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

"Perhaps Itachi Uchiha harbored resentment towards the Uchiha clan, so he joined forces with a mysterious man to slaughter the entire Uchiha clan overnight," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with his last breath.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Unable to contain his inner rage, he had lost all respect for the Hokage. Cold and chilling black chakra erupted from Uchiha Yelan's body, his bangs were constantly blown by the air currents, and the three tomoe in his pupils slowly rotated as if they could change into other shapes at any moment.

Chapter 3 Special Jonin

"Ye Lan, don't get agitated! I'm also deeply saddened by what happened to the Uchiha clan! But we still have to solve the problem!" Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat surprised by the aura Ye Lan displayed. The outburst he just had surpassed that of most Jonin. Although he didn't know the exact strength of Ye Lan, it was definitely not weak.

Perhaps heeding the Hokage's words, Ye Lan's mood gradually calmed down. He closed his eyes and reflected on the actions and behaviors of the people he had encountered since entering the village. The events surrounding the Uchiha clan were definitely more complex than they seemed. Although he was only 15 years old, Ye Lan had received nine years of compulsory education on Earth in his previous life. He couldn't believe everything others said.

Slowly opening his eyes, the magatama in his pupils had disappeared, turning back to normal black. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"I want to visit the Uchiha clan's cemetery..."

When Ye Lan arrived in this world, his heart was filled with curiosity and anticipation. He had never heard of such a ninja world, where people could use a mysterious power called "chakra" to unleash a variety of dazzling ninjutsu. However, fate dealt him a heavy blow—his mother passed away shortly after giving birth to him. This plunged young Ye Lan into a period of grief, but fortunately, he had a loving older brother, a grandfather who taught him ninjutsu, and a group of friendly and warm-hearted clansmen who accompanied him as he grew up. The existence of these people gave Ye Lan endless warmth and support, and gradually helped him emerge from the pain of losing his mother. Ye Lan also gradually came to accept these clansmen and became proud to be an Uchiha.

When Zhishui was around, Yelan had told him more than once, "Some things cannot be changed simply by one's will." He knew that the world was complex and ever-changing, and people's thoughts and actions were often influenced by various factors, not entirely determined by the individual. Zhishui, however, always naively believed he could do everything, to which Yelan shook his head helplessly, indicating that it was almost impossible. Yet, Zhishui firmly believed he had the ability to make both sides understand each other, which greatly puzzled Yelan, who thought he was simply a fool.

My foolish brother...

This is the cemetery of the Uchiha clan. The Hokage personally followed Ye Lan to a cemetery. It is not far from the former Uchiha clan territory, and you can still see the dilapidated houses of the Uchiha clan.

The scattered tombstones had no names engraved on them, and Ye Lan looked at the Hokage with some confusion.

"Ahem, almost all the Uchiha clan members were killed in action. They were buried by the Anbu. They didn't know much about the Uchiha clan members, so they didn't write their names down," Mitokado Homura interjected immediately.

Not wanting to hear such clumsy excuses anymore, Ye Lan was certain that the Uchiha clan's affairs were definitely not that simple, but he had just noticed a detail.

"They were almost all killed, so there were survivors?" Ye Lan asked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Homura Mitokado once more, coughed twice, and said, "There is indeed a survivor named Sasuke Uchiha. He just graduated this year and has just become a genin."

"Uchiha Sasuke?" Ye Lan laughed in exasperation. He knew this guy very well. "Isn't this guy Itachi's younger brother?"

The elder brother slaughtered his entire clan, and the younger brother became a victim. Moreover, even with Itachi's power at the time, and with the help of others, how could he possibly have wiped out so many Jonin from the police force overnight? What exactly happened to the Uchiha clan, and what role did Shisui play in it? There's too little information; it seems I need to re-evaluate Konoha.

“Sasuke was also saved by the Anbu. He was practicing shuriken outside at the time and only escaped being killed because he got home late.” Hiruzen Sarutobi adjusted his Hokage hat.

"Hmph, Hokage-sama, I have a favor to ask of you." Ye Lan stood up and said, "I would like to apply to become a Jonin and accept the mission to hunt down Uchiha Itachi."

"No way!" Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even speak, Danzo Shimura, who had been standing to the side, immediately refused.

"Lord Hokage, now only Sasuke and I remain in the entire Uchiha clan. I graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of 9, became a Chunin at 10, and subsequently carried out an S-rank mission. I believe my strength is not in question. Furthermore, there is an S-rank Uchiha Itachi outside, while Konoha doesn't even have a single Uchiha Jonin. Although those Daimyo and nobles haven't said anything, they must have some grievances in their hearts." Ye Lan knew that saying such things would definitely displease or make the Hokage's faction wary. However, since he had no intelligence at the moment, he could only climb the ranks. At least he needed to become a Jonin to gain access to some classified information to uncover the truth behind the Uchiha clan's annihilation.

"What nonsense are you spouting! The Daimyo would care about your Uchiha clan!" Shimura Danzo was somewhat exasperated. Sure enough, there were no good people in the Uchiha clan.

Ye Lan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Shimura Danzo. From the beginning, he had not had a good feeling about this Elder Danzo, and he was definitely a prime suspect.

"Alright!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Danzo's grumbling, and after a moment of silence, said, "You haven't done enough missions to become a Jonin. You should lead some Genin on missions later. I'll appoint you as a Special Jonin later."

"Hiruzen!" Upon hearing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was going to grant this kid's request, Danzo Shimura's face twisted with rage. He had originally planned to take Yoru and use him as a weapon.

"It's decided then." Hiruzen Sarutobi set the tone, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, seeing that things had come to this, did not object.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

Danzo's hand, gripping his cane, trembled upon hearing the words "Hokage," and he gritted his teeth and left the scene.

Soon after, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also left, so it seems that the matter was temporarily resolved, leaving only Yoru and the Hokage.

"The Joint Chunin Exams are coming up soon, and I plan to have you serve as the examiner for the second exam," Hiruzen Sarutobi casually revealed his arrangements for Ye Lan.

"The Joint Chunin Exams." Ye Lan recalled his own experience during the Chunin Exams.

"This time, there will be examinees from Sunagakure, including the Fourth Kazekage, as well as some nobles. Konoha's security must be top-notch." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. This joint Chunin Exam was a must, not only to flex their muscles but also to strengthen the alliance with Sunagakure. He didn't want another Shinobi World War to happen before he died; his old bones certainly couldn't take it.

"I will follow the Hokage's instructions." Ye Lan did not refuse; he understood that one must give before one can receive.

"I've already arranged your accommodation. The Anbu will take you there later. There's nothing else here, so I'll be going now. I'm getting old; I can't compare to you young people anymore!"

"Lord Hokage, I would like to ask, who is Sasuke's teacher now?" Ye Lan asked a question that Sarutobi Hiruzen had not expected.

"Kakashi Hatake." Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't think much before glancing back at Ye Lan and saying.

"Understood, thank you, Hokage-sama. Take care."

Upon hearing Ye Lan's thanks, Hiruzen Sarutobi bowed in thanks.

Chapter 4 Chunin Exams

The following day, Ye Lan, who was resting at his residence, received his appointment letter as a special Jonin.

"Hello, Yelan-kun, my name is Yamashiro Aoba. This is your appointment letter and some ninja equipment. Please check them."

The person who arrived at Ye Lan's residence was a special Jonin wearing sunglasses. In addition to the letter of appointment, he also brought a ninja vest, clothing, and a new Konoha headband.

Ye Lan glanced at the somewhat nervous Shan Cheng Qingye, nodded, and then took all the items.

Ignoring the ninja equipment, he opened the appointment letter, confirmed it had the Hokage's signature, and put it away. Noticing that Yamashiro Aoba hadn't left yet, he asked, "Is there anything else I need to do now?"

"Oh, right, pack your things now, there's a meeting about the Chunin Exams coming up soon. You don't know the location, so the Hokage asked me to take you there," Yamashiro Aoba said, recovering from his daze.

"Then please wait for me a moment."

Ye Lan turned and entered the room, put on a dark, fitted coat, strapped on his usual arm guards, and put on his familiar combat boots. His Konoha headband was casually hung at his waist. He was ready in less than two minutes.

Upon seeing Uchiha Yoru reappear, Yamashiro Aoba glanced at the ninja vest he had just brought and asked, "Is this alright?"

"Ah."

Although Konoha doesn't have a clear rule requiring ninja vests except during wartime, and many special jonin and jonin wear their own comfortable clothes, it's truly unheard of for someone like Ye Lan to not even glance at them and casually hang Konoha's headband on his waist.

"Never mind, as long as I get him to the meeting place, my mission is complete," Yamashiro Aoba thought.

As they approached their destination, Yamashiro Aoba clearly felt that all eyes were on him, or more precisely, on Uchiha Yoru.

"That family crest is..."

"How can there still be..."

Sensing something was amiss, Yamashiro Aoba glanced back at Ye Lan, who walked on expressionlessly, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding whispers, and then asked, "So, have we arrived?"

It was only then that Yamashiro Aoba noticed the Uchiha clan crest on the back of Ye Lan's coat. Although it was small, only in a small area behind his neck, it clearly indicated his identity.

Yamashiro Aoba adjusted her glasses and immediately quickened her pace to walk in front of Ye Lan again. "Almost there, almost there, we're almost there."

"You all understand why I've summoned you all, right?" said Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting at the very top.

"So it's finally time," said a female ninja with red eyes. "So, exactly when is it?"

“One week later,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said after taking a deep drag on his pipe.

"That's really worrying," a silver-haired ninja remarked.

"Nobles from other countries will be attending this joint exam, so I entrust the safety of Konoha to everyone present," Hiruzen continued.

Kakashi was lost in thought while Hiruzen was giving a long speech when he suddenly noticed his friend Might Guy nudging him from behind.

"What is it, Kai?" Kakashi asked in a low voice.

"Look, Kakashi, that kid in the corner, isn't the clan crest on his clothes the Uchiha clan's?" Guy, knowing the occasion was inappropriate, also lowered his voice.

However, the several familiar Jonin around them all heard Kai's words and couldn't help but look at Ye Lan in the corner.

Black hair and black eyes, with the Uchiha clan crest printed on his dark coat—there's no mistake.

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Then the chief examiner for the second exam will be Anko Mitarashi, and the examiner will be Yoru Uchiha..."

When the name Uchiha Yelan appeared in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth, everyone present looked at Yelan with a variety of uncomfortable gazes, including curiosity, confusion, doubt, hatred, and schadenfreude.

"Quiet! Is there any question?" Hiruzen displayed his authority as Hokage, and the whispering ninjas immediately fell silent.

"Um, I'd like to ask what's going on with this Uchiha ninja?" one of the ninjas asked.

"The Uchiha Jonin was on a long mission and only recently returned to the village, so there's nothing to be surprised about." Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed out the ninja's thoughts, which was also to tell everyone present that Ye Lan had left the village to carry out a mission before the Uchiha clan was massacred.

However, this did not satisfy everyone's curiosity. A Jonin, even though the Hokage did not specify whether he was a Special Jonin or a Regular Jonin, is still a core figure in the village. This guy looks so young, which only increased everyone's doubts.

Ye Lan ignored the stares and comments of others, standing there quietly like a statue.

Just then, a hand patted Ye Lan on the shoulder, and a female ninja in her early twenties said, "Looks like you're my new colleague. I didn't expect you to be a handsome guy from the Uchiha clan."

Ye Lan suppressed the urge to slap away the hand and looked at the woman in front of him, who was wearing an earth-colored coat and had her hair tied in a pineapple ponytail, and said, "Mitarashi Anko, a Jonin. Please take care of me for the next period of time."

"No problem! No problem! I was worried you wouldn't be easy to talk to. I'll treat you to three-colored dumplings later." Mitarashi Anko patted Ye Lan's shoulder several times, not expecting this Uchiha to be so easy to talk to.

"Alright, so for this exam, do you have any recommended genin?" Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly changed the subject and asked the jonin leading the teams.

Kakashi and the others were taken aback, but they quickly recovered and announced the names of their subordinate genin.

"Alright, I understand." Just as Hiruzen was about to adjourn the meeting, someone suddenly interrupted him.

"Lord Hokage, although it may seem like I'm meddling, those students are all people I taught before. While I admit they do have some talent, it's too early for them. They should be doing more missions to hone their skills." The speaker was Iruka.

"I was six years younger than Naruto is now when I became a Chunin." Kakashi knew who Iruka was most worried about.

"Naruto is different from you!"

"Hey, Captain." Ignoring Iruka and Kakashi's argument, Ye Lan took the initiative to speak to Anko.

Hongdou didn't seem to mind that no honorifics were used. "What is it?"

"Is there anything I can tell you about the second exam?"

"Ah, don't worry so much about work. There's still a week left. We can set up the exam venue later. The main thing is to supervise whether any students are cheating during the exam," Hongdou said.

"If nothing's going on today, I have some personal matters to take care of, is that alright?"

“It’s possible…” Before Hongdou could finish speaking, Yelan started walking towards Kakashi.

“Iruka’s words don’t make no mistake.” Hiruzen was also annoyed by the two arguing. “Then let’s prepare a preparatory exam for them.”

"Preparatory exam?" Before Iruka could react, Ye Lan walked right up to him.

"Then, Hokage-sama, I'll take care of Sasuke Uchiha's preparatory exam."

Chapter 5 First Encounter with Sasuke

"I didn't expect the Hokage to agree to this," Kakashi said, looking at the boy behind him.