The air seemed to freeze.
Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, falling in patches across the forest path and the mysterious visitor. Those eyes with their strange ripples gave off an indifferent, imposing light in the shadows, like a god looking down on ants.
Ling's heart hammered, every cell in his body screaming danger! This pressure far surpassed even that of rampaging Tailed Beast Chakra (based on a comparison with the fragmentary Nine-Tails images the Jōgan had captured earlier)! Merely by standing there, the stranger seemed to command everything around him.
Inuzuka Gaku and Kuromaru, inside the carriage, seemed to sense the suffocating pressure too, letting out uneasy groans in their unconsciousness.
"Who... are you?" Ling's voice was painfully dry, the palm gripping his kunai slick with cold sweat. He tried to activate the Jōgan to analyze the stranger, but needlelike pain stabbed through his eyes. He could not peer into the true nature of the stranger's power at all, sensing only an unfathomable ocean of energy that blended several extreme attributes.
[Jōgan (severely damaged): Warning! Unable to analyze! Energy tier too high! Strongly recommend avoidance! Calculating survival rate... error... data overflow...]
The mouth beneath the bamboo hat seemed to curve into a more pronounced smile, carrying a hint of amusement and curiosity. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is you, little one from the Uchiha Clan. Those special eyes of yours, and that ominous little thing in your arms... what a surprising combination."
He even knew all about the fragment's existence!
Ling's heart sank to rock bottom. What exactly did this stranger want? Was he after the Sharingan too? Or the fragment?
"No need to be so nervous." The mysterious man seemed to see through his fear, his tone still calm. "If I wanted to take anything or do anything, you would already be dead."
He took a step forward.
Every muscle in Ling's body instantly tensed, and he almost attacked on instinct-even knowing it would be as futile as an ant trying to stop a cart!
But the mysterious man merely gave the ground a light stamp.
Hum! An invisible, intangible surge of chakra, vast beyond imagination, instantly enveloped a hundred-meter radius! The loose stones on the ground trembled faintly, and the air grew thick and heavy! Ling felt as though he had sunk into the deepest mire; even lifting a finger became incredibly difficult! This was not killing intent, but absolute suppression of the surrounding space through sheer chakra volume!
"See?" The mysterious man chuckled. "I mean you no harm. I only want to... have a few words."
Ling gritted his teeth, resisting the terrifying pressure as his mind raced. The stranger's strength was unfathomable, and he did indeed seem to have no intention of killing him immediately. Then what exactly did he want?
"What... do you want to talk about?" Ling forced the words out.
"Your fate, little one." The mysterious man's voice sounded distant. "You carry Uchiha blood, yet you awakened a strange ocular jutsu that isn't the Sharingan (he seemed not to have fully seen through the truth of the Jōgan's fusion with the Sharingan, but had sensed something unusual), and you can even draw on the power of that ancient evil thing... You're like a stone thrown into still water, stirring up some very interesting ripples."
He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the carriage toward Konoha. "Konoha, Danzo, the Akatsuki... and those things hidden even deeper... Your existence will introduce unexpected deviations into many predetermined scripts. That's interesting, isn't it?"
Ling was shaken to his core! Not only did he know about Danzo, he even knew about the "Akatsuki"? That organization had been shrouded in mystery in the early part of the original story!
"How much... do you actually know?" Ling's voice trembled slightly.
"More than you think, but I'm hardly all-knowing or all-powerful." The mysterious man spoke meaningfully. "For instance, I'm very curious how you managed to detonate that scroll with such precision. That wasn't luck. It was more like... foresight?"
Ling remained silent, cold sweat soaking his back. This man's powers of observation and deduction were terrifying.
When Ling did not answer, the mysterious man paid it no mind and continued on his own. "That old viper Danzo lost a squad this time, and let an 'unexpected factor' like you become an even greater threat. He won't let this go. Flowers and applause aren't what will be waiting for you when you return to Konoha."
"As for Konoha's current leadership... heh, a bunch of mediocrities who can barely look after themselves." His tone held undisguised contempt.
"What are you trying to say?" Ling forced himself to calm down.
"I'm merely stating the facts and offering you a choice," the mysterious man said slowly. "One path is to return to Konoha and struggle to survive inside that enormous cage, under Danzo's scrutiny and schemes, treading on thin ice with every step, waiting for a purge that could come at any time. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to grow stronger, but the process... will certainly be painful and long. And sooner or later, more people will set their sights on your secrets."
"And the other path?" Ling asked in a low voice.
"The other path..." A hint of enticement entered the mysterious man's voice. "Leave Konoha. I can offer you a broader, freer stage, one better suited for an 'anomaly' like you to survive on. There is true power there, a key to uncovering the truth of the world, and a chance... to gain the strength to take revenge on those manipulating your fate much sooner."
Freedom? Power? Revenge? Those words struck precisely at the deepest part of Ling's heart.
But he did not let them go to his head. There was no such thing as a free lunch. "What's the price?" Ling asked calmly.
"The price?" The mysterious man seemed to appreciate his composure. "Your loyalty, and... once you're strong enough, helping me with one small matter. Fair enough, isn't it?"
Ling fell silent. He did crave power and freedom from his shackles, but he would never readily sell himself to another unknown, clearly more dangerous being. Besides, Konoha was not entirely without merit. It still had resources he needed to make use of, and... people who might become allies in the future (such as Naruto and Tsunade).
More importantly, he possessed the Jōgan and could see more possibilities. He could not gamble his future on a powerful stranger who had appeared out of nowhere with unclear intentions.
"Thank you for your... favor." Ling spoke slowly, his tone cautious but firm. "But I choose to return to Konoha."
It was the safest choice he could make based on his current information and his knowledge of the original story. At least Konoha's dangers were known, while the man before him represented entirely unknown risks.
The mysterious man did not seem surprised. Instead, he gave a low chuckle. "An interesting choice. Walking straight into the tiger's den despite knowing what awaits? Very well. Then let me see just how big a splash a little stone like you can make."
He suddenly raised his hand and flicked a finger!
A barely perceptible streak of black light instantly sank into Ling's body!
Ling had no time to react. He felt only a chill in his chest, and the suppressive force vanished along with it.
"A small gift, and something of a mark," the mysterious man said calmly. "Don't worry. It won't harm you for now. It might even help you at a critical moment. Of course, if you change your mind, it will also let you find me."
He paused, taking one last look at Ling's wary eyes. "Remember, little one, the fork in your fate has already appeared. When you lose all faith in Konoha, or when you yearn for true power... I will come to you again."
As his words faded, his figure slowly grew faint like ink dissolving in water, finally vanishing completely into the shadows beyond the moonlight's reach without leaving a trace.
The terrifying pressure disappeared entirely, leaving only the chirping of insects and the rustle of wind through the leaves.
Ling gasped for breath several times, his back already soaked through. He immediately examined himself internally and, sure enough, discovered an extremely tiny, incomparably complex black rune mark near his heart. It slowly rotated like a living thing, giving off an icy aura similar to the mysterious man's. The Jōgan could neither analyze nor affect it. It seemed not to exist, yet it was truly branded there.
[Unknown mark: Energy structure stable. No signs of activation at present. No direct harm. Functions: Suspected tracking, communication, and unknown effects. Risk: Extremely high.]
Ling's expression turned utterly grim. This was undoubtedly a massive hidden danger!
But for now, he had no other option and could only suppress his unease for the time being.
He dared not linger any longer and immediately drove the carriage out of the forest as fast as he could.
This was destined to be a sleepless night.
As Ling drove, he repeatedly went over his conversation with the mysterious man, analyzing the information within it.
The stranger was clearly a terrifying being who knew many secrets and possessed strength far beyond Kage Level. His interest in Ling stemmed mainly from the Jōgan (which he had called a strange ocular jutsu), the fragment's power, and the "variables" Ling brought. He seemed to enjoy seeing the "script" broken.
What was his goal? To recruit him? To observe him? Or both?
And what mysteries did that mark truly conceal?
With Danzo watching him like a predator ahead, the mysterious man lurking in the shadows behind, and his own secrets on the verge of exposure... was returning to Konoha really the right path?
Ling tightened his grip on the reins and looked toward Konoha's faintly visible outline in the distance, his gaze complicated but resolute.
No matter what, he had to return to Konoha. It was the center of the storm, but also the only place where he could currently obtain relative safety and the resources to grow.
As for the dangers to come...
Deep in Ling's eyes, that glassy gleam flickered faintly once more.
"Then let the storm rage even harder," he murmured. "Let's see who ends up changing whose fate!"
The carriage rolled through the dust toward the darkest hour before dawn, and toward an even more uncertain future fraught with danger.
Before you continue