Naruto : The System Files

Chapter no.152 Religion

As the genin, and Kakashi himself neared the monumental doors of the Shine of the Great Mother, Kakashi could not help but stand a little straighter, his one eye shifting from his orange little book to observe and admire the gigantic structure.

The doors had stood through time, thousand of years if legends were true and certainly a few centuries if one was sceptical, and the jonin had no choice but to admit they were impressive. The walls they were granting access to had been destroyed and rebuilt numerous time but the two gigantic panels of wood, iron, and bronze had weathered all.

It was said they were nigh indestructible. Kakashi was not sure about that but they were certainly as beautiful as he remembered them. He had been here already, some twenty years ago. Through the grief that was crushing him at the time, he could not help but notice the doors.

Kakashi sighed. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. He had to be as sharp and ready as he was capable to be. He would not let himself be a puppy for the hawk to mercilessly slaughter. He had to be a wolf today. A savage, astute one.

As they passed the entrance, the Hatake discreetly smiled at the astonished look all genin wore for all to see on their face. The doors were a work of art, fifteen meters high for four meters wide, and as thick as an adult's arm. On them were frescoes, restored regularly, depicting the life of the Great Mother.

How she had descended from the sun to cultivate the Tree of Origin to nurture the desertic land. How greed pushed humans to fight for the lush earth she had created. How she ate the sole fruit of the Tree to restore peace. How she fell in love with a human and birthed his two sons. How her husband betrayed her, jealous of her powers, and murdered the Tree to drink its sap. How her two sons, having inherited her might, put their own father down.

It was a tale about the origin of their world and the origin of chakra itself. A grandiose epic that the monks and priestesses of the shrine kept alive.

Not that Kakashi believed any of it but it made for a nice bedtime story.

One his mother loved to tell him.

The jonin frowned minutely.

He did not want to think about that.

He had to be strong, focused.

He threw a glance at his genin. Choji had stopped eating for once, too taken by the sight to keep to his habits, Ino was star-eyed and bouncing in a very excited manner, and even Shikamaru could not maintain his blazé expression.

"Impressive, heh, my little genin?" Kakashi asked with mirth.

Ino whirled around to face him. "That doesn't cut it Lazy-sensei!"

The blonde Yamanaka answered with enthusiasm, giving him the surname she had come up with for him.

"I had heard of it but to see it for real is so cool! Neh, could we stop for a while to observe them once the mission is over?"

Kakashi eye-smiled but was cut by Shikamaru.

"Troublesome. We're not on a vacation Ino, we don't have time to gawk at… Doors."

The Nara answered out loud before muttering something about them being impressive and troublesome.

"Tch, don't be a killjoy Lazy-kun, I'm talking an hour or so. You just want to go back to watching cloud, well looking at art might joggle your brain a bit. Might make you less lazy." Ino retorted, pointing a menacing finger at the pineapple-haired clan heir.

The boy paled comically and shook his head. "More reason not to do it then. And Choji will be short on chips if we delay too long, neh Choji? …Choji?"