Published at 16th of September 2024 11:18 pm

Chapter 48 The Lost Village of Kagegakure

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

In the Hidden Leaf Village, peace had reigned for many years under the leadership of Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage. The villages had united against the common threats of the past, and bonds between them had never been stronger. But peace, as the ninjas knew well, was a delicate thing, often disturbed by secrets buried deep within history.

One day, a mysterious scroll arrived at the gates of Konoha. The scroll was old, its edges tattered and yellowed with age, but the seal that bound it was unfamiliar, marked with a symbol of a crescent moon and a cloud, a symbol no one recognized. Naruto immediately summoned his closest friends and comrades to the Hokage’s office, eager to understand its origin and potential threat.

Sitting around the large wooden desk were Kakashi, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata, each of them experienced ninjas who had faced countless dangers before. The atmosphere was tense as Naruto unsealed the scroll. Inside was a simple message:

"To the Seventh Hokage, there is a village you do not know. It lies beyond the Land of Fire, in the shadows, hidden by ancient power. It is Kagegakure, the Village Hidden in Shadows. The world does not remember us, but we remember the world. We have watched. We have waited. Now, we summon you, the great hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War, to find us. For only you can stop what is coming."

Everyone was silent as Naruto finished reading the message aloud. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his fingers drumming on the armrest of his chair. "Kagegakure? Another hidden village?"

"It seems that way," Shikamaru replied, his mind already working through the possible implications. "But if it’s real, why have we never heard of it? And why reveal themselves now?"

Naruto looked at the faces of his closest allies, uncertainty clouding his usual confidence. "It sounds like something big is about to happen. Something dangerous. If this village really exists, we need to find it before it's too late."

Kakashi, ever calm and thoughtful, nodded. "It could be a trap. But if there’s even a small chance this is true, it’s worth investigating. There are still many things about the world we don’t know, Naruto."

Sasuke stood up, his Sharingan eyes gleaming slightly in the dim light of the room. "I’ll go. I’ve been searching for remnants of old threats for years now. If anyone can track down a hidden village, it’s me."

"No," Naruto said, standing up as well. "We’ll go together. If this is as serious as it sounds, I want to see it for myself. Besides, I can’t let you have all the fun." He gave Sasuke a grin, but the tension in the room remained.

The team was quickly assembled—Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru. Their mission: to locate the Village Hidden in Shadows and uncover the truth behind the mysterious scroll.

The journey began the next morning, with the team leaving the familiar walls of Konoha behind. They traveled north, through dense forests, across rivers, and into territories that were unfamiliar even to Sasuke, who had explored the world during his years of atonement. Days turned into weeks as they ventured further and further away from the safety of the Land of Fire.

One evening, as the sun set behind the distant mountains, Hinata, using her Byakugan, noticed something unusual. "There’s something ahead… a barrier, but I’ve never seen anything like it before."

The team moved cautiously forward, and soon they found it—a faint shimmer in the air, like the surface of a still pond, marking the entrance to an invisible boundary. Beyond it, the land seemed darker, the trees twisted and unnatural, as though untouched by time.

"This must be it," Naruto muttered, his voice low. "Kagegakure."

Sasuke stepped forward, his Rinnegan glowing faintly as he analyzed the barrier. "It’s strong, but I can break it. Be ready for anything."

With a single gesture, Sasuke pierced the barrier, and the team stepped through. What they found on the other side was unlike anything they had expected.

The village lay before them, shrouded in mist and shadow. The buildings were ancient, crumbling with age, yet there was an eerie sense of life within them. Figures moved in the distance, obscured by the fog, their shapes barely human. The air was thick with an oppressive feeling, as though the very ground beneath them was steeped in dark history.

"This place gives me the creeps," Sakura whispered, her hands glowing faintly with chakra, ready to heal or fight at a moment’s notice.

They walked deeper into the village, their senses on high alert. As they approached what appeared to be the village center, a figure emerged from the shadows—a tall, hooded man whose face was hidden beneath a mask. His voice was calm, but there was something unsettling about it.

"Welcome to Kagegakure, Seventh Hokage," the man said, bowing slightly. "We’ve been expecting you."

Naruto stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his kunai. "Who are you? What is this place?"

The man chuckled softly. "I am Kuroyami, the leader of this village. We are the last remnants of the Shadow Clan, a group that once rivaled the great nations in power. But we chose to hide, to wait, for a time when the world would need us once again."

"Need you for what?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing.

"For what is to come," Kuroyami replied, his tone ominous. "A darkness that even the strongest tailed beasts cannot defeat. The Hidden Villages may think they have achieved peace, but it is a fragile illusion. The real threat has been waiting in the shadows, and now it is waking."

The team exchanged glances, the weight of the man’s words sinking in. This was no ordinary village, and whatever they had uncovered was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

"Then tell us," Naruto said, stepping closer, "what is this darkness, and how do we stop it?"

Kuroyami’s eyes glinted beneath his mask. "You’ll see soon enough. But first, we must test your resolve. The path ahead is not for the faint of heart, Hokage."

Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them shifted, and they were plunged into darkness.

To be continued...

Share