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

Tsunade is willing to relinquish power, but she fears these people will outwardly comply while inwardly resisting. For now, it seems she has to wait and talk to others. As for Ye Lan, it depends on whether that kid can weather this storm of gossip. However, in Tsunade's view, Ye Lan is not like White Fang, who cares about his reputation. At worst, she can let him go out for a trip to relax and do a mission or something.

Thinking of this, Tsunade, who was in a bad mood, relaxed her brows and picked up her teacup to take a sip.

"Lady Tsunade!" Tsunade had just taken a sip of tea when Shizune burst in, nearly causing Tsunade to choke on the scalding tea.

"Mute!" Tsunade wiped her mouth with a handkerchief in dissatisfaction. "You're a Jonin, can't you be a little more composed?"

"Lady Tsunade, there is indeed an emergency!" Shizune's tense expression did not ease despite Tsunade's instruction.

She pulled out a blue scroll and said, "A letter has arrived from Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water!"

Kirigakure, an enemy village that fought against Konoha in the Third Shinobi World War, closed itself off after its defeat and did not release any intelligence. If it weren't for Yoru's return, the Konoha leadership would have had no idea that the Fourth Mizukage would massacre the Kirigakure Blood Ninja on a large scale.

Tsunade stopped blaming Shizune and solemnly opened the scroll. It was impossible to tell whether Kirigakure was friend or foe. The two villages, which had never had diplomacy, suddenly received a letter. If Sunagakure was a treacherous villain who kept changing his mind, then Kirigakure was a powerful venomous snake. It was unknown what purpose this visit had.

Inside a snack shop in Konoha, a middle-aged man wearing a Kirigakure headband calmly ate the food in front of him, completely ignoring the Konoha ninjas who were keeping watch around him.

He looked at the boy who had come with him and couldn't help but feel anxious. Why would Mei Terumi let this genin follow her? Even though she had become the Mizukage, Shimo still had some reservations about her.

"Chojuro, what are you so nervous about?" Shuang growled. He didn't want the Konoha ninjas to look down on the people of Kirigakure. He had felt uncomfortable with the environment after arriving in Konoha, and he couldn't help but get angry at Chojuro's awkward appearance.

"Lord Shuang, I...I..." Chojuro looked very shy, and you couldn't tell that he was a ninja.

"Stop talking and just eat." Shuang covered his face. After this mission, he was definitely going to tell Mei Terumi that he would never go on a mission with Chojuro again. He couldn't stand ninjas who hadn't experienced the Blood Mist Village.

Chapter 60 Target: The Land of Water

In a dark basement outside Konoha Village, the damp air felt slightly cool. A familiar figure was fiddling with some bottles and jars.

Summoning techniques, Impure World Reincarnation

A puff of smoke cleared, and the dead person who appeared through the spirit looked like a zombie from a movie Ye Lan had seen in her previous life. It had no consciousness of its own, and it was just an ordinary person.

Another failure. Ye Lan really underestimated the Impure World Reincarnation ninjutsu. He had almost wiped out all the bandits in the area, and there wasn't a single successful case. He even doubted whether the scroll Orochimaru gave him was really Impure World Reincarnation.

Ye Lan, still deep in thought, paused. The shadow clone left in the village dissipated, and the memories from the previous events flooded back. After processing them, Ye Lan put down the device in his hand. "What does Tsunade want with me again? Is she bringing the kids again?"

The rumors circulating in the village had no effect on Ye Lan. The gap he had set up under the village's barrier allowed him to enter with ease. Usually, only a shadow clone remained in the village, which would dissolve and inform him of any matters that might arise.

Looking at the simple workbench, Ye Lan suddenly felt that taking care of a child wasn't so bad after all. He was really out of money now; these few pieces of equipment had already emptied his savings. He needed to go out and take on a few missions. He couldn't very well ask Kakashi for money again.

...

"So, what brings you here this time?" Ye Lan asked bluntly after arriving at Tsunade's office.

"This kid is getting more and more carefree," Tsunade said, looking at Ye Lan with some dissatisfaction. "It seems those rumors haven't had any effect on you."

"Rumors stop with the wise." Ye Lan casually quoted a saying he learned in his previous life. If it weren't for the fact that some poems weren't popular in this world, he would definitely copy a couple to earn some extra money.

"Heh, what a wise man's words when it comes to rumors." Seeing Ye Lan's expression, Tsunade felt relieved and pointed to the blue scroll on her desk, saying, "Take a look, this is your mission this time."

As soon as Ye Lan entered the room, he noticed the scroll with its peculiar material. Just as he expected, he picked up the scroll and opened it to take a look.

After reading the scroll, Ye Lan looked at Tsunade with a somewhat complicated expression. The contents of the scroll were not complicated: the Mizukage of Kirigakure invited Konoha to establish friendly relations, and specifically stated that as long as Konoha did not take any major actions that infringed on Kirigakure's interests during the Fifth Mizukage's tenure, he would not launch a war against Konoha.

Their conditions for this were that Konoha return their own ninja swords and assist them in rebuilding the ninja academy.

Tsunade had no reason to refuse such a condition. As a village that had never established friendly relations with Konoha, Tsunade's reputation would be greatly enhanced if she accomplished this task, and Ye Lan, who was going to carry out this mission, would also gain fame. Tsunade would actually entrust this task, which was not difficult but would greatly enhance her qualifications, to Ye Lan.

It's no wonder that Ye Lan noticed something was off about Tsunade's expression. If her previous trust in Ye Lan was based on a thorough investigation, this time she had paved the way for Ye Lan to move up the ladder.

"Kid, what are you daydreaming about? If you don't want to go, I'll ask someone else to go," Tsunade said with a smile.

"I'll take you on this mission, but I'm not very familiar with the treaty signing process if I go alone. Please make sure the Hokage brings two more people." Ye Lan knew that he couldn't do this kind of thing alone. Tsunade trusted him, but he also needed to be discerning.

Tsunade nodded silently. "Then let Asuma's class go with you, and add another ANBU squad as well."

It's best not to let your guard down during your first interaction with Kirigakure. Asuma, as the Third Hokage's son, carries enough weight, and with Shikamaru, who has already matured somewhat, this lineup is quite formidable.

As for the Anbu, Ye Lan roughly guessed that Sasuke and his group would be going to the Land of Water with him. Although Tsunade was from the Senju clan, she was now intentionally cultivating Uchiha people. Ye Lan felt no joy at this gesture of goodwill; he could only sigh inwardly, wondering if the two of them would still be able to joke and laugh like this in the end.

...

In Amegakure, a light drizzle was still falling. This time it wasn't Nagato's Rain Tiger Free Technique; this had been the environment of Amegakure for a long time.

Sitting in his enormous wheelchair, Nagato felt the cool breeze in the air and couldn't help but cough twice.

"Nagato, you should go inside and rest." Konan, worried about Nagato's health, stepped out from the shadows.

"My body isn't at the point where it can't withstand wind and snow..." Nagato wasn't that old, but his body, though in his thirties, was as thin as a seventy or eighty-year-old.

"Ban has returned." Konan said after a long silence.

"Heh, Madara, let's just say he is. He wreaked havoc on the Land of Water, left a mess, and then ran back," Nagato said dismissively. He never believed that the man wearing the whirlpool mask was Madara.

Now he only believes in Konan and his ideals. He is willing to give everything for that goal. Don't be fooled by the fact that there are many strong people in the Akatsuki organization. There are very few people who can truly obey him. Once they know what he looks like now, most of them will probably run away.

“Nagato, I think going to the Land of Water is still too dangerous. Why don’t we send Kakuzu instead?” Konan said with a worried expression. She understood Nagato’s wish, but she cared more about Nagato himself.

Nagato remained silent. He was well aware of his physical condition. Each time he used the Heavenly Dao, it became increasingly difficult, and he had no idea when he would collapse. Right now, he was only holding on by a single, unwavering will.

“Kakuzu is strong enough, but he can’t stop that person. I have to take action to ensure success.” Seeing that Konan was still a little worried, Nagato said, “This time we only need to bring Tendo. That person has already left the village. We just need to ambush him on the way.”

This matter concerns the future fate of Akatsuki, so Nagato couldn't help but act carelessly. Obito, after taking control of the Fourth Mizukage, only knew how to slaughter indiscriminately, which finally led to Kirigakure overthrowing his rule. The unexpected death of the Three-Tails was all due to his own carelessness; otherwise, Akatsuki would not have had to wait another three years.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade Nagato, Konan stopped trying to stop him. She knew Nagato's personality all too well; no one, except Yahiko, could interfere with the decisions he made.

“The rain is getting heavier, Nagato, let me push you inside.” Konan walked behind Nagato, preparing to push the huge wheelchair. This time, Nagato did not stop her.

“Konan…” Nagato, who had difficulty moving, called out to Konan behind him.

He slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on Xiao Nan, then opened his slightly dry lips and said softly, "I will definitely protect this country, prevent it from being hurt again, and never let this country cry again."

Xiao Nan paused slightly, but she didn't stop and continued walking forward.

At that moment, their hearts were connected, their thoughts merged into one, and they no longer needed to communicate with words. Konan had no lofty ideals or ambitions; as a girl, she simply supported her companions silently. She didn't care about other people's opinions or prejudices; she only knew that if the goal was achieved, Nagato and Yahiko would be very happy.

Chapter 61 Hostility

"I never expected we'd be working on a mission together this time. I still owe you a meal from last time!"

A group of people had already left the Land of Fire and were now on a ship bound for the Land of Water. With nothing else to do, Asuma walked over to Yelan and lit a cigarette.

Ye Lan didn't have any problem with other people smoking. With his body, which had been trained by natural energy, the harm of secondhand smoke to him was not unacceptable.

"Asuma, be careful on the road." Ye Lan leaned against the railing on the deck, the sea breeze blowing his bangs, which swayed with the wind, making his eyes appear and disappear.

"Why do I say that? I feel that the Mizukage is quite sincere." Asuma is not as rough as he seems on the surface; he is quite thoughtful, otherwise he wouldn't have become boyfriend and girlfriend with Kurenai.

Ye Lan slightly raised his chin, gesturing in a direction. Asuma looked and saw a Kirigakure ninja some distance away, the same Jonin named Shuang from before. She didn't flinch when she saw Ye Lan and Asuma's gaze, and kept observing Ye Lan's every move.

Even a fool could understand the hostility Shuang harbored towards Ye Lan. Asma noticed this and asked, "What's wrong with this guy?"

Ye Lan also had some questions. He was certain that he had never seen this ninja before. Along the way, the Hidden Mist ninja named Shuang had never hidden his malice towards him. What had he done? Fortunately, Ye Lan was not afraid of this open hostility, but he was somewhat surprised.

"The only possibility I can think of is that during the Third Shinobi World War, someone from the Uchiha clan killed his comrade," Ye Lan stated his deduction.

"It seems possible..." Asuma then remembered that during the Third Shinobi World War, the main force of the Uchiha clan was responsible for the battlefield in the Land of Water. Even though their fire jutsu was suppressed by water jutsu, the Uchiha clan's performance on the battlefield was still remarkable. Many of Kirigakure's top fighters died at the hands of the Uchiha clan.

"Sasuke, I heard you joined the Anbu. How's life there?" Ino hadn't expected to have the opportunity to go on a mission with Sasuke. She kept asking him all sorts of questions the whole way, never stopping for a moment.

Sasuke and his team were not wearing Anbu uniforms, but just their usual casual clothes. After all, wearing Anbu uniforms to other villages might cause other problems. The Kage, as Sasuke's teammates, just watched from the sidelines.

These kids, is this how ninjas play around? Konoha has truly fallen. As his name suggests, Frost exudes a chilling aura. Chojuro didn't even dare to greet Sasuke and the others, remaining standing beside Frost the entire time.

Shuang's gaze kept lingering on Sasuke and Ye Lan. He had observed these two the most along the way, especially Ye Lan. Ever since he left the Land of Water, he had heard the title "the last pride of the Uchiha" everywhere he went, referring to Ye Lan. However, he was surprised to find that Ye Lan was so young, and a scar on his back that had already healed started to ache again.

Having experienced the Blood Mist Village, Frost possesses a cold heart and a tenacious will. He has always been strict with himself and his subordinates. Seeing the Konoha genin chatting and laughing together, he felt no goodwill. As a jonin from another ninja village, he had no right to instruct the genin from other ninja villages. He could only turn around and walk to the bow of the ship, out of sight, out of mind.

"Don't worry, Asuma, that Mist Ninja named Frost is not our enemy for now," Ye Lan said, seeing Frost already gone.

Personal hatred is insignificant compared to the interests of the village. If Shuang can't even see this, Ye Lan really has to question Kirigakure's Jonin assessment system.

"Well, hopefully this time it'll be easier." Asuma casually tossed away his cigarette butt and left Ye Lan's side.

Shikamaru found a spot on the deck and looked at the materials in his hands, feeling a bit of a headache. Why did he have to deal with such troublesome matters?

"Shikamaru, how's it going? You've looked at all the materials, haven't you?" Asuma walked over to Shikamaru and patted him on the shoulder.

"What a hassle. Isn't this kind of thing for Jonin like you? Why are you giving it all to me?" Shikamaru complained. These materials were prepared for the negotiations with Kirigakure. Tsunade initially gave them to Asuma, but Asuma threw them to Shikamaru as soon as they left the village.

"Haha, I'll take you with me to the negotiations. After all, I acknowledge your intelligence!" Asuma laughed without batting an eye. Subordinates should share the responsibilities with him properly. He figured he wouldn't be able to finish this kind of work even in Kirigakure. After thinking it over, he decided it was more appropriate to leave it to Shikamaru.

"Let me lend a hand too." At this moment, Antelope walked over, picked up some documents and began to look at them. As members of the Anbu, they often came into contact with these kinds of documents, and as for their ability to handle them, only Antelope in Sasuke's class could solve a few problems.

"Oh, this is too much trouble for you." Shikamaru felt a little embarrassed when the antelope came forward to help. He wasn't familiar with the antelope and didn't want to trouble him.

The salty sea breeze ruffled the antelope's disheveled hair. The antelope tidied its hair with one hand, turned around and smiled: "We're all fellow villagers, no need to be so polite."

Shikamaru had never thought he would be interested in women, but when he saw the antelope's smiling face, he blushed instantly and could only stammer out two answers.

"Hmph~" Asuma, who had been through it all, chuckled twice and nudged Shikamaru a couple of times. The antelope looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, a bit older than Shikamaru, but perhaps that was precisely why he could feel the charm of a woman.

"Sasuke, look! There's a huge fish!" Ino's noisy voice came over, attracting the attention of Asuma and the others.

A giant fish over 30 meters long emerged from the sea, leisurely basking in the sun. Its head occasionally spewed out a stream of air, creating a fountain that astonished Ino.

“That…that’s not…a fish,” Chojuro said nervously from the side.

"Not a fish?" Ino looked at Chojuro in confusion. Having rarely left the village, this was the first time she had seen such a creature, which clearly looked like a large fish.

Sasuke and Choji also looked at Chojuro, curious about what he would say.

“That’s… a whale!” Chojuro said, running to the side after being stared at by these people. He really wasn’t used to being with so many people.

"Hmph, a bunch of ignorant country bumpkins." Shuang couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority as she looked at the people talking behind her.

Several dark shadows gradually appeared on the distant horizon. Ino, thinking they were some new and strange creatures, shouted loudly, "Hey! What are those things?" not knowing Chojuro's name.

Looking in the direction Ino pointed, everyone saw only blurry black shadows. Shimo, who was standing at the front, gradually revealed a hint of doubt in his eyes. As the target got closer, his expression changed from surprise to indifference.

"So it's a ship! But why are their sails black?" Ino wondered.

"They're pirates!" Chojuro's shy expression had largely disappeared. Once this child got serious, he wouldn't think about anything nerve-wracking, and his expression would become confident.

Upon hearing that they were pirates, everyone in Konoha turned serious. They had always heard that pirates were rampant near the Land of Water, but they never expected to encounter them this time.

"Everyone!" While Ye Lan and the others were still thinking about how to handle the situation, Shuang stood at the bow of the ship and said loudly, "There's nothing to be afraid of. These pirates are just a few petty thieves to me. As guests from Konoha, you can stay on the ship. I'll take care of those pirates!"

Chapter 62 The Eighth Ninja Sword

As Shuang spoke, she threw out a scroll. When the smoke cleared, an exaggeratedly shaped greatsword appeared in mid-air. The entire sword was almost as tall as a person, with some bandages wrapped around the hilt. It had no embellishments or handguard. Apart from its enormous size, the sword only had a simple feel to it. Under this strong sense of difference, Shuang gripped the weapon tightly.