Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.61 Learning from the Black Knight

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Naruto opened his eyes to the familiar glow of the bonfire. He sat up, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, his body ready to move even before his mind caught up. Sleep no longer held meaning here. Days and hours blurred together, the sun forever frozen in its place.

The rhythm of Lordran ruled his life now: fight, die, wake, repeat.

And at the center of it all was the Black Knight.

Every death had become a stepping stone, another lesson carved into his mind and body. Naruto's approach was meticulous now. Every time he climbed the Black Knight's tower, he summoned shadow clones—dozens of them. Half engaged the knight directly, throwing themselves into the fight, while the rest stayed back, observing every detail of the battle.

The clones studied everything: the way the knight gripped its greatsword, the subtle shifts in its footwork, the precise timing of its swings.

When the clones dispelled, their memories surged into Naruto's mind in a flood. He felt every clash, every wound, every mistake. Each death left him stronger, shaping his instincts and refining his movements.

Between battles, he practiced. His clones mimicked the Black Knight's techniques, replicating its stances, its slashes, its devastating thrusts. The hollows on the path to the tower became his training dummies, each encounter a chance to perfect what he had learned.

It didn't take long for him to realize how much of Tenten's advice didn't apply to the Zweihander.

It wasn't that she'd meant to mislead him—she had taught him through the lens of her weapon: the katana.

Her advice about a loose grip? Total nonsense. The first time the Black Knight's greatsword had clashed with his Zweihander, it had ripped the sword clean out of his hands.

Her emphasis on stances? Misguided. The Black Knight didn't rely on rigid stances; its movements were driven by precise, fluid footwork.

"Don't rest your sword on your shoulder," she'd said. But the Black Knight always rested its greatsword there, using the position to generate devastating momentum.

The focus on clean cuts? Perfect for a katana, but wrong for a Zweihander. The Black Knight's wide arcs weren't about precision—they were about overwhelming power.

Blade alignment? While important, the Black Knight had shown him that the true key to wielding a Zweihander lay in the weight and hip movement.

Despite the mistakes, Naruto couldn't deny that Tenten's guidance had given him a foundation. The basics she had drilled into him gave him the tools to spot and correct these errors. For that, he was grateful.

Now, with those missteps identified, he could refine his swordsmanship into something uniquely his own.

Naruto grinned, gripping the Zweihander tightly.

"All right, Black Knight," he muttered, stepping toward the bonfire. "Let's try this again."

---

The Grip

The first thing Naruto learned from the Black Knight was its grip. It wasn't haphazard; it was deliberate. One hand rested near the guard for stability, the other gripped the pommel for leverage. The technique allowed the knight to control the sword's weight, guiding its massive swings with precision rather than brute force.

Naruto mimicked the grip in his next fight, and the difference was immediate. The Zweihander felt lighter, more responsive. Over time, he refined it further. When transitioning the blade across his body, he loosened his hold on the pommel, sliding his hand up to increase mobility.

---

The High Guard

The next thing Naruto noticed was the Black Knight's high guard. It rested the greatsword on its shoulder, angling the blade forward. It wasn't just a defensive stance—it was an offensive one, meant to dominate the battlefield. Every downward strike from this position carried crushing force.

Naruto mimicked the stance during his next fight. As the Black Knight approached, he rested the Zweihander on his shoulder, angling it the same way.

When the knight swung, Naruto mirrored it, bringing his sword down in a wide arc. But his edge alignment was off. The clash sent his blade vibrating violently, the impact jarring his arms. The knight's greatsword continued its descent, slicing cleanly through Naruto's chest.

[YOU DIED]

The next time, Naruto focused on refining the high guard. He summoned clones to practice edge alignment, learning to keep the blade perfectly in line with his movements. Strength wasn't enough—he needed stability.

The next clash was different. Naruto met the Black Knight's downward strike with perfect edge alignment. Steel met steel in an ear-shattering impact, but this time, Naruto held firm. For the first time, he matched the Black Knight's raw power.

----

The Forward Point

During one fight, Naruto noticed the Black Knight shifting into a stance where its greatsword was raised high, the tip pointed forward like a spear. The stance created a defensive wall, controlling the centerline.

Naruto never saw the attack coming. The thrust pierced straight through his chest before he even registered the movement.

[YOU DIED]

When he respawned, Naruto clutched his side where the blade had run him through. He realized the forward point wasn't just defensive—it was a stance built for precision and control.

He mimicked the stance in the next fight, holding the Zweihander high with the tip extended forward. This forced him to stay balanced, keeping the blade aligned with the centerline.

The Black Knight swung wide, and Naruto saw his chance. He stepped forward and thrust the Zweihander at its chest. The blade scraped against its armor, but the thrust lacked depth.

The knight retaliated, slamming its greatsword into his ribs and sending him flying into the staircase.

[YOU DIED]

It took six more fights before Naruto began to understand the forward point. He refined his thrusts, loosening his grip on the pommel to extend his reach. Precise footwork and patience became his weapons.

---

The Fool's Guard

The most puzzling stance Naruto encountered was one he came to call the Fool's Guard. The Black Knight would lower its greatsword entirely, holding it loosely as if uninterested in the fight. Its entire body seemed open, exposed.

The first time Naruto saw it, he charged in recklessly, thinking it was an easy win. He swung with all his might—only to be impaled on a lightning-fast counter.

[YOU DIED]

Naruto quickly realized the Fool's Guard wasn't a weakness—it was bait. A trap meant to lure opponents into overcommitting.

The next time, he tried it himself. He lowered the Zweihander, mimicking the Black Knight's posture. It felt wrong, his entire body vulnerable.

But when the knight lunged, Naruto was ready. He pivoted, stepping back and bringing the Zweihander around in a wide arc. The blade connected, slamming into the knight's armor with enough force to make it stagger.

For the first time, Naruto saw the Black Knight react. Its stance shifted slightly, its movements more aggressive.

Naruto grinned, gripping his Zweihander tightly.

"Let's keep going."

[YOU DIED]

----

Naruto stared into the flickering flames of the bonfire, the crackling fire filling the quiet room. He exhaled slowly, his grin tinged with exhaustion.

"A dozen deaths," he muttered to himself, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "And four thousand clones popped."

He rolled his shoulders, the Zweihander shifting easily in his grip, its weight no longer foreign. "Time to end this dance," Naruto whispered. Slipping into the Fool's Guard, the greatsword dangling lazily at his side, he marched out of the room.

The moment Naruto stepped onto the bridge, the familiar twang of a crossbow filled the air. He didn't flinch. His left hand shifted slightly, tilting the pommel of the Zweihander to adjust the blade's angle.

Clink.

The arrow ricocheted harmlessly off the edge of the blade.

Naruto's feet twisted sharply, his grip tightening as the Zweihander followed. With a diagonal sweep, the blade carved through the neck of a hollow rushing at him. Blood sprayed in an arc, and the hollow crumpled to the stone floor, lifeless.

Another arrow hissed toward him, but this time Naruto dodged, pivoting on his heel and dropping low. He used the momentum to transition into a thrust, driving the Zweihander's tip clean through the throat of the crossbow-wielding hollow.

He didn't pause to catch his breath. Firebombs exploded behind him, but Naruto kept marching forward, his boots echoing against the stone as his focus remained unshaken.

A hollow burst out from behind a door, its spear aimed for his stomach. Naruto shifted into the Forward Point stance, the Zweihander poised like a coiled predator. As the spear lunged for him, he sidestepped and brought the blade down in a sweeping arc, cleaving the hollow cleanly in half.

Further ahead, the metallic growls of war axe hollows echoed off the walls.

Naruto raised his Zweihander into the High Guard, the massive blade resting on his shoulder as he stepped forward, measured and deliberate. One hollow swung first, its axe slicing down with brutal force.

Naruto pivoted just outside the arc of the swing, and as the hollow overextended, he brought the Zweihander down in a devastating counter. The blade tore through its exposed side, sending it crashing to the ground.

The second hollow didn't hesitate. It lunged with a horizontal slash aimed for Naruto's neck. Naruto shifted into the Low Guard, dropping into a crouch as the axe passed harmlessly overhead. In one fluid motion, he thrust upward, the Zweihander's tip punching through the hollow's chin and into its skull.

Naruto gave a sharp nod, summoning a clone to deal with the hollows inside the shop as he ascended the stairs.

At the top, three hollows waited for him—two with swords and one in the back clutching firebombs.

Naruto slipped into the Forward Point stance, angling his blade to cover his body as the two sword-wielding hollows charged. The first hollow swung high, and Naruto sidestepped left, flicking his blade upward to deflect the attack. The second came in low, aiming for his legs.

Naruto transitioned into the Fool's Guard, his open stance drawing the hollow forward, its blade arcing for an easy strike. He ducked low and twisted, using the movement to bring the Zweihander around in a sweeping slash. Both hollows fell in one fluid motion, their bodies collapsing in a spray of blood.

The firebomb hollow took aim, but Naruto was already moving. He kicked one of the fallen corpses, using it as a shield. The firebomb exploded against it, giving him enough time to close the gap and thrust his blade through the hollow's chest.

Naruto gestured to his clones to deal with the crossbow hollows as he descended the stairs to face three spear-wielding enemies below.

"Let's see how well this works," Naruto muttered, adjusting his grip as he dropped into the Low Guard.

The first hollow lunged with a quick thrust. Naruto sidestepped, angling the Zweihander to deflect the spear's shaft. The second hollow followed immediately, its spear jabbing at his left side. Naruto twisted, raising the greatsword to parry the attack, forcing the weapon wide.

Naruto surged forward, closing the gap. He transitioned into a brutal overhead slash that split the first hollow in two.

The remaining two hollows moved in sync, one thrusting high while the other aimed low. Naruto backstepped, his blade in the Forward Point stance, blocking the high thrust while his footwork shifted to avoid the lower strike.

He pivoted sharply, spinning the Zweihander in a wide, sweeping arc that forced both hollows to retreat. Seizing the moment, Naruto lunged forward, driving the blade through the chest of the second hollow.

The final hollow snarled, its spear snapping forward in desperation. Naruto stepped into the Fool's Guard, the relaxed stance luring the hollow closer. As it lunged, he twisted sharply, bringing the Zweihander up in a vicious uppercut. The blade tore through the hollow, sending it flying backward over the wall.

Naruto exhaled, resting the Zweihander on his shoulder. His eyes flicked toward the familiar tower in the distance, its shadow looming ominously over the battlefield.

"Almost there," he muttered. His lips curled into a grin as he marched forward, ready for the Black Knight.

It felt strange, almost surreal, walking down the stairs toward the Black Knight. Through dozens of deaths and countless battles, Naruto realized he no longer viewed the knight solely as an enemy. It was something more—a master, in its own way.

The familiar figure of the Black Knight came into view, standing as silent and imposing as ever. Naruto paused at the base of the stairs, lowering his blade for a moment. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he gazed at the knight.

"I don't know if you can understand me," he began. "But… thank you. You've taught me more in these fights than any teacher ever has. I'll never forget what I've learned from you—even if your lesson ends with me dying again."

He smiled faintly behind his helmet, a flicker of warmth in a place so cold and hostile.

"I stand here as the Squire of Oscar of Astora, and whether I live or die, I'll honor what you've taught me."

Naruto raised his blade, slipping into the Fool's Guard, ready for the battle that awaited him.

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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 29, 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!