Obito's fleeting glance, brimming with malice, made Ling see his perilous situation all the more clearly. He was walking a tightrope over an unfathomable abyss; one wrong step could send him plunging into ruin.
But the pressure also became a powerful source of motivation. He had to build up his strength faster.
Two days later, a new update came through the system's anonymous channel:
[Mission: Recruit/Guide. Status: Complete. Targets A (Haku) and B (Zabuza Momochi) have arrived at the designated coordinates (eastern border of the Land of Fire, Abandoned Mine No. 13). Confirm receipt within 72 hours.]
Success! Ling's spirits lifted. Haku and Zabuza's arrival was a much-needed boost.
Once again, he used "taking Kimimaro out for wilderness survival training" as his excuse to leave the small courtyard, under the watchful gaze of Anbu Yamada, whose impatience was barely concealed. When he reached a secluded spot outside the village, he followed the same procedure and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Space shifted. A damp, chilly air filled with a strong scent of rust rushed toward him. He was deep inside a long-abandoned mine, where just a few rays of sunlight slipped through cracks in the ceiling, illuminating the dust floating in the air.
Two figures stood in a relatively dry patch of open ground inside the mine.
One was a tall, dark-skinned man carrying a huge bandage-wrapped Kubikiribōchō. His Forehead Protector bore the mark of a Mist Village missing-nin, and his gaze was fierce and wary. He was none other than the "Demon," Zabuza Momochi. Like a tiger poised to pounce, he sized up Ling, who had suddenly appeared.
Half a step behind him stood a slender boy in a worn but clean kimono, with long black hair and delicate features. He kept his head lowered, his hands clasped nervously in front of him. His eyes were timid, yet held a barely perceptible trace of hope. He was Yuki Haku.
"So you're the elusive employer?" Zabuza's voice was hoarse and oppressive. The bandages around Kubikiribōchō seemed ready to come loose. "You lured us here. What exactly do you want? If your answer doesn't satisfy me, I won't hesitate to offer your blood to my blade."
Faced with such an open threat, Ling merely smiled faintly. His gaze passed over Zabuza and settled on Haku behind him.
"Yuki Haku," Ling said gently, his voice carrying a peculiar soothing quality. "You've been searching for someone who needs you, somewhere your power can finally find a place to belong. Isn't that right?"
Haku's head snapped up. His clear eyes were filled with surprise and a flustered look, as if Ling had seen right through him. He instinctively glanced at Zabuza.
Zabuza snorted and stepped in front of Haku. "Boy, quit trying to sound mysterious! Haku is my valuable tool. His affairs are none of your business!"
"A tool?" Ling shook his head slightly, then turned his gaze back to Zabuza. "Mr. Zabuza, do you really see him as nothing but a tool? Or, after so many years in exile, have you grown used to hiding that little bond you refuse to acknowledge behind the word 'tool'?"
Zabuza's pupils contracted, and killing intent erupted in an instant. The air around them seemed to drop several degrees. He hated people prying into his heart, especially when it came to Haku!
"You're asking to die!"
The bandages around Kubikiribōchō burst apart. Its icy blade came down toward Ling's face with a piercing whistle. The strike was fast, ruthless, and precise, fully displaying the skill of the Demon, an elite jonin!
Yet Ling stood motionless.
The instant the blade was about to touch the hair on his forehead, a white wall of bone appeared out of nowhere, blocking Kubikiribōchō with perfect precision!
"Clang!"
The ear-splitting clash of metal rang through the mine, sending sparks flying.
At some point, Kimimaro had moved in front of Ling. The hard bones extending from his arm were locked against the great sword. His green eyes held not a trace of emotion, only icy killing intent. "Anyone who attacks Lord Ling will die."
"Shikotsumyaku?!" Zabuza's eyes flashed with immense shock. He had clearly recognized the legendary Kekkei Genkai. He immediately retreated a step and warily raised his blade, his mind churning. This mysterious boy had a survivor of the Kaguya Clan by his side? And one so powerful!
Ling gently patted Kimimaro on the shoulder, signaling him to stand down. He kept his eyes on Zabuza, as though that deadly strike had never happened.
"Mr. Zabuza, I invited you here not to fight, but to work together and give you a better future," Ling said unhurriedly. "I know what you want: to overthrow the dictatorship of the Bloody Mist Village. Can you do it alone, even with Haku by your side?"
Zabuza fell silent, his eyes shifting. He knew he couldn't.
"I can provide the funds and intelligence you need, and in the future, even the strength to overthrow the Mist Village," Ling offered. "In return, you'll fight for me when I need you and become members of my organization, Dawn Wind."
He turned to Haku again. "Here, Haku won't be a 'tool' anymore. He'll be an indispensable comrade. His Ice Release and his kindness will be respected and put to use."
Haku stared at Ling, then at Zabuza, whose expression had shifted several times. His hands gripped the hem of his clothes tightly. For the first time, something beyond his dependence on Zabuza appeared in his eyes—a light called hope.
Zabuza stared hard at Ling, weighing the pros and cons. Ling's strength was unfathomable—he could control a wielder of Shikotsumyaku, and he hadn't even flinched at Zabuza's killing intent. His goals were clear, and the terms he offered were ones Zabuza couldn't refuse. The hardship of years in exile and his uncertainty about the future left him with little choice but to consider this seemingly dangerous path, one that might lead him to his goal.
"Dawn Wind?" After a long silence, Zabuza finally lowered Kubikiribōchō. His voice remained hoarse. "Tell me your specific plan. If it's just empty promises, I can leave at any time."
Ling knew the initial recruitment had succeeded. He smiled faintly and began to lay out Dawn Wind's vision for the future, along with the first major operation that would soon require their help: the Uchiha "purge."
Outside the mine, the sun still blazed. Inside, the core forces of Dawn Wind were quietly gathering. Ling had gained two more powerful fighters.
Before you continue