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

Upon hearing Ye Lan's words, Sasuke also became serious, took out his kunai, and prepared to launch an attack.

"By the way, let me make this clear beforehand: if you can't satisfy me, I won't agree to let you participate in the Chunin Exams, so as not to embarrass the Uchiha clan."

Chapter 7 Uchiha

Without saying anything more, Ye Lan didn't wait for the genin to make a move like other Jonin instructors, but instead rushed directly towards Sasuke.

Sasuke's Sharingan clearly captured Ye Lan's movements as he charged with his sword.

"I can see it!" Sasuke swung his kunai to block the attack, successfully deflecting the blow. Before he could even feel relieved, Ye Lan kicked him directly.

Snapped!

Fortunately, the attack wasn't too fast, and Sasuke reacted in time, managing to block it with one hand. The kunai's range against a ninja sword was simply too short. Sasuke tried to close the distance, and Ye Lan understood, retreating to create more space after the initial attack missed.

Sasuke wanted to give chase, but was met with Ye Lan's slash.

At first, Sasuke was able to parry a couple of attacks, but after a while he had to give up those attacks that did not pose a fatal threat to him. Fortunately, Ye Lan used the back of the blade, which only left a bruise and pain, otherwise Sasuke would have been covered in wounds.

Seeing that it had no effect, Sasuke deliberately created some distance, his fingers constantly forming hand seals. Ye Lan did not step forward, but instead calmly watched Sasuke.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

Seeing the Uchiha's signature ninjutsu coming towards him, Ye Lan shook his head. He wasn't a sitting duck. He started moving as soon as Sasuke finished the last hand seal. He didn't use any ninjutsu, but instead used chakra to power up his legs and quickly ran around the Great Fireball from the side.

When he dodged the fireball, he didn't see Sasuke anywhere.

Ye Lan then began to find it somewhat interesting. After quickly looking around and finding no trace, Ye Lan raised his head.

Sasuke, mid-air, threw several shuriken at Ye Lan.

Ye Lan ignored them, deflecting the shuriken with his ninja sword. Sasuke, unable to adjust his position in mid-air, was caught off guard, so Ye Lan jumped up and swung his ninja sword at Sasuke.

Sasuke, however, showed no panic. He smiled slightly and, as if pulling something with his right hand, moved Sasuke through the air.

Seeing Sasuke's actions, Ye Lan was indeed a little surprised, though not much.

It wasn't over yet. Sasuke swung his left hand again, and the shuriken that Ye Lan had previously deflected flew up from the ground.

Ye Lan hadn't used his Sharingan until now, and only then did he realize that Sasuke had thin steel wires tied to both his hands, one end connected to a large tree not far away, and the other end connected to a shuriken.

Ye Lan, who was also unable to move in mid-air, was directly bound by the steel wire at the end of the shuriken.

Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique.

Sasuke landed first and immediately unleashed a ninjutsu on the wire wrapped with shuriken. A fire dragon surged toward Ye Lan along the wire.

The temperature instantly rose, illuminating Ye Lan's face with flames, as if he would be devoured by the fire dragon at any moment.

Uchiha Style, Sword Leaps in Flames.

A burst of flame erupted from Ye Lan's ninja sword, easily severing the steel wires wrapped around her body.

Sword Leap Flame is a sword technique of the Uchiha clan. It not only allows the user to imbue a ninja sword with fire-style chakra, but also possesses wind-style chakra characteristics, making it easy to cut steel wires.

This is because... Sasuke rarely learned swordsmanship from the Uchiha clan. When his clan was still alive, he wasn't old enough to learn swordsmanship yet. Moreover, the Uchiha Fugaku faction was known for its ninjutsu and rarely studied swordsmanship.

After Ye Lan landed, he gave Sasuke no time to think. Gripping his ninja sword, he charged towards Sasuke like a ghost. Seeing this, Sasuke quickly used his substitution jutsu to try and dodge Ye Lan's attack. But Ye Lan had anticipated this and continued charging towards the direction Sasuke had used as a substitute.

Fire Release: Phoenix Fire.

Sasuke squeezed out the last of his chakra, hoping to stop Ye Lan's advance.

Just as Sasuke finished forming the hand seals and was about to unleash his power, Ye Lan's ninja sword was already pressed against his throat.

"Your taijutsu is terrible. The strength and speed I just used were only at the level of an average Chunin, and you only used one type of ninjutsu. In this battle, besides learning that I am a Chunin who can use Fire Release ninja swords, you know nothing else. Blindly using ninjutsu has left you with no chakra. Even if you manage to defeat one enemy on the battlefield, you will be overwhelmed by the rest." Ye Lan criticized mercilessly.

Sasuke lowered his hands, looked down at the ground, and remained silent. He understood that what Ye Lan said was true, and although he was very unhappy, he could not find a reason to refute it.

"Take a break, then we'll continue." Looking at Sasuke who remained silent, Ye Lan knew he had taken the advice to heart; how much he could improve depended on his talent.

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing sparring with Ye Lan. It wasn't just direct confrontation; it also escalated into scenarios where Sasuke would ambush or Ye Lan would ambush Sasuke, or even ambushes. Each time, Sasuke was defeated. Even during a practice session of Ye Lan ambushing Sasuke, Ye Lan used a simple trap to distract Sasuke and then subdued him with a single move.

Furthermore, Sasuke noticed that Ye Lan never wasted his stamina in his attacks, rarely using ninjutsu, and always employing only the necessary strength, yet each move was perfectly timed, leaving Sasuke utterly exhausted. Sasuke later became familiar with Ye Lan's fighting style: sharp swordsmanship, a ghostly figure, not only able to imbue his ninja sword with fire release techniques, but also wind release techniques. Moreover, his blue chakra sword aura cleaved through Sasuke hiding behind a tree with a single strike. When Sasuke loudly asked if this was Chunin-level strength, the reply was that Ye Lan had mastered this ninjutsu before becoming a Chunin. If the Sharingan is also considered, Ye Lan was actually much stronger when he became a Chunin than when he sparred with Sasuke.

The sun was about to set soon. Ye Lan looked at Sasuke, who was squatting on the ground panting, and said, "I have a mission tomorrow during the day. Find a place to practice your physical fitness yourself. Your taijutsu is too poor. When most people were genin, they didn't have much chakra and couldn't use many ninjutsu. Excellent taijutsu is the foundation of a ninja. I'll find you again tomorrow evening."

Ye Lan stared at Sasuke expressionlessly, and when he didn't react for a while, he growled, "Did you hear me?"

Sasuke, who was still resting, was startled by the shout, then slowly nodded.

"Remember, Itachi has fallen into the Uchiha clan, and you and I will take it back." Ye Lan left with these words.

Surprisingly, Sasuke wasn't angry at Itachi's name when he heard this. Although his name was Uchiha Sasuke, he didn't seem to understand the Uchiha clan. What did the name Uchiha mean to Itachi, to Ye Lan, and to himself?

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

Sasuke, who had just picked up his medicine from the Konoha pharmacy, ran into a familiar figure – Sakura Haruno, his teammate who had clearly expressed her feelings for him.

"How did you get covered in injuries?" Sakura looked at Sasuke's disheveled state with heartache, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Was it your cousin?"

Sasuke saw that Sakura was a little irritable and was about to scold her, but then he remembered what Ye Lan had told him: to become an excellent ninja, one must always remain calm. So he swallowed his words and simply said, "This is none of your business."

"How could that be? We're teammates, and I've already decided to participate in the Chunin Exams. Let's go together then." Sakura hadn't noticed Sasuke's change yet, and grabbed Sasuke's injured arm with both hands.

"That's outrageous! I'm going to tell Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said angrily, looking at Sasuke's bruised arm, and was about to leave to find Kakashi.

"No need! Sakura, it's all training." Although Sasuke was surprised that Sakura made up her mind so quickly, he still stopped her from complaining.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, Ye Lan... his training is quite strict." Sasuke really didn't know how to explain. He couldn't very well say that he was too weak and was easily defeated by Ye Lan with his Chunin strength.

"Is that so?" Sakura was a little puzzled. Sasuke seemed different today. Could it be that the test wasn't over yet? Was this Sasuke also an imposter?

Just as Sakura was feeling nervous, Sasuke made a farewell gesture and said, "See you at school in five days. That's all for today."

"Hmm, oh." Sakura waved her hand in confusion, thinking that she didn't seem to be under any illusion.

Chapter 8 The Demons of the Uchiha Clan

"Alright, mission accomplished!" After setting up the last surveillance camera, Hongdou stretched comfortably and nodded at Yelan beside her with satisfaction, saying, "As expected of the Uchiha clan, their speed in completing missions is just as efficient."

"Now the second examination room is set up," Ye Lan said calmly. "Next, we just need to wait for the examinees to arrive."

“That’s right, we still have several days of rest before that. Ye Lan-jun, would you like to go for a drink with me?” Hong Dou said casually.

"Captain, I'm not an adult yet." Although they had only spent a short time together, Ye Lan had a general idea of ​​the female ninja's personality. To put it nicely, she was straightforward and uninhibited; to put it bluntly, she was brainless.

"Haha, don't be so boring~" Hongdou teased with a smile, "Come on, come on, I'll treat you to juice, okay?"

"Sorry, Captain, I have some personal matters to attend to." Ye Lan thought that he still had to train Sasuke, and it wasn't time to rest yet.

“That’s such a pity.” Anko continued, thinking of something. “When the Hokage announced the Chunin Exams, Kakashi said that some of his students were also going to sign up, and one of them seemed to be from your clan, right?”

Ye Lan nodded.

"Let me think, what was his name again, Uchiha... Sasuke." After thinking for a while, Anko remembered. After all, the only survivor of the Uchiha clan had caused quite a stir in the village.

"You're not going to go back and give him special treatment, are you?" Hongdou had already figured out what Yelan meant by private matters.

"It's just simple training. Actually, that kid is still a long way from becoming a Chunin."

"I didn't expect you to care so much about your cousin." Hongdou came again, patting Ye Lan's shoulder suddenly, as if this person had no sense of boundaries.

"That's how it is. If there's nothing else, Captain, I'll head back now. Let's have the get-together after the Chunin Exams." Ye Lan looked at Anko helplessly. To integrate into Konoha and gather more information, he had to start from all sides. Although Anko was only a Special Jonin, being assigned as the chief examiner meant she was highly trusted by the Third Hokage. Moreover, this was his first mission back in the village, and he couldn't afford to give anyone cause for trouble. Perhaps he could be more flexible with his actions later on, but for now, he could only focus on developing his skills for a while.

"Then it's settled. I'll treat you after the Chunin Exams. I've never met a teammate who suits me so well before." Anko patted her chest, and the two round objects hidden in her black mesh dress trembled and bounced twice. Ye Lan hurriedly turned around, said goodbye, and left.

Watching Ye Lan's hurried departure, Hong Dou smiled and murmured, "The Uchiha aren't as difficult to get along with as I imagined. I feel they're much easier to get along with than Yamashiro Aoba and the others."

A few days later, at a training ground in Konoha.

Fire Release: Great Fireball.

Sasuke, who had been lying in wait, jumped down from the tree where he was hiding and immediately launched a Great Fireball Attack at Ye Lan.

Is it that trick again? Although the distance was very close, it was still manageable to dodge. Just as Ye Lan was passing by the fireball searching for Sasuke's whereabouts, she noticed some extra movement behind the Great Fireball.

In the blink of an eye, it was Sasuke hiding behind the Great Fireball. He covered his mouth and nose with his arm and emerged from the flames, his Sharingan eyes fixed on Ye Lan.

Seeing Sasuke's Sharingan slowly rotating, Ye Lan sensed something was wrong.

Illusion, not the kind of magic used here.

This is the only technique Ye Lan has taught Sasuke in the past few days. It's a C-rank technique, and Sasuke, with his Sharingan, learned it quickly. This technique makes the target believe that what they see is actually something else, causing them to lose their judgment. It also doesn't consume much chakra, making it a very useful ninjutsu.

Normally, this technique wouldn't affect Ye Lan in the slightest, but without using his Sharingan and with his strength limited to Chunin level, it could still affect him for a second or two. Just as he finished the hand seals to release the genjutsu, Sasuke's kunai was already hovering around his neck.

This was Sasuke's first success since training began these past few days. Before he could even celebrate, Ye Lan's voice came from the nearby woods.

"Not bad, it seems you've made some progress these past few days." Another Nightfall emerged from the woods, and Sasuke couldn't help but purse his lips when he saw him.

"Is it just a shadow clone?"

"Otherwise, do you really think you can defeat me after just a few days of training? Besides, using Shadow Clones is the easiest way to control your strength at the Chunin level." With that, Ye Lan released the clone in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke knew, of course, that a few days of training wouldn't be enough, so he said, "Let's try again. If I can succeed the first time, I can succeed the second time."

Seeing Sasuke's enthusiastic expression, Ye Lan scratched his cheek with his index finger and said, "Have you forgotten something? This afternoon is the day to submit the application form for the Chunin Exams."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke realized that five days had already passed; he hadn't expected time to fly by so quickly.

"You can go back and get ready first, then go register with your teammates this afternoon," Ye Lan instructed.

"That's it? I didn't even feel like I'd trained that much." Sasuke felt like he'd just gotten into the zone when he was told it was over.

"Don't overthink it. You've actually improved a lot these past few days. The tomoe in your eyes have finally become the same." Ye Lan said, looking into Sasuke's pupils. "And you also know how to use your advantages to defeat your opponents. You can judge the timing of your attacks and defenses. You're no longer as reluctant to use your brain in battle as before. Your taijutsu has also improved a bit."

"Besides, you are Kakashi's student. Although we are of the same clan, I cannot overstep my bounds." Seeing Sasuke's somewhat confused look, Ye Lan continued.

After listening to Ye Lan's words, Sasuke realized that he had indeed improved a lot compared to five days ago. He hadn't learned any powerful ninjutsu, and his chakra reserves hadn't increased much either. However, he was confident that he could easily defeat the version of himself he was five days ago.

"I understand, thank you for taking care of me these past few days." Sasuke thanked the man before him in the end, something Kakashi and his former classmates would find astonishing. Perhaps it was Ye Lan's teachings that made Sasuke feel the warmth of his clan again, perhaps it was their shared goal, or perhaps it was because Sasuke knew that the only person in the world who wouldn't hurt him and could understand him was this man before him, Uchiha Ye Lan.

Ye Lan looked at Sasuke, who was thanking him, with surprise. Sasuke blushed when Ye Lan stared at him, said goodbye, and quickly left.

"Sasuke, I'll tell you one last thing."

Upon hearing Ye Lan's words, Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

"Just like ninjas gathering intelligence, some information is true and some is false. Every word and every piece of news we hear, you must think about it in your mind to determine whether it is true or false. No matter how close you are to the person who tells you this, you must understand that you can only be sure when you verify it yourself. As a ninja, you should not only have the ability to think independently as a person, but also think before you act."

Ye Lan's words were short and easy to understand, but not easy to put into practice. Sasuke nodded thoughtfully and left.