Chapter 13: Pinky Promise

"Then I'm leaving," Madara said while organizing his gear. "Please rest assured. I'll definitely complete the mission successfully and come back."

"Yeah, it's Madara after all," Ling said with a smile as he ruffled Madara's hair. "Pay attention to safety."

Father also nodded slightly. "If something unexpected happens, it's okay to abandon the mission. The most important thing is to come back alive."

Izuna clung to the hem of Father's haori, looking so reluctant that his face was all scrunched up. "Big brother Madara, come back soon. You promised to teach me the throwing technique."

Madara reached out and ruffled Izuna's hair, just as Ling had done to him. His smile was extremely gentle. "Yeah, don't worry. But Izuna, you can't slack off on your own practice either, okay?"

"Yeah!"

After saying goodbye again, Madara didn't stay any longer. He ran towards the team waiting at the door and left with them. When Madara's back was no longer in sight, Father turned around and took out the prepared ninja tools bag from behind the door. "Ling, here's yours."

Izuna on the side immediately widened his eyes. His voice was so pitiful that he seemed about to cry. "Is big brother leaving too?"

Ling first thanked him and took the ninja tools bag, then slung it on his back. He then turned towards Izuna's direction and ruffled his little brother's hair. "Yeah, after all, I'm fully recovered now. It's time for me to start rehabilitation training."

Izuna still clung to the hem of Father's haori, but his cheeks slowly puffed up. "Big brother Madara is gone, and now big brother is leaving too... They're both leaving me behind."

Ling couldn't help laughing. "Izuna, big brother will be at the back mountain. If you want to see me, you can always ask someone to take you there."

But Izuna just puffed his cheeks and turned his head to the side. "…You're still leaving me behind."

Father also chuckled softly. He bent down and picked up his sulking youngest son. "Then shall we send Ling to the back mountain?"

Izuna's eyes instantly sparkled like stars. "Really?! Father is the absolute best!"

Ling was a bit worried. "Father, it's just after a battle. There are so many things to deal with. You..."

"Don't worry, Ling," Tajima Uchiha patted his eldest son's shoulder with his free hand, smiling gently. "As a father, I have the time to send my son to the training place. Since I'll know where you are, I can have Madara take Izuna to visit you. So don't decline. Let's go."

Ling let out a soft sigh of resignation. But when he tapped his blind stick and followed Tajima Uchiha's steps, a smile appeared on his lips unconsciously, and his originally tense shoulders relaxed. "Yes, I'm causing you trouble."

Izuna clung to his father's shoulder and looked at Ling. After a while, he said, "Big brother, haven't you already adapted? Why do you still need to train?"

"It's just the most basic adaptation for now," Ling raised his face towards Izuna's direction. "There's still a long way to go before I can truly adapt...

The most basic thing is to stay away from the crowd. Then, rely on my own strength to survive. Only by leaving the comfort zone provided by my family and friends can I really get familiar with my physical condition again."

Izuna nodded as if he understood but not really. "Do I need this kind of training later?"

"...No, neither you nor Madara need it." Ling's smile faded a bit, but his voice was still gentle. "If possible, I hope you'll never need this kind of adaptation training in your life."

Izuna stared at the scar on Ling's face and unconsciously reached out to touch his own eye socket. After a brief silence, tears welled up in his eyes and fell one by one. He buried his face in his father's neck and sniffled quietly.

"Izuna?" Ling got a bit panicky. "Are you crying? Big brother is okay. Look, not having eyes doesn't affect my daily life much. This training is just for me to return to the battlefield. I didn't mean to blame you when I said that. I just don't want you and Madara to get hurt... Izuna? Stop crying, okay? Big brother is really worried about you."

Tajima Uchiha let out a soft sigh and patted his youngest son's back. "It's okay, Ling. Izuna was probably just scared by his own imagination. I'll comfort him later... Can I speed up on the mountain path next?"

Ling looked worried listening to Izuna's soft sobs. But when he heard Tajima's words, he replied respectfully, "Yes, I have no Mondai."

Tajima Uchiha reached out to protect his youngest son's head and nodded slightly at Ling. "Okay, I'll speed up slowly."

As the group increased their walking speed, Tajima also noticed that Ling's movements, which were initially relaxed, became increasingly strenuous. He always lost his balance when stepping on the rough mountain path.

However, every time he lost his balance, Ling would quickly open his palm and lightly touch the ground. Then he would quickly adjust his stance and get up with his blind stick, never missing a beat. However, this way of moving forward, which required constant readiness to respond, clearly took a toll on Ling. A thin layer of sweat soon broke out on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid as the distance increased.

All this was seen by Tajima Uchiha, but he didn't offer help to Ling. He just maintained a pace that was exhausting for Ling to keep up with but still manageable. Finally, he stopped at an open space near a water source suitable for camping.

But Ling failed to stop in time. He took a few more steps forward before coming to a halt and standing upright. Even though he tried to steady his breathing, it still sounded ragged and labored.

Tajima Uchiha looked down at his eldest son, who remained upright even when extremely tired. He sighed softly and said, "Well, this is where I leave you... Can you find your way back?"

"Yes..." Ling let out a long breath, suppressing the discomfort caused by uneven breathing, and smiled. "Please don't worry."

"Good. You're really my son," Tajima Uchiha reached out and ruffled Ling's sweaty hair. "Come on, Izuna, say goodbye to your big brother."

Only then did Izuna raise his tear - streaked face, waved at Ling, and said with a thick nasal tone, "Goodbye, big brother... Please stay safe."

"Sure, I will," Ling stepped forward a few steps following the sound and groped for Izuna's hand. "When both I and Madara are away, Izuna will be the man of the family. A man doesn't cry easily... Our Izuna is a strong boy, right?"

"Yeah, I won't cry anymore," Izuna said, but still pouted and couldn't help wiping his tears. "When big brother comes back, I'll multiply my current chakra amount many, many times. Then big brother can teach me ninjutsu, and I'll fight as cool as big brother."

Ling finally smiled. "Okay, big brother will definitely finish his training as soon as possible and come back... After all, I still want to take our Izuna on his first mission."

Izuna stuck out his little finger aggrievedly. "Then let's pinky - swear."

"Sure," Ling's smile widened as he also stuck out his finger. "Let's pinky - swear."