Baki had lost.
Under Ling's elusive Flying Thunder God Technique and precise, deadly attacks, the wounds on Baki's body multiplied, and his movements grew slower and slower. At last, Ling seized the moment when Baki was forming Hand Seals and drove a Kunai through his heart. The elite Sunagakure jonin's eyes widened in disbelief and resentment as he crashed to the ground.
Ling didn't even look at his corpse. His senses swept over the entire battlefield like radar.
The Four Violet Flames Formation on the rooftop remained stable, but the chakra fluctuations within it grew increasingly violent, carrying an ominous sense of decline. The Third Hokage was probably in trouble.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro and Haku worked seamlessly together against Shukaku. A forest of bones and walls of ice crisscrossed, severely restricting Shukaku's movements. Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta, who grappled with Shukaku amid deafening collisions. Naruto stood atop Gamabunta's head, shouting something as he tried to awaken Gaara's consciousness.
The Konoha shinobi were also gradually steadying their lines and beginning to counterattack.
On the surface, the situation seemed to be improving.
But Ling's heart sank. He sensed that the cold chakra underground had stirred. Not just one presence—several! Like lurking vipers, they slipped quietly out from beneath the earth and split into two groups with clear targets.
One group headed straight for a hidden area beneath Kage Rock—the site of one of the village barrier's key control points. What was Danzo planning? Strengthening it? Or... sabotaging it?
The other group was larger, its members' chakra more fierce. Their target was...
Ling whipped around and looked at Naruto, who was standing atop Gamabunta and struggling to communicate with Gaara!
Danzo's target was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki! He wanted to abduct Naruto in the chaos!
A surge of icy rage shot up from the depths of Ling's heart, nearly freezing his blood. He could tolerate Danzo's schemes and probing, but targeting Naruto had crossed his absolute bottom line!
Without hesitation, Ling vanished from where he stood.
The next moment, he appeared behind the rubble along the route leading to Kage Rock. Four Root shinobi wearing strange masks had just emerged when a sudden flash of gold blocked their way.
"This way is closed." Ling's voice was colder than winter. The Kunai in his hand still dripped with Baki's blood.
The four Root shinobi paused. Their eyes behind the masks showed no emotion; they were like actual machines. Without a word, they scattered, surrounding Ling in a fan formation as they completed their Hand Seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
Ninjutsu and genjutsu struck at once! Their flawless coordination left Ling nowhere to dodge.
Ling's gaze sharpened. Danzo had clearly gone all out. All four were jonin-level shinobi, and they specialized in combined attacks.
But Ling couldn't retreat.
He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique! He dodged the Vacuum Great Sphere and Great Dragon Fire by a hair's breadth. His Sharingan opened in an instant, its single Tomoe spinning as he easily spotted the weak point in the Earth-Style Wall. At the same time, he countered the Hell Viewing Technique with even greater ocular power!
Bang! He kicked through the Earth-Style Wall and darted between the four like a phantom.
The battle erupted in an instant, and turned brutal just as quickly.
Ling abandoned every feint and maneuver, fighting with extreme ferocity. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique's overwhelming speed, he took a Wind Blade head-on from one Root shinobi and drove his Kunai into the man's heart. The price was a deep gash in Ling's left arm, cut to the bone by the Wind Blade.
Blood splattered across his face, warm and sticky. He seemed not to feel the pain as his Sharingan locked onto the next target.
Another Root shinobi tried to stop him with Fire Release. Ling didn't dodge. He drew on a trace of Nine-Tails Chakra within him, and a crimson Chakra Cloak appeared instantly, taking the Fire Release head-on like armor. The Kunai in his right hand pierced through the flames with a shrill whistle, plunging precisely into the man's throat.
The remaining two Root shinobi finally showed a flicker of emotion: the dread of facing something inhuman. But they didn't retreat. They formed Hand Seals again.
Ling panted, his left arm drenched in blood and the Kunai in his right hand covered in cracks from bearing too much force. The violent emotions brought on by the Nine-Tails Chakra battered his reason, but he kept them firmly in check.
He had to end this quickly! Naruto...
Just then, Shukaku let out an even more frenzied roar in the distance, followed by Gamabunta's angry bellow and Naruto's tearful shout: "Stop! Gaara!"
Ling's heart tightened.
Almost at the same time, he sensed that the other group of Root shinobi heading for the barrier control point had apparently succeeded. The light at a barrier node on the edge of the village suddenly dimmed!
Danzo! He wasn't just after Naruto; he also wanted to throw the entire battle into chaos, make Konoha bleed more, and create an opportunity to seize power!
There was no time to waste!
A look of resolve flashed through Ling's eyes. He ignored the Earth Release attack coming from behind and poured all his chakra and will into his next use of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Golden light burst!
He appeared between the last two Root shinobi and pressed one hand against each of their chests.
"Sealing Technique: Twin Lion Seal!"
Two tiny, spinning sealing formulas instantly took shape in his palms and imprinted themselves on the Root shinobi! He had modified this technique using the sealing knowledge he'd received as a system reward. It didn't seal them completely; instead, it instantly disrupted and locked their chakra flow!
The two Root shinobi stiffened as their chakra stopped flowing. They dropped straight from the air.
Ling sank to one knee, gasping for breath. Blood poured from the wound in his left arm. Forcing himself to use an unfamiliar sealing technique and overusing the Flying Thunder God Technique had nearly exhausted his chakra.
He lifted his head and looked toward Naruto. Shukaku's rampage seemed to have reached its peak, with a sandstorm blotting out the sky.
Clenching his teeth, he tried to stand again. He couldn't fall yet.
Just then, a figure rushed to his side like a whirlwind.
"Ling! Are you all right?" It was Uchiha Izumi. She had arrived with several surviving Uchiha. The moment she saw Ling's injuries, her face went deathly pale.
"I'm fine..." Ling pushed away the hand she reached out to support him, his eyes still fixed on the distance. "Go... help Naruto... stop Shukaku... Danzo's men might still..."
He didn't finish, but Izumi understood. She nodded firmly and called to the others behind her, "Follow me! Protect the Jinchūriki!"
Watching Izumi and the others charge toward Shukaku, Ling felt a little relieved. With the Uchiha involved, Naruto would at least have another layer of protection.
He leaned heavily against a broken wall and took out a roll of bandages, wrapping it haphazardly around his left arm. Sweat mixed with blood and slid down his forehead.
The battle was far from over. The rooftop, Shukaku, and Danzo, still hiding in the shadows...
He closed his eyes and forced himself to recover even the tiniest amount of chakra as quickly as he could.
He had to hold on until the very end of this battle to protect them.
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