Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 209

The crowd quickly turned their heads in the direction of the sound, only to see a tall figure emerging slowly from the dark corner. The figure was dressed in a resplendent robe, with crimson light gleaming ominously from its eyes.

"Who's there?!"

Kimimaro immediately performed the Body Flicker to position himself in front of Orochimaru, shielding him while glaring warily at the man shrouded in darkness.

As the man advanced, the large experimental equipment that had been obscuring the dim corner could no longer contain his presence.

Under the light, Orochimaru, the Sound Four, and Sasuke all clearly saw the man's visage.

Draped in a splendid yellow robe, he wore a peculiar zebra-patterned circular crown on his head and carried a golden scepter in his hand. His crimson eyes gleamed with an eerie brilliance.

His dignified bearing and dark complexion radiated an overwhelming charisma.

This charisma seemed almost divine, compelling anyone who looked upon him to focus entirely on him, as if their minds and spirits had no choice but to acknowledge his presence.

If this were their first encounter, everyone would undoubtedly marvel at how such an extraordinary man could exist in the world.

But unfortunately, this wasn't their first time seeing this visage. Moments earlier, they had already witnessed him through Sasuke's memories.

The Black Pharaoh.

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before them.

No one could have imagined that the person Orochimaru had been urging Sasuke to pursue with all his might would suddenly appear right in front of them—and voluntarily, no less.

How did he appear here?

This is my secret base. The only ones who should know of this place are me and my subordinates. How did he learn of its location? And how did he manage to infiltrate so silently?

In that instant, Orochimaru instinctively engaged in a series of rational deductions.

But he overlooked one critical point: if what the Necronomicon stated was true and the Black Pharaoh was indeed the incarnation of an ancient evil god, then—

What could a god not know?

What could a god not do?

Under the oppressive aura of the Black Pharaoh's unspoken authority, Sasuke and the four Sound Ninja were entirely consumed by shock. Only Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto managed to muster a reaction.

Kimimaro and Kabuto cautiously shifted their footing, inching closer to Orochimaru's side.

Their loyalty was undeniable. Even in the face of the Black Pharaoh's overwhelming presence, they instinctively sought to shield Orochimaru with their bodies—a level of dedication the other Sound Ninja, cowed into submission, could not replicate.

Of course, part of this disparity lay in the fact that the others had already succumbed to the Pharaoh's magnetic aura. This intangible yet extraordinary quality was an inherent aspect of the Black Pharaoh's power to command reverence.

In ancient Egypt, during that primordial era, the Black Pharaoh had been a figure of universal adoration.

No Egyptian could resist kneeling before the Black Pharaoh. It wasn't subjugation to his status as a pharaoh but a primal reverence for the majesty and arrogance he exuded—a choice dictated by their very souls.

However, in the shinobi world, that imposing aura had been diluted. Those with stronger wills could resist kneeling before the Black Pharaoh.

Orochimaru's eyes twitched subtly as he stared at the regal man in front of him—a man proclaimed by the Necronomicon as the incarnation of a god. Forcing down his shock, he steadied his composure and addressed him.

"What brings you to my humble base?"

Orochimaru's tone was one of deference. Normally, his approach to an unknown entity would involve striking first with his serpentine limbs to test the waters.

But before this being, he felt nothing but uncertainty and dread. He had noticed something peculiar about the space around the Black Pharaoh—two abstract distortions in the air flanked him.

They resembled the wavering heat ripples above a flame, forming strange, unseen entities by the Pharaoh's side.

However, unlike the natural heat distortions, the warping around the Black Pharaoh was deeply unnatural. This reminded Orochimaru of the twisting mist that had enveloped the Hounds of Tindalos—a distortion equally sinister and otherworldly.

Could there be yet another set of nightmarish creatures hidden within these distortions?

The uncertainty made him hesitant to act rashly. Instead, he chose to express his doubts cautiously.

Opposite him, the Black Pharaoh remained composed.

"I am merely here to offer my scorn to those who dare sacrifice themselves in pursuit of ancient secrets."

With that, the Black Pharaoh unveiled his signature smile.

This smile was filled with immense malice. It felt as if a superior, godlike being was gazing upon the suffering of mortals with cruel amusement.

To put it in mundane terms, it was like watching a drowning person struggle, only for the onlooker at the shore to smile with schadenfreude instead of extending a helping hand.

However, his smile was far more scornful than any mortal's mockery. It radiated an almost magical allure, capable of enraging ordinary people to the point of utter fury, causing them to grind their teeth to dust.

After all, the Black Pharaoh had but one expression: either an aura of arrogant majesty or that lofty, derisive smile.

And now, this smile—clearly aimed at Orochimaru—was nothing short of a direct taunt.

For the person the Black Pharaoh referred to could only be Orochimaru himself.

Not long ago, Orochimaru had been relentlessly pursued by the Hounds of Tindalos during his investigation into past mysteries. He had narrowly escaped their clutches through cunning.

Now, the Black Pharaoh had made a point to appear before him on the very day of his resurrection. Was this not purely to mock him?
Mocking his encounter with the Hounds?

Could it be that the Hounds were his doing?

The Black Pharaoh was an incarnation of an Outer God, so Orochimaru's imagination naturally ran wild. What surprised him, however, was that his idle speculation turned out to be correct.

Even so, Orochimaru dared not act impulsively. The power of the being before him was immeasurable, even for someone like him.

It was rumored that Itachi had once fought the Black Pharaoh, but even he had been unable to deal any substantial damage. Considering Itachi's strength at that time, which Orochimaru believed to be no weaker than his current self, it was clear how daunting the opponent was.

This was Orochimaru's secret hideout, filled with vital instruments, equipment, and research materials. Engaging in combat here would risk losing it all—a risk he preferred to avoid.

On the other hand, Sasuke lacked Orochimaru's cautious mindset. The moment he shook off the overwhelming pressure of the Black Pharaoh's presence, he grabbed his kunai and charged forward without hesitation.

Sasuke's roar echoed through the laboratory but was quickly silenced.

The Black Pharaoh casually swatted him aside. Sasuke's body was flung ten meters away as if struck by an immense force.

In that instant, Sasuke felt a tremendous impact on his face, sending him flying. Yet, he couldn't see exactly what had hit him.

Orochimaru, however, saw everything clearly. Although it appeared that the Black Pharaoh had struck Sasuke with a mere wave of his hand, his body had never actually touched Sasuke. It was the distorted air around him that had delivered the blow.

So there is something in those distortions!

Sasuke struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His furious gaze fixed on the Black Pharaoh.

Yet the Black Pharaoh remained utterly unfazed, uttering just one word in a disdainful tone.

"Weakling."

Then, that same derisive smile reappeared on his face, this time directed at Sasuke.

Upon seeing that mocking smile, he still wanted to rush out.

"Striking Shadow Snakes!"

Orochimaru clicked his tongue slightly, then quickly raised his hand. Several thick snake-like appendages shot out from his sleeve, coiling tightly around Sasuke's waist. No matter how much the boy struggled, he couldn't break free.

Even Orochimaru himself admitted that he couldn't deal with this enigmatic, deeply unsettling dark-skinned man before them, let alone Sasuke.

However, losing such a promising subordinate was not something Orochimaru wanted to see, so he restrained Sasuke.

In the corner, the Black Pharaoh maintained his mocking expression as he slowly retreated, his body merging into the shadows.

Everyone could only watch helplessly as the only visible part of the darkness—those scarlet eyes—gradually faded. No one made a move to stop him.

As the oppressive aura, with its divine magnetism and majesty, receded from the space, the Sound Four exhaled deeply in relief.

To these Sound ninjas who had already submitted to Orochimaru, this strange dark-skinned man was far more terrifying than Orochimaru.

That mocking smile was especially chilling. Its psychological impact was at least tenfold greater than Orochimaru's usual sinister grin.

No one knew how the Black Pharaoh made his eyes emit that scarlet glow, nor how those lights transformed into crescent shapes when he mocked others.

When it was certain that the Black Pharaoh had indeed left, Orochimaru loosened the snake limbs. Freed, Sasuke immediately dashed toward the dark corner, but the Black Pharaoh's presence was already long gone.

Sasuke, unable to vent his anger, turned and glared furiously at Orochimaru, shouting, "Why did you stop me?!"

Orochimaru sneered coldly and said slowly, "If I hadn't stopped you, you'd already be dead."

His tone was utterly indifferent, a stark contrast to the earlier attempts to reason with Sasuke, and it immediately subdued him.

Though Orochimaru appeared calm, inwardly he was more shocked. He hadn't expected the Black Pharaoh to be able to traverse space as freely as a Hound of Tindalos, and even know the location of his secret base.

If that was the case, then the Black Pharaoh's appearance within Konoha's barrier on the night of the Uchiha massacre, without being noticed by any Konoha ninja, made perfect sense.

This realization further confirmed Orochimaru's suspicion: this dark-skinned man was definitely no ordinary being. As described in the Necronomicon, he was likely the incarnation of some god.

However, Orochimaru still didn't understand the purpose of this incarnation.

For now, it seemed that the Black Pharaoh bore a sort of malevolent curiosity toward him, but it wouldn't interfere with his plans.

This situation felt like a game, where the Black Pharaoh was merely an observer, while humans like them were players who had staked their lives on the outcome.

The Black Pharaoh was an incarnation originating from a previous epoch of Earth, from a land called Egypt and its pharaohs.

While humanity from that past epoch had vanished, the Black Pharaoh endured through eternity. This demonstrated that, compared to humanity, he was undoubtedly a superior being.

What humanity considered a catastrophe was merely an amusing spectacle to the Black Pharaoh.

The smile on his face was a reflection of that superiority, the condescending gaze of a higher being toward a lower one—like a human watching ants fight over crumbs.

And the oppressive aura everyone felt was the innate response of lower beings to higher ones.

It was akin to how humans feel insignificant when gazing up at towering mountains.

This realization unsettled Orochimaru deeply. He had always been the one to look down on others in misfortune—Karin, Jugo, Kimimaro, the Fuma clan. He had observed the tragedies of many lives with cold detachment.

But never before had someone stood on a higher plane, looking down on him and mocking him.

Orochimaru's hand clenched into a slight fist, but a wicked smile gradually formed on his face.

If it had been the old Orochimaru, this situation would have driven him to despair.

For upon realizing that all the ninjutsu he had devoted his life to mastering was mere tricks and theatrics in the eyes of a higher being, anyone would feel despair.

But the current Orochimaru was different. He now had a loftier goal.

"As long as I can gather all the Silver Keys and unlock that Ultimate Door, gaining all the truths of this world, I too will ascend to the level of a Higher Being!"

Thinking of this, he threw his head back in maniacal laughter.

"Ha... Hahaha!"

The crazed laughter echoed throughout the hideout, leaving the Sound Four around him bewildered. They could only stare at Orochimaru, who was laughing hysterically.

"He's lost it. Totally mad."

---

Meanwhile, in Konoha, it wasn't until the third day after Sasuke's departure that someone noticed something was wrong.

Naruto's team and the other young ninja searched every corner of the village from dawn till dusk. They even scoured the abandoned Uchiha Forest, yet Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

Based on the state of the food supplies in Sasuke's home, Kakashi concluded that Sasuke had been gone for quite some time. Even with the help of Pakkun, it was impossible to track someone who had been missing for several days outside the village.

The following day, Interim Hokage Jiraiya announced that Sasuke Uchiha was missing. Since no body, battle traces, or leftover clues were found, it was determined that Sasuke had voluntarily left the village.

In the Hokage's office, Jiraiya gazed helplessly at the group of young faces before him.

"So, you're all here to plead his case?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama! We ask you not to list Sasuke as a missing-nin!"

Sakura stepped forward as the spokesperson for the group.

However, Jiraiya didn't address her directly. Instead, he turned to the other teams.

"Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji—do you all share the same sentiment?"

"Yes! We don't want Sasuke to be branded as a traitor of the village," Ino replied emphatically, nodding vigorously.

Shikamaru, standing beside her, looked exasperated. My relationship with Sasuke isn't close enough to warrant this hassle, he thought. But how can I refuse when Ino is forcing me into it?

Jiraiya nodded again and turned to another group. "Hinata, Kiba, Shino, what about you?"

"Sasuke has been our comrade and classmate since the Academy. I don't want to see him become a wanted traitor of the village," Hinata said quietly but firmly.

"And…" Hinata's cheeks flushed red as her gaze shifted toward Naruto.

Jiraiya nodded once more before addressing another corner of the room. "As for Guy's team—you weren't even in Sasuke's class. Why are you here to plead his case?"

At the far end, Guy stood with his three genin, also here to make an appeal.

"Well… This was Kakashi's first squad. If one of his students becomes a missing-nin, it could affect his evaluation for future leadership roles," Guy explained, bowing deeply to Jiraiya. "So, Jiraiya-sama, I humbly request your leniency!"

Now it all made sense to Jiraiya. Sasuke's own team was naturally pleading for him. Hinata's team? That was clearly because of Hinata's feelings for Naruto. Ino's team? Ino's fondness for Sasuke explained it. And Guy's team? That was a result of Guy's deep bond with Kakashi.

Such a tangled web of relationships.

"Fine."

After a moment of contemplation, Jiraiya spoke. "I am merely the Interim Hokage, and I lack the authority to make a final decision on declaring someone a rogue ninja. Therefore, the matter of labeling Sasuke Uchiha as a traitor will be put on hold for now."

A wave of relief swept across the room at his words. Smiles began to appear on everyone's faces.

"But," Jiraiya continued, his tone serious, "the mission to track Sasuke cannot be stopped. He possesses the Sharingan. If those eyes fall into the hands of enemy forces, the consequences could be catastrophic."

His words immediately wiped the joy off everyone's faces, plunging them into a chilling silence.

After all, every tracking method they had tried so far had failed. At this point, there seemed to be no way to find Sasuke.

As the room descended into silence, Shino slowly raised his hand.

"I may have a solution," he said. "Bikōchū."