Kakashi stared at the piles of scrolls and tomes scattered across the table, a sense of unease growing in his stomach.
After hours of searching through the Konoha Archive Library's ancient texts, he'd found nothing.
No mention of Cthulhu, R'lyeh, or any cult that worshipped this god.
It was as if the visions he'd experienced, the memories that haunted him, were just a product of his imagination.
But that couldn't be true. He'd seen the statue with his own eyes, felt its power coursing through his veins.
So why was there no record of it? No hint of the horrors it promised?
He leaned back, his brow furrowed in thought. Maybe this Cthulhu cult was really a new development, a fledgling religion that hadn't left its mark on history yet.
In remote, impoverished areas, villagers might develop blind faith due to their isolation and lack of livelihood.
But such beliefs were just a form of self-consolation, with no real power behind them.
Even if that were the case, it didn't explain the statue.
An artifact with such undeniable power couldn't have come from mere blind faith.
Kakashi had once thought that people from remote regions might have mistaken tailed beasts for gods, gaining power from them.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that was impossible.
For one, tailed beasts were known for their destructive power, not for granting power to statues or casting genjutsus.
And secondly, the Land of Water would never allow a tailed beast to wreak havoc on their territory.
No, there was something more at play here. Something ancient and unspeakably powerful.
His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the legends that had been implanted in his mind.
Cthulhu, the Old Ones, R'lyeh... what did it all mean?
And then, it hit him like a bolt of lightning. The key wasn't in the details of the myth, but in its timeline.
Fourteen billion years ago, Cthulhu was said to have descended to Earth. That was eons before the first human was born, before civilization even existed.
If this were true - and Kakashi's gut told him it was - then it was no wonder he couldn't find any record of the creature.
Human history simply didn't go back that far.
The oldest texts in the library, the most ancient legends and myths, spoke of the Sage of Six Paths.
But even those were just whispers, fragmented tales passed down through generations.
The Sage, revered as he was, had lived only a thousand years ago. A blink of an eye compared to the vast expanse of time that separated the present from Cthulhu's arrival.
If beings like Cthulhu had walked the Earth in those primordial days, then who was to say they were gone for good?
Maybe they just slumbered, waiting for the stars to align, for the time of their return.
It was a chilling thought. But it wasn't entirely new to him.
He remembered the scroll he had read, the one about the Kaguya clan.
Their ancestors were said to have descended from the heavens, led by a princess of unearthly beauty and power.
Could she have been one of them? An Old One, or something like it, who came to Earth in an age long past?
There was no way to know for certain. But the parallels were too hard to ignore.
He straightened in his chair. The truth was out there, hidden in the mists of prehistory.
And if he was to have any hope of unraveling the mystery of the statue, he would have to find it.
But he couldn't do it alone. The Third Hokage had sealed the statue away, denying him his most direct avenue of investigation
That left Kakashi with only two options. He could investigate the cult in the Land of Water, or he could go after the missing-nin.
Pursuing the cult was a risky move. If Konoha was caught meddling in the affairs of another nation, especially one as volatile as Kiri, it could spark a war.
But the missing-nin was fair game. And if his hunch was right, he might hold the key to everything.
With his mind made up, he gathered the scrolls and returned them to their shelves. He nodded his thanks to the chunin guards, ignoring their curious stares, and left the library.
Outside, the sky was darkening, the first stars twinkling over the distant mountains. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since dawn.
He thought about going home and making himself a meal. But the thought of his empty apartment didn't appeal to him.
Instead, Kakashi's feet carried him towards the bustling heart of the village, where the smells of cooking food and the chatter of happy voices filled the street.
As he walked past a lively barbecue joint, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Kakashi! Over here!"
He turned to see Guy waving at him from a large table, his grin wide and slightly flushed from drinking.
Asuma and Kurenai were with him, along with two faces Kakashi didn't recognize - a serious-looking young man in a genin vest, and a smaller boy who could only be his brother.
"Come on, pull up a chair!" Asuma called, raising his cup in invitation. "We're celebrating. Hayate here just finished his first mission as a genin."
The older of the two strangers - Hayate, apparently - stood and bowed as Kakashi approached.
"It's an honor to meet you, senpai," he said, his voice earnest. "I've heard so much about you."
Kakashi waved off the formality. "Just Kakashi is fine," he said, sliding into an empty seat. "Congratulations on your mission."
Hayate flushed, ducking his head. "Thank you, sen- I mean, Kakashi. It was nothing special, really."
"Nonsense!" Guy exclaimed, slapping the young man on the back hard enough to make him wince.
"Every mission is a step on the path of youth! A chance to fan the flames of your -"
"What Guy means," Kurenai cut in smoothly, "is that we're all very proud of you and your brother." She smiled at them.
The conversation flowed easily from there, with old friends and new acquaintances chatting comfortably. Kakashi let it wash over him, only half-listening as he picked at his food.
His mind was still racing, trying to make sense of the day's revelations. The archives had raised more questions than answers, and the path ahead was unclear.
But he couldn't let it go. Not now, not when the stakes were so high.
"...Kakashi? Kakashi!"
He blinked, realizing that Guy was talking to him, his bushy brows drawn together in concern.
"You okay there, rival?" Guy asked. "You seem a million miles away."
Kakashi shook his head, forcing a smile beneath his mask. "I'm fine," he said. "Just thinking."
"About what?" Guy asked. "A new secret jutsu? A mission? Or maybe..."
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "A lady?"
Kurenai smacked him on the arm.
"Don't be crude," she scolded. Then, to Kakashi, "But seriously, what's on your mind? You've been quiet all night."
Kakashi hesitated. He trusted these people, but the weight of his knowledge was his alone to bear.
"Just some research," he said finally, shrugging one shoulder. "I was in the archives today, looking into old myths and legends."
It wasn't a lie, but it felt like one. He couldn't quite meet Asuma's gaze.
If the others noticed his evasion, they didn't comment on it. The conversation moved on, to lighter topics and more sake, and Kakashi let himself be swept along.
But even as he laughed and joked with his comrades, his mind kept circling back to the mystery. To Cthulhu, R'lyeh, and the statue that had started it all.
And to the gnawing certainty that the truth was far more terrible than he could imagine.
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Across the table, unnoticed by Kakashi or anyone else, the figure smiled into his water glass.
A small smile, full of amusement.
For he alone knew the truth.
And he had no intention of sharing it.
Not yet, anyway.
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Shino's favorite band is The Beetles.