His stomach turned.

They weren’t human. Or… maybe they had been, once. Now, their flesh was peeling, raw red muscle showing underneath. Some barely had any skin left at all—just sagging, discolored meat stretched over twisted bones. Their clothes were little more than rotting rags, barely covering their withered forms. And their eyes.

Their eyes were empty.

Like… nothing was inside them anymore. They clutched broken weapons in their bony hands, dragging them against the stone as they shuffled aimlessly.

“What… what are those?”

“Hollows.”

Naruto didn’t like the way he said that.

“Hollows?”

“A fate worse than death.” Oscar tightened his grip on his blade. “They were once human. But when an undead loses their purpose… they hollow. Their minds shatter, leaving only a hungry shell.”

Something cold crawled down Naruto’s spine.

A fate worse than death.

He looked at the Hollows. Then… he looked at his own hands.

His fingers were thin, skin wrinkled and leathered like an old man’s. His nails looked dull, almost grayish. He turned his hands over, heart beating faster.

Did that mean…?

“…Am I a Hollow?” he asked quietly.

Oscar glanced at him.

“No. You are an undead. A human branded by the Darksign.”

Naruto’s head snapped up. “The Darksign?”

That ring of fire—the one in the Forbidden Scroll of Seals.

“Is the Darksign a ring of fire?” Naruto asked, his voice serious.

“Yes.”

His stomach dropped.

It was true. That seal—the glowing ring of fire Naruto had seen in the Forbidden Scroll—that was the Darksign. And he had touched it. That was how he ended up here.

His thoughts were shattered by the sudden sound of steel slicing flesh.

Naruto turned in time to see Oscar cut down a Hollow, his sword flashing in the torchlight. The creature let out a low, guttural groan as it collapsed.

Something strange happened.

A white light rose from the Hollow’s body, swirling like a mist before forming into small, glowing orbs.

Naruto blinked. “What the hell is that?”

Oscar didn’t even hesitate. “Souls.”

“Souls?”

He nodded. “Souls are… well, power. You can use them to strengthen yourself. By collecting them, you can increase your abilities—strength, dexterity, intelligence, and more.”

Naruto stared at the glowing energy. Then, his eyes flickered to the status screen he had seen earlier. The numbers. The attributes.So… if he gathered souls, he could make those numbers go up.

He could get stronger. Smarter.

He could find a way back home.

Something clicked in his head.

He didn’t waste a second.

With a quick Substitution Jutsu, reappearing behind the furthest Hollow, kunai already in hand.

SHINK.

He slit its throat.

The Hollow made a low, gurgling sound before dropping, the same white mist rising from its body.

“Hmm.”

Oscar’s voice made Naruto glance back.

“I see the sorcerers of Vinheim have developed some rather… creative spells.”

“I wonder…” Naruto muttered under his breath. “Item.”

To his shock, the command worked.

A black screen appeared in front of him, listing different sections:

— [ Consumables ]

— [ Upgrade Materials ]


— [ Key Items ]

— [ Spells ]


— [ Weapons ]

— [ Ammunition ]


— [ Armor ]

— [ Rings ]


He clicked on Spells.

[ Item: Soul Arrow ]

[ Description: Elementary sorcery. Fire a soul arrow. Soul arrows inflict magic damage, making them effective against iron armor, tough scales, and other physically resilient materials. ]

A flash of steel.

His instincts screamed for Naruto to move.

Chakra surged through his body, and in a blink, he had already switched places with another broken object.

His eyes snapped to Oscar. He had slashed behind where Naruto had been standing.

A Hollow collapsed.

“…Huh,” Naruto breathed, realization hitting him.

Oscar had just saved him.

“Heh. I guess I saved you, and you saved me.”

Oscar sheathed his sword. “I highly doubt it was an even trade. The Asylum Demon is far more dangerous than these weaklings.”

With that, they pressed forward, climbing the ladder at the end of the hall.

As Naruto climbed, a strange warmth washed over him. It was weird—not like regular heat, not like standing next to a fire or feeling the sun on his skin. This was something deeper, like curling up under a blanket after a long, exhausting day. Familiar. Safe. For a second, he could almost trick himself into thinking he was back in Konoha, lying on his apartment floor after a long training session.

He frowned. That was crazy. Nothing about this place was safe.

“Looks like there’s a bonfire nearby,” Oscar said, his voice steady as ever.

“Bonfire?”

Oscar didn’t explain, just kept climbing.

Oscar didn’t explain, just kept climbing.

When Naruto finally pulled himself up over the ledge, the sight nearly knocked the breath out of him.

He was standing in the middle of a vast courtyard—silent, ancient, and completely abandoned. The stones beneath his feet were worn smooth, like they had been walked on for centuries. The walls, once huge and imposing, were now crumbling and broken, their jagged edges jutting toward the gray sky. Ivy clung to the stone, winding through the ruins like nature was trying to reclaim what had been lost.

It was… eerie. But also kind of sad.

Naruto stared at the ruins, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. Places like this used to be grand, right? They used to mean something. But now? Now they were just remnants of something that didn’t exist anymore.

“Come on,” Oscar said. “Let’s rest for a moment.”

“Here?” Naruto asked, still eyeing the ruined walls like they were going to collapse at any second.

“It’s safe.”

“Safe?” He echoed, unconvinced. “Says who?”

“Says the bonfire.”

Following Oscar’s gaze, Naruto spotted a strange sword embedded in the ground. It looked old—rusted, worn down, almost forgotten. It reminded him of that old tanto he had once found in the forest, buried under a pile of leaves, like it had been waiting for someone to pick it up again.

Oscar stepped forward and removed his glove. That’s when Naruto saw it—his hand.

His skin was pale, almost gray, stretched thin over his bones. It looked just like those hollows they had fought earlier.

“You’re undead too.”

“Yes,” Oscar admitted easily. “Branded by the Darksign.”

“So… what? You touched that ring of fire too?”

Oscar hesitated. “Not exactly.” He sighed. “The Darksign isn’t something you find, Naruto. It’s a curse. One day, you die. And when you wake up… you’re undead.”

Naruto froze.

Did I—did I die back in Konoha? Is that why I woke up here?

He swallowed hard, his mind racing. He couldn’t have died. He felt fine—well, aside from looking like a dried-up raisin. But… if what Oscar was saying was true, then how else did he get here?

Before he could ask more, Oscar pulled out a small dagger and sliced his palm.

“What the hell—“

A single drop of blood landed on the sword.

Flames erupted from the base of the blade, roaring to life like they had been waiting for him. Warmth flooded the area, pushing back the cold and the eerie silence. The sensation of safety hit Naruto like a wave. His muscles relaxed, his shoulders slumped, and suddenly, he felt… okay. The fear, the confusion, the exhaustion—he let it all go.

Before he knew it, he was sitting on the ground, staring into the fire, his thoughts finally quiet for the first time since he got here.

For just a moment, he let himself believe everything would be alright.

The peace didn’t last.

A flash of movement overhead caught Naruto’s eye. He snapped his head up just in time to see something massive flying across the sky.

His stomach dropped.

“Uh… Oscar?”

“I see it,” Oscar said, his voice calm.

They both watched as the Asylum Demon—yeah, that giant, ugly bastard from before—landed right in front of a massive set of doors. The same doors they were supposed to go through.

It didn’t barge in, didn’t smash them down. No. It was waiting.

Waiting for them.

Naruto swallowed. “So… uh. What now?”

“We prepare,” Oscar said simply.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. “Prepare? How? You got a plan? ‘Cause I’d really love to hear it.”

Oscar reached into his belt and pulled out a few glass bottles. He held them under the fire, and—wait.

Was that fire going into the bottles?

Naruto blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Nope. Still happening.

“What the hell?”

Oscar glanced at him. “What?”

“You—you’re just bottling fire?”

“Yes.”

“…Like it’s soup?”

A pause. “…Yes.”

Naruto stared at him. “Dude.”

Oscar shook his head, probably deciding to ignore him. “Give me your Estus Flasks. I’ll fill them up for you.”

“My what now?”

Oscar frowned. “Your Estus Flasks. The bottles that hold the essence of the bonfire.”

Naruto spread his hands. “Yeah, I don’t have those.”

Oscar’s frown deepened.

“Fine. What spells do you know?”

“That’s easy,” Naruto said, standing up. “Check this out.”

He went through the basic Academy jutsu—first, the Transformation Jutsu. A puff of smoke, and suddenly, he was Oscar. He dropped the jutsu and grinned at Oscar’s mildly startled expression.

“Impressive,” Oscar admitted.

Next, Naruto performed the Substitution Jutsu, swapping places with a nearby rock. He reappeared a few feet away, still grinning.

Oscar nodded approvingly. “A useful skill.”

Naruto took a steady breath and got ready for the Academy’s Clone Jutsu.

Okay, Naruto. Just like the Academy.

He weaved the hand signs, molding his chakra exactly as he had done a thousand times before—except this time was different.

He felt it.

For the first time in his life, he could actually sense how his chakra moved, how it coiled inside him like a living thing, waiting to be shaped. It was as if a fog had been lifted from his mind, revealing something he should have seen all along.

He pushed his chakra outward, carefully molding it the way he had been taught.

POOF.

The illusion of a clone flickered into existence beside him, standing perfectly still.

Naruto stared at it.

It looked right.

Not sickly. Not unstable. Just a normal illusion—exactly how the jutsu was meant to work.

But there was no thrill of victory. No excitement at finally getting it right. Instead, his mind immediately began breaking everything down, analyzing it in a way he never had before.

It was so obvious now.

The Academy had never actually taught him to control his chakra. They had told him to mold it, to “use just enough,” but how was he supposed to know what “just enough” felt like if no one explained it? They had given him a vague, one-size-fits-all explanation, never considering that someone like him—with this much chakra—would struggle with a technique designed for kids with far less.

He hadn’t failed because he was bad at the Clone Jutsu.

He had failed because no one had taught him how to actually use his chakra.

They hadn’t even bothered.

His fists clenched.

So what would’ve happened if he had never gotten this sorcerer’s class? Would he have kept thinking he was just bad at this forever? Kept struggling with jutsu like some idiot while no one explained what was wrong?

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to let the anger go.

It didn’t matter. He knew now. And he was never going to let himself be that blind again.

“Fascinating,” Oscar murmured, watching him closely.

Naruto made a cross handsign, a confident grin tugging at his lips as his perfect clone popped into existence beside him.

“I also have a solid version,” he said.

“That could be useful. But I think you need to learn something more.”

“What, you’re gonna teach me swordsmanship?” The idea wasn’t unappealing—actually, it sounded kinda awesome.

“Not quite. I’m going to teach you a technique that will help you always be aware of your enemy. It’s something I developed—a technique that earned me the title of knight.”

That got Naruto’s attention. He straightened up, eyes gleaming with curiosity. A knight’s technique? One that could keep him aware of his surroundings at all times?

“Is it strong?” he asked, barely able to contain the excitement bubbling in his chest.

“You’ll judge that for yourself.”

“What’s it called?”

“The Way of Focality.”

Naruto blinked. Okay, that sounded cool. But… what did it even mean? “Alright, but what does it do?”

Oscar’s gaze was steady. “A physician in Astora once told me that the human body has limitations—barriers to protect itself. But when someone is in a near-death scenario, those limitations break.” He held Naruto’s gaze as he spoke, his tone firm. “The Way of Focality mimics that state—enhancing your perception, allowing you to focus entirely on your enemy without distractions.”

Naruto frowned. “How is that a technique?” It sounded more like something that just happened when you were about to die.

Oscar didn’t seem annoyed by the skepticism. If anything, he looked amused. “Because that near-death state isn’t the technique itself. What I developed is a breathing method—one that allows you to maintain that heightened awareness without needing to face death every time.”

“Wait. That actually sounds… useful.”

His mind turned over the possibilities. If this breathing method let him react faster, see things clearer, feel his enemy’s movements—this could change everything.

Then, an idea struck him.

“I think I can speed this up.”

Oscar tilted his head slightly. “Do tell?”

“Well, when the Asylum Demon killed my clones earlier, I felt everything they did when they popped. The memories came back instantly. So what if I use that for training? Hundreds of clones, all working on this Way of Focality, and every time they get close—bam, you cut ‘em down. All that experience flows back to me.”

Oscar blinked. Then again. Then, to Naruto’s surprise, the knight actually laughed, shaking his head.

“Rumors about a sorcerer’s madness weren’t false, I see.”

Naruto smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Oscar sighed, sheathing his sword. “Very well. Let’s see if your plan works.”

He turned to the clones, preparing to guide them through the breathing technique while Naruto stepped away from the bonfire.

As much as he wanted to join in, something was tugging at his attention—something new. He outstretched his hand.

“Soul Arrow.”

Immediately, something appeared in front of him—a floating parchment, glowing faintly. Naruto reached for it, and the moment his fingers brushed against the page, knowledge poured into his mind. It wasn’t just words—it was understanding. He could see how the spell worked.

And it was nothing like chakra.

Jutsu in Konoha worked by circulating chakra through the body, shaping it into a technique. The energy never actually left—it was always controlled within the body.

But this?

This was different.

This spell wasn’t just molding energy—it was ejecting it, turning it into something separate from the caster. It wasn’t a flow of chakra, but a complete transformation of it into a force that could exist outside of him.

Naruto clenched his fist.

The parchment mentioned something called a catalyst, which was apparently required to cast the spell. He didn’t have one, but… maybe he could substitute it?

A smirk crossed his lips.

Naruto Uzumaki doesn’t need some weird stick.

Forming the Dragon hand sign, he took a deep breath, focusing on the concept outlined in the scroll.

Concentrate all the energy into a single point.

He could feel it—the chakra pooling into his palm. But instead of letting it circulate, he forced it outward. The sensation was… strange. Like pushing something out of his body that was never meant to leave. His arms trembled slightly, but he gritted his teeth.

Form the image of an arrow.

Chakra was never solid. It was always shifting, flowing. But this spell required form. He imagined it—an arrow, sleek and deadly, the tip sharpened like a kunai.

And then—

Release.

The air screeched.

A bolt of blue light shot forward, slamming into a nearby pillar. The impact sent cracks webbing out across the stone, dust and rubble trickling down from the ceiling.

Naruto blinked.

The entire courtyard went silent.

Oscar, the clones—everyone was staring at him.

Slowly, he turned his head toward the pillar. There was a hole. A deep hole.

“…What was that?” Oscar finally asked, breaking the silence.

Naruto let out a slow breath, feeling the last traces of chakra fade from his fingers.

Then, a grin stretched across his face.

“That, my friend, was Soul Arrow.”

Hours had passed, but Naruto barely felt the time. His nerves were taut, his mind running through every possibility as he and Oscar stood before the towering iron doors. The knight had handed him two Estus flasks earlier, explaining their purpose—a liquid that restored vitality, a lifeline in a battle like this. They now sat neatly in his inventory, weightless yet vital.

The plan was simple: Oscar would be the vanguard, drawing the demon’s attention while Naruto played rearguard, striking from a distance. His shadow clones would act as both support and flanking attackers, overwhelming the creature with sheer numbers.

Oscar turned to him, studying his expression. “Are you afraid?” His voice wasn’t mocking or dismissive. It was calm, steady—like he expected Naruto to be.

Naruto wanted to say no, to puff out his chest and act like this was nothing. But he couldn’t. He felt it—the way his hands trembled slightly, the way his heart hammered against his ribs. He swallowed hard.

“I am… I’m scared,” he admitted.

Oscar nodded. “Good. Only the fool and the arrogant aren’t afraid of their enemy. And remember—neither of them live long.”

Somehow, those words settled Naruto’s nerves rather than making them worse. Fear wasn’t weakness—it was awareness. He could use that.

Together, they pressed their hands against the heavy doors, pushing them open with a deep, metallic groan.

The room beyond was massive. A courtyard, open to the sky, ancient and worn. The cracked stone beneath their feet told stories of battles long past. The towering walls that surrounded them were jagged and broken, standing like silent sentinels. Ruined pillars framed the battlefield, and the massive black iron gate at the far end loomed like the entrance to some forgotten prison.

Then came the roar.

The Asylum Demon landed with a deafening crash, shaking the ground beneath them. Its grotesque, bloated body blocked the far gate completely. Pale, sickly flesh bulged around thick armor plates, and its beady red eyes locked onto them with mindless rage. In its massive hands, it wielded a hammer as big as a tree, crusted with old blood and rust.

Naruto took a deep breath. This is it.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

Dozens of clones burst into existence, fanning out in all directions. The demon roared again, its wings flaring wide before it leapt into the air.

Naruto’s stomach dropped. Oh, crap.

The monster came crashing down, hammer first.

At the last second, one of his clones swapped places with him using Substitution Jutsu. A loud boom shook the entire arena as stone shattered under the demon’s weight.

Naruto didn’t hesitate. He launched a Soul Arrow straight into its exposed back. The blue bolt of energy struck true, forcing the beast to recoil.

“Oscar!”

The knight didn’t need to be told twice. He lunged, sword flashing as he drove it straight for the demon’s gut. But the beast twisted at the last moment, just avoiding the fatal stab.

“Curses!” Oscar muttered as he raised his shield.

The demon retaliated with a wild, horizontal swing of its hammer. Oscar braced himself, taking the full force of the impact. The sheer strength of the blow sent him skidding backward, boots scraping against the stone, but he held.

Naruto took the opening. He fired another Soul Arrow, this time aimed at the demon’s chest. The blast hit, sending ripples through the beast’s flesh.

[Name: Asylum Demon]

[HP: 1580 / 2,195]

We’re wearing it down!

But his hope was short-lived. The demon’s wings flared wide again, and before Naruto could react, it lifted itself off the ground.

Oh, hell no.

“Is he running away?” Naruto muttered, the adrenaline making him bold. But then—his stomach twisted.

The wings stopped.

Gravity took over.

The demon slammed into the ground with the force of a collapsing building.

The shockwave tore through the battlefield, obliterating every clone caught in the blast. A thick cloud of dust and smoke filled the air, choking Naruto’s vision.

He coughed, pushing himself up from where he’d been thrown. His arms felt like lead, his legs wobbly. Blood dripped from his lip. His entire body screamed in pain.

Then he saw it.

The demon, looming above him, hammer raised.

“Oh shi—“

A blur of silver flashed in front of him.

Oscar.

The knight moved like a storm, his blade slicing upward in a precise arc. The demon’s massive hammer met his sword—

—and shattered.

Naruto’s eyes widened as the hammer’s head broke clean off, crashing uselessly to the ground.

But Oscar wasn’t done.

In the same fluid motion, he surged forward, burying his sword deep into the demon’s stomach.

The creature screamed.

Its entire body convulsed, intestines spilling onto the stone floor in a grotesque mess. Steam rose from the wound as the knight wrenched his blade free.

[Name: Asylum Demon]

[HP: 980 / 2,195]

For a split second, Naruto almost felt bad for it.

Then the air shifted.

A strange pressure rolled over him, making his skin crawl.

The demon moved. Not to attack—but to change.

Naruto’s eyes widened as the shattered hammer’s handle began to twist, warping as if it had a mind of its own. The broken shards of surrounding pots and rubble lifted into the air, fusing into the weapon. It elongated, transforming into a jagged staff.

[Bindings of Lord Gwyn have been broken.]

[Name: Stray Demon (2nd Phase)]

[HP: 980 / 2,195]

Naruto froze.

It can change its weapon?!

The demon snarled, slamming its new staff against the ground.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

More clones erupted around Naruto, moving in to surround the demon. The beast swung wide—too slow. The clones dodged easily.

Then—

A sphere of crimson energy flared into existence right beside him.

His Way of Focality caught it in an instant.

“Oh, hell no—“

He swapped with a clone just before the explosion.

BOOM!

The entire battlefield shook as the spell detonated.

Naruto’s ears rang, his heart pounding.

It can use spells?!

“Two can play that game!” Naruto shouted. “Soul Arrow!”

Ten of his clones mirrored his movements, all charging the attack at once.

But the demon leapt.

“It’s escaping!” Oscar warned.

Naruto smirked. “Not really.”

He snapped his hands into the Dragon sign, molding his chakra with precision. This time, he didn’t just follow the spell’s instructions.

He felt the energy.

Instead of just releasing the arrow, he formed it.

The chakra didn’t just surge out—it shaped.

A larger Soul Arrow materialized between his palms, pulsing with raw energy. It hummed, vibrating against his fingertips.

He gripped it like an archer nocking an arrow, his fingers spreading wide—controlling the flow, commanding it.

“Fire!”

The arrow ripped through the air, a streak of pure blue light.

It struck the demon’s wing, piercing straight through.

The beast plummeted, crashing through the arena floor.

The stone beneath their feet cracked—

Then collapsed.

Naruto and Oscar ran.

The ground beneath them gave way, and they fell into the darkness below.

The world tilted violently as Naruto crashed onto the uneven stone floor, his body rolling before he managed to dig his fingers into the ground and force himself still. His breath came in heavy gasps. He’d barely landed, and already his legs were trembling from the impact. The air was thick with dust, kicked up from the collapsing ceiling above.

The chamber they’d fallen into was enormous—a vast, circular dungeon of cracked stone and shattered pillars. The walls stretched impossibly high, lined with jagged fractures where time and neglect had taken their toll. The light that filtered through the cracks above barely reached the floor, leaving long shadows stretching like grasping fingers across the ruin. The air was damp, the scent of moss and decay clinging to everything.

Then Naruto saw it.

The Stray Demon was still moving.

[Name: Stray Demon]

[HP: 300 / 2,195]

The monster groaned, its grotesque bulk struggling to push itself up from the cratered stone where it had landed. Despite everything, despite falling from a height that would have shattered bones, it was still alive. Barely—but alive.

Naruto barely had time to process before instinct took over. His hands flew into a seal.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

A clone flickered into existence beside him, immediately activating Transformation Jutsu.

Naruto wasted no time. He grabbed Oscar and dragged him into the cover of a half-collapsed pillar.

“Sensei, talk to me!” Naruto muttered, his fingers fumbling as he yanked off Oscar’s helmet.

Oscar coughed, grimacing as he shifted. “I’m… alive. Just didn’t expect that fall to hit so hard.”

His arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, the armor dented where he had taken the brunt of the landing. Naruto didn’t hesitate—he grabbed an Estus Flask from his inventory and pressed it to Oscar’s lips.

A faint, golden glow spread across Oscar’s wounds as the knight let out a breath of relief, his arm twisting back into place with a sickening pop.

“Better,” Oscar muttered, flexing his fingers. “What’s our plan?”

Naruto peeked around the edge of the rubble, eyes locking onto the demon, which had finally pushed itself back to its knees. Its stomach wound still gushed thick, black blood.

“It’s already half-dead,” Naruto whispered. “We just have to hit that wound again. Problem is, it’s gonna start flinging spells at us if we just rush in.”

Oscar nodded, rising to his feet with a small wince. “I can keep it focused on me. You hit it from range.”

Naruto swallowed and nodded back. “Okay. We do this fast.”

Oscar gripped his Astora Straight Sword with both hands and charged.

Naruto watched in awe as the knight moved like a blur. He’s fast.

The demon let out a furious roar, lifting its weapon—a massive, jagged staff, crackling with unnatural energy. It raised the weapon high, preparing to strike—

CLANG.

Naruto’s eyes widened.

Oscar’s sword had caught the demon’s staff mid-swing.

Not just caught—parried.

A brilliant white light erupted from Oscar’s blade, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The demon recoiled, its entire body twisting backward as the force of the parry threw its weapon high.

Naruto didn’t waste the opportunity.

“Soul Arrow!”

He felt the energy surge through him, the sensation still foreign and bizarre compared to chakra. This wasn’t about molding energy inside his body. It was about transforming it—pushing it outward, forming it into something entirely new.

A pulse of blue light crackled at his fingertips. He shaped it, focused it, and fired.

The arrow of condensed energy streaked across the battlefield, piercing directly through the demon’s open stomach wound.

A deafening roar filled the chamber.

The demon staggered, its massive frame buckling under its own weight. The wound tore wider, its insides spilling onto the stone floor in thick, steaming ribbons.

It collapsed onto its knees, head lolling as the last remnants of life bled from its body.

Oscar didn’t hesitate.

He surged forward and drove his sword into the demon’s skull.

The blade sank deep.

The demon gave one final, gurgling breath—then fell silent.

A shudder ran through the air as the demon’s body went still.

Then, a light—pure white, swirling with a dark, pulsing core—rose from the corpse.

Naruto’s breath hitched. What… is that?

The massive orb of energy hovered above the fallen demon, pulsating, radiating power that made his skin prickle. He had never seen anything like it—beautiful, terrifying, and overwhelming all at once.

Then—

[Victory Achieved!]

Naruto let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

His legs nearly gave out, but he forced himself forward, practically crashing into Oscar.

“We did it!” Naruto shouted, voice raw with exhilaration. He grabbed the knight in a hug, unbothered by the weight of his armor. "We actually did it!”

Oscar chuckled, his exhaustion evident, but he patted Naruto’s back. “Of course we did. Now, absorb the souls, and let’s get out of here.”

Naruto blinked, stepping back.

[You have gained:]

— 10,000 Souls

— 1 Humanity

— Titanite Slab

— 1 Homeward Bone

— Big Pilgrim’s Key

Naruto’s brain stalled.

“Hold on,” he said, shaking his head. “You want me to take all of it?”

“Of course,” Oscar said simply. “You’re the reason the demon fell. Besides, you’re from another world—you’ll get far more benefits from it than I would.”

His words sent a cold shock through Naruto’s body.

What.

“Another world?” Naruto repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “What are you talking about?”

Before Oscar could answer—

A thud echoed through the chamber.

Naruto’s head snapped up, his instincts screaming.

From the darkness beyond the ruins, a figure stepped forward.

Naruto’s breath caught in his throat. Whoa.

The intruder was massive, clad in jet-black armor that gleamed with an eerie sheen. A horned helmet concealed its face, and in its grip was a greatsword nearly as tall as Naruto himself.

Oscar immediately stepped in front of him. “A Black Knight,” he muttered. His grip tightened on his sword. “Naruto—absorb the souls. I’ll handle this.”

Naruto hesitated. “But—“

“That’s an order.”

The knight charged.

Minutes later, Naruto was dragging Oscar back toward the bonfire.

The battle had been brutal. Oscar had won—but at the cost of his left arm.

Naruto had torn off his jacket, wrapping it tightly around the knight’s bleeding stump, doing his best to slow the blood flow.

The Black Knight’s head now sat several feet away, severed clean from its body.

“Don’t laugh,” Naruto muttered as he heaved Oscar up the ladder leading back to safety. “Sensei, don’t you dare laugh about this.”

Oscar, despite everything, chuckled.

Naruto groaned.

The bonfire crackled softly, its golden flames flickering in the stillness of the ruined courtyard. Naruto and Oscar sat side by side on the worn stone, the warmth of the fire seeping into their tired bodies. Their Estus Flasks rested between them, slowly refilling with shimmering golden liquid, absorbing the fire’s energy like roots drinking from the earth.

Oscar had explained many things to him—things about this world, its legends, its curses. And most importantly, how he had figured out the truth about Naruto.

Naruto was from another world.

And people from other worlds… never go back.

The thought sat in his chest like a stone, heavy and cold.

Naruto pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his arms on them as he stared into the flames.

A silence stretched between them before Oscar finally broke it.

“Naruto… may I ask something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“What does… ‘Sensei’ mean?”

“Sensei?” Naruto echoed. “Uh… well, it means teacher. But it’s more than that.” He looked down at his hands, trying to put his feelings into words. “A sensei is someone you trust. Someone who shows you the way when you’re lost. They believe in you, even when no one else does.”

Then, very softly, Oscar said, “Then… I am honored to be your Sensei.”

Naruto stilled. The words hit him harder than he expected.

It was so simple for Oscar to say. Like it was obvious. Like he had always been Naruto’s teacher, and this was just a formality.

Naruto swallowed past the lump in his throat. He had spent his whole life fighting for recognition, struggling to prove he mattered. And now, here was this knight from another world, giving him that without hesitation.

Naruto gave a crooked smile. “Heh… you’re gonna regret it, y’know. I ask a lot of annoying questions.”

“Then I shall simply have to be patient.”

Naruto laughed, shaking his head, before Oscar’s voice turned softer, more thoughtful.

“If you’ve given me the honor of being your Sensei… then let me give you something in return.”

“Huh?”

“A title. One from my world.”

Naruto’s breath hitched slightly.

“In Astora, there is something we call a Squire… A Squire follows a knight. They learn from them, grow under their guidance, and one day… they become knights themselves. A Squire does not serve as a simple apprentice, nor as a follower.” He exhaled slowly. “They inherit the knight’s mission, their will. They become the ones who carry the torch forward, even when the knight himself can no longer do so.”

A lump formed in Naruto’s throat.

He didn’t know what to say.

For a long minute, he just stared at Oscar, his mind a swirling mess of emotions.

He had spent his life being ignored, mocked, pushed aside. No one in Konoha had ever taken him seriously—he had always been the dead-last, the problem child, the prankster.

And here, in a world that wasn’t even his own, a knight—a warrior who had no reason to care about him—had just recognized him as something more.

Not a failure. Not a burden.

A Squire.

Naruto let out a choked laugh, rubbing his sleeve roughly over his eyes. “You know, it’s kinda ironic,” he muttered, voice thick with emotion.

“How so?”

“Back home… no one ever treated me like this. Like I was worth anything. I had to earn it—had to fight for every scrap of respect I got.” His fingers clenched around his knees. “And even then, it never felt like it was enough.”

A bitter chuckle slipped from his lips. “I mean, did I even earn this?” He turned to Oscar, searching his face. “Did I really deserve to be your Squire?"

“Naruto,” Oscar said gently. “Respect and kindness are not things you should have to earn. They should be given freely, because you are human, because you exist. The fact that you have been denied them for so long… that is the failing of others, not yours.”

Naruto swallowed hard, looking away.

Oscar continued, voice softer now. “As for being my Squire… I am afraid it is not you who must prove yourself.”

Naruto blinked, confused.

Oscar smiled faintly, lifting his Estus Flask and holding it out. “It is I who must earn the right to be your Sensei. To be someone worthy of guiding you forward.”

Naruto’s breath hitched.

He stared at the offered flask.

His chest ached, but in a way that felt… good.

Slowly, he reached out, lifting his own Estus Flask, and lightly clinked it against Oscar’s.

For a moment, nothing else mattered. Not the battles, not the journey ahead, not even the fact that he might never go home.

All that mattered was this moment.

This bond.

Master and student.

Knight and Squire.

Naruto took a deep breath, tilting his head back to drink, the golden warmth of the Estus filling his chest.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood, stretching.

“Alright, Sensei,” he said, giving a confident grin. “Let’s go see what’s past those walls, huh?”

Oscar chuckled, rising to his feet as well. “Indeed. Lordran awaits.”

And together, they walked toward the gates of the northern undead asylum, their path uncertain, but their bond unshakable.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After escaping the Northern Undead Asylum, getting picked up by a giant crow was not something Naruto had expected.

At this point, he really should’ve stopped being surprised by things. Magic bonfires, gods, demons—this world didn’t have a single normal bone in its body. But still, a giant freaking bird? That was new.

Oscar, of course, took it all in stride. Like always, he had an explanation ready.

“This is Velka’s crow,” he said as they soared through the mist-choked sky, his voice steady as if they weren’t being carried by a bird bigger than Gamabunta. “When one is branded by the Darksign, Velka, the Goddess of Sin, sends her crows to take the undead to their first step in the pilgrimage—Lordran.”

“So… a goddess of sin is guiding the undead?”

Oscar hummed. “Sin is a broad term. Velka does not act as the gods do—she punishes those who break their oaths, and yet she offers the condemned a path.”

Naruto didn’t know how to feel about that. His gut told him gods and curses weren’t things he wanted to be involved with. But it wasn’t like he had a choice.

The crow let out a piercing cry before diving. Wind howled past them as they plummeted toward the ruins below. The sensation was like a stomach-drop freefall, and just when Naruto thought they were about to crash—

The crow released them.

He landed hard on the worn stone, rolling to a stop. The air here felt… heavy.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Firelink Shrine

It was eerie.

Ancient ruins, half-sunk into the earth, stretched out before them. A dead-looking tree loomed in the center, its branches twisting toward the sky like skeletal fingers. Stone archways and crumbling structures stood solemn and empty, like the remnants of a forgotten world.

The only thing that wasn’t falling apart was the bonfire.

A flickering, golden flame sat nestled within a sword embedded in the ground. The sight of it alone made Naruto feel safe.

He stepped toward it instinctively, feeling warmth seep into his bones. The stress of the last fight, the exhaustion of escaping the asylum—it all faded, leaving behind a strange calm.

“This is Firelink Shrine,” Oscar said. “A sanctuary for the undead.”

Naruto looked around. Sanctuary felt like a strong word.

Not far from the bonfire, a guy in chainmail was sitting like he had lost all will to live. His head hung low, his expression locked in a permanent everything sucks frown.

Naruto approached.

“Hey,” he greeted, trying to sound casual. “So, uh… what’s up with this place?”

The guy barely looked at him. His sigh was so deep Naruto swore he felt his own mood drop.

“Well… what do we have here? You must be a new arrival…” he muttered, voice dripping with the heaviest sigh Naruto had ever heard. “Let me guess… Fate of the undead, right?” He chuckled without humor. “Well, you’re not the first, and certainly won’t be the last.”

Naruto frowned. “Dude, do you always sound like you’re about to jump off a cliff?”

Oscar coughed discreetly.

The guy, who Naruto had now dubbed Emo Warrior, just shrugged. “If you’ve seen as many hopeful fools as I have, you’d be just as miserable.”

Naruto decided that was enough.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

While Oscar pulled out an old, worn map, Naruto did something way more important.

He leveled up.

[ INT: 15 → 27 ]

The moment the numbers shifted, his brain felt like it had been dunked in ice water.

Everything sharpened.

Thoughts clicked together faster. His senses stretched wider. He could feel every inch of chakra flowing through him, like a map that had just unlocked.

It was… amazing.

The Academy always made learning feel like a chore. But this? This was knowledge entering his body instantly.

A smirk tugged at his lips. Being a sorcerer was starting to feel worth it.

With that out of the way, they didn’t linger. Their next stop was New Londo.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

New Londo was drowned.

An entire city, swallowed by water. Stone towers rose from the depths, their surfaces slick with moisture, like broken bones jutting out of the abyss.

The air was wrong.

Cold. Still. Like the city itself was holding its breath.

“This place is cursed,” Oscar muttered.

Naruto didn’t need to be told. Even without chakra, he could feel it. There was something here. Something watching.

They stuck to the edge of the ruins, moving cautiously. The stone steps led downward, toward what looked like an old prison gate. And behind that gate—

“Hey, there’s a guy down there,” Naruto said, pointing.

A man was sitting behind rusted bars at the end of a staircase. He was slouched, but not in a hollow way—he still had life in his eyes, still had… something.

Oscar and Naruto exchanged glances before moving closer.

The man smirked as soon as he saw them.

“Well, well. A fellow sorcerer?” His tone was amused, like he already knew something Naruto didn’t.

Naruto blinked. “Huh?”

His grin widened. “A sorcerer who doesn’t even realize what he is. How amusing.”

Naruto squinted at him. “Who are you?”

“Rickert of Vinheim. And you, my young undead, have no idea the power you’ve stumbled upon.”

Naruto glanced at Oscar. “I don’t like him.”

Oscar sighed.

Still, he was a blacksmith, and blacksmiths were useful. While Oscar had his equipment repaired, Naruto got something better.

A new spell.

[ Heavy Soul Arrow ]

Unlike his normal Soul Arrow, this one was denser, slower, but packed way more of a punch.

He tested it out—aiming at a nearby stone pillar—and watched as the impact cracked the surface.

“Not bad,” he admitted.

Rickert just laughed. “Not bad? Oh, my boy, you’ve only just begun.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “I really don’t like him.”

With their business finished, they left New Londo.

He wasn’t sad to go. That place felt too much like a grave.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

They took the long way around.

From New Londo Ruins to the Valley of Drakes, Oscar pointed out a path to Blighttown but avoided it, saying it wasn’t worth the trouble. Looking back, maybe they should’ve taken their chances. Because what they did run into was something far worse.

The Undead Dragon

The first thing Naruto noticed was that it was rotting.

The massive corpse sprawled across the ruins of an old bridge, a decaying heap of muscle, exposed bone, and scales that barely clung to what remained of its body. The stench hit him first—thick, putrid, like something that had been dead far too long.

Except…

The second thing he noticed?

It wasn’t dead.

A ragged breath rattled through its ruined throat, deep and wet, like it was choking on its own existence. Then, without warning, its head jerked up, empty sockets locking onto them.

And then it roared.

The sound nearly knocked Naruto off his feet, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.

Oscar didn’t hesitate. “Move!”

Naruto jumped back just in time—a split second later, blackened claws slammed into the spot he’d been standing. It shouldn’t have been that fast. Not with a body that broken. But somehow, it moved. It fought. And it was coming straight for them.

They circled around, looking for an opening. Naruto fired Soul Arrows at its exposed ribs—barely left a scratch. Oscar went in with his glowing sword, slashing at its foreleg.

It screamed.

But instead of pulling back, it lunged.

Too fast.

Oscar raised his shield to block—

Then the tail came out of nowhere.

Naruto barely had time to shout before the massive, rotting limb slammed into Oscar, sending him flying across the bridge. The knight crashed against stone with a sickening clang, and Naruto’s stomach dropped.

“Sensei!”

He didn’t think. He ran. Straight at the dragon.


Its mouth opened wide.

A cloud of necrotic mist exploded toward him.

Substitution Jutsu!

In a flash, Naruto swapped with a nearby corpse just in time. The mist ate through the stone where he’d been standing.

Not good. Definitely not good.

Oscar was already on his feet, limping but alive. “We need to force it off the bridge!”

Naruto nodded, mind racing. “I have an idea!”

The plan was reckless.

It was also their only shot.

Naruto created five clones, each one grabbing broken spears and charging forward. The dragon, either dumb or furious, turned its attention to them.

He didn’t aim for its head.

Instead, he targeted the ground beneath it.

Bracing himself, Naruto thrust both hands forward, gathering every ounce of chakra he could muster.

“Heavy Soul Arrow!”

The blast slammed into the already fractured stone, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the land. The dragon roared as the ground beneath it crumbled, its massive, decaying form teetering for a split second—

Then it plunged into the abyss below.

Naruto barely had time to scramble back as the last chunks of stone collapsed, vanishing into the mist. He stood there, panting, watching the darkness swallow the beast whole.

Still—no victory message.

But when he turned to Oscar, the knight was smiling.

The deeper they went into the valley, the worse it got.

Because apparently, a group of drakes was called a thunder.

Oscar had told Naruto that, all serious-like, and Naruto had told him that was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. Oscar ignored him.

Not the point, though.

The point was—these oversized lizards breathed lightning.

And when Naruto said lightning, he meant actual, straight-from-the-clouds, gonna-fry-you-to-a-crisp lightning.

Oscar took most of the hits, his shield somehow tanking massive bolts without disintegrating. Meanwhile, Naruto had to be quick—his job was to keep them grounded. The moment one tried to take off, he’d move in, slicing at their wings, forcing them to fight on their terms.

It took days.

Days of dodging, running, barely sleeping, and way too many close calls. He lost count of how many times he nearly got roasted, fried, or eaten. But slowly—painfully slowly—they picked them off, one by one.

By the time they wiped out the last one, Naruto was half-dead on his feet.

Looting their corpses felt weird, but… free stuff is free stuff. They found a dead bandit, too—Naruto took his clothes, finally ditching the dumb wizard robes.

Even better? He got a ring.

The Red Tearstone Ring. Said it boosted his power when he was on the verge of death.

Which, yeah, kinda morbid—but considering how often Naruto nearly died in this hellhole, it was actually pretty useful. Especially when paired with the Tiny Being’s Ring, which boosted his health.

But honestly?

The best part wasn’t the loot.

It was the nights.

After fighting all day, they’d sit by the fire, tending their wounds, eating whatever Oscar managed to cook (which, uh… wasn’t great, but Naruto wasn’t about to complain).

Oscar taught him a lot—about swordsmanship, strategy, how to fight smarter instead of harder.

And they talked. About everything.

Oscar told Naruto about Astora, about the knights he fought alongside. Naruto told him about Konoha, about ramen, about his dream to become Hokage.

Naruto didn’t know why he opened up so much, but with Oscar, it just felt… easy.

Honestly? Oscar was just like a dad. The kind Naruto never had.

And maybe it was wishful thinking, but Naruto liked to believe that, to Oscar, he wasn’t just some squire.

He was his son.

But all of that? That was before they reached the cave.

And that’s when everything went to hell.

The descent into Darkroot Basin was… unsettling.

Naruto had never been on an elevator before—Konoha didn’t have things like that. At first, it was just a platform of metal and stone beneath his feet. Then, with a heavy clank, the mechanism engaged, and suddenly—he was dropping.

His stomach lurched. His balance shifted unnaturally, like the world had just decided to pull the ground out from under him. His legs tensed as he instinctively crouched, hands snapping out to his sides.

He hated it.

It wasn’t like jumping. With jumps, he controlled the fall—he decided when and how to land. But this? This was like something else had grabbed him and was dragging him downward at its own pace. The motion was smooth, but it made his head feel weird, like he was floating and falling at the same time.

Oscar, standing calmly beside him, chuckled. “You get used to it.”

Naruto scowled. “Nope. Hate this. Worst thing ever.”

The knight just laughed again.

When the platform finally slowed, the tunnel stretched out before them, long and dark. Their footsteps echoed as they walked forward, the only source of light coming from the tunnel’s distant end—a soft, silver glow.

Moonlight.

Naruto sighed in relief. “Okay, this is better.”

Then he saw it.

The Black Knight.

The drakes, the undead dragon—everything up until now? Nothing compared to the presence standing before them.

The knight was massive, clad in onyx armor that gleamed under the moonlight. In its gauntleted hands, it held a halberd—long, curved, deadly. It didn’t move, didn’t react. Just… stood there. Waiting.

Then it charged.

Naruto barely had time to throw a clone forward before—shing!—the halberd cleaved straight through it like paper.

Substitution? Too slow.

Transformation? It saw right through it.

Magic? Bounced off its armor like it was nothing.

Naruto hated that feeling—helplessness. Every instinct screamed at him to move, to find an opening, but there was none.

And the worst part?

Oscar was trying to shield him.

Naruto had seen his sensei fight before—strong, confident, unshakable. But here? Every step Oscar took was defensive, every movement calculated to protect him.

“Naruto, stay back—“

“No! I can help!”

“This isn’t a fight we can win—“

Then it happened.

The Black Knight’s halberd struck.

Naruto’s breath caught as the massive blade pierced through Oscar’s side. The knight grunted—no scream, no cry of pain, just a sharp breath.

Naruto’s mind went blank.

Oscar—his sensei—was impaled, blood staining his armor, his stance wavering.

Something inside Naruto snapped.

He made a choice.

Before he could second-guess himself, before fear could stop him, he grabbed a kunai—

—and stabbed it into his own stomach.

Pain exploded through his body, but he welcomed it. A surge of power flooded his veins as his vision tinged red.

[ Red Tearstone Ring Activated. ]

A crimson aura engulfed him.

The Black Knight barely had time to turn before Naruto ran.

Straight at him.

Not to attack. Not to dodge.

To tackle.

His shoulder slammed into the knight’s torso, the sheer force knocking them both off balance.

For just a second—a fraction of a second—Naruto saw the Black Knight’s helm tilt downward, like it just realized what had happened.

Then—

They fell.

“Naruto!”

Oscar’s voice—sharp, desperate. His hand outstretched, reaching for him—too far.

Naruto locked eyes with him, grinning despite the pain.

“Sensei, wait for me at the bonfire!” he shouted. “I’ll respawn! Even if I lose my memories, I know you’ll be there to help me recover them!”

Then—

Impact.

[ YOU DIED ]

Oscar had warned him. Again and again.

“Don’t be reckless, Naruto. Dying as an Undead isn’t the same as dying as a man. Each time, you lose something—your memories, your sense of self. Enough deaths, and you won’t come back as you anymore. You’ll be hollow.”

Naruto knew the risk.

And he still took it.

If throwing himself off that cliff meant Oscar was safe, then fine—take his memories, take everything. It didn’t matter.

Except… it never came.

That emptiness, that fading of self—he had braced for it, expected to wake up at the bonfire in Firelink Shrine, mind fractured, pieces of himself missing.

Instead…

He felt the wind on his face.

The scent of earth and leaves filled his lungs. Sunlight streamed through the canopy, golden and warm. The ground beneath him wasn’t the cold stone of Lordran.

It was grass.

Naruto’s breath hitched as he sat up, blinking hard, heart hammering. His body ached, but not from the fall.

This wasn’t Lordran.

This was—

“Konoha…?”

The words barely left his lips before something moved in the trees. Shadows flickered, fast and precise.

ANBU.

They dropped down in a practiced formation, masks impassive, weapons already drawn.

Naruto barely reacted. His mind was still racing.

“How?”

“Why?”

One of the masked figures stepped forward, voice cold and unreadable.

“Uzumaki Naruto. You’re coming with us.”

Naruto didn’t resist. Didn’t argue.

Didn’t even blink.

His thoughts were still caught in the impossible.

He had fallen. He had died. He was supposed to be waking up in Lordran, missing something.

So why was he here?

And more importantly—

Was Oscar okay?

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0



Sitting in the Hokage’s office after everything that had happened felt surreal.

Naruto had fought dragons and demons. Stared down death itself. And yet somehow, sitting here, in this old familiar room, facing Hiruzen Sarutobi like he was still just a wayward student being scolded—it felt wrong. Like he was watching a version of himself that didn’t exist anymore.

But the Sandaime? He looked at him the same way he always had. With a quiet, knowing patience. Like he was waiting for Naruto to say something first.

And then, after a long pause, he sighed and leaned back.

“Hello there, Naruto-kun. You gave us quite the scare these last two weeks.”

Naruto blinked. “Wait—weeks? I was missing for two weeks?!”

Hiruzen gave him a steady nod. “Yes. You stole the Forbidden Scroll of Seals and vanished without a trace.”

That immediately sent a pulse of irritation through him. “I didn’t steal anything!” Naruto snapped, crossing his arms. “I was on a mission! Mizuki-sensei gave me a field test—said if I got the scroll and learned a jutsu from it, I’d be promoted to genin.”

At that, Hiruzen’s expression darkened, and Naruto caught the sharp glint in the old man’s eyes.

“…That does explain quite a bit.”

Naruto huffed. “Yeah, well, what the hell happened while I was gone? I wake up and suddenly ANBU are on my ass like I’m some kinda missing-nin!”

Hiruzen folded his hands together and studied Naruto carefully before speaking. “That depends. Why don’t you tell me where you were first?”

That was a loaded question.

“Well… I found this cursed mark in the Forbidden Scroll. A weird ring of fire. And when I touched it…” He hesitated for only a second before shrugging. “I got teleported to another world. A whole different place. And it was—“

Naruto stopped. How do you even describe Lordran?

“—a nightmare,” he finished. “Like something out of one of those old ghost stories. Undead everywhere. Everything trying to kill me. I got thrown in a dungeon, fought my way out, and then spent two weeks traveling with a knight, fighting demons and dragons, learning magic, and basically surviving by the skin of my teeth.”

Hiruzen’s face was unreadable.

“That is… quite the tale,” he said slowly.

“You don’t believe me.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Naruto-kun,” the Hokage replied, choosing his words carefully. “It’s simply that I have never heard of such a thing. There was no such ‘ring of fire’ in the Forbidden Scroll.”

Naruto just sighed, raised a hand—

And fired a Soul Arrow.

The blast of blue energy shot forward, leaving a sizable hole in the wall.

For the first time since Naruto had walked in, Hiruzen genuinely looked surprised.

“…That,” he admitted, “is a technique I have never seen before.” He studied the lingering remnants of the magic, curiosity creeping into his gaze. “B-rank, at least. Perhaps even A-rank, if it is as versatile as it seems.”

Naruto smirked. Finally.

“But another world?” Hiruzen shook his head. “That is still difficult to believe, Naruto-kun.”

“Yeah, well, believe it or not, it happened,” Naruto muttered. “Doesn’t really matter to me. What does matter is—where’s Iruka-sensei? I wanna show off how strong I got!”

Silence.

Naruto immediately knew something was wrong.

Hiruzen’s gaze softened. A faint, almost imperceptible sadness flickered across his face.

Then, gently—

“Naruto-kun… Iruka is dead.”

The room dropped ten degrees.

A pulse of something cold and ugly ran through Naruto’s veins. He sat very still.

Then, without realizing it, his chakra flared.

A dark pressure filled the room, something foreign and suffocating. Not like his usual outbursts—this was different. This was… wrong.

Hiruzen had faced war. Had stood on battlefields soaked in blood. Had stared death in the face more times than he could count.

And yet.

For just a split second—

He felt like he was standing in front of an undead dragon.

“…Say that again,” Naruto murmured, voice dangerously quiet.

Hiruzen didn’t waver. He took a slow breath.

And he explained.

How Mizuki had tricked Naruto. How Iruka had tracked him down, trying to protect him. And how Mizuki had killed him, taking the scroll for himself before disappearing from the village.

It was like the world muted.

Naruto’s hands clenched into fists. He was still. Too still.

It was his fault.

Because of him, Iruka had died.

And just like Oscar had taught him—

He would take responsibility.

“Is there a tracking team going after Mizuki?” Naruto asked, voice even.

Hiruzen hesitated. “Yes. An ANBU squad has been deployed—“

“Good. Put me on that team.”

“…Naruto.” Hiruzen sighed. “I cannot allow that—“

“Then I’ll do it myself,” Naruto said simply.

“Naruto—“

“I’m not a shinobi yet, am I?” Naruto cut in. “I’m still a civilian. Which means I can do whatever I want, as long as it doesn’t break the law. And I’m pretty damn sure there’s no law against conveniently running into a traitor of the Leaf and beating him to death.”

Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose.

“…You have changed.”

“Yeah, well, fighting demons and dragons will do that to you,” Naruto shot back.

A long silence stretched between them.

Then—

“Fine,” Hiruzen relented, exhaling through his nose. “I will put you on the team. But if they find you to be a hindrance, you will return immediately.”

“Deal.” Naruto grinned—before suddenly pausing, as if remembering something. “Oh, wait. One more question.”

Hiruzen motioned for him to continue.

“Is the Fourth Hokage my father?”

Hiruzen froze.

“How did you—?”

Naruto shrugged. “C’mon, old man. I have eyes. I looked at his picture and put two and two together.” He ticked off his fingers. “Blonde hair? Check. Blue eyes? Check. Suspiciously convenient birthday lining up with the Kyūbi attack? Check. Add in the fact that I’ve got chakra reserves bigger than everyone in this room combined…”

“Since when can you sense chakra?”

“Somewhere around the time my INT stat hit 25.”

“…Your what?”

Naruto ignored him. “Anyway, my guess is that I either am the Kyūbi, or it’s sealed inside me like a kunai in a storage seal. So which is it?”

The silence was deafening.

Then—click.

Hiruzen’s jaw dropped.

Naruto snorted. “Oh wow. Guess I was right, huh?” He stretched, rolling his shoulders. “Welp. You got secrets. And you know what that means?”

Hiruzen hesitated. “…What?”

“You owe me a jutsu.”

The Hokage blinked.

Naruto grinned. “Bigger the secret, stronger the jutsu.”

Hiruzen groaned, rubbing his temples.

“Naruto…”

“Sooo… what rank jutsu am I getting?” Naruto asked cheerfully.

Hiruzen sighed.

“…Your father was Minato Namikaze.”

Naruto grinned wider. “S-rank.”

The Hokage slumped.

“Goddammit, Minato. What kind of headache did you leave me?”

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ Author’s Note:

And that’s a wrap, folks!

So, what did you guys think of this little What If scenario? If you enjoyed it, maybe I’ll do more of these fun alternate chapters in the future. It’s always interesting to explore how different choices could’ve completely changed the story.

Now, if you missed some of the biggest differences between Sorcerer Naruto and Pyromancer Naruto, here’s a quick rundown of what changed:

1. Oscar lived, but Iruka died.

2. A ton of character development that happened in Pyromancer Naruto’s timeline is completely missing. That includes growth for characters like Iruka, Hiruzen, Kakashi, Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, Tenten, Kurenai, Asuma, and Alexander.

3. Naruto never met Oscar the Crystal Lizard, Solaire, or the Undead Merchant.

4. Naruto never fought the Taurus Demon, the Hellkite Wyvern, or the Black Knight that shaped his swordsmanship.

5. He never got the Zweihander.

6. Hiruzen learned about Lordran way earlier, removing the overarching mystery and the gradual revelations that drive a lot of character growth.

At the end of the day, this was just a fun alternate take, and if I had actually written Sorcerer Naruto as the main story, things would have played out very differently from what you saw here. A What If scenario is just a small glimpse into a different possibility, not a full-length rewrite.

Also, if you’re wondering why I didn’t go into too much detail about things like:

Oscar vs. the Black Knight in the Asylum

Naruto and Oscar vs. the Undead Dragon

The full-scale drake hunts

The full Halberd Black Knight fight

It’s because Pyromancer Naruto is going to go through all of that in the main story. I didn’t want it to feel repetitive or make you think you were re-reading something you already experienced. Plus, this was just meant to be a fun one-shot—it’s already as long as I could make it without turning it into a full novel.

Anyway, let me know what you think! Now, we return to our regularly scheduled adventures of Naruto, the Chosen Undead. ]