Author Note: Q and A

Yo guys! Just wanted to take a quick moment to say thank you so much for all the support and love you've been showing the story. It really means a lot.

So, real talk, the reason for this author note is simple: it's about that moment from the last chapter. You know the one. Naruto saying no when Sakura asked if they could come to Lordran.

First off, don't worry, the no still stands. I didn't write this to announce some wild rewrite. If I had to redo the entire structure of the story just to justify Team 7 tagging along in Lordran, I'd probably burn out by chapter two. That's a no from me, dawg.

But here's the thing, your feedback helped me a lot. Like, genuinely.

When I was wrapping up the chapter, something felt… off. Even while I was proofreading it, I knew something wasn't quite landing emotionally. And reading all your comments helped me figure it out.

I was overexplaining Naruto's choice. I was trying to rationalize it too much, like I needed to convince you, when really I should've just let the moment speak for itself.

So I went back and changed the final paragraph of the chapter to something tighter and more focused.

Here is the new version:

Naruto nodded again and turned away. He pulled his visor down, maybe to hide the twist of guilt on his face.

Because if he was being honest, the excuses were real.

Lordran was dangerous.

Sakura and Sasuke did only have one life.

The bonfires wouldn't bring them back.

They didn't know the rules.

He didn't know if the miracle would even work on them. Would a storage seal trap their bodies in transition? Would the miracle fail if they weren't chosen? Would Lordran let them in?

He had no idea.

He hadn't tested it. Hadn't tried. And that mattered.Because he could've.

And he didn't.

Maybe he didn't want to know the answer.

He remembered times when he dreamed of exploring Lordran with them. Sakura laughing at how weird the Undead Burg was, Sasuke grumbling at the bonfires, all three of them fighting off hollows side by side. That dream had been warm once. But now? Faced with the real possibility? It chilled him.

He told himself it was for their safety and it was.But if he dug deeper... was that all? He didn't deny the risks. He didn't dismiss the danger. But maybe the truth had less to do with them… and more to do with him.

Maybe it wasn't just that they didn't belong in Lordran.

Maybe it was that Lordran belonged to him.

It's a small fix, but I think it makes a big difference in tone and pacing.

Anyway, since I didn't want this author note to be completely throwaway, I figured I'd use it to answer some questions I got from last chapter:

Reader Jin_Kazuragi wrote: Thanks for the chapter! I don't mind that Naruto doesn't allow his teammates to come with him to Lordran. On the other hand, the fact that he's not frank or honest with his teammates doesn't fit his character, from my point of view.

Answer: There are two reasons for it: one is plot and the other is character.

Yes, Naruto isn't being fully honest with Sasuke and Sakura here. And yes, that can feel out of character if you're only thinking in terms of canon Naruto. But remember, this version of Naruto is being shaped by Lordran. And unlike Kakashi's lie (which was a clear betrayal of trust), Naruto's lie here isn't about deception, it's about attachment. It's about not wanting to give something up.

It's more of a soft lie than a sharp one. One rooted in conflict, not cruelty.

And that conflict? It will come back. This isn't the last time we'll touch on Naruto's internal struggle with sharing Lordran or not sharing it. I'm setting it up for deeper character development later on. There's going to be a very important conversation between Naruto and Solaire in a few chapters that touches exactly on this point: why doesn't he want to share this world? What's he really afraid of?

To put it another way: think about the Sharingan.

Would Sasuke give Naruto the Sharingan if Naruto asked for it? Logically, he could, as Naruto can use Heal or Estus to regenerate Sasuke's eyes anyway. So technically, everyone in Team 7 could end up with their own pair. But would Sasuke ever agree to that?

Probably not. Because for Sasuke, the Sharingan isn't just a power. It's a part of his identity. His pain, his lineage, and his burden.

Lordran is that for Naruto. A space where he isn't the jinchūriki. Where he isn't under anyone's shadow. Where his strength is earned, not inherited or bestowed. It's a personal thing.

Reader Magma-Wyrm: I just want to know what classes would Team 7 choose? Naruto chose Pyromancer because he thought it looked cool, but Sasuke and Sakura would think differently.

Answer: Oh hell yeah, let's get into it.

Sasuke – Thief: Highest starting DEX. Fits the Uchiha's reflex-based combat. And it's poetic, right? The Sharingan is all about stealing jutsu. Thief just feels right.

Sakura – Sorcerer: Canonically very book-smart. And you just know she'd be into the clean, noble-looking outfit. Plus, starting with spells? Huge appeal.

Kakashi – Deprived: Jack of all trades, master of none? That's literally the Deprived class. Also, imagining Kakashi waking up in a dungeon with just a loincloth and a bonk stick is hilarious. Sorry not sorry.

Since we're on a roll, let's go ahead and do the rest of Team 8:

Shino – Knight: Not gonna lie, mostly chose this because Knight has the highest HP. I imagine his bugs would like the extra survivability. If you've got a better class idea for Shino, hit me up.

Hinata – Hunter: Byakugan + bow = nightmare fuel for enemies. Clean synergy.

Kiba – Bandit: High STR, big muscles, rugged vibe. Feels like Kiba would pick this just to flex on everyone. Literally.

Kurenai – Cleric: This one was tricky, but hear me out. She's calm, composed, totally committed to the Will of Fire which is basically ninja religion anyway. So boom: Cleric.

Now imagine Asuma trying to shoot his shot."Hey Kurenai, dinner tonight?"

And she just turns, dead serious, and goes:"I have sworn myself to the flame and the path of sacred attunement. Earthly attachments are... forbidden."

Asuma stands there, heart shattered, while somewhere in the distance a church bell tolls and his dating life evaporates like mist at Firelink Shrine.

May his love life rest in peace.

Reader Phoenix_dreams: Thanks for the chapter! From a pragmatic point of view, them not having the curse of the undead would be concerning with all the God-level beings around and also not be able to benefit from reaped souls the way Naruto can. I'm also not convinced it should be that easy to bring them over without a connection to Lordran already present. Oscar being able to traverse using Naruto could be used for or against that point, depending on how you spin it. Narratively I understand why you would rather it stick to just Naruto and Oscar for now.

As another stated, treating the Scroll of Seals as a summoning contract that could throw them into their own instance of Lordran could work, if you want to go that route later. If not, you could have it fail for natives of Naruto's world and keep that a pure Naruto adventure.

Answer: Honestly, there's a lot I could say here, but I'll keep it short.

Would Lordran even allow Sasuke and Sakura to enter? That's the core question.

There's actually a major mystery at the heart of the story that ties into this. Naruto being able to go to Lordran and then return is something even Solaire finds weird. Normally, once you're in Lordran, that's it. No going back.

So why can Naruto come and go?

And if you know your Dark Souls lore, you know the Dark Sign doesn't work like a portal. It's a curse designed to trap the Dark Soul inside the Fire's cycle.

So if Naruto arrived in Lordran because of the Dark Sign… does that mean he was born with the Dark Soul?

That wouldn't make sense, because the Dark Soul is a fragment of a cosmic force from the Dark Souls universe. So unless something, or someone, set Naruto up, there's no logical reason he should even have access.

Long story short: there's way more going on behind the scenes. And even if Naruto were emotionally or morally convinced to bring Sasuke and Sakura, there's no guarantee that Lordran would let them in.

Or worse, what if it does... but it changes them in ways he can't predict?

I'm glad you're enjoying the ride so far. Your suggestion about the Scroll of Seals as a summoning contract was actually super interesting. I'll keep that idea tucked away in case I ever want to play with alternate instances or timelines.

Next chapter should be out in a few hours. I'll see you in the comments of that one too!

Anyways, before I go, I wanted to share some fanart of Naruto: The Chosen Undead that I got on Discord.

Check it out.

— Adam.