Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 212

"Is this the building Naruto discovered yesterday?"

Kiba couldn't believe his eyes. The difference in style between the front and back of this conical structure was astonishing.

The back portion of the structure was made of a matte mineral. The only reason it reflected a bit of sunlight was because a thin layer of moisture coated its surface.

The mineral surface was relatively smooth but uneven. The slanted face was riddled with dents, resembling an irregular arrangement of fish scales.

At the base of the slanted face was a semicircular archway that looked oddly eerie.

The proportions were strange—this doorway seemed disproportionately small compared to the building, like a doghole in the middle of a towering wall.

"This should be the front of the structure," Shino concluded in his distinctive tone. "And why? Because this is where the door is, and we've come this far. Also, the insects from yesterday didn't attack us when we approached this side."

Naruto and Kiba nodded in agreement. Then Kiba turned to Akamaru, who was by his side, and asked, "Is Hinata in there?"

"Woof!"

"Akamaru says Hinata is inside."

Hearing Kiba's confirmation, Naruto grew impatient again. Ignoring Shino's command, he dashed toward the archway beneath the conical structure.

In front of the archway was a narrow, straight path. Though its outline wasn't very clear, the trees on either side seemed to form a welcoming corridor, parting neatly to create this single, winding trail.

Wait!

Shino suddenly became alert and turned his attention to the sides of the path.

Moments earlier, the trio's eyes had been captivated by the towering conical structure and its archway, causing them to overlook the trees lining the path.

In fact, compared to the structure, these trees were just as, if not more, unsettling.

The trees surrounding the conical structure were much smaller than the towering trees of the Forest of Bikōchū, standing at only about one and a half times the height of an average person. What made them even stranger was their metallic gray color rather than the usual brown.

These metallic-gray trees had thick cylindrical trunks. Near the ground, the trunks split into two cylinders, which further branched into six flattened, circular extensions at their base.

This might be considered a natural deformation. It could explain why the tree's crown formed a perfectly symmetrical circle.

But here's the unsettling part: all the trees were identical in shape and structure. Every single one was like a clone of the other, so identical that even artificial pruning couldn't achieve such uniformity!

The metallic-gray trees stood out in this forest like bizarre anomalies, yet their individual uniformity was unnerving, as if they were manufactured.

As Naruto sprinted down the central path, Shino and Kiba noticed the gray branches on either side beginning to stretch toward his path.

It wasn't Naruto's running that stirred the branches. These movements were deliberate and conscious, like the tentacles of an octopus reaching for prey.

Moreover, as the branches tilted and extended, the two noticed a massive hollow in the main trunk where it connected to the crown.

This hollow was pitch black, oval-shaped, with jagged edges resembling a spiral saw blade—a saw blade with its teeth pointing inward.

If this structure wasn't attached to a tree, Shino and Kiba would have interpreted it as a "mouth" designed for feeding.

"Naruto!"

Kiba called out loudly from the narrow path, but Naruto was already halfway along the winding trail, moving at high speed.

Hearing Kiba's shout, Naruto instinctively glanced back, only to see that the path behind him was slowly vanishing. More and more gray branches, like writhing tentacles, extended out to block the way he had come.

"Ah! What is this?"

He stared in panic at the encroaching branches, which were rapidly cutting off his retreat. The figures of Shino and Kiba were soon swallowed by the gray, wave-like mass.

"Naruto! Go ahead and save Hinata first. We'll catch up shortly!"

Kiba made a decisive call. Since Naruto was already deep in, there was no point in having him backtrack. They just needed to find a way to quickly deal with the gray trees.

"Got it!"

Naruto quickly understood. Though surprised, he wasn't afraid of going in alone. Without hesitation, he turned toward the conical structure's arched entrance and darted inside, just as the gray branches sealed off the doorway behind him.

---

Meanwhile, back with Shino and Kiba, the sight of the seemingly living gray trees gave Kiba pause, causing him to unconsciously take half a step back.

"Shino, how do we deal with these trees? Do you know anything about them?"

"Unfortunately, I don't," Shino replied. "The last time I came here, there were no conical structures or gray trees like this."

Though his face, hidden beneath his high collar, didn't show the same tense expression as Kiba, he couldn't help but feel a chill as he watched the branches lash and writhe, drawing closer.

Were these trees being controlled by someone? Or did they possess a self-awareness, controlling their own movements?
How many of these trees were hidden in the Forest of Bikōchū?
And, at the end of it all, could these things even be classified as "trees" in the traditional sense?

Shino's mind raced with chaotic speculations, threatening to overwhelm his logical thinking. Luckily, Kiba snapped him out of it with the sound of a jutsu being cast.

"Man Beast Clone!"

Two identical Kiba crouched on all fours, moving like feral animals. They launched into action with their signature move.

"Fang Over Fang!"

The twin Kiba tornadoes tore through the gray tree branches like whirlwinds, immediately knocking back a dozen of the gray, claw-like trees.

Despite appearing firmly rooted, the trees could stretch their branches and even move their cylindrical trunks freely, much like tree-people from fairy tales or myths.

Kiba's bold attack inspired Shino, who had been hesitating.

That's right, why am I hesitating?
My teammate is up ahead. No matter what dangers lie ahead, I must advance!

"Beetle Sphere!"

---

No matter how intense the battle outside became, Naruto was completely unaware of it. The moment he stepped into the conical structure, the archway behind him closed automatically. 

Naruto immediately turned around and pounded on the archway, but the solid door did not budge an inch. 

With no other choice, Naruto pressed on. 

The narrow corridor, though sealed against outside light, was not dark. Embedded in the gray mineral ceiling was a long, strip-like material emitting a faint green glow. 

By the light of the green fluorescence, he noticed the relief carvings on the gray walls of the corridor. 

These carvings were filled with wild imagination and unnatural phenomena, far beyond what a human mind could easily comprehend. Naruto, with his current level of understanding, could not decipher their mysteries. 

Even so, he managed to grasp some ideas from the simpler patterns in the reliefs. 

"Isn't this… the gray trees outside?" 

In one section of the carvings, he saw shapes strikingly similar to the gray trees outside. 

However, the carvings were more stylized, omitting the intricate branches, making the gray trees appear as cylindrical, faceless beings with oval-shaped bulges. 

Above these faceless cylindrical beings, a creature resembling either a bird or an insect manipulated a strange cylindrical device, firing a thin ray of light. 

In another part of the carving, several insect-like creatures surrounded a box emitting petal-shaped ripples that enveloped all the faceless beings. 

These cryptic carvings left him puzzled. Choosing not to dwell on them, he continued forward. 

Deeper into the corridor, Naruto found himself drawn once again to the carvings, stopping in front of a wall. 

This wall depicted a massive conical structure dominating the entire relief, surrounded by countless insects. 

These insects were familiar to Naruto—they were the same species as those in the forest. The enormous Bikōchūmodoki stood out prominently. 

On the left side of the conical structure, the carvings showed piles of stones. At the base, faceless beings were depicted moving large rectangular blocks, stacking them onto the structure. 

At the edges of the wall, Naruto noticed large amounts of gray powder—clearly the remnants of carving. 

This indicated that the relief was recently created. 

The recently completed relief likely depicted recent events. Observing that the conical structure he was inside had one side of stacked stones and one relatively smooth side, Naruto pieced together a theory. 

The original structure might have been entirely gray. The metallic gray "trees" outside seemed to have been arranged to cover the stonework, likely to conceal the existence of the conical structure. 

But why go to such lengths to hide it? 

Naruto couldn't figure out the reason and decided not to waste time thinking about it. Resolving to ignore the carvings, he focused on the task at hand—saving Hinata. 

Continuing forward, he reached a crossroads. 

There were four paths: a circular passage leading upward to a higher level, and a circular trapdoor leading downward to a lower level. Both lacked ladders or any climbing aids. 

To the left and right of these vertical paths were two additional horizontal passages. 

The layout was extraordinarily complex, and he regretted not entering together with Kiba and the others. 

As Naruto hesitated, he suddenly heard a scream. 

Hinata! 

It was her voice, coming from below. 

He pinpointed the direction of the sound and leapt into a descending circular passage.

---

Inside a vast, square-shaped hall, three members of the Kamizuru clan were conducting a bizarre ritual.

The trio knelt before a short, stout statue, standing about 15 meters tall in the center of the hall. After each bow, they would lift their heads to gaze reverently at the statue for a few moments.

Tied up on the ground, Hinata struggled to raise her head to get a clearer view of the statue. She managed to take in most of its appearance.

It was an incredibly detailed, utterly inhuman gray statue. Its form was beyond Hinata's understanding—perhaps two clam shells fused together, or a fat, flattened beetle of some sort.

Yet, the moment she laid eyes on the statue, her mind was instantly filled with a single word: Azathoth!

This was the posture Azathoth had taken before being banished to outer space—a profane and indescribable form. Its gray surface appeared as though molten metal had been randomly poured and allowed to twist and solidify.

Despite this grotesqueness, the sculptor had still managed to present Azathoth's image in a way that could be somewhat comprehended by humans and other races.

Regrettably, even this depiction failed to capture one ten-thousandth of the Blind Idiot God's essence.

The name "Azathoth" was utterly unfamiliar to her, yet the moment she recognized it, an uncontrollable wave of nameless terror seized her heart.

During the kneeling ritual, the kunoichi in the group held a gray metallic rod, chanting three strange and eerie words repeatedly.

The chanting and bowing lasted for about five minutes. Eventually, the three participants stood up. The kunoichi continued holding the metallic rod while the two male ninjas helped Hinata to her feet, allowing her to stand unaided.

"Move."

The kunoichi commanded Hinata to walk forward. Hinata glanced warily at the male ninjas flanking her, who remained vigilant, and realized escape was still impossible.

For some reason, these ninjas, who had been in utter agony and self-harm the previous night, now appeared calm and composed by daylight. Their incomprehensible and unsettling actions left Hinata deeply puzzled.

Under the prodding of the metallic rod, she was slowly led to the back of the stout statue, where a gray wall stood. Embedded in this wall was a triangular metallic door.

The heavy and imposing metal door bore symmetrical carvings of two insect-like figures. In the dim lighting, she couldn't discern the details of the insects. However, as she approached, the two carved insects seemed to lightly flutter their wings.

With this subtle wing movement, the triangular metal door slowly parted, creating a narrow gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

At that moment, the sounds of bubbling liquid, the creaking of metal door hinges, and the dull thud of grinding metal echoed together.