Silent Deterrence and a New Stage

At noon the following day, in the deepest office of the Root stronghold.

Shimura Danzo processed the files piled on his desk, his single eye filled with his habitual gloom and calculation. He was not surprised by the result of last night—having "invited" Uchiha Ling over only to come up empty-handed—but he was now even more certain that a massive secret must be hidden within this boy. He was preparing to issue orders to initiate more covert methods of observation.

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner of his desk, his entire body froze as if struck by a binding jutsu.

There, a scroll that he was absolutely certain had not existed that morning lay quietly. The scroll's appearance was ordinary, bearing no markings of the Root or the Anbu.

A chill instantly shot from Danzo's tailbone to the top of his head! It seemed someone had infiltrated his heavily guarded Root office and, while he was completely unaware, had left this item behind!

He stood up abruptly, his single eye erupting with sharp killing intent and uncertainty as a powerful chakra instantly filled the entire room. "Come in!"

Several Root ninja appeared in the office instantly, kneeling on one knee.

"Who entered this office this morning?!" Danzo's voice was cold and piercing.

"Lord Danzo, no one has entered your office!" the lead Root ninja replied without hesitation, his tone certain. The security here was of the highest level; even a fly entering would have been recorded.

Danzo's pupils contracted sharply. He sat down slowly and waved his subordinates away. Once again, he was left alone in the office, the silence terrifying.

He reached out his hand, with a trace of caution he hadn't even realized he possessed, and opened the scroll.

As the contents of the scroll came into view, Danzo's breathing hitched, and his face turned ashen!

It was not an offensive jutsu, but a brief report—a report regarding his secret experiments on the First Hokage Cells! Although key data and specific test subject numbers had been cleverly redacted, the symptoms and experimental timelines of the failed cases mentioned were identical to his own secret records!

This was one of his most core secrets, the one that could never be made public!

Below the report, there was a line of clear, small text:

[Overstepping probes will lead to unbearable consequences. Your gaze should remain under the sunlight.]

"Bang!"

Danzo slammed his fist onto the hard solid-wood desk, leaving a dent. His chest heaved violently, his single eye filled with shock, rage, and a trace of indescribable apprehension.

Who was it?! The person behind Uchiha Ling? Or some force he had never sensed, hidden even deeper?

The fact that the other party could obtain this top-secret intelligence and deliver this scroll to him without a trace meant something. It meant the other party possessed the talent to infiltrate the very core of his Root! It meant that his internal information might not be a secret in the eyes of the other party!

This warning was precise, ruthless, and struck at his vital point!

If he continued to use forceful, overstepping methods to investigate Uchiha Ling, it was highly likely that the next thing to appear on his desk would not be a redacted record, but the complete evidence presented indirectly to the Third Hokage or even the Daimyo Palace!

"Unbearable consequences." Danzo chewed on these words, the light in his single eye flickering. For the first time, when facing a "child," he felt the frustration of being unable to act for fear of the consequences.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, forcing down the anger and killing intent in his chest, and spoke in a low voice to the empty shadows:

"Lift the special surveillance order on Uchiha Ling and maintain routine surveillance. All investigative units are to enter a state of absolute silence; without my direct order, no further actions are to be taken against him."

A barely audible "Yes" came from the shadows.

Danzo leaned back in his chair and closed his single eye. He knew he could not deal with this incomprehensible Uchiha Ling for the time being. But this did not mean it was over; it only meant he needed more patience to wait for a better opportunity. He had noted this debt.

Inside the Konoha courtyard.

Ling continued his daily routine of "being watched" as if nothing had happened. He keenly sensed that the range of those faint, cold gazes characteristic of the Root had quietly disappeared within a day, leaving only the routine surveillance belonging to the Third Hokage's direct Anbu.

The warning worked, Ling thought to the system. Danzo was indeed an ambitious hero who knew how to weigh pros and cons; when his core interests were directly threatened, he chose a temporary retreat.

But this was only a stopgap measure. Ling knew very well that the game between him, Danzo, and the Konoha high-ups was far from over. He needed to build up his own strength and that of "Dawn Wind" faster to remain standing in the coming storm.

He poured more energy into his training. The fusion rate of the Nine-Tails chakra steadily increased to 5%, and the benefits brought by the Sage Body became increasingly obvious; his chakra volume and recovery speed far exceeded those of his peers. He even began to attempt to integrate the nature transformation of Wind Release chakra into his use of the Flying Thunder God, pursuing even more extreme speed.

At the same time, he used the Flying Thunder God to travel frequently between Konoha and Tanzaku Town, checking on the adaptation of the surviving Uchiha and guiding the training of Kimimaro, Haku, and Zabuza.

Inside the mansion in Tanzaku Town, the atmosphere remained heavy, but it was no longer lifeless. Under Izumi's organization, the survivors began to learn new life skills and tried to integrate into the environment of Tanzaku Town. Haku got along well with the children; his Ice Release was occasionally used to produce small ice cubes to cool the children down, drawing bursts of laughter. Zabuza took charge of outer perimeter security and dealings with the black market to obtain intelligence and resources; his fierce appearance became the best disguise.

Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.

One afternoon several weeks later, while Ling was in the courtyard trying to use Wind Release chakra to accelerate the throwing of kunai, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, came to visit in person.

"Ling," the Third Hokage's expression was more relaxed than before. He looked at the kunai in Ling's hand that whistled with fierce wind, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes. "It seems you haven't been slacking off."

"Grandpa Hokage." Ling put away the kunai and called out respectfully.

"I've come to tell you one thing." The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and said slowly, "Considering the unusual situation of you and Naruto, as well as the abilities you have displayed, after discussion by the high-ups, it has been decided to make an exception and allow you to enter the Ninja Academy early."

Ninja Academy?

Ling was slightly stunned. This was an unexpected development. According to the original timeline, it was still several years before Naruto's class would enroll.

"Of course, not as an ordinary student." The Third Hokage added, "You will be a special student, mainly receiving learning in theory, history, basic taijutsu, and ninjutsu. The purpose is to help you better understand the village and the responsibilities of a ninja. At the same time, this is also a form of protection."

Ling instantly understood the Third Hokage's intentions. On one hand, it was indeed for cultivation and observation; on the other, it was to formally incorporate him into the Konoha system and place him in the open. This was both a form of recognition and a gentler restraint, perhaps with the consideration of easing the tense relationship with Danzo.

Ling did not reject this arrangement. The Ninja Academy could provide him with systematic knowledge, a relatively stable environment, and the opportunity to touch key figures of the future. For example, Uchiha Sasuke, who had just lost everything and was about to be consumed by hatred.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage. I will work hard." Ling nodded in agreement.

The Third Hokage smiled with satisfaction, teased Naruto who was currently babbling, and then left.

Watching the Third Hokage's departing back, Ling's gaze was profound.

The Ninja Academy was perhaps not a cage, but a new stage. A stage that would allow him to better weave his shadow forces under the sunlight.

The roots of "Dawn Wind" would, along with him, be planted into the soil of Konoha.