Naruto: Call of Cthulhu

"Hey, hey."

"Isn't it true that if we complete this technique, we can see the Evil God?"

"So, why can't I see him? Did you lie to me?"

Hidan's eyes, though dull from losing their luster, did not reflect the immense physical pain he was suffering. Instead, they showed the disappointment of not seeing the revered Evil God after being promised that completing this technique would allow him to do so. 

In order to see the Evil God, he chose to be the vessel for this technique, fully aware that it was nearly impossible to survive and that he would endure great suffering. Yet, upon completion, the great Evil God he had imagined did not appear. This was the primary reason for the despair and loss of hope visible in Hidan's eyes.

"Hidan, what are you doing?"

"Are you crazy? You've already gained immortality!"

The surrounding black-cloaked figures, members of the cult, were shocked by Hidan's actions. They had all known that the Evil God was a complete fabrication, and no one expected Hidan to sincerely believe in the existence of that deity.

The cult was formed by the disgraced ninjas of Yu, originally aimed at expanding their influence and reclaiming their status as ninjas. To oppose the peace efforts of the village, the cult's doctrine was centered around killing, in direct contrast to peace.

These ninjas rejected the peace of Yu, opting instead to create chaos in hopes of regaining attention and respect from the Land of Hot Water. However, while they spoke of slaughter, the cult did not actually engage in indiscriminate killing within the country; their methods were merely cruel during missions.

If the cult had truly committed random acts of mass murder, the Land of Hot Water would have long since hired other ninjas to eliminate them. As for the Evil God, it was like a mantra, or a psychological suggestion: everyone claimed its existence, yet deep down, they all knew it didn't exist.

To further gain influence, it was only natural to seek stronger power. Thus, these cultists, former ninjas of Yu, chose to develop forbidden techniques that could grant the practitioner immortality.

Previous test subjects had all died before reaching the end, leaving Hidan as the only one to successfully endure without losing consciousness. As a result, was Hidan the only one in the cult who truly believed in the existence of the Evil God? A pure madman?

Several black-cloaked individuals pulled aside a woman who had been stabbed in the abdomen, then two of them each grabbed one of Hidan's arms, preventing him from moving.

"What should we do with him?"

"This kid has completely lost it; he's useless now. Let's kill him!"

"But he's immortal now. How do we kill an immortal?"

"…"

"He's the only successful case of this technique so far, so he's very important to us. Let's keep him alive for now."

The members of the cult disagreed on how to handle Hidan. Some believed he had gone completely mad and was therefore worthless, while others thought of him as a successful case of the forbidden technique, valuable for research.

"My lord…"

As the cult members debated, Hidan, with his head bowed, called out.

The black-cloaked figures turned to listen, curious about what he had to say.

"The Evil God exists!"

"He will punish you!"

Hidan yelled at them. They were momentarily stunned, then one person burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, you're the only fool in the entire cult who believes that!"

"He's not a fool; he's a complete madman!"

"Evil God? How could anything like that exist in this world!"

"Do you know anyone who has ever seen the Evil God?"

"Just made-up nonsense, and yet some people actually believe it!"

"Children are just children; they're easily fooled by such things."

The cult members laughed at him. The laughter continued for a while until a higher-ranking member of the cult ordered that Hidan be properly locked up for later use in research on the forbidden technique.

After all, there was only this one successful living specimen, and it couldn't be wasted.

Just as several black-cloaked individuals were escorting Hidan deeper into the cave, a shouting voice from outside caught their attention.

"Who goes there!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

The anguished screams from outside drew the attention of the cult members in the cave. The higher-ranking one immediately pointed at the cave entrance and ordered, "Go check what's happening!"

Several black-cloaked figures rushed out with pitch-black spears still stained with Hidan's blood, while those remaining in the cave held their breath, trying to assess the situation outside by sound.

However, they did not hear any distinct sounds of battle, only more screams from outside.

"Ah!"

Puchi!

Bang! Bang!

Various sounds from outside the cave flooded in, triggering a wave of ominous thoughts among the black-cloaked figures.

"Could it be that the Land of Hot Water has hired ninjas from other villages to exterminate us?"

"No, that can't be…"

"How can it not be? We're renegade ninjas!"

"What should we do?"

"Let's go out and fight them!"

Tension and fear spread among them as they discussed how to respond to the impending danger. At that moment, a discordant voice rang out behind them.

"It's my lord!"

"It's the Evil God coming to punish you!"

"Hahaha!"

"You deserve this!"

Hidan's mad laughter and raving immediately provoked disgust among the others, and a nearby black-cloaked member quickly gagged him, silencing him.

"What should we do, Chief?"

"At this point, we can only go out and take a look."

Led by the leader of the cult, the black-cloaked figures approached the cave entrance.

But the moment they stood at the entrance, everyone was utterly dumbfounded.

In the cult's forest camp, many cult followers were prostrate on the ground.

Some members were frantically bowing to the ground; those earlier 'bangs' had been from their heads colliding with the earth. Their foreheads were already bloodied, and some even had their heads smashed against the rocks, exposing their white skulls as they lay limply to the side.

They had actually knocked themselves to death.

Others picked up their dark spears and stabbed them into their own abdomens. Even as they pierced through, they seemed unsatisfied and drove the spears in further until they finally died.

Some cult members directly gouged out their own eyeballs, kneeling before a figure, presenting their eyes with both hands.

At the center of this chaos was a yellow figure.

It stood twice as tall as an ordinary person, requiring an adult to look up to see its face.

It wore a tattered, mesmerizing yellow robe that flowed to the ground, with a silken strand dangling from the pointed hood.

Its face was covered with a pale, skin-like mask, hiding what seemed to be the gaze of an endless abyss.

Sometimes it appeared to have wings; other times, it bore a halo above its head.

Around its neck, like many cult members, it wore a necklace. 

However, while the cult members wore silver necklaces adorned with a triangular pendant wrapped in a circle, it donned a golden necklace with a golden disk hanging below.

On the golden disk was a three-clawed tentacle mark made of simple dots and lines.

When the cult members' gazes fell upon this yellow mark, they were astonished to see the tentacles on the mark writhing, flickering, and rotating! 

As the rotation gradually enlarged, the cult members' brains received unfettered information.

This information consumed what little reason remained in their minds, isolating it completely. 

At that moment, their thoughts could only entertain one idea, and they were permitted to accept only this one idea: 

The figure before them was an ultimate Evil God.

And its name was Hastur!

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Screams echoed from the cave entrance deep into the cavern, shaking the two black-robed guards watching over Hidan.

"What's happening outside?"

"I don't know. Maybe everyone out there is already dead."

"Hey! You're such a jinx."

As the two black-robed men spoke, Hidan seized the opportunity, crashing into the two guards and bolting toward the cave entrance.

"Hey!"

"This kid!"

The black-robed men chased after him, closing the distance fast.

They reached the cave entrance together, but just as Hidan was about to escape, his pursuers lunged forward, pinning him to the ground.

"I won't let you run again!"

One of the black-robed men pulled out a rope, preparing to tie up Hidan's feet, while the other inadvertently looked up and saw outside the cave. His gaze froze, transfixed by something outside.

"What's wrong with you?"

The second black-robed man followed his companion's stare and saw an unbelievable scene.

All the black-robed people in the camp were prostrating around a figure clad in tattered yellow robes.

As the two black-robed men witnessed this ragged entity, it too noticed these two disrespectful individuals who dared to stand before the King in Yellow.

Suddenly, two enormous, thick, dark red tentacles extended from beneath the yellow robe, reaching out to the two black-robed men, wrapping their bodies and pulling them closer.

"Ah!"

"Don't!"

The black-robed men were dragged right in front of the King in Yellow, their heads forcibly turned to face his masked visage.

Their feet struggled frantically, and in their eyes, a boundless figure in the vast starry sky was rapidly enlarging.

At the moment this figure waved its yellow robe, it instantly swept away all rational thought from the black-robed men's minds.

"Ah!"

Blood poured from the black-robed man's eyes and the corners of his mouth, his head drooping helplessly to one side.

When the avatar appeared in the form of the King in Yellow, he did not kill his followers or kin at will like most other evil gods.

If not necessary, he would even refrain from actively attacking his followers. But this premise applied only to his followers, not to those who dared to stand upright in his presence.

The bodies of the two black-robed men were casually tossed aside by the King in Yellow's tentacles, and the tentacles on the ground slowly moved forward with a mysterious elegance toward Hidan.

Using the word 'walk' to describe his movement might not be fitting; his movement resembled a floating glide.

In any case, the King in Yellow arrived before Hidan, the tentacles lightly brushing against the ropes binding him, causing them to fall away on their own.

At this moment, Hidan's gaze was incredibly reverent, tears of excitement streaming down his face, his trembling lips expressing the intense emotions within him.

"Great Evil God!"

"I finally see you."

As the King in Yellow personally freed him, Hidan immediately knelt before the Evil God, just like the surrounding black-robed men.

The moment Hidan laid eyes on him, all information regarding the King in Yellow flooded into his mind.

Lord Hastur, the Great Old One, the King in Yellow, the Feaster from Afar, Lord of Interstellar Spaces, Cthulhu's brother and nemesis.

Hidan's mind became intoxicated with this information, even though it further clouded his already irrational brain.

But he didn't care; all he sought was to gaze upon this unparalleled mystery before him.

Suddenly, he shouted fervently.

"This is the ultimate Evil God I believe in!"

"The King in Yellow!"

"I am willing to be your follower!"

"I am willing to offer you my most devout prayers!"

"I am willing to present you with the most sumptuous offerings!"

The last line was not spoken by Hidan, but by the remaining black-robed men.

These black-robed men smartly chose to kneel the moment they saw the King in Yellow, thus avoiding a tragic fate.

However, by choosing to kneel, they also became his loyal followers. This was not an obedience chosen for survival, but a complete transformation in mindset.

Just like those ninjas who saw the Cthulhu statues bearing his projection, they would actively become loyal followers of Cthulhu.

In the fervent gaze of the pilgrims, the King in Yellow slightly raised his arm, extending the tentacles hidden beneath his tattered robe.

Beneath that long sleeve was a gray three-pronged tentacle. Between its prongs sat a golden disk bearing a sigil of three twisted tentacles.

When this yellow sigil was held by the King in Yellow's tentacle, the three tentacles above it began to spin wildly, resembling rolling wheels.

This was the Yellow Sign!

A blessing from the Chosen!

An incredibly exalted symbol!

Hidan immediately raised his hands to receive the Yellow Sign. The heavy weight struck him the moment he grasped it, and his mind was filled with astonishing illusions.

On that long robe of the Sleeper, a mist resembling an abyss swirled.

A blood moon loomed in the night sky, while a dazzling black star rose.

Beneath the blood moon's light lay a ruined ancient city.

The lost Carcosa.

That tattered clothing, long forgotten.

At the center of tranquil Lake Hali, a figure was slowly rising.

In the fleeting images, more complex emotions surged within Hidan. His heart was filled with shock, fervor, obsession, longing, and fear. These merged emotions rendered the human experience of facial expression utterly inadequate.

He could only express his faith and loyalty to the King in Yellow through continuous prostration, articulating his minuscule feelings. Even the surviving black-robed men also knelt in worship without pause.

Although they had not received the honor of the Yellow Sign, being personally bestowed the sign by the King in Yellow meant that Hidan was now the closest to the Great Old One among them.

So at this moment, they were not only worshiping the King in Yellow, but also worshiping Hidan.

When Hidan and the remaining black-robed men regained their senses, everything had already ended.

The King in Yellow's figure had vanished, but the Yellow Sign in Hidan's hand constantly reminded everyone that the appearance of that mysterious entity was no illusion.

He raised the Yellow Sign in his hand, noticing that the three tentacles on it had returned to calm.

The sign only exhibited rapid spinning, flashing, and other phenomena when close to the King in Yellow or Hastur's kin; otherwise, it remained dormant.

But even now, holding the Yellow Sign, he could vaguely hear whispers from the King in Yellow.

For what Hidan held was not a mere emblem, but a communication device with the Evil God. These whispers would provide him with some guidance.

He lifted the Yellow Sign, and the black-robed men, who were about to rise, immediately knelt again upon seeing it.

"The Jashin cult is a thing of the past!"

"We are now the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign!"

"Isn't that right?"

"Brother?"