Corpse Bone Pulse and Absolute Faith

Several days passed quietly in anticipation. Ling and Naruto moved into a small, independent courtyard arranged by the Third Hokage. The environment was much more tranquil than the orphanage, and their daily life was managed by a taciturn, sharp-eyed middle-aged retired ninja. Ling knew full well that this guard, named "Yamada," was there far more for surveillance than for care.

He did not mind, spending most of his days familiarizing himself with the power within his body. The recovery and sensory abilities brought by his Sage Body allowed him to progress rapidly, and his suppression of the Nine-Tails' chakra became increasingly effortless, with the fusion rate slowly rising to 3%. Although his single-tomoe Sharingan had not been activated again, that cold, piercing ocular power remained poised deep within his eyes.

Under his care and the subtle nourishment of his Sage chakra, Naruto was healthier and more lively than other children his age, and his reliance on Ling grew with each passing day.

Late one night, Ling routinely attempted to check his mission status through the anonymous channel provided by the system. As he connected his consciousness to that distant information node, a brief message was fed back:

[Mission: Rescue. Status: Completed. Target has been delivered to the designated coordinates (Eastern Border of the Land of Fire, Abandoned Outpost No. 77). Please confirm receipt within 48 hours. Failure to do so will be considered a forfeiture.]

Completed!

Ling's spirit lifted, and his fatigue vanished instantly. The efficiency of the system's anonymous channel was higher than he had expected, and it seemed reliable enough. The problem now was how to leave Konoha and head to the distant border without arousing the suspicion of his monitor.

Slipping away directly was too risky; it was almost equivalent to defecting. He needed a reasonable excuse, or... a method that would go undetected.

[Ding! Host requirement detected, God-level choice triggered!]

[Option 1: Use basic transformation techniques to create a clone to distract the guard, while the main body sneaks out. Reward: Shadow Clone Technique (Incomplete). Risk: Medium; the clone is easily seen through by Jonin-level ninjas, and the main body faces exposure risks while outside.]

[Option 2: Use Sharingan genjutsu on the guard Yamada to briefly control his perception. Reward: Genjutsu: Nirvana Fervor (Modified). Risk: High; may cause irreversible damage to the target's mind and is easily discovered during subsequent inspections.]

[Option 3: Utilize the speed of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to move at ultra-high speeds, completing the round trip during a gap in surveillance. Reward: Minor increase in chakra control. Risk: Extremely high; the Nine-Tails chakra fluctuations are highly likely to trigger a village-wide alert!]

Each of the three options carried immense risk. Ling frowned, weighing the pros and cons. Option 3 was ruled out immediately; that was tantamount to suicide. The risks of the genjutsu in Option 2 were difficult to control. It seemed only Option 1...

No, there was another possibility! He suddenly thought of something—or rather, a reward he had not yet claimed.

"System, when I completed a choice before, didn't the reward list include the 'Flying Raijin Jutsu'?" He remembered that in the choice during the Nine-Tails' attack, Option B's reward had included this space-time ninjutsu.

[Ding! The Flying Raijin Jutsu was an unselected reward, and the host did not obtain it. However, detecting that the host already possesses a primary Sage Body and high-level space-time ninjutsu talent (due to system and transmigrator characteristics), you may consume one 'God-level choice' opportunity to unlock the 'Flying Raijin Jutsu (Incomplete)' in advance—limited to marking and teleporting to pre-set coordinates.]

One choice opportunity in exchange for an incomplete but vital space-time ability! Ling barely hesitated.

"Redeem!"

[Redemption successful! Host has obtained 'Flying Raijin Jutsu (Incomplete)'. Current settable coordinate points: 1. Teleportation distance: Based on host's chakra volume and mental strength. The receiving coordinates (Outpost No. 77) have been automatically set as the current coordinate point.]

A profound knowledge regarding space-time coordinate positioning, instantaneous chakra bursts, and spatial folding flooded his mind. Although incomplete, it opened a new door for him. At the same time, he clearly sensed that in a distant place, a "point" was resonating strongly with him.

Now!

Ling glanced at Naruto, who was sleeping soundly beside him, confirming he wouldn't wake up for a while. He walked to the corner of the room, held his breath, and focused, his hands quickly forming several complex hand seals—this was a guiding technique, not the jutsu itself.

"Flying Raijin Jutsu!"

Nearly a third of his chakra was drained in an instant! A strong sense of spatial displacement washed over him, and the scene before his eyes shattered and rotated like a broken mirror. The next second, the feeling of weightlessness vanished, and he found himself in a completely different environment.

Moonlight shone through the dilapidated roof, and the air was filled with dust and the smell of mold. This was exactly the abandoned Outpost No. 77 mentioned in the information, surrounded by broken walls and ruins.

In the center of the outpost, a white-haired boy sat with his back to him, curled up against the cold stone wall. He wore tattered clothes, with broken shackles on his wrists and ankles, and some newly healed scars and tiny bone spurs could be seen on his exposed skin.

Seeming to hear the movement, the boy turned his head abruptly. It was an extremely handsome yet deathly pale face, his green eyes filled with beast-like vigilance, numbness, and a trace of bottomless bewilderment.

"Who are you?" His voice was hoarse and dry, carrying heavy hostility. Several sharp bone spurs instantly protruded from his elbows, shimmering with a ghostly white luster under the moonlight.

Shikotsumyaku! It really was Kaguya Kimimaro!

Ling looked at him calmly, releasing no killing intent and showing not a shred of fear. He walked forward slowly and stopped five steps away from Kimimaro.

"I am the one who has come to take you out of that cage," Ling said, his voice not loud but carrying a peculiar power of penetration, "Kaguya Kimimaro."

Kimimaro's body trembled slightly, his vigilance intensifying: "Your goal? Do you also want this cursed body of mine?" The bloodline disease within him made him suffer constantly, leading him to believe that his very existence was a sin.

"A curse?" Ling shook his head gently, his gaze fixed on Kimimaro's hollow eyes. "No, what I see is power. Power that is feared by the ignorant, but appreciated by the truly strong."

He raised his hand, his fingertips wreathed in a trace of extremely faint, yet incredibly pure, life-filled Sage chakra. This aura made the restless bloodline within Kimimaro seem to calm down slightly.

"You have been searching for the meaning of your existence, haven't you?" Ling's words struck like a heavy hammer against Kimimaro's heart. "In the darkness of being imprisoned, studied, and used as a tool."

Kimimaro fell silent, his bone spurs slightly retracting, but the bewilderment in his eyes deepened.

"Come with me." Ling reached out his hand to him, his eyes sincere and firm. "Your power is not a curse, but a gift. Your existence is not meant to be used by others, but to protect what is worth protecting, and to carry out your own will."

"My... my will?" Kimimaro murmured; the term was too foreign to him.

"Yes. Serve me, become the sword in my hand and the shield at my back." Ling's voice carried an unquestionable power. "And I will give you the meaning of your existence, a home worthy of your loyalty and strength. As for your illness, I will find a way to cure it."

Under the moonlight, Ling's figure seemed to be shrouded in a halo in Kimimaro's eyes. This mysterious boy who had suddenly appeared had not only pulled him out of hell but also affirmed his power, promised to heal his pain, and was now bestowing upon him a "meaning" he had never dared to hope for.

The long-standing darkness and despair seemed to have a sliver of light shine through at this moment.

Kimimaro looked at Ling's outstretched hand; there was no pity or greed in it, only a sense of equal recognition and expectation. The bloodline within him was exceptionally docile under the soothing influence of the Sage chakra.

Slowly and tremblingly, he retracted all his bone spurs. Then, he knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and pressed his forehead gently against the cold ground. This was the most solemn gesture he could conceive.

"My body... my power... everything I am..." His voice was still hoarse, but it carried an unprecedented firmness and devotion. "From this day forward, it is all yours."

"May I ask... how should I address you?"

Ling looked at the white-haired boy kneeling on the ground, knowing that the first and most loyal cornerstone had been laid.

"Just call me 'Ling'." He helped Kimimaro up. "Let's go, it's time to return. The path that belongs to us has only just begun."

He formed the seals again, mobilized his chakra, and placed one hand on Kimimaro's shoulder.

"Flying Raijin Jutsu!"

Space twisted once more, and the two figures vanished from the abandoned outpost, leaving behind only the cold moonlight still shining upon the ruins.