Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 203

Seven days later, a somber atmosphere pervaded Konoha.

On this day, all the men, women, and children of the village donned black clothing, while the skies, as if in harmony with the somber mood, poured rain upon the land.

Every ninja in the village gathered before the Memorial Stone to pay their respects.

This was a memorial service destined to lack physical remains, as all Kage-level bodies had been sealed away, leaving no trace behind.

The deaths of the Fifth and Third Hokage marked an unprecedented calamity in the history of Konoha. Never before, since the village's founding, had two generations of Hokage fallen on the same day.

This was undoubtedly a massive blow to the village. Both its citizens and ninjas were deeply worried about the future of Konoha.

Fortunately, before his death, Danzō had designated Jiraiya to return and assume the mantle of Hokage. Acting swiftly, the ANBU and Root teams set out to find Jiraiya as soon as they confirmed the deaths of the Third and Fifth Hokage.

The village could not remain leaderless, especially with the simultaneous loss of two Kage-level figures, which could present an opportunity for foreign ninja to attack.

Thus, Jiraiya, deeply loyal to Konoha, accepted the responsibility in this critical moment and returned to the village to take charge of the situation.

However, when the two village advisors proposed that Jiraiya formally become the Sixth Hokage, he declined.

His reason was that he had returned only to help the village through its time of crisis. He explained that his free-spirited nature made him unsuited for the permanent role of Hokage and that there were more appropriate candidates for the position.

The advisors, after giving it careful thought, agreed.

After all, the prospect of a Hokage known far and wide for his lecherous habits was not a reputation the village needed.

When they asked Jiraiya who he believed was a better candidate, his answer—Tsunade—left them feeling that the two were not so different.

Ultimately, Jiraiya accepted the position of interim Hokage until a formal decision on the Sixth Hokage could be made.

Once he assumed leadership, Jiraiya immediately began assessing the damage inflicted on the village by this disaster. The results of the assessment soon became clear.

The incident had claimed the lives of 208 people, including both civilians and ninjas, with the majority being ninjas. Among the ninja casualties, chunin suffered the highest losses.

Beyond this, there were countless injured, and extensive structural damage. The Konoha Hospital was overwhelmed, forcing the construction of medical tents outside. Temporary shelters built by residents could also be seen throughout the streets.

In addition to these visible losses, the village had also suffered the theft of critical research materials.

During the battle involving Orochimaru, Rasa, Danzō, and Hiruzen, Konoha's research facility came under attack by a powerful ninja.

Unlike the large-scale assaults by Suna ninjas elsewhere, the attack on the facility was carried out by a lone elite ninja.

This individual infiltrated Konoha's underground research lab and stole all the village's research materials. The stolen items included the corpse of the subterranean demon worm and the skeletal remains of a flying serpent discovered at the Uchiha compound on the night of the clan's massacre.

When Anko led reinforcements to the lab, they discovered that the lone assailant was Kimimaro, one of Orochimaru's followers from Oto.

Anko was unable to prevent Kimimaro's escape, meaning Konoha had lost its valuable research on these extraordinary species.

What puzzled Jiraiya, however, was why this Oto ninja had seized the materials. It was clearly under Orochimaru's orders, as the latter was an obsessive researcher. But Orochimaru was dead. Why would his subordinate steal these materials when there was no one left to study them?

Was it that Kimimaro didn't know Orochimaru had died in the battle?

Or was something more amiss?

Jiraiya couldn't shake his unease about the situation but had no time to delve into the matter further. There were far more pressing concerns than Orochimaru's mysteries.

With the deaths of two Hokage, and in the face of both internal strife and external threats, Jiraiya moved quickly to stabilize the situation.

His first step was to release a public statement, officially announcing that he had assumed the role of Interim Hokage of Konoha.

This was intended to intimidate other nations, as the name of one of the Legendary Sannin still carried significant weight and could deter potential aggressors.

The second measure was to strengthen the borders of the Land of Fire, particularly along the borders with the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth, where vigilance was intensified.

Surprisingly, Jiraiya did not increase defenses against the Land of Wind, even though they had recently launched a sneak attack on Konoha.

This was because, during the attack, the Fourth Kazekage had been killed, and the counteroffensive by Konoha's ninjas had inflicted heavy losses on Suna.

In terms of ninja casualties, Suna's losses were far greater than Konoha's.

In their retreat, the defeated Suna-nin were even forced to abandon some of their comrades, leaving Konoha with over a dozen prisoners of war.

Given their diminished combat power, Suna was now more concerned about potential retaliation from Konoha.

As expected, on the third day, Suna sought to negotiate peace with Konoha.

At the negotiation table, Suna was represented by Chiyo, the elder who had been forced out of retirement due to the gravity of the crisis.

The final agreement saw Konoha agreeing to resolve the conflict peacefully. In exchange, Suna would provide substantial financial reparations to aid Konoha's reconstruction and compensate the families of Konoha's fallen ninjas.

Although Jiraiya harbored deep resentment toward Suna for collaborating with Orochimaru to attack Konoha, he recognized that Konoha needed to recover its strength. Other external pressures also made it unwise to engage in further conflict with Suna.

Thus, he grudgingly accepted the settlement.

At the conclusion of the negotiations, Chiyo asked about the cause of the Fourth Kazekage's death and whether his body could be returned to Suna for burial.

Jiraiya replied that the exact cause of death was unknown, but the body could not be returned, as all those involved in the incident had been sealed by the Reverse Tetragram Sealing Jutsu.

In truth, Jiraiya had already inquired about the deaths of the Kazekage and others from Torune, who had observed the battle from the outside.

According to Torune, none of the participants had died from fighting each other. Instead, they were all killed by an invisible creature called the Hound of Tindalos. This name had been mentioned by Danzō in his final moments when entrusting his last words to Torune.

When the Hound of Tindalos appeared, even the combatants—normally enemies—had chosen to join forces to confront it.

This revelation deeply shocked Jiraiya, even more so than learning of the deaths of the Third and Fifth Hokages.

What kind of entity could compel such formidable individuals to ally against it?

Even with the reanimated forms of the First and Second Hokages, a total of six Kage-level fighters had been unable to defeat this creature. Not even the most fearsome Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails, could wield such overwhelming power.

This meant that while the immediate catalyst for the conflict was Suna's alliance with Orochimaru, the true cause of the widespread casualties among Kage-level combatants was the appearance of this Hound of Tindalos.

The terrifying power of this entity, a single one of which had proven unstoppable by six Kage-level opponents, was staggering. Four of those Kages had fallen outright.

The mere thought of what could happen if there were ten of these creatures, twenty, or even a hundred, sent chills down Jiraiya's spine. His mind turned to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy of an apocalyptic future.

A primordial force from ancient times was awakening. Once these entities fully emerged, humanity would face an existential threat, and the world could be annihilated in an instant.

Perhaps the upheavals preceding the apocalypse had already begun.

---

The major news of the deaths of the Third Hokage, Fifth Hokage, Fourth Kazekage, and Orochimaru quickly spread throughout the ninja world.

Based on the public announcement from Konoha and intelligence gathered by various nations, the consensus among the factions of the ninja world was that the Fourth Kazekage and Orochimaru had conspired to attack Konoha.

Ultimately, the Third Hokage and Fifth Hokage perished together with them in a mutually destructive confrontation.

---

"Tsuchikage-sama, the Third Hokage and Fifth Hokage are dead, as well as the Fourth Kazekage. Now both Suna and Konoha are without Kage-level ninja. Shouldn't we take action?"

"But Konoha has already announced Jiraiya as the Interim Hokage, and Suna has named Chiyo as Interim Kazekage. Both villages are moving quickly, seemingly preparing against any moves from us."

"What are you afraid of? Surely our Tsuchikage wouldn't fear these temporary stand-ins?"

"Don't forget about Kumo next to us, keeping a watchful eye. During the Third Great Ninja War, we had grudges with them too. Over the years, they've amassed considerable strength. I urge you to think carefully, Tsuchikage-sama!"

The high-ranking ninja of Iwa argued intensely, splitting into two camps. One argued that this was a golden opportunity to attack Suna and Konoha.

The other believed these villages couldn't be conquered in the short term, and a rash attack might leave their stronghold vulnerable to a backstab from Kumo, allowing them to benefit as third parties.

In the heated debate, Ōnoki, sat silently in his seat, deep in thought.

He wasn't pondering either of the arguments presented. Instead, he was contemplating what would happen if Iwa faced a similar crisis.

Konoha had endured countless hardships starting with the Fourth Hokage's death, the defections of the Sannin, and now the deaths of both the Third and Fifth Hokage.

Yet, even after such heavy losses, Konoha could still produce ninja capable of intimidating external threats. This level of resilience was terrifying.

Suna, though weaker, had managed to bring an elder of the same era as himself back into leadership, stabilizing their situation to some extent.

But if he, the Tsuchikage, were to die, who would succeed him in Iwa?

His son, Kitsuchi, lacked a bloodline limit and wasn't strong enough to take the Tsuchikage's mantle.

His granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, had a bloodline limit, but she was too young and inexperienced to carry the responsibility.

While Iwa had other powerful ninja, they weren't like Jiraiya of Konoha. In contrast to Konoha, where even those who had left the village still possessed deep loyalty, Iwa's strong ninja like Rōshi and Han had left on bad terms due to disagreements over Ōnoki's unwillingness to relinquish his position as Tsuchikage.

Realizing this, Ōnoki decided against taking any risks.

With a heavy sigh, he slammed his hand on the table, silencing the room. However, the motion caused a sharp pain to shoot through his back, accompanied by the sound of a joint popping.

"Argh, my back!"

---

The Fourth Raikage, A, was informed of the mass deaths of Kage-level ninja in Konoha by his assistant Mabui.

Unlike Iwa, where every decision sparked debates, Kumo's decision-making was centralized under the Raikage, making it the most unified of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

The fiery-tempered Fourth Raikage wasted no time in issuing orders.

"Dispatch ninja to the border of the Land of Fire immediately! If you detect anything unusual, report back at once!"

The Raikage wasn't reckless enough to launch an immediate attack on Konoha, but sending scouts to the border of the Land of Fire was provocative in itself.

"Yo, reconnaissance, advance, full-on dominance—declarations of war, big bro's persistence, Kumo's existence!"

Killer B broke into an impromptu rap, prompting a quiet remark from Samui, standing nearby.

"Lord Raikage hasn't declared war yet…"

"Uncool."

---

Since the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Kiri had yet to decide on a Fifth Mizukage.

Kiri's delay in appointing a new Mizukage is not without reason. Located on the sea and composed of numerous islands, its remote geography makes it highly defensible and difficult for other nations or shinobi villages to attack.

In the absence of a Mizukage, Kiri has been under the nominal leadership of the elder Genji, though his advanced age has left him largely as a figurehead, signing documents while most administrative duties fall to Mei.

"The deaths of Konoha's Third and Fifth Hokage present an excellent opportunity for us to plunder," Ao suggested.

Though Kiri's isolation makes it unsuitable for launching a full-scale war, it has long been adept at covert operations. However, Mei, with a calm expression, shook her head.

"No. The domestic situation is unstable, and the people's morale is wavering. Our priority must be to stabilize the internal situation."

Since the death of the Fourth Mizukage, not only has there been no clue about who might have killed Yagura, but a strange legend has also been spreading throughout the Land of Water.

The legend claimed that when the stars align, R'lyeh would rise from the ocean, and Cthulhu would awaken from its slumber to bring an apocalyptic calamity upon the world of humanity.

If this were merely a baseless folktale, it might have been dismissed as idle chatter for the common people.

However, more and more citizens of the Land of Water have come to believe this legend wholeheartedly, engaging in increasingly extreme behaviors, such as performing sinister sacrificial rituals or committing acts of violent aggression.

Under orders from the daimyō of the Land of Water, Kiri has been tasked with managing these incidents and investigating the source of the legend.

Based on Mei's current intelligence, the origins of the tale appear to be linked to a doctrine called the Cult of Dagon, prevalent among the various island nations surrounding the Land of Water.

The cult was widespread across smaller island nations such as the Land of Sea and the Land of Waves and had even become the state religion in many of these countries.

Several island nations with prior ninja hiring agreements with the Land of Water had canceled these agreements after adopting the Cult of Dagon, raising Mei's suspicions. After all, an ordinary grassroots religion could not possibly wield such influence.

There was undoubtedly ninja involvement behind the scenes.

Yet, due to diplomatic considerations, Mei could not simply dispatch a large contingent of shinobi to investigate within foreign borders.

Thus, internal stability took precedence. Compared to the distant turmoil in Konoha, the problems posed by the cult were far more pressing for her.

---

"Nagato, both the Third and Fifth Hokage of Konoha are dead. It's said they perished in a mutual destruction alongside the Fourth Kazekage and Orochimaru."

"Additionally, Konoha's Interim Hokage is our former teacher, Jiraiya."

Hearing Konan's report, Nagato's previously subdued expression grew sharp.

He had little connection to most of these figures, but the Fifth Hokage was an exception. That face had been seared into his memory.

He could never forget the cold, indifferent gaze of that man as he stood atop a high cliff, looking down on him.

"Danzō... dead?"

"What a shame. He'll never get to experience the pain I wanted to make him feel," Nagato murmured, lightly tapping his withered thigh. The dull ache carried a faint twinge of neural pain, a reminder of his suffering.

"No matter. I'll inform the rest of Akatsuki."

Before long, the members of Akatsuki, scattered across various missions, received a voice transmission from Pain.

"Konoha is in chaos. Orochimaru, in alliance with Suna, was responsible."

"Oto and Suna declared war on Konoha but failed to destroy the village."

Deidara scoffed, "Pathetic."

"The Third Hokage, the Fifth Hokage, the Fourth Kazekage, and Orochimaru all perished in this conflict. I need someone to investigate the truth of these claims in Konoha."

"Additionally, gather information on the status of the Nine-Tails' finchuriki."

Itachi stepped forward.

"I'll go."