Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.16 The Crestfallen Warrior

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"Fine. Can you at least tell me where the Bell of Awakening is?"

The man finally lifted his eyes to meet Naruto's, his gaze as dull and hollow as ever. "There are actually two Bells of Awakening," he said. "One's up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below, in the ruins at the base of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens… Brilliant, right? Not much to go on, but I have a feeling that won't stop you."

He gave Naruto a mocking smile that made his skin crawl. "So, off you go. It is why you came, isn't it? To this accursed land of the Undead? Hah hah hah hah…" He laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was the kind of laugh that made Naruto feel small, like he was just a joke to him.

Prick, Naruto thought. For now, the boy decided he'd go back to Konoha.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

The man raised an eyebrow, almost looking surprised for a second. "An undead that actually has a name... I am surprised." He studied Naruto like he was trying to figure out if he was worth the trouble.

"You are persistent," the man finally said. "But let me tell you this: in these parts, a name means nothing."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm going to call you Older Emo," Naruto said, hoping to get some kind of reaction—a smirk, a twitch, anything. But all he got was a blank stare, like the man didn't even care enough to be insulted. He just went right back to brooding, staring at the ground like he was trying to solve some riddle only he could see.

Wow, this guy is even more emo than Sasuke, Naruto thought, shaking his head. How did he even end up talking to someone more depressing than Sasuke? He shrugged it off. He still had no idea how to get back home. The last time he went back to Konoha... how did he do it again?

I died, right? Naruto thought, his mind racing back to that moment. The Asylum Demon killed me, and then I woke up in Konoha. Maybe that's the trick?

Just as Naruto was lost in his thoughts, the man suddenly spoke up, his voice softer but clearer. "Alexander," he said, and Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin.

"What?"

"You don't have to wait for my name," the man said, almost like he was tired of pretending not to care. "It's Alexander. I've long since abandoned it alongside everything else... I am but a crestfallen warrior."

Naruto nodded, unsure of what to say. Part of him was relieved to finally get a name out of the man, but another part was just tired of his whole act. He'd been so closed off, so convinced that nothing mattered, that his sudden confession felt like a crack in his armor. A tiny one, but still a crack.

"Now leave me alone," Alexander, the crestfallen warrior, said, his voice retreating back into that cold shell of his. It was like he opened up for just a second, then slammed the door shut again.

Naruto blinked, shaking his head. This is my problem with emos, he thought, walking away from Alexander. They act like they're all sad and mysterious one moment, and then they think the whole world revolves around their misery the next.

Naruto took a few steps away, trying to piece it all together. I died, right? The Asylum Demon killed me, and then I woke up in Konoha. I wonder if... if that's the only way back.

A shiver ran down Naruto's spine as he thought about it. Do I really have to die to go home?

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Alexander M. Morgan—well, that name—it was dead now, meaningless, something he no longer needed. This pilgrimage… it had defeated him a long time ago. Now he was just here, stuck in the Firelink Shrine, clinging to the bonfire. For what, exactly? Even he didn't know anymore.

The crestfallen warrior glanced at the boy—the kid who'd shown up out of nowhere. Young, too young to be a warrior, and he claimed to have defeated the Asylum Demon. Ha, what a joke, right? No one beats that thing. But… was it really a joke? Why couldn't the kid have done it? Just because he ran like a coward? Just because he did nothing?

He squashed that thought before it could crawl any deeper into his mind. Didn't need that voice whispering in his head. It was always there, reminding him of what he could have been, what he could've done. Annoying.

He heard the sound of running. The kid, Naruto—what kind of name was that anyway?—was making his move. Leaving, he guessed. Strange… why did he feel sad? Guess he was still human at heart. After being alone for so long, it was… nice to have some company, even if it was just a kid full of reckless energy and naive dreams.

Alexander looked up, maybe to say something. He didn't even know what. Maybe to tell him good luck, or be careful, or… something. But before he could open his mouth, he saw the boy run and jump off the cliff.

What?

He opened his mouth but then closed it again. His brain went blank. Alexander just stared at the spot where Naruto jumped, watching the wind rustle the grass. The kid jumped. Just like that. Off the cliff.

Huh.

The thought lingered. Maybe death really is better than the hell that waits for us here. He muttered to himself, eyes drooping shut as if the thought itself was too much effort. Maybe I should do it too. The thought was always there, wasn't it? Giving up. Dying. Ending the misery. But Alexander was too much of a coward for that. Too much of a coward to die, and too much of a coward to live.

The Crestfallen Warrior sat by the bonfire, his hollowed eyes staring into its flickering flames. He expected the boy to reappear any moment, rising from the fire like smoke reforming into flesh—an inevitable cycle for all cursed by the Darksign. That was their fate, wasn't it? An endless loop of death and rebirth, each resurrection scraping something away from your soul until all that remained was a hollow shell, devoid of thought, memory, or will.

But he waited. And waited.

The flames continued to dance, crackling softly in the silence, yet there was no sign of the boy. The warrior frowned. Why wasn't he respawning? Had his essence failed to return? Had his connection to this bonfire somehow severed?

The thought stirred something uneasy in his hollowed chest.

And then Alexander felt it. A large surge of souls gathered at the edge of the cliff. Right where Naruto had jumped. The souls began to form into something—a green shape, the boy's body, lying there like it was asleep.

His soul drop. A green soul drop.

Alexander blinked. No way. A green soul drop? Not yellow like the rest of them. This was something he'd only ever heard about in legends. Legends of people from other worlds.

He glanced back at the hollowed-out version of Naruto standing lifeless near the bonfire, then at the green soul drop glowing at the cliff's edge.

The kid was telling the truth, Alexander realized, chuckling despite himself. He really did kill the Asylum Demon. And he really is from another world.

"Wow," Alexander muttered, a dry laugh escaping him. "Guess I've seen it all now."

But the laugh didn't last. He stood up, grabbing his shield and sword. Hollow or not, he could feel it—the presence of the undead. They'd be drawn to Naruto's soul drop like moths to a flame. And with a drop that big, bright, and green, they wouldn't just leave it alone. They'd swarm.

Alexander looked at the first one rushing toward Naruto's soul drop. His sword was in his hand before he even realized it.

Why am I doing this?

He didn't have an answer. Maybe it was to help someone out, to do something good for once. No, that's a lie. He was selfish. He'd always been selfish.

Maybe he just wanted to hold it over the kid, to make him owe him. No… I don't care about that anymore. This world didn't matter to him like it used to. So why?

Maybe… maybe he wanted to feel something again. Maybe protecting the kid's soul drop was the only thing in this rotten world that made him feel alive.

Frankly, Alexander thought, raising his sword as the first undead lunged at him, I don't know. And I don't care.

He cut down the hollow with a swift slash and stood his ground. Another one came rushing, but he was ready.

"You better come back, boy," Alexander muttered under his breath. "And get your damn soul drop. And… maybe thank me while you're at it."

He smiled for the first time in a long while. Maybe, just maybe, I could be a warrior again. After so long of being a coward.

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[ Author Note: Why did you turn the Crestfallen Warrior into Alexander M. Morgan?

Alright, first, let's talk about the name, and then we'll get into his character.

The name "M. Morgan" is a nod to the English voice actor who voiced the Crestfallen Warrior in Dark Souls. And as for "Alexander," I thought it'd be ironic—Alexander is such a strong, noble-sounding name, right? So giving that name to a defeated, depressed warrior felt like a fun little contrast.

Now, about the character. If you've played Dark Souls, you know the Crestfallen Warrior is basically there to mirror the player. He's someone who tried to do what you're doing but failed. He's a warning—a glimpse of what happens when you lose hope.

But here's the thing: that works fine in a game, but for a story? Not so much. I wanted to give him more depth. I gave him a name, opinions, agency, and, most importantly, a tiny spark of hope. In Dark Souls lore, you don't go fully hollow until you lose all hope. So Alexander still has that spark—faint as it is.

The question is, will Naruto be the one to reignite it? Or will that spark get crushed? Guess you'll have to stick around to find out.

It's kind of like what I did with Oscar. I expanded on his character, gave him a backstory, and made him have a meaningful impact on Naruto. I plan to do the same with Alexander, turning him into a well-written, complex character who can hold his own in the narrative.

So yeah, those are the big questions I figured you might have about this chapter. If there's anything else you're curious about, feel free to drop me a comment or message, and I'll do my best to answer!

Next chapter, we're heading back to Konoha—and specifically, Team 7.

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 8, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!