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

"That's Lady Tsunade, she's so beautiful." This was Sakura's first impression of Tsunade.

Tsunade turned around and saw Ye Lan and Sakura, then her gaze lingered on Ye Lan.

"You must be Uchiha Yelan. I heard from Jiraiya that you defeated Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams and then beat those two petty thieves. I never expected that the Uchiha clan would produce another genius like you after I left the village."

"You flatter me, Lady Tsunade. These are things I should do as a Konoha ninja." Ye Lan knew that the woman in front of him was about to become the Fifth Hokage and would be his superior in the future, so he bowed slightly.

"You don't need to be so reserved. I'm not like the Third Hokage. I don't know much about the Uchiha clan and I don't have any opinions on it. You don't need to think too much about it," Tsunade said casually, waving her hand before leaving the ward. She still needed to check on Rock Lee.

Ye Lan did not leave with Sakura and the others, but stayed in Kakashi's hospital room, looking at Kakashi who was still lying in the hospital bed.

"Is it completely healed?"

"That's about it. He'll be fully recovered after another day or two of rest. I can only say he truly lives up to his title as the Hokage," Kakashi said. "I heard from Guy that you also fought Itachi, and the commotion you caused shocked the entire Hidden Leaf Village."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Ye Lan didn't seem to care much, casually sat down to the side, and picked up an apple to peel.

"It would be abnormal if it weren't exaggerated... Those ninjutsu are beyond the comprehension of ordinary ninjas." Kakashi was already feeling some pressure. He hadn't expected that these ninjas, who were much younger than him, would be so incredibly strong. It seemed that he would have to train hard after his body fully recovered.

"In the end, Itachi still managed to get away." Ye Lan finished peeling the apple and started eating it.

"You're not being polite at all." Kakashi sighed helplessly at Ye Lan's expression, even though he was the one who was the patient.

"I've been looking after your students for so long, and you haven't even treated me to a meal. What's wrong with me eating your apple?" Ye Lan glanced at Kakashi, making him feel a little guilty.

"Well... let's not talk about that anymore. I'm planning to ask Lady Tsunade to let Sasuke become a Chunin." Kakashi changed the subject and started talking about Sasuke.

"Sasuke is strong enough. Let him take on some more difficult missions to broaden his horizons."

Kakashi: "After Tsunade becomes Hokage, the village will probably get busy again. I heard from Guy that there are already a lot of backlogged tasks in the village. You might be able to lead a team to carry them out."

The two chatted about village affairs for a while, and seeing that Kakashi was alright, Ye Lan got up to say goodbye.

Chapter 30 New Mission

Thump thump thump—

"Come in." Tsunade didn't look up. There were too many documents piling up on her desk. Now that she was the Fifth Hokage, all the documents needed to be handled by the Hokage herself. She was so busy that she didn't even have time to drink.

Only when the visitor stood in front of her did Tsunade look up and say, "Ye Lan, wait a moment while I process this document."

Ye Lan remained silent. He had been summoned by Tsunade, and he didn't know what it was about. After waiting for less than ten minutes, Tsunade stretched, indicating that she had finished processing the document.

"I'm so tired. No wonder Jiraiya didn't want to be Hokage..." Tsunade complained, then looked at Ye Lan and said, "Your Jonin appointment letter has been issued. Here, take this."

Ye Lan took the scroll. To be promoted to Jonin in just a few months after being appointed a Special Jonin was incredibly fast, even in any village. This was not only a testament to his strength, but becoming a Jonin also meant gaining access to more information about the village. Ye Lan opened it, glanced at it to make sure everything was alright, and then put it away. He then asked, "Is there anything else, Hokage-sama?"

“Yes, there is indeed a mission that requires your assistance. All the Jonin in the village are on other missions, and I don’t really have a good candidate for this one. After thinking it over, I think you are the most suitable.” Tsunade rested her chin on her hands. “After the Sand Village attacked Konoha last time, with Orochimaru’s disappearance, the Sand Village announced its surrender and wanted to re-sign a peace treaty with us. Now their demand is for us to return the Jinchuriki and the two Genin that you captured.”

"Didn't we make any demands?" Ye Lan asked, somewhat puzzled. Was the Sand Village really going to just apologize and call it a day? Quite a few ninjas had died in the attack, not to mention the Third Hokage had sacrificed himself. Didn't they want war reparations or anything like that?

"Sunagakure agreed to launch the attack because the village is running out of money and their Kazekage has been killed by Orochimaru. Now the village doesn't even have a Kazekage to fill the position. You could say Sunagakure is weaker than Konoha. We can only agree to Sunagakure's request for now, since other major powers are watching us." Tsunade said helplessly, "However, Sunagakure agreed to transfer some missions to Konoha. Konoha can't even finish all the missions right now, and all the ninjas I can use have been sent out on missions."

Ye Lan nodded. This was not something he could decide. Tsunade's willingness to say more was already enough to show him respect. Ye Lan did not ask any more questions about the details of the transaction between the two villages and continued to ask about the mission.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Your task is to safely deliver the Jinchuriki to Sunagakure. Once there, sign a treaty with them and finalize some details. I'll have Kurenai and her team accompany you. You just need to ensure their safety along the way. Their envoy has been staying in Konoha for several days now. Go back and pack quickly; we should depart around this time tomorrow."

Ye Lan then asked some more detailed questions before leaving the Hokage's office.

...

"It's so slow... Teacher Hong, who are we waiting for?" Kiba had Akamaru on his head. He had been excited about this A-rank mission for a long time. He got up early this morning, but when he arrived at the village gate, Teacher Hong told them that there were still people waiting, which made him impatient.

Accompanying them were several Jonin from Sunagakure, standing with Gaara. Leading them was Gaara's teacher, Baki. Also present were a male and a female Sunagakure ninja; one, carrying a large scroll, was a female Jonin skilled in sealing techniques named Maki; the other, wearing sunglasses, was a Chunin skilled in sensory ninjutsu named Yura.

"There are still ten minutes left, let's wait a little longer," Kurenai said. Actually, this mission isn't difficult, but she was worried about unexpected events along the way. Tsunade and Kurenai said they would send a strong Jonin, so there shouldn't be any problems.

Temari and her two siblings remained silent. Although they had been imprisoned by Konoha for some time, they had not suffered any bad treatment. They were just a little unaccustomed to being released from prison. Now they were finally able to return to the village.

They've arrived. Maki was the first to react. As expected of the former Fourth Kazekage's right-hand man, no one knew how he escaped the last attack, and this time he's come to Konoha as an envoy.

As the morning haze gradually dissipated, the group of people could finally make out the figures of the newcomers; it was none other than Uchiha Yelan.

When Ye Lan arrived at the meeting point, he was surprised to be the last one there, as he remembered there were still five minutes left before the meeting time.

"I didn't expect Lady Tsunade to send you." Hong was a little surprised to see Ye Lan, but she was relieved. She had heard her best friend Anko and Asuma talk about how powerful Ye Lan was.

"Senior Yelan." Although they didn't know why their teacher was so surprised, the three of them greeted Yelan when they saw him. They had all seen Yelan during the Chunin Exams, where he was one of the examiners.

"No need to be so formal. Sakura and the others call me brother. You can call me that too, since you're all classmates with them." Ye Lan also greeted Hong and the others.

Then Ye Lan looked at the group from Sunagakure. Temari looked at him with some hostility, after all, it was Ye Lan who had captured Gaara and the others.

"The next task will require everyone to work together. I hope everyone can forget the unpleasantness of the past, after all, Konoha and Sunagakure have now renewed their alliance." Ye Lan stopped watching Temari and spoke to Maki instead.

"You're too kind, Jonin Yelan. I hope you'll take good care of me on my way back to Sunagakure." Maki had just asked Temari and the others how they were captured by Konoha. Now he knew that this young Jonin was a rising star in Konoha and an Uchiha with the Sharingan, whose reputation was known throughout the ninja world.

After exchanging pleasantries, they set off.

Along the way, Kurenai instructed her students to take turns scouting the surrounding area. There was no danger, and they traveled at a leisurely pace until they finally reached the border of the Land of Wind. Temari felt a sense of familiarity with the desert of the Land of Wind for the first time. She knew she would be able to return to her village in a few days, but the thought of her father's passing filled her with sadness.

"Wow, it's so hot! What kind of place is this?!" Ya took off his jacket because of the heat, and Akamaru on his head was also panting heavily. The group of Konoha genin were all a little uncomfortable with the climate of the Land of Wind.

"I'm sorry, but the climate in our Land of Wind can't compare to that of your Konoha." Temari was still marveling at how wonderful it was to be home when Kiba's words angered her, and she said sarcastically.

"Temari, don't say any more." Gaara, who had been silent the whole way, advised. Ever since Ye Lan used his Sharingan to intimidate Shukaku, Gaara felt much more at peace and no longer had the irritable, bloodthirsty feeling he used to have.

Temari also sensed Gaara's change, but said nothing more and simply continued walking in silence.

"Someone is approaching us, two people!" said the Sand Village Chunin named Yura, who was the first sensory ninja to detect the approaching group.

"Which direction?" Maki's face was serious. They were almost at the village, and he didn't want anything to go wrong. Getting Gaara back to the village safely was the most important thing.

"Northwest, about a kilometer away... Damn it, they've spotted me and are speeding up their approach. They're coming for us." Yu Luo's expression changed; it seemed the approaching party was hostile.

"Shino!" Kurenai immediately called out to his student. Shino understood and released his insects to scout ahead, while everyone else began to hide.

"Shino, which village's ninjas are these? What do they look like?" Kurenai asked as soon as they had hidden their position.

"Teacher Kurenai, the people who came were wearing straw hats, so I couldn't see their headbands. I could only see that they were both wearing the same black robes with red cloud patterns." Shino saw the other person's appearance through his insect.

Chapter 31 The Art Duo

"Brother Sasori, what are your thoughts on seeing your fellow villagers again? Hmm," Deidara, with his blonde ponytail, asked.

“Deidara, if you say such nonsense again, I will turn you into an eternal work of art.” Sasori, hidden in Hiruko, spoke in a deep voice. “Itachi and the others have failed in their mission. We cannot let our guard down.”

"With Brother Sasori and me working together, we can definitely complete the mission, hmm." Deidara quickened his pace, keeping close behind Sasori.

...

“They’re from the same organization as Itachi!” Kurenai’s eyes turned serious upon hearing Shino’s report. She had witnessed Itachi and Kisame’s abilities, and someone from the same organization was certainly no weakling.

"Jonin Maki, the other party might be targeting Gaara, not the One-Tailed Beast inside Gaara," Ye Lan said directly to Maki.

"Are you sure? Who would dare to attack a Jinchuriki?" Maki was somewhat incredulous. He would have been more inclined to believe it if someone from another ninja village attacked a Jinchuriki, but what kind of organization, as Kurenai said, would have such audacity?

“That’s right. They had designs on Konoha’s Nine-Tails before, and I and the Jonin Kurenai even fought against them,” Ye Lan explained. “Moreover, Orochimaru was once a member of this organization, and the ones who fought against us last time were all S-rank rogue ninjas from various villages. Their strength should not be underestimated.”

"Such things have happened in Konoha..." Just as Maki was still sighing, the other person's figure came into view. The two people, one tall and one short, threw off their straw hats.

The tall one was a young blond boy wearing a headband from Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village), with a deep cut on it from a kunai, a symbol of defection from the village. He casually said, "Everyone here, stop hiding. We're just here to pick up some things, hmm."

The desolate desert offered no response to his movements except for the gusts of wind.

"Deidara, you won't be able to summon them like this." Hiruko waved her steel tail, casually surveying her surroundings, and finally aimed at a spot. Hiruko's tail extended considerably and stabbed straight in that direction.

Wind Blade.

Seeing that he had been discovered, Maki used the ninjutsu "Tsubaki" to block the attack. He was very surprised to see Hiruko's appearance. He did not expect that the newcomer would have mastered the puppet technique of Sunagakure. He just did not know where the ninja's real body was.

"You guys stay here. If the situation gets out of hand, don't worry about me. Take Shino and the others back to Konoha immediately," Ye Lan instructed.

“I’m a Jonin too, how could I just stand by and watch?” Hong was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Lan’s statement.

“We don’t have a habit of cooperating, and besides, I should be able to handle it on my own.” After saying that, Ye Lan appeared directly next to Ma Ji.

"Why are there only two people? Where is the Jinchuriki?" Deidara looked at the two people blocking their way with some dissatisfaction. He felt that he and Sasori were being underestimated.

"Idiot, these two are the opponent's strongest two. Looks like we have to take care of them first." Sasori scolded Deidara. He hated children the most, and in his eyes, Deidara was no different from a child who hadn't grown up.

"You actually possess such an excellent puppet, you must have stolen it from Sunagakure." Maki had already instructed the others to evacuate immediately if things went wrong. He was only keeping Gaara and the others in place because he was afraid the other side would use a diversionary tactic.

"Steal? Heh heh heh, it seems that after so many years away from the village, not many people recognize me anymore. Maki, your strength has increased a lot over the years, but your brain hasn't grown much, has it?" Scorpion chuckled and said, clearly recognizing Maki.

"Could it be that you are..." Maki seemed to realize something, his expression changed drastically, and sweat slid down his face. He now understood the identity of the person who had come.

“You can deal with that Iwagakure kid, the Jonin Yelan. I'll handle this puppeteer in front of me. But you need to be quick, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold out for long,” Maki said, outlining his plan.

"Okay." Ye Lan didn't say much, and immediately summoned his ninja sword and rushed towards Deidara.

"Brother Sasori, he's after me. Looks like I've been underestimated. Hmm." Deidara calmly took out clay from his ninja tool pouch, still rummaging through his things even though Ye Lan was about to see him.

The ninja sword didn't feel like it was cutting flesh, so Ye Lan didn't pay attention and assumed it was just a substitute. At this moment, Deidara's substitute didn't disappear immediately, but instead rapidly expanded, and Ye Lan sensed danger.

"Art is an explosion, drink!"

He ran to the side and shouted, and the original stand-in immediately emitted a powerful explosion, several times more powerful than the explosive tag.

"What kind of ninjutsu is that? Is there such a way to fight?" Kiba, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but ask.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the operational method of the Iwagakure demolition squad. I didn't expect the Akatsuki to have such people." The knowledgeable Kurenai directly pointed out Deidara's origin.

"Demolition squad?" Shino was hearing this term for the first time.

"Simply put, they are a special unit that uses explosions as their means of attack, and they are also the ace unit of Iwagakure. It's just that I haven't heard of any members of their village defecting," Hong said after thinking for a moment.

"Brother Scorpion, this kid looks weak. I took him down with one explosive clone. Hmm." Deidara is only a sixteen-year-old boy, just a little older than Ye Lan, and his combat experience is not as rich as it will be three years later.

"Deidara, you idiot, he's right behind you!" Sasori, who was easily dealing with Maki, couldn't help but glance at Deidara when he heard his words, only to find that the moron was still gloating.

Deidara then looked behind him. The cold glint of the ninja sword made his hair stand on end. He barely managed to avoid the slash. Yelan's ninja sword only cut off a few strands of Deidara's hair.

Ye Lan sighed inwardly, regretting that if it weren't for Scorpion's reminder, that one strike would have beheaded Deidara.

"Compared to Itachi and Kisame, you're very weak. Are you in the same organization as them? Or are you just an intern or something?" Ye Lan said mockingly to the young Deidara. He wouldn't have said such things to Sasori.

"You bastard, don't mention that Itachi to me. Who said I'm weaker than them? I'll show you what I'm made of." Deidara's eyes flashed with ferocity. He was indeed easily provoked by Ye Lan. A mouth opened on his peculiar right hand, as if he was chewing something. Then, he formed a hand seal, and a puff of smoke appeared, revealing a giant clay bird.

Before Ye Lan could step forward, Deidara boarded the giant bird, which then soared into the sky.

Can they fly? Such ninjas are rare, but coincidentally, I can too. Ye Lan formed hand seals: Summoning Jutsu, Swift Falcon.