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

“The Hokage naturally has his reasons.” Ye Lan looked at Kakashi walking in front of him. He had heard a lot about Kakashi’s deeds when he was in the village, especially the fact that he was not a member of the Uchiha clan but had the Sharingan. This had a great impact within the clan. Shisui had mentioned his name before. Kakashi was the only one who could use the Sharingan to such an extent as an outsider.

"I know what you're worried about. The Hokage told me about what happened five years ago. I wouldn't go so far as to cause trouble for a child." Ye Lan saw through Kakashi's worries and pointed it out directly.

"You're not that old yourself..." Putting aside his inner complaints, Kakashi felt somewhat relieved after hearing Ye Lan's words.

"Will you come with me to see him directly, or will you make your own arrangements?"

"Just watch for a moment, don't worry, I definitely won't hurt him." Ye Lan had some ideas in mind, and a smile appeared on her face.

"Don't go too far! They are my subordinates after all!" Seeing Ye Lan's smile, Kakashi's heart, which had just settled down, jumped up again.

"He is your subordinate and a Konoha ninja, but don't forget that his surname is Uchiha."

"What do you want to do?" Kakashi's alertness immediately heightened.

"Don't worry, Kakashi." Seeing Kakashi's expression, Ye Lan remained silent for a moment before saying, "My attitude towards him depends on my attitude towards Itachi."

Just as the sun was shining brightly, the three genin of Team 7 stood on a bridge in Konoha Village, lost in thought.

"Ugh! Why did that guy call everyone out and make them wait for him!" Sakura, with her pink hair, couldn't hold back any longer and started complaining.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Naruto chimed in, while Sasuke, standing to the side, watched the two of them making fun of Kakashi and wondered why these two guys were so energetic so early in the morning.

"Yo! Good morning, everyone!" Just as Naruto and Sakura were complaining, Kakashi, who was late, finally arrived.

"Today I'm lost on the path of life..."

"You're lying!" Naruto and Sakura no longer believed this nonsense.

"Well, actually I was just helping you guys out." Without the slightest embarrassment at being exposed, Kakashi walked straight up to the three of them.

"Actually, I recommended the three of you to participate in the Chunin Exams." He said, pulling out three application forms. "Look, these are the application forms."

"The Chunin Exams?" Sakura hadn't quite grasped the situation yet.

"This kind of exam isn't mandatory; whether you participate or not is up to you," Kakashi continued.

"That's great! Kakashi-sensei loves you the most!" Unlike Sakura, Naruto immediately hugged Kakashi excitedly.

"Alright, if you agree, sign the application form and come to the school in 5 days," Kakashi said, releasing Naruto.

It seems Sasuke will encounter many strong opponents during the Chunin Exams. Just as Sasuke was still pondering this, Kakashi spoke up, "Sasuke, someone is looking for you."

Ok?

*Slap* - Before Sasuke could react, a hand slapped his shoulder from behind. Just as Sasuke was about to turn around, a murderous aura that made him tremble came from behind him.

"Uchiha Sasuke, what is Uchiha Itachi to you?" Standing behind Sasuke was Ye Lan. At this moment, he released his chakra without much reservation, and a dark and cold feeling instantly filled the entire bridge.

While still reeling from the murderous aura, Sasuke heard that name he wanted to tear to pieces. He instantly lost his mind, his pupils began to shrink, and his eye color began to turn red.

"Kakashi-sensei, what... what... what's going on?" Naruto's legs began to tremble, while Sakura collapsed to the ground in despair. This was even more terrifying than when they encountered Zabuza.

This speed is impossible to clearly capture without the Sharingan, and the amount of chakra is too exaggerated, more than ten times that of a typical Jonin. What has Ye Lan gone through all these years? At only 15 years old, he has already surpassed his peers by a huge margin.

"Speak up, what does Uchiha Itachi mean to you?" Ye Lan looked at Sasuke in front of him and was honestly a little disappointed. At the age of twelve, he was not even a Chunin. At this age, Shisui, Itachi, and he himself were all far superior to their peers and had all developed the Sharingan with three tomoe. Although Sasuke was released and raised in the wild by the Hokage, his strength was still too weak.

"I...forbid...you to...mention...that name!" Sasuke suppressed the discomfort brought on by the killing intent, not thinking about why Kakashi hadn't made a move. He took out a kunai from his ninja tool bag, his Sharingan eyes spinning continuously, and thrust the kunai behind him.

Ye Lan easily grabbed Sasuke's arm as he swung the kunai, then withdrew the killing intent within her.

“I think I understand what you’re thinking, but if you can lose your mind just because of a name, Sasuke, you’ll never beat Itachi like this,” Ye Lan said, putting down Sasuke’s arm.

Sasuke wanted to say something, but he was stunned when he saw the three-tomoe Sharingan in Ye Lan's pupils.

"Who are you? You attacked us right away! I'm going to teach you a lesson!" Naruto, seeing that he could move freely again, rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush towards Ye Lan.

"Naruto, don't move." Kakashi stopped Naruto with one hand.

Under the puzzled gazes of Naruto and Sakura, he slowly said, "That person is Sasuke's cousin."

"Ye Lan?" Sasuke was somewhat incredulous. Besides him, there were other survivors in the Uchiha clan, and he was somewhat familiar with this person.

Ye Lan was three years older than Sasuke, but he had already graduated when Sasuke enrolled. Aside from missions, he often practiced with Shisui at the Uchiha clan's training grounds, and Itachi frequently visited Shisui. When Itachi brought Sasuke to the training grounds, Ye Lan mocked Sasuke for needing his older brother to carry him, a sentiment Sasuke held dear. Ye Lan and Shisui had visited Fugaku's house together to say goodbye before a mission. After the massacre of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke remembered Ye Lan was still on a mission and clung to a sliver of hope, only to be informed by the Hokage that the mission had failed and everyone had perished.

"It seems you still remember me." Ye Lan did not show any joy, and then said to Kakashi, "Kakashi, I'm taking Sasuke to the clan's territory."

After saying that, he gestured for Sasuke to follow.

Kakashi didn't seem to care, but Naruto started complaining: "What? Even if he's Sasuke's brother, he shouldn't be so rude."

"Kakashi-sensei, I've never heard of Sasuke having an older brother. What's going on?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

“He’s a cousin, not a biological brother. Ye Lan has been away on missions for many years and only recently returned. He just happened to come with me to see Sasuke,” Kakashi said casually.

"But I feel Sasuke was also surprised?" Sakura still wanted to know more. She felt that Sasuke was surprised not only by Ye Lan's arrival, but also by other reasons, such as who this Uchiha Itachi that Ye Lan mentioned was, and why Sasuke was so angry.

"Alright, that's enough for today. As for the Chunin Exams, you can think about it yourselves. As your teacher, I can't give you much advice."

"I will definitely participate in the Chunin Exams! I will definitely become a Chunin! Right, Sakura!" Naruto's determination to become a Chunin was ignited from this moment on.

Sakura looked at the excited Naruto and shook her head helplessly.

"By the way, Kakashi-sensei, what about Sasuke? He should agree to participate in the Chunin Exams, right?" Naruto was still a little worried about Sasuke's departure, and he hoped that the entire Team 7 could participate in the Chunin Exams.

"Don't worry about Sasuke, Ye Lan will definitely let him participate," Kakashi explained. "By the way, Ye Lan is also your examiner for the second round. Consider this a heads-up."

"That expressionless guy is the examiner? How old is he?" Naruto said unconvinced, as Ye Lan didn't look much older than him.

"Uchiha Yelan should be 15 years old now, but he has already become a Jonin. Logically speaking, you Genin should call him teacher. And you just felt his strength. I can tell you that Yelan is stronger than Zabuza, whom you encountered before." Kakashi gave this instruction before leaving.

15 years old! Jonin! Stronger than Zabuza! Naruto's encounter with Zabuza during a previous mission broadened his horizons, but he never imagined there would actually be someone his age with far greater strength. Thinking back to how he couldn't even move his feet in front of Zabuza just now, he understood the gap between himself and a Jonin even more. It seems he needs to work even harder.

Sakura seemed thoughtful after Kakashi's words. She was 15 years old and had been away on missions for a long time. What exactly happened to the Uchiha clan?

Chapter 6 Conversation

Sasuke followed Ye Lan to the former Uchiha clan's territory. He still couldn't believe that Ye Lan was still alive. He was thinking about what to ask but didn't know where to begin.

"Sasuke." After arriving at the clan's territory, Ye Lan turned around, and the Sharingan in her pupils slowly rotated.

"Tell me, what did you see on the day Itachi killed his clansmen?"

"That day..." Upon hearing Itachi's name, Sasuke clenched his fists tightly, as if recalling something painful, and dared not look Ye Lan in the eye.

"Uchiha Itachi graduated from the Ninja Academy at age 7, became a Chunin at age 10, joined the Anbu at age 11, and turned his weapon against his clan at age 13... Sasuke, do you think you can accomplish revenge now?" Ye Lan slowly revealed his understanding of Itachi.

"I can!" Sasuke said, looking directly at Ye Lan this time.

"With your half-baked Sharingan? One has a one-tomoe Sharingan and the other a two-tomoe Sharingan, and you can't even make them symmetrical. Don't laugh your head off!"

"You bastard!" Sasuke said through gritted teeth, his hands beginning to move, the prelude to forming hand seals.

"Do you think I won't hurt you, so you keep provoking me?"

Whoosh—

Even with his Sharingan wide open, Sasuke couldn't see Ye Lan's movements clearly. Ye Lan grabbed Sasuke's hand as he was about to form hand seals.

"The first rule to becoming a good ninja is that you can be angry, but you must always remain calm. This kind of mentality will only give your enemies an opening."

After saying that, Ye Lan let go of Sasuke's hand and continued forward.

Sasuke watched Ye Lan's retreating figure, his anger subsided slightly, and he followed Ye Lan's footsteps.

When Sasuke followed Ye Lan to the Uchiha clan's cemetery, Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that all the members of the Uchiha clan were buried in this place.

"Apart from your parents' graves, you probably haven't been here before."

Ye Lan squatted down in front of a tombstone and said in a low voice.

"Most of those buried here are ordinary members of the Uchiha clan. Do you know how many there are?"

Sasuke stared blankly at Ye Lan, unsure how to answer the question.

"1257 people. I counted them one by one last night. Among them are Aunt Jing, Uncle Shoushao, and Grandpa Yaowei... They're all gone. The village's ANBU buried them, and they couldn't even have their names engraved on their tombstones. Sasuke, what I really want to confirm right now is, did you personally witness Itachi Uchiha attacking members of his clan?"

When Sasuke heard the number, he was still shocked. Sasuke's feelings for Itachi had always been complicated. He might even have hoped that Itachi had some unspeakable secret. But when the number 1257 appeared in front of him, he suddenly felt that his hatred for Itachi was not even half as strong as Ye Lan's.

"I got home late that day. When I returned to the clan's territory, I saw corpses of clansmen everywhere and signs of a fight. All I could think about was getting home." Sasuke knew he couldn't escape the past. He held his forehead with one hand as he recounted what he had seen.

Ye Lan didn't interrupt Sasuke's ramblings and listened patiently.

"When I got home, all I saw were my parents lying in pools of blood, and Itachi... Itachi was holding that ninja sword, which was covered in blood." Sasuke seemed to recall something terrible and began to squat down.

"You didn't see Itachi do it himself?" Ye Lan frowned.

“No, although I didn’t see it with my own eyes, he attacked me while I was questioning Itachi. He used his Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on me, and in that genjutsu, I saw Itachi kill my parents.” Sasuke continued, “When I woke up from the genjutsu, all I wanted to do was run away. I didn’t have the courage to fight him at all.”

"Itachi didn't kill you?" A red light flashed in Ye Lan's pupils.

"No, he seemed to say something like, 'Go find him again when you have eyes like his.'" After saying that, Sasuke seemed to collapse to the ground with a thud.

Things seem to have become more complicated. What was Itachi's purpose in keeping Sasuke alive? What caused Itachi to commit such a heinous act? And even if Itachi joined forces with others, how could the two of them have slaughtered an entire clan so quickly? Even with the Mangekyou Sharingan, Itachi couldn't have done it so fast. And how could Konoha have been completely unaware of such a commotion? What role did the Hokage's faction play on this absurd and unbelievable night?

According to Sasuke's words, Ye Lan could only analyze so much information and put away his Sharingan. In order to get information out of Sasuke, he could only use genjutsu. It seems that Sasuke only knows some superficial information about what happened that night.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, only to find an unfamiliar ceiling and an unfamiliar bed. He sat up abruptly, looked around, and was filled with confusion.

"Awake?" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from a corner of the room. Sasuke turned his head and saw Ye Lan leaning quietly against the bedroom door, looking at him calmly.

Sasuke froze, unsure what to say. Seeing that he was alright, Ye Lan continued, "Don't just stand there. There's food on the table. Eat and then go to the training ground. I'll wait for you there." With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Sasuke standing there in a daze.

Sasuke took a while to come to his senses. He got up and left the room, going into the living room. He immediately saw a steaming bowl of food on the table, emitting an enticing aroma. However, he didn't immediately pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he stood silently before the table, his eyes gradually dimming…

Upon seeing Sasuke arrive at the training ground, Ye Lan immediately asked, "Sasuke, what do you think is the most important thing for a ninja?"

"A powerful technique?" Sasuke replied after hearing Ye Lan's question.

Ye Lan shook his head and said, "Based on this alone, you can't become a Chunin. The most important thing for a ninja is intelligence. No matter how powerful a technique is, there is always a way to break it. Once you have all the information about a ninja, killing him will be easier than you think."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke suddenly looked up at Ye Lan.

“That’s right, I’m talking about Itachi.” Ye Lan mentioned the name again unintentionally, wanting to see Sasuke’s reaction.

This time, Sasuke didn't yell, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner turmoil. Seeing this, Ye Lan sighed and continued, "Not only that, every ninja must learn to conceal their information. Even if you know a powerful ninjutsu, if others know it, they will be on guard. This means that what you consider a trump card may be easily dealt with by others."

“In this respect, your teacher Kakashi did a pretty good job, but you haven’t learned anything from him.” Ye Lan said, raising his left arm, biting his right thumb, and drawing blood on his left arm.

"Seal, release."

As the smoke cleared, a samurai katana appeared in Ye Lan's right hand. He held the katana level and pointed it at Sasuke, saying, "No matter how much you say, it's useless. Let's see what information you can glean from me by fighting me."

Sasuke looked at Ye Lan with some uncertainty.

"Don't worry, I'll suppress my strength to the level of an ordinary Chunin." Perhaps seeing Sasuke's concerns, Ye Lan reassured him.