Autumn, Year 60 of Konoha. The funeral of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had just ended, and grief and heaviness hung in the air. Before the heroes' graves, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving just one figure still standing there.
Uchiha Ling was a boy with an unremarkable name, a member of a branch family who had "luckily" survived the catastrophe that destroyed the Uchiha Clan. He wore black mourning clothes and had black hair and black eyes. His delicate features carried a trace of pale gloom incongruous with his age. His head was slightly bowed, as though in silent mourning, but anyone who could see beneath his lowered eyelids would have discovered that his pupils were not an ordinary black.
An extremely faint, almost imperceptible glassy sheen slowly swirled in the depths of his eyes.
[Jōgan vision activated: analyzing residual emotional energy in the environment... Grief (78%), worry (65%), fear (12%), malice (3%)... Tracing source: locked on, 37 meters southeast, behind a tree.]
Ling's thoughts stirred. Malice? On an occasion like this? He did not raise his gaze, but the extraordinary perception granted by his "Jōgan" had already extended in that direction like invisible tendrils. This was not malice directed at the deceased, but a cold, appraising gaze, like a venomous snake locking onto its prey-and its target was Ling himself.
So they came after all... Ling sneered inwardly, while his face displayed just the right trace of exhaustion from excessive grief. He coughed softly twice, making himself seem even more harmless.
It had been a year since he had transmigrated into this world, possessing a boy also named Uchiha Ling, who had been forgotten by his clan after a severe illness left him near death. These "Jōgan," which seemed to originate from the Ōtsutsuki Clan, had arrived with him. Rather than directly granting world-destroying power, they brought exceptionally strong perception, insight, and an extreme sensitivity to the flow of energy. More importantly, they seemed connected to some deeper "rules" of this world, occasionally allowing Ling to passively "glimpse" fragments of the future-not complete prophecies, but vague "possibilities" filled with uncertainty.
It was precisely these fragmentary visions of "possibilities," combined with his knowledge of the original story, that had allowed him to "coincidentally" be moved away from the center of the clan compound because of his severe illness on the night of the massacre, and "coincidentally" lie asleep in an absolutely safe underground secret vault. Thus, he had become one of the Uchiha Clan's only "two" publicly known survivors (the other being Itachi), and had avoided Root's rigorous scrutiny thanks to severe "shock" and a "relapse of his old illness."
Once the funeral was completely over, Ling silently left with the sparse flow of people. That cold malice followed him like a shadow.
[Jōgan notification: malicious attention remains locked on. Energy signature analysis: cold, concealed, possessing extremely strong properties of mental suggestion... Database match (constructed from glimpsed fragments): Root member, probability 87%.]
Danzo's men... They couldn't wait to check my condition again so soon? Or was my performance in that C-rank mission I recently completed "by chance" a little too "perfectly measured"? Ling's thoughts raced. He knew that an unexpected "survivor" like him had always been a thorn in Danzo's side. Only the Third's protection-or rather, surveillance-and the lack of evidence had kept Danzo from acting. Now that the Third had passed away, certain people would probably no longer be able to restrain themselves.
Returning to his small house on the outskirts of Konoha, simple but clean, Ling locked the door. The fragility and exhaustion on his face vanished instantly, replaced by utter calm. He walked to a corner of the room and formed a simple hand seal. A faint ripple of chakra flashed, and a rudimentary soundproof barrier spread out.
He sat down at the table and closed his eyes. Rather than resting, he actively triggered the power of his "Jōgan."
[Jōgan vision: deep perception mode activated. Projecting future possibilities based on current information fragments (malice at the funeral, recent mission irregularities, transition of power in Konoha)...]
Within his mind, countless blurry fragments of images began rapidly combining, colliding, and evolving.
Fragment one: late at night, several Anbu (Root?) wearing animal masks surrounded the house and forcibly took him away. Fragment two: at the Forest of Death training grounds, he suffered an "accidental" attack by a ferocious summoned beast. Fragment three: in a hospital ward, he was injected with some colorless, odorless drug, and his chakra gradually dissipated. Fragment four: a figure stood with his back to him, bandages wrapped around his shoulder, his voice icy: "The power of the Uchiha cannot be allowed to exist beyond our control." Fragment five: (extremely blurry) endless darkness, pairs of scarlet Sharingan opening in the darkness, staring at him... Fragment six: (flashing past) a golden flash, the enormous phantom of a fox roaring...
The projection ended. Ling slowly opened his eyes, fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples. Actively projecting possibilities consumed enormous amounts of mental energy and chakra.
"More than a sixty percent chance of being 'dealt with' within a month?" Ling murmured, his gaze sharp. "Danzo, are you really that wary of one 'sickly' Uchiha orphan?"
But he did not panic. The Jōgan's projections were not a future destined to happen, but the most likely course of events based on current conditions. And the "satisfying" part was that he could see these "possibilities" and change the "future" by intervening in the "present"!
"If quietly lying low won't keep me safe, then my only choice is..." Ling's gaze settled on a mission scroll on the table. It was a newly posted B-Rank Mission: investigate a series of incidents in which residents of a small town on the Land of Fire's border had fallen unconscious, suspected to be connected to some kind of mental genjutsu. The mission description emphasized the need for a ninja with keen perception.
This mission had also flashed through the fragments of his recent projection, linked to "some kind of pure Yin Release Chakra."
"Opportunity often hides within danger." Ling picked up the mission scroll, a cold curve forming at the corner of his lips. "Root? Danzo? You think I'm a pawn waiting for judgment? Little do you know that these eyes of mine have already seen the board several moves ahead."
He needed power. He needed to grow stronger faster, and to demonstrate his "value" in a reasonable, plausible way that would draw the attention of Konoha High Command (especially Tsunade, who would soon return, and Naruto's future faction), while deftly avoiding Danzo's clutches. This mission was an ideal stepping stone-it would let him demonstrate his "innately" keen perception (thanks to the Jōgan), give him access to something that might increase his strength (that pure Yin Release Chakra), and, more importantly, allow him to leave Konoha, temporarily escaping Root's direct surveillance and gaining room to maneuver.
The next day, Ling accepted the B-Rank Mission. As expected, when he left the mission hall, that cold, malicious gaze appeared again, now carrying a little more scrutiny and puzzlement.
[Jōgan notification: emotional change in source of malice. New emotions: puzzlement (45%), wariness (30%).]
Are they wondering why I dared to accept a B-Rank Mission? Or are they wary that I might have some other purpose? Ling betrayed nothing and headed straight for the village entrance.
Two other ninja were accompanying him: Aoi, a young female Chunin skilled in Medical Ninjutsu and toxins, and Inuzuka Gaku, an experienced veteran Special Jōnin from Tsume Inuzuka's clan who specialized in tracking.
"Oh? You're that kid from the Uchiha Clan?" Inuzuka Gaku was a hearty middle-aged man. He patted Ling's shoulder. "You don't look too sturdy. Will you be all right? I hear there's something strange about this mission."
At just the right moment, Ling showed a slightly shy yet resolute smile. "I'll be fine, Mr. Gaku. My sensory abilities are fairly good. I should be able to help."
Aoi smiled gently. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on everyone's physical condition."
The three-person team set out and soon disappeared into the forest beyond the Konoha Gate.
However, none of them noticed that, in the shadow of a large tree in the distance, a Root member wearing a tanuki mask was quietly watching the direction in which they had departed. He spoke softly into the communicator in his hand. "The target has left the village after accepting the B-Rank Mission 'Investigate the Sleeping Town.' Companions: Inuzuka Gaku and Chunin Aoi. Objective unknown. Requesting instructions."
After a brief silence, an emotionless voice came from the other end of the communicator. "Observe. If necessary, an 'accident' can happen during the mission. The Sharingan must be retrieved."
"Yes." The tanuki-masked figure melted into the shadows and followed without a sound.
On the forest path, the corner of Ling's lips moved almost imperceptibly.
[Jōgan notification: source of malice continues pursuit, distance 500 meters. New emotion: killing intent (5%).]
Following me? Perfect... A glassy gleam flashed through Ling's eyes and vanished. Then let this mission become my first stepping stone toward changing my fate. And let me show you just how satisfying a reversal the advantage of "foresight" can bring!
The road ahead was shrouded in the fog of the unknown. What secrets lay behind the town's sleeping incidents? When would Root's deadly pursuit strike? And how would Ling use the Jōgan's predictive abilities to stay one step ahead amid danger, seize power, and play out a thrilling tale of a comeback against impossible odds?
All of this had only just begun...
Before you continue