The eerie resonance at his heart lasted only a brief instant before vanishing like an ebbing tide. The trace of Yin Release fluctuations from the same source deep within the Forest of Death disappeared without a trace as well.
But Ling knew it had been no illusion.
Distance and interference might have prevented the Jōgan's ability from maintaining a lock, but that tremor deep within his soul, and the subtle connection between the Mark and the Fragment, told him clearly-something related to the ancient Scroll or the Fragment lay hidden in the Forest of Death!
It was an opportunity, but also an enormous risk.
Had that mysterious person anticipated this when he planted the Mark? Was he using me as a probe to map the distribution of this dangerous energy?
Ling could not be certain. But he knew very well that he could not leave it alone. Whether to uncover the truth or potentially acquire greater power to face future crises, he had to investigate.
However, as an important training ground for Konoha, the Forest of Death was heavily guarded, especially at night. If he were caught entering without permission, the consequences would be unthinkable. Moreover, the forest itself was full of dangerous beasts and unsolved mysteries.
He needed a legitimate reason and the perfect opportunity.
The opportunity soon came.
A few days later, at the end of their regular Taijutsu training, Rock Lee wiped away his sweat and said to Ling with some excitement, "Ling! I heard that, to prepare for the upcoming Joint Chunin Ninja Exams (if there are any), jonin instructors can apply to take their teams into the Forest of Death early for acclimatization training! Guy-sensei has already obtained permission for our team to train there tomorrow afternoon! This is a great chance to experience a dangerous environment and ignite the passion of youth!"
The Forest of Death? Training? Ling's heart gave a sudden leap, but just the right amount of "worry" appeared on his face. "The Forest of Death? I've heard it's dangerous in there..."
"It's precisely because it's dangerous that it can hone us better!" Rock Lee gave him a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming. "Don't worry! With Guy-sensei and Neji there, we'll protect you! Besides, we'll only be operating around the perimeter!"
The perimeter? That would be enough. Based on what he had sensed that night, the source of the fluctuations did not seem to be in the heart of the forest.
"I see... then this really is a valuable opportunity." Ling nodded, his eyes showing "anticipation" and "a hint of nervousness."
The plan had worked. He could enter the Forest of Death openly now.
The next afternoon, at the edge of Training Ground Three.
Might Guy was as energetic as ever, his green jumpsuit particularly striking in the sunlight. "Ohhh! This is the proving ground of youth! Today's objective is endurance tracking and countertracking around the perimeter of the Forest of Death! Lee, Neji, Ling! Show me your enthusiasm!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee roared back, brimming with spirit even on crutches.
Neji Hyuga gave a cool nod, his white eyes sweeping over Ling with a barely perceptible hint of scrutiny. He had remained wary of this Uchiha orphan who had suddenly appeared, been recruited into the Hokage's Direct Unit, and possessed a strange Sharingan.
Ling quietly adjusted his condition, keeping the Jōgan's power partially activated so that it would not consume too much energy while still continuously sensing the energy flows around him.
The four-person team entered the Forest of Death. Towering trees blotted out the sky, and the light immediately dimmed. The scent of earth and rotting leaves filled the air, while the howls of unknown beasts occasionally sounded in the distance.
Guy led the way, demonstrating all sorts of highly difficult physical exercises. Rock Lee struggled to keep up, scrambling to his feet immediately whenever he fell. Neji activated his Byakugan, taking in every Chakra flow within a kilometer as he kept watch and instructed Ling in countertracking techniques.
While learning the tracking and concealment techniques Neji taught him, Ling sank most of his attention into the Jōgan's perception. Like a precision radar, he carefully sifted through the forest's vast, jumbled energy signals-the life energy of plants, the savage Chakra of beasts, the occasional lingering traces of ninja training...
Time ticked by, and the training proceeded in an orderly fashion. Guy and Lee's passionate shouts formed an eerie contrast to the forest's stillness.
Halfway through the training, as they approached the ruins of an abandoned training facility near the forest's middle section, Ling's Jōgan suddenly picked up something unusual!
It was an extremely faint, intermittent fluctuation of cold energy, seemingly forcibly suppressed and concealed by something! It shared the same source as the aura of the Fragment inside his clothes, but it was more impure, more chaotic, and... carried lingering emotions of intense hatred and pain!
Its source lay beneath that abandoned facility!
Ling's heartbeat abruptly quickened. Suppressing his excitement, he continued the training movements without betraying anything, but his attention had already locked completely onto that direction.
"Neji," Ling suddenly said, pointing toward a dense patch of bushes on the other side of the abandoned facility, "the traces in the fallen leaves over there seem a little strange. Could you take a look for me? I'm still not very accurate at judging details like these."
He deliberately posed a question to divert Neji's attention for a moment.
Neji looked in the direction he pointed, scanning it with his Byakugan. "They're merely traces left by the wind and small animals passing through. Nothing unusual." His tone held a faint trace of resignation, as though he thought Ling was making a fuss over nothing.
But in those few brief seconds, Ling held his hands behind his back and formed several seals with lightning-fast fingers. A barely perceptible strand of Chakra carrying the Jōgan's properties slipped silently underground like an invisible thread, precisely touching the suppressed energy source!
[Jōgan: Subtle Sensory Eavesdropping]!
In an instant, countless chaotic, fragmented whispers and flashes of images filled with pain surged into Ling's mind like floodwaters bursting through a dam!
"...The seal... has loosened..." "...It hurts so much... why are you doing this to us..." "...Experiments... failures... dispose of them..." "...Lord... Danzo... have mercy..." "...Energy... fusion... rejection... aaaargh-!" "...The underground... altar... stay away..."
The information was fragmented, mixed with desperate screams and pleas, as though it were an amalgamation of the lingering consciousnesses of many souls! And the words that appeared most often were "experiments," "failures," and "Danzo"!
Ling's face instantly grew somewhat pale, and his body swayed almost imperceptibly. He swiftly severed the Chakra Threads.
"What's wrong?" Neji keenly noticed the change in him and immediately turned his Byakugan back toward him.
"N-nothing." Ling forced a smile and rubbed his temples. "Maybe the tracking just now took a little too much out of me. I suddenly felt a bit dizzy."
Guy noticed what was happening as well and appeared beside them in a flash, asking with concern, "Young Ling, are you all right? Are you having trouble adjusting to the miasma here? Today's training is nearly done anyway, so let's end it here! Youth needs proper rest too!"
Rock Lee also cast him a concerned look.
Ling took the opportunity to nod. "I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble."
On the way back, Ling remained silent, but a storm was already raging within him.
Beneath the Forest of Death, under the abandoned training facility, there was actually a secret experimental site connected to Danzo! And it seemed to be conducting some sort of forbidden experiments involving Yin Release energy, and even human fusion! The resentment and lingering consciousnesses of those failures had even formed such a dense concentration of energy!
That fluctuation sharing the Fragment's source was very likely energy leaking from some powerful "failure" or experimental product!
Danzo... just how many inhumane experiments has he conducted in secret? Was the Uchiha Clan Massacre connected to these experiments too?
The Mark at his heart warmed faintly again, as though mocking him silently, or urging him on.
Ling felt a chill rise up his spine, but what followed was an even firmer resolve.
He had found a major piece of leverage against Danzo. Though it could not yet shake the foundations of his power, it was undoubtedly a weapon that might prove lethal in the future.
And the energy in there... dangerous and evil as it was, if I could carefully absorb and purify it, might it become fuel for rapid growth?
Risk and reward went hand in hand.
Back at the dormitory, Ling sat alone in his room, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop.
The secret of the Forest of Death weighed on his heart like a heavy boulder, yet it was also like a light in the darkness, pointing toward a dangerous shortcut that might lead to strength.
How should I use this discovery?
Report it directly to Tsunade? There wasn't enough evidence, and it could easily alert the enemy. Danzo could deny any involvement entirely.
Investigate in secret? The risk was enormous. If I were discovered, there would be no coming back.
Hold back for now and wait for an opportunity?
Countless thoughts clashed in his mind.
Finally, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He needed more information, and even more than that... power.
Perhaps I could find an opportunity to approach that place again and conduct a more covert, more thorough investigation...
A bold plan began to take shape slowly in his mind.
Before you continue