Orochimaru's gaze hung over Ling like the Sword of Damocles, leaving him afraid to relax for even a moment. He knew that a confrontation with one of the legendary Sannin was no child's play; the danger was even greater than dealing with Danzo.
He immediately returned to the Tanzaku Town base using Flying Thunder God and summoned the core members of Dawn Wind.
"Things have changed." Ling got straight to the point, his expression grave. "Orochimaru, that S-rank missing-nin from Konoha, may have set his sights on us, especially Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai."
"Orochimaru?!" Zabuza's pupils contracted, and for the first time, a hint of apprehension appeared on his face. He had heard terrifying stories about the man back in the Mist Village. Orochimaru was one of the true powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World. Haku and Kimimaro weren't familiar with his reputation, but they could sense the tension from Ling and Zabuza's reactions.
"We need to lie low for the time being." Ling issued his orders decisively. "Suspend all outside missions. Zabuza, you're in charge of upgrading the defenses around the base. Set multiple layers of traps, with special precautions against infiltration using Earth Release and poison gas attacks. Haku, your Ice Release gives you an advantage in defense and purifying the air. Coordinate with Zabuza. Kimimaro, stay in the central area as our last line of defense. Don't make a move without my orders."
"Understood!" the three answered in unison, and the atmosphere turned tense and grim in an instant.
After arranging the base's defenses, Ling returned to Konoha. He understood that Orochimaru's main target was likely still Konoha—Sasuke in particular. He and Dawn Wind were merely "dessert" that had caught Orochimaru's passing interest. Even so, he had to make every possible preparation.
He increased his seemingly "casual" interactions with the Anbu around the small courtyard. Using subtle chakra fluctuations and traces of his presence, he deliberately created the illusion that "a powerful shinobi guards this place," hoping to confuse Orochimaru if he tried to sneak in and investigate.
But what was coming would come, in the end.
A few days later, on a dark and windy night.
Ling was training in his room, Naruto sleeping in his arms. Suddenly, the Nine-Tails Chakra inside him stirred ever so faintly, and his Sage Body gave him an instinctive warning. A chakra with an extremely subtle, sinister, and chilling aura was quietly seeping through the courtyard's barrier!
It wasn't the Anbu, and it wasn't Root! That sensation, like a cold snake sliding across his skin, could only belong to Orochimaru!
Ling instantly snapped to attention, but didn't move right away. Instead, he slowed his breathing and heartbeat to mimic sleep. His Sharingan opened silently in the darkness as he sharpened his senses to their limit.
He was here!
A faint sound of displaced air, almost too subtle to detect, rang out. Several tiny venomous snakes, invisible to the naked eye, slipped through the window's narrow gap like shadows and silently slithered toward the bed. Their target wasn't Ling, but Naruto in his arms! Clearly, Orochimaru intended to test them this way—or simply abduct the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
Just as the snakes were about to reach Naruto—
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Ling and Naruto vanished in an instant! The next moment, he appeared on the roof of the courtyard!
At almost the same moment, the ground where he had been standing split open. A massive arm made of countless venomous snakes shot upward, its grasp closing on empty air!
"Heh heh, as alert as I expected... The Flying Thunder God Technique truly lives up to its reputation." A hoarse, magnetic voice came from the shadows in the corner of the courtyard. Orochimaru slowly emerged, his golden, snake-like eyes gleaming with excitement and curiosity in the night as he studied Ling on the roof. "I'll take both you and the little Nine-Tails brat in your arms for my research."
Ling carefully secured the sleeping Naruto to his back with chakra, his gaze fixed coldly on Orochimaru below. He knew that words were pointless now. Only strength could make the other man back down.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Orochimaru flicked his sleeve, and dozens of venomous snakes shot toward the roof like arrows!
Ling didn't dodge. He formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
A highly compressed sphere of wind-natured chakra burst from his mouth, spinning as it collided violently with the incoming snakes!
"Boom!"
The sphere exploded, and sharp blades of wind instantly shredded dozens of snakes into a rain of bloody pulp! Yet more snakes poured from Orochimaru's sleeves and even his mouth, following one after another as if their numbers were endless!
"Pointless, brat..." Orochimaru licked his lips, his smile twisted.
Ling knew he couldn't afford a drawn-out battle. He had to finish this quickly. Otherwise, the commotion would inevitably draw Konoha's forces, making the situation far more complicated. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He decided to use his trump card!
With one hand, he formed a special seal and activated the Eight Trigrams Seal on his abdomen!
"Humm—"
A violent, evil red chakra, brimming with destructive power, instantly spilled from his body, forming a wavering, incomplete Tailed Beast Cloak! He had only drawn upon a tiny portion of it, but the terrifying pressure of the Nine-Tails still seemed to freeze the air throughout the courtyard!
Orochimaru's golden, snake-like eyes abruptly contracted, and for the first time, shock appeared on his face. "This is... the Nine-Tails' chakra?! You can control it?!"
At the instant Orochimaru's mind was shaken by the Nine-Tails Chakra—
"Flying Thunder God: Second Stage!"
Ling vanished again! But this time, it wasn't a simple displacement. He left a Flying Thunder God Formula mark where he had stood, while his real body appeared beside Orochimaru like a wraith! His fist, wrapped in Nine-Tails Chakra, tore through the air with a piercing howl and smashed toward Orochimaru's chest!
Orochimaru was, after all, a Kage Level veteran who had fought countless battles. Though startled, he didn't panic. His body twisted at an angle that defied human anatomy, attempting to evade the deadly blow.
"Squelch!"
Although he avoided a direct hit, Ling's fist still grazed his shoulder. The Nine-Tails Chakra within it clung like a leech, instantly eating into him with its potent corrosive and destructive force!
"Ugh!" Orochimaru grunted. His struck left shoulder charred black in an instant, even sending up wisps of smoke! A hint of horror flashed in his eyes. This wasn't just a physical attack; it carried the mental contamination unique to Tailed Beast Chakra!
Without hesitation, he used the Substitution Technique, leaving behind a wooden dummy eaten away by the chakra. His real body appeared atop the courtyard wall in the distance.
"Heh heh... Hahahahaha!" Orochimaru looked at his injured shoulder and laughed instead of getting angry. His laughter brimmed with the elation of discovering a priceless treasure. "Marvelous! A perfect vessel! Not only do you have the potential of the Sharingan, you can also control the Nine-Tails' power! Uchiha Ling, you're worth more than Sasuke!"
But he knew that tonight's test had to end here. The surge of Nine-Tails Chakra had surely alerted Konoha. If he continued to fight, he would be at a disadvantage.
"We'll meet again, my dear... candidate for a vessel." Orochimaru gave Ling a long look. His body sank into the shadow beneath his feet like melting wax, then disappeared.
Ling dispelled the Nine-Tails Chakra covering his body, his face slightly pale. Forcibly drawing on and controlling this portion of the power had taken a toll on him. He quickly sensed the area, confirmed that Orochimaru had left, and detected the Anbu rushing toward them.
Holding Naruto, he used Flying Thunder God to return to his room, as if he had never left.
Soon, several Anbu appeared in the courtyard and examined the traces of battle. Their expressions grew grave as they sensed the lingering Nine-Tails Chakra and the sinister aura of snakes.
That night, many of Konoha's senior officials were destined to lie awake.
Ling knew that he had now made an irreconcilable enemy of Orochimaru. That venomous snake would never give up easily.
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