Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 198

What!

Although Rasa didn't know who the two men stepping out of the coffins were, he could infer their identities from the reactions and murmurs of Danzō and Hiruzen.

The First Hokage and the Second Hokage. Could it really be them?

Rasa's eyes widened as he gazed at the backs of the two men. Their old-fashioned battle armor indeed looked like it came from a long-past era, entirely different from modern ninja combat gear.

Orochimaru summoned them? Is he going to betray me?

At this moment, panic surged through his heart. By conventional logic, the two Hokage Orochimaru had summoned would undoubtedly direct their hostility toward him, the outsider.

The First Hokage—just the title "God of Shinobi" was enough to inspire reverence and dread in anyone. Such a figure would crush him effortlessly.

And there was also the Second Hokage, the Third Hokage, and the Fifth Hokage.

Including Orochimaru himself, that made five opponents.

And now, in the Four Flames Formation, the only outsider present was him, a representative of Suna.

These five are teaming up to kill me!

His mind immediately jumped to this conclusion. He quickly leapt away from Orochimaru's side and angrily shouted, "Are you betraying me?"

Rasa's sudden outburst left everyone present dumbfounded, staring at him as if he were a fool.

It was Orochimaru who quickly deduced what Rasa was thinking, and he explained, "Calm down. The First and Second Hokage are resurrected through the Edo Tensei. They will only obey my will."

"Edo Tensei?" Rasa still looked confused.

"It is a technique that summons the souls of the dead into the bodies of the living, then coats those bodies in impure soil, granting them the abilities and appearances they had in life."

Orochimaru offered a simple explanation, but Rasa remained skeptical—after all, the technique itself defied common sense.

"You just need to know that these two are under my control now. They are immortal, and their chakra will never run out."

Not wanting to waste more effort explaining, he turned his attention forward. At that moment, Tobirama also glanced back at Orochimaru.

"Edo Tensei, huh? So you've used the forbidden technique I created to summon us. An impressive young man indeed. What's your name?"

Tobirama showed interest in Orochimaru's name, and Orochimaru readily replied.

"Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru, huh?" Hashirama appeared to think it over for a moment, then shook his head. "Never heard of you."

This remark left Danzō and Hiruzen speechless, thinking, the First Hokage was still as clueless as ever. How could someone from his era know about a younger ninja like Orochimaru?

"Oh, right. Who is the Hokage of Konoha now?"

Tobirama turned to ask another question.

Danzō's eyelids twitched slightly, and he replied in a somewhat strained tone, "It's me."

"What?!"

The moment those words left Danzō's mouth, Tobirama's brows furrowed deeply, and his tone grew increasingly intimidating.

"I recall appointing Hiruzen as my successor. Did you disobey my orders?"

Tobirama's words made cold sweat pour down Danzō's back. Even after decades, his authority as both a teacher and superior was still deeply ingrained in Danzō's mind.

At this moment, Hiruzen stepped in to explain, "Here's what happened: I succeeded you as the Third Hokage. The Fourth Hokage was my student's student, and Danzō is the Fifth Hokage, the current one."

Hearing this, Tobirama's stern expression eased slightly, and Danzō let out a sigh of relief.

However, Hashirama, standing nearby, turned to look at Konoha beyond the Four Flames Formation, his brows furrowing slightly.

"So, this is Konoha under the governance of the Fifth Hokage? It doesn't look very good."

The village was engulfed in smoke and chaos. A three-headed giant snake rampaged through its streets, while the sounds of explosive tags detonating echoed incessantly.

Danzō's forehead broke out in sweat again. Being scrutinized by two former Hokage—even as reanimated corpses—was a pressure like no other.

"This is all because of Orochimaru behind me. He orchestrated everything."

"Orochimaru, in alliance with the Fourth Kazekage, launched this attack on Konoha. He is also the student of Hiruzen."

At a critical moment, he once again shifted the blame onto Hiruzen in front of the previous Hokage, earning a disapproving glare from the Third Hokage.

And I was just speaking on your behalf earlier.

Prompted by Danzō's words, Hashirama and Tobirama immediately turned their attention to Rasa, who was standing to the side.

Two sharp, piercing glares—powerful enough to chill to the bone—instantly made Rasa tremble. Sweat dampened the collar of his robe, and he instinctively took a small step back.

"Are you certain these two are completely under your control?" Rasa asked again for confirmation.

"Yes," Orochimaru replied unhurriedly. "The Edo Tensei can only be controlled by the summoner. That's the fundamental rule of this technique. No matter how powerful they were in life, they are now entirely under my command."

But Tobirama immediately scoffed, his displeasure evident.

"Don't be so arrogant. Do you even know who you're speaking to?"

"I created the Edo Tensei. If I wish to undo it, I can break this technique in an instant."

As he formed a hand seal, preparing to cancel the technique, a sudden disturbance occurred within the Four Flames Formation.

In a corner near the top of the barrier, a swirl of white smoke began to rise.

The peculiar white fog morphed into various unsettling shapes within the translucent violet barrier—at times resembling a clawing gecko, at others a soaring bat, or even a hunting hound on the prowl.

Seeing this strange fog, Orochimaru's forehead glistened with cold sweat. His lips twitched into a strained, bitter smile, causing cracks to appear in the purple eyeshadow along the sides of his nose.

Beneath that eyeshadow were dark circles etched by days of torment.

It had arrived.

The other five Kage—whose senses were as sharp as they came—also noticed the appearance of the white fog inside the barrier. They all turned their gaze toward the corner where it was spreading.

The very fact that something had manifested within the barrier without explanation was unsettling enough. But the fog's peculiar, ever-expanding presence was even more alarming.

Within the swirling mist, a grotesque, shadowy figure began to take shape, though its form was too distorted for even the five great leaders to discern.

The shadow's presence pressed ominously against the corners of the Four Flames Formation, as though it sought to force its way into their shared space.

It was something beyond life.

It was a servant and slave of demons.

It was an unrelenting pursuer.

And it was the very creature that had haunted Orochimaru's nights with fear and dread.

---

Outside the Four Flames Formation, three members of Root were kneeling at the edge of a rooftop, observing the situation.

Behind the nearly transparent barrier of purple flames, the three of them clearly saw the figures emerging from the coffin: the First Hokage and the Second Hokage.

"Impossible!"

"It's the First Hokage and the Second Hokage."

That jutsu.

One of the more experienced Root members immediately deduced in their heart that the technique Orochimaru had used was Edo Tensei.

It was sealed in the Scroll of Seals by the First Hokage before it could be perfected.

Orochimaru later collaborated with Danzō and accessed the section of the Scroll of Seals detailing the technique. Thus, it was not surprising that he had managed to perfect the technique.

What truly shocked this Root member, however, was that Orochimaru had actually summoned these two.

If it really was these two, even if Danzō and Hiruzen joined forces...

As the veteran Root ninja calculated the balance of power in his mind, the shocked cries of his two masked companions pulled him back to reality.

"Ah, that's—!"

The voices immediately snapped the Root ninja's thoughts back to the present. Following the direction of his companion's pointed finger, he saw it too—within the Four Flames Formation, on the inner side of the dome, a mass of white mist was emerging from an invisible corner.

This mist appeared out of thin air, twisting and shifting into bizarre shapes that instilled an intense sense of unease and dread.

Even through the purple barrier, one could feel something seeping out from a space that should not exist.

---

Inside the barrier of purple flames, the Four Hokage, the Kazekage, and Orochimaru could see everything even more clearly.

In the spreading fog, a massive, twisted shadow was growing larger, as if it were crawling out from the corner of the barrier.

Even among those present, Hashirama could not discern what lay within. The others could only stare intently at the emerging form in the mist.

Although its exact nature remained indiscernible, the aura emanating from it made everyone extremely uncomfortable.

Dangerous. Malicious. A powerful and malevolent intent radiated outward, as if the entity might burst forth from the mist at any moment and seize everyone's throats.

The tense atmosphere spread among the six people present. Even two of them, being reanimated corpses with dulled emotions, could feel the weight of the tension.

Among the six individuals present, every one of them was a legendary figure in the ninja world, and widely respected.

But now, these great figures could only fix their eyes on the white mist, not daring to look away for even a second.

Awoooo!

At last, a piercing howl shattered the silence, and a burst of airflow from some movement within the mist was revealed to everyone.

The ninjas present, all Kage-level, immediately caught this slight change. Although no tangible shape was yet visible, their sharp gazes instinctively followed the direction of the swirling mist.

"There!"

The First Hokage was the first to notice something unusual. The others followed his gaze and immediately spotted the anomaly as well.

On the transparent surface of the purple barrier, four faint marks could be seen.

These four marks resembled ripples on water when a ninja steps upon it. However, these marks appeared as though something had stepped on the "surface of fire," causing tiny sparks of purple flame to splash upward.

"Something is stepping on the barrier of the Four Flames Formation!"

Hiruzen shouted, his voice breaking from its usual calm.

The others also focused on this phenomenon. Rasa furrowed his brows, his intense gaze striving to discern what kind of entity it could be.

Yet, among those present, none but Orochimaru, the one who had transcended time, could perceive the truth of what lay there.

You cannot see the fear that I see.

In Orochimaru's snake-like pupils, a massive, alien-like creature stood, defying gravity as it clung to the vertical wall. It was perched atop the purple flames of the Four Flames Formation's barrier.

That night, under the shroud of darkness, he had encountered the Hound of Tindalos for the first time. The shock overwhelmed him, leaving its true form obscured in his memory.

Today, however, he saw it clearly.

The creature stood on four legs that bore a vague resemblance to a hound's limbs, especially when it leaned forward on its front paws, its hind legs poised like a predator ready to strike. But the similarity ended there.

Its limbs were grotesque, with rotting skin hanging loosely over pale white bones. Every subtle movement revealed sinewy, yellowish tendons flexing inside the legs.

The torso these legs supported bore little resemblance to any hound. It was a morbid abstraction, its ragged flesh suggesting an empty, hollow body. From its chest cavity emanated occasional pale-blue pinpoints of light, akin to faint starlight.

Even its exposed spine showed sections that were broken, yet somehow held together by what appeared to be invisible joints, glimmering faintly in shifting light.

Sprouting from its back was a pair of tattered, bat-like wings, their span exceeding four meters, far larger than the creature's own body.

At the top of its spine sat a long, narrow head. If it had been covered in flesh, one might think it resembled the head of a bull. But no skin shielded it—only a pair of glowing crimson eyes and a tongue, thin and hollow like a straw, occasionally flicking out to measure the true length of its face.

As the full, unfiltered form of the hound was revealed under the daylight, even Orochimaru, who had mentally prepared himself for its presence, found his emotions spiraling out of control.

An overwhelming mix of shock, terror, unease, dread, and a tinge of a seeker's mad fascination coursed through him.

Unable to suppress his emotions any longer.

"Ah! So this is it!"

The others were startled from their own bewilderment and horror by Orochimaru's exclamation. All eyes turned toward him.

Orochimaru, already ghostly in appearance, now looked as though he'd encountered a specter, his expression contorting into something utterly inhuman. His demeanor shifted, as if he were transforming into something far removed from humanity.

Though everyone else was equally baffled and disturbed by the inexplicable, monstrous presence, none reacted as viscerally as Orochimaru.

This discrepancy immediately alerted the others: Orochimaru must have seen something they hadn't.

Rasa turned sharply toward him and shouted, "Hey! What did you see? Speak up! Tell me now!"

Seeing Orochimaru on the verge of providing one, he forgot his usual composed tone entirely.

Under Rasa's urging, Orochimaru's trembling snake-like pupils gradually steadied. Exhaustion seemed to drain his voice as he began to speak of what he knew.

He revealed everything he had learned about the Hound of Tindalos—from the Mi-Go to the forbidden pages of the Necronomicon. These secrets, which he had once guarded jealously, spilled forth without reservation.

As Orochimaru spoke, those listening found their eyes widening in horror. Occasionally, they swallowed hard, small gestures betraying their attempts to relieve the crushing pressure in their chests.

Under normal circumstances, such tales would have been dismissed as lunacy. But now, confronted with undeniable evidence, the listeners had no choice but to believe.

When Orochimaru finished recounting the tale of the Hound of Tindalos, Tobirama gave a slight nod.

"So..." he began. "Are you saying that you brought this thing here?"