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

A group of people arrived at a restaurant. The Jonin sat at one table, while Sasuke and his classmates sat together. This was not because they were being treated differently, but because they had something to say to Jiraiya, and this matter also concerned Naruto, so they were seated at a separate table.

"Speak your mind..." Jiraiya picked up his wine glass and took a sip. When he saw so many Jonin from Konoha present, he knew something serious had happened. As one of the pillars of Konoha, he certainly needed to know something.

"Here's what happened..." Kakashi recounted all the information he had gathered, and when Jiraiya heard about the Rinnegan, he paused, his wine glass still in his hand.

"Are you sure it's the Rinnegan?" Jiraiya thought of his former disciples.

“Ye Lan personally fought that person…” Kakashi looked at Ye Lan, who was currently the only Jonin present who was drinking beverages. Although the alcohol content in this world was not high, Ye Lan had never had the habit of drinking alcohol, whether in his previous life or now.

"That person claimed to be a god, wore a headband from a rogue Amegakure ninja, had orange hair, and didn't look very old..." Ye Lan described the appearance of the Heavenly Dao.

"Wait a minute? This description sounds like Yahiko..." Jiraiya muttered to himself in a voice no one could hear. Ye Lan narrowed his eyes. He didn't hear Jiraiya's words clearly, but he felt that Jiraiya seemed to have seen the other person before.

"But I really didn't expect that the other party could control the Mizukage. Fortunately, the Three-Tails is already dead. Even if this organization takes action again, it will be three years later..." Jiraiya had already understood the situation and couldn't help but look at Naruto, who was chatting and laughing with his classmates.

It seems we'll have to increase Naruto's training in the future. Jiraiya looked away, stroked his chin, and said, "There's something else that's on my mind."

He glanced at Anko discreetly, then said nonchalantly, "Anko, you used Orochimaru's cursed seal ability, didn't you?"

"What does this have to do with you?" This was Hongdou's attitude; the spying she had just witnessed had left her utterly disappointed in one of the Sannin.

"Um, you can't control that kind of power. What if something goes wrong..." Jiraiya could still feel the pain on his face. He was startled when Anko first discovered him, and she slapped him. Jiraiya felt he was in the wrong and didn't plan to fight back, but the slap almost sent him flying.

I've never heard of Tsunade teaching Anko super strength. How did this little girl become so strong? Then, she used a powerful fire jutsu, almost drying up all the water in the bathhouse. In the end, the bathhouse ended up emptying its own pockets to cover the losses.

"He who hunts geese all day long gets his eyes pecked by them." Apart from Tsunade, Jiraiya had never suffered such a loss. The only thing Anko had in common with Tsunade was a certain size. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sneak a peek.

Fortunately, Anko didn't notice Jiraiya's actions, otherwise she would have definitely gotten angry.

None of this escaped Ye Lan's eyes. He frowned, made no further comment, and simply said one sentence.

"I sealed the curse mark on Hongdou's body with a sealing technique. This kind of seal allows the power of the curse mark to leak out and be used by her, but it will not affect her mind." Ye Lan also figured out the reason why Hongdou became stronger, probably because the curse mark had an effect.

Watching Hongdou holding a beer in one hand and constantly eating high-calorie food with the other, Ye Lan really didn't know where all that fat went.

"You know sealing techniques?" Jiraiya's eyes widened. It was rare for the Uchiha clan to research sealing techniques, let alone be able to seal something like a cursed seal. This was not something that could be done simply by being strong; one also needed to understand the power of the cursed seal.

A group of Jonin all looked at Ye Lan. They knew that Ye Lan was the supervisor in charge of repairing the village's barrier, but those who didn't know the situation just thought that Tsunade was giving him a boost. They didn't expect that this kid could actually learn it. Is this a true genius?

"I know a little bit, but I only have some understanding of the power of the curse seal..." This was not Ye Lan being modest. He had not yet mastered the Four Symbols Seal, but he just happened to have a better understanding of natural energy.

"You kid know Sage Mode?" Jiraiya looked at Ye Lan in shock. Given his understanding of this cursed seal, he must have some knowledge of natural energy. Ye Lan might be able to use Sage Mode like himself.

"Immortal Arts? What is that?" Ye Lan asked in confusion. He really didn't know anything about Immortal Mode. Po Jun had never mentioned it either, only that some people who controlled this kind of energy would call themselves Immortals.

"You don't know? It's something like natural energy." Jiraiya was a little confused, wondering if he had guessed wrong.

Watching the two sides engage in a seemingly cryptic exchange, everyone else remained silent, except for Hongdou, who continued to eat and drink heartily without a care in the world.

Upon hearing the mention of natural energy, Ye Lan immediately understood what it was. He held up one finger and asked inquiringly, "You mean this kind?"

As he spoke, he poked his finger at the table. The movement was slow and just a normal action. What surprised the others was that, despite not feeling any fluctuation of chakra, Ye Lan's finger directly poked a hole in the table.

"You still say you can't! Your mastery of natural energy is only slightly worse than mine!" Jiraiya's eyes widened. While the others didn't notice, Jiraiya, who was familiar with Sage Mode, knew that Yelan's control over natural energy was stronger than his own, even though he claimed to be worse.

Immortal? Ye Lan didn't like this title. It wasn't that the title was demeaning, but that she felt she didn't have the right to call herself that. In the end, she was still a mortal bound by worldly affairs and couldn't be called a carefree immortal at all.

If the immortals in this world were like Jiraiya, he would rather not be an immortal. After all, power is meant to be used. As the saying goes, only those who lack confidence in their own power would give themselves all sorts of titles.

Chapter 77 Encounter

"Where did you learn this power?" Jiraiya stroked his chin. Apart from the three holy lands, he had never heard of any place that would teach this power.

Ye Lan remained silent and simply picked up his drink; he didn't want to answer the question. Seeing Ye Lan's expression, Jiraiya realized what was happening and scratched his head, saying...

"I'm sorry, I was just curious. I didn't expect another talented young man to appear in the village."

Inquiring about someone's secrets is a serious taboo in the ninja world, and no matter what Jiraiya's purpose was, Yelan had the right to refuse.

"Lord Jiraiya, how's Naruto's training going lately?" Kakashi changed the subject, shifting his gaze away from Ye Lan.

Both of them were friends he knew well, and he didn't want their relationship to become too strained. Moreover, from another perspective, Jiraiya was also a high-ranking member of Konoha.

"Naruto, you've improved a bit... right?" Jiraiya thought of Naruto's silly self. There were many things that really needed to be explained repeatedly before he could even grasp the basics. Especially recently, he had been giving Naruto a crash course in basic knowledge. These were things that he was supposed to learn at the Ninja Academy, but Naruto was completely clueless about them. He really didn't know how Naruto had become a ninja.

"Sasuke has matured a lot since joining the Anbu..." Kakashi said with some relief. With Sakura, who had been learning from Tsunade, all three of them had found their direction and continued to improve.

Just then, the atmosphere between Sasuke and Naruto, who were eating not far away, suddenly became tense. The two started arguing, and their voices grew louder and louder.

"You're such a loser, you haven't changed at all, you're still so weak..." Sasuke, who has evolved to the three-tomoe stage, has seen a significant increase in strength. The two have only been apart for a few months, but the gap between them has widened again.

"You bastard Sasuke, you're still as arrogant as ever!" Naruto's face turned red. The initial joy of seeing Sasuke had vanished. He was still regretting not seeing Sakura, but now Sasuke was kicking him while he was down.

"Alright, alright, you two shouldn't start arguing as soon as you meet, it's such a hassle..." Shikamaru advised from the side.

"Naruto, hurry up and apologize to Sasuke!" Ino didn't care whether the two were right or wrong; she was on the side of good looks, and whatever a handsome guy said was right.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, everything is about Sasuke... It's so annoying!" Naruto sat to the side, looking aggrieved.

"I feel that the Uchiha kid has changed a bit since last time." Sasuke's changes did not escape Jiraiya's eyes. If Sasuke was still a fledgling in the nest when he last met him, Sasuke has now become a fledgling eagle eager to spread its wings and soar.

"A lot of people died on this mission, which will probably have some impact on Sasuke, but it's true that the kid is getting stronger and stronger." Kakashi sighed. This is the inevitable path after joining the Anbu. The darkness of the ninja world will slowly unfold for him; this is just an appetizer.

"Kakashi, as his teacher, be careful that Sasuke doesn't overtake you. Sasuke has already activated the three-tomoe technique..." Ye Lan looked at Kakashi. Kakashi's strength lies in his battle wisdom. For those who truly understand him, defeating him isn't particularly difficult. Apart from the Lightning Blade, Kakashi doesn't have any decisive ninjutsu.

As long as you're careful of Kakashi's Sharingan, someone with so little mana can be worn down to death.

"Three tomoe, so you were really provoked?" Kakashi took Ye Lan's previous words as a joke. To surpass him, one needs hundreds of battles of experience. Sasuke is still very inexperienced, so activating the three tomoe was unexpected.

Ye Lan: "Why don't we test its quality?"

"Me?" Kakashi pointed to himself.

Ye Lan shook his head, then raised his chin towards Sasuke, "Since they don't get along so well, why don't we let them give it a try?"

Kakashi and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, but then agreed.

"Okay, but make sure they're safe," Jiraiya added, not wanting to see either of them actually get hurt.

The group left the restaurant and found an open space. Asuma and the others formed a circle; watching some excitement after their meal would be nice. Sasuke and Naruto both agreed to Ye Lan's suggestion. Naruto wanted to teach Sasuke a lesson, while Sasuke wanted to test the results of his training.

"Go Sasuke!" Ino shouted from the sidelines, making Naruto, who was already feeling frustrated, even angrier. No matter where Sasuke was, girls liked him.

"Don't lose too badly, blond kid!" Anko said with a grin. She still remembered Naruto quite well, but his association with Jiraiya made her feel a little bad about him.

"Red Bean, you're almost a Jonin, right?" Ye Lan was referring to a fully-fledged Jonin, not the half-baked Special Jonin she was currently. With the blessing of the Cursed Seal, Red Bean had improved a lot in all aspects.

"It won't be that fast, but if you become a Jonin, I'll treat you to... a drink." Hongdou originally wanted to say "drink," but then remembered that Yelan was still a minor and quickly changed her mind.

Ye Lan said no more, and turned to Sasuke and Naruto who were fighting. He knew Sasuke well, but he was still curious about Naruto. He wanted to know to what extent Naruto could use the power of the Nine-Tails, so he made this suggestion. In the future, Jiraiya could not stay by his side every day, so he had to have the ability to fight against Akatsuki.

Just like in the Ninja Academy, the two sides formed opposing hand seals and stood at opposite ends. Kakashi personally stepped down to act as the referee, glanced at the two, and then waved his hand down.

"start!"

"Damn it, I'll show you what I'm capable of!" Naruto immediately launched an attack on Sasuke using Shadow Clones, his signature move of using Shadow Clones to disrupt Sasuke's attacks.

"Too slow!" Sasuke didn't use his ninja sword; instead, he stepped forward and kicked away Naruto's hand seals, preventing Naruto from using Shadow Clone Jutsu.

That wasn't the end of it. After Sasuke's kick, he continued to launch taijutsu attacks on Naruto. Naruto, who wanted to use Shadow Clones, was unable to gather chakra or form hand seals, and could only passively take the beating.

He pulled Naruto's neck, delivered a knee strike, an elbow strike, ripped away Naruto's hand as he tried to continue forming hand seals, and finally slammed a punch into Naruto's chest. Naruto's entire body flew through the air, lying on the ground for a long time before he could get up.

Without any flashy ninjutsu or inscrutable genjutsu, Sasuke taught Naruto a lesson using only the most basic taijutsu.

"The difference is too big..." Shikamaru exclaimed in surprise. He had personally witnessed how Naruto defeated Neji. How could he be so easily defeated by Sasuke? Just how much has Sasuke improved?

"It's not over yet..." Kakashi was somewhat surprised by Sasuke's change, but he knew that Naruto wouldn't give up so easily, especially since his opponent was Sasuke.

Sure enough, Naruto, who was lying on the ground, rolled over, wiped the dust off his face, and stood up again.

"Sasuke, the warm-up has only just ended."

Sasuke smirked slightly, giving Naruto no chance to catch his breath, and charged straight at him.

Naruto didn't expect Sasuke's attack to be so fierce. He put his hands in front of him to block, but Sasuke no longer insisted on attacking head-on. He stopped and glided around to Naruto's back, then raised his leg and kicked him again.

Naruto staggered, almost falling to the ground again after just standing up, but fortunately he seized the opportunity the moment he was kicked away and used the Shadow Clone Technique.

"So you're still the same as always, Naruto." Sasuke calmly watched Naruto's shadow clone rush towards him, jumped up, raised his hands to form hand seals, and a fireball spewed out of his mouth. Naruto's clone was completely turned into smoke without playing any role.

"Damn it! Again! Shadow Clone Jutsu..." Naruto refused to give up and formed hand seals again. If it didn't work the first time, he would try again. Anyway, he had plenty of chakra.

Swah—

Sasuke appeared behind Naruto like a phantom, using a steel wire to close the distance between them while Naruto was using the Fireball Jutsu.

"It's over, Naruto."

Hearing Sasuke's words in his ear, Naruto didn't feel fear. How could Sasuke's strength have increased to this level in such a short time? It was almost unbearable.

Sasuke used his elbow to strangle Naruto's neck. He knew that Naruto, who refused to admit defeat easily, would not surrender. This method would allow him to defeat Naruto without causing much harm.

"Let me go..." Naruto's face was red from being strangled, and he kept pulling at Sasuke's arm with both hands. How could he break free so easily when his taijutsu was already inferior to Sasuke's?

Kakashi, seeing this, knew the outcome was decided. He sighed and tried to step forward to separate the two. Everyone else knew the matter was over, except for Jiraiya, whose face remained long and drawn.

Chapter 78 Gap

Just when Naruto was about to suffocate from being choked, he finally snapped.

The strength in his hands suddenly increased, and a red chakra appeared on Naruto's body. What was originally just a friendly sparring session had now turned into a real fight, and Naruto was using the power of the Nine-Tails.

"Naruto!" Kakashi tried to step forward to stop him, but Ye Lan stopped him.

"What are you trying to do, Ye Lan?" Kakashi looked at Ye Lan with displeasure. Naruto was clearly getting desperate, and things were going to get out of hand if this continued.

"Kakashi, you spoil your student too much..." Ye Lan looked behind him and Kakashi realized that Jiraiya hadn't moved at all, only using a little bit of Nine-Tails chakra. Naruto was still a long way from losing control.

The immense force removed Sasuke's hand that was holding him, and Naruto's original injuries were completely healed. Sasuke, who was stung by the Nine-Tails' chakra and realized he couldn't subdue Naruto, quickly created distance. At this moment, his eyes had transformed into Sharingan, and he was observing Naruto's every move.

Is this the power of the Nine-Tails...? Sasuke is no longer the naive young man he once was. Now a Chunin, he clearly understands what kind of being Naruto is.

"That's enough, Sasuke!" Power surged into Naruto's body, boosting his confidence and increasing his speed many times over as he charged directly at Sasuke.

Sasuke's Sharingan constantly monitored Naruto's movements. Now with three tomoe, Naruto's Sharingan was a comprehensive upgrade from before, and Naruto's actions appeared to be nothing special to Sasuke.

Sasuke tried his best to dodge Naruto's attacks. Naruto's power was much greater than before, and trying to withstand the attacks would only waste his stamina and chakra. Seeing that he couldn't hit Sasuke, Naruto became impatient and used Shadow Clone Jutsu again with the help of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

This time, there were far more clones; a large portion of the open space was occupied by Naruto's clones.

"That amount of chakra..." Kakashi was somewhat envious; he couldn't even imagine such an extravagant fighting style.

"Sasuke won't lose, will he..." Ino was a little worried as she saw Sasuke dodging Naruto's attacks. The two of them had gradually become stronger since the Chunin Exams, but Sasuke still called Naruto the loser.