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

Upon returning to the real world, Ye Lan immediately unleashed his fastest technique, covering his ninja sword with a layer of wind-style chakra as he slashed directly at Itachi.

Itachi, who had been covering his eyes, finally realized that the two were too close and he could only barely avoid vital points.

puff-

The ninja sword successfully struck Itachi's left hand. Just as Ye Lan was about to exert more force, a layer of orange-red armor suddenly appeared on Itachi's left hand, blocking his attack and preventing Ye Lan's ninja sword from advancing any further. Upon seeing this, Ye Lan immediately jumped up and increased the distance between himself and Itachi.

"Itachi-san." Kisame was surprised that Itachi was injured and picked up his sword to help.

"Your opponent is me!" Kai directly stopped Kisame to create space for Yoru to fight Itachi one-on-one.

Susanoo... Ye Lan was very clear about the power of the Uchiha clan, and looked at Itachi with a wary expression.

Only a small part of Susanoo appeared. After blocking Ye Lan's attack, Itachi immediately withdrew it and looked at Ye Lan with a somewhat unpleasant expression.

"Itachi, your body is terminally ill and won't last much longer. Your eyes can't see clearly anymore, can they?" Ye Lan's kaleidoscope emitted a red light, as if he had seen through Itachi's weakness.

"Is this the power of your Kaleidoscope?" Itachi said thoughtfully.

Ye Lan's right eye ability is called Zhibi Mokujin. If the Sharingan can see through ordinary ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, then Zhibi Mokujin can see through all dangers and weaknesses. It can perfectly find the flaws in the opponent's ninjutsu and launch a counterattack. In some ways, it is the absolute nemesis of genjutsu. In the Tsukuyomi world just now, Ye Lan, who also has the Mangekyou Sharingan, directly used the power of Zhibi Mokujin to break Itachi's technique.

“Any weakness will be exposed to my eyes,” Ye Lan said.

"Itachi!" Just as Itachi was about to retaliate, Sasuke finally arrived at the scene. He finally saw the man he hated to the core. A dazzling blue light shone in his hand, which was the Chidori that Kakashi had given him.

"Just as you said, I think about how to kill you every day. My hatred for you grows stronger every day, and today I will finish you off." With this expression of his anger, Sasuke charged toward Itachi at lightning speed.

This kid is still the same; he can't calm down when he sees Itachi. Such an obvious attack would be easily dealt with. Just as Sasuke was about to act, Ye Lan also began to move.

Itachi first grabbed Sasuke's arm, causing Sasuke to miss his attack with Chidori, and then kicked Sasuke away. He stopped focusing on Sasuke and picked up a kunai to block Ye Lan's ninja sword.

Flames erupted from the blocked ninja sword, the intense heat drying out Itachi's entire face.

Amaterasu.

Blood tears streamed from Itachi's tightly closed eye, and black flames erupted from the Mangekyou Sharingan within. The black flames successfully consumed the original flames on the ninja sword, forcing Ye Lan to drop it. Itachi continued to unleash Amaterasu on Ye Lan, and Ye Lan activated another Mangekyou Sharingan technique.

Biotian Yuzhong

With a casual wave of his hand, Ye Lan created a wall of water that blocked Amaterasu's attack.

He released the ninjutsu without forming hand seals; was this also a power of his Mangekyou Sharingan? Itachi was secretly shocked; he hadn't expected Yelan's Mangekyou Sharingan to seem to counter his abilities so effectively.

Ye Lan used Kotoamatsukami to surround his entire body with Wind Release, rushing towards Itachi like a bullet. Waves appeared in the air, creating a shocking sonic boom.

So fast! Itachi's Amaterasu couldn't hit Ye Lan at all. He had just used his Water Clone to block one attack and hadn't even landed when Ye Lan caught up again.

Click—

Forced to use Susanoo, Itachi was already cracking from the attack by Ye Lan before it could fully unfold. Had Itachi not reacted quickly, that attack would have kept him in Konoha forever.

What was that? Sasuke, lying on the ground, watched the battle in astonishment. A half-giant appeared directly on Itachi's body. The reddish-orange giant had a strong impact on his worldview.

“In that case, I’ll take this a little more seriously, Itachi.” Ye Lan stopped in his tracks, and a huge black skeleton gradually formed on his body, transforming into a chakra giant just like Itachi, only the all-black giant gave off a greater sense of oppression.

The appearance of two Susanoo attracted the attention of everyone present, which was beyond their understanding of ninjas. Every attack from both sides caused the earth to shake and rivers to splash, and no one could set foot on this battlefield.

"Is this the power of the Uchiha clan?" Asuma exclaimed in surprise. He felt he had no chance of winning against either of them.

Itachi-sensei actually used such a technique; the situation seems quite dire, and I can no longer hold back. Kisame directly merged his greatsword, Samehada, into his body, transforming himself into a half-human, half-fish form. In this state, he could move at high speed freely in the water and absorb the chakra of others.

Asuma had a bad feeling about Kisame's new form, and Guy immediately activated the Eight Gates.

"Eight Gates, Gate of Shock, open!" Knowing that now was not the time to hold back, Guy immediately opened the Gate of Shock, the gate before the Gate of Death. Blue chakra erupted from Guy's body, and his eyes turned white. This aura was no less than that of Ye Lan and Itachi when they activated Susanoo.

Ye Lan manipulated his Susanoo, wielding a giant sword and launching continuous attacks, while Itachi, like a tortoise shell, only defended. The Yata Mirror carried by his Susanoo could block all physical attacks.

However, Kisame, who was fighting Guy, did not gain the upper hand as Itachi had expected. Instead, he was being overwhelmed by Guy, and with Asuma constantly providing cover, Kisame's defeat was only a matter of time. Itachi realized at this moment that he could not drag this out any longer. The current commotion would likely attract all the ninjas of Konoha, and then they would really be unable to leave.

Itachi endured the stinging pain from the Mangekyou Sharingan in his eyes, and the Totsuka Blade hidden behind the Yata Mirror continued to gather power. When it reached its peak, he suddenly pointed the Totsuka Blade forward.

Sensing danger, Ye Lan dodged to the side. The Ten-Fist Sword unleashed a thick, orange flame that attacked forward, unstoppable by any trees or buildings. It was as if the sword had split the world in two.

"Kisame!" Itachi roared unusually after unleashing this attack. Kisame, receiving the information, released a Water Shark Bullet and immediately abandoned Might Guy to join Itachi. Then, he formed hand seals, and a massive wave of water erupted from his mouth. Itachi then released his Susanoo and attached himself to Kisame. Kisame, using his Samehada fusion form, rapidly traversed the waves. By the time Ye Lan and the others reacted, they had vanished without a trace.

Chapter 28 Nanga Shrine

"Itachi, nothing special." Ye Lan looked at Itachi, who had already retreated, and withdrew his gaze. The stinging pain in his eyes made him release Susanoo.

It seems that training in natural energy needs to be put on hold. When Ye Lan obtained these eyes, he knew that overuse of the Mangekyou Sharingan could lead to blindness. After cooperating with Po Jun, he discovered that Po Jun's body contained more than just chakra; they focused more on training in natural energy. Although they had taught Ye Lan, Ye Lan wanted to return to the village quickly and didn't engage in in-depth training. Natural energy can greatly enhance physical strength and has a certain restorative effect on the aftereffects of the Mangekyou Sharingan. As long as it's not overused, a period of rest will allow him to fully recover.

"Are we just going to let them go like that?" Sasuke asked Ye Lan, somewhat unwillingly. He could only watch from the sidelines, unable to intervene due to the difference in strength. What had he been doing all this time?

“Continuing the pursuit is fine, but even if I exhaust my chakra, I might not be able to stop him, and I don’t know if the other members of their organization will come to my aid.” Ye Lan rubbed his eyes. “I have a pretty good understanding of Itachi’s information. Next time we face him, I won’t let him go so easily.”

“Sasuke…” Sakura looked at Sasuke with concern as she saw his unwilling expression.

"What is that giant-like technique? Is it a ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke asked, seeing that both Ye Lan and Itachi had used similar ninjutsu.

Ye Lan: "That is the highest secret technique of the Uchiha clan. Only those who have mastered the Sharingan to its fullest extent can use it, and the side effects of this technique are very serious."

"Can you teach me?" Sasuke couldn't help but feel eager when he heard that it was a technique from the Uchiha clan.

"That technique requires the Mangekyou Sharingan to master, and you haven't even reached the three-tomoe stage yet, so don't even think about it now."

"The Mangekyou Sharingan?" Sasuke had no idea that the Sharingan could evolve into this form.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan is a form that surpasses the three-tomoe Sharingan. Members of the Uchiha clan can only awaken it after reaching the three-tomoe Sharingan and experiencing intense emotional stimulation. I awakened these eyes after experiencing the death of my comrade and my instinct for survival during a mission."

"So, Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan..." Sasuke pondered. Itachi had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan a long time ago; what had he gone through to awaken it?

"Itachi told me that he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan after killing Shisui, but I still can't tell if it's true or not..." Although Itachi admitted that he killed Shisui, Ye Lan hadn't seen it with his own eyes and couldn't completely believe what Itachi said.

"He killed Shisui?" Sasuke was surprised. Shisui was Itachi's best friend. Even though he hated Itachi, he couldn't deny the bond between them.

"Have you forgotten what I said, Sasuke? You need to have your own judgment."

"This kind of thing..." Sasuke felt that this was very likely. Itachi killed Shisui and obtained power before slaughtering the Uchiha clan.

"There's one more thing. I remembered that there's a stone tablet at the Naka Shrine of my clan. Only those who use the Sharingan can see what's written on it. My two-tomoe Sharingan can only see part of the text, so I must need stronger eye power. The reason Itachi killed the clan is related to that stone tablet." Sasuke stopped thinking about Shisui's death and gave Ye Lan some information.

"I see. I'll go to the Naka Shrine to see that stone tablet when I have time." Ye Lan gestured for Sasuke to stop talking. Guy and Asuma had already come over. The Uchiha clan could handle their own affairs.

"Wow, Ye Lan, I didn't expect you to be so amazing. You truly deserve to be called a genius of the Uchiha clan." After opening the Seven Gates, Kai was exhausted, but after resting for a while, he walked over to Ye Lan with renewed vigor.

"This is truly incredible. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have imagined that battles between ninjas could reach this level," Asuma exclaimed.

"You flatter me. In the end, Itachi and the others managed to escape. But where's Kakashi?" Ye Lan asked modestly, then inquired curiously. Logically, Kakashi should have been present in this situation, but he hadn't seen him when he arrived.

"Kakashi has been caught in Itachi's genjutsu and is unconscious. I've already asked Kurenai to take him to the medical ward," Guy said seriously. He hadn't expected Kakashi to lose so badly this time.

Tsukuyomi... Kakashi must have thought his Sharingan could resist it, so he stared directly into Itachi's eyes. It seems he'll have to stay in bed for a while longer.

"Kakashi-sensei has fainted!" Sakura realized that Kakashi had been affected and couldn't help but worry. Sasuke was also somewhat surprised. In his eyes, Kakashi was a powerful Jonin, but he didn't expect him to lose so easily to Itachi's genjutsu. As expected, the Uchiha clan still needed the Uchiha clan to deal with them. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Ye Lan.

"The Third Hokage has just been buried, and now this kind of thing is happening in the village. It's really worrying." Asuma lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Konoha is currently extremely weak.

"The Fifth Hokage has been confirmed. Lord Jiraiya has already taken Naruto to find Lady Tsunade. The village will surely be much better after she returns," Ye Lan said.

"Really! Lady Tsunade is going back to the village to become the Fifth Hokage!" Guy was the most excited about this news. If anyone in the ninja world could heal Rock Lee's injuries, it would only be Tsunade.

“That’s right. Not long ago, Jiraiya-sama personally took Naruto from me and told me that he would go to find Tsunade-sama,” Ye Lan said.

"Then all we need to do now is keep an eye on the village and wait quietly." Asma was relieved.

"Um, who is Lady Tsunade? Is she going to be the Fifth Hokage?" Sakura asked curiously, not knowing much about her. She only knew that she was one of the Legendary Sannin, but what surprised her was that all the Jonin seemed to admire her greatly, and she was a woman.

"Lady Tsunade is not only incredibly strong, but she also possesses the most advanced medical skills in the ninja world. It can be said that she can cure any patient with any difficult or complicated illness," Guy said.

"Wow, that's amazing! I never imagined there were such powerful female ninjas in the ninja world," Sakura thought with a touch of admiration.

Afterwards, everyone went to visit Kakashi. Seeing Kakashi still unconscious, Guy couldn't help but show a worried expression. Fortunately, the medical team said he wasn't in any life-threatening danger, but they didn't know when he would fully recover. Sasuke clenched his fists at Kakashi's disheveled appearance, and finally left Kakashi's room alone. Ye Lan didn't say much; it was obvious Sasuke had gone to continue his training.

Chapter 29 Variables

"How did it get like this?"

In the dark cave, Itachi looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a man wearing a swirling mask coming into the cave. His voice was deep and hoarse.

"I've met someone unexpected." Kisame had gone out to buy supplies, leaving Itachi alone in the cave. He looked at the man in front of him who claimed to be Uchiha Madara and said.

"Unexpected?" Obito, hidden behind the mask, narrowed his eyes. He couldn't believe that anyone in Konoha could make Itachi look so pathetic.

"Ahem... Uchiha Yelan, he didn't die and has returned to Konoha." Itachi coughed and said.

Obito had never met Ye Lan and only knew that he was Shisui's younger brother. He didn't pay much attention to anything else, but just looked at Itachi with some curiosity.

"He also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, and his Mangekyou Sharingan is somewhat restrained towards me..."

Upon hearing that Ye Lan also possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan, Obito's narrowed eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but ask, "What is his Mangekyou Sharingan ability?"

"I don't know the name or specific abilities yet, but one of his eyes can see through the opponent's weaknesses, which rendered my Tsukuyomi useless. His other eye can perfectly manipulate chakra, and Ye Lan can release ninjutsu without hand seals and can cover his entire body with wind release." After just one exchange, Itachi had analyzed most of Ye Lan's Mangekyou Sharingan abilities.

"It seems the Uchiha clan has produced another rather impressive junior..." Obito, who was playing Madara, said in a tone of an elder.

"Moreover, Nightfall, surrounded by Wind Release techniques, is incredibly fast. I couldn't hit her with Amaterasu at all. Although I've never seen the Raikage, who is known as the fastest ninja in the world, I imagine that his speed is no slower than the Raikage's," Itachi added.

This is a truly troublesome ability. If Obito were to fight Ye Lan, Ye Lan would be unable to get close to him simply by using this ability, and Kamui would be ineffective against him. Fortunately, Ye Lan only has the Mangekyou Sharingan, not the Eternal Eye. Shisui's body and the White Zetsu haven't been found yet, so the location of his eyes is unknown. It's not too late to wait for Ye Lan to overuse his Mangekyou Sharingan before Obito steps into the limelight.

"I didn't expect Shisui's brother to survive the mission." After Obito left Itachi, a humanoid creature that was half black and half white emerged from the ground beside him—it was Black and White Zetsu.

"I can only say that he is indeed Shisui's younger brother. He has also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, and his abilities are very troublesome." Obito responded. He did not approve of Itachi's trip to Konoha this time because the Tailed Beast Plan had not been fully implemented and felt it was too rushed. However, the information he brought was still very important to Obito.

"I wonder if he'll become a variable in the plan. You'd better be careful, Obito," Black Zetsu said ominously.

"Ignore Uchiha Yelan for now, proceed with the plan as scheduled. Judging from his attitude, he and Itachi are bound to fight." Obito's Sharingan slowly transformed into the shape of a shuriken. "Also, I told you not to mention that name. I am now called Uchiha Madara."

"Yes, Lord Madara." Black Zetsu chuckled and then disappeared with Obito.

...

Ye Lan reopened his eyes, a slight frown on his brow. It was still too difficult; the progress was far too slow. Since Itachi left, Ye Lan had focused on training in natural energy. This energy wasn't as easy to control as chakra; it was extremely violent and difficult to manage. Losing control could risk petrifying his skin, so Ye Lan could only adapt slowly.

"Brother Yelan!" Sakura rushed over. "Naruto brought Tsunade back and said he's on his way to treat Kakashi and Lee!"

Has Tsunade already returned to the village...? Ye Lan then followed Sakura to Konoha Hospital.

As soon as I arrived at Kakashi's hospital room, I heard a young woman's voice.

"To think that you were made like this by two petty thieves, Kakashi, I used to think you were a genius."

When Ye Lan and the other person entered the ward, they saw a young woman wearing a green robe with blonde twin ponytails scolding Kakashi.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi said with a deep sense of shame, his dead fish eyes drooping.