Confrontation in the Secret Chamber and the Prelude to Parting

A few days later, a high-level Konoha meeting was held in a conference room within the rebuilding Hokage Building. The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it could be wrung out like water.

Aside from Jiraiya, who was temporarily acting as Hokage, the room included the two Hokage advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, as well as Shimura Danzo. As the central figure under discussion, Uchiha Ling was permitted to attend, sitting at the lower end of the table beside Jiraiya. He had changed into clean, dark casual clothes; the bandages on his left arm had been removed, leaving only faint scars. His complexion remained somewhat pale, but his gaze was calm and rippleless.

"Let us begin." Koharu Utatane spoke first, her voice dry, her sharp gaze landing on Ling. "Uchiha Ling, regarding you and the organization under your command known as 'Dawn Wind,' you need to provide a clear explanation. Especially during this sensitive period when the village has just suffered such a heavy blow."

Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses and added, "As far as we know, the members of 'Dawn Wind' include several unidentified Uchiha survivors, as well as members of the Kaguya Clan and possessors of the Ice Release bloodline. That this power is gathered around a six-year-old child like you makes one's motives highly suspicious."

Danzo sat with his eyes closed, appearing as if the matter had nothing to do with him, yet an intangible pressure constantly shrouded the room.

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Regarding the Uchiha survivors, Ling already explained in his previous report that they were non-combatants saved during the chaos of the night of the massacre. The Third Hokage knew of this before his death and tacitly allowed them to remain in hiding. As for Haku and Kimimaro, they were orphans Ling encountered while out on missions. They had pitiful backgrounds, possessing bloodlines but having no one to rely on. Ling took them in and provided shelter. I believe this precisely reflects his character in protecting his companions."

"Character?" Danzo finally opened his single eye, his voice icy. "Jiraiya, you are too naive. Taking in dangerous bloodline limit users and privately forming an armed force is not something an ordinary child would or could do. Uchiha Ling, the strength you have hidden, the Flying Thunder God Technique you have mastered, and the cold efficiency you displayed during this war all prove that you are not as simple as you appear. What, exactly, is your goal?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Ling.

Ling slowly raised his head, meeting Danzo's scrutinizing stare, his tone steady. "My goal has not changed from the beginning. To survive, and to protect those I wish to protect."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two advisors. "As for 'Dawn Wind,' it initially existed only as a shadow for self-preservation. But after this war, I realized that merely hiding in the dark cannot truly guarantee safety. Konoha needs strength to rebuild and to defend against future threats. 'Dawn Wind' is willing to become a part of that strength, serving the village under the light."

"Easily said," Homura Mitokado frowned. "How can we guarantee your loyalty? How can we supervise this uncontrolled power?"

"We can accept supervision and abide by the village's rules," Ling replied. "But the prerequisite is that we need an official status—an identity that is not arbitrarily defined as a 'threat' or a 'target for elimination.' We can serve as a special operations unit independent of the Anbu and Root, reporting directly to the Hokage and executing special missions."

This was the plan Ling and Jiraiya had discussed beforehand. Securing a relatively independent, legal status was the best path forward for "Dawn Wind."

"Ridiculous!" Danzo slammed his hand on the table. "A unit composed of the descendants of rogue ninja and individuals with mysterious bloodlines reporting directly to the Hokage? Who would be this Hokage? You, Jiraiya?"

The air in the room turned volatile in an instant.

"Danzo!" Jiraiya's expression darkened.

"I believe Uchiha Ling and the forces under his command are too dangerous to be integrated into the village's system," Danzo did not back down, a cold glint flickering in his single eye. "They should be disbanded, and their members must undergo strict vetting. Dangerous elements must be contained! Especially the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto; he must absolutely not remain under his guardianship!"

He had finally revealed his true colors, aiming his target at Naruto once again.

Ling's eyes turned cold, and his hand resting on his knee tightened slightly. He would never allow anyone to lay a finger on Naruto.

"Elder Danzo," Ling's voice was not loud, but it carried a strange, piercing quality. "You seem to have forgotten that at the village's most critical moment, it was the 'dangerous elements' you speak of who were fighting to the death against Sunagakure and the Sound Ninja. It was they who were clearing out infiltrating enemies, and even stopping those who attempted to seize personal gain during the chaos."

He spoke with pointed intent, his gaze looking at Danzo without the slightest evasion.

Danzo's face darkened instantly.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity and hesitation in the other's eyes. Ling's words had struck at facts they were unwilling to investigate deeply but could not entirely ignore. Some of Danzo's actions during this war were indeed thought-provoking. Furthermore, the strength and potential Uchiha Ling had displayed, coupled with the fact that he had indeed protected the jinchuriki, made it impossible for them to reach a conclusion easily.

"This matter is of great importance and requires careful deliberation," Koharu Utatane ultimately adopted a stalling strategy. "The most important thing right now is to stabilize the village and elect a new Hokage. The disposition of Uchiha Ling and 'Dawn Wind' will be decided after the new Hokage takes office."

This result was within Ling's expectations. As long as they were not immediately defined as enemies, there was room to maneuver.

Danzo snorted coldly and said nothing more, but the calculation in his single eye deepened.

The meeting ended in an unpleasant atmosphere.

Ling walked out of the Hokage Building. The sunset's afterglow spilled onto him, carrying a hint of warmth, yet it could not dispel the heaviness in his heart. He knew Danzo would never let this go. The election of the new Hokage would be a new game of chess.

He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. Just then, his senses caught a familiar, yet chaotic and resolute, surge of chakra rapidly moving away from Konoha!

It was Sasuke!

Ling's pupils constricted, and he immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, his figure vanishing from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, he appeared on a high ridge outside Konoha. Below, Uchiha Sasuke was carrying a small pack, walking toward the outskirts of the village without looking back. His silhouette was resolute and lonely, his body wreathed in the unsettling, dark aura of the Cursed Seal.

"Sasuke." Ling's voice sounded behind him.

Sasuke's footsteps faltered. He did not turn around, his voice hoarse and cold. "What are you here for? To stop me?"

"Are you going to find Orochimaru?" Ling asked, his tone calm.

"So what if I am?" Sasuke turned abruptly, his black eyes burning with a frantic flame. "If I stay in Konoha, I won't gain the power to kill that man! Only Orochimaru—only the Cursed Seal he gave me—can make me stronger! I want power! At any cost!"

He looked at Ling, his eyes filled with jealousy, resentment, and a trace of the vulnerability that comes with being seen through. "Of course you wouldn't understand! You have such great power, you have everything! And I... I only have hatred!"

Ling watched him in silence. He could understand Sasuke's pain and despair, but he could not agree with this path.

"There are many ways to obtain power," Ling said slowly. "Surrendering to a demon will only lead to being consumed by that demon in the end."

"That's still better than your hypocritical way of just scraping by!" Sasuke roared. "You clearly have such great power, yet you are willing to be bound to this village by the very people who destroyed our clan! Have you forgotten the Uchiha's hatred?!"

"I haven't forgotten," Ling's voice remained calm, yet it carried a heavy weight. "But I know better that only by living can there be a future. If you die, there is nothing left."

"My future is revenge!" Sasuke stopped looking at him, turned, and walked away with resolute steps. "Don't stop me, or I will kill you along with them."

Ling watched his silhouette gradually disappear into the twilight-shrouded forest, ultimately not making a move to stop him. He knew that at this moment, no words could bring Sasuke back. Forcing him to stay would only cause him more pain and perhaps even twist him completely.

This was the path Sasuke had chosen for himself. He could only watch.

Yet, the sense of responsibility belonging to an "older brother" still brought a faint, stinging pain to his heart.

He stood in place until Sasuke's presence had completely vanished from his sensory range. The evening breeze stirred his black hair, carrying a chill.

Naruto needed him, the internal power struggles of the village needed him, and the future of "Dawn Wind" needed him. He had no time to wallow in useless sentimentality.

He turned, activated the Flying Thunder God, and his figure vanished from the spot.

The night in Konoha remained long. And the boy who had departed was stepping onto a path of no return, covered in thorns.