Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.66 Blades, Souls, and Questions

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The undead merchant perched on his stool, lazily dragging his uchigatana along a whetstone. The sharp screech of metal on stone halted as he spotted Naruto approaching.

"Well, well... Look who's back. What do you want this time, boy? Here to lighten your soul pouch again?"

"I need the repair box," Naruto replied flatly.

"Nee hee hee! Told you, didn't I? You should've listened when I warned you, boy. But nooo, you thought you knew better. And now? Broken gear, broken pride, and you come crawling back to ol' me."

Naruto swallowed his irritation, his shoulders stiff. He deserved it, after all. Oscar's armor—his armor—was in shambles because he had assumed Lordran would magically mend the damage.

"Three thousand souls," the merchant said with a smirk, sliding the repair box forward. "Fair price, don't you think? Though I doubt it'll patch up your bruised ego."

Naruto's jaw tightened as he handed over the souls. He turned the box over in his hands, frowning. "How the hell do I even use this thing?"

"Heh! What a greenhorn. Fine, hand over the armor. I'll show you how it's done—for a fee, of course."

Naruto sighed, setting the crystal lizard on a nearby crate and unstrapping the battered armor. The merchant grimaced at the sight of the ruined breastplate, dented helmet, and shattered gauntlets.

"Tch. Did you headbutt a demon or something?"

"Can you fix it or not?"

The merchant's smirk widened as he reached for a mortar and pestle. "Of course I can, boy. But good craftsmanship takes time—and patience, neither of which you have. Sit tight."

Naruto leaned against the wall, watching as the merchant worked. The man poured glittering repair powder into the mortar, followed by a single drop of golden liquid from an Estus Flask. He stirred the mixture until it shimmered faintly.

"What's that?"

"Repair paste," the merchant said without looking up. "Does for metal what Estus does for flesh. Fills the cracks, smooths the edges. If you're lucky, it'll hold 'til you find yourself a proper blacksmith."

"Where do I find a blacksmith?"

The merchant chuckled darkly. "Information like that doesn't come cheap, boy."

"You're already fleecing me for this repair job."

"Fine, fine. Beyond the Taurus Demon, there's a bridge. Follow it, and it'll take you to the Undead Parish. There's a smith holed up near the big church ruins. Can't miss it." He paused. "But if you want the best path, that'll cost you extra."

"I'll take my chances, thanks."

The merchant shrugged, dabbing the paste onto the armor. "Suit yourself. But don't come crying to me when your shiny new armor ends up in worse shape than before. Nee hee hee!"

Naruto tilted his head, watching the paste shimmer as it mended the armor's cracks. "For someone who acts like they hate people, you're awfully good at keeping them alive."

The merchant paused, his bony hand hovering over the armor. "Hmph. Don't mistake necessity for kindness, boy. I couldn't care less what happens to you. But souls don't spend themselves, and dead men don't buy wares."

"Why stay here, then? What's the point of this place?"

"Lordran's for the desperate, the lost, and the mad. Folks come here chasing glory, redemption, or maybe a cure for the curse. But all they find are more questions. The kind that gnaw at your brain when you try to sleep."

"And you?"

"Me?" the merchant said. "I came here to be left alone. Back home, I was just another hollow. Something to kick around. Here, at least the demons are honest. They'll gut you outright. No games."

"Yeah, I get that. Back home… life's complicated. Lordran's simpler."

The merchant's laugh turned into a low hum. "Simple? Oh, boy, you've got it wrong. Lordran's a tangled mess. The harder you dig for answers, the more it gives you questions. But if you're not looking for anything…" The man nodded solemnly. "Well, then anywhere can be simple, can't it?"

Naruto thought back to Konoha, to the time when life had been simple—when he hadn't known about the weight of secrets, the sting of betrayals. He exhaled softly. "Ignorance is bliss, huh?"

The merchant nodded, his hollowed eyes gleaming faintly. "Now you're catching on."

A heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the faint crackle of the repair paste as it hardened.

The undead merchant's hollowed eyes shifted to the shimmering crystal lizard. "Well, now… What do we have here?" he crooned. "How about selling me that shiny little thing? Oh, I could make it worth your while, boy!"

"What would you even do with it?"

"Kill it, of course. Crack it open, see what treasures lie within that glittering heart of its. They say these creatures hold rare materials—ones that smiths would spill blood for. Oh, the profit I could make…" The merchant's voice trailed off, almost salivating at the thought.

"No."

The merchant's smirk faltered, replaced with a frown of disappointment. "No? Bah, what are you planning to do with it, then? Toss it in a pot and make stew? Or perhaps you'll sell it yourself and cheat an honest merchant like me?"

"It's not for sale," Naruto barked. "He's my pet!"

"Your pet? Nee hee! That's rich, boy. Truly. You must be joking."

"Nope." Naruto straightened, defiant. "I've always wanted a pet. And this guy's perfect. He's tough, shiny, and way cuter than your ugly mug. Plus, I want to see if he can be trained like Kakashi's Ninken."

The merchant let out a screeching cackle, doubling over. "Oh, that's a good one! Training a crystal lizard? What's next? You'll teach a dragon to fetch? Oh, wait, wait—hold on!" He wheezed. "You're serious? Nee hee hee hee! Let me laugh even harder!"

"Keep laughing, and I'll throw you off the ledge."

The merchant abruptly stopped, his laughter vanishing as he took a cautious step back. "My, my… What a cruel customer I've got here! Threatening the very man who helps keep your precious armor in one piece. Tch, such ingratitude."

"I didn't threaten you. I promised."

"Still… a pet, eh? Haven't seen someone care about anything in ages. Most folk here… well, they forget. Forget what it means to care for anything—or anyone. Hell, they even forget themselves."

Naruto tilted his head, curiosity breaking through his annoyance. "What about you? Don't you want to go back to how you were? Reverse the hollowing?"

The merchant froze, his breath hitching for the briefest moment before he let out a bitter laugh. "Nee hee hee… Sharper than you look, aren't you? I've thought about it, boy. More times than I care to admit. But humanity doesn't come cheap. And souls? Well, souls are easier to come by. I've made my peace with this face—this wretched, hollow thing." He gestured vaguely at his sunken features.

Naruto reached into his inventory, pulling out a small black wisp of humanity. Without a word, he tossed it to the merchant.

The merchant caught it on reflex, his hollowed eyes widening as he stared at the swirling essence in his bony hands. "This… this is humanity," he muttered. "What's the meaning of this, boy?"

"Think of it as a thank you. This armor? It belonged to my master. Fixing it means more to me than you know."

The merchant's hands trembled slightly as he looked from the humanity to Naruto, his usual mockery replaced by something quieter—something almost vulnerable. "You're a strange one, boy. Most folk wouldn't waste something this precious on a shriveled old corpse like me."

Naruto shrugged. "You're not as bad as you think, old man. Besides, you've been helpful. So… thanks."

The merchant stared at him for a long moment, the faintest trace of a smile creeping onto his face. "Nee hee hee… Helpful, am I? Well, I suppose even an old wretch like me has his uses. But you're gonna need more than gratitude, boy. That armor of yours? It'll keep breaking until you find a proper smith."

"I know," Naruto replied, grinning as he picked up his gear. "But still, you did your part. Thanks."

As silence fell, the merchant continued grinding repair paste, his movements slower, more deliberate. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then scratched the back of his head. "Hey… I also wanted to apologize for throwing that reinforced club off the ledge. I was going for a scare, but…"

"No worries, boy. Accidents happen, even to fools like you." His grin widened as he gestured to the wares around him. "Still, if you're so sorry, why not buy something more?"

"Fine. Let's see… I'll take that chain armor set. It'll make a great gift."

"Gift?" The merchant snorted, handing over the polished chain pieces. "Who in this forsaken land do you have left to gift armor to?"

"Someone I owe an apology to," Naruto said simply, tossing the armor into his inventory.

The merchant handed over the last piece of the Elite Knight set, his tone turning uncharacteristically genuine. "There. All fixed. Good as new."

"What's the price?"

"Well, well, since I'm in a good mood today… let's say free."

Naruto blinked. "The repairs and the armor set?"

"Sure," the merchant said with a lazy shrug.

"What's the catch?"

"Oh, nothing much. Either take it and shut up, or pay me twice what it's worth. Your choice."

"Fine. Thanks… I'll be back soon."

"Ah, thank you very much! Come back anytime, boy! Nee hee hee hee!"

As Naruto's footsteps faded down the stone stairs, the merchant remained still, staring at the black wisp of humanity in his hand. He turned it over slowly, his hollowed eyes gleaming faintly as a long-forgotten warmth stirred in his chest.

"Strange kid," he muttered, his voice quieter now. His fingers brushed the hilt of his uchigatana as his gaze drifted to the empty space beside him. "What do you think, Yulia? Maybe this place… isn't so bad after all."

The undead merchant let out a hollow chuckle, his voice shaking as he pocketed the humanity. "Come again, boy," he said, his tone almost pleading. "And remind me who you are… before I forget what kindness feels like." His hollowed eyes drifted to the cracked floor, and for a moment, he wondered how many more memories he could lose before there was nothing left of him at all.

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[ Author Note: Alright, let's break it down Q&A style.

1. The Crystal Lizard: Why give Naruto a pet? And are you serious about the crystal lizard becoming Naruto's ninja animal?

Yes, the crystal lizard is going to be Naruto's Akamaru equivalent. This will make for an interesting development when Naruto and Kiba meet again.

Plus, I figured it would be a fun way to balance the dark tone of the Dark Souls story with something lighthearted. For those of you who know, you know that things are going to get intense in the future when Naruto ventures into the extremely hard areas.

And let's be honest—it's just so Naruto to see this weird little creature and immediately decide, "This is my friend now."

Now, for those of you worried that the crystal lizard is just going to become a glorified mascot, I want you to Google "Ravenous Crystal Lizard." They're a mini-boss in Dark Souls 3. So yeah, don't worry—it's going to become a partner to Naruto, and a very powerful partner at that.

Also, I need your help: what should we name this little guy? Drop your suggestions in the comments!

2. The Undead Merchant:

You guys know how much I love fleshing out NPCs—Oscar, Alexander, and now the undead merchant. In the game, he's kind of just… there. But I wanted to expand on his character and give him a proper dynamic with Naruto.

In my version, he's jaded, sarcastic, and a bit of a loner, but Naruto sees past all of that and treats him with decency and respect. I wanted to show how even in a world like Lordran, small acts of kindness can have a huge impact.

What did you guys think of his character and his interactions with Naruto?

Also, yes, the last line of the undead merchant is actually a hint at what happens when you die too much in Lordran—you start to lose your sense of self and identity. Naruto is currently unaffected because of a special reason, but that will change in the future. Keep your eyes peeled because the story is just getting started.

Thanks so much for sticking with this story! Your support and feedback mean the world to me. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to throw out ideas for the crystal lizard's name and the ninjutsu you want to see Naruto learn.

Have an awesome day!