The Lady of the House

At Uchiha Yan's words, everyone finally dispersed.

Izumi stood at the back of the crowd, watching Uchiha Yan like an enamored fan, the corners of her mouth curving upward.

When she noticed Uchiha Yan turn his head, she quickly turned away with a haughty air.

Just then, Uchiha Yan nodded to Kakashi.

Kakashi said flatly, "Yan, you've really given them a difficult problem. Those useless fools will probably go complain, and I imagine certain people are going to have a headache."

His tone was casual, tinged with amusement. He clearly didn't consider those people his colleagues.

Hearing Kakashi, Uchiha Yan thought, Why not just give me Sarutobi Hiruzen's ID number while you're at it?

But he also realized that infighting within Konoha wasn't limited to the Uchiha and the other factions.

As the Hokage's private forces, the Anbu were also locked in open and covert struggles.

Uchiha Yan patted Kakashi on the shoulder, a hint of mischief in his smile. "Isn't that what I have a captain like you out front for? Besides, just look at these villagers."

He pointed toward the crowd, which hadn't dispersed yet.

"Isn't 'the will of the people' what the Third cares about most? Right now, I'm the people's choice."

Kakashi heard the sarcasm in his words but didn't argue.

He simply turned his gaze to the sky, remembering the rainy day after his father took his own life, and the villagers' cold, disdainful stares.

Kakashi still didn't understand.

After that, the two went their separate ways.

Uchiha Yan continued patrolling with the Uchiha, keeping an eye on the time as they went.

The most iconic plan would probably happen in a few days.

As for whether it would harm innocent people, Uchiha Yan wasn't particularly worried.

Based on his unprofessional judgment, Orochimaru still had a tiny bit of affection for Konoha. Not much, but in the original story, he hadn't targeted civilians during the Konoha Crush Plan.

The Konoha Crush Plan was basically ninja versus ninja.

Even Orochimaru, a monster with almost no morals who had experimented on Konoha's civilians and ninja, had only carried out a decapitation strike during the Konoha Crush Plan, facing off against the Third one-on-one.

The Sunagakure and Konoha ninja fought above the civilians' heads.

No one went after the civilians, and Konoha's ninja didn't bother to evacuate them.

No one infiltrated the civilian population in disguise to launch attacks, either.

Of course, if they did target civilians, there wasn't much Uchiha Yan could do.

He wasn't a professional, after all.

Then there was Uchiha Itachi, the most devoted son of all. That guy spared neither the old nor the young.

His morals were even worse than Orochimaru's.

Of course, in the world of ninja, it was often the most shameless who came out on top.

By contrast, when Pain invaded, the people of Konoha immediately chose to evacuate the civilians.

Nagato had grown up amid war between countries and villages. How much sympathy could he possibly feel for those who turned his homeland into a battlefield?

If Naruto hadn't talked him around in the end, Nagato would never have used Samsara of Heavenly Life.

And in the end, Naruto didn't spare a thought for the Land of Rain, either.

While on patrol, Uchiha Yan also noticed something interesting.

The ninja from the Land of Rain who had come for the exams wore two different kinds of outfits.

Some wore ordinary ninja clothes, while the others wore gas masks.

Neither side could stand the other, and the tension between them was palpable.

Perhaps the other villages' ninja had received word. They were clearly much more restrained, even staying inside their lodgings and not going out.

That made Uchiha Yan's work a lot easier.

The Hokage Office.

An Eagle-Masked Anbu went to complain to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened as he listened.

But this was a critical period, and falling out with the Uchiha wasn't a good option.

With that in mind, he looked up at the Eagle-Masked Anbu, cleared his throat, and said,

"Ah, this matter. It's not that I won't handle it, but do we have to handle everything? Let me tell you, what really matters is the people involved. I'll think of something."

The Eagle-Masked Anbu stared at him in confusion. "Lord Hokage, then what should we do?"

"This matter isn't difficult, but it isn't simple either. The key is how we choose to look at it. Our attitude is very important."

"All right, go back and get on with your regular duties. I still have a few documents to deal with."

The Eagle-Masked Anbu nodded blankly. He felt completely dazed.

It was only after he left the Hokage Office that he came to his senses.

Hadn't he just been reporting on his work?

How had he been dismissed just like that?

He glanced back at the Hokage Office, whose doors were already firmly shut.

He swallowed, then gave up on going back in to ask what the solution was.

Over the next few days, the visitors from the other villages behaved themselves in Konoha, like law-abiding citizens.

Danzo seemed to have vanished without a trace, with no news of him at all.

Early one morning, Uchiha Yan was woken by a knock at his courtyard gate.

He checked the time. Nine in the morning.

Rubbing his eyes, he threw on a coat and went outside.

The morning sun spilled over the courtyard. Still half-asleep and feeling groggy, Uchiha Yan opened the gate.

The person standing outside brought him fully awake in an instant.

A tall young woman stood there.

"Kurenai? What are you doing here so early?"

Kurenai wore comfortable, casual clothes. A fitted pale-purple sweater showed off her lovely figure, and she had on a pair of cream-colored trousers and simple cloth shoes.

Kurenai looked at Uchiha Yan in his casual attire, and her face flushed.

Uchiha Yan had a well-built, muscular frame.

His abs and V-lines were clearly defined.

Kurenai's face reddened at the sight. "Why are you dressed so casually?"

Uchiha Yan raised an eyebrow and teased, "What, do I need your permission to wear clothes in my own home?"

Kurenai rolled her eyes at him with a playful look. "All right, stop fooling around. Let's go inside and talk."

Uchiha Yan nodded and stepped aside.

Kurenai walked right in. As she passed him,

Uchiha Yan caught the faint floral scent that was uniquely hers.

Kurenai entered the room, her brows drawing together as she looked around the living room. The table, which had been neat before, was piled with half-empty teacups and carelessly stacked scrolls. Two training outfits had even been tossed onto the sofa.

She sighed helplessly. This wasn't her first time at Uchiha Yan's place, and she was already used to it.

"Honestly... are you trying to turn your home into a garbage dump?"

As she grumbled, she set the breakfast she'd brought on the table with practiced ease.

She gathered the hair that had fallen over her shoulders and started tidying the room.

Her movements were so familiar that she seemed like the lady of the house.

Uchiha Yan rubbed his nose and joined her in the cleanup.