Bang!
After Ye Fan punched and killed the last Amegakure Jonin who had surrounded him, he brushed the blood off his clothes and continued on his way.
"Peace... In this era, it really is something you can hardly hope for."
"The great nations distrust one another. Whenever they find ninja from another country on their territory, they use brutal force to kill them on sight!"
"Even the Chunin Ninja Exams are a way for the great nations to test one another's strength."
Ye Fan covered more than ten meters in a single stride, his gaze cold.
After living in this world for so many years, he had long since grown used to its cruelty.
He had no grand ambitions. He only wanted to make up for the regrets he had carried in his heart in his previous life and prevent certain things from happening.
As for the thankless task of uniting the shinobi world, Ye Fan had little interest in it.
Since ancient times, what was united would eventually divide, and what was divided would eventually unite.
A union achieved through force alone was doomed not to last.
To truly bring everyone together as one, without distinction between them, one had to start with ideology and culture.
Only when people shared the same ideals and their cultures did not clash could true unity be achieved.
And in the shinobi world as it was now, achieving unity that way was obviously very difficult.
Three days later, Ye Fan returned to the gates of Konoha for the first time in many years.
Looking at Konoha's gates, Ye Fan was overcome with emotion.
In the past, he had borne many burdens here, things an ordinary person could hardly endure.
If he hadn't possessed a will far beyond that of an ordinary person, he might have died when he was three.
"Hello. Please register over here."
The Chunin on guard spoke up. The Chunin Ninja Exams were underway, and Konoha had increased security to prevent enemy spies from infiltrating the village.
There were more than ten Chunin and several Jonin in plain sight.
Ye Fan also spotted more than twenty Anbu ninja hidden nearby.
"What's your name? Which country are you from? Are you here to take the Chunin exams? Why are you alone?"
The guard held a notebook and continued questioning him.
Seeing the blood on Ye Fan's clothes, the guard's questions grew even more pointed.
The Chunin nearby also turned their gazes on Ye Fan. It seemed that if he so much as slipped up, they would seize him without hesitation.
Ye Fan remained completely composed, unaffected in the slightest. He calmly replied:
"Steel-Piercing Ye Fan. I'm from Konoha, and I've come back to take the Chunin exams. I couldn't find any teammates, so I came alone."
"You're from our Konoha?"
The Chunin taking notes stopped writing and looked up at Ye Fan, his gaze hostile.
At the same time, more than ten Chunin surrounded Ye Fan.
"Yes."
"You are?"
"I've been in Konoha all these years. I've heard of the Hyuga Clan, but I've never heard of any Steel Plate Penetrator Clan!"
"Seize him!"
The guard roared, and the ten or so Chunin rushed at Ye Fan all at once.
At a time like this, protecting Konoha's safety was their top priority.
Better to kill a thousand by mistake than let even one slip by.
"Heh. Is this how you enforce the law?"
Ye Fan dodged again and again, smiling wryly.
He didn't strike back, evading more than ten attacks in succession.
"Stop!"
Just as they prepared to attack again, a Konoha Jonin called out to stop them.
"It's you?"
"After all these years, you're still alive!"
The Jonin looked surprised as he studied the Ye Fan before him from head to toe.
Ye Fan didn't want to waste time talking to them. He pulled a wooden tag inscribed with the character "Oil" from his pocket and tossed it to the Jonin.
When the Jonin saw it, he seemed to understand what had happened. In an instant, he felt that Ye Fan's survival was only to be expected.
The Chunin saw the wooden tag and were deeply shaken, too astonished to speak.
They knew very well what that tag represented.
"Can I go in now?" Ye Fan asked.
"Y-yes, of course."
The Chunin immediately parted to let Ye Fan through.
They watched him walk away and couldn't help swallowing nervously.
"He's the disciple of Lord Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin!"
"Lord Jiraiya hasn't been back to the village in years. I can't believe he's brought a disciple back this time!"
"Steel-Piercing Ye Fan..."
"Why does that name sound so familiar..."
"Ye Fan..."
"Could he be...?"
Someone remembered what had happened ten years ago, and his eyes widened.
The Anbu ninja hidden nearby immediately sent word to Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō.
Ye Fan's return to Konoha caused an uproar among the village's upper ranks.
When Shimura Danzō learned the news, his brow furrowed.
He was torn and couldn't make up his mind.
He badly wanted to send someone to kill Ye Fan, but because of Jiraiya, he couldn't bring himself to act.
"Have him watched at all times. If he dares to do anything that threatens Konoha's safety, kill him without hesitation!"
After wrestling with the decision for a moment, Danzō gave the order.
Danzō was the leading hawk among Konoha's upper ranks. To him, anyone who threatened Konoha's safety had to die!
In that, he had certainly inherited the teachings of Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.
"Heh. Looks like Konoha's leaders aren't at all comfortable with my return!"
As soon as he entered Konoha, Ye Fan sensed several groups following him.
Some were Anbu. Others belonged to Root.
Ye Fan paid them no mind and headed straight for the Chunin registration area.
As soon as he reached the plaza outside the exam venue, Ye Fan saw a good show.
A boy dressed in green, with white bandages wrapped around his hands and feet, leaped down from the second floor and landed in front of Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura.
"My name is Rock Lee. You're Sasuke Uchiha, the genius who inherited the Uchiha Clan's talent, aren't you?"
"Hm?"
Sasuke glanced coldly at Rock Lee, his expression full of disdain.
"Sasuke Uchiha, I challenge you! Let me see just how strong you are, with the talent of the Uchiha Clan!"
Rock Lee took up a fighting stance. His gaze was resolute, and he radiated confidence.
Facing this legendary Uchiha, he wasn't afraid at all. In fact, he was thrilled.
Rock Lee looked at Sakura beside Sasuke, his heart soaring. His thick eyebrows and big eyes curved into crescents as he grinned.
If I beat Sasuke in front of Sakura, she'll definitely fall in love with me!
"Sasuke Uchiha, come at me!"
Sasuke had no interest in responding to Rock Lee's provocation.
In his eyes, this boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, dressed so strangely, wasn't worthy of being his opponent.
Seeing this, Naruto felt thoroughly annoyed.
All this time, everyone's attention had been on Sasuke, while he'd been treated like a mere background character.
Naruto resolved to prove himself and show that he was no weaker than Sasuke!
"Rock Lee, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'll beat you in five minutes!"
Naruto shouted and charged straight at Rock Lee.
Rock Lee remained calm. He raised one hand and knocked Naruto to the ground with a quick pecking motion.
Naruto sprang back up and charged again.
Rock Lee ducked low and swept Naruto's legs out from under him, knocking him down once more.
"None of you can beat me. I'm the strongest Genin in Konoha!"
Hearing that, Sasuke grew interested and decided to teach Rock Lee a lesson.
Nearby, Ye Fan watched the aloof Sasuke about to step in and couldn't help laughing.
"Hahaha! Looks like Sasuke's about to get beaten to a pulp!"
Ye Fan's laughter instantly drew Rock Lee and the others' attention.
Sasuke, who had been about to fight Rock Lee, turned to look at Ye Fan as well.
The moment he saw Ye Fan, his eyes flew wide. He clenched his fists, his whole body trembling.
His black eyes gradually turned red, becoming a Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
He ground his teeth and snarled, "Uchiha Ye Fan!"
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