I just returned to Konoha and found that my entire clan was gone.

Ye Lan suddenly stopped, his gaze sweeping over an inconspicuous corner, his brows furrowing slightly. He hadn't expected that there would be Konoha ninjas guarding such a place.

Ye Lan appeared behind the Chunin on guard like a ghost and gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Yes..."

The chunin had just become alert when a sense of foreboding washed over him. He quickly turned around and saw Ye Lan's red pupils.

Genjutsu, Sharingan.

The Chunin immediately lost all strength and collapsed limply to the ground.

Ye Lan gently placed the other person on the ground without making a sound.

Ranmaru, who had been fast asleep in the room, suddenly opened his eyes, his red eyes staring in the direction of the door.

With a soft sound, the door opened, and Ye Lan slowly walked up to Lan Wan.

"Mr. Ye Lan, I didn't expect you to still remember me. Is there anything I can do for you this time?"

Even though Ye Lan was disguised, Ranmaru still recognized him. His bloodline limit was even more powerful than the Byakugan in terms of observation, and he had seen everything that had just happened.

"I didn't expect that they would send a ninja to monitor me after I left. I apologize for not thinking things through back then."

Ranmaru is a child that Yelan brought back during a mission, during which they also encountered Kurosuki Raiga.

"No, I'm doing pretty well now. Sister Jingyin often comes to see me and tells me about things in the village from time to time."

For Ranmaru, it was already good enough that someone was willing to contact him; at least he wouldn't starve to death here. However, after Yelan left Konoha, the guards against him increased, otherwise there wouldn't be ninjas watching over his room.

"So, do you have any thoughts about leaving? I can take you away from Konoha."

Ranmaru has some talent in certain areas, but his physical disability prevents him from walking. Although Yelan had asked Shizune to take care of him, Shizune, as the Hokage's secretary, simply didn't have much time for him.

Furthermore, due to their fear of Ye Lan, they would not teach Ranmaru any ninjutsu. It should be noted that Ranmaru, who possesses a clairvoyant ability even stronger than the Byakugan, could not possibly be lacking in talent.

"Actually... I'm fine as I am, I'm already very content."

Ranmaru remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. He had almost starved to death in his room back then, and although some people harbored ill will towards him, at least he had no shortage of the most basic necessities of life.

"Really? I just don't want your talent to go to waste."

Ye Lan will not forcibly take Lan Wan away; he will respect Lan Wan's choice and simply share some of his own thoughts with her.

"I originally took you away from that place hoping you would see more of the world, but I never expected to trap you in a cage again. My plan is to first solve your leg problem after taking you away, and then find you a master."

Ye Lan did indeed have this plan. He could tell that Lan Wan was not stupid. With his red eyes, he was capable of handling tasks that required precision.

As for his leg problems, Scorpion could easily make some puppet prosthetics to help him stand up again.

Ranmaru's gaze flickered slightly; he hadn't expected Yelan to have already made plans to consider his needs.

"You can consider this. Here are some books about mechanical manufacturing for you to keep for now."

Ye Lan took out several books from his pocket, which were summaries of how Yu Yin made some precision parts. He wanted to see if Lan Wan would be interested.

Ranmaru reached out and took the book; it was a rare gift for him, who was sitting here doing nothing.

"If you've made up your mind, you can tell some of the stray cats in Konoha, and they'll tell me."

Ye Lan then pointed to the cat that had somehow climbed onto the window. In the pitch-black night, it would have been completely unnoticed if Ye Lan hadn't pointed it out.

After finishing all this, Ye Lan left Ranmaru's room. Amegakure was in dire need of manpower, and Ye Lan tried his best to recruit the talents he could think of. One of the purposes of his trip to Konoha was to recruit Ranmaru.

Just as Ye Lan left the hospital gate, she stopped and looked ahead into the empty space.

"Have you been waiting a long time?"

A figure leaning against the wall slowly walked to Ye Lan's side, a hint of apprehension in its eyes.

"Senior Ye Lan, it really is you."

Ye Lan turned around and saw a familiar pineapple-shaped hairstyle appear in her line of sight. It was Nara Shikamaru, whom she had just parted ways with not long ago.

"How dare you come looking for me all by yourself? You should know that I am now a rogue ninja of Konoha."

Everything around him was within Ye Lan's perception, and what surprised Shikamaru even more than Shikamaru recognizing him was his attitude towards him.

"I just..."

Even with his brilliant mind, Shikamaru was momentarily at a loss for words. He did have his suspicions; he had come here to try his luck, but once he learned the other party's identity, he didn't know how to broach the subject.

Ye Lan sighed. He could tell that the child was caught in some kind of dilemma, and so far no one in Konoha had been able to fully enlighten him.

Ye Lan stepped forward and straightened Shikamaru's slightly hunched back.

"Although I don't know exactly what happened, please tell me since you still call me senior."

Ye Lan's actions eased Shikamaru's tension, and he took a deep breath and asked.

"Senior Ye Lan, were all the things you said at the meeting true?"

Ye Lan first led Shikamaru to an outdoor bench where people could rest, and only after they sat down did she speak.

"That intelligence was written down by Danzo himself. I obtained it by sneaking into his room."

It goes without saying that this is an undeniable fact, not a mere fabrication as Konoha claims.

Shikamaru completely lowered his guard, then appointed Tsunade as his new advisor and told Ye Lan about all his experiences during this period.

Ye Lan listened carefully without offering any opinion, only looking at Shikamaru calmly after the meeting ended.

"Shikamaru, are you becoming a Jonin to follow in my footsteps? The Nara clan didn't suffer the same fate as the Uchiha clan."

Chapter 169 Shikamaru's Thoughts

Shikamaru gave a self-deprecating laugh, a bitter smile on his face.

"Senior Ye Lan, not everyone has the power to flip a table like you. I could never do that."

"So, you're just playing dumb like your old man? But now you probably can't even keep up the act anymore, he's already deeply involved."

When he last met Tsunade, Shikaku's position was second only to the two advisors. Now he can't slack off like he did when the Third Hokage was in power.

"Even if I have such thoughts, I am just a member of the Nara clan, not the Uchiha."

Shikamaru looked up at the dark sky. A person's birth almost determines their potential. The Uchiha clan has produced many strong members, but he had never heard of any Nara clan member with great strength. They are known for their intellect and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

A flicker of struggle crossed Shikamaru's eyes, but he spoke with a firm tone.

"Besides, no matter what, I am a Konoha person. I can't leave Konoha just because things have gotten worse here. I will find a way to change the current situation in Konoha."

"Is it not abandoning, but choosing to change?"

Ye Lan looked at Shikamaru in surprise, not expecting him to have such thoughts. "The path you've chosen is even more difficult than mine. On this path, your enemies are not only those high-ranking officials but also yourself."

Many passionate young people will be slapped in the face by the reality of society. To reach a high position, one must go along with the corrupt practices. Whether or not one will be corrupted by power and desire is anyone's guess, even if one eventually sits in the highest position.

Will the dragon slayer become the dragon himself?

Take the Third Hokage and his group of students for example. When they were entrusted with the position of Hokage in a time of crisis, weren't they a group of passionate young people? But now, in their old age, they have become what they are now.

What's even more frightening is that they always believe they are right, and even when they occasionally reflect on their troubles, they are overwhelmed by immediate gains.

Shikamaru remained silent. He understood why his father preferred to stay at home even if he was scolded. If his father, who was smarter and stronger than him, couldn't do it, how could he possibly do it?

"Although I hate to say it, if there's ever a last resort, let me know and I'll take you away."

The conversation was almost over, and Ye Lan stood up.

Shikamaru looked at the other person and saw a jet-black ninja cat jump onto his shoulder.

Shikamaru suddenly realized that he hadn't paid attention to the stray cats before, and quickly followed Ye Lan when he saw that she was about to leave.

"Senior, what about you? Danzo is dead, and Itachi has been defeated by Sasuke. What are your goals now? Why did you join Akatsuki?"

Shikamaru is very curious now. Logically speaking, with the strength of Yelan and Sasuke, they could have lived well even without joining Akatsuki, a rogue ninja organization. After leaving the village, they decisively joined Akatsuki.

Moreover, he learned something from the visitors from Amegakure: Amegakure is now under Akatsuki's control, and he wondered what the organization's purpose was.

"Want to know?"

Ye Lan turned her head to look at Shikamaru's tense gaze.

I'll tell you when you arrive.

Shikamaru's vision blurred for a moment, and Ye Lan's figure vanished in an instant.

Shikamaru finally sighed; the gap was still too big.

"Ye Lan, that kid might very well die."

Naraku, perched on Ye Lan's shoulder, licked his paws and said.

Even without understanding the complexities of human emotions, Naraku could sense that Shikamaru harbored a faint will to die, and in its view, Shikamaru might not live long.

"Keep an eye on his movements while you're in Konoha from now on, and report back to me immediately if anything happens."

After careful consideration, Ye Lan said.

"He won't expose me, will he? Judging from his tone, he still cares about Konoha."

Naraku moved closer to Ye Lan, the soft fur tickling Ye Lan.

Ye Lan rubbed his neck and said, "He came alone today. He won't expose you until Sasuke and I are at odds with Konoha. Feel free to interact with him, but be careful with Shikaku."

Ye Lan's only worry was Shikaku. In fact, Shikaku was the most likely to notice something about Shikamaru's condition. However, the two were father and son after all, and Shikaku would never watch Shikamaru die. It was just that Ye Lan might lose a capable assistant.

"This is really troublesome. It seems I have even more tasks to do."

Naraku said it was troublesome, but his upturned cat face gave off an expression that said, "Everything depends on me."

"Isn't staying in Konoha what you've been looking forward to the most? Look, you've gained weight again."

Ye Lan shrugged, weighed it in her mind, and the sudden action almost knocked Naraku off his feet.

Naraku, who had gained weight, barely managed to maintain his balance. He looked at Ye Lan with some dissatisfaction, then changed the subject after regaining his footing.

"I just didn't expect Granny Cat to agree to your request. There are a lot of ninja cats lurking in Konoha this time. My companions are in almost every corner. We may not be able to know the most confidential information immediately, but we can keep track of some small details."

"You've really worked hard. I will teach the Ninja Cat Clan how to learn natural energy later. As for how much you can learn, that's up to you."

After some thought, Ye Lan realized that having already learned immortal techniques, he could now teach others the basics of natural energy. This was something Po Jun had told him: everyone who learns immortal techniques should pass on this knowledge when the time is right.

Just as the Swift Falcon clan chose him, he is now qualified to pass on his skills to others.

The reason he taught Sasuke was because he had a contract with the Swift Falcon clan. Otherwise, if Ye Lan, who hadn't yet learned Sage Mode, wanted to impart this knowledge, he would have needed the Swift Falcon clan's consent.