Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 243

The person walking in from outside the room was no stranger to Gaara. Although he did not know many of the Konoha ninja, this particular individual left a deep impression on him. 

During the final round of the previous Chunin Exams, Gaara faced off against Sasuke, whose teacher was the white-haired ninja now standing before him. 

Kakashi. 

Back then, with only three short days of preparation, even someone as skilled as Sasuke was completely unprepared to take on Gaara. Yet, thanks to Kakashi's tactical planning, Sasuke managed to force Gaara into a rather difficult situation. 

"Hmm." Gaara gave a slight nod, acknowledging Kakashi's greeting. 

Kakashi stepped forward and spoke calmly, "Regarding events from so long ago, even I might not remember all the minute details. However, the critical parts are something I can never forget." 

"So, what I'm about to share with you is entirely true. These are accounts of what I personally witnessed, with no embellishment or fabrication." 

Kakashi then began recounting an incident from several years ago when, as a member of the ANBU, he was assigned by the Third Hokage to assist in a rescue mission in the Land of Snow. 

What Kakashi emphasized most in his story was what he encountered upon entering the City of the Ancients. 

The details he revealed were classified as top-tier, S-rank secrets within Konoha—so confidential that even the researchers currently studying strange creatures had no knowledge of them. Only a select few among Konoha's upper echelon were privy to this information. 

Kakashi's narrative left Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō utterly speechless. 

What shocked them most was the chronicle of the world dating back over a billion years. For context, the oldest recorded history in the shinobi world only stretched back to the era of the Sage of Six Paths, roughly a thousand years ago. 

The history preceding that era was an uncharted void, nearly nonexistent in records. 

However, according to Kakashi's account, there was indeed a far older era before the Sage of Six Paths. 

That period was known as the Old Times. 

It was an age when even the ancestors of humanity, the apes, had yet to emerge. The world was dominated by vast oceans, and it was during this time that the Elder Things arrived. 

They built cities and civilizations that spread across both land and sea. Their achievements were in no way inferior to humanity's, and in many respects, far surpassed them. 

But approximately 300 million years ago, an even greater force descended upon the world. 

This being and its followers were so omnipotent and overwhelming that even the Elder Things, who had been the sole rulers of the world, were forced to retreat, gradually losing ground. In the end, they had no choice but to surrender all marine territories to these new entities. 

These entities were known as the Old Ones. 

One day, however, the sea stone cities of the Old Ones and their followers mysteriously sank beneath the ocean. From that moment onward, neither the Old Ones nor their followers were ever seen again. 

Seizing the opportunity, the Elder Things regrouped and prepared to reclaim the world. 

But at the critical moment of their resurgence, they were betrayed by a slave species they had created to serve as their labor force. This rebellion dealt a devastating blow to their civilization. 

Later, yet another foreign, highly advanced species arrived, sparking a new war with the Elder Things. 

Though the conflict ended in a stalemate, they were utterly exhausted after three successive wars. Their civilization ultimately collapsed, and they became extinct. Only a single remnant of their legacy remained—a ruin located in the farthest reaches of the northernmost lands. 

"If I simply recounted this story based on what I saw on murals, you might think it was pure fiction. Perhaps the Elder Things, like humans, were sentimental beings who liked to craft tales and carve them into walls, waiting for future generations to discover them." 

"But what if I told you that most of this story has already been verified?" 

"Verified? How?" Gaara furrowed his brow in doubt. 

Kakashi shifted his position slightly before continuing. 

"Their existence is undeniable. Although some biological samples of the Elder Things were stolen a few years ago, the National Museum in the Land of Snow still holds a small number of these specimens." 

"As for the slaves created by the Elder Things to serve as their labor force, they are called Shoggoths." 

"They are terrifying creatures resembling black, amorphous masses. Rather than trying to explain further, perhaps it's better for you to see for yourself." 

As Kakashi's words trailed off, the meeting room door opened once more, and a young woman entered. Her figure was stunning, her beauty unmatched—so much so that even Temari, usually confident in her own appearance, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. 

"Anko, show them." 

The person called in was none other than Anko. Though she rolled her eyes in clear reluctance, she still pulled up her sleeve, revealing her arm. 

As Gaara and his two siblings carefully examined the seemingly flawless arm, the skin suddenly began to change. It shifted from a pale white to an ominous black, and sharp, black spikes started protruding from the surface of her skin.

This sudden transformation startled Gaara. His usually calm and detached expression gave way to wide eyes for the first time. His hands instinctively gripped the armrests of his chair to keep himself from sliding off due to the shock.

Meanwhile, Temari and Kankurō, who didn't have armrests or anything else to brace against, instinctively reached for the weapons on their backs in a reflexive response.

Among the three siblings, Kankurō, having the weakest composure, couldn't stop himself from shouting out loud.

"A monster!"

"How rude! Watch your mouth, or I'll knock that ridiculous cat-eared hat of yours clean off!" Anko clearly disliked displaying this side of herself to others. She quickly restored her skin back to its original appearance, rolled her sleeve back down, and struck a fist-threatening pose toward Kankurō.

"Anko, enough of that," came the calm voice of Tsunade, who had remained silent until now. She reminded Anko to mind her behavior. Out of respect for Tsunade, whom she deeply admired, Anko didn't retort but instead asked, "Am I done here? Can I leave?"

"Yes, you may leave."

Even after Anko left, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō's gazes lingered in the direction she had exited.

That fleeting transformation of her flawless skin was brief, but it had left a lasting impression. The three of them were certain it wasn't an illusion or a simple ninjutsu trick. It was a tangible, physical transformation.

This transformation wasn't something as straightforward as changing from a circle to a square. It was a complete metamorphosis of human skin into a black, alien substance that bore no resemblance to normal human tissue.

The black, gelatinous, writhing material, capable of changing shape, was far beyond their understanding.

If such a special ability could be developed for combat, it would undoubtedly make for a formidable ninja.

At this moment, Kakashi spoke up again. "As you've seen, that black substance is a Shoggoth—one of the creations of the Elder Things. Of course, in its current form, that Shoggoth is already quite tamed."

"I've encountered far more terrifying Shoggoths in the deepest parts of the city. Those are the truly horrifying ones, and as far as I know, they still exist in that city to this day. But compared to Cthulhu, even a Shoggoth, as terrifying as it is, would seem merciful."

"Cthulhu?" Faced with such an obscure and unfamiliar term, Gaara couldn't sense the underlying meaning within it.

Kakashi, however, explained calmly, his voice as steady as still water: "Cthulhu is one of the Old Ones. According to the records of the Elder Things, Cthulhu descended upon this world 300 million years ago and once ruled over all the oceanic regions of the planet."

"As for the Old Ones, even in Konoha, we know very little about them. All we can say is that they were beings who ruled various worlds during ancient times."

"To put it simply, they're gods. In other words, from the perspective of humans, Cthulhu is one of the gods. However, this is a god that ordinary people cannot worship. In fact, even just looking at a statue carved in its likeness can drive a person into madness. Cthulhu is the ultimate evil god."

Though Kakashi's tone remained indifferent, Gaara couldn't help but feel waves of emotion stirring within him as he listened.

Cthulhu was a foreign term, and so were the Old Ones.

Yet, when these two unfamiliar terms were strung together and spoken by Kakashi, he inexplicably found himself somewhat convinced by the explanation. However, this powerful inner feeling would still need more evidence to confirm it.

And so, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro sat attentively, like well-behaved students, listening to Kakashi's "lecture."

Even though the three of them weren't sure whether they should fully trust this information, Tsunade had already said earlier that these matters were top-secret, even within Konoha. If they missed this opportunity, it would be nearly impossible to hear about such things from any other source.

Kakashi continued, "To be honest, we cannot definitively prove the existence of Cthulhu. But regarding the faith surrounding this god, we've managed to collect some evidence—such as a Cthulhu statue."

"It's a statue of Cthulhu, but merely glancing at it can compel someone into an uncontrollable and fanatical worship of Cthulhu, as though they've fallen under the strongest genjutsu. Even our best genjutsu specialists were unable to break this spell-like state. Unfortunately, that Cthulhu statue was later stolen by Orochimaru, and its whereabouts remain unknown to this day."

When Kakashi mentioned Orochimaru, Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly, and a subtle change flickered across his expression. This small reaction did not escape Tsunade, who had been quietly observing Gaara from across the room.

"According to the chronicle of the Elder Things, Cthulhu should currently be in a state of slumber somewhere beneath the ocean, which means it shouldn't pose a direct threat to humanity. But recent signs suggest that certain extraordinary entities may be awakening."

"As the Hokage just mentioned, before the tides rise, certain things buried deep beneath the sea tend to surface, serving as an omen. If we view the bizarre incidents of recent years—events and creatures that even the millennia-old historical records dating back to the Sage of Six Paths fail to describe—as such omens, then everything begins to make sense."

Kakashi then elaborated on the infamous Mi-Go attack on the daimyō's mansion in the Land of Fire.

While this incident caused a considerable stir within Konoha at the time, the information was tightly sealed, so the details had never reached the ears of Suna.

The Mi-Go involved in the incident had been rescued by its companions, so Gaara wasn't able to witness a live specimen.

Fortunately, some research data from the time had been preserved, including a video recording from Konoha's interrogation division, where they had questioned a captured Mi-Go.

Kakashi played the video on a projection screen.

In the footage, a pink, crustacean-like creature with an oval-shaped head lay on the ground, its numerous limbs shackled to chains bolted into the floor. Nearby, a Konoha researcher dressed in white held a notebook, questioning the creature.

"Where are you from?"

"Whirrr… Yuggoth."

"What is your purpose in coming to the Land of Fire?"

"Whirrr… To reclaim technology."

Gaara stared at the screen, his eyes wide in disbelief.

The Mi-Go in the video was speaking human language.

Though its words were halting, low, and accompanied by a high-frequency buzzing sound that no human throat could produce, this only served to confirm that the Mi-Go in the video was unlikely to be a human in disguise.

Even if it were a disguise, it was hard to imagine what kind of genius visionary could conceive such a bizarre and terrifying alien appearance.

This kind of horrifying imagination, much like ghouls, should only exist in humanity's most fearsome nightmares! 

After the video ended, Kakashi continued speaking, "These creatures called Mi-Go are not visiting our world for the first time."

"They are a highly intelligent species with a passion for scientific research. They first visited Earth 65 million years ago and waged a war lasting several years with the Elder Things of that era."

At this point, Gaara's eyes widened suddenly as he realized something, and Kakashi immediately verbalized the thought in Gaara's mind. 

"That's correct. Up until now, almost every entity mentioned in the Elder Things' chronicles has been confirmed to exist."

"The Elder Things, Cthulhu, Shoggoths, and Mi-Go—none of these are fictional. In fact, aside from Cthulhu, every other being has already been definitively proven to exist by us." 

"However, if it were just these entities, it might not warrant as much concern. But now, more and more monsters and creatures—ones that have never even been recorded in ancient texts—are appearing in certain corners of the world. This is something we cannot ignore." 

"Shino, bring it in."

At Kakashi's call, Shino entered the room, holding an insect specimen in his hands. 

But when Gaara and his companions closely examined the specimen, their eyes widened in shock.

The insect before them completely defied the boundaries of what could be classified as an insect. Its grotesque form was beyond anything the three of them could have imagined, even in their worst nightmares. 

The pigeon-sized insect had ten legs covered in black tendrils, and its massive eyes weren't the typical compound eyes of insects but had a human-like pupil structure. The eyes even reflected an expression of rage, as if capturing the moment of the creature's death. 

"This is a Shan, a species that migrated here from Shaggai. They possess advanced technological abilities and can freely travel into the space between human skulls and brains," Shino explained, offering a brief "introduction" to the insectoid alien race.

But Gaara and his companions were entirely preoccupied with the grotesque specimen before them, barely hearing a word Shino was saying.

Before Gaara could fully digest the information about the Shan, Kakashi began explaining yet another extraterrestrial species. 

"Shikamaru, come in."

As Kakashi called his name, Shikamaru entered the room without hesitation and immediately began unbuttoning his shirt. 

Hey! What's he doing? Temari quickly raised her hands to shield her eyes, though the large gaps between her fingers rendered her effort ineffective. 

Without saying a word, Shikamaru removed his innermost shirt, revealing his bare skin beneath—a sight that shocked everyone present.

The skin on his chest and back looked as though it had been scorched by fire, with large patches resembling severe burns. Even more startling were the patches of mottled, age-like spots scattered across his skin, despite his young age.