Deep within the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village, a secret lay hidden in the stone of the Hokage Rock.
Many people knew about the shelter hidden in the mountain, a place of refuge during times of crisis.
But few knew about the Konoha Archive Library, located deep within the granite stronghold.
This treasure trove of knowledge held ancient texts and scrolls that dated back to the village's founding, and even further back to the legendary era of the Sage of Six Paths.
Kakashi headed to this place, searching for answers to the questions that had haunted him since his encounter with the mysterious statue.
As he pushed open the heavy wooden door, the musty smell of old parchment and leather filled the air.
At the entrance, three chunin guards sat behind a long, curved desk, their eyes fixed on him as he approached.
One of them stood up, hand outstretched in greeting.
"Can I see your authorization?" the guard asked, his tone brisk but friendly.
Kakashi pulled out a small, official-looking scroll from his vest and handed it over.
The guard unrolled it, scanned it quickly, and nodded. "Alright, you're good to go."
He handed the scroll back to Kakashi and gestured to his colleagues. "They'll show you around."
The other two chunins stood up and motioned for him to follow them.
They led him into the main chamber of the archive, a massive circular room lined with towering bookshelves that seemed to touch the ceiling.
"As you can see," one of the guides explained, "we have a specific system here. Each section is organized by era or discipline - history, ninjutsu, genjutsu... it's all here."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he took in the endless rows of books and scrolls.
It was almost overwhelming. He could spend a lifetime here and still not read everything.
The other chunin led him to a far corner of the room. "This is the section you'll want. Pre-village history. Some of these texts date back to the time of the Sage himself."
Kakashi's finger trailed along a shelf, tracing the faded gold lettering on an ancient-looking book.
"Impressive," he whispered.
The chunin nodded. "We're here to help if you need anything. But let me warn you..."
His expression turned serious. "These materials are priceless. Irreplaceable. Handle them with care, and only take what you need. Anything else is strictly off-limits."
Kakashi met the man's gaze, his own eye solemn above his mask. "I understand."
With that, the guides slipped away, disappearing into the stacks.
Only one remained, a hooded figure who took up a position a short distance away, watching Kakashi with an unreadable gaze.
A guard, or maybe a babysitter. Either way, he ignored them. He had more important things to focus on.
Slowly, he reached for the first scroll.
----------
In his mind, Kakashi saw it again - the haunting vision that had plagued him since he first laid eyes on that cursed statue.
An ancient city rose from the depths of a sea.
Its architecture was bizarre and strange, making his skin crawl.
At the heart of the city, a monstrous presence towered over everything. Vast, incomprehensible, and radiating an evil that made his soul shudder.
The creature was vaguely human-like, but that's where the resemblance ended.
And it had a name - a name that echoed in Kakashi's mind.
Cthulhu.
It was one of the Old Ones, beings of immeasurable power that ruled the Earth long before mankind drew its first breath.
Fourteen billion years ago, they came from the stars, from dimensions beyond human understanding.
And Cthulhu was the most powerful of them all.
Now, it slumbered, buried beneath the waves in its city of R'lyeh, waiting for the stars to align, for the time to be right.
For the day it would rise again, and plunge the world into madness and ruin.
This was the knowledge that had been burned into Kakashi's mind in that instant. The terrible truth that he couldn't shake, couldn't forget.
Part of him still refused to accept it. Still clung to the desperate hope that it was all just a genjutsu.
But deep down, he knew better. The Hokage himself had studied the statue, pouring all his vast knowledge of ninjutsu into unraveling its secrets.
And even he had been stumped.
No, this was no trick of the mind.
The threat was real. And if he was going to have any chance of facing it, he needed to understand.
Therefore, he needed proof - evidence that they existed or didn't exist - to put his mind at ease.
----------
Kakashi pushed a cart through the shelves, searching for ancient texts about gods, beliefs, and legends.
He gathered texts from every historical period and country, no matter how old or obscure.
Then, he dove in, devouring scroll after scroll, book after dusty book.
He was on the hunt for any hint of Cthulhu, R'lyeh, or the Old Ones in the myths and legends from around the world.
As the hours dragged on, the chunin guards grew tired, their attention waning.
But Kakashi's focus remained sharp. He read until his eyes blurred, and his head throbbed, driven by sheer force of will.
Time lost all meaning in the archive's depths.
There were no windows, no way to mark the sun's passage.
All that existed was the endless sea of words, and his commitment to uncovering the truth.
Finally, as he set down the last scroll, the weight of his discovery hit him.
Throughout all of history, in every legend and lore of the shinobi world, Kakashi found nothing.
No mention of Cthulhu, no whisper of R'lyeh, no hint of the Old Ones or their ancient cities.
He thought it through, considering every possibility. The lack of information in Konoha's library was puzzling.
One possibility was that this was a new cult, one that had emerged recently and hadn't yet made it into the history books.
Cults often operated in secret, and their beliefs and practices might not be widely known or documented.
Another factor to consider was the library's location. Konoha was in the Land of Fire, and its library focused mainly on the region's history and knowledge.
If the cult or ancient cities from the visions really originated from the Land of Water, it was possible that the information hadn't reached Konoha's library yet.
The distance and differences in historical records between the two lands could explain the absence of any mention of Cthulhu or R'lyeh.
Kakashi let out a sigh as he scanned the shelves. He closed the book in front of him and returned it to its place on the shelf.
As he stood up to stretch, he realized he'd been too quick to judge.
He'd been relying on limited information, and that wasn't enough. The library was vast, with countless books and scrolls waiting to be explored.
He grabbed a nearby cart and began navigating the rows of shelves once more.