Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.26 The Deathtrap Cemetery

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Naruto walked, step after step, up the old stone stairs, the sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty silence around him, and he couldn't help but sigh. People are the same, even in this world, he thought bitterly, comparing this strange place to Konoha. He had hoped this world would be different. Maybe, just maybe, there'd be more kind people here compared to his village. But that was just a foolish, childish wish.

I need to be smarter about this, Naruto thought, reminding himself to stay sharp. "Dattebayo," he muttered under his breath, like it would somehow reinforce the thought.

Petrus… he was nothing but a scammer. The experience reminded Naruto of gambling—the way you're given a big prize to hook you, and then they slowly reel you in, making you want more and more. That's what the covenants were like, too. Stupid gambling. Stupid covenant.

Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking around. On one side, there was a strange, empty space between two large stone doors. It confused him. On the other side was a flight of stairs leading up to a broken-down room. Something about the place tugged at him, urging him to explore. Cautious but curious, he walked toward it. Reaching the top, he spotted the corpse of a hollow, a faint soul orb hovering above it. He instinctively absorbed the souls.

As he stood there, a thought nagged at him. Alexander, that emo Crestfallen Warrior, had said that souls were the most important thing in this world. So why didn't he take my souls when he had the chance?

Naruto frowned, unable to shake the question. But he kept moving, turning toward the strange double-door hole. Maybe that's where the tunnel is? It seemed like the only logical choice.

He stepped into the stone opening, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell that hit him immediately. The place reeked of algae, old metal, and stagnant water. The stone floor was slick with algae, and little puddles of water sat in cracks and crevices, reflecting the faint light. Rust lingered in the air from old, decaying metal.

As he walked further in, Naruto felt a slight breeze. Weird. If there's wind, there must be an exit somewhere. He jumped into the room, glancing around. Ahead, there was a tunnel, though shorter than he expected. Maybe this is the right path.

Naruto landed in what seemed like the back area of the temple, surrounded by pillars and crumbling walls. He paused, scanning the area. Did I take a wrong turn or something?

Then his eyes landed on something that made him smile.

A treasure chest.

The gray chest had a rounded top, reinforced with metal bindings and a weathered latch. "No way," Naruto whispered, his heart racing as he ran toward it. Excitement bubbled up inside him. He knelt down and popped open the latch, the lid creaking as it opened.

Inside were bones. Weird bones on ceramic plates, covered in strange symbols. Naruto didn't understand what they were, but he could feel something from them. Some kind of divine power, similar to what he'd felt from the Way of White covenant.

Naruto stared at the strange object in his hand, its name hovering in his vision.

"Homeward Bone," he muttered, the words rolling off his tongue. "Wait… if the name pops up, then there should be more information, right?"

Curiosity piqued, Naruto scrolled through the system menu, quickly navigating to his inventory. Sure enough, by clicking on the item, a small description appeared.

[ Item: Homeward Bone ]

[ Description: Bone fragment reduced to white ash. Return to last bonfire used for resting. Bonfires are fueled by bones of the Undead. In rare cases, the strong urge of their previous owner to seek bonfires enchants their bones with a homeward instinct. ]

Naruto blinked, leaning closer as if that would help make the explanation any less creepy. "Wait, so this is made of… bones? Bonfires are fueled by bones?!"

The thought made his stomach churn. He grimaced, holding the item like it might bite him. "How do you even use this thing?" he asked out loud. "Do I snort the ashes? Or eat it? Eugh, gross…"

He quickly shook off the thought, deciding to deal with it later. Just as he was about to leave, something shiny caught his eye in the corner of the room—a treasure chest. His mood instantly brightened. "Finally, my day's getting better!" he cheered, practically sprinting toward it.

He dropped to his knees in front of the chest, yanked it open, and grinned as he pulled out the first item. It was heavy, with a solid wooden handle and a spiked metal ball at the end.

[ Item: Morning Star ]

[ Description: Hammer with a sharp spike on its pommel. One of the more barbaric cleric weapons. Uniquely, this hammer inflicts thrust damage and causes bleeding. ]

Naruto swung the weapon experimentally, feeling the weight and power behind each movement. "Now this is a weapon!" he said, impressed.

He placed it into his inventory and moved on to the next chest. Inside was a small talisman, similar to the one he'd seen Petrus carrying.

[ Item: Talisman ]

[ Description: Medium for casting miracles of the Gods. Standard talisman issued to common believers. Equip talisman to cast miracles. Attune miracles from a scroll at a bonfire. Most miracles have a limited number of uses. ]

Naruto's face lit up. "Yatta! I can finally use miracles!" He gave a little victory fist-pump before carefully storing the talisman away. But when he opened the next chest, his enthusiasm faltered.

"What the heck is this?" Naruto muttered, pulling out a handful of small, red, cracked orbs from his inventory. They were shaped like eyeballs, their jagged surfaces resembling dried, fractured glass. Dark, vein-like patterns crawled across their surface, pulsating faintly as if alive. A sinister, oppressive energy radiated from them, cold and sharp, sending a shiver down his spine. They felt wrong—like they belonged in the kind of nightmare that left you waking up drenched in sweat.

[ Item: Cracked Red Eye Orb ]

[ Description: A fragment of the forbidden knowledge granted by Darkstalker Kaathe, this relic grants its wielder access to the abyssal realms, twisted dimensions of endless shadow where only the strongest prevail. With this artifact, the bearer becomes the sovereign of the arena, binding all within until their opponent has been vanquished. Lesser imitations of this power exist, such as the Cracked Red Eye Orb, which offers fleeting glimpses of this abyssal dominion, a pale echo of the Darkwraiths' true mastery. ]

Naruto read the description once, then twice, trying to make sense of it. "What the hell does that mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. When no answer came, he threw the creepy objects into his inventory with a shiver. "If I ever need them, I guess I'll figure it out then."

Scanning the room for more loot, his eyes lit up as he spotted another chest hidden behind a stone pillar. "Jackpot!" he exclaimed, rushing over. But just as he reached for it, something else caught his attention.

A strange cemetery stretched out along the cliffside. The stone slabs were irregular, each one jutting out of the ground at odd angles. It didn't look like any normal graveyard Naruto had ever seen. The whole place felt eerie, like it was a forgotten place. Above the cemetery, stairs led further up, disappearing into the fog.

Weird place, he thought, shaking off the unease.

Returning to the chest, Naruto opened it and found a round, metallic object inside. It looked like a medallion with a smooth, reflective center that resembled polished silver. The edges were framed with an ornate, worn design, and a rusty chain wrapped around it tightly.

Weird, Naruto thought, sensing that same divine power from the Way of White.

[ Item: Lloyd's Talisman ]

[ Description: Talisman utilized by Allfather Lloyd's cleric knights to hunt down the Undead. Blocks Estus recovery within a limited area. In the outside world, the Undead are accursed creatures, and Lloyd's cleric knights are widely praised for their Undead hunts. This blessed talisman blocks Undead recovery, allowing the knights to fight with impunity. ]

Naruto froze, rereading the description several times. His mind pieced it together, his expression darkening. "This… this whole stash is a hunting kit. These aren't treasures—this is a weapon stockpile for hunting Undead… like me."

Anger bubbled in his chest as the realization sank in. "So that's what this is about," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Petrus and his buddies are just waiting to stab me in the back, huh? Get me to join their stupid 'Way of White,' use me to do their dirty work, and then what? Toss me out like garbage when they're done?"

He kicked the chest hard, his boot slamming into the wood with a loud crack. The chest tumbled backward, rolling down a steep incline until it disappeared over the edge of a cliff.

"Yeah, that's what I think of your holy mission, Petrus!" Naruto spat, his anger flaring. "Whatever. I've got to thank Alexander for saving me back there."

He turned to leave, shoving the talismans and orbs further into his inventory. But the weight of his anger didn't lift. In the back of his mind, a question lingered: Just how many more people in this world would see me as a tool—or worse, as prey?

Naruto ran down the side of the cliff, the wind rushing past him as he headed toward the creepy cemetery. The graves were everywhere, jagged stones sticking out at odd angles like broken teeth. As he slowed down, his eyes caught sight of a weird shield lying next to a couple of bones. It looked old, like something you'd see in a history book, but still sturdy enough to be useful. He reached down to pick it up when suddenly—

Clack. Clack.

A force hit him, and he heard a sound that sent a chill down his spine—bones rattling against each other. The shield moved up on its own, and Naruto found himself staring into the hollow sockets of a skeleton. Its eye sockets were empty, its jaw slightly ajar as if it were permanently grinning at him. Its bones were worn and yellowed with age, yet there it was, standing right in front of him.

"You have beautiful bones, dattebayo."

Naruto's voice was shaky, and he realized with horror that those were the only words that had come out of his mouth. Terrified, he stood frozen for a split second. His body was tense, and the only thing his mind could focus on was how afraid he was. Suddenly, Way of Focality kicked in, and he saw another skeleton lunging toward him from the side while the one in front of him raised its rusty scimitar.

Naruto leaped back, barely avoiding the attack, and quickly equipped the talisman. Desperate, he began reciting what Petrus had told him to say.

And… nothing.

"Fuck you, Petrus!" Naruto yelled in frustration as the skeleton's scimitars swung dangerously close. He flickered away just in time, reappearing behind them before summoning a fireball in his hand.

He hurled the fireball at the two skeletons, and the explosion tore them apart, scattering their bones across the ground in a fiery blast. Naruto let out a breath, taking a second to catch his bearings. But then he froze. A faint, chilling sound reached his ears—the rattling of bones. He looked up just in time to see the scattered pieces pulling back together, snapping into place as the skeletons reformed before his eyes. It was like they couldn't be killed.

Doing the only logical thing, Naruto activated his Shunshin no Jutsu, vanishing in a blur of speed. As he reappeared further down the path, his eyes darted around, scanning for any possible escape or advantage. That's when he spotted it—a large, glowing orb of souls floating just ahead. "Jackpot!" he muttered, his body flickering again as he Shunshined toward it. His hand reached out, just about to absorb the orb when, with a sudden burst of movement, a skeleton erupted from the nearby grave, the soul orb clearly bait for the unwary.

Naruto grabbed the skeleton by its bony shoulders and shoved it back into the grave. "Stay dead!" he shouted, his heart racing as he used Shunshin to create some distance between himself and the growing crowd of skeletons.

He didn't get far before two more skeletons started forming behind him.

More graves lined the path, and up ahead, there was a weird stairway leading down.

Nope. Bad idea, Naruto thought. The cemetery was clearly a deathtrap. He needed to get out, but with skeletons closing in from all directions, his options were running out fast.

His heart almost stopped when he saw it.

There, standing in front of him, was a skeleton so massive it made the others look like toys. Its femur alone was bigger than Naruto, and it held an enormous blade in its bony hands, towering over the rest of the graveyard. Every step it took sent tremors through the ground, and the sound of its bones creaking was like distant thunder.

But something else caught Naruto's attention—a glowing light behind the giant skeleton. A weapon, sticking out of a corpse.

Naruto had never seen anything like it before. The blade was enormous, long and broad, with a sharp edge that gleamed in the dim light. It was driven into the corpse's chest, the handle sticking out at an angle, almost daring him to take it.

He rushed forward, fingers closing around the handle, but the moment he grabbed it, it felt like he was trying to lift a mountain.

Why the hell is this so heavy?

Before Naruto could even lift it properly, a shadow fell over him, and he looked up just in time to see the giant skeleton bringing its massive blade down like a guillotine.

Oh, no—

Naruto barely managed to perform the substitution jutsu, the massive blade crashing into the ground where he had stood just seconds before. The shockwave rattled through the earth, sending shudders through Naruto's body. His mind raced, trying to figure out his next move, but the answer came in the form of more skeletons rising from the graves, surrounding him.

Equipping the Morning Star, Naruto braced himself, gripping the heavy weapon with both hands.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, summoning a squadron of clones that immediately rushed into the chaos, ready to take on the tide of monsters pouring from the dark earth.

A skeleton charged toward him, its blade glinting as it swung down.

Naruto shifted, his stance tightening, and launched a powerful diagonal strike from his top right to his lower left. The Morning Star crashed through the skeleton, shattering its brittle bones into splinters with a single swing. The sheer force of the attack caused Naruto to stumble forward a few steps, but he quickly regained his footing, already pivoting toward the next enemy.

"Clones! Cover the sides!" Naruto barked as more skeletons crawled out of the ground, some wielding rusty weapons, others baring claws and teeth. His clones mirrored his movements, Morning Stars swinging in tandem. Each crushing blow sent bones scattering, but the skeletons just kept coming.

Naruto noticed a massive skeleton, towering above the others, its empty eye sockets glowing with a faint red light. "Giant skeleton! On me!" he shouted, weaving chakra through his legs and vanishing in a blur of speed. Using Shunshin no Jutsu, he appeared at the creature's flank, his clones flanking the other side.

"Now!"

Naruto lunged forward, chakra surging through his body as he swung the Morning Star in a slow, powerful arc. The spiked head collided with the giant skeleton's ribcage, the impact reverberating through his arms. Cracks formed along the monster's bones, but it wasn't enough to bring it down. The creature roared, its massive blade sweeping toward him.

Due to Way of Focality, Naruto sidestepped at the last second. The blade missed him by inches, gouging into the ground. Naruto slammed an explosive seal onto the skeleton's spine, flipping back as the seal detonated with a deafening boom. Bone shards flew in every direction, and the giant skeleton crumbled into a heap.

His clones worked furiously alongside him, smashing through the smaller skeletons. One clone grabbed a skeleton by the skull and hurled it into a group of others before spinning around to deliver a crushing blow with its Morning Star. Another clone leaped high, aiming for a skeleton archer perched on a ledge. It used the Morning Star's heavy head like a hammer, obliterating the archer in a single strike.

"Too slow!" Naruto growled as he ducked beneath a rusted sword, his Morning Star coming up in a brutal counterattack that shattered the attacking skeleton's jaw before reducing it to dust. The weight of the weapon drained his stamina with every swing, but the destruction it unleashed was worth it.

Poof!

Memories from the clones flooded Naruto's mind. A skeleton raised its shield to block a blow from the Morning Star, while another sliced a scimitar cleanly across a clone's neck.

More and more clones popped, each dispelling with the same story—these skeletons couldn't be stopped. He'd smash one into a pile of bones, only to watch it reform moments later, its grinning skull mocking him.

Naruto's heart pounded as he realized the truth. This graveyard wasn't just a battlefield; it was a trap. The tempting souls, the alluring weapons lying around—those were the bait. The skeletons rising from their graves? They were the spring-loaded jaws, snapping shut.

He gritted his teeth. "This is a losing fight," he muttered under his breath. He wasn't a coward, but even he knew when it was time to retreat.

"Smoke bomb!" Naruto shouted, his voice cutting through the clattering of bones. Every remaining clone hurled their smoke bombs at the ground, the explosions releasing a dense cloud of black and gray. For good measure, the clones dispelled themselves, adding bursts of chakra smoke to the chaos, thickening the shroud around the graveyard.

Naruto didn't waste a second. As the clones vanished, he summoned a dozen more. "Make some noise!" he commanded. They didn't hesitate, yelling, clashing weapons, and charging in all directions to confuse the enemy.

Meanwhile, Naruto turned and bolted, his legs pumping hard as he sprinted up the hill, away from the endless tide of skeletons. He could still hear the rattling of bones and the eerie grinding noise of skulls snapping into place behind him, but the smokescreen and the noise of his clones bought him enough time to escape.

He didn't dare look back. For now, survival was the only victory.

Naruto bolted up the stairs, every step echoing in the empty, ruined hall around him. Water pooled at the bottom of the massive space, broken pillars scattered all over. He could hear the flapping of wings—the damn crow that brought him here—and instinctively, he used Shunshin to hide in the corner, glancing up just in time to see the bird staring down at him. It let out a caw before taking off into the sky.

"Shut up, you damn crow."

As he scanned the hall, his eyes landed on a weird statue of a woman sitting on a throne of branches, holding a baby. He stared at it for a moment, something about it unsettling, but he shook the feeling off. Then, it hit him where he was.

Naruto rushed out of the hall, the warmth of the bonfire pulling him in as he practically collapsed onto the ground near it.

"I lived!"

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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 14, 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!