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Chapter 121 Be Willing, Not Certain
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Naruto's thoughts spun like leaves in a storm, but one clarity pierced the whirlwind in his chest. I need to go back to Lordran.
The idea didn't feel like a choice. It was a pull; cold, quiet, insistent. After Tsunami's words, after what he'd seen, he knew he wouldn't find the answers here. The wind brushed across his face as he stepped into the courtyard. Kiba was near the edge of the yard, tossing a stick for Akamaru, who barked with joy as he bounded after it.
"Oh, you're back. Did you get the stuff?"
Naruto handed over the bags without meeting the Inuzuka's eyes. "Yeah. All yours."
"You alright, man?"
Naruto didn't answer right away. "Where's Oscar?"
Kiba pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Last I saw, he was roasting himself in the fireplace again."
Naruto gave a small nod and moved toward the house. He'd barely taken a step when Kiba called out, quieter this time. "Hey. If you wanna talk or… y'know, vent or whatever, I'm around."
Naruto snorted. "What, did I punch the sensitivity into you?"
"No," Kiba said, serious for once. "You've got the smell of blood on you. And your face… looks like you left something behind."
"Protection duty," Naruto said.
Kiba shrugged. "So, you did your job."
"Yeah. A job."
Without another word, he turned away. "I'm taking Oscar for a walk. Guard duty's all yours."
Kiba gave a casual salute, only half joking, then turned just in time to see Tsunami approaching the house. His grin faded a little, watching the woman's quiet, thoughtful expression.
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Inside, Naruto found Oscar nestled deep in the fireplace, coated in soot like a sleeping lump of coal. The little crystal lizard blinked up at him lazily, his normally radiant shell dulled by ash.
Naruto crouched beside the hearth. "You filthy little gremlin," he muttered, though there was fondness in his voice.
Oscar gave a small chirp and tilted his head, his tail curling in the warmth.
"You in there 'cause it's warm?"
Oscar chirped again, content.
With a sigh, Naruto scooped him up. Oscar wriggled in protest but settled as soon as he felt Naruto's familiar hands. "Alright. Let's get you cleaned up."
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The stream near the house was still and shining under the afternoon sun. Naruto knelt at the edge, lowering Oscar into the clear water. The lizard thrashed instantly, letting out a sharp, offended squeak.
"Come on. Don't be dramatic," Naruto said, splashing water over his back. "You're not made of sugar."
Oscar puffed up indignantly like a tiny balloon, his crystals refracting sunlight in fractured rainbows. He whipped his tail and splashed water directly into Naruto's face. "Really? That's your payback?"
Oscar sulked, but he stopped struggling. Naruto worked gently, fingers brushing over slick, soot-stained crystal until the little lizard gleamed again.
"There," Naruto said. "See? You're shining like treasure now."
Oscar chirped again, this time in what sounded suspiciously like reluctant agreement. Wrapped snugly in a towel, Oscar was set down beside him, clean and gleaming like a polished gem.
Naruto sat beside him on the grass and hesitated. "Hey," he said softly. "We are going back to Lordran again."
Oscar tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly in that weirdly intelligent way.
"Don't be scared, alright?"
Oscar blinked slowly. Then, to Naruto's surprise, he let out a low, content chirp and nudged his hand with his head.
"Thanks, partner."
He pressed two fingers to Oscar's crystal-studded back and focused his chakra. With a faint poof of smoke, the lizard vanished, safely sealed in a scroll now resting in his inventory. Naruto stared at the empty spot beside him for a long moment. Then, in silence, he reached into his coat and pulled out the Darksign.
He didn't hesitate.
The sigil flared to life, and golden light enveloped him, dissolving the world around him in a quiet roar. He was going back. To the place where pain had a voice, and fire had memory. To Lordran. Where answers and dangers waited in the dark.
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The crackling warmth of the bonfire greeted Naruto as he opened his eyes. He stood slowly, the weight of the elite knight armor settling comfortably on his frame. The rhythmic sound of Andre's hammer echoed through the air.
Naruto immediately retrieved Oscar from the scroll. The lizard appeared with a puff of smoke and scurried over to the bonfire, nestling close to the flames.
Naruto chuckled, folding the blanket and placing it near the fire. "How do you feel, buddy?"
Oscar chirped in response, clearly pleased to be back near the warmth. "I'll take that as an okay."
After making sure Oscar was comfortable on the folded blanket, Naruto turned and headed toward the closed fortress, finding a figure gazing intently at a glowing green soul drop. This was how Naruto managed to go around the problem of losing his souls, especially since he couldn't waste the ring of sacrifice. He just asked Seigmeyer to protect it.
"Sir Seigmeyer," Naruto called out, his voice lower than usual, burdened. He bowed with quiet respect.
The knight turned, the ever-cheerful lilt in his voice already ringing out. "Mmm… mm! Oh-hoh! My bright-eyed friend from beyond the veil!" He opened his arms with familiar mirth. "What a joy it is to see you again, truly!"
Naruto gave a faint smile but didn't return the warmth.
"Now then, my good squire. What weighs so heavily upon that brow of yours?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Indeed. Heavier than your sword, I'd say."
Naruto hesitated, then began to speak. He told him everything. The Wave. The pickpocket. The gang. The villagers. Tsunami's words. How his code, his path, felt cracked beneath his feet. He didn't hide the guilt. Nor the anger.
Seigmeyer listened without interrupting, arms crossed beneath the rounded bulk of his helmet, his posture patient and quiet. When Naruto finished, the knight did not immediately respond.
"…A heavy tale, that," Seigmeyer said at last, voice subdued. "Tell me, young knight… this 'Wave Country.' Do you hail from it?"
"No," Naruto muttered. "I'm from the Land of Fire. Konoha."
"And yet your heart bled for strangers," Seigmeyer mused."A foreign land, a foreign people… and yet you chose to act. Hah, the mark of a true knight indeed."
"I didn't come here for praise," Naruto snapped, sharper than intended. "I came because I don't know anymore. Tsunami, she said I might've made things worse. That I stirred up danger. And maybe she's right."
Seigmeyer didn't flinch. "Mmm. And did you protect someone?"
"Yes."
"Face down cruelty when none else dared?"
"Yes."
"Then you did what a knight must," Seigmeyer replied. "Even if the world fails to understand it."
"But what if I should've done nothing?" Naruto pressed. "What if all I did was stir the pot and get someone else hurt later?"
Seigmeyer let out a low chuckle, not mocking, but tired. "Ah, yes. The age-old question: the group or the individual. Safety or sacrifice. Action or endurance." He paused. "Let me ask you this: when you strike down a hollow beast that offers no fight, how many souls do you gain?"
Naruto blinked. "Barely any."
"And when you slay something dangerous? Something that fights back?"
"…A lot."
"Therein lies a truth this world does not hide," Seigmeyer said. "What is the value of a soul that kneels and bleeds for survival, but never raises a hand? What worth has a life that endures without ever daring to live?"
Naruto's lips parted, but no words came.
"The people of Wave have been beaten into fear. That woman, Tsunami, she doesn't speak from strategy. She speaks from scars. From losing someone. From watching her world crumble. But what she fails to see is that her silence... feeds the very evil she fears."
Naruto looked away.
"The thief wasn't stealing for greed, was he?"
"No," Naruto said. "He was desperate. He needed food."
"And Gato's men? Would they have punished him with mercy?"
"No. They wanted to make an example of him."
Seigmeyer nodded. "Then evil was already setting fire to the village. You merely chose to pour water where others turned their backs. And she chose to scold you for it. Because you dared to do something that made her feel again. Dared to fight when she had already surrendered."
Naruto's fists clenched at his sides.
"She says your actions stirred danger, but what she fears is the burn, not the blaze. She's already living in ashes. She just can't admit it."
Naruto's voice cracked. "But what if I made it worse? What if someone gets hurt now because of me?"
"Then let me ask: if you'd done nothing, would they not be hurt tomorrow?"
Naruto said nothing.
"Gato doesn't need an excuse to harm," Seigmeyer said. "He does not wait for rebellion. He punishes to remind people of their place. That's how tyrants maintain power... through example, not justice."
The sunlight flickered in Seigmeyer's visor.
"So I say this: what is the value of a soul that cowers and allows itself to be chained? Meager. Pitiful. Small. In this world and in yours, it is those who resist that carry the weight. That earn their place. That shape the world."
Naruto took a slow, shaky breath.
"You acted," Seigmeyer said, his voice steady. "That alone places you above those who chose silence. But do not stop there. A single act is not enough. Be consistent. Be bold."
Naruto looked to the flame. "But… I'm still not sure what the right thing is."
"Then be a knight," Seigmeyer said. "Not because the world is watching, not because you seek to prove a point but because something within you knows it is right. Swing your sword not for glory, not even for justice but to defy the lie that says fear must win."
"And if I'm wrong?" Naruto whispered. "If I fail?"
"Then fail as yourself, not as someone else's echo."
Seigmeyer stepped forward, placing a gauntlet on Naruto's shoulder. "You bind your ideals too tightly to the knight who gave you your code. Oscar is a fine spirit, but he is not your purpose. You are not his shadow. Your path is your own. Your mistakes will be your own. That is what makes you real."
Naruto swallowed, hard. "But... if I walk that path… I might hurt people."
"You will. And when you do, own it. Learn from it. A knight who never falters learns nothing. A knight who never questions becomes a tyrant."
"I… I think I understand now," Naruto said softly.
"Then go," Seigmeyer said, his voice warm again. "Not because you're certain but because you're willing. Walk into the storm. Swing your blade. And if the world asks why… let your soul answer for you."
Naruto bowed low, the weight in his heart beginning to lift. "I will."
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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 58, 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!