Awakening

Ling felt as though he had been sinking into a viscous darkness for a long time. There was no light, no sound, only boundless exhaustion and a dull ache as if his soul had been torn apart and then clumsily stitched back together. Occasionally, chaotic fragments flashed by—the piercing gaze of the Rinnegan, deafening explosions, Naruto's heart-wrenching cries, and the hate-filled roar of the Nine-Tails.

He struggled, wanting to break free from this quagmire, but his body felt as heavy as lead, and his consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind.

He did not know how much more time had passed when a faint glimmer of light, sharp as a needle, pierced the thick darkness. Immediately after, there were intermittent sounds, very muffled, as if heard through a thick layer of water.

"Brother... ramen..."

It was Naruto. The voice carried a sob, yet held a stubborn expectation.

The light seemed to grow stronger. Another voice joined in, more mature, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Pull yourself together, you brat."

Tsunade?

The pain began to sharpen, radiating from every limb and bone, reminding him of the dilapidated state of his body. His throat was so dry it felt like it was smoking, burning with a searing heat.

He tried to move a finger, only to find that even such a simple action was incredibly difficult. Every bone in his body felt as if it had been dismantled and haphazardly reassembled, and every inch of his muscle was protesting.

More sounds and sensory fragments flooded in—the smell of disinfectant, the rhythmic ticking of instruments, the faint chirping of birds outside the window, and... the touch of a little warmth on his palm, which seemed to be... Naruto holding his hand.

He concentrated his scattered will, like pushing a mountain, and attempted to pry open his heavy eyelids.

Once, twice...

The blinding light forced him to squeeze his eyes shut again instantly, and tears spilled out uncontrollably. After adapting for a long while, he tried again, slowly and arduously, opening his lids just a tiny slit.

A blurry white ceiling, swaying shadows...

"Br... Brother?" Naruto, who had been slumped by the bedside, seemed to sense something and jerked his head up, his sleepiness vanishing instantly. He widened those azure eyes, staring fixedly at Ling's face, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "You... you're awake? Brother? Can you see me?"

Ling's vision slowly focused, finally seeing Naruto's small face, which was filled with surprise and disbelief. The little guy had lost some weight, and his eyes were still red and swollen, but right now, they looked as if stars had fallen into them.

He wanted to speak, but his throat only produced a hoarse, ugly sound like a broken bellows.

"Water! Pervy Sage! Granny Tsunade! Brother is awake! He's awake!" Naruto, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumped up abruptly, shouting incoherently as he scrambled to reach for the water glass on the table, nearly knocking it over.

The ward door was shoved open, and Tsunade and Jiraiya rushed in almost simultaneously. Seeing that Ling had truly opened his eyes, both of them froze for a moment, then expressions of relief washed over their faces.

"Don't get excited, drink slowly." Tsunade stepped forward, skillfully lifting Ling's head and placing the straw to his lips. Cool water flowed into his parched throat, bringing a stinging pain, but it also cleared his chaotic mind significantly.

Jiraiya stood to the side, watching Ling's black eyes, which were weak but had regained their focus, and let out a long sigh. "You brat, you finally decided to wake up."

Ling sipped the water in small mouthfuls, his gaze sweeping over the excited Naruto, the complex-looking Jiraiya, and Tsunade, who was stern-faced but had concern in her eyes. Memories flowed back like a tide: the border of the Land of Rain, Pain, the explosion...

"How... how long have I been asleep?" His voice remained terribly hoarse, barely audible.

"One month and three days." Tsunade set down the water glass, her tone returning to its usual calm, though if one listened closely, a hint of relaxation could be detected. "You're lucky to be alive."

A month... Ling lowered his eyes, feeling the weakness in his body as if it had been hollowed out and then barely stuffed with cotton. His chakra was nearly exhausted, and his meridians were as fragile as if they would snap again with the slightest exertion. This time, he had truly almost lost his life.

"Those... people in the black cloaks with red clouds..." He looked at Jiraiya.

"They ran." Jiraiya's expression darkened. "You took one out, and the rest retreated with the corpse of that orange-haired leader. Elder Fukasaku and I went back to investigate later, but the battlefield had been cleaned thoroughly, leaving no clues. That organization is called 'Akatsuki'."

Ling fell silent. They ran, did they... As expected, it wasn't so easy to resolve. The power of the Rinnegan was far too bizarre and formidable.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade interrupted his thoughts, her fingers resting on his wrist as she probed with her chakra again. "Your body has recovered somewhat, but your meridians are still very fragile and require long-term nourishment. The most troublesome part is your mental energy and chakra core; they were overdrawn too severely, and the backlash from the Nine-Tails' chakra has also had a significant impact on you. For the time being, you cannot use any large-scale ninjutsu, especially the Flying Thunder God or the Tailed Beast chakra, unless you want to become a complete cripple."

Her diagnosis was direct, without any sugarcoating.

Ling nodded to show he understood. Being able to survive was already a stroke of luck.

"Brother, you scared me to death..." Naruto leaned in again, his eyes red, clutching Ling's hand tightly as if he would disappear if he let go.

Ling looked at Naruto, and the cold ruins of the battlefield in his heart seemed to have a corner melted by the warmth from this small palm. He raised his other hand, which he could barely move, and gently ruffled Naruto's blond hair.

"It's alright now," he said softly, his voice still hoarse but carrying a reassuring strength.

Naruto nodded vigorously, and tears finally spilled over, but he immediately wiped them away with his sleeve, breaking into a smile that was uglier than crying. "Yeah! As long as Brother is awake!"

Ling's gaze moved past Naruto to look at Tsunade and Jiraiya. "How is... the village?"

Tsunade crossed her arms. "I am the Fifth Hokage now. The village is being rebuilt, and there's a mountain of trouble. As for your 'Dawn Wind'..." She paused, glancing at Jiraiya. "Danzo found an excuse to place them under centralized custody. They're fine for now, but don't expect any freedom of movement."

Ling's eyes turned cold instantly. Danzo... he had indeed made a move while he was unconscious.

He tried to move his body, but a sharp pain surged, causing him to grunt and sweat to bead on his forehead.

"Don't move around!" Tsunade frowned. "What you need now is rest! As for things outside, Jiraiya and I are keeping an eye on them."

Ling did not insist further. He knew his current state; he couldn't even get out of bed, let alone deal with Danzo. He lay back down, closed his eyes, and began to silently sense and guide the pitifully weak chakra in his body, following the instinctive methods of the Sage Body to nourish his damaged meridians extremely slowly.

Waking up was only the first step. There was a longer road ahead and more trouble to handle.

Danzo, the Akatsuki organization, and that Obito hiding in the deeper shadows...

He needed power; he needed to recover as quickly as possible. Naruto was still waiting for him, and his companions in "Dawn Wind" were still waiting for him.

He could not stay down for long.