Only after leaving the suffocating confines of the Root Base and returning to the surface, where the cold night wind brushed his face, did Ling feel alive again. His brief, fifteen-minute confrontation with Danzo had been no less dangerous than facing the rampaging One-Tail.
He did not return to his temporary quarters immediately. Instead, he took several detours, making sure he had shaken off any possible tails before finding a relatively safe, secluded corner of the ruins. Leaning against a cold, broken wall, he slowly steadied his breathing and heartbeat.
That old dog Danzo is more troublesome than I expected. Tobirama's voice carried cold anger and a hint of gravity. His interest in you far exceeds our expectations. Now that he's failed to recruit you, his surveillance and investigations will only intensify. We need to move faster.
What should we do next? Ling asked inwardly, feeling a growing sense of urgency.
Follow the original plan and pursue several fronts at once, Tobirama decided swiftly. First, we must accelerate the deal with Orochimaru. Get concrete intelligence on the Akatsuki and his soul research as soon as possible, especially any clues that might involve "Kara." At the same time, come up with a preliminary solution for his hands and keep him on board. He's an important source of outside leverage.
Second, we need a different approach to strengthening young Ino. We can't keep using conventional training methods, or Root might notice and connect it to the earlier special training.
Third, you need to master the basic applications of Flying Thunder God as soon as possible.
Fourth, stay alert for any unusual information.
The plan was clear, but every part of it posed immense difficulties.
How should we approach things with Ino? Ling asked. Under Root's close surveillance, any frequent private contact could