Chapter no.1 Dark Souls

Author's Note:

Hello there to everyone reading. I hope you are all having a wonderful day.

Let me tell you more about this fanfic.

You've read the title and summary and seen the cover, so there's no need to expand on that. This fanfic is a crossover between Naruto and the Dark Souls games, particularly Dark Souls 1.

Now, do you need to go and play Dark Souls to understand this fanfic? No, frankly, no. I am going to explain a lot of the lore and game mechanics, so whether you've played Dark Souls or not, it doesn't matter—you can follow this story. But if you have read the lore or played the games, you'll find a lot of cool things and think, "I remember that when I played it!"

Now, the important thing.

This story is going to be divided into two portions.

Context:

Naruto in this fanfic has the ability to jump back and forth from the Dark Souls universe to his own. You can interpret this as Naruto becoming a Dark Souls player, with the twist that he can use any items, spells, system, etc., in his own universe.

For example, in the Dark Souls universe, you can find the item firebomb. Now, Naruto can throw that firebomb at someone like Orochimaru in his own universe.

Since Naruto is hopping back and forth between the Dark Souls universe and his own, the chapters are going to be divided into:

Dark Souls Portion (where Naruto goes through DS1)

Naruto Portion (where Naruto deals with his own universe's problems)

Why am I telling you this? Because the titles of the chapters will be like:

Chapter 1: Dark Souls

Chapter 2: Naruto

Chapter 3: Dark Souls, etc.

With this format, anyone who wants to just strictly read the Naruto portion can, for whatever reason. Also, I'll add a separate, actual title at the start of each chapter.

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Chapter no.1 Prologue

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Giggles echoed through the dark forest, and Naruto couldn't help but laugh louder, aware of how ridiculous he must have looked—alone and laughing under the moonlit trees. But none of that mattered—not tonight. Because after countless failed attempts and frustrations, he'd finally done it: he'd made a stupid clone that actually worked.

He stared at the figure before him, barely containing his excitement. It was a perfect mirror image: those three distinctive whisker-like lines on each cheek that marked him as... well, him, gave it a somewhat feral look. His spiky, bright yellow hair seemed to almost glow in the dim light, and those blue eyes of his... they were just as vivid on his clone. Dressed in his signature bright orange jacket with blue shoulders and the white fur collar, it wore the exact mesh armor undershirt and blue open-toed sandals.

"It's perfect," he whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Great, with this I can become a genin," he began, only to be cut off by his own clone, "I'll take my first step into becoming Hokage."

Naruto blinked, taken aback. Since when did clones talk back? This was new.

He tentatively poked it, half-expecting his hand to pass through an illusion, as had happened so many times in class when he'd walk through the clones just to annoy everyone. But not this time. His finger met solid flesh.

"My clone is solid... and can talk," he concluded, a wide Cheshire grin spreading across his face. "You know what that means, right?"

The clone nodded, seemingly as excited as he was.

"My clone jutsu is better than everyone else's."

That thought alone filled Naruto with a deep, satisfying pride. He watched, intrigued and a bit confused, as his clone moved towards the forbidden scroll of seals—a large, ominous-looking scroll with dark green highlights, nearly as tall as him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, even though the answer was probably as clear as the night sky above them.

"We have some time before Mizuki-sensei comes. Let's learn another jutsu," it suggested, its voice eerily similar to his.

"Let's do it!"

Naruto's initial excitement to dive into some epic jutsu from the forbidden scroll crashed hard against the reality of these stupid lines—seals, complicated ones, way beyond the simple tricks he used for his pranks. They weaved through the parchment like some complex web designed to keep him out.

As his clone diligently spread the scroll across the forest floor, he struggled with the urge to tell it that it was useless. Those seals were a lock he couldn't pick. But just as he was about to give up hope, the entire scroll unfurled, revealing its secrets layer by layer.

"It's like an onion," the clone muttered, and Naruto couldn't help but agree. The scroll, once fully opened, displayed not just one, but multiple layered seals. There was an individual seal on each section of the scroll and a massive one overarching everything. A spark of recognition flickered through his mind—it was a storage seal. He didn't fully understand the mechanics, but he knew enough: this seal could store things, kind of like a pocket, and you just needed to pump chakra into it to work it.

Considering the size of this seal, it would probably take a ton of chakra. But chakra was something Naruto never seemed to run out of. He recalled how his classmates, even Sasuke, that show-off, would be panting and dragging after using just a handful of sealing scrolls. Sasuke could manage twenty-four at his best, while most others couldn't handle more than six. Him? He could laugh his way through a hundred of those scrolls without breaking a sweat.

So, standing there with his clone beside him, both of them staring down at this massive, intricate seal, a reckless grin spread across his face. "Well, it looks like it's just a matter of chakra," he said, more to himself than to the clone. "And if there's one thing I've got plenty of, it's that."

"Let's open this up and see what cool item is inside."

He and his clone placed their hands on the center of the seal, ready to channel their chakra into it. It felt like inserting a key into a lock, turning it, and waiting for the tumblers to fall into place.

As they pushed their chakra into the seal, Naruto could feel the familiar surge from the pit of his stomach, traveling up through his arms. It was a sensation that had become almost second nature to him—this flowing, pulsing energy that was the source of all his abilities. But this time, something was different. The seal didn't just accept his chakra; it pulled on it, greedily drawing more and more.

The drain was intense, more forceful than anything he'd ever experienced. His clone, unable to sustain itself, dissipated in a puff of smoke. A sharp pain shot through him as he struggled to maintain the flow of chakra, the strain overwhelming. For the first time, he truly felt what chakra exhaustion was like. It clawed at him, sapping his strength and leaving him gasping for breath.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the pulling stopped. The seal had taken what it needed, and with a final greedy gulp, it opened. A thick puff of smoke erupted from the scroll, and Naruto collapsed onto the ground, his body hitting the dirt hard. Lying there, every breath was a battle. The forest around him spun slightly, the trees blurring into dark smears against the night sky.

Pain throbbed through his limbs, and his head felt like it was stuffed with wool. He was drained—more drained than he had ever been in all his pranks or training sessions. This was a new frontier of weakness for him, and as he lay there, trying to regain even a shred of energy, he realized just how much he had underestimated the power of that seal. The cool earth beneath him was a minor comfort to his overheated skin, and he closed his eyes, focusing on just drawing breath after ragged breath, trying to center himself and recover from the ordeal.

The thing that really ticked Naruto off was that after all that effort, after all the chakra he poured into that seal, it opened to absolutely nothing.

"Bastard seal, you took my chakra, now give me your secrets!" he shouted at the scroll as he quickly sat up, furiously brushing the dirt off his clothes. As his chakra started trickling back, he couldn't help but think about his classmates who always complained about chakra exhaustion. Guess their recovery speed isn't as great as the great Naruto Uzumaki.

That thought briefly cooled his anger, giving him a moment of smug satisfaction. But it only lasted a second before he went back to glaring at the seal.

He didn't expect what happened next, though.

The phenomenon unfolding before Naruto was mesmerizing. At first glance, it appeared as a flow of fire, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that this was not ordinary flame—it was chakra, tinged with a vibrant orange hue that radiated a palpable heat. The chakra spiraled upward, weaving and dancing like a living entity, its movements graceful yet charged with energy. As it ascended, it began to coalesce into a ring, floating serenely above the seal.

This ring of chakra was not just a simple circle; it pulsed with life, expanding and contracting rhythmically as if breathing. The edges of the ring shimmered with a lighter orange, almost golden, creating a stark contrast against the darker core. The entire spectacle emitted a soft, warm glow that illuminated the surrounding area, casting dancing shadows and painting everything in hues of fiery orange.

It was like watching the sun itself being forged.

Drawn to it instinctively, like a moth to a flame, his hand reached out slowly. The moment his finger touched the ring of fire, there was a massive flash of light that blinded him.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

Naruto found himself in complete darkness, and he didn't like that at all. Not that he was scared of the dark—he'd spent plenty of time alone at night—but this was different. He was confused.

Where am I? Is this a dream? Did I get knocked out? What was that ring of fire?

So many questions swirled in his head, and as usual in his life, for all his questions, he was only met with the silence of the dark.

As Naruto walked through the enveloping darkness, it felt less like a forest and more like he was stumbling around inside a vast, unlit room. "I'm pretty sure Ayame would be terrified of this place," he muttered to himself, half-trying to crack a joke to ease his own creeping nerves. Even as he walked, his steps seemed to make no difference; he couldn't tell if he had moved an inch.

"Jiji, are you there?" His voice echoed slightly, a lonely sound in the thick darkness. "Is this some kind of punishment for knocking you out with the sexy jutsu? I'm sorry." He pinched his ears, a gesture of contrition, though it felt silly doing it alone in the dark. But the silence that followed was disheartening, pressing in around him with an almost physical weight.

"Is anyone there?!" His voice cracked, a weak, trembling sound that he hardly recognized as his own. He was scared, more scared than he liked to admit, more scared than he ever wanted anyone to see.

Just as the unease was about to overwhelm him, something lit up the darkness. Naruto flinched hard, his heart leaping into his throat as a sudden light burst through the blackness. His eyes, adjusted to the dark, squinted painfully against the brightness, and he instinctively threw his arms up to shield his face.

The light was stark, harsh, cutting through the shadows like a knife as Naruto saw it—ten rings of fire arrayed before him, their flames flickering with the same intensity as the fire he'd brushed against just before stumbling into this strange place.

Curious, he approached one of the rings, and as he did, it expanded. Blinking in astonishment, he saw a figure that looked like him—or a clone of him—but decked out in a way he had never seen before. He wore armor, complete with a chest plate, shoulder guards, and gauntlets, all forged from what looked like steel. In his right hand, he held a sword, a classic straight blade that gleamed with a sharp edge. Naruto had always dreamed of wielding a sword. In his left hand, he carried a shield, rounded and made of reinforced metal.

"This is so cool," he muttered under his breath, his eyes wide with wonder, yet confused about why the ring of fire was showing him this illusion.

"Do I get the cool sword if I touch it?" he asked aloud, half-expecting an answer, but the silence that followed was answer enough.

Pausing, Naruto turned to survey the other nine remaining rings, a spark of curiosity igniting within him. Just then, a scroll unfurled in front of him, looking like ancient parchment. The words etched upon it read:

Warrior Class: Weapon Expert. High strength, dexterity.

He glanced back at his armored self, piecing it together in his head.

"I think I get it now, dattebayo!" he exclaimed, excitement bubbling up. "If I touch you, I get to be a weapon expert and be super strong and…" he stumbled over the next word, "dex-something." He didn't know what dexterity meant, but the promise of high strength was more than enough to capture his interest.

Naruto, however, moved toward the nine remaining classes, each step fueled by the thrilling possibility of discovering what other strengths and skills he might gain from these mysterious rings of fire.

Next up was the knight class. The scroll declared it as: "Low ranking knight, high HP, solid armor. Not easily toppled."

This illusion wore much more metal than the warrior—practically encased in steel. Naruto scratched his head, wondering, "What the hell is a knight?"

But not finding an answer in the silent flickers of flame, he shrugged and moved on to the next class.

Wanderer: Wields scimitar, High dexterity.

This time, the figure he decided to call by their class name—Wanderer Naruto—was clad in dark leather armor with a hood, very different from the flashy metal of the knight. He held a curved sword, which Naruto guessed was the scimitar. His shield, bizarrely, looked like a bowl of ramen.

Naruto snorted at the sight.

Dressed in these dark, emo-ish clothes, he looked way too much like that teme, Sasuke. "At least if I pick this class, I could use the shield as a ramen bowl," he mused, a smirk playing on his lips.

Then came the thief class—described as: "High critical hits, Has master key."

Thief Naruto was armed with a dagger, only slightly bigger than a kunai, and carried a shield that was laughably small compared to the others. Frankly, he wasn't impressed by this class at all, though he was a bit curious about what this master key could do.

Next in line was the bandit class—tagged as: "High strength. Wields heavy battle axe."

Glancing at the muscular figure before him, Naruto couldn't help but joke to the empty air, "Do I get that body if I choose this class?"

He wasn't exactly scrawny, but Bandit Naruto was on another level of muscular—frankly, his bicep was bigger than both of his arms combined!

He eyed the illusion up and down. The armor ensemble included a chainmail hauberk that covered the torso, hanging slightly below the waist for added protection. Over the chainmail, Bandit Naruto wore a leather belt that cinched the loose fabric of his tunic, which fell in rugged layers. Metal pauldrons shielded his shoulders and upper arms, while his lower body was clad in padded fabric trousers tucked into heavy leather boots. To complete his battle-ready appearance, he held a shield adorned with a distinctive spider emblem and a single-headed axe that looked incredibly dangerous.

Naruto was seriously tempted to select this one. The cool shield, the menacing axe, and those muscles… he couldn't deny the appeal. He could almost picture it: Sakura-chan seeing him like this and immediately forgetting all about that emo, Sasuke. The thought made him giggle.

With a reluctant sigh, Naruto pulled himself away from the bandit's enticing offer.

There were still more classes to check out, and he couldn't make up his mind just yet.

As the next ring of fire revealed itself, the hunter class appeared—Bow-wielding hunter, decent at close range but weak with magic.

The illusion before Naruto was dressed in leather-padded armor, holding a bow and arrow, with a quiver full of green-dyed arrows slung across his back.

"Wait, weak to magic?" he muttered, scratching his head. He was more curious about what that meant than the actual class. Magic? In his world? The idea sparked a flurry of questions, but before he could dwell on them, the next class appeared.

Sorcerer of Vinheim Dragon School. Casts soul sorceries.

The illusion that materialized almost made Naruto's excitement crash and burn—Sorcerer Naruto looked, well, like a nerd, especially with that ridiculous hat and those drab clothes. It wasn't that he was mad, just… disappointed. The class description sounded so cool—Dragon school?! Soul Sorceries?!—like something straight out of a fantasy. Does that mean free ninjutsu for him?

"Let's just move to the next," he sighed, feeling a bit heartbroken, though the idea of soul sorceries and a dragon school kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't shake off the images: Dragon school? If I choose this, does it mean I go back to school but get taught by flying lizards?

Next in line was the pyromancer class—labeled as "Swamp pyromancer. Casts fire spells and wields a hand axe."

The illusion, Pyromancer Naruto, clutched a wooden shield in one hand and an axe in the other. He was built pretty solidly, though not as muscular as Bandit Naruto had been. His attire consisted of padded armor and a weird greenish hood that was frayed at the edges.

"You look homeless," Naruto remarked to the illusion, who, predictably, didn't respond. His eyes were drawn to the detail about casting fire spells.

Now, that caught his interest.

He still remembered the day he caught Sasuke training with those damn fireballs. Despite himself, Naruto had to admit, Sasuke's fire jutsu were awesome. And here he was, never taught anything so cool back in the academy.

Then came the cleric class—described as "Cleric on Pilgrimage. Wields a mace and casts healing miracles."

Naruto glanced at Cleric Naruto.

The illusion was… bald.

"Nope. Not going bald."

The last class was something called deprived—labeled "Unclothed enigma. Only armed with a club and old plank shield."

"Gaaa!" Naruto yelped, shutting his eyes tight as soon as he saw Deprived Naruto. The illusion was nearly naked, clad only in a loincloth, holding a club and what looked like part of a broken fence rather than a proper shield.

He quickly stepped back, shaking his head vigorously.

There was absolutely no way he wanted to see himself like that, ever.

"What the hell were the last two classes? Bald and naked?" he grumbled to himself, a frown creasing his forehead as he surveyed the ten rings of fire again.

Naruto didn't need to agonize over this decision for too long.

It boiled down to two exciting options: Bandit class, which looked absolutely awesome, or Pyromancer, because the idea of flinging fire jutsu just to one-up Sasuke had its own appeal.

"My fireball is going to be better," he mumbled to himself, even though he had no clue what specific fire jutsu he'd get.

It didn't matter. The thought of showing Sasuke up was too good to pass up.

"What should I choose?"

The choice gnawed at him. Choices, choices… He pursed his lips, deciding to resolve it with a little rhyme, something to cut through the indecision.

"Which one should I choose?

Just as the Hokage says,

Clones go pop pop pop,

Bombs blast boom boom boom,

Throwing kunai whoosh whoosh whoosh, You lose!"

He had his eyes closed, letting his hand hover and move back and forth above the two options. He could almost hear the flickering flames urging him to decide. When he finally stopped and opened his eyes, they landed on Pyromancer.

A big, goofy grin spread across his face as he placed his hand firmly on the Pyromancer class.

The ring of fire before him flickered in response, acknowledging his choice.

"I can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when they see my awesome fire jutsu."

A flash of light exploded around Naruto, more intense than anything he'd ever seen. He braced himself, anticipating the familiar scents and sights of the forest to greet him. But when the light dimmed and his eyes adjusted, he realized he was nowhere near home. This place was alien, and the air was thick with a foul stench that hit him like a physical force.

He almost gagged, pinching his nose to shield himself from the overwhelming odor. The source, he discovered with a grimace, was close by—a dead rat, its body bloated and decaying, lay near an old bucket that seemed to have been repurposed as a makeshift toilet. The sight was revolting, and the smell made his eyes water.

He had seen many unpleasant things in his short life, but this was a new level of disgusting.

Turning away, Naruto took in the rest of his surroundings, hoping for a less nauseating view. However, the dungeon that held him was no better. The walls were damp and covered in a thick coat of moss that crawled up from the ground and merged into the shadowy arches of the ceiling. These stone walls told stories of neglect and decay, and the air felt heavy, moist, and cold against his skin.

Dim light trickled in through cracks in the ceiling, casting an eerie glow that barely illuminated the dungeon. Each ray of light seemed to struggle to penetrate the gloom, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air but doing little to warm the chill that had settled deep in his bones. Directly in front of him, an old, rusted metal door stood as the only barrier between him and the unknown. Faint torchlight seeped through the edges, painting a line of gold on the floor that seemed both inviting and mocking.

I don't think I'm in Konoha anymore, he whispered to himself.

As Naruto tried to stand, a harsh clinking sound echoed in the small space, and he looked down to see chains around his ankles. He was not only trapped in this dungeon; he was a prisoner, literally chained to the ground. Dressed in the pyromancer clothes from the vision in the fire rings, he felt a surreal connection to a choice that seemed made in another lifetime.

How? But more importantly, why am I chained up?

The questions circled in his mind like vultures. Is this my punishment for stealing the scroll? he wondered, though the thought seemed ridiculous the more he considered it. The Hokage wouldn't condemn me to such a fate. Jiji's not that harsh…right? Doubt crept in, but he shoved it aside. This has to be something else, some reason.

Sitting back down, Naruto forced himself to look away from the dead rat and the revolting bucket, focusing instead on the damp, mossy stones and the slivers of light.

As he sat there, trying to collect himself, a line of woodlice started crawling toward the rat corpse, their tiny bodies inching along the damp dungeon floor. Where's a fire jutsu when you need it? The idea of using a fireball to incinerate the swarm seemed increasingly appealing, if only to save himself from the creeping disgust.

He paused, looking down at the pyromancer clothes he'd chosen in that ring of fire. Wait, I should have gotten a fire jutsu, right? I got the clothes… He frowned, realizing he was missing the axe and shield that should have come with the outfit. Weird.

Choosing to ignore that for the moment, Naruto jerked his hands toward the advancing bugs and screamed, "Fireball!" Nothing happened. Not a spark, not a flicker of flame—nothing but the echo of his own voice in the cold, stone chamber.

He blinked, staring at his palm as if it had betrayed him.

Where's my fireball?! How can I one-up that emo bastard now? How can I change my status?

The moment the word status left his mouth, something unexpected happened. A screen appeared in front of him—a black and gold screen that shimmered slightly in the dim light. It looked like something out of those magazines about new technology from the Land of Snow, something called a video game. He'd never seen one in person, but this screen right in front of him reminded him of those descriptions.

He stared at it.

How did saying 'status' summon this thing? What even is this screen?

Maybe this screen could help him figure out where his fire jutsu was, or even better, how to get out of these chains and this dungeon.

His heart pounded as he reached out tentatively toward the screen, half-expecting it to vanish like a mirage. But it stayed, solid and glowing softly in the dark.

"Okay, let's see what you can do."

[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]

- [ Covenant: None ]

- [ Level: 1 ]

- [ Souls: 0 ]

[ Attributes: ]

- [ Vitality: 10 ]

- [ Attunement: 12 ]

- [ Endurance: 11 ]

- [ Strength: 12 ]

- [ Dexterity: 9 ]

- [ Resistance: 12 ]

- [ Intelligence: 10 ]

- [ Faith: 8 ]

- [ Humanity: 0 ]

[ Stats: ]

- [ HP: 573 / 573 ]

- [ Stamina: 93 ]

- [ Equip Load: 8.0 / 51.0 ]

[ Weapon Stats: ]

- [ R Weapon 1: 20 ]

- [ R Weapon 2: 20 ]

- [ L Weapon 1: 20 ]

- [ L Weapon 2: 20 ]

[ Defense: ]

- [ Physical Defense: 73 (20) ]

- [ VS Strike: 78 ]

- [ VS Slash: 73 ]

- [ VS Thrust: 73 ]

- [ Magic Defense: 73 (13) ]

- [ Flame Defense: 99 (21) ]

- [ Lightning Defense: 59 (16) ]

[ Resistances: ]

- [ Poise: 0 ]

- [ Bleed Resist: 104 ]

- [ Poison Resist: 194 ]

- [ Curse Resist: 35 ]

[ Miscellaneous: ]

- [ Item Discovery: 100 ]

- [ Attunement Slots: 2 ]

[ Attunement Slot 1: Fireball × 8 ]

[ Attunement Slot 2: Empty ]

Naruto blinked in confusion as he stared at the numbers and terms on the screen, not understanding what any of it meant. But his eyes locked onto the one familiar word—fireball—listed under something called an "attunement slot."

Okay, so I have a fireball, but how do I use it?

He tapped on the screen, hoping for some additional info to pop up, but nothing happened. Just as he was about to give up and try something else, the entire room filled with a blinding light.