The spatial distortion from the Flying Thunder God Technique subsided inside the small house, and Ling and Kimimaro quietly appeared. Naruto was still fast asleep, his steady breathing the only sound in the room.
Kimimaro, experiencing space-time transportation for the first time, looked exceptionally pale. His body trembled slightly, but he quickly steadied himself. His green eyes swept across the unfamiliar surroundings before settling on Ling, filled with unreserved loyalty and eager anticipation of his orders.
Ling quickly sensed the outside world. Yamada, keeping watch, remained calm in the front courtyard and seemed not to have noticed anything unusual. The Flying Thunder God Technique's secrecy had exceeded Ling's expectations. It was certainly an excellent trump card.
But what should he do with Kimimaro now?
A living, breathing person—especially a young man with conspicuous silver hair and a Kekkei Genkai—had suddenly appeared in the courtyard of a home under close surveillance.
[ Ding! The host has encountered an early-stage challenge in building a faction. God-Level Choice activated! ] [ Option One: Use the Flying Thunder God Technique again and temporarily leave Kimimaro somewhere outside the village. Reward: Basic Breath Concealment Technique. Risk: Medium. Frequent spatial shifts might attract sensory ninja, and the outpost beyond the village is heavily guarded. ] [ Option Two: Use the Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on the guard, Yamada, and make him turn a blind eye to Kimimaro's presence. Reward: Genjutsu: Haze Servant Technique. Risk: High. Permanent control through genjutsu could easily be discovered by the Yamanaka Clan or an elite jonin. ] [ Option Three: "Honestly" tell the Third Hokage part of the truth. Claim Kimimaro is an orphaned wanderer whom you happened to rescue, and ask to take him in. Reward: Slightly increased favor with the Third Hokage and an initial "reasonable and legitimate" cover. Risk: Low, but a more thorough investigation will be required, and Kimimaro will be exposed. ]
Ling quickly considered his options. Option one would treat the symptoms, not the cause. Option two was too risky, like walking a tightrope. Option three seemed to expose Kimimaro openly. Given his current image as a "mature, kindhearted child with a strong protective streak," rescuing a homeless orphan would seem perfectly reasonable. The key was convincing the Third Hokage and getting him to make an exception.
"I choose option three."
[ Choice confirmed. The reward will be issued upon completion of the task. ]
Having made up his mind, Ling looked at Kimimaro and said softly, "This is where I live. It's also your temporary shelter. There's someone keeping watch outside. From here on, you'll need to act out a scene with me."
Kimimaro nodded without hesitation. "Yes, boss."
Ling quickly explained the story they would tell and had him rein in his sharpness, making himself look like a pitiful, taciturn orphan who had suffered greatly.
The next morning, Ling carried Naruto, while the downcast Kimimaro followed behind him, deliberately appearing frail and pitiful. They headed straight for Yamada, who was trimming the flowers in the front courtyard.
Yamada sensed the unfamiliar presence almost instantly. He spun around, a kunai appearing in his hand, and fixed his sharp gaze on Kimimaro.
"Ling! Who is he?!" Yamada demanded. Under his watch, a stranger had managed to slip inside. It was a grave dereliction of duty!
Ling's face took on an appropriately "anxious" and "pleading" expression. "Uncle Yamada, I'm sorry. I found him behind the house last night. He looked badly hurt, and he was hungry and cold, so I brought him inside. His name is Kimimaro. He's a homeless orphan."
Yamada furrowed his brows, his gaze sweeping over Kimimaro like a blade. White hair, strangely green eyes, a deathly pale face, unhealed scars, and marks from shackles on his ankles—nothing about him seemed ordinary. Yamada instinctively suspected there was more to the boy than met the eye.
"An orphan?" Yamada sneered. "Ling, you're young. You might not understand. Some people aren't as helpless as they look. I need to take him away!"
He stepped forward and reached for Kimimaro. Kimimaro's body tensed instantly. Though he was following Ling's instructions, a cold killing intent flashed deep in his eyes.
"No!" Ling abruptly stepped in front of Kimimaro, his voice resolute. "Uncle Yamada, he's just a poor kid! If you're going to take him away, then take me to see the Hokage too! I want to speak to Grandpa Hokage myself!"
He had invoked the Third Hokage. Yamada was one of the Anbu directly assigned to guard him, and probably belonged to Root. Without explicit orders, he wouldn't dare use force against a Jinchūriki.
Yamada's movements halted, his expression darkening. He had indeed been ordered to keep watch and protect Ling, but he didn't know how to handle an unexpected situation—especially one involving the wishes of another Jinchūriki.
As they stood at an impasse, an elderly voice broke the silence.
"What's going on?"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had appeared at the entrance to the courtyard. He must have been drawn by the commotion. His gaze passed over Ling and Naruto before finally settling on Kimimaro, whereupon his eyes grew intent.
"Lord Hiruzen!" Yamada immediately bowed and quickly explained the situation.
The Third Hokage walked up to Kimimaro and asked gently, "Child, what's your name? Where did you come from?"
Following Ling's prior instructions, Kimimaro lowered his head and replied haltingly in a hoarse voice, "I only know that my name is Kaguya Kimimaro. I don't remember anything else. I've been wandering around."
The Third Hokage reached out and gently rested his hand on Kimimaro's crown. A gentle pulse of chakra flowed into him as he examined the boy. He immediately sensed the unusual skeletal structure inside Kimimaro's body, so different from an ordinary person's, as well as the dormant, destructive power of a Kekkei Genkai! At the same time, he felt Kimimaro's weakness and the deep-rooted confusion within him.
A wandering orphan with a bloodline ability, sheltered by Ling.
The Third Hokage withdrew his hand and pondered for a moment. He looked at Ling, who stood stubbornly in front of Kimimaro, shielding him, then at Naruto, who was gazing up at him in bewilderment. Finally, his eyes settled on the emptiness in Kimimaro's expression, so at odds with his age.
A young man with a bloodline ability and no one to rely on had been rescued by Ling, a child who was already an exceptional asset. Ling was showing a strong desire to protect him. Forcibly separating them might provoke Ling's resentment and undermine the stability of a Jinchūriki. Keeping this young bloodline user in the open and under surveillance might also be safer than leaving him to wander, where another faction—Danzo, for instance—could secretly find him.
"Ah..." The Third Hokage sighed, as though making a difficult choice. "Since you rescued him, then he can stay here for now, Ling."
"Really? Thank you, Grandpa Hokage!" Ling looked genuinely surprised.
"However..." The Third Hokage's tone turned stern. "His situation still needs to be investigated more thoroughly. Yamada, increase surveillance here—no, protection. Also, I'll arrange for the medical team to come regularly and examine the boy."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yamada replied with his head lowered. His eyes flickered, giving no hint of what he was thinking.
[ Ding! Task complete. Reward issued: Slightly increased favor with the Third Hokage and an initial "reasonable and legitimate" cover. ]
The objective had been achieved. Kimimaro was allowed to stay, though he would be under stricter guard. That, too, was a kind of protection.
The Third Hokage gave a few more instructions, then left with Yamada. Only Ling, Naruto, and Kimimaro remained in the courtyard.
"We're safe for now," Ling told Kimimaro. "But from this moment on, you need to hide yourself better and get used to living here."
Kimimaro dropped to one knee. "Yes. My life and my will are yours to command."
Ling helped him up and gazed toward the courtyard entrance, as though he could see through the walls to the eyes watching from the shadows.
"Dawn Wind," he murmured. "The first feather is in place. Now, I need to find the next one."
In the shadows, news that "a mysterious bloodline user had appeared beside Uchiha Ling" was already making its way through unusual channels toward the depths of Konoha, into the hands of an old man wrapped in bandages.
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