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Chapter 209 The Red of a Legacy Reborn
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Meanwhile, Jiraiya's eyes snapped open the moment the ground trembled. His instincts screamed before his mind even caught up. In the next instant, he was out of his tent, Kakashi already beside him.
A flash of light split the clouds above Uzushiogakure, followed by a deafening roar. A storm was forming.
Sakura stumbled out of her tent, clutching her kunai. "Sensei? What's happening?"
Before Kakashi could answer, Sasuke was already scanning the horizon, his Sharingan burning red. "The nature energy is being pulled into the storm."
Jiraiya's jaw tightened. "We need to leave this island immediately."
"We can't," Sasuke said sharply, his eyes darting between the storm and the distant ruins. "Naruto's in there."
"What?"
"I can see traces of his chakra in the air, going toward the center."
Sakura paled. "He actually went there? What was he thinking?"
"Knowing Naruto? Probably something insane." Kakashi pressed his palm to the ground.
Earth Style: Sonar!
A pulse of chakra rippled through the soil. Kakashi's mind filled with the shape of the land and then froze as his senses locked onto something. "Found him."
"Well?" Jiraiya barked.
"He's... hanging upside down from a tree. There's a spear in his stomach."
Sakura gasped. Sasuke's hands clenched.
Jiraiya's expression hardened, all humor gone. He slammed his hand into the ground.
Summoning Jutsu!
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"How is that Naruto?!" Mito practically screamed as the dragon's claw dug into the fabric of reality, the sound of rending space echoing like tearing steel. The seals around the altar flickered, light pulsing as if the fuinjutsu itself was crying out in pain.
"Did he not tell thee that he was a dragon?"
"Yes, but I thought…" Mito faltered, her voice thin, her eyes wide as she watched the claw twist and dig deeper.
"Thou thought it an exaggeration, mayhap? From where I stand, lady, I see a world that calls men gods but crowns them with frailty. Thy husband was a so-called God of Shinobi yet still, merely a man." Oscar's cadence softened, words becoming clearer, easier, more modern. "Naruto's walked through a world of gods and monsters. And in doing so, he became something that isn't bound by the limits you understand. Chaos changed him into that."
Mito's hands trembled as she raised the ghost blade, aiming it toward the rope that held Naruto. "Even more reason to stop him," she whispered.
"Why?" Oscar's voice was calm, but it carried weight. "Because he isn't human anymore? Or because you're afraid of what you don't understand?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, Lady Mito... do you not trust him?"
The words froze Mito.
Oscar continued, "That's still Naruto. The same reckless boy who passed your tests. The same child trying to prove he belongs to his clan, to his name and to you. The boy who just wants to be worthy of the legacy that the world forgot. Don't deny him that. Not like everyone else has."
Mito's eyes softened. Her hand lowered as she looked at Naruto hanging upside down, the spear piercing through him, blood dripping slowly onto the altar below. Yet his face was calm, peaceful.
I'm counting on you two to take care of things out here. Naruto's words echoed through her mind.
"You look so much like your parents," she murmured, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You stubborn fool."
Then she took a deep breath, straightened her back, and said, "Fine. I'll gamble on you, my boy. Let this old woman win it big."
"Dattebayo!" Oscar declared, the phrase rolling awkwardly but fondly off his tongue.
"You really do spend too much time around him," Mito said as she began carving a complex fuinjutsu array into the altar with the ghost blade.
"How can I assist?"
"Make sure Naruto doesn't tear a hole in the dimension before I'm done."
"Understood," Oscar replied. Chakra flared from the siphon seal engraved into a storage seal. With a puff of smoke, the little guy was covered in battle armour.
Mito paused for just a heartbeat, watching Oscar's armored form as she smiled faintly and went back to etching her seals. "Cute."
A bright flash of soul energy burst from his magic guns, and it struck the dragon's claw dead-on. The impact sent ripples through the air like shattered glass. The claw twitched, halting for a brief second before turning its focus downward.
"Oh, splendid," Oscar muttered dryly. He inhaled sharply, the crystals along his body glowing a pale blue. "Right then… let's hope this blasted trick works."
With a guttural hiss, Oscar released a dense mist of blue-white chakra that shimmered in the air. The fog twisted, pulsed, and then split into two fully formed copies of himself.
Mito glanced up, briefly impressed. "Clones? You can do that?"
"Indeed, milady! My version of the Crystal Clone Jutsu—"
The words barely left his mouth before a wave of telekinetic force from the dragon ripped through the space. The two clones shattered instantly into glittering fragments.
Oscar grimaced. "Milady, please, I implore you to hurry the fuck up!"
"Language," Mito said, her voice firm. The diamond mark on her forehead pulsed as her hands blurred through seals.
Byakugō Seal: Release!
Twenty years of stored chakra burst from her in a wave, flooding the altar, the ruins, the entire air around them. The lines she'd carved into the stone ignited, glowing gold and red, a pattern of spirals and knots spreading outward in intricate perfection.
"Come on, Naruto," Mito said through clenched teeth. "You might be a dragon now… but let me show you the brilliance of your Uzumaki legacy!"
She slammed her hands together.
Adamantine Sealing Chains!
Chains made of chakra erupted toward the heavens, twisting upward into the swirling sky. Each link shimmered with complex seals, fusing into the fuinjutsu that stretched far across Uzushiogakure.
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Meanwhile, Gamabunta landed heavily on the outskirts of the ruins, the earth cracking beneath his weight.
"Boss Bunta, why are you stopping?!"
The toad boss didn't answer immediately as he stared upward. "Oi, Ero-Sennin… you seein' this?"
Jiraiya looked up, and for once, words failed him as the storm was broken.
The sky above Uzushiogakure was ablaze with light. Massive, spiraling seals glowed across the heavens, intersecting in perfect symmetry.
"Sweet Sage's beard…" Kakashi whispered in awe. "That… that's fuinjutsu on a scale I didn't even think was possible."
Sakura shielded her eyes from the radiance. "It's… beautiful."
Even Sasuke, standing apart from the others, couldn't tear his gaze away.
The sky pulsed one final time, then shattered into color.
Auroras spread across the heavens, painting the storm-torn night in ribbons of blue, green, and gold. The light descended, wrapping around the ruins like threads of silk.
Back at the altar, Naruto's body went still. Then, with a sudden, violent surge, his astral form burst free, his dragon-shaped soul coiling in midair before diving straight into the Altar of Beginning. The moment it vanished, the chains and seals dissolved into streams of color, cascading across the sky.
Silence fell.
Oscar stumbled forward. "...Milady?"
"He made it."
"How in the world did you manage that?"
Mito looked out over the altar. "I noticed that dragon claw was trying to tear open a hole to the astral plane," she said softly. "And I asked myself… why? The altar was already meant to guide him there. Why tear it apart unless the doorway wasn't big enough?" She smiled faintly, pride flickering behind her eyes. "So, I just made the entrance larger. Simple enough, really."
Oscar gave a low hum as he sat beside her, his armor disappearing with a puff of smoke.
"Now what about you? How in the world can you talk all of a sudden?"
Oscar tilted his head. "I know not, truly. Perhaps it is because I stood too near the border of the astral plane. It might have allowed my voice to cross the veil, so to speak."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Mito said flatly.
"And you'd rather spend your last few minutes on this earth trying to deduce how proximity to the realm of souls affects a magical lizard?"
"…Wait. How did you?"
"Your soul, milady. It's… fading."
Mito exhaled, not denying it. "Well, when I split my soul, I used the Byakugō Seal's chakra as an anchor to remain in this world. But those chains…" She looked down at her glowing hands. "They drew upon the last of my stored chakra. What little remained is keeping me here."
Oscar was quiet for a moment before asking softly, "So you took a gamble… on Naruto?"
Mito smiled wistfully. "I did." She sighed and leaned back slightly, eyes drifting toward Naruto. "If I'm going to fade, I'd rather do it knowing I bet everything on that boy."
Oscar moved closer, then gently rested his head in her lap. "Naruto likes it when I do this," he said, adjusting himself carefully. "Besides, I can interact with souls. Perks of being a crystallized one myself."
Mito chuckled quietly, running a hand through the little lizard's scales. "You really are full of surprises, you know that? Plus, I never imagined you sounding this refined."
"I'll have you know, madam, I am a very sophisticated lizard."
"Yes, you are, dear."
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The Astral Plane was a place beyond the mortal realm as an expanse of endless dark, void of shape or meaning.
And yet, scattered across that nothingness were faint lights of small camps flickering in the void like distant stars. Souls lingered there, whispering softly, bound by regrets, waiting for something… or someone.
Into that stillness came a roar.
Naruto or rather, the dragon that was Naruto as burst through the veil of silence. He hovered there for a moment, eyes gleaming with purpose, before lowering his gaze.
Beneath him, a spiral descended into a great abyss. At its heart was a glowing pool of chakra, swirling like liquid sunlight.
Drawn to it, the dragon descended.
The spiral seemed to pull at him, almost alive, tugging him closer to the pool's center. He landed beside the shimmering water, his enormous claws cracking the ethereal surface, though the ripples moved upward, not out.
Naruto felt something primal stir inside him. He lowered his head, his muzzle brushing the surface, and drank.
The senjutsu chakra surged through him, flooding his scales and crawling up his veins. The dragon's body began to shrink, the gold fading, the wings receding. His scales cracked, splintered, and peeled away like stone, revealing flesh beneath. And then, with a gasp, Naruto Uzumaki was human once more and blinked awake, kneeling beside the glowing pool. His mouth was wet with energy, his reflection rippling back at him like a stranger's face.
"Wha... happened? What's going on? Where am I?"
A voice answered, calm and old, echoing from behind him.
"You stand in the Astral World."
Naruto turned sharply.
An old man stood a few steps away in a hooded cloak, his single remaining eye gleamed.
"Oden Uzumaki?"
The old man didn't answer right away. "Turn around. I must seal the senjutsu chakra before it consumes your soul."
Naruto frowned but obeyed, turning his back to him. "This place is kinda boring," he muttered, glancing around. "You'd think the afterlife would have… I dunno, color."
"It is not afterlife. This is the waiting ground for souls unwilling to move on."
"Is that why you're here, old man?"
Oden didn't answer. Instead, he pressed his palm to Naruto's back. A sudden wave of heat burned through Naruto's skin as lines etched themselves onto his soul.
The pain was sharp, searing, and yet it felt alive.
A geometric diagram took shape of nine circles connected by luminous lines, forming a vertical diamond. A single circle gleamed at the top, several interlinked in the middle like a lattice, and one large circle at the base anchoring the pattern. Each circle bore a kanji, glowing faintly with power.
"So… what's my Rune do?"
The old man studied him, saying nothing for a long moment. His single eye flickered with faint recognition, faint concern. "You have meddled with your soul before."
"Uh… yeah, kind of? Been through some stuff."
"You have strengthened it beyond mortal measure. Your soul is the most tempered I have seen in centuries."
Naruto grinned awkwardly. "Thanks? I guess the training paid off." He remembered his stats, wondering if all that grinding had somehow built up his soul as well.
Oden reached forward, his hand brushing against the faint, root-like markings crawling from Naruto's dragon scale.
The moment his skin made contact, a flame erupted.
A sudden surge of crimson light engulfed the man's arm. The chaos burned through his sleeve, his flesh, and his bone. The old man didn't flinch, but his eye widened. With a sharp motion, he severed his hand at the wrist. The burning limb hit the ground and dissolved into black ash, leaving behind a skeletal hand gleaming faintly with pale fire.
"Holy crap! Are you okay!?"
[ You have acquired: Hand of the Reaper ]
Naruto blinked, his instincts screaming as he took a slow step back. "Wait… you're not Oden Uzumaki, are you?"
"Did I ever say I was?"
Naruto's stomach dropped. He tried to reach into his inventory out of habit, but nothing came. His fingers passed through the void uselessly, unable to grasp anything. Everything was intangible, weightless except for one thing.
His hand brushed against the hilt of the Ghost Blade.
The old man's single eye tracked the movement, then his lips twitched, forming something that might've been a smile. "Interesting. You can touch that here?"
Then his form began to peel away.
The cloak, the flesh, the illusion—all sloughed off like wet paper, falling into the void. What emerged beneath was something far older, far more dreadful.
A towering, translucent spectre loomed above Naruto. Its skin shimmered with sickly violet hues, its gaunt face twisted in a demonic leer. Long, matted white hair hung in uneven strands around two curved, crimson horns. Its eyes glowed faintly gold, half-lidded with eternal exhaustion. A set of prayer beads swung lazily around its neck, each one the size of a human skull.
And in its mouth, clenched between pointed teeth, was a small tantō.
"Names, mortal boy… are masks. But if you insist…"
A faint notification flickered in Naruto's vision:
[ Name: The Shinigami ]
[ HP: 4219 / 4219 ]
"Wait… I can see your stats?"
The Shinigami's grin widened, teeth flashing. "So… you peered into my avatar, did you?"
"Sorry, bad habit. Happens sometimes when I look at people too hard."
"Oh… you're amusing."
Then its gaze dropped to the weapon in Naruto's hand, and its smile vanished. "Where," it said slowly, voice dripping with restrained hunger, "did you get that blade?"
"Oh, this? Got it from killing a bunch of ghosts in some city that drowned ages ago. Real pain, by the way."
The silence stretched between the duo.
Naruto shifted uneasily, then glanced around the empty plane. "Right… so, uh, how do I get out of here? I've got friends waiting for me."
The spectre tilted its head, the beads clinking softly. "There are two ways. Either someone in your world unbinds your body from the altar…" Its single eye gleamed faintly. "Or I send your consciousness back myself."
"Great. Let's do that second one."
"Oh, certainly. I will just need one small thing returned first."
Naruto blinked. "What thing?"
"My hand."
"Oh. That thing." Naruto sighed. "Fine, fine. You get your hand back, I get to go home. Easy trade. On three, yeah?"
The Shinigami's eye glinted with something unreadable. "By all means, mortal. Count away."
"One… two… three!"
Naruto tossed the spectral hand back toward the creature. A rift tore open behind him. Naruto grinned. "Alright! Thanks for the lift, big guy!"
He leapt backward into the portal and nothing, as the portal was fake.
Silence.
Then the Shinigami laughed. A low, bone-shaking sound that echoed across the entire plane. "A change of plans, young mortal."
"Wait... what?"
"You see…" The voice purred, layered with centuries of hunger. "Normally, I seal senjutsu into the souls of your clan as part of my pact with Oden. But you… you're different."
The air grew cold, heavy.
"I cannot even call you human. Your soul burns with chaos, tempered by darkness and stone. You've been reforged, again and again."
"You can't do this! I'm not dead!"
"Oh," the Shinigami whispered, and its many-layered voice echoed like a grin. "But you will be… in a minute."
Naruto's stomach dropped. His thoughts shot to the spear still buried in his abdomen.
"Ah," the Shinigami breathed. "And then, my boy, your soul shall be mine to eat."
"You picked the wrong guy to eat, you bony bastard!"
The Shinigami's tantō slid from its mouth with a wet, deliberate sound. It toyed with the blade between two skeletal fingers and studied Naruto with slow amusement. "And what then? Will you become that dragon you keep pretending to be and fight me?"
"No. I am going to challenge you like Oden did."
"You mean to survive the nine days and bargain for your life by outlasting death itself."
"Before my body dies, I will make you bleed," Naruto replied, steady and blunt.
"You may be stupider than Oden," it said, "but you are the first to speak of such a challenge. Very well. Entertain me. What terms do you propose?"
"If I win, you send me back, and I get three questions," Naruto said.
"If I win, I take your soul, and that Ghost Blade becomes mine."
"You selfish, bony bastard. I'm in," Naruto said. He hurled the Ghost Blade like a kunai.
The weapon sailed through the darkness, a pale sliver. The Shinigami did not so much dodge as allow it to pass, the blade slipping through thin air as if it were a memory. Naruto surged forward with a roundhouse kick.
"You cannot touch death unless I let you."
Naruto grinned anyway, fists flying in a blur. He landed punches and kicks that met nothing but the chill around the spectre. He spun, scanning with sharp, hungry eyes for the Ghost Blade. The Shinigami toyed with it, holding it aloft between those skeletal fingers like a curiosity.
"Looking for this?" it asked. Then it lifted the blade, watching Naruto with a patience older than any village.
Naruto froze. For a beat he sighed, shoulders dropping. "Guess I'm toast. But hang on. How about I offer you something else, Shinigami-sama?"
"You have nothing I want, mortal."
Naruto's fingers dipped into his inventory without ceremony and produced five thousand shimmering soul drops. The Shinigami's gaze snagged on the drops. For a moment, the thing that ate souls looked like a man distracted by a feast. It leaned forward as if to sip the spilled memories.
Gotcha, Naruto thought, and moved.
White light burst from his chest. The force miracle detonated, staggering the Shinigami, a hiss escaping it as the radiant spear of sunlight slammed into its jaw.
[ Name: The Shinigami ]
[ HP: 4218 / 4219 ]
"And just like that, I win the challenge."
"You tricked me?"
"Tricked?" Naruto gasped. "Nah. You just got distracted by a shiny bunch of souls and forgot to dodge a miracle to the face. That's on you, bonehead."
For a moment, the air was silent. Then the Shinigami chuckled. The sound was low, almost amused. "Fascinating. Humanity… has learned to turn their very souls into weapons. Or perhaps," the creature leaned forward, its smile splitting impossibly wide, "it is just you. You are not entirely human, are you?"
"Thanks, I get that a lot. And yeah, probably just me. Still can't believe Plan C actually worked."
"Plan… C?"
"Of course I had other plans," Naruto said, counting off on his fingers. "Plan A was to die and get pulled back to Lordran. Plan B was to use a Homeward Miracle to teleport myself out if things went bad. And Plan C…" He grinned, jabbing a thumb at himself. "Was distract you and kick your ass."
"Each plan… equally foolish."
"Yeah," Naruto said, still smirking, "but Plan C's the one that worked."
The Shinigami stared at him for a long, silent moment, then let out a slow, rasping sigh that might've been laughter. "You are either the luckiest fool to exist… or the most dangerous one. I cannot yet tell which."
"Why not both?"
"Just ask your three questions, and begone from my sight."
"What's the matter? Salty that you lost to two Uzumakis?"
The god's eye twitched, its expression tightening into something between irritation and disbelief. "You have an awful lot of spunk for someone who will be dead in a few seconds."
"Oh really?"
The Shinigami opened his mouth to retort, then stopped. Its eye widened slightly as it sensed the shift. Back in the physical world, Oscar had already uncorked the Estus Flask and poured its shimmering light down Naruto's throat.
The god's jaw worked for a second, then it huffed. "Just ask your questions."
"Fine. First question: Do you know why Hashirama Senju was given his Rune?"
"It was because of Oden's bargain with his father."
Naruto frowned. "And how's that supposed to make sense?"
"Because Oden's father was a fool who started a cycle of reincarnation he could never control."
"Okay, fine, my second question—"
The Shinigami slowly lifted one skeletal finger and wagged it back and forth. "No. Last question."
"You... you should've told me that first, you ugly bastard!"
The Shinigami's grin stretched impossibly wide, radiating smug satisfaction.
"Don't look so proud, you're still ugly."
The death god tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing into a hollow glare that screamed, Get on with it, boy.
Naruto groaned, muttering under his breath, "Alright, alright, keep your kimono on…" Then he straightened, clearly thinking hard about what to ask next. He could've asked about Oden's father, Oden, but something deeper gnawed at him.
"Do you know about Lordran?"
"…No."
Naruto blinked, utterly dumbfounded. "Wait, what do you mean no? You're the death god! How can you not know that?" He took a step forward, his voice rising with disbelief. "You deal with souls, right? Lordran's full of souls like, literally, the place runs on them! How can that not even ring a bell?"
He kept going, jabbing a finger at the Shinigami. "So what, Lordran's outside your jurisdiction?"
The Shinigami's empty gaze remained unmoved, and Naruto's voice dropped into wary suspicion. "...Or is it that you do know, and you just don't want to say?"
"Goodbye."
It snapped its fingers.
Naruto felt the world tilt. His consciousness was yanked backward, the astral plane folding like paper around him. His lungs filled with air again, and light burned his eyes.
Naruto groaned, sitting up with a wince. "Oh, my back hurts," he muttered as his eyes landed on Oscar, who was staring at him with wide, anxious eyes.
"Hey, hey, I'm alright, buddy. You can stop looking at me like that."
"You gave us quite a scare."
Naruto turned and froze. Her form was fading, edges softening into the air, half-translucent now, like morning mist retreating from sunlight. His heart dropped. "Gran-Gran-Gran?! What's happening to you?"
"Don't worry, child. The piece of my soul I left behind has finally done its part. It's time for me to move on."
"No… you can't!" Naruto blurted, stepping closer as if he could hold her there by sheer will. "You can't just disappear! Who's gonna guide me now? What if I mess something up again? What if I lose control or I do something wrong?"
"Naruto… you don't need me to guide you anymore. You've already become more than I ever could've imagined. You've walked through pain that would've broken the strongest shinobi I knew. You've seen gods and monsters, and yet here you stand, still calling yourself Naruto Uzumaki."
Mito reached out, her hand phasing softly through his hair like a warm breeze. "You've grown into a fine young man. And I know without a shadow of doubt that you will change this world, my boy."
Naruto swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "But… I just… I wanted you to stay. For once, I don't wanna lose anyone again. I just got you in my life."
Mito's expression gentled further, the faintest melancholy tugging at her lips. "We all want things, my dear. I wanted to rebuild our clan, to see Uzushiogakure alive again, filled with laughter and children and hope. I wanted to grow old beside my husband and teach the next generation everything we'd learned. But life… life doesn't always let us have what we want when we want it."
Her voice grew quieter, but not weaker. "Sometimes, we plant a seed we'll never see grow. Sometimes, all we can do is trust that someone else will tend to it. What matters isn't how quickly the dream comes true, Naruto rather it's that you keep believing in it. Keep feeding it. Keep being the person who can carry it."
Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes burning. "Then what if I rebuild it? What if I bring the Uzumaki clan back? Would that… would that make you happy, Gran-Gran-Gran?"
"Oh, Naruto… you've already made me happier than I've been in decades. To see you standing here, strong and stubborn and kind. To know that the Uzumaki spirit burns bright again. It's more than enough for me. I couldn't ask for anything else."
Naruto shook his head, a small but fierce smile forming despite the tears threatening to fall. "It's not about asking anymore. It's about doing. I'm a mosaic, Gran-Gran-Gran. Every lesson, every fight and every person who believed in me... they're all part of me now. A knight, a mage, a paladin, a cleric, a pyromancer, a blacksmith and a shinobi. Every piece of me is built from the people who helped me stand."
He took a step closer, voice firm, conviction burning behind his eyes. "And I'm not done yet. I'm gonna make that mosaic bigger, brighter, and stronger than ever. I'm gonna restore the Uzumaki clan."
Mito smiled, tears welling in her fading eyes. "You speak like a leader already, Naruto. Like someone who understands what it truly means to carry a legacy."
"Guess I picked it up from a few good teachers."
Her form shimmered brighter now, glowing softly like embers before dawn. "Then I leave you with one last thing, my boy."
Her voice grew distant, almost melodic.
"A whirlpool holds its shape, unchanging, like a memory etched in stone. But a spiral breathes and grows, shifting with each turn. What begins as a simple swirl transforms, as the vortex gives way to the spiral ever deeper, ever evolving.
For even if it seems to spin the same, every turn carves a new path. The floor beneath it changes, the air thickens, the scenery shifts. In each twist lies a new truth, and in each descent, a hidden strength.
So too does life move and change. We are not bound to the stillness of fate, but to the living spiral of choice and change.
The Uzumaki walk this spiral; unbroken, and ever-reaching."
"That was my favourite part of Tobirama's journal," Naruto murmured, voice trembling as he looked down.
"It was my favourite part too," Mito said softly, stepping closer. Her fading form shimmered faintly as she wrapped her arms around him. "That hair color suits you better, you know."
"You think so?"
Mito smiled and nodded. "It's the color of life, of fire and of the Uzumaki spirit itself. We've always burned brighter than the world around us."
"You always know what to say, Gran-Gran-Gran."
Mito laughed softly, brushing his cheek with her thumb. "And if I can be selfish enough to ask one more favor…"
"Anything," Naruto said immediately, without hesitation.
"Give Oscar a hot bubble bath every three days," Mito said with absolute seriousness.
Oscar raised a tiny claw and gave Mito a solemn thumbs-up.
Naruto blinked, then burst into a small, choked laugh that cracked through the grief in his chest. "Yeah… don't worry, I will. Promise."
"Good," Mito whispered, her eyes glistening as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Then I can rest easy knowing you're both in good hands."
Her form began to dissolve, light scattering into the air like petals caught in a breeze.
Naruto stood there in silence, eyes glistening, watching her fade completely. The Altar of Beginning around him began to crumble back into its ruined form, the faint glow of its power flickering out like dying embers as the repair spell began to wear off.
"Even though time's more stable here… I still can't change the past with magic just yet."
The wind swept through the ruins. For a moment, it was as if the night itself had only been a dream.
The knight and the lizard stood quietly for a long while.
Then footsteps echoed.
Jiraiya and Team 7 entered the ruins cautiously, their eyes widening as they took in the sight.
Naruto turned slowly, holding Oscar close against his chest. His expression was calm but wistful, his gaze drifting toward the sky where Mito's light had vanished. But what caught everyone's attention wasn't his expression, rather it was his hair.
Gone were the strands of golden blond that once framed his face. Now his long hair gleamed a deep, brilliant crimson.
The unmistakable color of the Uzumaki clan.
Jiraiya's mouth fell open slightly. "Kid… your hair…"
Naruto blinked, brushing a strand away from his face, then gave a tired but genuine smile. "Guess… I really am an Uzumaki now."
Oscar chirped in agreement.
And as the sunlight bathed the ruins of Uzushiogakure, it wasn't the gold of the sun that shone there anymore, rather it was the red of a legacy reborn.
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Author Note:
And with that, I leave you with today's chapter. I hope you all liked it. Now for everyone's favorite section: the Q and A!
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Q: Why is the Shinigami's HP only 4219?
Good catch! The reason is actually twofold.
First off, the Shinigami Naruto fought wasn't the true Death God. It was an avatar, a fragment of the real thing manifesting in the astral plane. Think of it like facing a divine shadow rather than the full deity.
And second because I love sneaky details as the number 4219 isn't random. It's a reference to Japanese numerology.
In Japanese wordplay: 42 (shi-ni) means "to die," and 19 (i-ku) means "to go." Put together, 4219 (shi-ni iku) literally translates to "to go and die."
So yeah, the Shinigami's HP literally spells out death.
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Q: Why did Naruto's hair turn red?
First off, the simple answer: because red-haired Naruto looks awesome. I've always wanted to see him physically embody his Uzumaki heritage; not just in name or legacy, but in appearance.
Secondly, canon Naruto has always been defined by his father's side. His signature move? Minato's Rasengan. The burden of Kurama? Minato's sealing choice. His title, his comparisons, his image... everything revolves around being Minato's son.
Don't get me wrong, I love that connection, but it always felt like Naruto's maternal heritage, the Uzumaki side, was criminally underexplored.
So in this story, I wanted to fix that imbalance.
My version of Naruto embraces both sides of his legacy.
He gets both the Rasengan and the red hair.
And come on, let's be real; a red-haired knight Naruto just sounds metal as hell.
Funny enough, someone once commented that DS Naruto gives off serious Radahn vibes from Elden Ring, and honestly? They're not wrong. Let's break it down: giant sword? Red hair? Animal companion? Shoots massive arrows? At this point, all that's missing is Naruto becoming gigantic and riding Oscar like a tiny horse.
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That's it for this Q&A!
Next chapter's gonna dive deep into the aftermath and the Rune's awakening, how Team 7 reacts to what Naruto's become, and maybe… going back to Konoha.
As always, let me know your theories in the comments!
What do you think Naruto's Rune will awaken? And do you like the red hair change?
Until next time... stay strong, stay weird, and never stop walking through your spiral.
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P.S. I just want to say… thank you.
It's officially been a year since I started writing this story, and honestly, I can't even put into words how much that means to me. A whole year of late nights, 2,000 words a day, and moments where I doubted myself but I kept going because of you. Every comment, every review, every little bit of support you gave me kept me writing when I might've stopped.
You guys made this possible. You helped me find something I love doing.
For this one-year anniversary, I wanted to do something special, so I asked an artist to remake The Chosen Undead cover art—with Naruto having red hair this time. It's a small way of marking how far this story and I have come, thanks to all of you.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for believing, and for staying. Here's to a year of stories, and hopefully, many more to come.
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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 95, 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!