Chapter 308: The Legend of the Nine-Eyed God
The leader of the Land of Craftsmen, Yano Takumi, felt a little uneasy when he saw Uchiha Dali listening intently.
For people from such a small country like theirs, Uchiha Dali was an existence of the highest authority.
If the Land of Fire so desired, it could snuff out their Land of Craftsmen with just a flick of a finger.
So, to be able to receive the attention of such a great figure as Uchiha Dali was an honor beyond compare.
After taking a few deep breaths to steady his emotions, Yano Takumi finally answered, "It's like this, Lord Fourth Hokage. For thousands of years, our country has carried a legend: when the Nine-Eyed God once again descends upon this world, that will mark the day of the world's end."
"Nine-Eyed God? The end of the world?"
"What do you mean by that? Why have we never heard of such a legend?"
"Absurd! Nine-Eyed God? We've only ever heard of the Sage of Six Paths!"
"Don't tell me this is something you people from the Land of Craftsmen made up yourselves. How ridiculous…"
"The Land of Craftsmen is just a tiny speck of a country. What kind of historical tradition could you possibly have? Stop spouting nonsense!"
"Hey, hey, a legend isn't the same as history. If we're talking about legends, my country has way more than yours!"
"…"
As expected, once Yano Takumi spoke of his country's legend, the conference room immediately erupted with mockery and doubt.
Faced with the ridicule and questioning, Yano Takumi did not argue back.
He simply lowered his head in embarrassment, yet still explained earnestly to Uchiha Dali, "That is the legend of our country. The Nine-Eyed God is said to be a deity of the sea, ruler of the entire ocean."
"All fishermen who live by the sea—so long as their ancestors have lived on the coast for more than five generations—will, more or less, have heard of this legend…"
As he spoke, Yano Takumi swept his gaze around the room, hoping to find someone to confirm his words.
Sure enough, someone soon stood up to support him, offering the same account.
This man was also a leader of a small nation. He addressed Uchiha Dali, saying, "Lord Fourth Hokage, our country has a similar legend as well. The Nine-Eyed God is the deity of the sea, the lord of the ocean."
"He has protected us for thousands of years and is the guardian god of all fishermen."
But no sooner had this leader finished than another immediately refuted him: "I agree with the first part, but not that the Nine-Eyed God is a guardian god of fishermen! The Nine-Eyed God is actually the embodiment of disaster!"
"Because he controls the entire sea, he directly holds the lives of all fishermen in his hands. If anyone dared to doubt or disobey him, they would be struck with annihilation! Precisely because he is an incarnation of an evil god, in the past, for the sake of survival, people would never speak of him. Only when heading out to sea to fish would they face the ocean, offer sacrifices, and pray for his protection…"
"That's right, I can vouch for this as the truth!"
"According to our country's legend, the Nine-Eyed God is indeed an evil incarnation. Because he threatened the sea and the fishermen, he was eventually defeated and sealed away by another unknown deity. From then on, the sea no longer had storms or disasters. But due to the immense spiritual trauma caused by the Nine-Eyed God's former reign over the ocean, many people no longer dared to go out to sea…"
"Yes, that's the truth! That's why such a legend remains: when the Nine-Eyed God returns, it will be the day the world perishes!"
"…"
The leaders once again broke into heated debate.
Those who knew of the legend mostly came from countries bordering the sea or island nations far from the mainland.
But regarding the Nine-Eyed God, there were now two completely different interpretations.
For the moment, no one could convince anyone else, and the room was filled with noisy arguments.
Uchiha Dali patiently listened to their quarrels, and after a while, he raised his hand, signaling everyone to be silent.
"This Nine-Eyed God you speak of—has anyone ever seen his true form?"
"Or, in your countries' legends, is there any record describing his appearance?"
He asked.
At that, everyone fell silent, glancing at one another with embarrassed looks.
After a while, someone finally forced out a hesitant reply: "Lord Fourth Hokage, we really don't know about that…"
"No one has ever seen the true form of the Nine-Eyed God, and there are no records of it in either history or legend."
"Yes, nothing recorded…"
"…"
So much for that.
All they had were these so-called oral legends, without any evidence whatsoever.
"Lord Fourth Hokage, but why do you suddenly ask about this?"
One of the small nation leaders could not help but ask curiously.
Hearing this, the others all revealed worried expressions.
The legend of the Nine-Eyed God was deeply engraved in their hearts.
As for the saying, "When the Nine-Eyed God returns, the world will end," they believed it wholeheartedly.
So at this moment, they could not help but feel uneasy.
"In the depths of the sea, there exists a powerful barrier. It has formed a natural wall that separates the entire ninja world from the outside world."
"We cannot cross the barrier to the other side, nor do we know what kind of world, or what kind of beings, exist beyond it."
Upon hearing Uchiha Dali's explanation, everyone in the conference room was shaken.
They looked at each other, murmuring in hushed voices.
The Fourth Raikage, Yagura, Ōnoki, Rasa, and the others were all equally incredulous.
At this point, Uchiha Dali turned to Yagura. "The Land of Water is also an island nation overseas. Your islands are much larger than those of other small countries. Surely you have some kind of legend about this?"
Yagura shook his head awkwardly. "I'm sorry I cannot be of help."
"The Land of Water has severe breaks in its historical record, due to certain… historical reasons…"
Though he did not specify what those reasons were, everyone present could more or less guess.
Except for a few countries, most nations in this world, over the course of thousands of years of development, had experienced various historical interruptions that caused gaps in their own history and culture.
To the gathered leaders, this was all too common.
Seeing Yagura's answer, Uchiha Dali nodded and did not press further.
But the information he had just revealed was like a bombshell, sending waves of shock through the assembly.
At this moment, everyone in the chamber was still abuzz with discussion, their minds fixated on the mysterious barrier—its existence and its origins—fueled by equal measures of curiosity and dread.