Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter 104 Consider Your Challenge Accepted

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If there was one thing Naruto never thought he'd have to deal with, it was the long-term effects of being in a coma. But now, as he sat trapped in the outhouse, gripping the edges of the rickety wooden seat like his life depended on it, he realized that bodily functions didn't wait for heroics.

"This is hell."

The last hour had been nothing short of agony. His stomach twisted, sweat dripped from his forehead, and every muscle in his body ached from sheer exertion.

"I'd rather fight Hellkite again."

His body was purging itself after three days of being motionless. Apparently, when you were trapped in a comatose state, your body didn't just hit the pause button—it still functioned, but inefficiently. The digestive system slowed to a crawl, meaning everything he had eaten before losing consciousness had just… sat there. Festering.

Now? It was making up for lost time.

Naruto groaned, resting his forehead against the wall of the tiny outhouse, utterly drained.

"Okay. Never going into a coma again."

With that ordeal finally over, Naruto turned his attention to the bigger problem.

How the hell did I end up like this?

One second, he had been trapped in Zabuza's Water Prison, drowning with no escape. The next—nothing but searing pain and darkness.

And now?

His right arm felt wrong. Not injured, not broken—just wrong. It was numb, heavy like dead weight, yet tingling like it was both there and not there at the same time. A phantom limb attached to his body.

He tried to move his fingers.

A faint, sluggish response. Barely anything.

His stomach tightened.

With growing unease, he summoned his HUD, the golden glow of the interface filling his vision. His eyes scanned through the menus until he saw it. Something was different. His right-hand weapon slots were greyed out.

[R1 Weapon: Zweihander]

[R2 Weapon: Pyromancy Flame (Cursed)]

"Cursed?"

Experimenting, he swapped the Zweihander to his left hand. To his relief, it worked—the familiar weight of the greatsword settling into his grip. But when he tried the same with the Pyromancy Flame, the interface refused. No matter what he did, it remained locked. Naruto narrowed his eyes, opening the item description.

[ Item: Pyromancy Flame (Cursed) ]

[ Description: A flame born of an unnatural hunger, warped by chakra and bound by the curse of the witch. This flame, once a tool of creation, now seeks destruction, feeding on the body and soul of its wielder. It whispers of demonhood, promising power at the cost of humanity. The transformation was interrupted, leaving only a grotesque remnant—a hand touched by chaos. ]

Naruto stared at the text, unblinking.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze to his right arm. He exhaled shakily, his mind spiraling.

"It's my fault."

The realization settled in his gut like poison.

No matter how much he tried to rationalize it—he had done this to himself. He had felt it. That wrongness. The Pyromancy Flame had reacted when he forced chakra into it—twisting, mutating, devouring something inside him.

"I had no choice."

But was that true? Or was that just an excuse?

Naruto clenched his jaw, his breath uneven. He wanted to punch something, to vent his frustration, but even the thought of moving his right arm sent a wave of phantom pain shooting through his nerves.

A knock on the door startled him.

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice. He didn't answer immediately. "How are you feeling?"

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. What he really wanted to do was go to Lordran. To find answers.

"Kakashi-sensei asked you to come to the kitchen. Kurenai-sensei wants to check up on you."

Naruto exhaled through his nose. With a quick motion, he summoned his Estus Flask, the warm golden glow swirling within.

The effect was instant.

Strength returned to his limbs, his muscles repairing themselves, the stiffness from days of atrophy fading away. He stood, pushing the outhouse door open.

Sakura was waiting outside, her expression a mix of concern and relief. Despite the fact that he was fully healed, she still reached out, steadying him as he stepped forward.

"I'm fine, Sakura."

She shot him a pointed look.

"You were in a coma for three days. Forgive me if I don't believe you."

Naruto didn't argue.

She guided him toward the small kitchen of Tazuna's house, where Kurenai was already waiting. Her red eyes softened as she saw him, but Naruto could only look at the floor.

"Sit down, Naruto," she said, gesturing to a stool.

He obeyed silently, his mind still racing.

Kurenai moved behind him, placing her palms lightly against his back. Her hands glowed a faint green as the soothing warmth of her chakra flowed into him.

"Sensei," Naruto asked, his voice quieter than usual, "what's she doing?"

"This is the Mystic Palm Jutsu," Kurenai explained. "It's a healing technique. By covering the hands in chakra and channeling it into the wounded area, she can repair tissue and promote recovery."

Naruto barely processed her words. His thoughts were still stuck on the cursed description of the Pyromancy Flame.

Suddenly, Kurenai gasped.

Kakashi stiffened immediately. "What is it?"

"His body is completely healed, no signs of muscle atrophy," Kurenai said.

"And what about the arm?" Kakashi asked, relieved to see that the boy's natural regeneration was kicking in. At least the Kyuubi was good for something.

Naruto's body tensed as she moved toward his charred limb.

"Wait!" the young Uzumaki blurted out, making both Kurenai and Kakashi pause.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I was just wondering… Sensei, is there chakra inside chakra paper?"

Kakashi was confused at the sudden, seemingly unrelated question. "Yes, Naruto. Chakra paper has trace amounts of chakra in it. That's how it reacts to your chakra nature."

Naruto froze. His thoughts immediately snapped back to what had happened the last time he injected Pyromancy Flame energy into chakra paper. That horrifying, demonic creation of life...

He didn't even want to think about what would happen if Kurenai—someone else's chakra—got too close to his cursed hand.

"Naruto," Kurenai said gently, her hands still hovering near his arm. "I know this is uncomfortable, but we need to assess the damage. I promise to be careful."

"I think this is a bad idea," Naruto said firmly. "This happened because I tried to inject chakra into my fire. I don't want to hurt you, Miss Kurenai."

Kurenai blinked at him, then smiled softly before reaching out and pinching his cheek. "Thank you for your concern, Naruto, but I'm a professional. I know what I'm doing."

No, you don't. Naruto wanted to scream it, but the words stayed locked in his throat. Pyromancy Flame wasn't chakra, and no amount of training or expertise would prepare anyone for what might happen.

His eyes darted to Kakashi, pleading. "Sensei, please—"

"Naruto, how else are we supposed to figure out what's wrong with your arm? We need to understand it if we're going to help you."

"I know what it is," Naruto said. "It's a curse."

The room fell silent. Kakashi's gaze softened, but there was no sign of understanding in his expression. To everyone else, it must've sounded like a tantrum—an overwhelmed genin grasping for an explanation.

Kurenai, however, took a different approach. She studied Naruto carefully, noting the tension in his shoulders, the way his voice wavered slightly. He wasn't being stubborn—he was scared.

"Naruto," Kurenai said gently, her tone taking on the calmness of a medic. "I know this is hard, but I need you to trust me. If you're hurt, it's my job to figure out how to help you."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest again, but before he could say anything, Kakashi suddenly wavered on his feet.

"Sensei!" Naruto shouted as Kakashi collapsed, and Kurenai moved quickly to catch him before he hit the floor.

"What's going on?" Sasuke's sharp voice called as he, Sakura, and Hinata rushed into the room.

Kurenai's hands lit up with the green glow of Mystic Palm Jutsu, her focus entirely on Kakashi's limp form. She grimaced as she assessed his condition.

"What... happened?"

"Chakra exhaustion. He's been holding himself together with chakra pills."

Sasuke frowned. "But he hasn't used any big jutsu in days."

"That doesn't matter," Kurenai said bluntly. "Your sensei's been in this state since his fight with Zabuza. He's been running on fumes, and I'm honestly surprised he lasted this long."

"Will… will he be okay?"

"Yes," Kurenai said to Naruto. "But he needs rest—at least a month of it. He'll have to eat healthy, avoid any strenuous activity, and let his body heal naturally. No exceptions."

Her words hung heavy in the room. The reality of their situation hit her like a wave. Not only were they in enemy territory, but their strongest ally was now a liability. On top of that, there was Naruto's mysterious injury to figure out and the mission to protect Tazuna.

Kurenai pressed her lips into a thin line, her mind racing through the situation. Do I call for more backup? What about Naruto's arm? And the mission?

"Ma'am?" Naruto's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. "Can I get some fresh air?"

"Go ahead, Naruto."

As he turned toward the door, something about his posture made her pause. There was a distance between them—a gap she hadn't bridged. If she was going to lead this team, she had to make an effort.

"Wait," she said, her tone softer than before. "Naruto, you don't have to call me 'ma'am.' 'Kurenai-sensei' is fine."

Naruto's hand hesitated on the door handle. Slowly, he glanced back at her, his blue eyes unreadable.

"You have to earn the right to be my sensei," he said simply.

The air in the room stilled.

Sakura's gasp was immediate. "Naruto! That's rude!"

But Kurenai didn't flinch. She held his gaze, searching for something beneath his words. Then, just as quickly, Naruto turned back and slipped out, the door clicking shut behind him.

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh, bowing her head. "I'm sorry, Kurenai-sensei! He didn't mean it like—"

"There's no need to apologize." Kurenai's voice was steady, her expression unreadable. "He's right."

Sasuke and Sakura both looked at her, confused.

Kurenai exhaled slowly, forcing herself to confront the truth she had been pushing aside. These kids are trusting me with their lives. That's not something I can take for granted. Her hands curled into fists at her sides. She had been chosen as a Jonin for a reason. If she hesitated now, if she wavered under the weight of responsibility, she wasn't worthy of leading them.

She took a slow breath and turned back to the team. "Hinata."

The girl stiffened, eyes wide. "Y-Yes, Kurenai-sensei?"

"Come here and check Kakashi's chakra network," Kurenai instructed. "Tell me where it's most strained, and I'll handle the rest."

Hinata nodded, stepping forward as she activated her Byakugan.

Kurenai crossed her arms, watching her student work, but her thoughts remained elsewhere—on the boy who had just walked out that door.

You have to earn the right to be my sensei.

A small smile curved her lips.

Alright, Naruto. If I have to earn it, I will. Consider your challenge accepted.

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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 52, 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!