Naruto: Call of Cthulhu

While Itachi and Jūzō were speechless at the spectacular scene unfolding before them, a deep whale call could be heard across the distant seas.

The two men immediately looked toward the source of the sound and saw a massive whale, as large as a small island, slowly emerging from the water. On its broad back was a dense gathering of Deep Ones.

"This is Kojiro's control technique, which allows him to manipulate whales in the water."

"Hmm," Itachi responded simply, continuing to observe the beach.

While a single Deep One wasn't enough to cause fear, the sight of thousands of these creatures landing together on the shore was different. It was similar to encountering a cockroach—most people aren't scared of one, but what about hundreds or thousands? Even the bravest person would feel horrified at the sight of such a mass.

Moreover, the number of Deep Ones streaming onto the island from the beach and ocean far exceeded a mere thousand.

"How many do you think there are?" Jūzō asked.

"Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. More than enough to overwhelm any shinobi village."

These Deep Ones typically lived at the bottom of the sea, scattered across vast ocean territories. But when united, they became a formidable force. According to Guren, they had remarkable vitality. Though their combat ability might be weaker than a typical ninja, they were far stronger than an ordinary human.

In other words, by leveraging this mysterious oceanic race, Kojiro could launch surprise attacks on any coastal city or small nation at any time. He could raid a coastal city in a single night, then retreat the Deep Ones back into the sea. Even ninjas would find it nearly impossible to pursue them into the deep ocean, where the underwater environment was the Deep Ones' domain.

As he contemplated the battle potential of these Deep Ones, Jūzō asked, "Hey, have you spotted any pure-blood Deep Ones?"

Prompted by his reminder, Itachi activated his Sharingan and began scanning the beach for any sign of a pure-blood.

According to Guren, pure-bloods could be distinguished by their lack of human characteristics. For instance, assimilated Deep Ones tended to walk upright on land, retaining some human traits like clothing or bits of seaweed covering their bodies due to residual human modesty.

Pure-blood Deep Ones, however, understood human language but only spoke their own, unlike the assimilated ones who could still communicate in human speech, though imperfectly. Essentially, the more primitive and less humanlike a Deep One appeared, the more likely it was a pure-blood.

There was also an easier way for Itachi, using his Sharingan: check for the presence of strange chakra.

While both humans and animals possessed chakra, he discovered that the Deep Ones' chakra signature was distinct from that of humans—more tainted, as he would describe it. Animals typically had simpler, purer chakra signatures. The stranger and more corrupted the chakra felt, the more likely the creature was to be a pure-blood Deep One. Even when a person transformed into a Deep One, traces of their original human chakra remained.

He theorized that pure-blood Deep Ones, never having been human, would possess an even more corrupted chakra signature. However, he had never encountered a confirmed pure-blood, so this remained speculation.

This could even explain why capturing a pure-blood Deep One was a task specifically assigned to Itachi and Jūzō; only the Sharingan or Byakugan could complete such a mission. Both could see chakra, though the Byakugan could do so with more precision, down to each chakra pathway, while the Sharingan only allowed for the detection of chakra flow.

Itachi began scanning the beach, focusing on each Deep One's chakra, but their numbers were overwhelming, making it difficult for him to distinguish the pure-bloods.

Initially, he thought there might only be a few hundred Deep Ones, allowing him to concentrate and find the target quickly. But with thousands running on the beach, and more constantly joining, even his Sharingan had trouble keeping up. As most of the Deep Ones had already moved past the beach into the dark forest, he finally spotted something unusual.

One Deep One was moving in a frog-like leap, and under the observation of the Sharingan, this one had a strange chakra flow overall.

"Found it."

"Phew, finally," Jūzō sighed. "Let's move."

Both leapt onto a jagged stone slope. Itachi led the way, eyes fixed on the Deep One, while Jūzō followed closely, already forming hand seals.

"Remember the plan. Quick and quiet," Itachi whispered as they approached their target.

"Got it. I'll create the cover, you pinpoint the target."

"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Suddenly, a thick mist enveloped the beach, obscuring the vision of the Deep Ones, forcing them to halt in confusion.

Taking advantage of the chaos, they dashed into the mist. As soon as they entered, the pungent smell of fish assaulted Itachi's senses. Though he had encountered this smell before, the stench was multiplied by the sheer number of Deep Ones present. Yet, he remained focused and quickly navigated through the crowd.

He reached the pure-blood Deep One just as Jūzō arrived with a large cloth bag at the ready.

"Now, Itachi!" Jūzō called out.

In the mist, he leapt high, pulling the bag over the creature's head and down to its feet in one swift motion. With a leg sweep, he knocked it to the ground, and Itachi took the opportunity to knock it out with the hilt of a kunai.

"Target secured. Let's move out," Itachi confirmed.

The move was flawless, executed in perfect sync. But just as Jūzō, with the bag slung over his shoulder, prepared to make their escape, a deep voice echoed from the mist.

"Wind Style: Supreme Typhoon!"

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept across the beach, instantly blowing away the dense fog that had enveloped the Deep Ones. A dark figure leaped from among the Deep Ones, running toward where Itachi and Jūzō stood.

Let them chase shadows while we regroup, Itachi thought as he completed his jutsu.

On the sandy beach, a flock of black crows had gathered densely, forming a cluster over something. A person in a purple robe threw a kunai, startling the crows into flight.

Caw—caw—caw—

The harsh, grating sound of the crows' cries filled the place as their wings scattered a blanket of black feathers. Beneath them, there was nothing, only the confused Deep Ones watching the crows fly away.

In a remote corner of the beach, Jūzō threw a bag containing a pure-blood Deep One to the ground, speaking in a tone more surprised than fearful, "What's going on?! Why are there hunter-nins?"

"The Wind Release?" Itachi asked calmly.

"Yeah, the Hidden Mist Jutsu creates a dense fog with chakra, which normal Wind Release can't dispel. But the Wind Release just now broke through the technique."

"That's because it's a technique only the Kiri's hunter-nins can use. It was specifically developed to counter the Hidden Mist Jutsu. In other words, there are Kiri hunter-nins on this island."

Jūzō, usually carefree, now looked uneasy after realizing that hunter-nins from Kiri were on the island.

The Kiri was known for being the most ruthless in dealing with defected ninjas. So, Kiri's hunter-nins were infamous for tracking down renegades to the ends of the earth if necessary.

If they were in the Land of Water, it would make sense. But this was a remote island outside the Land of Water, where hunter-nins shouldn't be. Their presence here could only mean that Jūzō's movements had been exposed.

The task he came here to complete was known only to a few, apart from those involved in the mission itself and the leader of Akatsuki, Pain. Could it be that Pain had leaked the mission to the Land of Water?

At that moment, he wasn't most disturbed by the encounter with the hunter-nins, but by the possibility that Akatsuki had betrayed him.

"Damn you, Pain, selling me out!" Jūzō shouted.

Just as he angrily kicked a nearby rock to vent his frustration, Itachi said, "Calm down!"

His voice, usually calm and composed, was suddenly sharp, and it immediately quelled Jūzō's hysteria.

"Think this through logically. I don't think it's Pain who betrayed you. This mission isn't just a request from the Land of Water; it's also an internal Akatsuki mission."

"If Pain wanted to sell you out to Kiri, he wouldn't need a second reason. Besides, Akatsuki went to great lengths to secure the pure-blood Deep Ones, even enlisting Orochimaru's help. This shows how important it is to him."

"That's why I think this is more likely the hunter-nins sent to hunt down Kojiro," Itachi calmly analyzed.

After listening to his analysis, Jūzō nodded, then asked, "But if they hired us, why send the hunter-nins too?"

Itachi thought for a moment, "Perhaps they doubt Akatsuki's strength or want to test what kind of organization we are."

"I see."

Realizing he hadn't been betrayed, Jūzō finally felt at ease. However, Itachi suspected there might be another possibility. The hunter-nins could actually be under Kojiro's command.

But that was unlikely because Danzo had once explained to him, when he joined Root, that Kiri's hunter-nin force was tightly controlled. To maintain loyalty, every hunter-nin in Kiri was required to have close family members living in the village as a safeguard against defection.

Danzo's point in telling Itachi this was to warn him against betraying Konoha, as Sasuke would be in danger if he did. This implied that hunter-nins were very unlikely to defect.

So, Itachi believed his initial assessment was more accurate.

They hid the captured pure-blood Deep Ones on their boat and discussed their next move.

"We need to see how this plays out. If the hunter-nins fail..."

"We take out Kojiro ourselves. I like it," Jūzō said with a grin.

They decided to observe the situation at the factory. Despite not having a map of the island, the factory's constantly smoking chimneys acted as a guide, and they quickly reached the building.

The whole factory was filled with at least a thousand robed cultists in purple uniforms and hoods. These cultists kept their heads bowed, and there were no guards near the entrance, allowing Itachi and Jūzō to blend in easily.

As they moved among the fishy-smelling cultists, Itachi noticed that the devotees were praying silently, tightly gripping the symbols that represented the Dagon cult. Their devotion was so intense that they failed to notice the intruders, making things easier for Itachi and Jūzō.

Reaching a spot where they could see the platform, the two stopped, mimicking the cultists by clasping their hands in prayer, while quietly observing the situation.

If the hunter-nins intended to assassinate Kojiro, they would likely strike when Kojiro appeared—now. This way, they could remain hidden among the cultists and watch the battle unfold. If the hunter-nins failed, they would strike.

That was Itachi's plan.

After a long silence, a tall figure finally stepped onto the platform. The man wore a golden veil and a large eye-shaped golden crown, holding two strange golden ornaments that resembled snake heads with scorpion tails.

As he took the stage, the cultists immediately began chanting.

"Great Father Dagon!"

"With the utmost reverence, we offer tribute to our Great God, Cthulhu."

"We shall bask in the light of miracles and witness the descent of immortality!"

The unified chanting of thousands confirmed this man's identity. He was none other than the ruler of the Land of Gods, Kojiro.

Itachi glanced up at him somewhat surprised.

Kojiro's body and expression were indistinguishable from that of a normal human. Anyone unaware of his true nature would assume he was the only normal person among the cultists.

But in truth, he was the root of all evil.

"Citizens of the Land of Gods, as per tradition, I shall perform the birth ceremony for the newborns."

"However, this year, an unexpected guest has arrived on our island. So I have decided to offer this uninvited guest as a sacrifice to our great Father and Savior!"

As Kojiro lifted his golden ornaments high, two cultists dragged a person onto the platform. This person had purple hair in a broom-like style and wore a green outfit. Her head drooped in despair, obscuring her face.

Yet Itachi and Jūzō immediately recognized her.

It was Guren.