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

After navigating the bustling streets, Shikamaru finally found the gray wolf he had just encountered in an old house.

This house is similar to the single dormitory where Naruto lives, except that this one is much dirtier and messier, and there are hardly any people in the hallway.

Just as the gray wolf was about to open the door, Shikamaru called him back.

"Um, Mr. Gray Wolf, the wrong packet of medicine was taken. Uncle Suzaku sent me over to tell you."

Shikamaru ultimately didn't reveal the problem with the packet of herbs; he still wanted to take it back.

Upon hearing Shikamaru's voice, Gray Wolf paused in his action of opening the door.

He had lost the aura that belonged to the Dark Division; his hunched back seemed to never be able to straighten up again.

Upon seeing Shikamaru, Gray Wolf lost his earlier timidity, scrutinized Shikamaru with sharp eyes, and then chuckled.

"Thank you for your concern, but I don't think I took the wrong thing."

After saying that, he opened the door and was about to go in when Shikamaru, without having time to think, stepped forward to stop the door from closing.

He said with a somewhat anxious expression, "I really brought the wrong medicinal herbs. You'll die if you take too much."

Upon hearing this, Gray Wolf stopped closing the door, gave Shikamaru a deep look, and reopened the door.

"The house is a bit messy, please come in."

Shikamaru was about to catch his breath when he saw that Gray Wolf had taken it all in, but as he pondered Gray Wolf's behavior and words, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

"please."

After Shikamaru sat down, Gray Wolf, as his host, poured him a glass of water. Gray Wolf couldn't afford any expensive tea these days.

Shikamaru took it, took a sip to calm himself down, and then tentatively asked.

"You... already knew?"

The gray wolf nodded; silence was the best response.

Why did you make this choice?

Shikamaru was puzzled and couldn't understand Gray Wolf's thoughts for a moment.

"Choose? Do I even have the right to do that, Nara Shikamaru?"

Seeing Shikamaru's puzzled expression, Gray Wolf explained.

“That day I was captured by Danzo’s men and they tortured me, but what did I know? So I was imprisoned, and during that time my Achilles tendons were severed.”

Shikamaru then noticed that the gray wolf's walking posture was somewhat unusual, but he hadn't noticed it before.

"After those things happened, I was released. Lady Tsunade is a good person. Although she couldn't completely heal me, I was able to walk again. However, I was no longer able to serve as a ninja and was abandoned."

A taijutsu ninja, whose own mobility was impaired, could no longer serve as an ANBU member, and was ultimately forgotten in a corner.

No, actually he hasn't been forgotten yet. He's been picked up again and reused. In other words, it wouldn't make any difference if he were made even worse off than he is now.

"Why wasn't this told to the Hokage?"

Regardless, Tsunade would never be so harsh on her subordinates. Even if he couldn't become a ninja, she would treat Gray Wolf kindly and wouldn't let him end up like that.

"Everyone has things they care about, after all."

The gray wolf's gaze softened as it looked at a picture frame in the room.

The room looked a bit dirty and messy, but the picture frame was spotless. Shikamaru looked at it and saw a family photo of the three of them.

Gray Wolf was among them, along with an ordinary-looking woman and a girl who looked two or three years old.

Without needing to say more, Shikamaru understood that the two were Gray Wolf's wife and daughter.

"They've already been arranged to live in the capital of the Land of Fire, so I have no more worries. Now that I'm crippled, I can still make some contributions to Konoha, which is not bad."

"I'm just being sarcastic," Gray Wolf said to himself.

Will you resent Sasuke and Ye Lan?

Shikamaru asked somewhat anxiously.

"No, although I didn't witness what happened, I roughly understand what happened based on what I experienced and the rumors. If something like that happened to my family, I probably wouldn't have the courage of the class monitor."

Gray Wolf, no longer a ninja, was nearing the end of his life, and now he spoke more freely.

"As expected, you still have a lot of respect for Sasuke."

The fact that Grey Wolf still addresses Sasuke as "class monitor" shows that he acknowledges Sasuke's abilities.

"It's just that not everyone can do that; they truly live up to the reputation of the Uchiha clan."

Every action requires resources. If Gray Wolf possessed the strength of Sasuke and Ye Lan, how could he have fallen to this state?

"Do you still want to drink that medicine?"

“I have no room to struggle anymore. I have no choice but to do this for my family.”

"Perhaps there is still some hope if we try harder. I can explain your situation to Lady Tsunade. I also have a friend who was seriously injured and was abandoned at one point, but he has now returned to being a ninja."

Shikamaru was referring to Rock Lee, who had been seriously injured but was also saved.

Gray Wolf glanced at Shikamaru and shook his head.

"Although you are very smart, Shikamaru, you have never seen the lives of us ordinary ninjas. As for me, I don't even have the right to try."

It is such a luxury for a person to have a direction to strive for and to see hope. No matter how much Xiao Li says he is mediocre, as long as he works hard, he can see hope.

Most people are like Gray Wolf, who have accomplished nothing for many years and are still stuck in the same place.

"I thought I was mentally prepared, but I didn't understand what it felt like until I was actually in it. I remember that Hyuga branch family boy said something like, 'A person's fate is predetermined at birth,' and now I'm almost at the end of my life."

"But Naruto..."

Seeing the wolf's dejected look, Shikamaru couldn't help but retort.

"Naruto Uzumaki, he's the Fourth Hokage's son. Shikamaru, you must have guessed this already. He says he's a loser, but in reality, his background is more powerful than anyone else's. If it weren't for Ye Lan returning to the village, even the class president couldn't compare."

As a member of the Anbu, Gray Wolf knew all these things. When the Fourth Hokage took office, he was still observing from below. Any ninja with even a little strength knew that Naruto Uzumaki was his son.

Shikamaru stopped arguing. He had already sensed what Gray Wolf was saying, and he could tell from his father's attitude towards Naruto when they were young.

Moreover, the Uzumaki clan was once a very famous clan. The only members of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha were the wives of the First Hokage and the Fourth Hokage.

It's easy to guess who Naruto Uzumaki's father is.

"The son of the Hokage becomes the Hokage, and the descendant of a rogue ninja becomes a rogue ninja. It seems like another cycle has begun."

Hearing Gray Wolf's words, Shikamaru felt a chill run down his spine. Was all of this truly destined? Was something called fate manipulating everything?

Even the smartest person can't stop someone's determination to die. Shikamaru, having failed to persuade him, had no face to stay any longer. In the end, Shikamaru didn't even know how he left Gray Wolf's room, and returned home in a daze.

Chapter 161: Ideas for the Future

The cultivation of immortal techniques cannot be completed in a short time, and Ye Lan would occasionally return to Yu Yin to observe the village's progress.

The promotion of the car went even more smoothly than he had imagined. Yu Yin's steel mill gradually started production. Seeing that money was flowing into his pocket without him having to put in much effort, Xiao Nan felt somewhat bewildered.

Suddenly, Xiao felt that all the bounty missions she did were a waste of time. However, the money came quickly and was spent quickly. At Ye Lan's suggestion, she transferred the money she earned to other departments, and the once lifeless village became lively again.

Even though the perennial rainy weather hasn't changed, there are more pedestrians on the streets.

Inside the newly built medical department of Amegakure, Ye Lan met with Karin, whom Sasuke had recently recruited.

"From the Uzumaki clan? And they know some medical ninjutsu?"

Such bright red hair is quite rare, and with Sasuke's description, Ye Lan recognized the other person's background at a glance.

"That's right, but I didn't expect that the one in charge of Amegakure is Akatsuki."

Karin knows it's too late to regret it now. Knowing Akatsuki's secret means she can't leave unless she dies.

Are you nervous?

Although his cultivation of immortal techniques did not advance further, his control over natural energy has improved considerably. Now, Ye Lan is able to sense other people's emotions through the fluctuations of natural energy in the air.

Karin was taken aback. She hadn't expected that this guy, whose reputation was even more ruthless than Orochimaru, could sense her emotions. If it weren't for his two red Sharingan eyes staring at her, she would have thought that Yoruichi also had the Kagura Mindsight.

"I heard Sasuke say that you joined here voluntarily, so there's no need to be so wary. Apart from not being able to show your face too much, our organization actually offers pretty good benefits."

Ye Lan eased the tense atmosphere, and Xiang Lin relaxed a lot after hearing this.

"Rest assured, Lord Yelan, I had already thought it through when I joined the organization. I will be absolutely loyal to the organization."

Karin spoke with unwavering conviction, her face remaining calm and composed.

"You're absolutely loyal to Sasuke, aren't you?"

When she returned, Ye Lan noticed that Karin's gaze towards Sasuke was strange; her eyes were practically drooling. This was one of the reasons why Ye Lan felt somewhat at ease with her, otherwise he would have suspected that she might be a spy sent by Orochimaru.

"Oh, no, I joined because I admire the Akatsuki!"

Karin looked a little awkward, but Ye Lan waved his hand dismissively.

"No need for fancy words. Now that you've joined, do your job well. You know medical ninjutsu, so you can work in the medical department and teach these interns while you're at it."

"Actually, I can go out on missions. Compared to medical ninjutsu, I am more confident in my sensory abilities."

If she stayed in the medical department, she would have less time to spend with Sasuke. Karin didn't join Akatsuki for that reason.

"You should know that Sasuke left Konoha because of me, right?"

For some reason, Ye Lan suddenly brought this up, and Karin nodded.

"In other words, I still need to worry about Sasuke's important future plans, such as marriage and having children..."

Karin, inexperienced in such matters, blushed instantly upon hearing this. It was a distant concept for her, but if the subject were Sasuke...

"Ahem, is it alright for you to stay in the medical department?"

She glanced at Karin Yoru, who was looking like a lovesick woman, and coughed.

"I'll join the medical department right away!"

Karin immediately bowed to Ye Lan after waking up. Ye Lan was right. Right now, the person Sasuke cared about most was Ye Lan. If they could build a good relationship with Ye Lan, then winning over Sasuke would be just around the corner.

After sending Karin away, Ye Lan was even more certain that the child was definitely not an undercover agent sent by Orochimaru. Karin's personality was too easy to manipulate. If this was all an act, then Ye Lan's recent cultivation of Sage Mode would have been in vain.

Leaving the medical department, we headed to the newly built research and development department of Rain Village, where the main event was about to begin.

Ye Lan had considered manufacturing firearms, but the world already had a prototype, though its power was questionable, so he didn't pursue further development. Gunpowder was also a rare material, and he simply didn't have the resources to research it, so he gave up on the idea.