The distant resonance from the Fragment was like a faint thread deep in Ling's heart, constantly reminding him that undercurrents stirred in the vast world beyond Konoha. But he knew full well that with his current strength and standing, recklessly investigating would be like smashing an egg against a rock. He suppressed that stirring and focused on his immediate Anbu duties and his own training.
Several busy weeks passed. Ling gradually grew accustomed to his identity as "Crow," completing basic missions cleanly and efficiently, and developing a greater rapport with "Fox." From the slight fluctuations in emotion that Fox occasionally revealed, which his Jōgan caught, he could sometimes sense that this stern captain was fairly satisfied with his performance.
One evening, Ling had just finished an extra Taijutsu training session with Rock Lee and was about to return to the Anbu quarters when a kunai bearing a special talisman silently embedded itself in the tree trunk beside him. It was Fox's emergency summons.
Ling's gaze sharpened. He swiftly changed direction and reached their agreed secluded clearing in the woods outside the village in a few bounds.
Fox was already waiting there, still dressed in her navy-blue uniform, her fox mask gleaming coldly in the fading sunset. Beside her stood another masked female ninja, petite and gentle in bearing yet with an air of tenacity, carrying something rolled up on her back that seemed to be a musical instrument.
"This is 'Azure Phoenix,' another member of our squad. She just returned from a long-term mission," Fox introduced briefly. "'Crow,' we have an urgent mission."
The female ninja codenamed Azure Phoenix gave Ling a slight nod in greeting, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal through her mask. "Hello, 'Crow.'"
Ling nodded in return, then turned his gaze to Fox.
Fox took out an encrypted scroll and swiftly unrolled it. "According to intelligence sent back at the risk of his life by an undercover operative in the Land of Rain, it has been confirmed that the Akatsuki organization's base of operations is very likely inside Amegakure. The intelligence also mentions that Amegakure has recently been tightly sealed off, and some kind of large-scale chakra fluctuation experiment seems to be taking place inside, possibly involving a Tailed Beast. Mission: infiltrate the border region of the Land of Rain, rendezvous with our undercover operative 'Late Autumn,' who is about to withdraw, and verify conditions inside Amegakure as far as possible. Mission rank: S."
S-rank! Ling's heart skipped a beat. With Akatsuki directly involved, along with the possible presence of a Tailed Beast, there was no question about the level of risk.
"I'll lead this mission. 'Azure Phoenix' will handle long-range communications, sensory support, and medical care. 'Crow,' you're responsible for close-range reconnaissance, keeping watch, and assisting with the rendezvous." Fox spoke extremely quickly, her instructions clear and orderly. "It rains year-round in the Land of Rain. The environment is unusual, and sensory abilities are limited. Azure Phoenix's secret technique can overcome the interference to a degree, but we must still exercise caution in everything. Remember, our primary objective is to rendezvous with Late Autumn and bring back the intelligence. Unless necessary, avoid clashes with Akatsuki or Amegakure's main forces. Understood?"
"Understood!" Ling and Azure Phoenix answered together.
"Ten minutes to prepare. Meet at the village entrance." Fox issued her final instruction, then vanished in a flicker.
Ling took a deep breath, suppressing the tumult within him. Was he finally going to come into real contact with this behemoth hidden in the mist? He touched the Fragment inside his clothes. It remained docile, showing no particular reaction to the direction of this mission.
Ten minutes later, at the Konoha Gate, all three had changed into dark, waterproof cloaks that allowed easy movement, their masks hidden in the shadows of their hoods. Without any unnecessary words, under the solemn gazes of the gate guards, they swiftly left Konoha like three shadows merging into the twilight, racing northwest toward the Land of Rain.
Along the way, Fox demonstrated extensive wilderness experience and formidable counter-tracking skills, choosing extremely tricky routes to avoid any potential watchers as much as possible. Azure Phoenix stopped from time to time, forming hand seals and closing her eyes to sense their surroundings. Her sensory range seemed exceptionally broad, and she was unusually sensitive to chakra fluctuations, warning them several times in advance of Amegakure patrol squads in the distance.
Ling quietly watched and learned, keeping his Jōgan's sensory range within reasonable limits as he helped keep watch. He noticed that whenever Azure Phoenix used her sensory abilities, the rolled-up "instrument" on her back emitted extremely subtle chakra fluctuations, seemingly amplifying her perception.
After two straight days of traveling without sleep or rest, the three finally reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. Damp moisture began to fill the air, and the sky grew overcast.
In a dense border forest, Fox signaled a halt. "The Land of Rain lies just ahead. Rainfall will become the norm. 'Azure Phoenix,' establish a temporary communications point and try to contact Late Autumn."
Azure Phoenix nodded, found a concealed hollow in a tree, and began laying out a complex sealing formation.
Ling and Fox spread out nearby to keep watch. Rain began to drizzle down, pattering against the leaves with a rustling sound that severely disrupted hearing and conventional sensory abilities.
About an hour later, Azure Phoenix emerged from the tree hollow, her tone grave. "I made contact, but the signal is extremely weak and unstable. Late Autumn is in very bad shape. His chakra is disordered, and he seems to be seriously injured. He gave us rendezvous coordinates at an abandoned shrine about twenty-five kilometers southeast of Amegakure, at midnight tomorrow. He also repeatedly stressed... inside Amegakure, 'God's gaze' is everywhere."
God's gaze? Ling and Fox exchanged a glance, each seeing the gravity in the other's eyes. This clearly referred to some powerful means of surveillance, very likely connected to Amegakure's mysterious leader, Hanzo of the Salamander, the "Demigod," or perhaps... a method employed by Akatsuki.
"Confirm the coordinates and plan a route. Prioritize concealment," Fox ordered swiftly. "'Azure Phoenix,' keep trying to stabilize communications and obtain more details. 'Crow,' heighten your vigilance. This rain... isn't right."
Ling had felt it too. The rain was not merely icy cold. It also seemed to contain an extremely faint, strange energy that could seemingly penetrate chakra, leaving one uneasy. He quietly activated his Jōgan. In his vision, every strand of rain across the sky seemed to carry a faint, barely perceptible chakra thread, like an enormous sensory network enveloping heaven and earth!
This rain... really was alive! It was some kind of enormous sensory barrier!
He quietly told Fox and Azure Phoenix what he had discovered.
Fox's gaze beneath her mask sharpened further. "It seems Late Autumn's warning was true. Everyone, suppress your chakra further. Do not use ninjutsu unless necessary. Keep our route away from open ground, and use dense woods and terrain for cover."
The mission's difficulty rose sharply because of this omnipresent Rain Tiger at Will Technique.
Like true ghosts, the three stealthily made their way toward the abandoned shrine through the increasingly heavy curtain of rain. Every step required the utmost caution, as though they were walking beneath the scrutiny of countless unseen eyes.
Ling could feel that after entering the Land of Rain, the Fragment inside his clothes seemed even quieter than usual. Even that distant resonance had weakened considerably, as though it, too, feared something.
Ahead, the outline of the abandoned shrine flickered in and out of sight through the rain, like a lurking giant beast.
And in the darkness, unknown danger waited silently.
Before you continue