The Choice

Ling suddenly appeared in front of the Hokage Building with an unconscious Anbu on his back, startling the two Chunins guarding the entrance. When they recognized him and saw the person on his back, their expressions changed at once.

"Go notify the two advisors! Urgent military intelligence!" Ling's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unmistakable urgency.

One of the Chunins reacted immediately and rushed inside. Ling carried the wounded man straight to the medical station in the building. He knew the news couldn't be kept secret, nor was there any need to hide it. He wanted to see how the various parties would react.

After handing the injured man over to the medical ninja who hurried over, Ling waited outside the medical station, leaning against the cold wall. His face showed little expression, but his mind raced. Tsunade and Jiraiya had both gotten into trouble at the same time. That was no coincidence. Danzo had a motive, but was he capable of plotting against two of the Sannin at once? Or had a third party gotten involved?

Hurried footsteps approached. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura strode over, protected by a group of guards. Both looked startled and grave. Close behind them came Shimura Danzo, walking steadily with a cane. His single eye swept over Ling, then turned toward the medical room, his gaze inscrutable.

"What happened?" Utatane Koharu asked first, her voice urgent.

Ling briefly relayed what the Anbu had said before passing out. "He was found northwest of the village, badly wounded. Before he lost consciousness, he said Lady Tsunade had been ambushed and Lord Jiraiya was trapped."

The senior officials' expressions instantly darkened.

"Is the information reliable?" Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses and glanced into the medical room.

"He's Anbu. The mask and chakra signature are authentic. His injuries can't be faked," Ling replied calmly.

Danzo spoke slowly, his voice low. "The target location in the northwest is near the border of the Land of Rain. The situation is unclear. Sending a large-scale relief force rashly could lead us straight into a trap, or even provoke a greater conflict. Our priority must be to strengthen the village's defenses immediately and prevent the enemy from luring us away."

His words sounded high-minded, as if he had the village's best interests at heart.

Ling scoffed inwardly. Danzo was trying to stall. Or perhaps he simply didn't want Jiraiya and Tsunade to return.

"Are you saying we should leave two of the Sannin to die, Elder Danzo?" Ling raised his head and looked straight at him. His tone gave nothing away, but his words carried weight.

Danzo narrowed his single eye. "Uchiha Ling, watch your wording. I'm only putting the village's safety first. Besides, with Jiraiya and Tsunade's strength, how could an ordinary ambush trap them? If they couldn't handle it, sending anyone else would only mean more casualties."

"Precisely because the enemy may be anything but ordinary, they need support all the more," Ling countered without yielding. "If even the Sannin have fallen, then the threat we're facing far exceeds our expectations. If we do nothing and the enemy consolidates their victory, could Konoha be their next target?"

The two advisors fell silent, their faces troubled. Danzo's argument made sense, but so did Ling's concerns. It was a difficult choice.

Just then, the door to the medical station opened. A medical ninja came out, his expression grave. "My lords, the patient has woken up, but he's lost too much blood and exhausted his chakra. His mental state is very unstable. He keeps repeating 'Rain Village,' 'monster,' and 'dark-colored thing.'"

Rain Village? A monster? Something dark?

Ling furrowed his brows. Amegakure, ruled by Hanzo the Salamander, who was known as the "Demi-God," and later rumored to have fallen under Akatsuki's control. A withered leaf, carrying a sense of decay, flashed through his mind.

"It seems the situation is more complicated than we thought," Danzo said again, his tone hinting at an unmistakable sense of convenience. "Since this involves another shinobi village, we must handle it even more cautiously. I suggest we summon the Jonin Commander immediately to discuss a response, while dispatching reconnaissance teams to the border to gather more accurate intelligence."

Another delay.

Ling knew he couldn't wait any longer. By the time they argued their way to a decision, it would be too late. Danzo could wait. He couldn't. If Jiraiya died, then so be it—but Naruto was still out there!

He took a deep breath and made up his mind.

"There's no need to discuss it." Ling's voice cut Danzo off and drew startled looks from the two advisors. "I'll go."

A glint flashed in Danzo's single eye, as if he'd been waiting for Ling to say those words. "You? Uchiha Ling, while your strength is impressive, the enemy may be powerful enough to trap the Sannin. Charging in alone would be reckless, and would make it look as if Konoha had no one else."

"I won't go in Konoha's name," Ling said, looking at him and enunciating every word. "I'll go as the leader of Dawn Wind, to rescue my ally, Uzumaki Naruto."

He emphasized "ally" and "Uzumaki Naruto." He was making it clear to Danzo and the two advisors that this was a personal action, unrelated to Konoha's official stance. At the same time, his main objective was to rescue the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—a cause no one could criticize.

The two advisors exchanged glances, each seeing the other's interest. Ling had volunteered, which could resolve the immediate crisis without requiring Konoha to take direct responsibility for the risks. It seemed to be the best option at hand.

"Are you confident you can do it?" Utatane Koharu asked hesitantly.

"No," Ling replied bluntly. "But it's better than wasting time here."

He paid the others no more attention and turned to leave. As he passed Danzo, he paused briefly and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Elder Danzo, you'd better pray Naruto is safe. Otherwise, I don't know what I might do."

Danzo's fingers tightened around his cane until his knuckles paled, but his face remained impassive.

Ling left the Hokage Building. He didn't return to the small compound; instead, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared at the Tanzaku Town hideout.

He quickly informed everyone of the situation.

"I'm going with you." Kimimaro was the first to step forward, without a moment's hesitation.

"I'm coming too!" Haku followed, his gaze resolute.

Zabuza slung his greatsword over his shoulder and grinned. "An enemy who can trap the Sannin? Sounds interesting. Count me in."

Ling looked at them, feeling warmed by their support, but still shook his head. "No. We don't even know who we're up against, and the situation is urgent. Bringing too many people will only make us easier to spot. I'll be better off going alone. Besides..."

His gaze swept over Izumi and the other rescued Uchiha. "We can't leave no one behind to watch over things here in Konoha. Danzo won't just sit still. While I'm gone, you'll have to protect this place. If—if I don't come back, Dawn Wind will be yours, Izumi. Take everyone and survive."

Izumi's eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip and nodded firmly. "You have to bring Naruto back!"

"Don't worry." Ling patted her on the shoulder, then looked at Kimimaro, Haku, and Zabuza. "Keep the place safe."

He said nothing more and walked to the open space in the center of the hideout. He formed hand seals, sensed the faint traces of chakra from the unconscious Anbu that had come from the northwest, then compared them with the boundary coordinates stored in the system to determine his destination.

Setting a Flying Thunder God Technique coordinate required precise sensory perception and a spatial anchor. He couldn't teleport directly to an unknown battlefield, but he could get as close as possible to a border region he knew.

Chakra surged through his body, and space began to warp.

"Wait for me."

As his voice faded, a flash of golden light appeared, and Ling vanished from the hideout.

Everyone stared at the empty space, their spirits heavy and tense.

This time, their leader would face the unknown danger that had trapped the Sannin—all alone.