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Chapter 153 The Bravery of Small Things
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Naruto opened his eyes to the flickering light of the Firelink bonfire. The warm glow wrapped around him like a familiar blanket, but something felt off.
A weak chirp broke the silence.
He looked down to see Oscar trembling near his side. The crystal lizard was curled in on himself, tiny limbs drawn tight to his body. The usually vibrant gleam of his crystalline scales was dulled, his tail twitching erratically like a frightened bird. His eyes, normally bright and curious, were wide and unfocused, reflecting the firelight in jagged shards.
Naruto's expression softened as he reached out and gently placed a hand on Oscar's head. For a long, quiet moment, he simply watched the little lizard, a twinge of guilt tightening in his chest. Lordran had been harsh and brutal for the little guy, who endured it alone. Coming back here… it could not have been easy. Not when he had finally known what warmth and safety felt like back home.
"Hey," he said quietly. "We are here to get stronger. But do not worry, as long as I am here, nothing is gonna happen to you. Promise. But… I am gonna need someone to guard my back. Can you do that?"
Oscar blinked, then squirmed out of Naruto's hand. He scuttled in front of him, puffing his tiny chest out with as much bravery as a lizard the size of a loaf of bread could muster. His tail stopped trembling. He looked up with a determined chirp.
Naruto chuckled. "That's the spirit. Let's go."
They descended into Andre's forge where the old blacksmith was snoring on his workbench, head tilted back and arms crossed.
Naruto raised a finger to his lips and glanced at Oscar. "Shhh."
The two decided to turn back when...
"What are you doing, making noise this early?"
Naruto turned sheepish. "Oh, you're awake."
"Could not exactly sleep through your pep talk upstairs." Andre sat up, rubbing his neck. "Go on then, train in the hall if you are gonna. Just do not die."
"You got it, old man."
Down in the church's shadowed interior, Naruto took a breath and bit lightly into Oscar's tail, forming the connection. Dozens of clones popped into existence, each accompanied by a clone of Oscar. The real lizard's eyes lit up with joy at the sight of so many of himself.
"No, you cannot play with your clones," Naruto said as he narrowed his eyes. "We are training."
Oscar's tail drooped.
Naruto sighed, made a separate clone just for Oscar to chase, and the little lizard bounded off, delighted.
Naruto pulled out a scroll Kakashi had given him on ninchu training. A single kunai was nestled in the center crease. He squinted at it.
"Kakashi sensei must have left this by mistake."
He flicked it into his inventory and returned to the scroll. "Alright. Let's do this."
For the next hour, the training was brutal. The chakra control drills were harsh on Naruto's clones and harder on Oscar. One by one, each clone exploded in a puff of smoke, and each time, Oscar twitched violently as the memory hit him. By the end, he was curled up again, biting his tail, overwhelmed by the sensation of dozens of painful, jarring deaths.
Naruto called off the training immediately.
"Hey, hey... it is okay," he whispered, holding the trembling lizard close. "It is okay, Oscar. You did good. We are done for today."
Oscar whimpered and buried himself in Naruto's chest.
A few minutes later, heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs. Andre appeared with a wooden mug, filled to the brim with water, and passed it over without a word.
Naruto took it with a nod of thanks.
"What happened to that big bad Gato?" Andre asked, casually scratching his beard.
"Still has not made his move," Naruto muttered. "But that just means more time for me to prepare. Every day he waits… I get stronger."
Andre raised a brow and glanced down at Oscar, who was still huddled against Naruto's chest.
"And dragging the little one into it too?"
Naruto looked down and scratched Oscar under the chin. "Yeah. I am training him in chakra. Problem is… chakra and crystallized soul do not mix cleanly. It is volatile. Like dumping oil into a forge fire."
Andre clicked his tongue. "So… he is a bomb?"
"Not exactly," Naruto said. "More like… a conduit with no fuse. If we do not figure out how to control the flow, he could rupture from the inside out."
"Then you better figure it out fast," Andre said as he eyed the trembling crystal lizard curled against Naruto's chest. "But let this old man give you a suggestion."
Naruto straightened, giving the blacksmith his full attention. "I am listening."
Andre jabbed a thick finger at Oscar. "He is not undead like us. He has one life and when it is gone, it is gone. That makes him special. But it also makes him vulnerable."
Naruto swallowed hard. That was the truth he had been avoiding.
"So… what kind of precautions are we talking?"
"Armor. You are a shinobi, ain't you? Even your world knows how important it is. Now imagine what a good set of plate could do for this little beastie."
Oscar perked up at that, tilting his head.
Naruto blinked, stunned. "Wait, you are saying we can actually forge armor for him?"
"Of course we can," Andre said, nodding. "It is not that different from barding."
"Barding?"
"Armor for horses, lad. Or wolves, or drakes, or whatever else you plan to ride into battle screaming your lungs out. If it has a spine and spirit, I can plate it in steel."
Oscar let out a chirp that sounded suspiciously like Dattebayo.
Naruto grinned. "Alright then. I actually found this Elite Knight set in Darkroot Garden. I was gonna keep it for emergency or something, but… I think Oscar would look way cooler in it."
Andre chuckled. "Elite Knight Armor, eh? That is a fine foundation. You are thinking full miniature plating?"
"I was thinking we scale down the pauldron layout, maybe reinforce the ventral plates with enchanted steel mesh, keep the tail unrestricted for balance, and oh, maybe add smoke vents around the mouth to channel his crystal laser better."
Andre blinked at him. "Huh… so you have been paying attention to this old man's lessons after all."
"I multitask," Naruto said with a proud grin.
"Well, you are gonna need Rickert's help with this. He is the one who understands magical stuff better than I do."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Perfect. I can ask him about the conduit issue too."
Naruto summoned a clone. "You and him can get started on the draft for a model. Oscar, come with me. We have stuff to do."
As the clone rolled up his sleeves and got to work with Andre, Naruto gently lifted Oscar onto his shoulder. The lizard hesitated, his claws tightening slightly on Naruto's armor.
Naruto could feel it—the tremble. Not of fear, but doubt. He knelt down and looked Oscar in the eye. "Hey. I know it has been a lot. And I know Lordran still scares you."
Oscar looked away, ashamed.
"But I am not asking you to be fearless," Naruto said softly. "I am asking you to be brave. That means showing up, even when your claws are shaking."
Oscar turned back, eyes wide and unblinking.
Naruto smiled. "We are a team, remember? You do not have to blast everything to be useful. Sometimes, just being there... just being you is enough."
Oscar blinked. Then he gave a tiny, firm chirp.
"Good," Naruto said. "Now let us see how good of a distraction you can be."
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Dappled sunlight cut through the ruined ceiling of the Undead Church as Naruto crouched beside a pillar, eyeing the trio of Hollows loitering near the entrance.
"Alright, buddy," he whispered, lowering Oscar gently to the ground. "You're up. Go out there, be loud, and lead them around."
Oscar chirped with uncertainty.
"You're not fighting this time," Naruto added. "Just a good old fashioned bait and dash. Flash and run. Sparkle and spin."
Oscar gave him a skeptical look.
"Trust me," Naruto said with a wink.
Oscar hesitated, then puffed his little chest out and dashed into the open.
The sun caught his crystal spine at just the right angle. Light refracted in brilliant, flashing shards like miniature fireworks. The effect was immediate. Three Hollows turned, groaning with mechanical urgency as they shambled toward the flickering movement.
Naruto struck.
A kunai flew, embedding into the crossbow Hollow's skull. It dropped.
Oscar darted between the legs of the second Hollow, drawing a wild swing that missed entirely. The movement left it wide open. Naruto appeared behind it in a flicker and drove his Zweihander straight through its back.
The last Hollow shrieked and charged, blade raised high.
Oscar skidded to a halt. His whole body tensed. The crystal on his back hummed faintly, then sputtered.
No laser.
Oscar froze.
"Get down!" Naruto shouted.
The Hollow's blade came crashing down, only to meet steel as Naruto intercepted it. He gritted his teeth, gave ground slowly, then twisted, baiting the Hollow forward. The sunlight bounced off Oscar's back again. One blinding beam of refracted light caught the Hollow right in the eyes.
It flinched.
Naruto did not.
He spun and cleaved through the creature in a single strike, scattering ash and bone across the flagstones.
Silence fell then a chirp.
Oscar's tail was wagging. Slowly at first. Then faster. He looked up at Naruto, trembling slightly, but this time not with fear.
"Dude," Naruto said, scooping him up, "you were awesome out there. That flash move? That was perfect."
Oscar trilled proudly, nudging Naruto's cheek with his nose.
"You're learning," Naruto said, walking toward the elevator. "And next time? That laser's gonna scorch."
The platform clanked beneath them, the elevator descending with a rusty groan toward Firelink Shrine.
Oscar nestled against Naruto's collar, his heartbeat finally calm.
He had not fired a laser. He had not tanked a hit. But for the first time, Oscar had walked into a fight, chosen to act, and come out standing.
For the first time, he felt like a warrior too.
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As the elevator clanked back into its slot, Naruto stepped off, humming under his breath. The absence of Petrus was a welcome relief. Just the wind, the ashes, and a strange stillness. He skipped lightly down the path, thinking about Anastacia, wondering with a sheepish grin what his clone might have been doing.
But the moment he reached the edge of the stairs, near the blackened roots of the dead Firelink tree, his steps halted.
The clone was standing there motionless, in a dreamlike trance. Its expression was one of eerie peace. Soft eyes gazing toward the sky, a faint smile on its lips.
But Naruto's stomach twisted. That look was not natural.
He moved slowly, heart rising to his throat. A chill danced down his spine as he edged closer.
Then he saw it.
Anastacia lay curled in the cage, barely moving, her breath shallow and erratic. Not peaceful. Not sleeping.
Suffering.
Naruto's eyes scanned the area with a shinobi's precision. A blood-stained kunai lay discarded in the dirt, its edge caked with dark red. A trail of crimson smeared the stone between it and Anastacia. Her lips were stained and cracked, and in the soil beside her mouth... her tongue was cut clean and left to rot.
His hands trembled.
The clone had not moved.
"Oi," Naruto said softly, walking over. "Wake up."
No response. His chakra flared, attempting to disrupt the flow of illusion like Sakura taught him. No reaction.
Naruto frowned. He used soul sight and saw that the clone was under the effects of some kind of spell that projected a weird cloud over its aura.
His hand tightened around his kunai. With a sharp breath, he stabbed the clone in the chest.
White smoke dispersed into the wind.
Memories flooded in, but they were scattered and dull. Hours of standing. Staring at the sky. No alarm. No awareness. Just stillness, as if the clone had forgotten its purpose. Forgotten her.
Naruto clenched his fists.
It was the crow. It had to be. That damn bird. Something more than a messenger. Something wrong. It must have cast the spell, slipped reality over the clone's eyes like a blanket, while it forced Anastacia to silence herself again. A cruel mockery of choice.
He flickered into the cage.
Anastacia stirred faintly, caught in half-conscious spasms, murmuring in broken gasps.
"Shhh," Naruto whispered, fingers glowing as he pressed two against the base of her neck. A soft pulse of chakra spread out, carefully calming her nervous system. She slumped back, unconscious now, but safe in sleep.
He crouched beside her, gently wiping the blood from her face with a soft cloth from his pouch. His gaze settled on her mouth. The wound was deep and ragged.
She had done it to herself.
"Damn it…" he whispered.
He bit the inside of his cheek, hard enough to taste blood.
"I am not strong enough yet. Not to fix this. Not to help you. But I can make sure you live without pain. I swear it."
From his storage seal, he drew out folded quilts, a feather pillow, and a thin mattress pad. One by one, he laid them down carefully, crafting a bed where there had only been stone and rusted bars. He wrapped her in a warm blanket, tucking her in as gently as he could.
Then he sat for a long time, watching her breathing ease.
"I will find a way," he said quietly. "Even if I have to kill the gods of this world."
His voice held no anger.
Only resolve.
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Oscar chirped from the ledge as Naruto emerged into the open.
"You asking if we should take her back to Konoha?"
Oscar answered with a soft, hesitant chirp. More like a question than a suggestion.
"I was planning to," Naruto admitted. "I really was. I thought maybe... she could live in peace there. Sleep safely. Maybe even talk again someday."
He scooped Oscar up in his arms as they stepped onto the elevator platform.
"But now…" he trailed off, gaze darkening. "I don't think I can. Not yet. Not until I understand what's happening to her."
A puzzled warble escaped the lizard's throat.
Naruto looked out at Firelink Shrine as it slowly shrank above them, the earth falling away like a dream turning distant. "Anastacia isn't just some poor prisoner anymore. She's bound to the bonfire. I don't think she's even allowed to leave. And her silence, it's not just trauma. It's enforced. Like a brand..."
He swallowed hard, voice thickening. "If I take her back with me, if I rip her out of this world, I could be dragging something else with her. Something ancient. Something watching. And if that thing follows her to Konoha…"
Naruto's grip around Oscar tightened. "…then it's not just her life I'm gambling with. It's everyone's. My friends. My world."
Oscar gave a small, uncertain chirp and nudged Naruto's chest.
"I know," Naruto whispered. "It's not fair. She deserves better. She deserves the choice. But right now, I can't give it to her. I won't risk opening a door to some goddamn god who treats humans like dirt and tongues like leashes."
The elevator rattled as it neared the bottom, steel groaning against stone.
Naruto exhaled slowly, voice low and bitter.
"Damn it. Ever since my intelligence stat levelled up, I've been thinking clearer. Strategizing better. And that's the worst part, Oscar… because now I see what I shouldn't do."
The elevator shuddered to a stop.
The New Londo Ruins stretched before them. Gray fog veiled crumbled towers and black waters whispered beneath the stones. A cold wind coiled between the ruins, dragging whispers through cracks in the earth.
Naruto glanced down at the tiny lizard in his arms.
Oscar gave a chirp.
Louder this time. Confident.
Naruto gave a weary smile and nodded. "Yeah. You're right."
He stepped off the elevator, boots hitting the stone with quiet resolve.
"For now… we train. We prepare. And when the time comes… we'll take everything back from the monsters who think they're gods."
Together, they vanished into the fog.
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Despite all his fury toward the gods, Naruto could not shake the gnawing urge to do something for Anastacia, now. The idea of waiting, of training while she lay silent in a cage, twisted in his chest like a splinter. So the moment he reached Rickert's watery prison, with the cavern echoing faint drips and quiet forge hums, he did not waste time.
He launched straight into what happened and ended with a desperate question.
"Is there anything I can do to help her?"
After a beat of silence, Rickert let out a low, thoughtful hum.
"You'll probably need to get the girl's sin absolved."
"Sin?" Naruto blinked. "What sin? She's been imprisoned."
"Sin's not always about right or wrong, boy. In this world, sin is about breaking the natural order. Messing with the gods' rules. You're looking for absolution? You'll need a bishop. Preferably one from the Church of Sin."
Naruto squinted. "Wait, that's not the Way of White?"
Rickert shook his head. "Different god. Different dogma. The Way of White worships Gwyn. But the Church of Sin followed Velka, the goddess of punishment, vengeance, and… selective forgiveness."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "So you're telling me if I find this goddess of sin, she can help me?"
"More like could have helped you." Rickert tapped the anvil with his finger, a flat clang echoing through the chamber. "Velka's covenant was shattered. Other gods feared her. Said she went mad, started hoarding sins, blackmailing kings, stirring revolutions with whispers of freedom. Last I heard, they wiped her shrines off the map."
Naruto crossed his arms. "So why the hell are you telling me this if it's impossible?"
Rickert gave a faint smirk. "Because you asked for a solution. I gave you one. I didn't say it would be easy. Besides… Velka's not dead. Just rogue. Forgotten. But if anyone could untie the knot binding that Fire Keeper, it's her."
"So, what exactly does she do?"
Rickert leaned back against the stone wall, crossing his arms.
"Sin in this world isn't just guilt. It's a metaphysical weight. Something real. It stains your soul. Makes enemies out of allies. Warps fate itself. But Velka? When she absolves sin, it's gone. Not forgiven. Erased. Like the act never happened. That's the kind of power you're chasing."
Naruto gulped. "That's… honestly kind of terrifying."
"Yup." Rickert smirked without looking up. "Bet you're wishing she was still holding mass, huh?"
"Yeah, no kidding. Guess I'll be digging through the ashes of a dead religion. Great."
"Well… the things you do for love."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Anastacia isn't the love of my life."
"Oh? So you're doing all this from the bottom of your heart?"
"Yes," Naruto said firmly, not even blinking. "Because I can. And more importantly, because I want to. Why would I need some grand reason to help someone who's suffering?"
The area went quiet for a beat. Even the screams of the distant hollows seemed to pause.
Rickert actually stopped moving. The man from Vinheim just stared at Naruto, genuinely stunned. It was not often he met people like this. People who helped not for power, penance, or pride, but because it felt right.
After a moment, Rickert snorted.
"That's lame."
Naruto twitched.
"I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?" Rickert went on, gesturing lazily. "No prophecy? No tragic backstory? Not even a doomed love triangle?"
"You're enjoying this."
"Oh, immensely."
Naruto clenched his fist. "You're lucky there are cage bars between us."
Rickert just grinned wider. "You feel mad?"
"A little."
"Here's a solution," Rickert said casually. "Don't be."
Naruto exhaled hard through his nose, trying to force the irritation down.
"Let's just move on to what I actually came here for, you ugly, self satisfied spark plug."
"Fair enough," Rickert said with a smirk, entirely unfazed. "Ugly, sure. But still prettier than your haircut."
Naruto pointed a finger, barely holding back a comeback, then let it drop with a groan.
"Why do I talk to you."
"Because you don't have any other magic blacksmiths with cursed lore and antisocial tendencies to consult."
"…Fair."
Naruto reached into his cloak and gently lifted the sleeping Oscar, who blinked at Rickert with wide, curious eyes.
"This is Oscar," Naruto said. "I want to know what you can tell me about him. Anything weird, anything dangerous—whatever you know."
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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 75, 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!