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

"Let me show you..." After Shuang gripped the greatsword, her entire demeanor instantly improved several levels. "What a Hidden Mist Ninja is all about."

After Shuang finished speaking, she jumped off the bow of the ship, put the broadsword at her feet, and used the weapon as a surfboard to rush towards the pirate ship that was not far away from them.

Water Release: Wave-Riding Technique

As Shuang finished forming the hand seals, the seawater beneath his feet suddenly churned. Even Ye Lan and the others, who were already some distance away, felt the ship rocking. Shuang, wielding his greatsword, seemed to be riding a tsunami as he galloped freely across the sea.

"Amazing!" Ino exclaimed, and Sasuke also kept his eyes glued to Frost's every move.

Frost's actions seemed to frighten the pirate ship, and the group on board was clearly thrown into disarray, hurriedly turning the ship around.

It's not so easy for a huge ship to turn around. Before the pirates could react, he took advantage of the waves and flew directly towards the pirate ship in the center.

Having had no chance to vent his frustrations along the way, Shuang was finally able to unleash his full power. With a downward swing of his broadsword, several water blades appeared out of thin air, turning his landing spot into an empty space.

Thud—

With both feet landing on the deck, the overburdened deck cracked, and a few splinters of wood remained in the air. The pirate leader mustered his courage and shouted for his companions to attack. Frost smiled slightly, and the huge ninja sword moved with incredible agility in his hands, dodging enemy attacks one after another. When all the enemies gathered around, he roared.

Water escape, water windmill

A stream of water appeared on the greatsword in Shuang's hand. As he spun it, the greatsword formed a waterspout that enveloped him. The waterspout grew larger and larger, engulfing all the pirates who wanted to attack him. The powerful water flow made the pirates lose their grip on their weapons, their clothes were gradually torn, and they quickly lost consciousness in this dizzying world.

Finally, Frost stopped spinning and swung her ninja sword in one direction. The water tornado raged in the direction she swung, and the pirates fled like ordinary people encountering a ferocious beast. In no time, the ship was in complete disarray, as if it had been attacked by a tornado.

Buzz—

Frost turned around, and the ship emitted a mournful sound. His spell had directly destroyed a large ship, which was now slowly sinking. Without hesitation, Frost jumped onto the other pirate ships that had not yet escaped and dealt with them one by one.

"Impressive. I didn't expect such an unknown guy to be so strong." Asuma put aside his initial slight disdain and silently looked at Ye Lan beside him, who remained calm and expressionless.

As expected, only a genius like him could remain indifferent to this scene. Asuma couldn't help but smile bitterly. The shock that Ye Lan had given him last time was still vivid in his mind. The black Susanoo was deeply engraved in his heart like a demon god. He suddenly understood why the Konoha higher-ups were so wary of the Uchiha.

As expected, joining the Anbu was the right decision. Sasuke had already activated his Sharingan to observe Frost's every move. He rarely saw such a person when he was a genin. Perhaps Frost hadn't revealed any of her trump cards, but her jonin-level fighting style had opened Sasuke's eyes.

"I remember that your Kirigakure has a special unit called the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Could it be that the Frost Jonin is also a member of that unit?" Shikamaru asked Chojuro beside him seemingly casually, as it was still important to gather as much information as possible at a time like this.

“No…” Chojuro looked in the direction of Shimo, a strange emotion appearing in his eyes that dispelled his tension. “Lord Shimo was never a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. To be precise, he never wanted to become one.”

Chojuro turned around, the sunlight making his glasses reflect a blinding light. "Lord Shimo said he would make the sword in his hand the eighth sword of Kirigakure."

Ye Lan suddenly became interested in this Jonin named Shuang. In his view, many traditions in this world were very important, and many people were proud of their clans. Even Ye Lan, who had transmigrated here, was influenced by the Uchiha clan. Shuang's kind of thinking was rare.

He became famous not because of his ninja sword, but because of his own ninja sword? This kind of vision alone surpasses most people in the ninja world, not to mention such powerful Kirigakure elites. If someone like this became the Mizukage, Ye Lan wouldn't be surprised.

Shuang dealt with the pirates in no time and returned looking refreshed. Most of the frustration she had felt on the way back had been released, and her expression was no longer so rigid. After returning, she spoke to the group of people from Konoha.

"The Land of Water has recently encountered some minor problems, leading to a surge in pirate activity. We in the Hidden Mist Village are already used to it. If you encounter them again on the road, just leave them to me."

As everyone relaxed, Ye Lan gazed at a certain direction on the sea, thoughtfully touching his chin. Since he began cultivating natural energy, his perception had become increasingly powerful. Even without using chakra perception techniques, he could clearly sense every movement nearby. Just now, he had a feeling that someone was watching him.

"That was close, we almost got discovered." Hei Bai Jue slithered for several thousand meters before daring to reveal his appearance.

"How come Uchiha Yelan's perception is so strong? I almost got detected. I need to quickly tell Nagato and Obito that this opponent is not easy to deal with." Black and White Satoru muttered to himself, then continued to sneak away without lingering.

A seaside village in the Land of Water

The sun at the beach was warm but not scorching during this season, and Nagato took a rare opportunity to bask in the sun. The Land of Rain had never experienced such weather.

Konan appeared in the shadows. For some reason, she disliked the sunlight and preferred to hide in a corner. She only spoke slowly when she saw Nagato sunbathing.

"Ban and the others have arrived."

No sooner had Xiao Nan finished speaking than the air nearby began to distort, and a man wearing a vortex mask appeared.

"They're almost there, but this time a troublesome guy has appeared." Obito's expression was not good under the mask. The accident in Kirigakure was related to him, and he had no choice but to ask Nagato for help. This was really damaging to his reputation as Madara.

"Is there anyone else that Madara Uchiha would find troublesome?" Nagato asked with a slight sneer, though his withered face looked rather terrifying.

"Hmph, my strength is now less than a tenth of what it was in its prime, otherwise I wouldn't have sought cooperation with you." Obito's tone was unpleasant, and he tried his best to imitate Madara's demeanor as he remembered it.

"Heh, then let the gods handle it." Nagato revealed the Rinnegan hidden beneath his bangs. Before the Rinnegan, no one was worth mentioning.

Obito remained silent. In truth, he had a feeling that Nagato didn't believe he was Madara at all. But Nagato wasn't much better off. He was almost dead, yet he still thought he was a god. He didn't even know that the Rinnegan wasn't his own; he was just a pitiful puppet.

"Tell you that the person who came with that guy is Uchiha Yoru, a very promising junior. Be careful not to mess things up." Obito didn't want Nagato to fall so quickly. The chances of Yoru defeating Nagato were slim, and he was afraid something unexpected might happen.

"Uchiha Yelan?" Nagato murmured repeatedly. He had heard this name several times already. Kakuzu had mentioned that they had met before, and he never expected to meet this person again this time. In some ways, Yelan and Akatsuki seemed to have some kind of destiny.

"No matter who it is, before God, there is only submission," Nagato said confidently. "But you, Madara, don't disappoint me again. You already failed last time."

Obito clenched his fists to hide his inner turmoil. He had secretly manipulated Yagura and promoted Shimo, who came from a commoner background, but he was betrayed. Moreover, the other party had overheard the secret of the Gedo Mazo. Yagura's original body was killed by Shimo. Faced with the siege of Mei and a group of Kirigakure ANBU, Obito had no choice but to flee from the Land of Water.

The last time I suffered such a great loss was when facing my own teacher, Minato Namikaze. Even the Fourth Hokage only saw through my techniques, not my intentions. I just hope Shuang hasn't revealed that the Gedo Mazo can seal tailed beasts; otherwise, the subsequent troubles won't be something that can be resolved in a few days.

"I will kill that traitor with my own hands, there will be no surprises." Obito's exposed Sharingan kept spinning, turning into the shape of a shuriken, and finally he disappeared in front of Nagato.

Chapter 63 Encounter

The ship finally docked, and without encountering any more pirates, Ye Lan and her group arrived in the territory of the Water Kingdom without any major incidents.

Generally speaking, villages with docks like these are usually quite prosperous, but the residents' faces showed no joy, only numbness.

"Is this what the Land of Water is like? It seems to be no different from the Land of Hot Springs we visited before..." Ino whispered to Choji.

The Land of Water, one of the Five Great Nations, has become like this. What happened to Kirigakure, which had previously closed itself off from the world, that made the entire country so lifeless?

Frost, who had been leading the way, stopped. Asuma, who was deep in thought, almost bumped into Frost. He looked up and saw that Frost was staring at something.

"Asuma, there are enemies!" Ye Lan had already sensed something was wrong and warned them.

Upon hearing this, the others picked up their weapons. When the nearby residents saw them take out their weapons, they all hid in their homes. At this moment, even the most numb person would not take their own life lightly.

"Who is it? Ye Lan." Asma sensed something was wrong when he saw Ye Lan's wary expression; the oppressive atmosphere put him under pressure.

Ye Lan closed his eyes, unleashing his chakra perception jutsu to its maximum. One, two... there were two of them, no, there was one more, they were getting closer! Ye Lan had already opened his eyes, his Sharingan eyes darting around, scanning his surroundings for any sign of the enemy.

No, no... Does the opponent know any ninjutsu like invisibility? Ye Lan was certain that he had sensed a slight fluctuation of chakra but hadn't discovered it yet, so he said, "Everyone, split up and hide!"

Upon hearing this, the Konoha ninjas immediately took action. As everyone began searching for hiding places, the air in the very center of the room distorted, and a man wearing a vortex mask appeared right in the center.

Invisibility? Space-time ninjutsu? How did he appear? Ye Lan looked at Obito, who appeared in the center, with surprise in his eyes. Obito slowly turned around, revealing his exposed Sharingan, which had now returned to its three-tomoe form.

Uchiha? One eye? Who is it? Not only Ye Lan, but Sasuke, who was also standing to the side, realized that the other party was very likely a member of the Uchiha clan.

"Akatsuki?" Seeing that the other party was wearing the same black robe with red clouds as Akatsuki, Ye Lan knew that this time there was some trouble. Akatsuki's strength was not weak, and the other party might be a member of the Uchiha clan. It seemed that they came prepared. However, there was no Jinchuriki in their team. What Akatsuki's purpose was this time was still unknown.

"It's you!" Frost's face twitched uncontrollably upon seeing Obito, a sign of excitement. Asuma looked at Frost in surprise, not expecting that Kirigakure had some contact with Akatsuki, and it seemed that Akatsuki had caused significant losses to Kirigakure.

"It's been a long time, Frost." A weathered voice came from beneath the swirling mask, as if the person had endured countless hardships.

"You thief, I won't let you escape this time!" Shuang drew the large sword she had used in the previous battle and pointed it directly at Obito.

Ye Lan was puzzled. Logically speaking, as a Jonin, he should have experienced extraordinary growth in both strength and mentality. Why was he so emotional when he met Shuang? Could it be that this masked man killed his entire family?

"Shuang Jin, there are still two enemies left, don't be careless," Ye Lan reminded him. Actually, there was something else that had been bothering him. In the past, when he encountered Akatsuki members, they were usually in pairs. This time, for the first time, there were three of them. It didn't seem like things were going to be simple, so he hadn't let his guard down.

"Oh? As expected of my junior, you've already figured out our numbers?" Obito looked in Ye Lan's direction and couldn't help but admire him.

"A junior?" Ye Lan wondered, judging from the other person's tone, if it was an old man who had left the Uchiha clan before? In his memory, there were no famous Uchiha ninjas who had left the village.

"I originally wanted to see your abilities today, but I need to deal with this Hidden Mist ninja first." Obito's tone was relaxed, and he didn't seem to be surrounded at all.

"You cowardly fellow, who exactly are you?" Sasuke was excited when he saw the other person's Sharingan. Moreover, this person seemed to be Itachi's accomplice. Last time he met Itachi, he was defeated as soon as they met and could not participate in the battle between Ye Lan and Itachi. This time, his strength has improved.

Sasuke's ninja sword emitted a blue light, and the familiar sound of Chidori rang out around him. The ninja sword was now covered in electricity.

Lightning Release: Chidori Blade

The ninja sword imbued with Chidori, under Sasuke's control, swiftly pierced towards Obito. Before Ye Lan could even speak to stop it, the scene before her eyes defied the expectations of ordinary ninjas.

Obito neither dodged nor evaded, letting the ninja sword pierce his own body. As a result, Sasuke passed right through him. If it weren't for the electric current of Chidori on the ninja sword, everyone else would have thought that Sasuke hadn't attacked at all.

"What kind of technique is this..." Asuma's eyes widened as Sasuke's attack failed.

"I'm not in the mood to play ninja games with you right now, Sasuke." Obito called out Sasuke's name directly, then looked at Frost.

"Wait!" Sasuke still had a lot of questions to ask, such as the origin of this person with the Sharingan and Itachi's whereabouts, when a strong wind blew over.

The powerful wind jutsu forced everyone to stay put. For the safety of the genin, Ye Lan and the other jonin had to stay together. Ye Lan knew that a new enemy was coming. When he sensed it earlier, he felt that one of the people's chakra was strange. After the wind stopped, a blue-haired woman with paper wings appeared in the sky.

The Wind Release technique had just separated the battlefield, and it seemed that the remaining two enemies would have to be dealt with by Konoha. Ye Lan searched around for the last enemy, and the strange chakra came from him. This kind of strange guy who appeared last might be the most difficult to deal with.

Shiki no Dance

Xiao Nan, suspended in the sky, gave everyone no time to think. A storm of papers formed around her, and snowflakes fell like goose feathers.

Paper? Asuma had already noticed the peculiarity of Konan's ninjutsu. He formed hand seals, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and then bit down on the flint hidden inside his mouth.

Fire Release, Ash Pile Burning

To Asma's surprise, the flammable paper did not burn as he had expected. Instead, it kept exploding in his ashes, filling the already acrid smoke everywhere.

Leaf Style, Shadow Dance Leaf

As an elite member of the Anbu, the Shadow had silently arrived in Konan's blind spot, wielding his ninja sword to attack, but the sword struck the opponent's body without any feedback.

What is this? When Ying saw Xiao Nan turn around, he felt a sense of foreboding. At this moment, Xiao Nan's face had turned into the shape of paper. Just as he was about to retreat, this paper clone exploded.

The paper clones were more powerful than Ying had imagined. He could only protect his vitals, and his exposed skin showed signs of blasting. When the smoke cleared, Ying was seen kneeling on the ground, coughing up blood.

"Squad leader!" The first injured person appeared, and Shadow's teammates and Ino and others began to panic. Antelope wanted to rush up and bring Shadow back. She knew some emergency treatment methods. The long-standing tacit understanding made Mountain Rat stay close to her side. He had to take on the responsibility of covering her.

Just as the two were about to reach Ying, Ye Lan finally spotted the last enemy, right next to Ying, and could only shout, "Don't go any closer!"

Before the two realized anything, an orange-haired man appeared from the shadows and quickly blocked their path.

Finally, Pain appeared. He raised his hands, and the two seemed to be subjected to a huge resistance. At the last moment, the mountain rat stood in front of the antelope, helping her to share a lot of the repulsive force, until the two were bounced aside by this repulsive force.

No longer caring about checking the injuries of the two fallen men, Ye Lan stared intently at the last enemy to arrive. He wasn't surprised by the enemy's strange ninjutsu, but by the enemy's eyes. Here he saw the legendary Rinnegan, which was very similar to the description on the Nanga Shrine, an ultimate eye technique that surpassed the Sharingan and Byakugan.

Even Ye Lan, who has always been confident in his strength, showed an unprecedented grim expression. This man with the Rinnegan must have an extraordinary status in the Akatsuki organization, and is very likely to be their leader.

Aside from that inexplicable attack just now, no one knows what abilities the Rinnegan possesses. This battle is definitely the most difficult one Ye Lan has encountered since returning to the village.

Chapter 64 Ideals

"Hey, Ye Lan, am I seeing things? Is this the legendary Rinnegan?" Asuma's forehead was already dripping with sweat. The woman from before had already given him trouble, and now he had encountered the legendary Rinnegan.

“I really want to tell you that it’s not…” A cold glint flashed in Ye Lan’s hand, and the newly made ninja sword appeared in his hand. “Asuma, tell everyone else to evacuate. This place is not something those kids who haven’t become Jonin yet can handle.”

When Tsunade issued the mission, she did not explicitly state that Asuma was the captain. Asuma was the one who made most of the decisions regarding the actions of the Konoha group, so Ye Lan would consult Asuma and let him make the decision.

Asuma understood that he and Yelan probably couldn't handle the two opponents, but Shikamaru and the others really couldn't help much, so he shouted, "You guys retreat quickly and go to Kirigakure to find reinforcements!"