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

Kakashi's attitude was somewhat unpredictable. He probably wanted to ask Ye Lan at first, but after this happened, he kept it a secret, which made Ye Lan wonder.

Even if you awaken the kaleidoscope, what can you achieve with just one eye? There will be differences between different kaleidoscopes.

Ye Lan stopped thinking too much and went home to rest. His words to Tsunade and Kakashi weren't just perfunctory; he was genuinely tired. As for the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he would still have time to research it at the experimental base outside the village.

The next evening, just as Ye Lan was about to leave, there was a knock on the front door.

Ye Lan was puzzled. After this incident, Kakashi and Tsunade wouldn't be looking for him for a while. Sasuke would probably be getting to know his new captain, so he wouldn't come either. So who else would come?

He opened the door with a puzzled look in his eyes and saw a standard Jonin vest from Konoha, but it didn't seem to fit him at all.

"red beans?"

Hongdou's outfit looked like a delinquent girl wearing a school uniform, which didn't suit her at all, making Ye Lan almost not recognize her.

"Haha, you didn't expect that, did you? I've become a Jonin too!"

Hongdou said with a smile, "I just received my appointment letter and Jonin badge from Tsunade today and came straight here to Yelan."

Hongdou knew in her heart that if it weren't for Yelan, she would have been a Special Jonin for the rest of her life after leaving Orochimaru. It sounds good to say she was a Jonin, but only those who have been Special Jonin know the real difference.

"Congratulations! But what brings you here?"

Ye Lan said calmly that he had built a good relationship with Hong Dou just to better integrate into Konoha. If he really fought with the Konoha leadership that day, Hong Dou would definitely choose to help Konoha.

She had already made a choice between Orochimaru and Konoha once before, so Ye Lan didn't expect Anko to be of any help to him.

"Look at you, all dejected. Is this still the Uchiha Yelan I know? So what if you let Orochimaru go? We can just catch him again next time. I don't even care anymore."

Hearing Anko's words, Ye Lan fell silent. Even Anko, who had become a Jonin, didn't know about Danzo. It seemed that the Konoha leadership was very united in their statements.

"Let's go! I promised to treat you to a meal after I become a Jonin, you haven't forgotten, have you?" Hongdou patted Yelan and urged.

Ye Lan also remembered that such a thing had happened; he had casually agreed to it at the time, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"I said, you look really strange in that outfit."

Seeing this, Ye Lan stopped refusing. He was feeling a bit gloomy anyway, and having Hong Dou, who had an explosively good mentality, around was a way to cheer himself up.

“Yes, it feels a bit strange…” Hongdou looked at Yelan, who had never worn a Konoha Jonin uniform before.

He usually wears a black fitted jacket with a light-colored inner layer. The clothes are not too tight, which allows Ye Lan to move quickly. The fitted style does not look cumbersome. Coupled with his absolutely handsome looks, he is the most eye-catching person on the streets of Konoha.

As for the Jonin uniforms they were given back then, I wonder where they're gathering dust in some box.

In the end, Hongdou simply threw the vest at Ye Lan's house, preferring to wear her own favorite clothes.

"What do you mean by dumping this thing here?"

Ye Lan was stunned by Hong Dou's actions. What was going on? Even if you're casual, you can't be this casual.

"Oh, I'll just get it when I get back after I finish eating. What kind of look is it to carry it around like that?" Hongdou said casually.

Even if it's not suitable to hold it in your hand, you can seal it in a scroll. A dignified Jonin shouldn't be unable to even seal something, right?

Ye Lan was too lazy to even complain about her anymore; who knew what she would do next?

Hongdou laughed and joked as she and Yelan walked arm in arm straight to the barbecue restaurant in Konoha, completely ignoring the pointing and whispering of passersby.

"Comfortable~"

Hongdou gulped down half a glass of beer, emptying more than half of the glass in one go. She then poured herself a fresh glass, glanced at the juice in front of Yelan, and smacked her lips.

"How come you're not an adult yet!" Hongdou felt like she had known Ye Lan for a while, but when she looked back, it hadn't even been a year.

"Forget about it. Even if I'm an adult, I won't touch alcohol." Ye Lan put down his baggage; he could be more casual in front of Hong Dou.

"Tch, how boring."

Hongdou swirled her wine glass, then continued drinking. Excess wine seeped from her chin, but she didn't seem to care at all, displaying the demeanor of a true heroine.

Thud—

The empty wine glass was slammed onto the table by Hongdou. Her face was already slightly flushed; this guy was getting a little tipsy.

"Drink less, I don't want you to throw up on me." Ye Lan knew that Hong Dou had drunk enough when she saw her appearance. Hong Dou had only drunk this much when they ate together before.

"No, no, no, today is the day I become a Jonin, I have to drink to my heart's content!"

Hongdou stopped using a wine glass and started chugging straight from the bottle, downing half a bottle in no time.

"You're this happy to become a Jonin?" Ye Lan couldn't understand this feeling, after all, it only took him a few months to go from Special Jonin to Jonin.

"Not only that, Lady Tsunade also transferred me to Root, which is where Orochimaru used to be. I always thought I would never be able to catch up with Orochimaru in this lifetime, but I never thought this day would come."

Even the carefree Anko felt a pang of emotion. Could it be that she, who was always so innocent, truly harbored no resentment? Of course she did, otherwise she wouldn't have been so excited when Orochimaru came to the village.

Red Bean will go to the root! This is what surprised Ye Lan the most. Right, Tsunade once said that she would send people to the root to help Mitokado Homura. I didn’t expect it to be Red Bean.

"How about that? Are you surprised? Call me next time you go to catch Orochimaru, and you definitely won't be as embarrassed as last time."

As she spoke, Anko puffed out her chest. The last time she was referring to was during the Chunin Exams, when she was simply a burden. Now, her improved strength had given her renewed confidence.

Looking at the somewhat spirited Hongdou, Yelan smiled, finished his juice, poured himself some of the remaining beer from Hongdou's glass, and picked up his glass to say something.

"I'll just have a drink with you this time, I'll definitely invite you next time."

Although he had never drunk alcohol before, he had heard that beer was not very strong and that drinking a little bit should be fine. Seeing that Hongdou was so happy, Ye Lan let his guard down and drank it all in one gulp.

"Excellent, excellent!"

Hongdou was very surprised and happy about Yelan's actions. No matter how excited she was, drinking alone was no fun. She blew the bottle dry in one breath and turned around to continue shouting.

"Two more bottles, boss!"

Hongdou was about to press her advantage and try to persuade Yelan to drink more, but she froze when she looked back at Yelan with a smile.

Ye Lan appeared completely unconscious, slumped onto the table, a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor.

"Miss, drinking with a minor is illegal!" The clerk, who was carrying two bottles of beer, yelled at Hongdou when he saw Ye Lan slumped over the table.

"Hey! No! It's me! Him!"

Chapter 96 Tomb Sweeping

Hongdou grumbled as she picked up Ye Lan, declaring that she would never drink with him again, even if he wanted to.

I've heard of people getting drunk after just one cup of wine, but what's this "one sip and you're done for" thing?

Hongdou, who was initially a bit tipsy, sobered up considerably and led Yelan out of the barbecue restaurant under the suspicious gazes of the other diners.

After finally bringing Ye Lan home, they placed him on the bed and carefully lowered his head.

This inevitably brought him closer to Ye Lan on the face.

Without his sharp gaze, Ye Lan's face looked more like his age, with a somewhat youthful appearance that made people want to protect him.

Looking at his face, you would never imagine that Ye Lan is a seasoned Jonin who has seen countless life and death; instead, he seems like an innocent boy who has never experienced the world.

Are all the boys in the Uchiha clan this good-looking?

Hongdou couldn't help but pinch Yelan's cheek. This kind of opportunity was very rare, and she had wanted to do it for a long time.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Ye Lan frowned and let out a soft groan. Upon hearing this, Hong Dou quickly withdrew her hand, glancing around guiltily. She only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that there was no movement.

Hongdou sighed as she looked at the sleeping Ye Lan, patted her face with both hands to banish inappropriate thoughts, and finally left Ye Lan's house with her Jonin vest.

Afterwards, Ye Lan didn't ask Hong Dou what had happened, and Hong Dou didn't mention it either. The two continued to interact as usual.

After resting for a few days, Ye Lan took a stroll on the streets of Konoha, feeling somewhat bored.

Tsunade had no new orders and was now free. If she left the village at this time, she might be discovered by some people with ulterior motives. Fortunately, Ye Lan stayed in Konoha and waited for an opportunity.

Bored, Ye Lan looked around until she saw a sign and stopped looking.

Mountain flower shop.

After thinking for a moment, Ye Lan walked directly into the store.

"Welcome, Brother Ye Lan!?"

Ino, who had been helping her family manage the shop, looked at Ye Lan in surprise, not expecting that Ye Lan would come to the flower shop to buy something.

"Ino, it's been a long time."

Ye Lan looked at the girl in front of him. Her hair, which had been cut off during the Chunin Exams, had grown back and would probably return to its original length soon. After a year as a ninja, she seemed to have matured considerably.

"haven't seen you for a long time..."

Ino stammered, expressing a mixture of surprise and worry about Ye Lan's arrival.

To her surprise, it had indeed been a while since they had met. Since she couldn't be Ye Lan's student, and their relationship was only based on a few missions they had worked together, she felt that going to see Ye Lan rashly might have some negative consequences.

My concern is, what is Ye Lan doing at the flower shop? He must be buying flowers, but I haven't heard of anyone in Konoha being injured. Buying flowers isn't for visiting a sick person, so could it be...?

Just as Ino was lost in thought, Ye Lan gently flicked her forehead and smiled slightly.

"Ignoring guests like this doesn't align with the Yamanaka family's way of hospitality, does it?"

Ino's face flushed red, and she was also unexpectedly excited.

"Brother Yelan, who do you want to buy flowers for?"

Ino has figured it out. She's not afraid of anyone, no matter who her opponent is. She's never backed down when it came to competing with Sakura for Sasuke. If someone tries to take Ye Lan away, she's absolutely confident she can drive them away.

After hearing Ino's words, Ye Lan's smile vanished, and she said softly, "I'm for visiting graves..."

Ino's previously energetic expression immediately deflated. Oh right, it's almost time for tomb sweeping now, and Ye Lan's surname is Uchiha.

Ino stopped talking, silently walked to a counter, wrapped up a bunch of white chrysanthemums, and handed them to Ye Lan without saying a word.

"Thank you, Ino. How much?"

As Ye Lan was about to take out her money to pay, Jing Ye quickly waved her hand and said no need. Before she could say anything more, Ye Lan took out a large bill and placed it on the counter.

After everything was over, I turned to leave.

"Brother Ye Lan!"

Seeing that Ye Lan was about to leave, Jing Ye mustered up her courage and called out. Out of politeness, Ye Lan turned around, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt.

"I don't know how to say it, but we've always been by your side."

Ye Lan was somewhat surprised after hearing this, and chuckled softly. Even if she became a ninja, the little girl's innocence couldn't be erased in a short time.

"What are you laughing at?"