A New Journey: The Darkness of the Ninja World

Tsunade's arrival instantly reversed the situation on the battlefield.

She stood atop the ruins, flames of anger burning in her emerald eyes. The pressure of a Kage-level powerhouse made even the members of Root retreat involuntarily.

"All invaders, withdraw at once!" Tsunade's voice rang across the entire battlefield. "Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!"

Shizune followed close behind, medical ninja tools already prepared in her hands. Tonton fidgeted uneasily on her shoulder.

The remaining Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja began to retreat in panic. Under Tsunade's intimidation, they understood that continuing the battle was utterly meaningless.

Ling knelt on one knee, panting violently. The continuous battles had nearly drained his chakra, and his Sharingan ached dully from overuse.

"You did very well."

Tsunade walked to Ling's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Warm chakra flowed into his body, easing his exhaustion.

"The Third, he..." Ling raised his head, his voice a little hoarse.

Tsunade's eyes dimmed for an instant, then turned firm. "Teacher Sarutobi fulfilled his duty. Now it's our turn to protect the Hidden Leaf Village."

She looked around at the devastated village and took a deep breath. "Shizune, organize all medical ninja immediately. Prioritize the critically wounded."

"Yes!" Shizune moved at once.

Ling forced himself to stand. "I'll help too."

Under Tsunade's command, the rescue work proceeded in an orderly manner. Relying on his newly acquired medical knowledge and the precise control of his Sharingan, Ling played an important role in treating the wounded.

***

By the time night fell, the initial rescue work finally came to an end.

Ling stood alone on Hokage Rock, looking down over the Hidden Leaf Village, where only scattered lights remained. The battle during the day had left far too many scars on this village.

"So this is where you were."

Sasuke's voice came from behind him. The injuries on his body had already been treated, but the gloom in his eyes had grown even deeper.

"Will you attend tomorrow's funeral?" Sasuke asked.

Ling nodded. "Of course. The Third Hokage sacrificed himself to protect the Hidden Leaf Village."

Sasuke was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "I'm leaving the Hidden Leaf Village."

Ling whipped his head around. "What?"

"Orochimaru was right. Staying in the Hidden Leaf Village won't give me the power I need for revenge." A crimson light flashed in Sasuke's eyes. "I'm going to pursue greater power."

"You know perfectly well Orochimaru is only using you!"

"So what?" Sasuke sneered. "As long as I can obtain power, I don't care what price I have to pay."

Looking at Sasuke's resolute back, Ling knew there was no way to make him stay. The Uchiha obsession was like a wound that could never heal, festering endlessly in the darkness.

***

The Third's funeral was held the next day.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village was shrouded in grief. The villagers came of their own accord to both sides of the streets to send off this Hokage, who had guarded the Hidden Leaf Village for decades.

Ling stood in the crowd, watching the coffin move slowly forward. He noticed that Naruto was crying especially hard. This boy, who had always treated the Third like a grandfather, was now bearing immense pain.

"Is this the fate of a ninja..." Ling murmured softly to himself.

After the funeral ended, Tsunade held an emergency meeting in the Hokage's office.

"The Hidden Leaf Village is now facing an unprecedented crisis." Tsunade's expression was grave. "The Third has sacrificed himself, a large number of ninja are dead or wounded, and our infrastructure has been severely damaged."

The clan heads of the major families gathered together, the atmosphere heavy.

"The most important thing is to select a new Hokage," Koharu Utatane said.

Everyone's gaze focused on Tsunade.

"I understand." Tsunade took a deep breath. "Until a suitable candidate is found, I will temporarily act as Hokage."

After the meeting ended, Ling was asked to stay behind alone.

"I've already heard about your performance in this battle." Tsunade looked at Ling. "Awakening the Sharingan, fighting Shukaku alone, even seriously injuring Orochimaru..."

She paused, then continued, "However, the curse mark inside your body is still a hidden danger."

Ling nodded silently.

"I'll find a way to help you resolve this problem," Tsunade said. "But before that, you must learn to control this power."

Just then, an Anbu suddenly appeared.

"Lady Tsunade, urgent intelligence."

The Anbu handed over a scroll. After Tsunade finished reading it, her expression changed abruptly.

"The Akatsuki Organization has begun to move."

She handed the scroll to Ling. "It seems the days of peace won't last much longer."

Ling looked at the intelligence on the scroll, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart. A mysterious organization called Akatsuki was becoming active in various places, and their target seemed to be... the tailed beasts.

"I need you to keep growing stronger," Tsunade said seriously. "The Hidden Leaf Village of the future will need your generation to protect it."

Ling clenched his fists, and the Sharingan appeared unconsciously.

"I understand."

A new journey was about to begin. And in the depths of the darkness, even more crises were brewing.

(The End of Chapter Thirty-One)