Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.31 Bell Test part 2

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Without wasting another second, Naruto surged forward, activating Shunshin no Jutsu to close the distance between them in a blur. The Zweihander swung in a massive, horizontal arc, cutting through the air with the force of a hurricane. The sheer weight of the blade made the ground shake as it came crashing down.

But Kakashi? He was already gone. In fact, he hadn't just dodged—he had casually sat down in the exact spot where the swing had just missed, his nose buried in his ever-present orange book.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

Kakashi didn't even glance up. "You swing too wide. Too slow. Not bad power, though," he remarked, casually flipping a page.

Naruto gritted his teeth, chakra surging into his arms as he stopped the swing mid-motion. His muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed through the strain, reversing the blade's momentum and bringing it down in a powerful diagonal slash.

This time, Kakashi leapt into the air, easily avoiding the strike as the Zweihander crashed into the ground with a deafening BOOM. Dirt and debris exploded outward, creating a gash in the earth where the blade had landed.

Before Naruto could even catch his breath, he spotted Kakashi perched on the broad guard of the Zweihander, still reading his book. He didn't look remotely fazed. If anything, he looked… bored.

Naruto's jaw dropped.

Kakashi finally glanced down at him, the faintest smirk visible beneath his mask. "Your fighting style isn't exactly subtle."

Naruto's frustration boiled over. "Subtlety's overrated!" He grinned beneath the helmet, the adrenaline now fully pumping through his veins. "It still counts as stealth if there's no one left to tell the story."

"That's… an interesting take."

Without warning, Naruto dismissed the Zweihander into his inventory, leaving Kakashi momentarily off-balance as the sword disappeared from beneath his feet. In an instant, Naruto pulled out an axe, his left hand gripping the weapon as he swung it in a sharp, horizontal arc toward Kakashi's midsection.

The jonin reacted instantly. Sparks flew as the axe collided with the plate of Kakashi's glove, the force of the block reverberating through the air. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly. He's unpredictable. I'll give him that.

Naruto immediately jumped back, thrusting his palm forward as flames flickered to life in his hand. A small fireball formed, its heat radiating outward, distorting the air around it. "Let's see how you like this!"

Kakashi's thoughts remained calm, though his expression was serious. This isn't a test anymore. This is a fight. And he's treating it like it's life or death.

The bells jingled faintly at Kakashi's waist, their sound almost drowned out by the roar of the flames in Naruto's hand.

The fireball exploded with a deafening roar, a shockwave ripping through the air as flames erupted in every direction. The ground beneath Naruto's feet trembled, and a hot rush of air blasted past him, forcing him to dig in his heels to keep steady. The clearing was lit in fiery orange, flickering shadows dancing across the surrounding trees. Smoke curled skyward, a plume of chaos marking the aftermath of Naruto's attack.

"Whoa…" Naruto breathed, his chest heaving as he took in the destruction. The ground where the fireball had struck was scorched black, embers glowing faintly in the dirt. Small tongues of fire licked at the edges of the crater he'd created.

"Did I… did I get him?"

But then—his stomach dropped. A sharp, instinctual chill ran up his spine. Danger.

The Way of Focality—that strange sixth sense he had gained since his time in the other world—screamed at him. He spun around just in time to see the faint blur of movement behind him. Kakashi! His instructor was already there, mere inches away, his hands forming the tiger seal.

Naruto's blood ran cold. A jutsu! There's no time!

Without thinking, he swapped the axe in his hand for a talisman from his inventory. The small, glowing charm flickered to life in his grasp, a swirl of white energy building rapidly around it. Naruto didn't even know if this would work—he'd never successfully used it before. But there wasn't any other option.

"COME ON!" Naruto roared, pouring everything he had into the talisman.

The divine white energy burst outward in a sudden shockwave, the force rippling through the air like a silent explosion. Kakashi froze mid-motion, his hands halting just before completing the infamous Thousand Years of Death. For a fraction of a second, the jonin was stunned, his body held in place by the talisman's force.

"It worked!" Naruto yelled, his voice filled with equal parts disbelief and triumph. His hand shot forward—not to strike Kakashi, but to grab the bells dangling from his sensei's waist. His fingers closed around them, and for a brief moment, a grin split his face.

Then—Puff!

The bells vanished in a cloud of smoke, replaced by empty air. A shadow clone?! Naruto's grin faltered as his fist clenched uselessly around nothing. He cursed under his breath, frustration bubbling up. Kakashi had been playing him the entire time.

Naruto staggered back, his eyes darting around the clearing. His hand instinctively reached for the Zweihander, summoning it from his inventory in one fluid motion. The massive blade materialized in his grip, its weight grounding him. He planted his feet firmly, his gaze scanning the area for any sign of Kakashi.

He didn't have to wait long.

A faint chuckle echoed across the clearing. Naruto's head snapped toward the sound, and his eyes widened. There, standing calmly on the surface of the lake, was Kakashi. The jonin was impossibly casual, his posture relaxed as he gazed back at Naruto. The book was gone now, tucked away somewhere, and Kakashi's single visible eye was locked on him.

The moonlight reflected off the rippling water, casting an eerie glow on Kakashi's figure. He didn't say a word, but the air around him seemed heavier, more oppressive. Naruto could feel it—the shift in Kakashi's demeanor. This wasn't the playful, aloof instructor who had spent half the test reading. This was a jonin—one of Konoha's elite—and he was done playing around.

"So, you're finally taking me seriously," he said, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his chest. "About time."

Kakashi didn't respond. Instead, his hands blurred into motion, forming a series of hand seals so fast Naruto could barely keep up. The water beneath Kakashi's feet began to ripple and churn, the surface breaking apart as something began to rise from its depths.

Naruto's jaw tightened as the water twisted upward, forming into a humanoid figure. The shape solidified, taking the form of a woman made entirely of shimmering liquid. Her flowing hair cascaded around her like living tendrils, and her face, though eerily beautiful, was blank and emotionless. The moonlight reflected off her body, making her appear otherworldly.

"What the hell is that?!" Naruto shouted, his instincts screaming at him to move.

Kakashi's voice was calm, almost detached. "Water Style: Call of the Siren."

As the words left Kakashi's mouth, the siren opened hers. And then it hit.

The sound wasn't just a noise—it was a force. A wave of sound slammed into Naruto like a physical wall, stealing the air from his lungs. It wasn't loud in the traditional sense; it was deeper, resonating in his bones, vibrating through his entire body. His knees buckled, and he staggered, gasping for breath.

I… I'm drowning!

The sensation was overwhelming. It was as if he'd been pulled underwater, his lungs burning for oxygen that wouldn't come. His chest tightened, panic setting in as his body screamed for air. Logic told him it was a genjutsu—it had to be. But logic didn't matter when his body believed he was suffocating.

Naruto's vision blurred at the edges, the world spinning around him. His limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. He tried to move, to break the illusion, but it was like his body wasn't his own anymore. He clawed at his throat, desperate for air, but his hands passed through nothing.

This isn't real. This isn't real! He repeated the mantra in his head, trying to ground himself, but the drowning sensation was too overwhelming. His thoughts grew hazy, and his strength began to fade. Darkness crept in, his vision narrowing.

Through the haze, one image flashed in his mind: the Stray Demon. That hulking, nightmarish beast from the other world. He had faced monsters before—things that defied logic, things that shouldn't exist. But this… this was different. This wasn't a beast. This was a human. And somehow, that made it even worse.

As his consciousness slipped away, the last thing Naruto saw was Kakashi, standing motionless on the water, his posture calm and unshaken. The siren loomed behind him, her liquid form glimmering in the moonlight, her haunting presence sealing Naruto's fate.

And then—nothing. Darkness swallowed him whole.

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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 17, 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!